Anything can be posted here! We'll talk about politics, some sports (football, basketball, & tennis), Movies, & TV! Posts framed w/ "***" are from other contributors! - - (Comments)
Current News: Sinner def. Fritz in the USO Final! KC d Cincy (26-25) - Laver Cup "News" - Kamala Harris runs for President! Leads Trump in the Polls!
***Interesting that a convicted felon can run for President, but that, in many states, convicted felons can't vote.***
ReplyDeleteThey m/b wrong as I've surfed around the news, but it appears Trump w/b still able to vote if he isn't sentenced to jail! House arrest or given probation, he can still vote to his heart's content! I couldn't care < about this a-hole, my problem is w/ the populous that find nothing wrong w/ this guy who's skated & gotten away w/ being a criminal all his life! I'm > disgusted by that! I'll never forgive women & minorities that support the man when he has such bigotry & loathing for them as he asks for their vote!
***From what I hear convictions for this crime in NY State typically get custodial sentence, & b/c this particular case is @ the > egregious end of the spectrum, it w/b a massive surprise if a custodial sentence isn't given. Doesn't mean he's going to jail any X soon. He w/b able to appeal.
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Frump will prob. get fines & probation--I don't see jail X. Recall this is a misdemeanor that the DOJ & former NY prosecutor declined to bring. Bragg came in & announced he'd bring charges & +ed this thing to turn a misdemeanor into a felony. I don't see jail X on a largely pol.'ly motivated charge.
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I agree w/ you about fines & probation. However, what Bragg brought was not a "new thing." Existing law. And it's been tried & convicted this way B4, though not often. It's the underlying motivation for the crime which makes it a felony...buying the suppression of info from the voting public, a federal crime, & then fiddling the books to disguise the $$, (misdemeanor, elevated by the previous.)
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These are class E felonies in the state of NY. Trump's a 1st X offender & will NOT be sentenced to jail X for his "white collar" crime. He'll lose his right to vote in the state of Fla. & can't carry a firearm, but he still has the US Secr. Serv. detailing him everywhere he goes. He CAN'T pardon himself b/c these are felonies @ the state level. The charges in Georgia where he's on trial for trying to reverse the election results & attacking democracy is a higher level class charge.
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There's no way Biden is going to intervene in state pol., esp. to pardon a 34 Felonies convicted Trump to get a few extra votes. Most folks have already made their minds up about these two aged & flawed dinosaurs.
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The GA charges are > serious, but also > > difficult to prove. Mens rea is always tough when you have no direct evidence, only circumstantial & inferential.***
WTF are you talking about? No direct evidence? Didn't Trump call down to GA personally begging for help getting 11+ K votes? Am I having a Sr. moment & only believe in my head this man was soliciting an illegal act from the AG? IMO, this is like pleading "not guilty" w/ video showing him shooting someone!
***I recall it well. I don't believe Trump meant it lit.'ly, but, rather, he wanted everything looked @ as he believed there was evidence of wrongdoing. That video that went around @ the X had a # of his supporters ??ing what was going on in that heavily Dem. county that was captured on a video. He talks a lot of crap someX's. It's not meant t/b taken lit.'ly. So, a jury has to decide what his true intent was. Was there coercion to back up a criminal intent; i.e., I won't do this or that un< you fabricate votes in my favor as I have demanded? I'm unaware of that. He lost the election & thought it was rigged B4 it = began.***
SEEK serious help! When did you start drinking the "Kool-Aid?"
***Those "natural ventilations" @ Wimbl. blew a LOT of rain, not just onto the outer ramps, but actually onto the spectators. They could still play tennis, but it wasn't necess. pleasant for spectators. BTW, that was the day I say Berrettini in person.***
ReplyDeleteWhen is this nonsense going t/b cost prohibited? Assuredly NEVER! ...We got along w/o rooves for well over 100 yrs., now it's almost mandatory to make sure an event comes off on X no matter the conditions! It's gotten so out of hand, the self-indulgence of individuals & the masses! ...In my day you'd take a family of 4 to a baseball game/tix, get hotdogs, drinks, peanuts, popcorn, cotton candy, & a plastic souvenir; barely brk. a $20 BILL! Bring the mortgage to your home to guarantee anything you get today! The public helps grow tennis events & team franchises; their reward's inflated ticket & concession prices! Wimbl. was always cutthroat from very early on! IIRC, TV rights alone in '77 got them a staggering $7M; @ the X HUGE for tennis! All they gave to the Brit. Fed. to advance locals, those generous heads of SW 19 gave a whopping $100 K to the cause! And they wonder why it took the overachievement of Sir Andy Murray to actually put them on the map in Men's tennis?! Wade was > for the ladies in her day doing her part, but they needed a dude so badly, they rented one from Can.; Rusedski! ...I've lit'l reason to = watch after 50+ yrs. of LIVING THE GAME; playing, watching, teaching, & promoting since '71!
***Old man whinge. W/ climate change, we need rooves. Also lights are a modern improvement, if that doesn't insult your sensibilities too >. Do you recall some Monfils (or Fognini?) match a few yrs. back @ RG lit by nothing but the scoreboard? That's just > quaint > I think we need t/b in prof'l tennis. Shall we just sit out the rain in Paris til Wimbl.?***
Lights aren't that innovated; had 'em back @ '75 USO! I can still picture Court & Wade playing dubs. under the lights for the 1st X! I can also recall the bugs that are attracted as well! Inhaling mosquitoes was no fun back then! Hopefully they've gotten > advanced in preventing the lit skies from attracting every flying insect & bird in the vicinity! They've a hawk @ Wimbl.!
***OMG, w/ you & the old stories! Anyway, the bugs are worse. Did you miss the bee invasion @ IW this yr.?
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...TBF, for a tennis player, a forearm or wrist injury's a scary injury b/c it can affect the way you hit a particular shot (Delpo & Thiem are prime ex.). Now, hip injuries aren't >er by any means either. Basically, both Alcaraz & Sinner's injuries B4 RG aren't something to mess around w/.***
I keep telling you guys, today's players will've serious & chronic injury issues due to the speed of the game & the grind of long, lengthy pts.! Been suggesting to Carlos since very early on to pull back & try not making the "highlight reel" w/ every match! Sinner needs some bulk or he'll end up just "breaking!" I'm so glad I w/b letting tennis go pretty soon! Only a handful have the skills worth watching while most are just elevating ball bashing to new hts.; = the women! Swiatek barely got by Osaka who was playing out of her mind & held a MP B4 Iga roared back to take it in 3! I thought it was all over for her!
***Was a real shame Osaka bottled it. She was killing her w/ laser like BH's, but I just knew she'd lose once the MP was blown.
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Basically, if Djokovic does NOT reach RG Final, then Sinner w/b > likely be the new #1 after RG.***
It matters NOT! As I've been saying, Djokovic is only extending recs. he owns already! ...I think he'd be quite satisfied w/ finishing w/ 1 > FO to make 4 CGS's! Chk'n the latest LIVE rankings, Sinner's overcome Novak after he lost 2000 pts. from last season! He'd have to really crash & burn not to officially take over the #1 ranking by next wk.! ...What are fans of other players gonna do w/ these recs. which are so out of sight?
***...Entertaining as always, Fiero. Out of curiosity, who'd you rank ahead of Rafa? And are you talking Open Era only?***
ReplyDeleteSo many players really! I've had so lit'l respect for Nadal due to his limited game of mainly outlasting opps. over actually beating them! He's allowed too many players outside the top 50 to extend him to the limit! I don't give him as > credit playing the game due to tech. advan. that he's taken advantage of! The rackets are very stiff & durable, but it doesn't stop there! From what I understand, Nadal's using strings w/ literal teeth on them to help impart a lot of his topspin! Borg gets all due credit & applause due to his winning w/ lit. a stick & kite string in comparison! His game was limited as well, but he did as > as he could to reach his hts. w/ the tech. that was avail. which wasn't a signif. advan.! When it comes to players of the past, I believe >'d destroy Nadal if all things being = w/ age, rackets, etc.; going back to Tilden & Kramer! Gonzales & Sampras'd embarrass Nadal; esp. on choppy grass! Put Rafa on grass that isn't so manicured & slow, he'd go out in the 1st 2 Rds. like he did 10 yrs. ago! So much hbd to facilitate his so called >ness including Masters' events going BO3! We saw what happened when BO5 & run ragged, he always WD from the next event! I'd go on, but it all sounds nonsensical as it's all "PIE IN THE SKY" dreaming! It's all over w/ Novak on top, Fed a distant 2nd, & Nadal not = in the top 10 all X IMO!
***You just HAD to tee that one up for him, didn't ya? Where did you think that was going to go? Another excuse to slag Nadal, & then, basically, all over the place.
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You get an A for entertainment, a D for logic. I say this w/ love & respect for a lot of what you usually say, but this is just kind of silly.
The main fallacy is that you're penalizing Rafa ...The corollary is that Borg dom. w/ "stick & kite strings" vs players who also used the same.
The one thing I agree w/ is that Sampras, @ least, would've dom. Rafa on grass, whether in the 90s or 2000s. He was about as good as Roger on grass, but w/ a stronger clutch mentality IMO, & whb < bothered > Roger was by Rafa's game.
Rankings w/b forever argued, but I think the gen. consensus' moving towards Novak or Laver as #1, w/ Fedal rounding out the top 4. You'd throw Tilden in for being so dom. during his X, but there's no way Rafa isn't in the top 5, or if we don't want to rank indiv.'ly, but rather in tiers, in the very top tier of "GOAT level" players.
...I personally think that peak Borg & McEnroe were as good as the Big 3, but behind them overall due to the latter trio's remarkable longevity (& moreso, sustained excel. while playing for so long).***
OCO! All things were not = when Borg played! He lit. played w/ a WOOD racket & strings so tight, Bud Collins called the racket face "a pane of glass!" From '75 on metals & fiberglass rackets w/ so much "touch & feel" were being produced! "The Comp I & II" by Head, used by Arthur Ashe was quite common in the Am. ranks where I played! Graphite was introduced later, while Connors stuck w/ his Wilson T-2000 thru > of the 80's B4 upgrading to something oversized! McEnroe gets all kinds of kudos from me using that Dunlop woodie & def. Borg thoroughly by '81! I'm back from "my rave!" I go off on Nadal so disresp.'ly don't I? Can't be helped!
***...All things were = for Borg & the players he faced, just as all things were = for Rafa & the players he faced. In other words, Borg's opps. played w/ the same equip. that he did, so any deficit he had, so too did his opps. The same w/ Rafa.
...we can't say that Borg "only" ever winning 2 Slams in a yr. is autom.'ly the Big 3's 3 Slam yrs. Borg only played the AO once, & B4 ('74) he reached his very best level ('78-80). This is one of the many reasons why it's difficult to compare players & seasons across wide eras.
But we can say, "How dom. was Borg rel. to his peers, & how does that compare to Rafa rel. to his peers?" Not an easy ?? to answer, but the key is comparing them to their peers, not to each other.***
***I don't think seeing the Nordic Brat across the net'll mess Sascha up. So my $$'s on Zverev, but I wouldn't be totally shocked if Holger stepped up.***
ReplyDeleteWhy's Holger > of a brat > any of the others in this latest gen. of stars? Is it "he can take it" b/c he's been good enuf to challenge the top players? IMO, they're all petulant kids whb coddled since birth! I'm shocked the "hatahs" have been totally sedated & quieted by Djokovic! If it were Nadal who triumphed w/ 2 5 set wins, the adulation, applause, & lauding w/b insufferable! I don't blame them! I felt pretty > the same when Nadal was able to steal his last 2 majors in '22! Novak wasn't allowed to play "down under" or @ the 1st 2 Masters of the season! I think I'm going to "coin" myself the "reverse hater!" Loved Borg coming along to shorten Connors' stay @ #1, then Lendl knocked McEnroe down a peg, Sampras owned his era over Agassi, & I can't say enuf of how I apprec. what Novak's done to make sure Fedal's pedestal stay was short-lived! He's brk'n most, if not just about all the top recs. sooner > either Roger or Rafa could!
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Skill & exper. 'won out' to make this a strong Men's QF w/ the 4 top seeds making it! Only Novak & Sascha were in danger of being upset IIRC! Djokovic survived Cerudolo in 5 sets after Musetti took him to the limit in the 3rd Rd.! The tourn. must be thrilled; esp. w/ Novak hanging on in his last 2 matches in 5 sets! The women held as well w/ their top 5 seeds getting to the QF & only 1 unseeded player! It's been amazing for this to occur in Paris on clay these day!
***Looks like Stefanos lost in str. sets to Carlos. Very similar score to last season, which means zero improv. from his side. He s/b able to take a set off Alcaraz; @ least that.***
It's a shame that the state of affairs hasn't changed much! Way back when "The Lost Gen" was coined w/ all kinds of talent, but no signif. wins they'd tout! We actually gave them excuses for their limited success! Injuries were rampant w/ some of our best like Milos, Grigor, Del Po, & Kei, but > of them given a pass due to the "Big 3-4!" Another wave has come thru, but they can't blame it on Fedalovicray! Only Novak remains & he hasn't produced a ripple of success this season! Tsitsipas, Zverev, Thiem, & Medvedev are on the verge of being classified "The Lost Gen II!" They've already been surpassed by kids; Sinner & Alcaraz leading the way! I'm afraid Stefanos will end up about as irrelevant as Ferrer; good, had talent, was fit, but making only 2 major finals! Dom & Danill @ least stole 2 majors, but = their Masters' success has been stunted!
***I lean Alcaraz in the FO SF vs Jannik. W/ Sinner getting the #1 ranking this wk., I think it'd make it spicy if Carlitos were to win. However, if Jannik wins, he's got the CYGS in play. I think the winner of SF takes the title.***
It's a shame this is a SF! Novak being win< so far this season reminds me of '87! Navratilova was having an odd X of it where she was in final after final, but lost them all until Wimbl.! She held the #1 ranking thru that per. w/ Peter Graf threatening to create a new tour since Steffi didn't acquire the #1 ranking until later that Summer! IIRC she was the #1 seed @ the USO, but still lost to the "old lady" in str. sets!
***The women's FO SF will begin someX after the concl. of the MxD. Final.***
A shame the 1st match S/B the Final instead of a SF; #1 Swiatek vs #3 Gauff! The other's wide open w/ a 17 yo kid (Andreeva) & 12th seed! I'm not familiar w/ Paolini! Whoever wins early w/b heavily favored in the final Sat., but you never know! Upsets do happen!
