Friday, July 31
I Can't Stop Laughing At This
Hard to Hate Rudy Gay as a UConn fan although he was often cited for his lack of "desire" while in Storrs but that really translates as he was more athletic and talented than everyone else. He was a part of that fateful day in DC in '06 when George Mason made history which is a bitter pill. But I guess the fact that he is now in Memphis softens any animosity. Any man willing to stop and pose for this picture is aces with me. Whenever I'm down in days ahead I am going to look at this picture to cheer me up. I love the star trying desperately through its oversized yellow glove to form a #1 sign.
via Deadspin.
Speaking of comedy, I went and saw a preview of Funny People on Tuesday with Catfish and wrote a review for our friends at Arts a la Mode which you can read here. Funny movie, the plot takes a weird turn but overall a good chuckler.
FYI: USC Picked To Win Pac Ten
In an amazing shocker, Taylor Mays and company are projected to win the Pac Ten for 8th consecutive year. You might say they could be in trouble for the latest alleged NCAA violations but who are we kidding, the Trojan army has proved impervious to NCAA sanctions. Pete Carroll, the Priam of the program himself thinks he is only "in the middle" of his great run. Perhaps Carroll has done too much praising to the sun god in LA or maybe he knows that while the walls of Troy stand, no NCAA investigator or rival recruiter can break them. There could come a day however, perhaps with the new knowledge that Carroll used a former NFL assistant as a consultant which may be against the rules, when somebody finds a way to bring down the walls of Troy. It has not been all smiles and daisies for USC though, despite going 59-6 the last 5 years, they have only two titles to show for it this decade. With the determination not to be shut out of the national title game this year, USC will once again put all distractions aside and more than likely roll through the Pac Ten. Maybe there is one coach or NCAA official out there intrepid enough to employ the tactic that will bring Carroll and his team down: The Trojan Rabbit.
New commish, coaches in Pac-10, but USC still tops [SportingNews]
Thursday, July 30
Thursday Links
We took the bronze in our trivia contest last night and we are not too happy about it. The halftime question was mired in controversy and it concerned the longest running sitcoms on television. They told us M*A*S*H was not a sitcom! Lies! Subsequently, I always defer to Sporcle, so you can take the quiz and seethe results for yourself HERE (hint: type in M*A*S*H and see what happens). Some other stories to stuff your swelling soul with on Thursday.
Florida Panthers exec struck out on Millionaire matchmaker, tries creepy I know random facts about you technique on Fox News Anchor. [Deadspin]
Anyone who wants to see Fedor destroy Lesnar in the ring raise your hand. [LA Times]
Cliff Lee is no Roy Halladay, but at least Philadelphia will keep Kyle Drabek this way. [Rumors and Rants]
Brian Urlacher and Jake Cutler work out their "pussy" issues. [KSK]
A look at the greatest goalie masks of all time. [SI.com]
Uplifting story for Walter Peck time! New Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads taking different approach to coaching that Gene Chizik did: I actually give a shit about my players.[Des Moines Register via EDSBS]
We have all been missing college football, I've been missing Mike Leach. [ESPN]
Delaware fighting back on the attack of sports leagues and NCAA to stop the legalization of gambling. Owned, political style! [Yahoo]
A list of Ten Memorable Movie Endings. [Gunaxin]
Pats training camp opens today! /ducks. Yes I know you all hate them but I still have my Drew Bledsoe "Patriot Games" poster on my wall so let's take a look at we need to know about training camp, shall we? [Barstool Sports]
Tuesday, July 28
Bobcats Trade Their First Ever Draft Pick
In a move that is drawing strong debate by both sides here in Charlotte, the Bobcats have traded Emeka Okafor to the New Orleans Hornets for Tyson Chandler. The argument on the forums over at our friends, Bobcats Planet, has been intense. Sentimentally, I am a UConn fan and a fan of Emeka as a person so this is a hard move to swallow. Catfish has told me the business and economical side of the decision which makes it clearer in the big picture. This move may hurt Charlotte in the short-term depending on Chandler's health but with Okafor's huge contract and Chandler's coming off the books in a couple years, it may be beneficial down the road.
