How to Improve The Davis Cup in America!

There was a point in time where The Davis Cup was seen by Americans as something to be proud of since The US has been a juggernaut in the contest since the start of the 20th century. If you ask a modest American sports fan what The Davis Cup is, they most likely won't know what it is or where it is even held. A serious tennis fan might tell you what it is but most likely won't know where it is held. This is a problem that has plagued us in The US for some time now and will until we make some changes at home.
1) Promote It!
When was the last time you saw a commercial for The Davis Cup on TV? I can't say there is one besides the tennis channel and this is a premium channel on cable or satellite. The USTA needs to by slots on national networks to at least get the word out. We are in an age of high speed information. People can either watch sports events online or at least keep up with them using the same medium; why not inform the public and get a buzz going? This is where we have really dropped the ball.

2) Promote our Players!
Here is a question for you. Who plays Davis Cup for The US? Or even a better one, who is our #1 ranked American? Does the average sports fan know this? NO! Andy Roddick has been a great top 10 player for a decade now but he is not there anymore. What have we done to promote Mardy Fish? We might see him in one K-Swiss commercial but that's about it. How are we promoting Isner, Querry, Harrison, Sock or the best doubles team ever, the Bryans? The USTA has to do more to get these names out. The average sports fan will watch the Kentucky Derby or The Daytona 500 and they know who the prime characters are, tennis cannot fall behind to a horse and a car!,/p>

3) Have a Venue that brings attention!
NYC, LA, Chicago, Miami these are major cities with millions of people that we could attract to go to this amazing event. It breaks my heart watching our Davis Cup team in cities like Austin, Rancho Mirage, Portland, Winston-Salem; all of these BEAUTIFUL cities but they do not have the demographics to bring the crowds needed to have a true Davis Cup feel. When I watch Davis Cup in Buenos Aires, Seville, or Zagreb it is contagious and energetic. These are cities with millions of people who become very passionate. Having our venues in larger cities will bring excitement and attention.

Let's make Davis Cup the event it deserves to be in The US! Let's promote it, promote our players, and host it in large venues that will bring in the energy and passion that these other countries bring. After all, this is the largest annual competition in the world. Let's have pride and help the cup stay in The US!