***On all known form Swiatek wins comfortably. Shame that Sabolenka was badly off color vs Andreeva, but brilliant though she is, Aryna has not yet found a way to beat Swiatek. Alcaraz looks back to full match fitness & should win the mens singles. I like Zverev, but = though he also back to full match fitness, he's prob. not going to beat the amazingly talented young Spaniard. -(Iga d Gauff / Paolini d Andreeva)***
***Women's Singles Chp. - FO: Iga Swiatek (Poland) 4th RG title in 5 yrs.***
ReplyDeleteAmazing how saving a MP or 2 along the way vs Osaka makes winning = > satisfying! Iga's a real champ! She might brk. all the ladies' recs. for Paris! I thought Evert's 7 Chps. was safe!
***The curse of the NEXT GEN lingers on. El Dude, is there a thread for the ineptitude of the Next-Gen. players in GS's. Only Med winning the USO's the only GS Champ. - NG's > >er > the Lost-Gen., & TBF they've still had to deal w/ late prime Novak & Rafa (Roger, a bit). But yeah:
Slam Finals:
Players born '89-93 (Lost-Gen): 1-5 (Thiem 1-3, Raonic 0-1, Nishikori 0-1)
Players born '94-98 (Next-Gen): 1-14 (Med 1-5, Zverev 0-2, Ruud 0-3, Tsitsipas 0-2, Berrettini 0-1, Kyrgios 0-1)
Players born '99-03 (Mil.-Gen): 4-0 (Alcaraz 3-0, Sinner 1-0) - Carlos def. Sascha in 5 sets in FO Final.
For Next-Gen., 15 Slam final app., only 1 title. At least they've been reaching finals - Lost Gen only made 6, & Thiem arguably belongs w/ NG. (then it w/b 0-2 vs 2-17).
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Here's a rather excl. club: players who've won Slams in 3 cons. yrs. (Open Era):
Rosewall, Vilas, Borg (8 yrs.), McEnroe, Lendl (4), Wilander (4), Edberg, Agassi, Courier, Sampras (8), Fed (8), Wawrinka, Nadal (10, 4), Djokovic (6, 6), Alcaraz.
Conspicuously absent about ATGs are Connors & Becker.
And of course only Borg, Wilander, Nadal, & Alcaraz did it B4 turning 22.
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Very few players reach their peak @ 21. Some do, but most greats further fine-tuned their skills and peaked a few yrs. later. Or consider the best seasons of every ATG (or near-ATG) of the Open Era, w/ their age @ the mid-pt. of the season (B4 Wimbl.):
Nastase: '73 (26)
Vilas: '77 (24)
Connors: '74 (21)
Borg: '80 (24)
McEnroe: '84 (25)
Lendl: '86 (26)
Wilander: '88 (23)
Edberg: '90 (24)
Becker: '89 (21)
Agassi: '99 (29)
Courier: '92 (22)
Sampras: '94 (22)
Federer: '06 (24)
Nadal: '10 (24) or '13 (27)
Murray: '16 (29)
Djokovic: '15 (28)
So really only Connors & Becker had their best yr. @ 21, both turning 22 later in the yr. Both had > seasons after, but they didn't get >er after that. Most >s get >er until about 24 or so.
...In terms of accomp. @ his age, his closest comps are Borg, Wilander, Becker, & Nadal. He hasn't been quite as good as Borg & Nadal @ his age, but he's been about as good as Wilander & Becker. ...While I think it unlikely that Alcaraz ends up w/ a career as good as Rafa's, it's hard not to compare Rafa's '05-07 w/ Alcaraz's '22-24. And who knows, m/b he wins Wimbl. or the USO & another big title or 2, & his '24's > like Rafa's '08, when he rose to a >er level > began his true peak. Certainly a Chan'l Slam w/b an impressive feat for the 21 yo! I mean, it's a bit early, but I think Carlos is the fave heading into Wimbl.
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I’m Greek so I want any American to win to win RG 1st, then
9. Stefanos Tsitsipas
Then anyone but #1 (seed) Djokovic***
Looks t/b the beginning of the end for Djokovic! He hasn't won anything this season so far & needed a quick surgery to repair his meniscus tear in his knee; reported 15 min.! Not sure he w/b ready for Wimbl., but should make the Olympics which is heavy on his mind! It w/b back in Paris on clay! This m/b the last we see of Nadal!
***I just saw an entry on FB claiming that Caitlin Clark's adored b/c she's white, pretty, & straight.***
ReplyDeleteNo matter what Caitlin's doing, accomplishing, or failing at, she's brought eyeballs to the WNBA where player families couldn't care < about these broads! Due to Clark, they're getting > $$, fans buying tickets, & TV exposure! Instead of comm. flights, the players are now on charters! You'd think they'd apprec. what Clark is bringing w/ her! On the contrary, they're being what women tend t/b; envious, jealous, selfish bitches! Women proved to me the "self-hate" was real when a > many thought a psycho like Trump should run the world when Hillary was prob. the > accomp. & knowledgeable pol. of this era! I threw away my feminist card knowing now it's a waste of X! Times have been the easiest for women in going to school, work, careers, etc.! They're still disgustingly unhappy & needing psychological care! Their best friend is social media & it just isn't enuf to satisfy them! They're beyond fk'n help! When they run Clark off, they'll go back into obscurity!
***Woke racist Sports media is trying so hard to bring race into everything. It’s pathetic. All of these angry activists in the media who undermine Clark for her race, & spew conspiracy theories, are just miserable jealous losers.
This is about women, not race! They're jealous, envious, manipulative, delusional POS! Clark has brought the WNBA > $$, fandom, & notoriety! It's not the Vets leading the way so they want to punish Caitlin! I'm no fan of any of them or the sport, but = I can tell the diff. from the past to now! They s/b lauding this girl, not trying to hurt her w/ cheap shots!
***Clark wasn't selected to the Olympic team. - She's the ult. team player, & I can't understand the resentment from the league.***
It's all about typical female emotions going on! The myth is their "sisterhood," but that's for the phony personas they create for family & the Nat'l cameras! Behind the scenes they resent one another w/ jealousy, envy, & outright hate! All you need do is go back to '16! They selected Trump over Hillary, unable to get past their own animous of another successful woman! I didn't think it possible! Women are always in comp. w/ one another over $$, men, school, work, & popularity! IDK why people are surprised that Clark's receiving the typical welcome of a rookie?! It doesn't matter that she's brought > eyeballs to the sport, $$ is up, & they can take charter flights instead of comm. airline fare! When I lived in Sacto, I traveled a lot in the 90's & ran into our local WNBA team 2 or 3 X's over the yrs.! It was pathetic! Caitlin should teach them all a lesson; take a contract abroad & see how the league does w/o her!
***Durant has been > of an assassin > James. I wish him, Westbrook, & Harden would've stayed together.***
Like Golden State, w/ that much EGO on the floor, you need a destructive force to deal w/ like a Drayond Green! I'd've told you that Brooklyn Net dream, turned nightmare was gonna be a huge fail! Players trying t/b GM's of their own team gets you "The Lakers!" When will they learn? The $$'s too plentiful so winning is almost secondary! I barely watch the reg. seasons! Just surfing by periodically shows a "comedy of errors" on the floor which really ticks me off!
***Tim Duncan w/b underrated by modern sports fan absolutely. He lacks the style factor that youthful content creators look for when they spew their ideals of what a great basketball player is to the masses. I've seen many players who are exalted by street ball culture but aren't as high of status in NBA history as Duncan... such as Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, & Kobe Bryant.
ReplyDeleteI think it's been proven that Durant was semi overrated. His career on the ascent was just how he, or anyone'd want it to be. He & Westbrook led the Thunder to the finals & lost, which's no crime as they were a young team. Then Durant kept losing the playoffs until...
Until he made the choice that completely neutered any claim he may've wanted to make that he's an alpha dog. He lost the W. Conf. Finals to the 73-9 Warriors, then tucked his tail btwn. his legs, took his prime MVP self, & joined another MVP in his prime Steph Curry & GS.
Durant'll never outlive that. Not only b/c of what it was when it happened, but what he's produced since. He went to the Nets & played w/ other stars & completely bombed, & now's in Phoenix w/ tons of talent & getting bounced in the 1st Rd.
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How about Kyree? Like, if Kyree wins another one. Should he be put in the top 50? - And basketball's way > scoring Tatum affects the game in diff. ways. They're the > bal. team I've seen in a long X.***
Jealousy; nothing but! He's rich, talented, & > too good looking! They can't stand it!
***I'd LOVE to have Tatum on the SUNS. We might have a chance then.***
Y'all just want to snatch up all the talent into The West! I don't pay much attn. to reg. season B-Ball after the days of Duncan winning! Even though The East has won their share of Chps. w/ The Celtics, Pistons, Bulls, Miami, & Phili, the overall Conf. has been weak for decades! The West owners spend $$ a lit'l > liberally & it's paid off w/ The Lakers, Warriors, etc.! I remember visiting Chgo. 20+ yrs. ago when the Bulls were terrible after Jordan & the Jordanaires scattered! There was this strange anomoly of only 2 teams in the East above .500 after the month of Dec. games played! The West had obviously gotten fat beating up on the East who sent @ least 1 team into the playoffs finishing under .500! It hasn't changed that > un< I'm missing something!
***I'd care < about the other teams in the West. I just want Tatum & Maxie on the Suns so we can finally win a damn ring! - Tatum's supposedly one of the best players in the league & habitually shrinks on the >est stage. W/ the roster the Celtics have/have had they arguably should already have 2 rings & they have none. In large part b/c Tatum chokes.
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I'll take that "choker" on the Suns any day of the wk. He's averaging 25 pts. & 10 rebounds a game in the playoffs & drawing double teams which opens up the floor to his teammates.
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And choking in the Finals. He's missing lay ups & has no mid-range or 3 pt. shot either. 31% from 3 is a bad %, he's shooting that from the field. He barely has 25 pts. over 2 games in the finals. He's taken 38 shots for 32 pts. If Dallas wasnt a one man show this series w/b @ a min. tied & Dallas m/b up 2 games going home. Either way the Celtics are winning despite Tatum not b/c of him in this series. He's at best the 3rd best player on his team & m/b the 4th right now in this series.***
Believe it or not, I've liked the Suns since the days of Majerle, Sir Charles, Ceballos, & Kevin J.! I liked the team & their uniforms! They've just been rather unlucky for the last 30 yrs. = though winning 2 of 3 in Chgo/NBA Final of '93 during their "hey days" of the 90's! CP3's cursed so that isn't on them when they blew it 2 seasons ago!
***It looked promising on paper when they pk'd up Durant & Beal to make a "Big 3" w/ Booker. M/b Durant has 1 > good yr. in him & Beal can manage to stay healthy, but I'm not holding my breath.***
***Kid riding in a golfcart late at night! They froze him out in a car w/o heat to torture info out of him! Every cop on the scene who knew what was being done to the 13 yo shb fired & charged w/ child abuse.***
ReplyDeleteThis kid had t/b trained "to the extreme!" Older men have cracked under < duress! This kid had to know, the longer these fools treated him this way, the worse it w/b for them in the lawsuit! I never would've hesitated to answer the cop's ??'s! These vids have taught me, they're capable of anything! Wise-cracking isn't = needed for them to have an attitude so you coop. & go about your business as soon as possible! If they can treat a 13 yo like this, they're truly capable of ANYTHING!
***I saw Rep. Tom Cotton (R. Ark.) on "Meet The Press" this morning. He whinged on about how unfair the Trump's trial was, how the judge was "compromised." (Apparently he donated $20 to the Biden campaign when he ran in '20.) But, when asked if he'd deem the judgement fair if Trump were t/b acquitted on appeal, he refused to answer. He knew he was painted into a corner, but this is what they've done to themselves. The judicial system's only fair when it gives you the outcome you want. The elections are only fair when you get the win.***
What a Fk'n embarrassment! Sen. Cotton & all the rest being shills for Trump can't look any worse! They're like kids pt.'n fingers feverishly @ others to allow Trump to play the victim! "What about Hillary, what about Hunter; that judge & his daughter?" Unfort.'ly they're allowed to act like idiots b/c that's what their constituents seem to apprec. & want! Democracy's on the wane w/ them! I think they're looking forward to Trump's dictatorship!
***They're such sheep @ this pt., they actually m/b looking for a dictator. In effect, they have one. He says jump & they say, "how high?" He doesn't = hold office now & he controls them. They pretend not to care about his outrageous claims. I think it's a lot of "head in the sand," which's being generous.
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Those GOP pols are giving Trump's ego > attn. > Stormy Daniels could've ever tried. - Have you ever seen B4 a single individual can highjack an entire party like Trump has = in def. & all his criminal conspiracies + convictions? I'm curious what's the POV from across the pond. I have a pretty good understanding of why the GOP's so spine< including a large # of the Dems are afraid.
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But the confluence of democracy, a large portion of society & a spineless political party that puts winning above patriotism? Trump's part Mussolini, part Hitler (but w/o the courage). No... it's like they say.. history rhymes, but it's never exactly the same!
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Very much like Hitler & Mussolini's reign of div. of the racial & social classes. If Trump doesn't win, there m/b an Insurrection 2.0 if one of the 2 remaining Fed. cases (Fanni Willis in GA. & Jack Smith's cases ) doesn't indict him for class A Felonies. The doc. case will never come to fruition b/c he has the chick the so called judge on his pol. retainer.
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I actually think that if he loses people w/b > ready to run away from him. Even if he wants to, he won't succeed in trying to run again. It's one thing for people to try to launch a coup to assist a sitting President & quite another to go up vs an incumbent President. There's no pardon, & you're opposing the State? And you've seen 100's of people already jailed for the prev. attempt. Nah, the > interesting thing if he loses again's going t/b the blood bath as people try to take up leadership of the GOP. I w/b sitting, watching, & nibbling my popcorn!