Either way it is hard seeing the face of the young franchise get dealt for an injury-plagued semi-star. While Okafor was never an all-star or a primetime performer, he did win rookie of the year in 2005 and only Tim Duncan and Dwight Howard have averaged a double-double over the last five seasons along with Emeka.
The debate will continue well into next season while the staunch Emeka defenders point to his solid play and the pro-Chandler look to his athleticism, height, and expiring contract.
Okafor for Chandler good deal for Bobcats [Charlotte Observer]
Emeka Okafor for Tyson Chandler? [Ball Don't Lie]
Monday, July 27
Sometimes You Forget: The 1993 Blue Jays
While lifting yesterday I was listening to the radio and heard an interview with pitcher Dave Stewart talking about his lifelong friend Rickey Henderson entering the Hall of Fame. Henderson is baseball's all-time leader in lead-off home runs, walks, and runs scored and although he had a reputation as a third-person talker, his induction speech was very elegant. Dave Stewart grew up with Rickey but they also played together and during the course of this particular interview their time in Toronto was discussed. That got me thinking about that team, which participated in one of the more memorable World Series of my youth if not of all-time.
Friday, July 24
ASD Shameless Plug Time!
It's not often we get to promote ourselves for anything on the blog so please excuse. Today at 6:40 pm EST, our very own Catfish is going to be on the local sports radio station here in Charlotte as part of a local contest. Yes, kind of the same format that Baltimore tried months ago to less than stellar results. However, while there were plenty of those in this contest, we are in the second round so much of the boom goes the dynamite material has been washed away. Catfish was one of the best of the early rounds and while there is no fan voting for the winner, tune into 610 AM if you live here in Charlotte, or you can go to this link and click the "listen live" button. Tune in today and support our Catfish!
You Are Not Prepared For The SEC Onslaught
Brace yourselves. This is only the beginning. As SEC Media day kicked off yesterday, we saw a terrifying glimpse of the media coverage to come this season. Every coach who got up the podium was asked whether they were the culprit, the charlatan who did not vote Tim Tebow preseason all-conference at the quarterback position. I warned of this at the end of last season when Tebow announced he would be coming back. If the coverage is not coming from people who fawn all over the Florida deity, then it is coming from people who are covering him to talk about how ridiculous it is to fawn all over him. I fall into the latter group. It's a trap! I cannot help mentioning this though.
One by one as coaches faced the media, each one was asked if they dared to not vote Tim Tebow as lord and commander of the universe. [Update: It was Spurrier!] Now I have no problem giving Tebow the honor, I mean those dump-offs to Percy Harvin and shovel passes to tight-end Aaron Hernandez were tough, but the world of SEC football continues to grow, as evidence by their massive new television deal and by the 1,000 credentialed media in attendance. This is why the conference has gained the reputation it has, because the southern population of the United States is absolutely batshit crazy over college football.
But back to Tebow. Even he has to think this is getting out of control. He was asked if he was a virgin, which many people think went too far. The problem facing Tebow and the Gators will not be the talent they have the field or even their schedule, its going to be the insane number of attention paid to their team. If people thought last year was over the top and insufferable (/raises hand) then you have no idea what is coming. That is one reason why it is so hard to repeat in sports because once you win, you get magnified under the microscope. You thought the Farve coverage by ESPN was bad, let me just mention that they have a television deal with the SEC and already slobber over Tebow. Tim Tebow is in our lives 24/7 now if we want to follow college football this season and whether we have spent five minutes with him or not, are we better for it?
Wednesday, July 22
The Debate For College Athlete Compensation Resumes As Ed O'Bannon Sues NCAA
This could get dicey. It is not enough for the NCAA to have the USC and UConn decisions resting on their plate, they now face a lawsuit from former UCLA star Ed O'Bannon over the compensation denied to athletes in college. The NCAA has a $4 billion industry on their hands and now the players who helped grow that industry are wondering why they never received a cent. This is a larger take on the lawsuit filed a few months ago by Sam Keller, former quarterback for Nebraska and Arizona State, over athlete likeness being used in the popular EA Sports college football game. Former Rutgers quarterback Mike Hart filed a similar lawsuit recently as well.
