There Really Are Tennis Fans Out There

I just thought I'd let everyone know. No need to fear! There's also a lot of casual fans out there. As in, everytime Anna Kournikova decides to play a charity game is when they're interested in tennis.

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The Forgotten Sport

Here we are, just two weeks removed from the Los Angeles Lakers being completely dismantled by a clearly more talented Boston Celtics team. Just two weeks removed from Tiger Wood's fairy tale victory at the US Open, leading us to doubt his humanity yet again. And finally, here we are, three months removed from the birth of this website, and still not a single post about what appears to be our nation's forgotten sport.

Less than a month ago, Roger Federer made an embarrassing attempt to dethrone Rafael Nadal in the French Open final. In straight sets, Rafa captured a record-tying (Bjorn Borg) fourth straight French Open title, and showed the world that nobody, not even the great Roger, belongs in the same sentence as him when it comes to the red clay.

As we make the annual migration from clay to grass, the All-England Club offers us a handful of stories this year. Has Great Britain finally found new hometown hero in Andy Murray (who is actually Scottish, which is close enough for the desperate Brits) since the decline of Tim Henman? Are we in for another Federer Nadal Grand Slam final? Should we prepare for another All-Williams women's final? These are the questions that have dominated the Wimbledon headlines for the last week and a half. All the while, a forgotten giant of the tennis world has quietly disposed of seed after seed, including a dominant straight set victory over third seed Novak Djokovic.


Of the eight remaining quarterfinalists, Marat Safin is one of four who are unseeded. And while the experts still refuse to acknowledge the two-time Grand Slam champion as a real threat at this year's Wimbledon crown, a win in today's quarterfinal matchup against Spain's Feliciano Lopez will likely set up an intriguing semifinal matchup with Federer. I use the word intriguing with the 2005 Australian Open semifinals in mind, a match in which Safin and Federer produced what I believe to be one of the greatest battles this sport has ever seen.
Going into the match, Federer boasted a 26 match winning streak, and was seemingly invincible on the court. When the two emerged onto the asphalt on January 27, 2005, nobody gave a second thought as to who was expected to advance to the finals. Four and a half hours later, the tennis world was stunned to see Safin still standing after a 5-7, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (8-6), 9-7 ordeal. Safin went on to capture his second Grand Slam title by defeating local Aussie Lleyton Hewitt in four sets.

Andy Murray is playing the best tennis of his life. He managed to pull out an impressive five-set victory over Richard Gasquet, after being down two sets to none. Big deal. He has no chance against Rafa. Safin, however, does. And as the experts continue to debate whether Nadal has what it takes to defeat Federer in the finals, I will say this: Federer will not make it there. He will fall to Safin, who will go on to defeat Rafa en route to his third Grand Slam title. Mark my words. You heard it here first.

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One More Thing, Vujacites.

Now I know, I know this Lakers flavor on ATA needs to end soon. I mean it has to end soon no? Especially considering that the NBA Season has now concluded. I just had to make one more comment, just because its so much fun supporting a player who really shoots too damn much for his own good. So, I was looking through the NBA Draft results and came across this article:
http://www.latimes.com/sports/printedition/la-sp-lakers27-2008jun27,0,1934112.story

In it, Mitch Kupchak talks about his draft pick Joe Crawford. He seems decent, considering it "slipped" so low. But in reality, this Laker's team is so deep that he really has no place, especially if last year's draft pick, China's Sun Yue, comes over to the United States next season. Here's a clip:

So anyways, the real point of this post is because I wanted to highlight how free agency begins at 9 P.M. tomorrow. Mitch Kupchak knows this too. He's a good GM. Here's what Mitchie said about Sasha:

They are particularly interested in re-signing Sasha Vujacic, a restricted free agent.

"I intend to contact him at 9:01 on Monday night," Kupchak said.

Then pray tell
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO BE DOING AT 9:00 PM???

Mitch better be on that horse by 9:00 PM.
Thanks to loljocks.blogspot.com for the picture.

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NBA Draft Lottery Breakdown

1 Chicago Derrick Rose 6'4 195 G Memphis
Easy pick for Chicago. Derrick Rose will follow in the path of Deron Williams and Chris Paul and prove how an athletic 1-guard can lead a team to success. Added benefit: Chicago can begin unloading their crowded (and overpaid) backcourt (Hinrich @ 11million, Hughes @ 12mil) and trade for legitimate front court players, veteran leadership, or cleared cap space.