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This race is a lot closer > you can imagine. The majority of American voters are not fluent on local or gov't pols. They go w/ the flow of Sleepy Joe. They still think Trump's funny w/ his name calling & Tweets. The insurrection I believe b/c no One in Congress was injured was nothing > a rally protest that went a bit far. They feel the gov't s/b overthrown to protect their so called "white heritage." They've forgotten about C-19 & state of the country during the pandemic.***
***Fed: "I didn’t give Novak respect he deserved – neither did my fans"***
ReplyDeleteWhat choice did Roger have but t/b magnanimous & give Novak his props? Tech. Fed's in 3rd pl. behind Djokovic & Nadal, but I'll put him in 2nd due to his longevity, consistency, & ability to win on all surfaces w/ > success! I recall Roger, A-Rod, & Kyrgios giving such grief to Nole, his lack of character, injury complaints, etc.! Now they're his >gest cheerleaders touting him as THE GOAT! I can't see Carlos, Jannik, Daniil, Sascha, or any other newbie being able to sustain the >ness of The Big 3!
***...Fiero puts Roger 2nd, due to "longevity, consistency, & ability to win on all surfaces w/ great success." ...Consistency: who spent the most yrs. in the top 10? Who won a Major in every yr. for 10 yrs.? Roger's best streak is 8, & Novak's is 7.***
What next, "when the moon's in the 7th house...?" You guys find new ways to elevate Nadal = though he has only 1/2 the wks. @ #1! Come on!
***All 3 are in the exclusive "GOAT tier" -something well beyond garden variety ATGs (Edberg, Becker, Agassi, etc) & solidly ahead of the inner circle >'s (Borg, Mac, Lendl, Sampras, Connors, etc). Looking at all of tennis history, the only players who were comparably dom. during their X were Rod Laver & m/b Bill Tilden (Rosewall & Gonzales are close, but I'd put them in the next tier down).
The caveat is that Novak gets the statistical edge in just about every category. On a purely statistical level, he's the singular GOAT. There's really no logical, reasonable argument vs his status as being if only a bit >er > Roger & Rafa. It m/b rel. small, but it isn't negligible - and it's across the board in nearly every single category. In other words, in total, the statistical argument is overwhelmingly for Novak as being above the other 2. ...This is why when push comes to shove, I put Novak as--@ the very least--"1st among near ='s," w/ Roger & Rafa being 2a & 2b.***
I advocate for Novak b/c few others did until recently! For yrs. it was all about Fedal while Djokovic was the "interloper" crashing the party! Around the world it's still all about Fedal w/ just Djoker an afterthought! The dumbest tennis fans only recognized Roger @ the top while the "tennis intelligentsia" around the world promoted the sport thru Fedal alone as if Nole didn't exist!
***I have no issue w/ folks who want to assign singular GOAT to Novak. I don't particularly agree w/ it. I think they, all 3, are interwoven. They - together - tell a story of tennis that's so incredibly awesome = attempting to separate them is a non-tennis action IMO. ...Each of them has done things that poss. no one else will ever do. Rafa's 14 slams in one major will almost certainly be never done again. Roger 5-peating in 2 slams (10 cons.) will prob. never be done again. Novak's #'s? All great. ..."Novak's the Goatiest of them all."***
True enuf the Big 3 are now & forever inextricably linked! Roger owned the tour @ 1st w/ those 5 cons. wins @ Wimbl. & The USO along w/ taking 3 majors in a season 3 X's! It was purely natural to believe him the Goatiest @ the X = w/ 15 Majors, just 1 > Sampras! Unfort. for him Nadal came along; not as successful overall, but a true rival who def. Roger on all surfaces from the beginning of their rivalry! It looked as if they'd face each other in final after final until they retired! Along came Djokovic who tested them a lit'l @ 1st, but wasn't changing the status of the top 2! He was a perennial #3 for a few yrs. until '11 when a switch was flipped! He not only started beating both Fedal, he was embarrassing them while still @ the ht. of their powers! He alone has a Double GM's, took 3 majors 4 X's, has 3 CGS, 7 YEC's, & 8 YE #1's! They're still linked, but Novak's def. the Goatiest!
***3 Old Goats...w/ Alcaraz lookin' on.***
We can only hope there's a legit. transfer of tennis powers, but = though Carlo has all the talent, I'm not sure of his health & body!
***There were really 2 diff. "Big 4 Eras": Not just the recent one, but the Connors-Borg-McEnroe-Lendl era, which saw those 4 players dom. the top spot for a decade & a 1/2, w/ @ least 1 of the 4 ranked #1 w/i every yr. from '74-90 (17 seasons). Not quite as impressive as the recent Big 4 ('04-24, or 21 seasons), but close.
ReplyDelete'99 was kind of crazy, w/ 5 diff. #1 players. There were 4 in 2000 & '03, but no other yr. had > 3.
Fun fact: '18's the only yr. that 3 of the Big 4 were all ranked #1.***
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...I'm not sure of Alcaraz's health & body!
***...You just never know who's going to emerge as the next > player. We do know that > players are inevitable, & not only is the game never w/o a cohort of >'s, but you always have overlap of gens. We m/b underselling the incredible start that Alcaraz has had to his career, unmatched by any, but just a few players in OE history: Borg, Wilander, Nadal. What remains t/b seen is whether he's > Borg/Nadal-like, or > Wilander-like. Or if, as you say, he can stay healthy.
And a bit of clarification: I group Borg & Nadal in terms of talent & peak dom., = though Nadal has had the far >er career. I think you'd = make the case that Borg's peak of '78-80 was >ter > Nadal ever was, though I'd counter & say that Nadal had sev. seasons just as good, but they were > spread out (Borg's '78-80 the 2nd best 3-yr. span in OE history, behind only Roger's '04-06 or 05-07).
Anyhow, when I look @ tennis >'s of the OE, I think in terms of the following tiers:
GOAT TIER: Fed, Nadal, Djoker, Laver (FC)
INNER CIRCLE >'s: Connors, Borg, McEnroe, Lendl, Sampras, Rosewall (full career), Gonzales (FC)
LESSER >'s: Newcombe (full career), Wilander, Edberg, Becker, Agassi, Murray
NEAR >'s: Ashe, Nastase, Smith, Vilas, Courier, Kuerten, Hewitt, m/b 1 or 2 >
Tilden w/b inner circle or GOAT, & guys like Kramer, Vines, Budge, Perry, RIggs, Emerson, Hoad, Trabert, Sedgman, Drobny, etc as 's, but I think he has a real chance of being in the inner circle. While Sinner c/b just as good, until he wins that important 2nd Slam, his floor is that of a near >. And who knows who might join them...Medvedev really only needs another Slam to join the near >'s.***
Looks as if you're elevating Murray due to the comp. he had to deal w/! Makes sense, but IMO he's nowhere near as accomp. as others listed as "Near >," much < "Lesser >!" He was only #1 for about 5 min. in comparison to Courier & Hewitt alone! Agassi, Wilander, Becker, & Edberg have so many > majors as well being "Lesser >'s!"
***I think all things told, he's on a similar level as Edberg & Wilander - so many deep runs, & that > '16 season which's poss. the best single-Slam yr. of the OE.
One of the things I like about stat systems ...deeper pict. of overall results > the usual discourse, that >ly focuses on Slam titles & occasional other titles. I figure that reaching a Slam final is arguably > impressive > winning a Masters. It involves winning 6 BO5 matches vs 5 or 6 BO3. In that regard, the ATP pt. system does a good job, = if we don't normally consider a Slam final worth 60% (or now 65%) the value of a Slam title. But in terms of difficulty, it's pretty accurate, IMO.***
Who or WTF are you talking about? Novak was the 1 w/ the stellar > yr. of '16 only to drop the YE #1 to Murray in the final of the YEC! Novak won 2 majors, was in the final of the USO & YEC, took 4 Masters titles, & completed his Nole-Slam @ the FO earlier!
***I didn't say anything about Novak's perform. in '16 or how it compares to Andy's. I was merely saying that '16 was arguably the best single-Slam season in the OE.***
Whatever! I can't argue w/ your kind of logic!
***"What's the best season involving a single Slam title?" Andy's '16 gets my vote. Do you have a >er option? But instead, you took it as an opp. to vituperate about Novak being robbed/underapprec./etc.***
***The thing w/ the Olym. Games is that it forces diff. calc. & choices. If it were "just" Wimbl., then a rest, it m/b worth the risk. But we know that Novak, of all things he is, he's the GOAT of ambition, & he doesn't like holes in his trophy case. He wants that OGM.***
ReplyDeleteNovak lives for those challenges where we are telling him what he "should do!" ...Nole has nothing > to prove! He doesn't have to do anything else to cement his mark & stave off any challenge to his position on the pedestal of GOAT-dom!
***Both Sinner & Alcaraz have 14 career titles. Puts into perspective how impressive Rafa winning 11 titles @ age 18/19 in '05.***
Sinner & Alcaraz are a lot > impressive > the early days of Rafa! I'm not saying that b/c I'm no fan, but the rec. shows it w/ both getting to #1 & winning majors outside of 1 surface! Carlos' talent's off the charts, but it's also inflated his head trying to make the "highlite reel" every match he plays! Let's hope both Carlos & Jannik warrant all the talk we're giving them! I'd hate to have one or both drop off the side of a cliff due to injury or en nui!
***...I don't really begrudge Alcaraz loving to show off his tools, of which he has many. He'll get smarter & > judicious. Hopefully he & Jannik both stay healthy, but I don't see "ennui" being a problem for either.
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Rafa was the >est Super Teenager tennis player of all X...@El Dude, do U have the data to support this hypothesis - I had a chart @ 1 pt., but couldn't find it. I think you have to give that title to Borg or Becker, w/ Rafa 3rd, Wilander 4th, then Alcaraz rounding out the top 5.
Start w/ Slam titles. 8 players have won GS titles as teenagers: 2 each by Borg, Becker, & Wilander, 1 each by Nadal, Alcaraz, Edberg, Sampras, & Chang.
But here's where it gets a bit tricky: Rafa won his 2nd 8 days after turning 20 in a tourn. (the '06 FO on 6/11) that started when he was 19. So if you ct. his age as when the tourn. started, he gets 2 Slams. But...is that fair to Borg, who won his 3rd Slam a few wks. after turning 20? ('76 Wimbl.).
So we should prob. keep it strict, which means Rafa has the 1, & 2 vs. 1 is significant.
After Slam titles, you have Masters. Rafa won 6, Becker & Alcaraz 4 each (or their =lents), Borg 3 + the WCT Finals which is =lent, so 4; Wilander won 2; & the others 0 or 1. For overall big titles, that 7 for Rafa, 7 for Borg & Becker, 5 for Alcaraz, 4 for Wilander. So I think that makes it > of a 3-way race w/ Rafa, Becker, & Borg.
Looking @ er tourns. (he was a Tour Finals Rnr.-up twice...in 1 year! And also @ 4 Masters, & reached 2 Slam SF).
Just on pure title ct.:
18 Nadal
13 Borg, Wilander
12 Becker
10 Alcaraz
I think overall Becker gets the "Super Teenager" crown. His extra Slam > makes up for Rafa's 2 extra Masters; same ATP 500s (or mid-level tourns.). Rafa's extra titles are mostly low-level stuff, & then Becker was going deep in a lot of events. Borg vs. Rafa vs. Mats is a bit closer.***
Mats dropped off the face of the map after winning 3 majors & the YEC over Lendl in '88! He got to #1 & lit. disappeared off the rankings w/i a yr. as he lost early & often, w/ bggest upset a 2nd Rd. loss to a very young Pete Sampras @ the '89 USO! I attributed a lot of it to burnout playing his def. game, the passing away of his Dad, culm. in a failed drug test! I was surprised he was = out there on tour his results were so poor!
***Good grief, Bill Maher pisses me off someX's. He keeps harping about why didn't the DoJ prosecute Trump earlier. It's like he's not aware that Trump's entire legal strategy has been to delay delay and delay more. And SCOTUS has helped him along the way. I think he's so invested in being perceived as balanced that he's lost his way a lit'l bit.***
ReplyDeleteOh, Mahar's aware of all this stuff, but it still shouldn't have taken this long to prosecute Trump! IMO, the incompetence of all prosecutors rear their ugly, collective heads as someone like Trump & not too bright has held off the consequences of his actions! This man has been fk'n up since the 70's & this is as close as we've gotten to making him pay for his crimes! He's paid fines, gotten chastized, & been humiliated, but he never cared! The only thing that'll impress him is jail & we all know that ain't happening! They'll talk about his age, then all of a sudden maladies will justify leniency! I went thru the change w/ Dennis Miller! The man hated & made fun of all Reps & cons., but as he aged he softened his stance! IDK what's to become of us as The Supreme Court has been corrupted beyond recognition! As a Sr., I can't see another wave of change as cons. have lied onto the court & don't seem to care when it's pt.'d out how hypocritical they've been! We laud our justice system, but I started losing hope ages ago!
***Biden gaffes are child's play in comparison to the filth we get from the orange turd.***
That's all "the right" have in their arsenal; accusing Biden of being doddering! I'll take him as a disembodied head in a jar over a psycho like Trump!
***...Hillary wasn’t = the > shameful person to run in the '16 election cycle.***
In the end, The Dems sabotaged themselves in '16! When they lose a race, there’s usually a lot of “self-destruction” going on! I’ll never forgive Kennedy in '80 or his family allowing him to campaign vs Carter who was already dealing w/ the Iranian hostage crisis! The man was undersiege w/ oil shortages & prices skyrocketing, college libs revolting, & a cons. wave w/ the Moral Majority that assisted Reagan into office in ‘81!
You’d think w/ running vs a narcissistic POS like Trump, she'd just coast into office becoming the 1st woman president! Again, w/ all that going for her, she was catching it from all sides; > any candidate past, present, or future! People forget her own staff was fk’n up! That perv Rep. Weiner was married to Hillary’s closests aide! You had FBI Dir. Comey investigating her & her staff, & holding press conferences during the closing of the presidential campaign!
The > ridiculous thing was Trump was being investigated as well, but Comey stayed quiet on him “fearing” Trump accusing him of aiding Clinton! Hillary also had Bernie Sanders undermining her until the very end! Her almost fainting in public didn’t help matters as she was campaigning while ill & tired! There’s >, but this is enough OTTH! This changed the course of our history like no other X in this century! Trump got 3 Supreme Court Noms. thru, who immed. killed Roe v Wade sending it back to the STATES, & now = birth control is under attack! Women did it to themselves as they lit. chose Trump over a > successful & intel. woman! So > for the sisterhood!