There is a huge dilemma for the NCAA if the court sides with O'Bannon on this issue. It is a very slippery slope to tread and while in the past I have been of the philosophy that college athletes are entitled to a free (or partially free) education and benefits that other students are not privy too, this particular issue is more complicated. In my mind players should not be able to earn a "salary" while competing in college but there should be some sort of compensation, if not immediately then down the road after they leave school, for the institution's and NCAA's use of their persona to gain profits. While the athletes deserve to comeaway with more than nothing as they have been getting, the piece of the pie and when they get to eat it are more of the question.
This will be yet another blow to the image of the NCAA and I cannot say yet as to whether I can give up entirely on the organization like many have. It certainly has problems but getting rid of it will cause complete anarchy and chaos when it comes to collegiate sports as we know them. In many ways it is like our federal government sans the gigantic deficit. I, for one, am not ready to see that happen but if it eliminates title IX in college sports...well then I am listening at the very least.
Former UCLA star Ed O'Bannon leads suit against NCAA over use of images [LA Times]
Something Positive Amidst Sports Tabloid Rubbish
While many people are focusing on the Erin Andrews tape, Ben Roethlisberger's sexual assault civil suit, or what your favorite athlete is tweeting, finally an uplifting story came to us via HBO's Real Sports. If you do not watch this show, you are simply missing out and I am not just talking about this story in particular. Real Sports is what E:60 should have been if it was not held by the constraints of the sports its network covers or assuming that every viewer has the capacity of a mentally challenged 13 year-old. It is for the educated sports consumer and if you can get past the host, it gives you glimpses of the outlandish, historical, and often tragic side of sports in our society.
Last night, the episode had a feature on an organization known as Friends of Jaclyn which pairs pediatric brain tumor patients with a college athletic team. The organization was started by Jaclyn Murphy's father, who saw his own daughter afflicted with a malignant brain tumor when she was ten. Jaclyn had been a participant in sports throughout her youth and in a way to try to bolster her spirits, Jaclyn's lacrosse coach reached out to a former Maryland player who was coaching at Northwestern. The returning support from the team was tremendous and they formed a strong bond with Jaclyn. The Wildcats women's lacrosse team has since gone on a 5-year title streak. The success of Jaclyn's recovery and the inspiration it gave to the Northwestern team led Denis Murphy to create Friends of Jaclyn so that other kids battling brain cancer could experience what his daughter had.
The result is that now all across the country, teams are taking in these kids and giving them a sense of accomplishment and teamwork. Denis has even said the demand now is so great from teams that there is a waiting list. It is not the greatest gift you can give a child, but it is a valuable lesson for them to have if they survive and one they can cherish if they are unable to overcome the disease. While making kids wishes come true is very worthwhile, this is the formation of a bond that lasts weeks, years, and perhaps longer.
This story has been mentioned before, even by espn.com but Real Sports put it into an incredibly touching piece that is definitely worth seeing. If you want more information on Friends of Jaclyn, you can visit their official website here: friendsofjaclyn.org.
Tuesday, July 21
Michigan: Accurate, Petty, or Both?
When offensive linemen Kurt Wermers announced his intent to transfer from Michigan to Ball State, he launched a parting shot at Coach Rich Rodriguez, "Coach Carr's staff was a whole different ballgame, it was like a family. But when Rodriguez came in it was a whole different feeling. It was more of a business. I figured I'd get out while I could." Now, sources are indicating that Wermers was academically ineligible before he left and would not have been able to play.
For ESPN to feel comfortable running a story about a student's eligibility it doesn't seem to be a leap in logic to assume that the source came from inside the university, which begs the question, why do the Wolverines feel the need to comment on an offensive lineman's transfer when he played in no games and wasn't even part of the two-deep depth chart other than to call into question his credibility? After being blasted by another lineman, Justin Boren, who transferred to arch-rival Ohio State, is it possible that Big Blue is a little too sensitive about their image? For an institution to comment, under the cover of sources or outright, on the academic standing of a departing student crosses a line that seems to fall right in-line with the criticisms levied by both of these young men.
