The Neverending Match Ended

Love Tennis? Hate Tennis? Don’t care about Tennis? It doesn’t matter in this case. This is one of those stories that is just something that transcends the sport. This is not just an achievement in terms of an athletic feat but it is just captivating in terms of the magnitude of this one match.

The longest match up to this point was 6 hours, 33 minutes, set at the 2004 French Open, and the previous record for longest-ever fifth set was a mere 40 games. That pales in comparison to today’s match between American and 23rd seeded John Isner and Frenchman Nicolas Mahut. This match has not only been suspended once due to darkness When the score was 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7-9), 7-6 (7-3) . Then they came back for the 5th and deciding set the next day. That 5th set made for the longest match in history and then it also got suspended due to darkness when the match was ties 59-59 in games. Each player has held serve the entire set and just keep going back and forth.

The two greatest match I have seen have both been at Wimbledon. One was Roger Federer vs Nadal and the other was Federer vs Andy Roddick. No one is accusing this as being games of that nature. Those were exciting well played edge of your seat action with the trophy on the line. This is more like a boxing match without a 12 or 15 round limit. This is where both guys are getting their shots in and it is just back and forth shot for shot and the first mistake will likely cost one of these young men the game.

The thing with this game is that we may not remember the names of these guys 5 years from now but we will remember the match as the "Lamb Chop Match"....the one that ‘Will never end, yes it goes on and on my friends, some people started singing it, not knowing what it was, and they’ll continue singing it forever just because...’ it is an unbelievable feat not just in terms of time but of games played and the will of these two athletes.

And it is over 70-68 for the 23rd ranked John Isner and his 112 aces. And thus concludes one of the craziest tennis matches that you may ever see or hear about again in 11+ hours. For a first round match a lot of effort and energy was extended.
To put it all in perspective the first 4 sets went 2h 54min the 5th set alone lasted longer then the LONGEST MATCH EVER 8h 11min over 3 days...cricket matches end faster then this did...WOW.
note: I am usually wrong when it comes to making wagers on the Proline but I will throw this out there...bet on whomever either of these guys plays in the next round...these gentlemen will almost have to be spent after this and after 3 days of play for one match there may be some scheduling issues that may creep into play. Also look to see these dudes in some Degree, AXE or Old Spice Deodorant/antiperspirant commercial in the near future!

Around The Horn

~ Sad news from the tennis world. One of my favorite players when I was younger was the Swiss Miss, Former No. 1 Martina Hingis won’t be making a comeback to competitive tennis. Hingis, Now 29 who retired 2 years ago after a small run in with a positive cocaine test (which she denied direct use, for whatever that is worth). Hingis said: "I’ve got a nice house, my four horses. ... On the tour, I had no life." She will be fondly remembered on the court and maybe she will get a change of heart, but at age 29 that is close to the end for a woman tennis player.

~Hendrick Motorsports must feel pretty good right now. They have the first 3 spots in the NASCAR Chase for the Championship. Jimmie Johnson currently leads 2nd place belongs to Mark Martin and 3rd goes to Jeff Gordon. Now I will be the first to say don’t count any eggs before they hatch. There are a lot of races and time left for things to happen but at present time it must be nice. As for the 4th driver on that team, the once thought of decent driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. wallows in 22nd place. It is like he is one of those holdings that you expect to lose money on so you don’t have to pay as much tax. His name seems to be a blessing and a curse, he is famous and rich just for his name but had little or no chance to live up to daddy’s legacy and may not be as good a driver as people think he is or thought he could be.

~ Chase Utley has made two costly throwing errors, and bounced a ball to first from 2nd base and his name is now being mentioned with Steve Sax and Chuck Knoblauch. Even Rick Ankiel and Todd Hundley feel bad for this guys arm. He is lucky that right now his team is good enough to insulate his mistakes. I hope for his sake that it doesn’t continue to the World Series when they get there.