***So a black woman won an Oscar long B4 a black woman won an Emmy (Gail Fisher) or was = nom. for best actress. Now that's crazy! Thanks for this info. I never knew this.***
We're not that far removed from segregated water fountains & bathrooms! Civil rights legis. was the last biggie B4 "Roe v Wade" in '73! It took < 50 yrs. to set the country back in race relations & abortion issue! It's been painstaking X to get anywhere near =lity out there & it's still going on in some levels! End rant!
***No no no! You can keep going. It's a rant well worth hearing. M/b if we all ranted, we'd get > things done.***
***What the Dems need is about 3-6 > Jasmine Crocketts. She represents the new aggressive Dems that'll challenge the right-wing blowhards like Jim Jordan & the rest of Trump's goofy GOP cronies.***
ReplyDeleteWho isn't? It's not like we should get a badge of honor for it! We've allowed this class< animal to "cow" the country w/ attacks! Every institution has been vilified & undermined by Trump! He's promised to fire a ton of veterans to appoint Trump-sters ready to take his lead of foresaking the Constitution! The Supreme Court's a lost cause already! Women & minorites will pay for being so flippant to allow such a person the power to change the course of history so arbitrarily! When Obama was elected, I thought the country had turned a corner! How wrong could I be? The man hadn't taken office B4 Reps. organized how they'd treat him w/ so much contempt, it w/b unprecedented disrespect! They = used "liar" & the "N..word" @ will! The kids weren't spared, catching it from the Rep. leaders in Congress! "My kid doesn't get Secret Service escorts!" They couldn't look > ridiculous @ the X, but they've outdone themselves over the yrs.! Dems haven't really been in charge of the country's morality since Clinton! Hypocrites, liars, narcissists, & psychos have taken over the lead as cons. trash laws & common decency! One lit'l girl from TX won't be enuf! Unfort. the Dems will have to wallow in the mud to get any respect from an electorate that's truly lost! They don't know WTF they want going back & forth w/ the pol. parties!
***I said 3-6 > Jasmine Crochett (s) not just her. Jasmine, just like AOC has shown that the new gen. of Dems.; well the women are coming out @ the GOP instead of being pol. correct. I think during the X of President Obama, Barrack narrative was to stand on Business not wasting X t/b the angry black man. If you thought a country where the majority is over 60% Caucasian voters were going to turn this country to center of diversity, > my friend you haven't been paying attn. Trump gave the majority what they WANTED, a voice that championed their white privilege perseveration by any means necessary.
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..the name of Trump will become synonymous w/ treachery.***
What does that say about the supporters of Trump? In normal happenstance, you try to see the other POV! Since this is psychotic, where these guys can ignore obvious treason, IDK what to do or say for 1/2 the country! They were always there, lurking & plotting, but something’s happened! IMO, when Obama got elected & re-elected, the loons rose up! The frustration got to them & they started telling each other, “be proud of being white, don’t placate minorities, lets lock down the borders, etc.!” Who'd think the disloyalty to a country'd go this far as to try & elect a “FELON?”
***Mostly R. Limbaugh & Tom Lykess. r.l. blamed Clinton for EVERYTHING; weather, groceries, LGBTQ.***
Reps. totally lost their collective minds during the Clinton yrs.! Bill was teflon & overcame all their BS; = FNC out there w/ propoganda desparaging the Clintons around the clock! Even though actually busted, the people still supported him! Now they have a psycho like Trump they support, but are claiming everyone’s being unfair! The disgust I have for cons. know no bounds!
***Some are just victims of the low-info. echo chamber. It's sad to me that seemingly intelligent people can get swept up into such conspiratorial nonsense. But that is where we find ourselves.***
Not sure that c/b used as an excuse! When supporters see their leader being prosecuted, all he needs do is call it a “witch-hunt” that c/b overlooked! Yrs. ago, a single LIE could cripple an admin.! Trump proved Reps. are over that as the man didn’t just exaggerate or massage the truth, he perpetrated over 30 K outright LIES & falsehoods while in office! Again, it’s the medias fault they cut him off & fact chk'd him! How can the country allow such behavior in a major pol. party?
***Is Trump the closest thing America has had to Hitler?
ReplyDelete1. His VP, Mike Pence: “The American people deserve to know that President Trump asked me to put him over my oath to the Constitution. … Anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should never be president of the US.”
2. His 2nd AG, Bill Barr: “Someone who engaged in that kind of bullying about a process that is fundamental to our system & to our self-gov't shouldn’t be anywhere near the Oval Office.”
3. His 1st Sec. of Defense, James Mattis: “Donald Trump is the 1st president in my lifeX who does not try to unite the American people – does not = pretend to try. Instead he tries to divide us.”
4. His 2nd Sec. of Defense, Mark Esper: “I think he’s unfit for office. … He puts himself B4 country. His actions are all about him & not about the country. And then, of course, I believe he has integrity & character issues as well.”
5. His 2nd Chief Of Staff, John Kelly: “A person that has nothing but contempt for our Dem. institutions, our Constitution, & the rule of law. There's nothing > that c/b said. God help us.”
6. His former acting Chief Of Staff, Mick Mulvaney, “I quit b/c I think he failed @ being the president when we needed him t/b that.”
7. One of his many former Comms. Dir., Anthony Scaramucci: “He is the domestic terrorist of the 21st century.”
8. His 1st Sec. Of The Navy, Richard Spencer: "The president has very lit'l understanding of what it means t/b in the military, to fight ethically, or t/b governed by a uniform set of rules & practices.”
9. His 1st Homeland Security Adviser, Tom Bossert: “The President undermined American democracy baselessly for months. As a result, he’s culpable for this siege, & an utter disgrace.”***
This is only the tip of the iceberg!
***Who had the >er economy; Trump or Biden?***
It doesn’t matter to Trump supporters! They’d rather the country go down in flames w/ this psycho than have a properous & content nation!
***Where the Hell was the energy yesterday for Biden @ the debate w/ Trump?***
Biden must've missed out on his afternoon NAP! It had to happen to the old guy! Every performance couldn't be >; esp. after that magnificent SOTU effort! If our country's willing to judge Biden too harshly now & resign to support Trump, m/b we deserve to "go under!" If we're that stupid, I have no words for us! ...We're truly a screwed up society!
***Gavin Newsome's too Cali. for the centrists. Gretchen Whitmer is @ least Mich. Neither's tested on the Nat'l stage. However, if they shit-can the unpopular Kamala Harris, it looks bad in a lot of ways. ...It can't be a fight @ the convention. But, as we have argued here, if either party put up someone other > Biden & Trump, they could win. But that was in the past.***
It's deja vu! We w/b in Chgo for an all out battle @ the Dem. Conv. just like in '68! I can already see the growing riots being formed in such turbulant X's! This country has always been the "def. of insanity;" seeking a diff. result from a premise that makes no sense!
***During the recent presidential debate. Pres. Biden repeatedly made misleading statements about former Prez. Trump.
Also from Snopes:
"After Trump ...for supposedly having callously mocked a disabled reporter in public (that Trump was mocking Kovaleski was undeniable...)."***
You knew the country had lost its way when we allowed Trump to disparage the military in so many ways! He insulted Gold Star rec. families, called servicemen suckers & losers, & about destroyed the hierarchy of the military when so many Generals quit rather than perform unethical & illegal acts! "W" & Trump have about handicapped Defense for yrs. to come! Lucky only incompetents like Russia & China are the >est threats! Russia too busy w/ Ukraine & China still trying to hold onto Taiwan! Their X is usually deaing w/ that when not interferring in our elections!
***I can see both Charlie & Bean winning the remaining 2 slams. Whoever wins Wimby, the other will bounce back & take the USO, really making that race for #1 a thrill ride.***
ReplyDeleteFunny, I instantly thought of Novak going on a tear to snatch up the remaining Masters & 500 level events to steal YE #1 like Murray did back in '16! I don't think he's motivated to do something like that! It w/b hilarious though!
***His form this yr. has shown he doesn't have that fire to do what you're referencing. I'm not saying he can't turn it on, but we all know how hard that is as a 37 yo. Besides, he's pumped up the tour w/ belief since he's been mostly MIA this yr. It'll prove a bit > difficult to get that OGM. BO3 is where the > upsets happen anyway.
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Yeah, @ this pt. I imagine it's all about the Olympics & Slams. I mean, he's already de-emphasized other tourns. for the last few yrs. He hasn't played in > 4 Masters since '19. That said, he's only played 24 matches this yr. If he decides to forego Wimbl. & getting into match-shape for the Olympics, I could see him playing 1 or 2 of the er or out of his ability to consistently make QF's, SF's, & 2 Finals! Djokovic did quite a bit > taking 7 titles w/ 2 prime rivals thwarting his early tries @ all majors! I'll have to agree Novak's been terr. lucky t/b as successful; esp. as the #1 seed so often! That's usually the Kiss of Death when it comes to defending a grass court event! He came thru w/ flying colors many X's; going right thru the KING, Roger in 3 finals! Djoker made just about every challenge "his Bitch," save OG! Paris' his last chance! I'm going to doubt him just so he can rub yet another accomp. in our faces!
***Ivan Lendl m/b the > underrated > of the OE. Just about every stat system I've dabbled w/ has him right there w/ Sampras. I know, 14 to 8 Slams, but...Lendl did everything else as good or >er & played in a harder context > Sampras did, facing late prime Connors & Borg, prime McEnroe, Wilander, Becker, & Edberg, then early prime Sampras, Agassi, & Courier. I see him in a similar tier as Sampras, McEnroe, Borg, & Connors.
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...Alcaraz & Sinner are the most promising players to emerge since Andy & Novak showed up (ct. Del Potro - who had > promise, but it didn't actualize).
Anyhow, I went on a bit of a deep-dive to see what the typical pattern was for new Slam winners and new big title winners. A few facts:
There has been @ least 1 new Slam winner in 39 of 57 OE seasons (68%).
Since '06 it's a bit <: 8 of 19 (42%), though in 4 of the last 5 seasons (80%).
Of the 18 seasons w/o new Slam winners, 10 of them have come since '06, including 5 yrs. in a row in '15-19.
In all 57 yrs., there have only been 5 seasons w/o @ least 1 new big title winner - & all in the '07-16 range (or '07,'11,'13, &'15-16 t/b exact)
Conclusion: The recent era of '17 - present has seen a ton of breakout players.
'24's the 1st yr. since '14 that @ least 2 of the Slams have gone to players other > the Big 4.
Here's another crazy fact I hadn't realized until now: Since '04, there have only been 3 seasons in which @ least 1 of the Big 3 didn't win X Slams: '12 when the Big 4 all won a single Slam; '14 when Cilic & Wawrinka won Slams, & Novak & Rafa split the other 2; & '20 when there were only 3 Slams, w/ Rafa & Novak winning 1 each, & Thiem winning his 1st & only.
Un< Novak can win both Wimbl. & the USO, '24 w/b the 4th--just the 4th--in 21 seasons w/ none of Roger, Rafa, or Novak winning X Slams.***
***Ivan Lendl m/b the > underrated > of the OE. Just about every stat system I've dabbled w/ has him right there w/ Sampras. ...facing late prime Connors & Borg, prime McEnroe, Wilander, Becker, & Edberg, then early prime Sampras, Agassi, & Courier. I see him in a similar tier as Sampras, McEnroe, Borg, & Connors.***
ReplyDeleteIMO, Ivan played the same spoiler role as Djokovic! Novak had to tame Fedal whle Lendl did all he could to limit the success of Connors & McEnroe! It's like Deja Vu; pretty > the same dynamics! Even though Lendl has plenty of accomps. never mentioned, his making 8 str. USO's, winning 3 in a row is what's impressed people the >! He had to go thru a lot > comp. as you mentioned w/ vets, new-gens., & future stars! At any given tourn., a dozen players who won @ least 1 major was in his draw!
***For sheer magic w/ the racket, Roger has t/b the GOAT.***
Roger’s the GOAT when it comes to the beauty of the game & how it c/b played in an artistic way! Other > that he’s in 3rd place, 2nd @ best w/ 2 rivals that own him; esp. Nadal who took him out early & often on all surfaces! It wasn’t just a clay situation! That’s what Roger’s fans tried to do to explain how this kid from Spain took out their boy! When Fed went down on GRASS @ Wimbl. in '08, that argument fell thru! Novak caught up to both in '11 & took over their rivalries taking 12 majors in just a few yrs.! By '16, Fed had 17 majors, Nadal 15, & Novak w/ 12 after completing his Nole-Slam @ the FO in '16! Roger was in his prime, but lost to Novak twice in Wimbl. finals; '14 & ‘15! Roger’s supposed t/b @ least the GRASS GOAT, but that was disproven as well = though he owns the > for a man @ 8! Novak has 7 & isn’t done yet!
***Djoker's another iconic player who came after/later & when the superstars Fed/Rafa are still around!***
After/Later? OCO, Nole started beating them B4 they got old! You seem to forget Novak’s just a yr. older > Nadal! Unfort. for Rafa, his game's > draining & has aged him B4 his X! Roger’s game was ageless & he remained comp. to the end taking 3 > majors during Novak’s per. of en oui & elbow injury in '17! Djokovic reasserted himself in the Summer of '18 to win Wimbl. & the USO, racing past Fedal in majors, holding 24 now to Rafa’s 22 & Roger’s 20!
***...I'm saying that Matteo SHOULD have NEVER been consider t/b a serious contender. His game's too predictable & he's extremely overrated.***
How overrated could Matteo be making a Wimbl. final? That was no accident & he stole the 1st set off Novak coming back to take the TB! His game is as good or >er > others we try & elevate; FAA, Tiafoe, & Taylor! He has a bangin' serve, a wicked FH, & can hit his BH w/ 1 or 2 hands! His "Tyrone Powers" good looks are just a bonus!
***I apprec. your backing Matteo, & reminding folks not to underest. him j/b he's pretty. However, as a reminder, Berrettini did NOT "steal" that 1st set off of Novak. He won it....I find it tiresome to insist that someone "stole" the set, j/b the guy you like lost it.***
In the normal scheme of things I'd agree, but this was Novak Djokovic! He's #1 in the World, playing yet another major final w/ a brk in the 1st set! I'd think it overwhelming for Matteo w/ it being his "1st & only major to date!" He kept his head & allowed Novak to donate a lit'l bit to capture that 1st set! ...I can go down a # of major finals where he's in control & inexplicably allows it to tighten up; m/b up 2 brks! In the end he just made his job harder & extended it to 4 or 5 sets when he shb off the court 2 hrs. B4!