Monday, July 20
The Triple Crown: The Rest of the Story (pt. 1)
If Prince Albert thought the pressure of hosting an All-Star weekend all by himself was difficult, he's in no way going to be prepared for the full court press that will be the coverage of his quest for the Triple Crown. ESPN's Tim Kurkjian weighs in, with customary great tidbits thrown in (for example: "For [Frank] Robinson, it was the only season during his brilliant career in which he led his league in any of the Triple Crown categories").
If this quest can maintain steam into September, media outlets will begin pouring over past triple crown seasons with tons of interesting tidbits about each man that achieved the goal as well as notes from the season. With that in mind, and with a lot of help from Baseball Reference, we present the rest of the story: Triple Crown Edition. Guaranteed to make you cool when discussing baseball with anyone who knows Jeff Cirillo is the all-time batting average leader of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Craved Storylines Missing In Majors This Year
No golf player ranked higher than 33rd has won a major this year. In a game where beyond the devout followers final days must be headlined by the big name players, particularly the biggest name, this year has been less than cooperative. The Masters in April began the first of casual-follower disappointment when Angel Cabrera outlasted longtime good guy Kenny Perry to take the green jacket. The big focus that day was on the pairing of Tiger and Phil, both of whom made late charges. The announcers were praying for a Tiger-Phil dash to the end, but first Tiger faded and ended up behind a tree on 18, then Phil missed a crucial putt. The sportswriters must have been crushed.
At Beth Page Black in New York, Tiger was out of the picture but Phil stood as the crowd and emotional favorite. After recently receiving news that his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, Mickelson was trying to win one at her behest. The raucous Long Island crowd was behind Phil and he was more than humble and gracious to them. I can see now the keys being punched by the media as they wiped aside tears writing their column about Phil triumph. Unfortunately Phil would again miss critical puts and add another 2nd place finish at the U.S. Open to his record. Another prospect was that David Duval, a man that went from number 1 in the world to afterthought, was also in the running down the stretch. A story of redemption always plays nicely. Instead Lucas Glover, a virtual unknown outside the world of golf took home the trophy in an inconceivably quiet manner. Instead of the heart-wrenching Phil story, they got the "hey get a load of this guy you have never heard of" bit. He reads a lot, isn't that crazy folks!
The latest installment of the great golf story landing short took place yesterday at Turnberry. Tom Watson was attempting the unthinkable, a 6th British Open championship at 59 years-old and on a replaced hip. This improbable notion gave the writers ample fodder to erase the pain they must have felt along with ABC at Tiger having missed the cut. But as we have seen before on 18 at the British, fortunes can change. Watson overshot his approach which left him with an 8 foot put for the win. His failure to close out was Stewart Cink's opportunity and he took advantage.
The debate about Watson's win would have been incredible and would have had golf people talking for weeks. Now instead the story will only be how Watson let it get away that will last only a few days. The debate I mentioned would have centered around how golf should be noted in the sporting world if a man who is 59 and has an artificial hip winning one of the major tournaments disqualifies golf as a sport. To me this is nonsense, because I disqualified golf as a sport years ago. That statement usually draws some ire from people that consider golf a sacred artform. To me saying golf is not a sport is not a negative, it is simply reality. Golf is a game, an activity, that is in the sporting spirit of competition. It is extremely difficult and takes an incredible amount of skill, mental toughness, and the ability to walk a good distance. This should not diminish what golf was,is,and will be in the consciousness of the American sports fan. To say Watson's falling short discredit's the notion that a man of his age can win is quite absurd and protects some convoluted integrity of the game is absurd. He fell one putt short.
The final Major, the PGA Championship next month is the final major of the year and the old hats will be begging for a big name to win and at the very least, Tiger to be there at the end. For my money, I give Bob Estes (ranked 183 currently) the best shot.
Friday, July 17
Thursday, July 16
Thursday Links
I am not feeling particularly spry this day. I have a cold...in July, and am just feeling overall without purpose. This is why when I saw this video of a squirrel with a yogurt cup over its head, I felt this was a perfect representation of where I am in the universe. The lack of any sound other than the scrambling of the rodent or nature makes it all too hypnotizing. I watched it over and over about 15 times and since it is looped 3 times in the actual clip that means I watched this 45 times today.