~ The Phillies mounted quite the comeback in the ninth inning of Game 4. Those who stayed to watched were rewarded in getting the chance to see it live. Many Ramirez was not one of these people. Taken out for defensive purposes he was back in the clubhouse taking a shower. Sure he could have stayed in the dugout with his team and been cheering for them but instead he chose that he needed a shower right away. Manager Joe Torre didn't seem too concerned saying:
"Manny has so much confidence," Torre said. "When we get a lead late in the game, and I've taken him out, whether it be for defense or we have a big lead, when we go up to shake hands after the game, he's in his street clothes. "So, it's really nothing different than he's done before. I don't think it's disrespect or anything. He wasn't going anywhere until the game was over, and we can't put him back in the game."
That may be true but the is something to be said about sticking with your team...Just Manny being Manny I guess.

"Juan" Huge Upset At The US Open

Argentine youngster Juan Martin del Potro shocked five-time defending champion Roger Federer in five sets (7-5), 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), on Monday night to capture the title at the U.S. Open, the final Grand Slam event of the year. Due to weather the Men's Finals were pushed from the usual Sunday finish and took place late afternoon.

It was because of that it was one of those sporting events that you flip back and forth to while watching something else, kind of of a oh by the way there is a Major Title on the line right now. At first you look at the score and think good for the young kid, he is holding his own with the big dawg and at least keeping it competitive. Then you look back later and see a lot of 6's and 7's on the scorecard and think - this match must be over Federer must take this, until you take a closer look and do some quick math and think "Oh Man this could be one HUGE upset, can this kid actually take down the greatest player of all time...a man who hasn't lost in 41 straight matches at the US Open"

Federer seemed to have some issues with the officiating during the match as there were some questionable calls and rules interpretations that caused him to uncharacteristically vocal and did drop a few "Bombs" and some "Swears". It was nothing like the verbal assault that that Williams sister exploded into thank goodness. His public image is a lot more important then her's.

del Potro managed not only to win but also became the first player to knock off both Federer and Nadal in the same tournament. This can only help his confidence going forward. The 20-year-old del Potro earned $1.6 million for winning the U.S. Open and an additional $250,000 for finishing third in the U.S. Open Series. He also received a Lexus IS convertible automobile. Not a small accomplishment for a 20 year old (although he looks like he is 30 - he is no Greg Oden but he looks well beyond his years)

In any event this was one major upset and one great US Open final.

Weekend Wrap Up...Sunday Edition

As you are all aware based on my post regarding Saturday’s day in sports, Sunday was not to be outdone. It was the “true” kickoff of the 2009 NfL season with a full slate of games...a jam packed lineup. There was a lot of games that ended in blowouts or at least double digit wins. It may not make for the most entertaining of games but for week one any NFL football is good football. You can take notice that I didn't include any CFL updates as there would need to be something REAL BIG to happen to justify the space.

~ There was one of the craziest finishes in the Denver-Cincinnati that you will see in football when a tiped ball on a Hail Mary at the end of the game resulted in a crushing loss by the Bungles errr- Bengals.
~ In Green Bay Aaron Rogers went old school Brett Favre and orchestrated a late comeback to take down the Bears (Jay Cuttler threw 3 INT in his debut after being the toast of the off season and Brian Urlacher dislocated his wrist and may be lost for the year...not a good start).
~The Lions were the Lions and went to 0-18 as predicted.
~ Mike Vick was in a box watching his Eagles teammates and had a good view of Donovan McNabb going down with a injured and maybe broken rib...he has 1 more week for his suspension then maybe week 3 you may see Vick under center. That could be very interesting for both the Eagles and the NFL.
~ Rookie Matt Sanchez was solid in debut as Jets stymie the Texans...just another USC QB Standout. They may now be the second best QB factory next to Michigan - high praise indeed.

There was also some tennis being played and it was in the first mens Quarter Finals that there was a pretty big upset. #2 Rafael Nadal was taken down by #6 Juan Martin del Potro 6-2, 6-2, 6-2. Nadal was looking to complete the career Grand Slam but fell short and will have to wait at least another year for a chance at the US Open. del Potro was just to much for Nadal and will go on to play in the finals on Monday, weather permitting.

#1Roger Federer took on #4 Novak Djokovic in the other Quarter Final. Federer prevailed with a 7-6 (3), 7-5, 7-5 victory sending him to the finals. Federer is going for his 5th straight US Open. I guess that it wouldn't be a US Open without Roger in the finals.

