VIDEO : John McEnroe The Brat – The Umpire Strikes Back

Published 09/24/2015, 5:43 PM EDT

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In this article, we will show you two videos starring tennis’ ultimate hothead, but a legend nonetheless – John McEnroe. The first video will give you a little preview into the man’s tantrums. And the second, a brilliant and must-see comedy song which depicts McEnroe’s antics in a hilarious manner.

Countless chair umpires would have had homicidal thoughts about John McEnroe, with his constant tantrums on court, frequently showing his frustrations at line calls. He has no hesitation while abusing the umpires and throwing a fit. See for yourself here, a compilation of his most famous tantrums. (Credits : The Sports and Hobby Network)

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This reputation that John McEnroe had led to plenty of imitations and mockery in popular culture. But the most famous of such was when in 1982, British actor Roger Kitter collaborated with musician Kaplan Kaye to make a music video called ‘Chalkdust – The Umpire Strikes Back’, which also got a nickname ‘The Brat’.

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The song became a huge hit, with it reaching No. 18 on the UK Charts in 1982. The song was based on John McEnroe’s claim that a shot called out had actually hit the line, as there was chalkdust above it. The pun in the title was a reference to popular movie franchise ‘Star Wars – The Empire Strikes Back’.

In today’s world, such antics would’ve been punished by the authorities. But, McEnroe was a memorable character on the court. Normally, his beautiful tennis makes sure that these tantrums don’t mar the game.

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Written by:

Ram Narayan

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