(via Yesbutnobutyes)
It's been a great ride of epic fail this year for the Nationals. [Gunaxin]
Celebrating those in baseball who are or were on the wrong side of the Mendoza line. [Rumors and Rants]
More from YBNBY: THIS IS WHAT YOUR GOVERNMENT IS DOING INSTEAD OF FIXING OUR PROBLEMS! [Yesbutnobutyes]
Sports need a slump-buster. [The Onion]
The best hockey game of the year set to take place in Fenway next season. [Awful Announcing]
Bernie Kosar never learned how to cut bread. [HHR]
Trivia time: Name the MLB All-Star Game MVPs, or just sit there and remain ignorant. [Sporcle]
Listen to the mid-summer edition of our podcast for Bobcats Planet. Catfish wins a bet against me over the height of Eric Snow. [Bobcats Planet]
The ESPYs sound about as entertaining as I would expect. [SportsbyBrooks]
Economy So Tough Here In Charlotte People Are Stealing This Car
Let's face it, we are all facing tough times. Unemployment continues to rise and now even the famous athletes are not getting a break. Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis had his purple 1975 Chevy Caprice Classic stolen from his home in southeast Charlotte Saturday Morning according to The Charlotte Observer. Davis told the cops the car's value is $136,000. I hope he has the receipts to back up the value of his ride pimping with his insurance company should the car not turn up. Just in case the car thieves didn't know who they were stealing from, the steering wheel had a picture of a football and Davis on it. I can only hope the picture is of him doing the Buddy Jesus pose.
Tuesday, July 14
Retracing The Last Five Years Of College Football
Good stuff from College Game Balls on the records of the FBS schools since 2004. Amazing that USC and Texas dominate the numbers (just 6 and 8 respectively) but they only have one title each and only 3 appearances between both of them. The ACC's mediocrity is on full display as only Virginia Tech is in the top 10 and after BC at 12 there is not another ACC team until FSU at 29. Duke stands at the bottom of the list. No surprise that the Gators do not schedule out of conference games out of the state of Florida, they have a 65% winning percentage away from home compared to a 91% mark in the swamp.
By the Numbers 2004-2008 [CGB]
Moneyball: A Retrospective
It has been seven years since the fateful 2002 season of the Oakland Athletics was chronicled by Michael Lewis in the now famous bestseller Moneyball. I was fully aware of the concepts of the book but had never actually read it. About a month ago it was plopped into my lap at the cost of 50 cents from a local book sale. After finishing My Life on a Napkin by Rick Majerus, I decided to finally read the book for myself. With plenty of time since the book's controversial introduction into the realm of baseball, and with a major motion picture production starring Brad Pitt on the horizon (it's back on after being shut down), let's revisit the book and its impact on the sports landscape.
Monday, July 13
Home Run Derby Trivia
Do you remember who won the Home Run Derby last year? If you said Josh Hamilton you are incorrect. Test your knowledge of the contest before taking in the long balls tonight at Busch Stadium. There is a general knowledge quiz from Simon on Sports and a quiz of all the winners from Sporcle.
Home Run Derby Trivia [Simon On Sports]
Can you name the Home Run Derby winners at the All-Star Game? [Sporcle]
Pujols Has The Numbers Within Reach At The Break
There are few, if any, hallowed baseball records that still exist in the game. The fans will simply not be fooled again into another summer of cheering for a false hero that turns out to be more shadow and smoke then grit and brawn. Then it must be taken into account attainable records relative to the game today. Cal Ripken's streak is in all likelihood unbreakable. This year when Ryan Howard sat out a start he had the longest current streak and it was only just over 300. The Joe DiMaggio 56 hitting streak is another that seems unlikely to be touched. Now that Joe Mauer is no longer flirting with .400, that record once again fades out of sight.