Tiger Woods coasted to a runaway victory at BMW Championship Not surprising when pretty much lapping the field...It turned into a tournament for second place

What was overlooked on my Saturday summary was the Hall of Fame induction speech by Michael Jordan. Many have criticized him for being petty, arrogant and for lack of a better term putting himself on a pedestal looking down on everyone. There was no evidence of him being humble and talked about as much trash in his acceptance speech as he did on the court. Not a classy move but I guess we can’t expect any more from a guy who was never a team player and was known for berating players and teammates alike, trying to get guys traded and demanding that people be fired. In the book the Jordan Rules it give a true look at the kind of person that Jordan really is... detached from reality, not willing to let go and being stubborn and defiant until the end. I liked it better when I didn’t know what he was really like. The image of greatness I remember was much more pleasing.

What A Weekend - Saturday Edition

You know that it is getting close to fall. The sports scene is amped up and Saturdays and Sundays are jammed packed with games, big time games and tournaments, big time tournaments. Saturday was the first of these days and there was no lack of drama and stories, some were great and some were bad.

Lets start with the bad: Serena Williams - I never liked her. She never seemed to be that committed to tennis, playing only when she wanted too .The way that she carries herself leaves something to be desired. She always struck me as spoiled and a whinnier. That seemed to shine through at the US Open on Saturday when she was called on a foot fault. She then verbally abused the judge, pointing her racket and finger and yelling at her."I'm (expletive) going to take this ball and shove it down your (expletive) throat." When the judge went to the chair umpire to talk and complain about the situation Williams then disputed with the chair umpire and supervisor. A code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct was called by the umpire -- the call awarded the next point to Kim Clijsters, which ended the match with a 6-4, 7-5 final. With that the game was over and Clijsters was awarded the match. Williams said after the Match - "I haven't really thought if I have any regrets," about the tirade. "I try not to live my life saying, 'I wish, I wish,' but I was out there and I tried and I did my best." I hope that this sticks with her and tarnishes any legacy that she may have - It was just a classless move.

Now the good, and there was plenty of that to go around so I will just hit them all with some quick points because there are just too many to cover in depth.

~ My Michigan Wolverines completed a comeback upset over the 18th ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish. For a team that was just awful last year and have undergone a lot of turmoil over the first 2 weeks off the field this was a great win. The fact that it was lead by a freshman QB was icing on the cake...the cherry I suppose was that it was versus The Irish, the only 2 things better is a National Championship or beating Ohio State.


~ Speaking of Ohio St, they were beaten on a last minute drive by USC also lead by a true freshman QB. It was a drive that may be one of the best you will see all season. When you take into account the plays that were made, the players involved and being on the road in a hostile environment at “The” Ohio State. The win was huge for a potential run at the National Championship. In college football you can’t win a championship in the first few weeks...but you sure can loose one in that time.

~ The chosen one Tim Tebow led the University of Florida to destroy Troy 56-6. Tebow ended the day with 237 yards throwing and tied a career high with four touchdown passes on 15-of-24 efficiency and added 71 yards and a score on 13 carries. I think he is still in the Heisman race


~ Tiger was Tiger and even for him did something amazing. Woods broke the course record at Cog Hill and blew away the field Saturday in the BMW Championship with a 9-under 62 that gave him a seven-shot lead at -16. He is sure to be in the lead of the FedEx Cup standings and is poised to take that title again. Even with no majors this year he is still the Player of the Year. The guy is a machine and it proves that the only one who can beat Tiger is Tiger himself.

~ The New season for NASCAR starts this week and the Chase for the Championship is here. The top 12 drivers are “In the playoffs” and all have a chance to take home the title. Jimmie Johnson is in the hunt for a 4th title in a row but that will be very difficult as there are 11 others that want it bad and that leaves the odds highly against him.

And that was just Saturday, I will hit on Sundays action in my next post...What a weekend in sports!!