***...Don't demean the performance of another player by end<ly saying that it was only your man who failed. It's insulting to the other player.***
***OK, Novak. Anyone listening to this? The "Gooooood night" was kind of funny... Its that old chip on his shoulder for being < loved > he (thinks he) deserves.***
ReplyDeleteAnyone = @Fiero425...Can't believe you make me do this again! The MAN certanly has a freakin' chip on his shoulder! True enuf he's never gotten "The LOVE" that Fedal enjoyed & never will! He c/b on his last legs @ 40 yo & the detractors will continue to annoyingly detract! If this was Fedal playing anywhere near this level, the accolades w/b plentiful! Like Gauf after winning her USO, she gave credit to "the haters!"
***Fearnley took the 3rd set vs Novak who's grumpy about it. Windy on Centre Court, so that's prob. not helping his mood.***
Lendl was pretty > the same way which is why he excelled indoors owning the YEC during his day! Like I said, Djokovic c/b in total control, was a pt. away from a brk. to close out the 3rd! Sure enough I nodded off, but woke to find he blew the set & had to win it in 4! Happens all too often; mainly due to his MOODS! He's not been in the best frame of mind for 2 yrs. now as he ranted @ Ivanisovic B4 leaving last yr.!
***And here’s the thing too: players who'll play 3rd at CC will have to think the curfew b/c of the org.’s stupid sched. decisions. ...in my head, this wouldn’t be a prob. if CC matches start @ 12:30 pm or earlier.***
I'm sure the officials of Wimbl. have explained this, but OTTH, Centre Court being "the featured" court, the Royals & Celebs need extra X to get to their seats after glad-handing, drinking tea, & munching cucumber sandwiches!
***So, are you justifying it or agreeing that it's utter BS?***
Of course it's BS! From what lit'l I've seen of Wimbl., the last few yrs. hasn't = been mentioned The Royals! It was prob. Bud Collins keeping the tradition of observing the Royal Box! I can't = remember seeing it as being anything diff. from the rest of the stadium of late!
***Does it have anything to do w/ the health of the players?***
These tourns. don't GAF about the health of the players! Look @ what Ameli Moresmo did to the male top seed during the FO! Djokovic was out there playing into the wee hrs. of the morning twice causing his meniscus injury! If the "powers that be" can allow that, it's been proved that the tourns. can get away w/ just about anything since they're footing the bills & paying the players "crazy $$" to basically give a tennis exh. to an audience!
***Novak's Origin Story is that he came up when the tennis world was already divided in loyalties btwn. Fedal. After he rose up to full potential in '11, & starting beating everyone's faves, ...but it seemed to create that chip on his shoulder he can't shake. ...It's hard not to admire his tennis, but he's just not that easy to like, or admire, in gen.
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Al> everyone on TC wt.'d in. Courier was trying to go for the angle that Djokovic finds motivation in adversity, which I believe he does. ...Sure, he makes a lot of $$ for tennis, but those people also butter his bread. He just can't decide if he wants t/b the bad guy or the good guy. Or, he thinks he's the good guy, & everyone else has it all wrong, so he keeps acting like the bad guy, and can't figure out why it never turns around. Also, he walked out of a BBC interview after 98 secs., in a total snit.
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...If you take Roger @ his abs. PRIME.. (I think El Dude had it prob.'04-12) Rafa's PRIME ('07-15) Novak was in those same ERAs. What was Novak's rec. vs those 2. Do you feel Novak would've beaten those guys @ GSs in their prime? if not, I don't think his stats'd make him the >est ever. JMHO!
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I'd take a moment & step away from the slam ct. & look @ the Masters 1000 wins. Novak's 1 win away from a career 3 Golden Masters. Neither Fedal = have 1. Add to that the fact that he owns the rec. of 7 ATP YE wins. The whole fitting players into other players primes' conjecture @ best.***
***I'm going to tell ...you called Sampras a serve-bot!***
ReplyDeleteIn Pete's game, it was his serve that made the diff.! How many X's was he down a brk. pt. or 2 &'d somehow come up w/ a 2nd serve ACE? On Pete's >er days, his serve was just a bonus! He'd wear out Agassi from the baseline when "in the zone!" It's every day fare on every pt., but back in the day you only had a handful of > pts. that lasted 20-34 balls in a rally! I can still see Pete running Andre around like a chicken w/ his head cut off! Sampas'd rocket a FH cross-court leaving it open for Agassi's weak reply! Another fave match w/b Pete out-thinking the master, Nichael Chang @ Wimbl.! Sampras'd run him around a lot, but needed to show off his touch & feel @ the net making Chang look foolish!
***Players w/ 2+ Slams in a yr.:
Rod Laver (1*): '69 (4)
John Newcombe (1**): '73
Jimmy Connors (2): '74 (3), '82
Bjorn Borg (3): '78, '79, '80
John McEnroe (2): '81, '84
Ivan Lendl (2): '85, '86
Mats Wilander (1): '88
Boris Becker (1): '89
Jim Courier (2): '92
Pete Sampras (4): '93,'94,'95,'97
Andre Agassi (1): '99
Roger Federer (6): '04 (3),'05,'06 (3),'07 (3),'09,'17
Rafael Nadal (6): '08, '10 (3), '13, '17, '19, '22
Novak Djokovic (7): '11 (3),'15 (3),'16,'18,'19,'21 (3),'23 (3)
Carlos Alcaraz (1): 2024
*Laver won all 4 in '62, + 2 of 3 Pro Slams in '64 &'66, & all 3 in '67.
**Newcombe also won 2 amateur Slams in '67.
But the big jump comes w/ 2 such yrs., which has only been done by (Laver), Connors, Borg, McEnroe, Lendl, Sampras, & the Big 3. Meaning, the 9 or 10 best players of the OE. It sort of is that clear-cut: the 2 multi-Slam season players are the top 10 of the OE.
At 21, it seems rather likely that Alcaraz makes that 10 or 11. Of course after '92, there was no reason to think that Jim Courier--then just 22 yo--only had 1 > Slam in him.
Or to put it another way, Alcaraz already has 20% of Roger's Slam total B4 the age Roger was when he won his 1st Slam.
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Having seen both players in their prime, I've no doubt Pete'd hold his own w/ both Fedal.***
Just not for the same # of comp. yrs.! Sampras was on life support his last 2 seasons, unable to win any title from 2000 Wimbl. until '02 USO! I think there’s been a bit of a backlash when it comes to Pete! Yrs. ago when he was anointed the best ever after he surpassed Emerson’s 13 Majors, finishing w/ 14, he hadn’t = played a FO final > < win 1! The experts don’t look too good after 3 players came along who easily zipped past him in the majors ct., but've X FO’s to their credit! He had to suffer somewhat in perception except having those 6 str. YE #1’s which stood the test of X until Djokovic overtook him; now w/ 8 in total! Who’s gonna catch him?
***Novak's run to the SF:
ReplyDelete1R: Qual. Vit Kopriva, CH #111
2R: WC Jacob Fearnley, CH #271
3R: Alexei Popyrin, career high #38
4R: Holger Rune, CH #4, current #15
QF: W/O - de Minaur hip injury - CH #6
Quite an easy path to reach a Slam SF. He lost a set to both Fearnley & Popyrin, so I'd suggest that it's hard to assess what his actual level is.
I tend to think that luck =s out in sports, for the > part, but Novak certainly got lucky this Wimbl., & just when he needed it. The 1st really good thing that happened to him was that Alcaraz was drawn on Sinner's side. The 2nd was that overall, the bttm. 1/2 was by far the easier half. ...And, w/ the way things are going this Wimbl., every X you step on court, there's an injury risk. Esp. w/ a dodgy knee.***
Was there any real doubt? Djoker/Alacaraz rematch! Novak def. Musetti in str. & Alcaraz took out Medvedev in 4 sets! Novak's getting over that Meniscus surgery, but he's looked sharp from the beginning!
***...Rafa in '07 vs Carlos in '24. Born w/i a month of each other (17 yrs. apart!), so I think we can compare those seasons to each other.
El Dude said:
In terms of pure accomps. thru those yrs. (w/ caveat Carlos isn't done w/ '24):
RAFA: 3-2 in Slam Finals (+ 2 QF), 2 TF SF's, 9 Masters, 23 overall titles.
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CARLOS: 4-0 in Slam Finals (+ 3 SF, 3 QF), 1 TF SF, 5 Masters, 15 overall titles.
...As far as ability, outside of your PEP calc., it's harder to say. My guess' that '07 Rafa would've handily beat Carlos on clay, but Carlos would've handily beat him on grass. Rafa whh the edge on slower hards, Carlos on medium to fast.
I'd mention that '07 Rafa made the finals of Wimbl. & took Roger to 5, so I wouldn't say that Carlos c/b projected to have "handily beaten" him that yr., in the imaginary world where they are both 22. Otherwise, you're saying that Carlos' > >er > Roger on grass.
My sense's that Carlos' a > complete player > Rafa @ the same age. Rafa was ungodly on clay, approaching > elsewhere, & then filled out in '08 as an all-courter. But I do think there's still a big gap btwn. peak Rafa on clay & Carlos anywhere, but that c/b said about any player.
I think Carlos is a > complete player > any of them @ this age. He's got lots of tools, like Roger, but he's handled them >er from younger. He's got a champion's mentality & ability to raise his game. As to peak Rafa on clay...I think you're right that that's hard to reach. There were yrs. when it didn't = look like he was playing the same game as anyone else. And many yrs. when he looked beatable, & still wasn't.***
I have to give Rafa all kinds of props for his tenacity to not give up when on the ropes! A # of other players can say the same for themselves, but Nadal obviously is on another level! It's what makes me sick to see him take over Borg's rec. @ the FO; TWICE over! He's a freak of nature; so was Bjorn w/ his low pulse rate at 40! Djokovic has become the "artisan" of this gen. of players; Lendl B4 him! They worked hard to get >er until they def. the top echelon & supplanted them! Lendl dealt w/ Borg, Connors, & McEnroe! Djokovic had to deal w/ = > w/ Fedal, Murray, Wawrinka, & now Alcaraz & Sinner!
It's obvious Alcaraz has an early start of brilliance unmatched by any player this gen. or in the past in Open Tennis! He's ahead of the game w/ early success @ 3 Majors on 3 diff. surfaces! Rafa was woefully behind getting his 1st Wimbl., USO, & AO > later while getting fat on early clay success in Paris!
***"Woefully" behind? He had Fed in front of him, @ his peak. He won Wimbl. @ barely 22. AO also at 22. And the USO @ 25. I don't think anyone'd call that "woeful." Yes, Alcaraz has 3 Majors on 3 surfaces. He's one AO away from the CS @ 21. Nadal's the youngest to have won it in the OE, @ 25. It seems imposs. that Alcaraz won't brk. rec.***
***A lit'l sad inside that this is going t/b the last yr. of the Atl. tourn. I hope Atlanta gets a 2nd look if Miami is really up for sale. I just feel that Atlanta's misplaced in July, w/ all the heat & humidity, & w/b a >er fit for a late March/early April tourn.***
ReplyDeleteThe smaller events in the States will continue to suffer & disappear until we get some top flight players! Right now we have all kinds of potential, but they haven't broken thru yet! We don't have a McEnroe, Connors, Sampras, Agassi, or = a Roddick who just had a serve & FH! The only reason we have any players close to the top is b/c the tour is truly "wanting" w/ the absence of the Big 3! I miss those smaller events like The Trans Am. @ the Cow Palace out in SF on carpet! We could have a final w/ McEnroe & Connors! Where are those days & will we get them back?
***Did y'all catch Andy Murray resurfacing docu. on Prime. It was pretty good = a non-Murray fan like @Fiero'd apprec. Sir Andy's dedication.***
Murray has had a very commendable career! He got the > out of the game he "decided" to play back at the beginning almost 20 yrs. ago! ...His last gasp was @ Wimbl.! His Olympic effort won't amt. to > > being a 2 X OGM winner & symbol! If not for the Big 3 he'd/shd > & @ least matched Edberg, Becker, Wilander, or McEnroe! Connors, Lendl, or Borg territory? I don't see it!
***So, is Nole embarrassing himself @ this stage, as you said Roger was? X to retire?***
You're kidding? Nole was 1 match from having a CYGS! He ended the season w/ his 7th YEC & an 8th YE #1! There's no comparison in the 2!
***It's weirdly ironic that the Fed fans'd lament how Roger was so much "older" > his arch rivals (Nadal, Djokovic) to excuse his losses & yet here we had a 16 yr. diff. in age (37 vs 21) which really stood out, but > fans seem to shrug as in, "if you are out there, no excuses, including age."***
I laugh thinking of the hypocrisy, but = > so of the "haters" who got nervous when Djokovic broke back facilitating a TB in the 3rd set!
***Novak's a true champ so of course there was going t/b speculative buzz about if he'd somehow pull out that 3rd set. It's not like he hasn't done it B4. Alcaraz *did* get a bit nervy dropping 4 MP's, but the head games are so much of tennis. My overall pt. is Novak's legs are not going to drastically improve or get magically >er by '25.
TBH, only Fed fans trotted out that he was ancient to excuse his losses in SF's & Finals of Majors. Nadal wasn't given that backdoor excuse either = though he also faced opps 10-15 yrs. younger. I think Ruud was a similar age diff. when Nadal bested him @ RG 2 yrs. ago.
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...= Djokovic's having difficulty keeping up w/ Alcaraz & Sinner. But something tells me this feels like the '02 USO, & somehow, Nadal & Djokovic w/b playing for the OGM.***
It w/b a fitting conclusion to their era as it looks as if the batons have been passed on by Fedalovic! Novak's as prepared as much as a 37 y.o. man c/b after menicus surgery last month, w/o a single title under his belt! Nadal's in = worse shape struggling to get past the lower level riff raff out there in Bastad last wk.! The game's sped up so >, his delusion thinks "it's all good" when he actually takes a swipe @ the ball ripping a winner! Doesn't he reaiize every pt. has the potential to being so draining? IMO = he won't be able to withstand the onslaught of offense there is in today's game! It was unfort. he had to play Sascha in the 1st Rd. in Paris in May, but = w/ the fragile psyche of the German, he wrapped up Rafa in str. sets!