If there has been one ballplayer who has the talent and the willingness to put himself into the national spotlight it is Albert Pujols. He has had a tremendous first portion of the season and here at the All-Star break leads the NL in both Homers (32), RBI (87), and trails Hanley Ramirez by 12 points in average (.337). He would be the first player since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967 to accomplish the feat and the first NL player since Joe Medwick in 1937. There are still many miles to go, but for a player who has asked the fans to believe him when it comes to performance-enhancing drugs, it would be a great point for baseball to move forward on for him to achieve this success.
Another number I will be watching of Pujols the remainder of the season will be his home run total. He is on pace for about 57 this year. His highest total ever is 49 in 2006. Even though he would need to pick up the pace he could realistically get to 62. If he does, he will have passed by Roger Maris and the only players in front of him would be Sosa, McGwire, and Bonds. Should we not think of Albert as the single season king if he gets there? While the history books will not be altered from the era of juice nor an asterisk placed beside the inflated numbers, a 62 home run total from Pujols will resound with many baseball fans that have taken the plunge with Albert yet again are willing to have faith.
Friday, July 10
Links Leading Into The Weekend
The Oakland A's are retiring Rickey Henderson's number next month. Today, the number 24 is truly the greatest. [Oakland A's]
UFC 100 is right on our doorstep; two title bouts, Lesnar tries to silence the doubters, GSP sounds like Van Damme and I love it. [CBSSports]
AI is not a robot, he has feelings people. [Deuce of Davenport]
Dante Stallworth was here. I guess it's get busy living or get busy getting probation. [Sportress of Blogitude]
I give you the Rosy Lipped Batfish, enjoy [Yesbutnobutyes]
Wednesday, July 8
How High Do We Lift Our Heroes?
There has been a multitude of deaths in the public forum recently. Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Billy Mays all passed in the last couple of weeks and then the two big deaths from the past couple of weeks; Steve McNair and Michael Jackson. While billions around the world mourn MJ's death, McNair's has been brought out of the sports community because of the strange circumstances and scandal that surround his murder. Both are being heralded as great men of their craft and shouts have gone out far and wide to ignore whatever transgressions they have done in order to preserve their memories. The element that has been twisting in my mind is to what extent do we deserve to etch in history the wrong these icons did during their time on Earth.
Tuesday, July 7
It's Our One Year Anniversary!
One year ago today, fueled by a desire to share our insights on sports, Catfish and I embarked on the adventure that is The Amphibious Sports Duo. After introducing myself, I typed our first post about the Federer-Nadal epic Wimbledon match. After reading this post again I realize I really did not spell, grammar, run-on sentence, or diction check the article very well or at all. Yet, it was a beginning and soon Catfish made his appearance by stating some of his mantras and it was off into great unknown. The main reason we began the blog was because we wanted a location to store much of our material and brainstorming. Our ultimate goal is to be able to take the general thoughts, themes and ideas here on the site and bring them to light in the form of a show on radio. While real world obligations continue to require our attention, we have done our best to attempt to entertain, inform, and provoke thought through our content.
The addition of the Shackleford Files, our podcast, gave us the opportunity to be hear and not just seen. Our last official podcast was two and a half months ago but we have been working in the studio, putting material on tape and (hopefully) perfecting how we work together. The ASD also produced a podcast for our local NBA team, the Charlotte Bobcats, for the blog Bobcats Planet. You can listen to all nine Bobcats Planet Radio episodes here. Catfish and I really had some fun putting those introduction pieces in and just like the Shackleford Files, the show took off once we got in studio together. There is no doubt we have improved from where we started in this respect and are seeking an opportunity in the sports community.
So where does the blog go from here? Do we change our format? Do we do exclusively podcasts? Will we pursue advertising? Even we do not know the answer to that question at the moment (but we can go left or right). Both Catfish and I are trying to get a foothold of what our vision for the blog, our recordings, and where we are in life is going to be. But before we go forward, to mark today's significance we are going to look back. Here are the top ten blog posts from our first year. These posts were chosen based on certain criteria: how well we think they represent our philosophy, the entertainment value, the extent with which they were linked to other blogs, and our subjective opinions. I know you're thinking that how could we possibly choose from our over 600 posts, but somehow we were able to. So enjoy the reminiscing after the break.