2 Miami Michael Beasley 6'9 235 F Kansas St.
Miami would have loved Rose here, but instead they got the NCAA's top scorer last season (dammit all). Hopefully Mr. Beasley can mature quickly and prove how impressive his offensive arsenal is in the NBA; it would definitely make it easier on Wade. Oh, one more thing Miami, I heard NY and Chicago both have too many guards, all of whom are better than Jason Williams and Marcus Banks.

3 Minnesota O.J. Mayo 6'5 215 G USC
I have to be honest, I am not a big fan of OJ Mayo, nor do I believe in his potential. But he's athletic, has a lot of offensive moves, and people can't stop talking about him. In the future he's going to be one of those Larry Hughes type of players, always decent but never reaching perceived potential.

4 Seattle Russell Westbrook 6'3 180 G UCLA

Young gun from UCLA displayed tons of potential in the Final Four game, displaying poise, athleticisim, speed, defense, and offensive capabilities. He might have been picked pretty high but Westbrook brings defense, strength and intensity, skills Seattle definitely needs.

5 Memphis Kevin Love 6'10 250 C UCLA
People can't stop raving about the big man's full court chest passes but other than that, I havn't heard much else. He's a power player going into the NBA (uh-oh) and he actually lost weight (uh-oh), but he has a decent midrange shot, will play scrappy, and his height and overall girth should make him a rebounding force.

6 New York Danilo Gallinari 6'9 209 F
From what I hear, this kid is good. Great shooter and plays at a high level on the Italian team, but on a team as screwed up as New York with Marbury, Randolph and Curry, I believe his talents will go under the radar.

7 LA Clippers Eric Gordon 6'4 215 G Indiana
Love this pick for the Clippers. With Livingston returning from injury (once again), Elton Brand, Al Thornton, and Chris Kaman manning the front line, the best shooter in the draft should definitely help create interior space and provide security for when Corey Maggette finally leaves the Clippers.

8 Milwaukee Joe Alexander 6'8 225 F West Virginia
Joe Alexander was amazing in the NCAA tournament and continued to wow scouts in pre-draft workouts. This guy is explosive, aggressive, and oh yeah, he has a silky shot. Too bad he won't see too much playing time with the arrival of Richard Jefferson.

9 Charlotte D.J. Augustin 5'11 175 G Texas
I truly enjoy watching small guards such as Augustin but the height and length of the NBA is too much for them. Unless Augustin can prove to become an outstanding shooter, I don't expect much from this 1-guard.

10 New Jersey Brook Lopez 7'0 240 F Stanford
Always great to find a 7 footer who's not 100 pounds. Brook Lopez is decently sized, posesses a strong offensive game, and will help out on the defense end. Poor man's Tim Duncan.

11 Indiana Jerryd Bayless 6'3 193 G Arizona
This was only about the lottery picks, but this man should be top 10. Bayless is absolutely explosive and displays great elevation on his jumpers and drives. Great scorer, great intensity, a bit of a steal at the 11 spot.

Rookie of the Year goes to...
OJ Mayo. Contrary to my doubts about him, he's in the best position to display his talents. With no one to challenge him for a starting position at the 2-guard, he should eclipse the other rookies with the playing time he receives; not fair but that' s how it's going to go. Beasley a close second.

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The Pain of Prestige

As one who has bled Purple and Gold from the day I was born, it's hard not to write about my disappointment and grief after having watched the demolition. But another aspect in sports has grabbed my attention much more harshly, so in short, Kevin Garnett should be admitted to an insane asylum, Pau Gasol needs to hit the weight room, AND EVERYBODY NEEDS TO REMEMBER THAT KOBE'S FREAKING FINGER IS BROKEN. PAUL PIERCE'S ANKLE MIGHT BE SLIGHTLY SPRAINED, BUT KOBE'S FINGER HAS BEEN BROKEN FOR OVER TWO MONTHS. Oh yea, and Bynum has yet to return.

Speaking of injuries, in wake of Tiger's US Open triumph, horrible news hit the golf world. Tiger has a tear in his ACL and shredded cartilage in his knee, is going into yet another knee surgery, and has stress fractures in his leg. Now I must admit Rocco Mediate is a likable guy, but if Tiger was healthy, no one would have any idea who he was. A one shot win with that kind of injury would have been a twenty stroke victory in full health. What Mr. Woods did was nothing short of miraculous.