Cinderella Story Comes To An End for 17yr Old

Last night the clock struck 12:00 on the Cinderella story that was Melanie Oudin. After her recent run at US Open she has become America’s tennis princess. Oudin, 17, has become a household name at the U.S. Open, upsetting Elena Dementieva, Maria Sharapova and Nadia Petrova. ‘’I can compete with these top girls," Oudin said after defeating Sharapova. "And if I believe in myself, and my game, then I can beat them.’’ Very poised for a young player.

The story was both on the court and off as her "unscheduled" winning streak made her stay in New York last a little longer then anyone would have thought...especially whom ever represents her and books her accommodations. For a short time on Sunday, she had no place to stay. The 17-year-old and her family were forced to leave the Marriott Times Square hotel this weekend after their reservation had ended. Since nobody expected Oudin to still be playing in the second week of the tournament no extension was ever requested. She was quickly found new accommodations but not a distraction that a 17 year old needs in the middle of an unexpected Major Championship run.

On the tennis side of things she didn’t have any of the same difficulties. Oudin is the youngest American woman in the U.S. Open quarterfinals since Serena Williams a decade ago. It is not like she has had a free pass by any means either knocking off some pretty big names in the process. Maybe being so young was a good thing as maybe she was able to just go out and play and not have to think about what was happening. You can play much looser and much more free when there isn’t any pressure on you...a luxury that she will likely no longer have. She has opened the eyes of many people and the expectations have increased substantially in a very short period of time.

Oudin run was halted by ninth seeded 19yr old Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark in the quarterfinals 6–2, 6–2 Wednesday night. It was cool after the match during the interviews that they said basically - we don’t usually talk to the looser, but this is no looser- an interesting way to start an interview for sure. After talking with her the spoke with Wozniacki, who did just a great job playing to the interviewer and the crowd. She basically said I know that everyone here wasn’t rooting against me but rooting for Melanie, and she hoped that in the process that she won some people over and that they would root for her in her next match, which they probably will. It was a great interview and showed that she was not only a good player but a good person and a great winner.

It is great to have those stories along with some good tennis, especially on the woman's side. With Sharapova now gone and my little interest in either of the Williams sisters (Serena more so, she just bugs the crap out of me). Federer and Nadal may be on course to collide with each other on the men's so that is always great. It really makes for a more compelling tournament when you can have great action on the court and the coming out party of a young player, especially a young American at the US Open.

Historic Win - Federer The Best Ever?

Roger Federer’s win today at The French Open has probably solidified himself as the best tennis player of all time. He has tied the record for most Grand Slams in a career tying Peter Sampras with 14, in addition to that he became the 6th player in history to win a title at each of the 4 Grand Slams. He has been in the discussion for a long time, but right now, with this win over Robin Soderling you would be hard pressed to come up with an argument against him being designated as the best ever. His buddy Tiger Woods has 14 Majors he has 14 Majors coincidence? Probably but still cool.

In a match that he looked like he was always in control and the outcome not in doubt there was 1 brief moment when you thought that if anything was going to stop Roger it was going to be this incident. A knucklehead fan came out of the crowd and made a turn towards Federer. Roger backed away not knowing what to do or what was going on and more importantly what was going through the knucklehead fans mind. The guy took out a flag and began waving it. He was quickly grabbed but it at the very least shook up Federer or affected his concentration for a brief few moments. It was at that point the entire feel in the stadium changed. It could have gone off the tracks at that point but the mentally tough Federer managed to re focus and take control once again. It wasn’t until the last game that there was any real sign of emotion from the workmanlike performance from Roger. You could see him getting a little emotional knowing just how close he was to getting to his desired final goal.

Then it happened the ball from Soderling went into the net, Roger dropped to his knees and there were tears in his eyes that almost matched the rain that was now flowing from the sky. He had done it - 6-1, 7-6 (1), 6-4 a straight sets victory.Very rarely in a sports event does so many people root for and want 1 single person to succeed but that was clearly the case at Roland Garos, it was a pro Federer crowd that know that they had the chance to be part of history.
In a classy move during the speech Soderling congratulated Federer by saying "Roger, really, congrats to you," .... "You really gave me a lesson in how to play tennis today. And to me you're the greatest player in history. So you really deserved to win this title." and showing more humor and credit stated that "Yesterday, me and my coach were joking," Soderling told Federer during the trophy ceremony. "You've beaten me nine times in a row, and we were joking nobody can beat me 10 times in a row. But we were wrong."

