Andre Agassi: Open

[UKFlounder]

I read someone speculating that he might want to be involved in politics someday, and maybe this was a case of getting the skeletons in his closet out in the open instead of letting somebody else do it for him eventually.

[Dom Heffner]

Then I'm sure he's giving all the proceeds of that book to charity, right?

I don't necessarily think it's all about the money. Of course if you want to write a book you certainly want as many people as possible to buy it. I think part of it is because he wants the attention.

I want to make some money. I think I'll admit to using crystal meth so I can get more. BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

I don't think you exchange a negative fallout and backlash that could harm your legacy over a freaking few million dollars.

And you don't do it for attention.

[Eric_the_Red]

Every person who writes a book about themselves is probably looking for attention

Glory hounds.

[DTCromer]

I think one of the problems people have with him is that he's using all this stuff to sell his book. Much like when Pete Rose came out with his latest book and finally admitted he bet on baseball after denying it for all those years.

What's wrong with him using it to sell his book? If the guy can make money off of it and people buy it, then more power to him.

[Roy Tucker]

I saw the 60 minutes interview. He was very open and honest. He has his own school in Las Vegas K-12, the Andre Agassi Academy. He's happily married to a former tennis pro...Steffi Graf. They have money to burn. This book was not about money. He just wanted to tell the truth, to clear his conscience. He did not have to tell ANYONE about the drug use, it happened 10 years ago. I respect him for coming clean and telling the truth.

When I initially read the excerpt of Agassi's book in SI, I was in the "baring his soul for the money" crowd and dismissed it a a money-grubbing ploy. I was never a big fan of him and thought he was the ultimate tennis hot dog. I still remember shaking my head at his Canon camera commercials.

But the 60 Minutes thing swayed me. He truly is committed to his academy and his philanthropy. I really don't think he needs the money. He's a complex guy finding his way through a very blessed and cursed life. I think he's still narcissic, but less so. I think Chip is right, he just wants some attention and still be relevant.

[Mario-Rijo]

Maybe he is just trying to be the best man he can be and the only way to do that is to let the world know just who you really are. I know many people believe charading around as someone your not even though you have skeletons in the closet is the way to go. But I think this is the rarest and best form of trying to improve yourself. Now he may be using it to make money or continued relevance but watching the interview I got the feeling he just wanted to let people know who he really was for his own piece of mind. Maybe I am just a sucker for honesty though so I could be wrong.

[Hoosier Red]

Everything I've read suggests you aren't too far off M-R.

He was asked/talked into/decided to do a memoir, and he knew that A) it would probably make money regardless so B) He might as well make it as honest a self appraisal as he could.