I'm not going to pretend that I'm a certified doctor and I have no specialty in diagnosis of any type of injury, but after speaking to a few arthroscopic surgeons, Tiger's knee is in pretty bad shape. After the deterioration of his cartilage, the bone grinding on bone is horrible and Tiger is light years away from acceptable playing shape.

Tiger will be resting for the rest of the season, but with the torque and force put into the left knee with every golf swing, the condition can only get worse. It's hard to imagine, but we may not see the same Tiger that we know and love today. When you watch Tiger swing, you can see the harshness that travels into that part of his body. The amount of twisting and pulling that goes on can only make his knee worse and worse. So if he's hurt now, with the style Tiger plays and the rigorous workout he consistently puts himself through, this injury won't be the last.

A damaged Tiger doesn't only hurt him and his fan base, but the whole golfing world as a whole. It's like when Michael Jordan retired from basketball for the first time; dark days lay ahead, with no comparably dominant and attention-capturing player present on the Tour. A poll taken by ESPN shows that over 80% of the viewing public will watch less golf during Tiger's absence.

We can just hope that he's going to come back the same and win those five additional majors that would cement his status as the best in history. Then again, I wouldn't hesitate in the least bit to already call him the G.O.A.T. Good luck with your recovery, Tiger.

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I Wish the Lakers Were Still in it.... So I Could Watch More of the Machine.

Lakers? Celtics? Some could care less. Some just want to see basketball. Some don't like watching blowouts. Some just hate it when superstars sulk on the bench and give up. Some also hate it when regular stars act like they're 2 years old and pretend to be injured so they can get their diapers chagned in the locker room. Some just want to see Sasha Vujacic because they are girls and they think he looks so adorable. And then some just think that the Machine is AWESOME.

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The Day After Yesterday

So, the NBA season is at long last at its conclusion - with the Boston Celtics crowned champions. As a lifelong Laker fan, the fact that the Lakers unexpectedly reached the Finals serves as no consolation to the agony of watching the Celtics (THE CELTICS!) take the trophy. But now, 24 hours later, I've been able to digest the season as a whole a bit better.

Us Laker fans started the season scared out of our minds that for the first time in eleven years, we would be without the one constant that kept us hoping and believing - from Kobe's rookie season and his audacious airballs against the Utah Jazz, to his improbable buzzer beaters against the Portland Trailblazers to clinch the #1 seed, from his off court troubles in Eagle, Colorado, to his 81 point game against the Rapters - Kobe Bryant's excellence between the lines was never, ever in doubt. And yet, the threat was very real. We were about to enter a period of extreme unknown, a period when Kobe Bryant would be wearing a Chicago Bulls jersey. To deny that every Laker fan had already resigned themselves to the fact that Kobe was going to be traded would be dishonest. Even if most of us said, "No, it'll never happen!", deep down inside we knew that the trade demands were very, very real.

So now, sitting here a year and change later, to be disappointed in losing the NBA Finals...it's a good place to be, all things considered. Now don't get me wrong, once I realized that we had a shot, I was all in and fully engaged in winning a championship, and anyone who was with me watching these playoffs knows full well how pained I was when we first blew game 4, and then failed to show up in game 6. But I also know that to be a Laker fan means to be constantly spoiled by greatness. The pieces are there, but like MJ's young Bulls who couldn't get past the Pistons, like the Shaq era Lakers under Del Harris, it takes a few years of adversity and growth to find the fire that we so sorely lacked in Game 6. It hasn't been that long since our last championship, we just made the finals, and with a few new pieces, a little improvement over the summer from our youngsters - we are looking at a new Laker dynasty. 

Fret not, Laker Nation. The Purple and Gold is back.

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Lakers: Stress Center

Being a Lakers fan is has not been good for my health during the finals. Every game I watch I am stressed, unable to relax because with our current team versus Boston, every lead we have is not safe, every lead they have is insurmountable, life is absolutely horrible. I have undoubtedly lost a good 5-6 years of life from game 3 and 5 victories alone. And nearly 12 years from our losses so I'm only going to live until I am 103 years old now.

No matter how long I live to, watching the Lakers game has been a stressful roller coaster. With Paul fatboy Pierce playing out of his mind and Ray Allen actually hitting jumper after jumper, I find it highly doubtful that we're going to break history and win the finals after being down 3-1. The Lakers cannot sustain a lead, the "bench mob" has been quiet, the Lakers still cannot control the boards and Boston's play is too inspired. I hate to admit but this series is virtually in the refrigerator, but until Boston actually wins a 4th game, I refuse to believe that the jell-o's jiggling.