Monday, July 6
Coming Full Circle on ASD, Wimbledon-style
Tomorrow will mark the one-year anniversary of the Amphibious Sports Duo and perhaps it is fitting that the first post on our blog was about the epic 5 set match last year in the Wimbledon final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. I labeled it the "Marathon Match" because the contest went 9-7 into the final set. The final yesterday between Roger and Andy Roddick ended 16-14 in the 5th set. While many did not get the "best match ever" feel yesterday, you could not deny that this was the longest and the biggest test of endurance. There was no rain delay, no fading light, just two men slamming serve after serve at one another.
I will simply say the following about the historical implications. Roger Federer is the greatest by the numbers as Pete Sampras, who was on hand with wife Veronica Vaughn, Bridgett Wilson, put it better than anyone could when asked by John McEnroe who held the title of best ever. It was great to see players from each era standing together; Bjorn Borg, Rod Laver, Sampras, and Roger. There was mutual respect between them all and there seemed to be an understanding that being the best in your era marked your place in history and that any discussion over who is the best ever is a compelling argument, but not one that has a definite answer.
I have been guilty of criticizing Roddick in the past, and also guilty of deferring to his swimsuit model wife and millions of dollars as comfort for him. But as the match progressed and after Andy fell short, I actually felt bad for him. I am not talking in the grand scheme of things, but simply in the sense of a sports' competitor. Andy deserves all the credit in the world for retooling his game and improving on his weaknesses. He stood toe-to-toe with Roger with his groundstrokes yesterday which is something he had not done in his previous Grand Slam losses to Federer. Even Roger had to be surprised by the level of Roddick's play and it is another tribute to Roger took everything Andy had and still came out on top. Roddick had Roger 15-40 in the 5th set but Roger powered serve after serve to get out of the jam. It reminded me of when Sampras used to do that all the time. After that game Roger never let Roddick get close and by the 30th game, Andy could simply not stay at the level he had been playing. Of course Andy will re-live his bad miss on a backhand volley when he had set-point 6-2 in the second set tiebreaker, but he did bounce back from that to force the 5th set which is another credit to his improvement. I do not see how he recovers from this loss anytime soon, but I hope he attacks the game with the vigor and game planning with which he approached his last two matches.
One thing that has remained constant for Roddick is his entertaining interviews before and after matches. On court, fighting back tears, holding his second place trophy like it was a crumpled paper plate he just used to gobble down BBQ, Andy paid respect to Roger and looked over at the royal box and said, "Sorry, Pete, I tried to hold him off." He turned down the clubhouse interview with McEnroe which I think was wise considering the hug he gave a sullen Federer after last year's final. In the press conference, Andy was slumped over, but answered all the questions truthfully and with his usual wit and snark. "I lost," he said. It was that simple.
Thursday, July 2
Let's Play the Feud
Every Wednesday Catfish, Xtra Medium, myself and a few friends head to a local pub to play trivia. Operating under the team name of Mookie Blaylock we love going head-to-head with the other teams. It is a general trivia contest and we usually win more than we lose. One of my solo runs is now part of trivia and ASD lore. Today, via Extra Mustard we have this video of a "Natural Enemies" episode of Family Feud between MLB umpires and a collection of 1990 players. Joe Carter and Rick Sutcliffe tie for best haircut here. The vids are broken up into 3 parts and even feature some sweet commercials. I always loved the Ray Combs Family Feud, but somehow he did not hang in there. (I'm going to pay for that joke.)
Wednesday, July 1
Round Tripping: Parity Alive And Well In Baseball
As the weather continues to get hotter (read unbearable for the southeast) baseball is just about to the halfway point. If you are obsessive like I am and check the standings about everyday you will notice something interesting. While the NFL is the undisputed king of parity and unpredictability week to week, need I remind you the Arizona Cardinals made the Super Bowl last year, Major League Baseball has become much more of a level playing field this year. Some would say it is too early to make such claims but with such a plethora of teams still in the race for division titles and wild-cards, the August/September stretch run could possibly be the most contested since the expansion to 8 playoff teams.
