Meaning of "cheer for chalk" in ?American? English

[dorsetgirl]

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Can anyone explain what the phrase "cheer for chalk" means?

I saw it (as "but people don't cheer for chalk") here in a tennis article at www.forbes.com and I can't work out from the context what on earth it means

Comments

[thekumquat]

I'm not familiar with the idiom, but I think it's referring to names of contenders being chalked up on a board - the idea being you don't get a cheer just from being there.
Before reading the article I'd have guessed it was referring to getting a ball on the line (done in chalk) and not being enough to get a point.

[dorsetgirl]

OK, that makes some kind of sense - thanks!

getting a ball on the line ... not being enough to get a point.

But in tennis hitting the line is counted as "in" and therefore is good enough to get a point. I don't know anything about other sports, though.

[dustthouart]

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=chalk

It appears to be gambling slang for the favorite.

[dorsetgirl]

Thanks! I did look there, but it seems to me that some entries there simply have to be just made up, so I never know whether to believe it.

[dustthouart]

It appears at least in the Forbes link that it's the intended meaning, as the contrast is between "cheering for chalk" and cheering for the wild card--"the favorite" seems to be the most obvious alternative to the underdog.

I'm American living in Canada and I have never heard it before, though, I should say. But I'm not into sports betting at all, and I only watch one sport (ice hockey).

[sollersuk]

Never heard of it ( Brit)

[dorsetgirl]

Thanks - I'm never sure whether it's just me!

[teaoli]

I've (American) never heard it before, either. Interesting new (to me) phrase, though!

[lizvogel]

It's definitely not common American English -- I've never heard it before, and even in context of the article I can only sort of figure out what it means. Perhaps it is a thing in American Tennis English?