***Novak has had a poor season to date, his clay season also poor, regard< of his knee surgery, he had a favorable draw @ Wimbl., a w/ov to the SF where he wasn't tested. He hasn't won a title this yr. ...Quite frankly I can't see Novak or Rafa w/b playing for the GM @ the Olympics.***
***My all X top 10 list w/b:
ReplyDelete(1) Djokovic (> slams, > Masters, has done the CS twice)
(2) Nadal (2nd highest # of slams, king of clay, 29-30 h2h w/ GOAT, >est artisan)
(3) Federer (streaks @ USO & Wimbl., > Wimbl. titles, broke Sampras's rec., > elegant player in history)
(4) Sampras (Best serve in history, 4th > slams, slam dunk, did not lose a Wimbl. final)
(5) Laver (11 slams, but he was the 1st man to do the CYGS)
(6) Borg (11 slams, made the >est streak in Wimbl. titles @ his X, hybrid BH)
(7) Agassi (8 slams, won 5 slams after turning 30 yrs. of age, > FH, BH & compact game)
(8) Connors (> titles, the guy does not have a FH)
(9) Lendl (8 slams, was a > player = though he didn't manage a Wimbl. title)
(10) McEnroe (7 slams, 3 Wimbl. titles, graceful serve, cutest BH ever, good hairstyle, flamboyance, charisma).
An honorable mention: Wilander. He also won 7 slams & actually had a winning rec. w/ McEnroe in slams & >er longevity > him.***
Agassi has 8 majors, but wasted so many yrs., not really ever dominating! A lot of his winning occurred late after Lendl, Sampras, Courier, Edberg, & Becker "waned" or left the tour! The top players around then came & went rather quickly like Hewitt & Safin OTTH!
***Updated Mens Singles Seeds Paris'24 OG (Sinner (tonsilitis) & Rune (wrist) WD)
1. Djokovic
2. Alcaraz
3. Zverev
4. Medvedev
5. De Minaur
6. Ruud
7. Fritz
8. Tsistsipas
9. Paul
I think all the pressure in the world w/b on Djokovic in that 2nd Rd. match vs Rafa. Even if Nadal loses, he still has the singles Gold in his pocket. If Djokovic loses, not only will he still have the hole on his resume of no singles OGM, he'll no longer have the career H2H advantage on Nadal.***
Not earning a "vanity OG Medal" isn't really a HOLE in Djokovic's resume as far as I'm concerned! I've always had a problem w/ millionaires playing in the Olympics; esp. athletes in tennis, basketball, baseball, & hockey! Other events have pros, but how > $$ is someone making as a swimmer, diver, track star, or = a bobsledder?
***It goes too far to call an OGM a "vanity medal." But I take your pt. about what matters in "$$" sports vs. sports that get to shine every 4 yrs. Novak wants it. He's made that clear. But he's got a rough draw. I don't think this is his yr. either. But, no, it won't damage his resume.
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Weirder things have happened @ the OG, but he'll prob. have to get past Alcaraz, & whoever survives the top 1/2, of Novak, Zverev, & Nadal. I wouldn't bet $$ on him.***
Truly! We have so many memorable winners of OG like Massu in '04! WHO? Fed was in his prime, but still found ways to drop matches to 2nd & 3rd tier players! Prob. helped Rafa in '08 to win his Gold w/ Blake upsetting Roger in the QF! Novak's had some bad luck getting Del Po in Rd. 1 back in '16! I still don't watch > of the Summer games! I wasn't one who thought Novak should push it in '21 w/ a CYGS on the line in wks. of flying back from Japan! I think it hurt him > emotionally as he = dropped the Bronze Medal match B4 falling the final of the USO to complete his 2nd go round of a GS! I didn't think he could get past Medvedev! Going 5 long sets vs Sascha didn't help! The feature match of the entire Olympic draw thru & including the final w/b that 2nd Rd. thriller w/ Djokodal! I hope it lives up to the hype! Looking forward to it! This m/b their last meeting in > of any venue as I don't believe they're BUDS!
***In '08 Rafa was trending. Roger was his pigeon, @ that pt. It doesn't matter that Blake took Roger out, IMO. Rafa also beat Novak in the Sfs. It was his yr. Basically no one thought it was wise for Novak to push for the OG in '21, includ. his father. ...I do hope we get the Rafa v. Novak 2nd Rd., & I hope Rafa wins. It may well be the last X they play, given rankings & form, = if they carry on playing.***
***...I'd look @ Operation Northwoods Moxie. It's declassified & didn't happen, but the fact that all the US Joint Chiefs of Staff signed off on it B4 JFK rejected it (whatever happened to him) s/b enough to raise some pretty big alarm bells in itself. Kennedy made long speeches about dark elements manipulating the world. Eisenhower had warned of it a few yrs. earlier.***
ReplyDeleteThe country's history is too littered w/ attrocities not to believe anything's poss. when it comes to our gov't; esp. w/ bad presidents in charge! From the genocide of the Native American & Slavery to Jap. Intern. Camps & The Tuskegee Exp. in the news, underground conspiracies have t/b quite prevalent! Let's not forget Iran Contra w/ the CIA busted selling drugs in LA & diverting the $$ to Central Am. Freedom fighters, while Reagan's making under the table deals w/ Iran! We just have to hope the powers that be don't annihilate us all as we perpetuate an altruistic demeanor to the world!
***I only entered this thread to state a case that malovelent actions w/i gov't aren't uncommon & the cattle (us) are expendable. That's why I showed the declassified Northwoods document. It wasn't smoke & mirrors, just an ex. @Fiero425 showed a bunch of others. We've already discussed on other threads about Gov't experiments on their own populace - ones which are declassified & acknowledged.
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Biden has dropped out. Wow. Forced out by the democracy loving Dems.! I'd think Gavin Newsome w/b the VP ticket to appeal to the few white men. White women put President Obama in twice & voted Trump out.***
Women put Trump in office in the 1st place! It was their duty to remedy the situation 4 yrs. later after they betrayed their own sisterhood overlooking Hillary! I understand their self-hate where > women have trouble w/ each other! The big sisterhood they have is a myth & it's always been that way as they're taught early on to compete vs one another w/ their beauty, charm, & ambition! It's > prevalent in the black culture where girls are taught to get a > education, keep men @ a distance, & t/b independent! The result has been tumultuous as the marraige rate has gone down w/ the divorce rate way up! The > ridicuous thing concerning women is their collective believe something's >er around the corner resulting in many just living & dying alone w/ a cat or dog!
***IIRC that's right. White women didn't like or trust Hillary Clinton. So that became a vote for Trump, but they voted that Evil Heifer out. So it's not about Sisterhood b/c the WHITE WOMEN did not want that woman t/b President. The Dems. will > likely get a Gov'r from one of the SWING states like Penn., MI., & OH. No need to get Newsome b/c Calif., Il., & NY will always vote BLUE.
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The stats for Trump’s X in office:
The economy lost 2.7 M jobs. The unemploy. rate increased by 1.7% pts. to 6.4%.
Paychks grew faster > inflation. Avg. weekly earnings for all workers were up 8.4% after inflation.
After-tax corp. profits went up, & stock market set new recs. The S&P 500 index rose 67.8%.
The Int'l trade deficit Trump promised to reduce went up. The U.S. trade deficit in goods & services in '20 was the >est since '08 & increased 36.3% from '16.
The # of people lacking health ins. rose by 3 M.
The Nat'l Debt incr. from $14.4 T to $21.6 T.
Home prices rose 27.5%, & the homeownership rate increased 2.1 % pts to 65.8%.
Illegal immigration increased. Apprehensions at the SW border rose 14.7% last yr. compared w/ '16.
Coal production declined 26.5%, & coal-mining jobs dropped by 25%. Carbon emissions from energy consumption dropped 11.3%.
Handgun production rose 12.5% last yr. compared w/ '16, setting a new rec.
The murder rate last yr. rose to the >est level since '97.
Trump filled 1/3 of the Supreme Court, nearly 30% of the Appellate Court seats & a 1/4 of District Court seats.
During the Trump Admin., there were no new major overseas wars or invasions. But during his presidency, there were still conflicts w/i Israel, & Russia & Ukraine.***
***Voting is over once Trump's in? He's said he w/b a "dictator for a day" when he gets in. Now he says "Voting w/b over" after he's elected. He's telling us what he intends to do. He's threatening us w/ dictatorship. I honestly think that he believes it's a good idea. And so do some of his supporters. "...Are you still behind this?"***
ReplyDeleteBehind WHAT? I can't = watch NEWS these days trying to avoid Trump & the a-holes that support him! I was told to look @ each side of an argument! When it comes to Trump, it's like the worst things out there that have 1 side; Hitler, child mol., spousal abuse, RAPE, & bad/corrupt Gov't!
***Trump has NEVER said he'll appoint himself monarch, despot, or dictator! End of discussion--it's just fear mongering for votes & it's ridiculous.***
If you truly believe that, pls seek serious help! I can't = watch news anymore, Reps. are so disingenuous POS! I lost one of my BF's & ex-college roommate who I discovered was "proud to vote for Trump!" We haven't spoken civily since & I've known him for almost 50 yrs.! This is no dummy, who's been a MENSA member for decades, but him & 1/2 the country are suffering from something truly mental! You have t/b a special kind of crazy to believe anything a sociopathic liar has to say! The Rep. Party lost their souls long B4 he came along, but since Trump, they're irredeemable & need to just start over like the WHIGs!
***I don't need to seek serious help j/b I disagree w/ you politically. Trump has done a lot of damage to the presidency & the American political system by virtue of his loose talk, his mean-spiritedness @ X's, his seemingly unquenchable thirst to have the spotlight on him @ all X's, etc. ITA on that w/ people who despise him. Is that enuf for me to vote for someone whose policies I think are bad for the country? No-- b/c as much as people hate to admit, some of his policies were good for the country. Donald Trump's unique in our pol. history & there's no one else like him. So, the world isn't going to end if he's reelected. ...Trump has told lies, but name me a pol. who hasn't in the last 50 yrs.? Hell, go back 100 yrs. ...If the comes down to the VP vs the former Pres., barring something highly unusual & unexpected, I believe the former Pres. has a >er plan for the future of the nation over the next 4 yrs. I don't vote for Pres. based on a personality contest.***
...Or intel. for that matter! Fine, blow it all up! I couldn't GAF! I'm old & just hanging on as a Sr.! So many out there are desperate to end the democracy, have @ it! You took "choice" away after 50 yrs. of b!tchin' in some states while women are dying, election laws are under assault due to "the right" not being happy w/ results, & Trump's a laughing-stock Int'ly! He's been fleeced by Putin & Xi, so if you can overlook that, something truly is wrong w/ you; no doubt about it! I won't bother you again! Some people you just can't debate when seriously WRONG!
***Trust me Trump supporters are "all in" w/ this clown. White privilege plus 2025...perfect pitch from the deranged anti-Christ. - - Rep. Crocket s/b running for Prez.***
M/b, but the South would have a serious problem w/ it! If they wouldn't accept Hillary, I doubt if the South could handle & deliver enuf votes for this Black woman! No apologies for the truth!
***Agree; same thing w/ Kamala, but I still think she’ll get it done. Hillary was universally unliked.***
What I don't understand is why scumbag Reps. & cons. are so concerned about what the Dems do from here on out? They have Congress & the SC in their pocket, but all you hear is them bitchin' about what the Dems are doing or not doing! I find it disgusting that women have allowed them to villify, demonize, & undermine the accomps. of Kamala Harris w/ an inability to stick to issues! Name-calling, lying, & making asses of themselves in the media & social platforms show how pathetic they truly are now!
***Btw, I was on Rafa's side today & shocked to see him go down in flames like that on clay @ his fave venue; given that he has a pos. h2h w/ Djokovic @ RG. It just took me some X to wrap my head around it. But then I figured Rafa's form is very bad & he also might have been injured. I also realized he played a lot of tennis recently &'s getting exhausted.***
ReplyDeleteYou're kidding? I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone w/ all this hype on this last match btwn. these 2 ATG's! Novak has just made a Wimbl. Final while Rafa was sitting on his ass for over a yr., then struggled to get past riff raff in a 250 event earlier this month! WTF? Why are people surprised @ this blowout?
***IDK who's surprised. I'm just gutted.***
Rafa's final match shb in Paris back in May after Sascha dismissed him in the 1st Rd.! He wasn't going to get any >er! He should've known that along w/ his sycophantic training staff! Why wasn't he talked out of this? It made no sense taking up space in the draw; esp. after his efforts in Bastad! It was a 250 w/ lit'l in the way of top pros to = give him a test, but got to that final after top seeds elim. early! I suppose he thought he'd bluff his way thru a few Rds.! It didn't happen & he was embarr. by Novak today, 4 & 1!
***...Why were you shocked Rafa was blown off the court? @Fiero425 was correct. Rafa hasn't played in over 2 yrs. while Novak has been competing for #1 ranking in the world & in GS finals during that X. Did you think that Rafa'd beat anyone in the top 5 or = be comp. vs the current lead of the 3-headed GOAT. This had only the chance of being just a glorified exh. for the 2 of them. It's gonna take a lot of tourns. & GS matches B4 Rafa'd = begin t/b challenge for the top 5 if his body can hold together. I'm not attacking you, but let's be realistic = for Rafa fans.
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Do you know how many yrs. Rafa, Fed and, & Novak has taken off my life from staying up to 3-5 AM watching those matches?***
After all these yrs., I'm still trying to recover from that long night into day here in the States watching & recording the '12 AO Final w/ Djokadal; 5:53! I lit. didn't get to bed until after 9 AM! As usual back then when serving for the match, Novak made it harder on himself allowing Nadal to brk. & take that 4th set TB! IMO, it's not nerves; > bad luck, bad calls, & his opp. "red lines" it for a bit!
***Man, it took me days to recover. I had brain fog & didn't want to watch another sporting event includ. ft.ball for wks. I know that loss still haunts Rafa. It's the 1 that I can still vividly recall the last 7 games of the match. How did Rafa miss the passing shot up the line when the prudent move whb to hit the ball directly @ Novak.
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M/b Djokovic's a bit nervous in the Olym. final vs Alcaraz b/c he was stuck in Semis 3 X's. Anyway, I will not put the $$ on him in the final. For me Carlos is the clear fave.
