Sporting Fools
Sporting Fools
Sporting Fools
Sporting Fools
The frequent and occasional humorous musings behind two of the World's greatest underappreciated sports minds.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
You'll Find No Argument From Me...Overheard on SJ.com:
David Wright, the best in baseball. Hard to argue with that after a sweet 9-1 road swing by the Metropolitans. Game on gents, I'm getting my postseason tickets NOW.
Remember all the talk about A-Rod as the best player in baseball these past few years? Well now that he's batting FIFTH in a banged up Yankees lineup and leading all AL 3rd basemen in errors - you don't seem to be hearing that talk all that much anymore.
Prior to the season I would have said the best player was Pujols but the HGH/steroids allegations have me spooked on him. Tejada same deal.
Could David Wright be the best all-around (clean) player in baseball today? Andruw Jones? Lance Berkman?
David Wright, the best in baseball. Hard to argue with that after a sweet 9-1 road swing by the Metropolitans. Game on gents, I'm getting my postseason tickets NOW.
Sunday, June 11, 2006
LiveBlogging: French StyleI've been waiting for a Federer-Nadal Grand Slam final and although it was widely predicted, the French Open is the only place where such an event could happen since Nadal is so inefficient on the other Grand Slam surfaces.
The French, however, is played on the same red slippery clay that Nadal grew up playing on in Spain. While Federer in his own right is a terrific clay courter, he hasn't been as good as Nadal and a matter of fact he is 0-4 against the Spaniard on clay.
Either way this is a crucial matchup for the tennis landscape. If Federer wins here he will have won the last four slams in a row and be on a great pace to win the yearly Grand Slam with his two best events, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, to come. If Federer enters the U.S. Open with a chance at the Grand Slam it will be a bigger madhouse in New York than it normally is.
So it's the best player in the world, possibly ever against the best clay-court specialist in the world. 1 vs. 2.
9:58 a.m. We pick up the action early in the second set, R-Fed won the first set 6-1 and looked brilliant. Nadal, on the other hand, was a bit overwhelmed but also made some uncharacteristic unforced errors. Nadal opens the second set with a service victory.
10:03 a.m. Nadal fights Federer's first service point of the second set from a 40-0 to a break point thanks to an awesome rally at 40-30. If Nadal would just commit to improving his grass and hard court games this could be the beginning of something special.
10:05 a.m. Nadal rips a backhand winner for the break and a 2-0 lead in the second set. Good stuff already.
10:43 a.m. Sorry had a phone call, Nadal easily won the second set as I spotted Vaughaniston in the...end zone seats? Well Brangelina they ain't, that's for sure.
10:46 a.m. Action has really picked up in the third set as every point is being heavily contested as Federer misses a forehand winner that would've given him a break.
10:50 a.m. Federer catches a solid forehand to give himself a second break in the point but Nadal counters with an ace and a mishit gives Nadal the point. He rallied back from 0-40.
10:58 a.m. Nadal fights for another break and goes up 3-2 in the third. I have a question on calling fault, who gets the seniority? I usually hear two voices but what if one calls it in? Do they have a duel?
11:06 a.m. Federer can't win a serve without a fight. It's amazing how tough Nadal is on this surface. Nadal is fight from 0-30, 0-40, 15-40 to deuce every time.
12:10 p.m. Sorry I've been distracted by worried family members. Yes there is a storm headed, no I don't think it will be a big deal. Meanwhile Nadal won the third set 6-4 and held a break in the fourth at 3-2, but R-Fed has fought but and is up 2-1 in the fourth-set tiebreak.
12:11 p.m. Nadal has all the mental edges on Federer being this his his surface where he is 4-0 against Federer. Oddly enough he also holds a 4-3 tiebreak edge. Nadal wins both points on Federer's serve to take a 3-2 tiebreak advantage.
12:13 p.m. Nadal is up 5-2 in the tiebreak thanks to a series of unforced errors on Federer. What's an "unforced error"? I mean the opposition forces you to take bad shots right?
12:16 p.m. Federer wins both points on his serve and even pulls out his terrific serve volley game to move the deficit to 5-4.
12:17 p.m. Nadal hits a service winner and has a double-championship point.
12:18 p.m. Nadal with a forehand smash and a victory! Solid match, I love the fact that Federer pushed the fourth to a tiebreaker, but Nadal is too tough on clay. He is now 6-1 against Federer.
The French, however, is played on the same red slippery clay that Nadal grew up playing on in Spain. While Federer in his own right is a terrific clay courter, he hasn't been as good as Nadal and a matter of fact he is 0-4 against the Spaniard on clay.
Either way this is a crucial matchup for the tennis landscape. If Federer wins here he will have won the last four slams in a row and be on a great pace to win the yearly Grand Slam with his two best events, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, to come. If Federer enters the U.S. Open with a chance at the Grand Slam it will be a bigger madhouse in New York than it normally is.
So it's the best player in the world, possibly ever against the best clay-court specialist in the world. 1 vs. 2.
9:58 a.m. We pick up the action early in the second set, R-Fed won the first set 6-1 and looked brilliant. Nadal, on the other hand, was a bit overwhelmed but also made some uncharacteristic unforced errors. Nadal opens the second set with a service victory.
10:03 a.m. Nadal fights Federer's first service point of the second set from a 40-0 to a break point thanks to an awesome rally at 40-30. If Nadal would just commit to improving his grass and hard court games this could be the beginning of something special.
10:05 a.m. Nadal rips a backhand winner for the break and a 2-0 lead in the second set. Good stuff already.
10:43 a.m. Sorry had a phone call, Nadal easily won the second set as I spotted Vaughaniston in the...end zone seats? Well Brangelina they ain't, that's for sure.
10:46 a.m. Action has really picked up in the third set as every point is being heavily contested as Federer misses a forehand winner that would've given him a break.
10:50 a.m. Federer catches a solid forehand to give himself a second break in the point but Nadal counters with an ace and a mishit gives Nadal the point. He rallied back from 0-40.
10:58 a.m. Nadal fights for another break and goes up 3-2 in the third. I have a question on calling fault, who gets the seniority? I usually hear two voices but what if one calls it in? Do they have a duel?
11:06 a.m. Federer can't win a serve without a fight. It's amazing how tough Nadal is on this surface. Nadal is fight from 0-30, 0-40, 15-40 to deuce every time.
12:10 p.m. Sorry I've been distracted by worried family members. Yes there is a storm headed, no I don't think it will be a big deal. Meanwhile Nadal won the third set 6-4 and held a break in the fourth at 3-2, but R-Fed has fought but and is up 2-1 in the fourth-set tiebreak.
12:11 p.m. Nadal has all the mental edges on Federer being this his his surface where he is 4-0 against Federer. Oddly enough he also holds a 4-3 tiebreak edge. Nadal wins both points on Federer's serve to take a 3-2 tiebreak advantage.
12:13 p.m. Nadal is up 5-2 in the tiebreak thanks to a series of unforced errors on Federer. What's an "unforced error"? I mean the opposition forces you to take bad shots right?
12:16 p.m. Federer wins both points on his serve and even pulls out his terrific serve volley game to move the deficit to 5-4.
12:17 p.m. Nadal hits a service winner and has a double-championship point.
12:18 p.m. Nadal with a forehand smash and a victory! Solid match, I love the fact that Federer pushed the fourth to a tiebreaker, but Nadal is too tough on clay. He is now 6-1 against Federer.