With Rafael Nadal hurting and pulling out of the Wimbledon warm up tournament it could be the opening for Federer to look to surpass Sampras with win #15 and just how fitting would it be for it to happen in England at Wimbledon.

A March To History?

The French Open may not have the storybook final that we all might want pitting Roger Federer against his nemesis Rafael Nadal who was eliminated in the fourth round but there is reason to watch. The player that ousted Nadal - Robin Soderling has made it to the finals in a run of epic proportions. If he is able to pull one more rabbit out of his hat and take out Federer it will be one of the greatest runs at the French Open, if not of all the majors ever.

That being said if Federer can manage to pull it all together and take this elusive title he will take that one big leap to becoming the greatest of all time and not only finally gather his own personal Grand Slam and bring him that 1 step closer to overtaking Peter Sampras’s record. A win will tie Sampras with 14 Grand Slams and make Federer only the 6th playerever to complete a career Grand Slam.

Soderling has done Federer a big favor in his defeat of Nadal but he can’t take anything for granted and not take the match lightly as Soderling has made it to the finals for a reason...he is playing some good tennis. Roger did make a major statement in his last tournament, a clay court tournament in which he won and proved that he can in fact win on this surface.

Nay sayers will tell you that a victory at Roland Garros for Federer should come with an astrix denoting that it was not earned versus Nadal and there for doesn’t carry the full weight or should not carry the same accolades but a Grand Slam title is still just that, a Grand Slam. Sunday will prove to be very interesting and history will be made one way or another but a Federer win could be the storey of the tennis year...except for Maria Sharapova coming back to competition.

Nadal Shocked - Sent Packing

So, something happened that has never happened before, it was the unthinkable - Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal finally lost on the famed red clay at Roland Garros. The #1 seeded player and the closest thing to a lock for a victory in the 2nd Grand Slam of the season and by far the best Clay court player in the game today was ousted. Nadal fell to the huge underdog #23 ranked Robin Soderling from Sweden. The French Open title was probably already half engraved with Nadal’s name and with good reason, he had never lost, why would we think he would start now?

One almost has to think that Nadal had something wrong as he just didn’t look like the dominant clay player we have seen throughout his career. What this loss does mean in the greater scheme of things as history is concerned is that it opens the door for Roger Federer to finally grab this title and continue his quest for the often just out of reach Grand Slam and get him one step closer to being the greatest or at least the most successful of all time. Novak Djokovic was also upended taking away another foe of Federers that could have been a huge hiccup for Federer.

It is now American Andy Roddick who could be the only one left to make things interesting for Roger Federer, especially if Roddick brings in his wife (the lovely Brooklyn Decker) to watch if they do end up against each other. You would have t be made of stone not to be distracted by this SI Beauty.

Around The Horn

Carl Crawford became only the 4th player in the modern era to steal 6 bases in one game tying him with Eddie Collins, Otis Nixon, and Eric Young. He stated after the game had he known that he had tied a record that he probably would have stolen 1 more. "I probably would have broken it if I knew. I’d have definitely tried," he added. "I didn’t even try. I don’t know if that will ever happen again." Crawford said.
Kind of surprised that Ricky Henderson’s name isn’t’ on this list. You would have to be in the zone to nab 6 in one game and Crawford dis also go 4-4 as well. I do have a theory on how Otis Nixon got his 6...the pitcher was probably reluctant to check over on him as he is far form the most attractive ballplayer. A great talent for sure but a mug that could stop a train.

The Atlanta Hawks beat the Miami Heat in Game 7 to win their first round NBA playoff series.
For the first time I can actually wear my Hawks sweatshirt and not feel ashamed. Sure I only got it because it was on sale but even still it just never felt right.
The fight of the year between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton ended in the destruction of Hatton. The entire took less than six minutes of actual action.
This is why I find it hard to be a boxing or MMA fan the fight could be an hour or a mere 30 seconds. If you are going to have to pay $50+ for these Pay Per View Events and only have a 6 minute main event you can’t help but feel cheated. Fights on the playground last longer then some of these matches.