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Renee Stubbs thinks that he'll be < nervous on Sun., having got this bugaboo off his back. Who knows? He knows he's got @ least a Silver Medal, so that's an upgrade. Plus, Carlos will have his own nerves. Novak's knee did seem t/b fine today, & Musetti was running him around. Now they finally get a day off for rest, too.***
It seems Novak isn't ready to retire quite yet! It's a huge accomp. to make it to the OGM final match! He's guaranteed a Silver! I hope people keep predicting an annihilation so it can all turn on them! I think Djokovic has a great chance to surprise us all!
***So much for hoping for the younger gen., you old hypocrite. Whatever happened to your position of "move over, old man" when it came to Fed, i.e.? You keep saying you're not a Novak fan. You just are! Own it.***
ReplyDeleteDjokovic hasn't embarrassed himself yet! He's making a Wimbl. final, now Olympics! Why should he go? Fedal was struggling vs riff raff! STOP! It's not hypocrisy as > as I root for "underdogs" & he'll continue t/b that while most believe Fedal rules the fandom!
***If you're still calling Novak an "underdog," you've lost the plot.***
Who favors him anywhere? He's going after the latest KING = though still #3 in the World! Novak had his head handed to him on his fave Centre Court just last month! If that ain't an underdog IDK who is! When I say "underdog" concerning Novak, it's really about how he's perceived & accepted; or not accepted as "The GOAT!" There are plenty of delusional people out there that believe Fedal will always lead the way = though woefully behind in many of the accomps. that they can only dream about; GM's twice, 7 YEC's (when Nadal has NADA), 8 YE #1's that may never be topped, w/ 7 YEC's! These over & above his rec. in the Majors, it's hard to read posts that still deny the guy! I'm really not as > a fan as I can apprec. what he's done; just like Nadal @ the FO (which is his real claim to immortality), while Fed'll have to settle for his 8 Wimbl. wins! It doesn't look like Djokovic w/b +ing any> of them to his resume! I think his last best chance is to win in NY & call it a career! We all know he won't which is what makes him >; always trying to prove us all wrong about him! Who knows what he might do if he claims OG Sunday over Alcaraz!
***Congrats to Novak for taking OG def. Alcaraz 7-6,7-6! I'm sure that in 10 yrs you'll still be physically beating 20 yo's!***
Shocking again, but not shocked! Wow, what an accusation after Nadal's rep. writtled w/ suspicion he's been on PED's since the beginning! SAD!
***Djokovic was absolutely belting the ball too so the usual "pushovic" bs from the same poster can't be said either. - Some of those fhands Novak hit in the TB were lazor-like. When Novak gets to a TB, he just finds an extra gear & that's what happened in the match.
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I'm glad he's still enjoying tennis, but I have a twinge of @Fiero425 in that I don't want to see him carry on this way for too long. He's such a giant in my eyes & = though there were moments I rooted for him to lose (so he wouldn't beat Roger!), I don't want to see him lose in early Rds. & to shot next clay season. Rest & train for the rest of this yr., staying healthy & improving fitness as much as poss., but nothing that risks injury. Then, m/b get some matches in after the AO, & go hard during clay season w/ the hopes of peaking, winning, & retiring @ RG. I suppose that's sort of a repeat of this yr., but m/b he has a >er sense of what he needs to work on.
But I don't have the deep emotional attachment to him, so I'm wondering where y'all are at. I will say that = though I knew Roger was done winning Slams after '19 Wimbl., I was still bummed out when he announced his retirement. I'm not sure how I would've felt if he carried on in '21 & beyond like he was playing, though, which was pretty similar to Rafa's current level.***
***I don't understand these Masters tourns. scheduling any>. When it starts, when it ends, how long it lasts? Which day is the final? Which day is QF's? It's all scrambled up.***
ReplyDeleteThey're going thru a change! Two Masters events in Europe have already gone to 2 wks.! Canada & Cincy will follow suit > likely! The tennis schedule's so cramped as it is! As I said, I'm not sure how much I w/b watching in the coming yrs.! The game's already a ball-bashing fest! It's only gotten worse as these players are going "full out" crushing the ball during rallies that are interminable as sets routinely go over an hr.; not just w/ Nadal & Djokovic! The women are getting there! The players will continue brk'n down IMO w/ plenty of WD's occurring > frequently!
***Canada & Cincy are going 2 wks. starting next yr. In fact, Canada's sched. to start on July 28th. I think part of the prob. is that this is an Olympic yr., & the ATP/WTA didn't really have a plan around it. I hope they don't make the same mistake in '28. The Olympics are going to start on Fri., July 14, so they'll need to decide what's going to happen to Wimbl. (I mean, it prob. can't be held at it's normal slot that yr. for starters).***
Why's it American players can only make a short run t/b noticed, then can't win the simplest of matches vs a WC? Big fail on Taylor Fritz!
***Too many players in today's gen. (sans Sinner & Alcaraz) aren't built mentally tough, & are just unable to sustain great play for an extended per. of X.
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Nadal's 11-7 in slams vs Pushovic & 10-4 in slams vs Frauderer.
That's 21-11 total. Unbilibable, no?***
OMG, the desperation! I thought m/b I had gone back to the 1st page of the Thread it's such an antiquated take on what history w/b looking @ in the future! Was Djokovic "pushing" the ball vs Alcaraz in the Olympic final! I saw Carlos stretching for balls totally unreachable! Is that your idea of pushing the ball? Novak has a losing rec. vs Roddick and Vesley! SO? What else ya got? After snatching OG, I'd think the Rafa-fans'd pull back on "puffing out" their coll. chests trying to find "something" to compare & celebrate! It's getting embarrassing DON'TCHA THINK? Djokovic has all the recs. owned w/ #'s unsurpassable! The 8 YE #1's alone immortalizes him, but + on the 7 YEC's, 24 Majors, a double GM, a Nole-Slam, capped w/ an OGM, the debate's squashed, buried, & eviscerated!
***Rafa's 1 of the >est to ever play, as are Nole & Roger. I'm just happy I was there to watch, just like I was when it was Connors-Borg & McEnroe (m/b Ivan the Terr. too).
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Novak wins the race overall. It isn't only surface, but we can sort of simplify it this way:
Clay: Rafa, Novak, Roger
Grass: Roger, Novak, Rafa
Hards: Novak, Roger, Rafa
Now, while Rafa's 3rd in 2 of the surfaces, he makes up for it by being > further ahead in clay > the other 2 are on Grass & Hards.
Novak "wins the race" b/c he's 1 or 2 on all 3.***
Weak; very weak! Roger had an advantage early on fast HC! Later; esp. in '18 when Nole annihilated Roger in the Cincy final completing his 1st GM's! Djokovic also has X wins in Shanghai & Paris where the courts are lightning fast! The BIG 3 fans have got to give it up to Djokovic no matter the lame ex. displayed trying to equate them! He won the war of attrition; doing it systematically & balanced! He won 12 majors early & 12 majors late! He took 3 of 4 of them twice early & late in his career! He amazed me by taking 2 > YEC's, an 8th YE #1, then finally an OGM closing in on 40 yo! Roger was the KING of 250's in comparison! Novak won BIG events to lead the way while Nadal's only close due to his prowess on clay!
***Coco Gauff declined to do a press conf. today after her tough loss. ...There's warranted criticism & being overly critical. You're entitled to your opinion & I'm not stopping you from criticizing her. My perspective is diff. from yours b/c I think it's not a big deal.***
ReplyDeleteSome c/b down on a player who embarrasses their pick! Heaven knows Davenporte on TCC didn't think Putintseva did anything to worry Coco! After Djokr took OG w/ no one on his side, we should learn never t/b so bold as to dismiss another player; esp. if they hear about it!
***...This was a Tricky match for Gauff, who hasnt been playing well at all for awhile now. She committed 21 UFE in the 1st set of tennis vs Poots. She had a 4-2 advantage in the 3rd set & imploded? Coco had 51 UFE in 3 sets of tennis? ...Commentators need to do their homework on players. Of course Davenport forgot to mention that Poots has also had good wins vs Swiatek of late? Davenport needs to go back & do her homework on players B4 making Laughable Comments.***
Alcaraz upset by Monfils finishing up their match from last nite in Cincy! M/b this w/b a > conventional era w/ the top players truly vuln. to upset periodically! It was an anomaly the resilience of the Big 3 going 20+ yrs. at the top of the rankings trading the #1 ranking! I've already said it w/b routine for players to have success 1 wk., make or win a final, then go down in flames the following event! They might as well WD which we're seeing > often w/ the of the match, but later Fed complained about a bad ankle! Not sure if on "a shot," but back then, every loss of Fed had to have an explanation! Even I gave him cover concerning his rivalry w/ Nadal that wasn't as Rafa owned Roger "lock, stock, & barrel" from early on!: We tried to rationalize > of the wins were on clay when Roger was going down, = on nhis beloved grass to the "GOAT-in-waiting" after Sampras set Major's rec. @ 14 just 3 yrs. B4! I give Roger a lot of credit w/ a string of wins over Rafa late when they were on their "Fedal Redux" tour while Novak was wandering the desert in search of his game, his personal life, & a healed elbow!
***Fedal Redux Tour, haha. Love it. - Tbh, other > that '17 season when Fed bounced back, Rafa really owned him. Fed's '17 season however was special.
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Djoker practically killed himself to play in Wimby & took OG. Now he's got to take X off.***
WTF are you talking about? It's been no secret that Djokovic has drastically scaled back his schedule! He's pulling "a Nadal;" just taking X off from the tour as he's almost 40! He has all the recs. so why waste his X in smaller events like Fed picking up somewhat meaning< titles just to overtake Connors' 109! He's proved he doesn't need the extra work as he made a Wimbl. final, then won OG!
***LOL! When did 37 become 40? Novak turned 37 in May this yr. BTW, cant help yourself mentioning Nadal can you? lol! BTW, Novak hasn't won a title this yr. When did winning a OGM ct. as a title on the ATP tour?
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He's okay, just pacing himself. He was spotted in Dubrovnik, Croatia, a wk. ago, running shirt< in the streets on +35 degC in the mid'l of the Summer. People were like who's this maniac running around?...Oh wait, it's Novak Djokovic.
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He paid the price B4 when he overplayed in OG yrs. during the Summer. M/b he wants to do "< is >" this yr. He might come in rusty though, who knows. - I get that, but he did kill himself in recovery & rehab trying to get ready. A bit out of the ordinary for an old man. No doubt he w/b rusty, but we've seen him shake it off B4. I suspect he w/b fine un< he gets a draw from Lucifer.***
***The NFL's apparently thinking about an 18 game schedule. I disagree.
ReplyDeleteGive us NFL football each wkend for 18 or = 19 wks., but go back to 16 games & give each team 2 or 3 BYE wks. Football's better for everyone when players stay healthy. Too many games wrecks that. The BYE wks. help. Fans will watch NFL Football if their team's on BYE wk.***
That'd make too much sense! The Owners proved ages ago they don't care about the players; esp. the ones who use artificial turf which might as well be cement! They've changed the rules to protect QB's, but the rest of the players are quite vulnerble to injury; esp. making them play 2 extra games! Elim. those exh. jokes! The top players sit out anyway! What're we missing besides our $$ as the league rips off the consumer?
***18 or 20 games' fine. 17 games is confusing trying to keep track. Even #'s >er. Bye wks. + > confusion trying to figure out who's leading WC or Divs. & predict winners. A game's about 10 mins. of sprints over 3 hrs.? If they can’t handle that... For $2 M/ game? Come on! Use your full 80 man roster. Most of the clock ticks away on dead X. Kill pre-season completely. Get your own team ready. Quit coddling these animals. Play your 5 yrs. & get out; hurt or not. No one owes these steroid stuffed robots anything. When did the USA turn into a pile if pansies? Who wants to watch 40 yo. QB who has not won a playoff game get $60 M/ & lasts 4 > yrs.?
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It's actually quite violent & results in severe & not so severe injuries. The ability to take wks. off can heal an injury & prevent the injury from recurring over & over. Beaten up football players are highly prone to becoming addicted to pain killers, etc.
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Going after the QB & putting a hurting on him. ...Running QB's or ones who could run & "out of the pocket" guys was a tough road. I'm not knocking Mahomes. The sport's diff. in that it has eras.***
I've had a serious problem w/ defenses catterwalling about how the game's changed & how their hands have been tied! IMO, they brought it on themselves w/ their ROTTEN attitude of pretending to care about other players as they lit. try to put each other in a coma! I'm surprized a QB hasn't been killed on the field! I can still see some of them being lifted off the ground, then pile-drived into the turf! Thinking of Cunningham, I still wince thinking of the guy who lowered his head going right @ the knee of the QB! Football players are true a-holes & they're all FOS!
***They may have gone too far. Many X's I see a QB barely touched & lowered to the ground...yet it's call roughing. Basically you can't touch the QB un< he has the ball.
IDK how to say it, but they've turned it pretty much into a CLOCK game? If you can get the clock right at the end & you only need a FG. The other team's done for. KC would've lost a playoff game (or >) if not for just enuf X was left on the clock.
Not sure how I like it as it is now? Almost as-if, you let them score so you can hurry up & win it? They can all get 30-40 yds. & bomb a 50-60 yd. FG nowdays.
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Who's the > feared power hitter in MLB history? I say Bonds, then Aaron. Either one of those guys'd batflip a HR on an "excuse me" swing.***
No one got > respect > Barry Bonds! The man was "intent'ly walked" 100 X's in a season w/ another 100 throwing the ball "away" so he couldn't yank it out of the yard! People forget the ult. respect was observed in AZ. where Bonds was "I.W." w/ the bases loaded to get @ Jeff Kent who was the MVP that season! That hadn't happened in over 40+ yrs. @ the X! He had already made a name for himself & was an HOF cand. B4 being busted for P.E.
***Just came in to say that USA - Serbia, OG Semi's match in basketball yesterday was amazing. Huge respect to both sides & all players.***
ReplyDeleteThe US was on the verge of being upset in that Olympic SF game! They were quite lucky Serbia missed a few open shots near the end of the game! They dodged a bullet!
***It's not all luck. The Serbs looked gassed down the stretch. Stef & the old man finally took charge of the game instead of getting bossed.
