A young man blessed with talent and opportunity finds himself in court. Sadly not the type of court that has brought him fame and fortune, but the Southport Magistrates’ Court. Bernard Tomic epitomises all that is wrong with Generation Y. Smug, self-delighted and with an unhealthy sense of entitlement; this ill-disciplined young man has allowed a toxic attitude to hamstring his natural talent. A great deal has been invested in Tomic and right now the payoff is rather pitiful. He is becoming defined by his regular run-ins with the police, post-match tantrums and on-court performances so devoid of effort that John McEnroe accused him of tanking at the US Open. When the ever-affable Pat Rafter calls your performance “disgraceful”, you know you have a serious attitude problem. Of course, if you ask Bernie or his enabling band of supporters, none of it is his fault. It never is. When he was repeatedly pulled over by police for allegedly hooning in his high-powered BMW, the P-plater launched an astonishing attack on the Queensland police – firstly saying they were targeting him because they were jealous and then pulling out the race card. It’s time to stop blaming the parents, the police, the media or any of the other convenient scapegoats that Tomic’s supporters can find And then there was Tomic’s extraordinary antics on Australia Day which involved a three-hour stand-off with police at his Gold Coast home. Charges from that incident see him in court today.