The Carolina Hurricanes handed Boston its first playoff loss pretty much because of goalie Cam Ward.
This kid stood on his head and it was as if he were channeling Patrick Roy from the 1993 playoffs. Sure Eric Staal played an exceptional game but it was Ward who looked like an all world player...I think somebody is looking for a chance to play at the Olympics next year

Top-ranked Rafael Nadal captured his record fourth Rome Masters title - on clay.
With the French Open only 3 weeks away It is hard to imagine that anyone will be able to beat him in 3 times in any 1 match, heck he might not lose 3 sets in the entire tournament. Looks like Roger Federer may have to wait a little longer to try and catch up to Pete Samparas’ record This guy is just on another level and it seems like only injury will slow him down right now

Round 2 to Nadal In Another Epic Match

It is rare in sports that you can legitimately root for two competitors in the same game at the same time. Usually there is a favorite team or competitor involved, a hated team or competitor or little interest in either. I have gotten to do this twice so far and both were in epic and classic tennis matches (yes tennis) between Rafael Nedal and Roger Federer.Early Sunday morning thousands of miles away on another continent was yet another epic match between these two rivals. It seems this is going to be only the second chapter to probably the greatest rivalry in sports today. Red Sox vs Yankees at its peak may not have even hit these heights. Sure there is less hatred between these two participants and seems to be nothing but respect between one another as shown when Nedal, while addressing the crowd said "Roger, sorry for today. I really know how you feel right now," Nadal said. "Remember, you're a great champion, you're one of the best in history. You're going to improve on the 14 of Sampras." Nedal is clearly a gracious winner but don’t think for one second that there is not a real fire when these two meet up.

A Grand Slam final without these two is like a golf tournament without Tiger Woods in contention on a final Sunday.

It was last year at Wimbledon that I watched at the time the most compelling match I have ever seen, and figured that I would ever see.

If you need a reminder click here

Maybe it was maybe it wasn’t, but this years Australian Open certainly was at the very least a close runner up. The circumstances were similar both Major Tournaments, both ones that Federer has excelled at in the past and now both won by Nadal.

There was just one small difference this time, Federer, at Wimbledon seemed to be congratulatory to Nadal and genuinely happy for him...as much as losing in a major can be tollerated by a highly competitive champion and world class competitor. No, this time was different. Federer seemed to, I don’t want to say fold but seemed to secumb to the pressure in the 5th and final set. Perhaps it was physical, as the match was a gruelling 4hour 23 minute affair but after what happened at the trophy ceremony it looked like it was more mental as the usually very strong and unemotional (some would say boring) Federer broke down during his address to the fans after receiving the second place platter. Is Nadal inside Federer’s head? I guess we will find out in Paris at the French Open or Wimbledon where Federer will yet again try to tie Pete Samperas with 14 career Grand Slams.

On the other side of the net is Rafael Nedal, the World #1 and currently the best player in the world and only time will tell if he will become one of the best ever. Health and determination will decide how far he will go, but at his young age it is well within reach.Nedal's win at this tournament are what legends are made of. Even if he hadn’t done what he did last year, this years tourney solidifies him as a true champion. Nadal managed to come back after a semi-final match only a day before that lasted over 5 hours, then he turned around and played a 4 hour 23 minute championship match agents a 13 time Grand Slam champion. If that wasn’t enough in the 5th and final set he came out and seemed to be the fresher player and more focused. A true credit to both his physical stamina and his incredibly focused mental makeup.

I look forward to the next installment of this battle and Federer’s quest to tie and surpass Pete Sampras for career Grand Slams.

Around the Horn

ESPN has a show called Around the Horn
Not only did they steal the name from me but the show is not good and diminishes this Friday feature. If i had legal ground I would sue, and all I would want is that they send me ESPN programing here in Canada without CRTC regulations screwing me over

Great response from tennis player Andy Roddick regarding the injuries or phantom injuries that Novak Djokovic seems to en cure increasingly more often in matches
"I’ve got to feel good because (Djokovic) has got about 16 injuries," Roddick told the crowd, adding fuel to the fire of their ongoing fued when asked about a Djokovic ankle injury....It is just too bad that he lost to Djokovic later on.
"Isn’t it both of them? And a back? and a hip? And a cramp... bird flu... anthrax. SARS, common cough and a cold.