Praying for a Lakers miracle.

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The Machine can't stop.

In honor of a very honorable game by Sasha "the Machine" Vujacic. I present to you the next installment of the Sasha Videos. Thanks to Lakers-fan.com.

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Euro 2008

The biggest international soccer tournament outside the World Cup is set to kick start its opening ceremony on Saturday - are you ready? Do you even care? I doubt it. Either way, here is my Euro 2008 preview!

In the group stages, as in most tournaments, the top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinal knockout stage. So, without further ado, let's introduce the groups!

From a cursory glance, it is quite clear that Group C is the dreaded group of death. Two of the favorites to win the tournament, France and Italy, are in this group, as well as a quality Netherlands side who boast top notch attacking players such as Klaas Jan Huntelaar, Robin Van Persie, Dirk Kuyt, Arjen Robben, as well as Manchester United's Champion's League winner Edwin van der Sar in goal. It is extremely likely that Holland is eliminated here. Italy and France will advance through this group easily.

Out of Group A, the favorites to advance have to be the Czech Republic and Portugal. Cristiano Ronaldo is simply too good a player, and unless his well publicized transfer to Real Madrid is weighing heavily on his mind, no defense in this tournament can stop him. Joining Ronaldo is the electrifying star winger from Porto, Quaresma and the reliable Portuguese legend Deco. And while Portugal will be dazzling in the attack with their fancy footwork, their defense will be solid as well, marshalled by one of the best in Ricardo Carvalho. If Ronaldo plays to his level, this could well be Portugal's tournament to win - and it would certainly cap Ronaldo's year off with a bang before he whines and manipulates his way into making a move to Real Madrid. Portugal is well set in the RB, CB, and attacking positions, likely employing either the 3-4-3 that Scolari used in leading Brazil to their World Cup success, or a 4-3-3. The midfield of Portugal is the only question mark, as outside of Deco, the options are either unproven youngsters or true veterans. Whatever happens though, if C. Ronaldo imposes himself on these tournaments, there is no stopping the Portuguese team.

The Czech team will be a formidable foe as well, if only because they have the unflappable stalwart between the posts, Petr Cech, who singlehandedly sent Chelsea to the CL Finals over Liverpool with some dazzling saves off shots by Fernando Torres. But in front of Cech will be one of the most solid back 4 in the tournament, led by David Rozehnal. It will be a difficult task for any team to unlock the Czech defense, but if there is one that can do it, it is the creative and pacy Portuguese team. Expect Portugal to win this group, with the Czech Republic coming out of it in 2nd.

In Group B, if one has not been following European international football closely, it might be compelling to simply take a peek at the group and tap Germany and Croatia to advance. However, that would be a dire mistake, as Poland will look to continue their run of good form after steamrolling their way into Euro 2008 by winning Group A over Portugal. I expect Poland to continue their run of good form, advancing to the knockout stages alongside favorites Germany, as Croatia is sent packing, leaving Croatia's Golden Boy Luka Modric to ponder his future as a Tottenham Hotspur.

Group D is a tough call - Spain are emerging as the sexy pick to win the tournament, and it is easy to see why. The attacking options Spain boasts are a who's who list for player of the year awards, led by sensational Liverpool striker Fernando Torres. However, Spain has seldom lived up to the hype, and could be stunningly sent packing after the Group stages if their defense is unable to slow opponents down. Against a team like Russia, who will pack the midfield with 6 men, it will be quite a task trying to get through - though with Torres as the lone man up front, you never know when an unexpected breakthrough might occur. Spain does not like to play long balls over the top of the midfield, as it goes against their technical ability to do so, but against Russia, it might be necessary to do so to eliminate the congestion in the midfield.

Sweden is ostensibly led by the mercurial striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic - who will one day look like the world's greatest in Serie A, and then proceed to lay up two stinkers and get played completely out of the match over Inter Milan's two leg match up with Liverpool in the Champions' League. Other than Zlatan, there is an abundance of talent with Sweden (although their top players are admitedly getting a bit old).

And lest we forget, the title holders, the defending Euro 2004 champions Greece. Often overlooked, they will not be this time, as they will have a target painted on their chests. In a stunning development, look for Spain and Russia to advance, as Sweden is knocked out and Greece is simply outclassed.

In the end though, it will be seen that Portugal simply outclasses the competition on the attack, and I predict Portugal will go through to capture the Euro 2008 championship (although my heart pulls for Spain in support of the Liverpool contingent...Viva Espana!)

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