Adam Helfant, the ATP's newly appointed chairman and chief executive, has quickly learned what an arduous job awaits him after sitting in on the annual players meeting that took place before the start of the Australian Open and was described by seasoned observers as both ' embarrassing ' and 'a farce'. Helfant is in Melbourne on a fact-finding mission before moving to London at the beginning of February. Flanked by new lieutenants such as the ATP's Chief Marketing Officer Phil Anderton, Rules Chief Gayle David Bradshaw, CEO of ATP Properties Richard Davies and Communications Director Kris Dent, he watched on as Chief Player Officer Andre Silva got the meeting underway. A lack of order was apparent from the onset but things descended to disrespectful proportions when jeers and whistles greeted Stuart Miller, the International Tennis Federation's Head of Science and Technology, who had been invited to explain the new anti-doping rules. Then Argentina's Guillermo Canas, banned for two years in 2005 after being found guilty of using a banned diuretic, made a point of standing up and walking out of the room as Miller tried to make his address, Canas had also been vocal amongst numerous complaints about the new prize money levels in the game which, he believed, unfairly favored players right at the top of the pay scale. Helfant, appointed after much support from both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, could not mistake the mood of the meeting. "I've been to a few of these but this was the worst behaved I've ever seen," said one official in attendance who wished to remain anonymous. "The new guy must have been thinking 'What have I let myself in for?'. He clearly did not wish to say anything himself but just sat quietly to one side of the hall and took everything in. Frankly the whole behavior of the players was embarrassing and a farce." Reported by mltennis.comIt has begun, the reign of Hell, I mean Helfant begins his CEO reign and doesn't say a word during his first ATP meeting...This article makes it sound like he is just an observer...He is the freakin' CEO, let me say that again...HE IS THE CEO and he didn't speak up and put things to rest, he didn't man up during this meeting and straighten the players out and demand some respect for the ATP or his colleagues. Yeah, he got the approval from Federer initially who probably didn't care about their meeting and Nadal whose english is far from good so he probably just smiled during their meeting, unless Helfant was able to speak "cough cough" some spanish. The ATP selected a smart guy and thats what we got and all they got, no personality, no leadership, just smartness. I am sure he took some great notes, Harvard quality...Maybe he should take notes from Obama on how to speak up for what is right. I would say, lets call it quits while you're ahead Helfant or at the very least give me a call because it sounds like you need someone to do your job for you. I would only demand 50k of that million you're getting...The offer is on the table...
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