Olympic hammer throw medallists investigated for doping
Is nothing sacred anymore? How can the purity of the hammer throw be tainted?

Rafael Nadal played Mardy Fish at the US Open in a match that began at 11:30 pm and ended at 2;11 am..the third latest finish at the Open
Even the allure of the #1 player couldn’t keep me up for this one. The late sessions are cool but come on, your crushing your own potential ratings.
At least it wasn’t like the match in Australlia that went to near 5am.

It went Supersonic to Thunder in record time. The former Seattle team relocated to Okalhoma City and have now been named Thunder
In a shocking move at the press conference they played AC/DC’s Thunderstruck.
The potential for a good marketing logo was there but alas they came up short. When I played for a team called Thunder we actually had a cool logo and it was far from a professional team.

Tatum Bell lost his job as running back with the Lions, Rudi Johnson gained a job as running back with the Lions, but lost his underwear
Bell apparently took two Gucci bags that Johnson had received as a Pro Bowl gift, included was about $200 in cash along with his ID and the credit cards. He got the bags back empty, and this is the NFL not the CFL..I just hope that they wern’t his "LUCKY DRAWS"

The Montreal Canadiens are looking at playing an outdoor game at Olympic Stadium as part of their 100th anniversary celebrations.
Great cash grab if you can get 39,000+ in at most likely a somewhat inflated price point.
Opening up the roof at the Big O is like opening Pandoras Box, once it is open you may never get it closed again. Get the hardhats out because you know the concrete is going to fall like rain!

Daunte Culpepper has retired, gone after 9 seasons at only 31
A former MVP and one half of one of the best QB/WR tandems ever can’t even hold a clipboard anymore. A shredded knee has taken him off the map and out of the league.

MATCH FOR THE AGES

Sunday morning I got up and did my regular routine, ESPN The Reporters with Canadian John Saunders who is right in his element as host of that panel discussion. Another solid line-up with author of one of my favorite books of all time; FAB FIVE - from the Detroit Free Press, Mitch Albom, Times writer Mike Lupica and Boston Globe’s Bob Ryan. I then followed it up with the Canadian knock off and hit or miss version The Sports Reporters hosted by Dave Hodge. When that was over i switched to the the ongoing tennis match on NBC.Little did I know then that I was going to, over the next 7 or so hours and a few rain showers be treated to one of, if not the greatest tennis match's of all time.

I am not a huge tennis fan and will usually only watch for a few minutes here or there during a finals but this was different...to a degree. Unfortunately due to circumstances beyond my control I was unable to watch the match in its entirety from beginning to end. The fact that the running time was nearly 5 hours and there were two rain delays also played a significant factor. That was the beauty of this particular match between Worlds #1 and #2 Roger Federer and Rafel Nadal, I will get to see it again no doubt as it will surely be played often on ESPN Classics or you can go to http://www.wimbledon.org/ and stream or download the match. Maybe not ESPN Classic Canada as there will no doubt be a CFL game from 1977. The rivalry, the shot making, the drama and the fact that it was at Wimbledon made it the most epic battles of all time.

A five set epic that Nadal wound up winning in near darkness ( 6-4, 6-4,6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (8-10),9-7)at the all England Club ending a run for Federer at Wimbledon. In typical form, both were humble in victory and in defeat.

Even if you are not a tennis fan you can’t help but be drawn in by this match.

The Wimbledon Men’s Final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal took a hefty Nielsen preliminary 4.6 household rating/12 share, some 44% higher than last year’s 3.2/9. It was the best-rated final in eight years, since a 5.0/14 for Pete Sampras-Patrick Rafter match.

All England boots out Russian

Sadley Wimbledon has come to an end for me as Alla Kudryavtseva defeated Maria Sharapova on Thursday. No sly remarks this time, no backhanded compliments just a homage to Maria and her less then traditional outfit at this years tournament. I now will look forward to the US Open I suppose. Stay classy tennis champion.