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Yeah, they turned it around in about 30-40 sec. about the 2:30 mins left of the game. Serbia was +2 & tried 3-pt., but missed. After that they were down -5, B4 they = realized what happened. Curry was unbelievable. W/o him, not sure if USA would win. Pretty strong team they gathered this OG; LeBron, Curry, Durant, Embiid.***
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Unfortunately Rune's mentally fragile as any of the last gen. w/ Sascha, Stefanos, & Dom B4 serious injury/retiring! I keep saying it; "we've become so jaded w/ the longevity & elite level of play by the Big 3!" We'll prob. never see their "like" again! Carlos has the potential to do > things, but I see him going down way B4 Sampras' level! Like Nadal, he works too hard winning the simplest of pts., which in turn wears his body down! Sinner will have the same prob. already seen over the yrs.! The men are still worth watching though = w/ the game degenerating into mind< aggression from the baseline; NOTHING NEW really! The injuries, rets., & WD's will proliferate their tour draws needing > of the losers to hang around to fill them back up! "Lucky Losers" are actually performing >er making QF's & SF in Masters events! That's a bit sad! Tiafoe may've used up all his reserves overcoming Rune last nite! "Good luck Francis! You'll need it!"
***Sinner failed 2 drug tests. The words here to research are micro dosing...***
I haven't paid much attn. to this story as I think all players need an extra boost to play the game these days! I was a bit disappointed in Cahill making out Sinner's some kind of victim & his ordeal's finally over after all these months! Sounds about as plausible as Gasquet "deep kissing" some woman on COKE! It was in the cream rubbed in you say?
***Please go & read the full report, Sinner wasn't a bloody victim @ all. Again you come in w/ crap that you havent read the full report? I strongly suggest you read it B4 passing your pathetic statement!
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You truly believe that the physio rubbed physio cream onto a cut that made him fail 2 anabolic steroid tests. Cmon @CouchPotato !
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It's still preferential treatment. He m/b entirely innocent, but I'd've liked the same treatment provided to him as everyone else who was found w/ + results. It's not a good look for the sport to have the #1 player basically getting a pass = if one is warranted.
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Why is it Cahill players always being caught doping? Halep (Patrick M.) & now Sinner. Something's stinking here, the coincidence that 2 of his players in a span of 5 yrs. are caught doping. So his win in Australia has an asterisk.***
Other players from the past & present are not happy w/ the diff. in treatment! Others w/b suspended regardless if they're aware of a PED or not! Halep who was coached by Patrick Mouratoglou got ejected off the WTA for a 4 yr. ban! After an appeal by a sport's COURT, the penalty was reduced to 9 months which she had already served! Sinner's skating away, giving the system a raspberry!
***Cheers to USO starting! Rds. 2, 3 & 4 for Djokovic are IMO far, far harder > those of the other 2.***
Looks tough, but not sure Novak'll care! I hope he gets to 4th Rd. to have a rematch w/ Shelton! "Hang up the phone!" After OGM all else is inconsequential IMO! The top of the draw has quite a few dangerous players, but not sure how motivated Novak w/b to = get anywhere in NY to taking #25! I'd still take his draw as #2 seed over Jannik who has it tough up top as #1!
***When it comes to this failed drug test, whether you like Sinner or not is irrelevant (I shudder to think around here if Novak had been caught in the same sit). ...What boggles my mind was the short Xspan he was actually suspended while the investig. was expeditiously being done. @Front’s pt.'s well taken, the minute amt. of a banned substance in his system doesn't refute it chb exiting after a prolonged per. Sinner’s excuse is “plausible” only if you assume that the small amt. found was never ever > that amt. ever in his blood stream, which IMO is a hell of an assumption.***
ReplyDeleteThey w/b talking about this soap opera for a long X! I find it amazing most players say they "have no idea how this happened," then we go to this extreme case where the excuse was "a physio didn't wash his hands!" Wow, Novak w/b run out of the game! Some are so ready to accuse him w/ his efforts these last sev. yrs.!
***Djere played Novak very close the last X they met @ the USO. Not sure where Struff is right now or his chances in best of 5. Popyrin in round 3 w/b fun to watch. Shelton or Tiafoe in round 4? His match vs Shelton was pretty str.-fW last yr. Tiafoe gave him trouble in Oz back in '21.***
OCO; you know >er > that! The match w/ Djere was a Serbian Nat'l exh. choreographed by Novak! Laslo's his compatriot & teammate! He wasn't going to embarrass him & got his lone workout as the only 2 sets lost was in this match! Any exper. player can make a match look comp.! The scores alone'd show how Nole was in control wiping out a 2 set to LUV def. w/ b2b 6-1 sets B4 closing it out in 5, 6-3! LD prob. won't get past Struff!
***I like Djere & he’s prob. underperformed when you see his potential & what he’s actually achieved. I disagree w/ your op. that their match was choreographed. The guy stepped up to give his best vs a Nat'l hero. Good on him. ITA that Struff prob. w/b the victor in that 1st Rd. match.***
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Some actually think Djokovic manufactures injuries even though the world saw some idiot fan drop a thermos on Novak's head in Paris back in June creating an obvious concussion! Even w/ the horrendous scheduling by Mauresmo making him play well into the night, it all worked out in the end w/ that OGM last month! That's all I kept hearing about from the haters, "well Rafa has his OG & Novak doesn't!" NOW what? I advocate the abolishment of quite a few sports out of the Olympics, but since tennis is a part of it, oh well...!
***Even w/ the brilliance of Fedalovic, they still needed a lot of luck. ...It's overly simplistic to blame a playing style for injury. And it's also true that Nadal had to miss > Majors > Fedovic, while maintaining a >er win % at them > either of the other 2. He still maintained winning yrs. for longer @ the Majors.***
...Novak picked up another rec. this yr.; the only player w/ @ least 88 career match wins @ each major! If not for just 88 wins @ USO, the rec. w/b min. 96 singles wins! He skipped or went out early a few X's w/ injury or DQ over the yrs.! The USO has been a lot of players' Kryptonite; usually the FO'd come into play! Lucky Roger got 1 w/ upset of Nadal! Novak might cont. on past this season, but if I want t/b consistent, "NOVAK'd retire if he steals another USO over the newbie champs of Sinner & Alcaraz!" I think he has a bit left in him, but can't see the mot.! I guess he can push all the recs. he owns to #'s that may stand the test of X! Something signif. would have to change like going BO3 @ majors or Next Gen. scoring to save their bodies! Again, no one will have the longevity, stamina, & consistency of Fedalovic ever! Their bodies s/b examined later for bionic parts!
***It doesn't take me saying it to make Nadal relevant to this conversation. You old "hateh!"***
***Rafa has overall higher winning % @ Slams, but that's b/c of his dom. @ RG. He has a lower win % @ all 3 other Slams > Roger & Novak - and is overall 3rd best @ all 3.***
ReplyDeleteThis is why I've always tried to undermine the praise heaped on Rafa w/ such good #'s overall when > of his fame achieved was in Europe on clay! Subtract that dom. & he drops quite a bit since he woefully underachieved @ Wimbl. & the AO! Fed always w/b sorta above all other players w/ X streaks of 5 in trad.'ly the 2 top majors; Wimbl. & USO! He "got fat" off players not in his class until Rafa & Novak came along! He wound up having a losing rec. vs both of them so in "the books" he's in 3rd place, but those 2 streaks elevates him IMO! Djokovic helps his case being dom. @ 2 majors & "holding his own" in a 3rd! He really represented, being quite rec. driven as his career couldn't be > symmetrical winning 12 Majors early, then 12 late! Add on 4 seasons winning 3 of 4 Majors in a season; again 2 early, then 2 late! He has almost 100 titles w/ a 1/4 being major wins, elevated w/ 7 YEC's & an OGM! The rec. 40 Masters wins takes him to almost half of his other titles are Big! He isn't the MASTER of 250's & 500's like other so called ATG's! After all's said & done, esp. a century down the line, IDK how anyone can match Novak!
***Where we diverge is in you thinking that Rafa's asymmetry takes away from his >ness. I don't think it does; my bringing it up was to nitpick Moxie's stat (about win % @ Slams), but > so to pt. out the difficulty of comparing him "1 to 1" w/ the other 2.
I also think you sell him a bit short @ the AO & Wimbl. Yes, he only has 2 Slam titles on each, but that's still > all but a handful of players. And @ Wimbl. his prob. was similar to Roger's on clay: he played alongside 2 of the 3 >est Wimbl. champs of the OE (though tbf, Novak didn't get really good until Rafa's grass peak was ending). Also, like Roger on clay, his "grass peak" was rel. short. But it was a pretty fantastic peak, w/ 5 Wimbl. finals in a row (skipping over the missed '09) winning 2 of them.
His AO rec.'s interesting, but if you look @ his 4 finals' losses, it's understandable: he faced Novak twice on his best court, Stanimal, & Roger during his '17 resurgence. Not sure why he went out in the QF so often, though. Talk about asymmetry: 6 finals (2 won), just 1 SF, & 7 QFs.
Of course we still come back to the same place: Rafa was 3rd fiddle @ the AO, Wimbl., & the USO. But he was a pretty > 3rd fiddle, & his dom. @ RG was so extreme that it closes the gap.
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PS: While ITA that it's hard imagining any player ever =ling--let alone surpassing--the Big 3, you just never know, & young Carlos has me wondering. It's waaaay too soon to think (seriously) about that, but what he's doing @ his young age is astonishing.
For one, he's still @ a pt. where he'd end up being another Becker or Wilander...
2ndly, the vast majority of >s build up 90% or > of their big accomps. B4 turning 30. Connors won only 2 of his 8 Slams in his 30s, & he turned 30 during #7. Borg, McEnroe, Lendl, Wilander, Edberg, & Becker won all of their Slams B4 turning 30. Sampras won just 1 of 14 in his 30s, & = Agassi only won 2 of 8 in his 30s. Adding all 9 together, that's 75 Slam titles, only 4 or 5 won in their 30s (dep. upon how you ct. Jimmy's '82 USO). That's 93-95% of Slams won by ATGs btwn. the '74 & '03 AOs won B4 turning 30 yo, or < 7% in their 30s.
Once we get to the Big 3, Roger won 4 of 20 in his 30s (20% in 30s), Rafa 8 of 22 (36%), & Novak 12 of 24 (50%). Interestingly, each +ed 4 > the previous 1 - pushing longevity further back, though Novak (& m/b Rafa) isn't done yet. They're anomalies if you look @ >s from the prev. 30 yrs. B4 Roger's 1st Slam, but not if you look back further @ Rosewall, Laver, & some older guys from B4 the OE.
More > anything, we don't know how Alcaraz'll age, but presumably medicine will only get >er. And B4 he gets to his 30th BD, he has to win a ton of Slams. If he averages 1.5 a yr. from age 22-29, he'll've 16+ Slams by his 30th BD.***
***2001-04 were the yrs. Roger could've "gotten fat" off players not in his class, & he had 4 slams @ that pt., w/ '04 being his only dom. yr. in that stretch. Rafa came along in '05 (he won 11 titles that yr. & beat Roger @ the FO for his 1st slam). After that, Roger won 16 slams, which is 80% of his total slams & > what Pete won in his career. So, Roger did > of his winning when Rafa (& later Novak, yes Roger won 8 slams after Novak won his 1st) came along. If anyone got fat off players not in his class it was Lleyton Hewitt, who won the 2 slams early (in '01 & '02), & never won again.
ReplyDelete===
Anyhow, I'm reminded of Tomas Berdych, who also won a Masters @ a very young age (20), then no > Big Titles. Berdych actually became a >er player & a fixture in the Top 10 for almost a decade, winning a bunch of talented & w/o the wall of the Big 4, but I'm thinking is on a similar trajectory: he's fk'n around ...prob. there w/b some development lost.
I tend to think that 1 thing that separates the >s from the "almost-rans" is continual development early on, w/ no major stalls. If that doesn't happen, I don't think it's poss. to reclaim it later. So for me Rune's falling into FAA terr. after this 1st Rd. loss @ the USO. Both are very talented & "s/b" top 5 guys, but I think they're missing too > devel. @ a crucial X, so = if they take steps forward, they never w/b what they chb.***
Some players have t/b "zoning" to = get into the top 10! I tell you when I see players like FAA, Tiafoe, Fritz, Paul, & quite a few others; they can't sustain it! I hope Taylor didn't get a big head b/c he def. Nadal in IW's final 2 yrs. ago! On a gimpy leg, Nadal was able to come back & def. him on Wimbl. grass in 5 sets! That's the one Fritz should've won! In the old days a big serve kept you in the top 10, but that means nothing today! Acing their way into prominance isn't going to keep them there! There was only 1 way for them to go; DOWN! They'll all go thru intensive therapy, find new diets, & manifest getting back to the top of the ranks! It'll be sorta like Coric coming out of nowhere to win Cinci. 2 yrs. ago; def. Nadal along the way! He's done nothing since! All that talent & it means nothing when it comes to the elites of the game! To have any staying power, you not only need a weapon, you have to have super consistency, some variety to your game, avoid serious injury, & possess a lot of luck!
***I hear you. I recall that when Coric broke into the top 100, just B4 his 18th BD., he, along w/ Kyrgios became the new hopes of the tour. By that pt. ('14-15ish), it was clear that Lost Gen. was truly lost, & Thiem hadn't yet surged & we didn't yet know about Medvedev, Zverev, Tsitsipas, etc. But as we got to know Coric, it became clear that he lacked weapons or any skills that set him apart. He then coasted in the 30-50 range for a few yrs. & by the X he started rising in '18, he was already 21-22 & other, > talented, young players were showing up.
...Anyhow, Coric's sort of a throwback to the era (90s-early 00s) when 3rd tier types would win the occasional Masters. He never had that quality like a Tsonga, where if lightning striked he could win a Slam or 2. Or even a Ferrer, who was so consistently very good that in a diff. era would likely have won 2 RG titles. Think of guys like Pavel & Portas, or = Robredo, who snuck in Masters titles.***
***I did get it, but I responded to the spirit of the ??. Harris has delib.'ly chosen to call Trump "weird." It simplifies things, appeals to the young, while @ the same X mimicking Trump's vagueness. Put it out there & let Trump deal w/ it. It's a smart tactic. At the same X, Trump has decided to attack Harris' "blackness." At a meeting w/ Black journalists, no <. When you get audible gasps in a room, it's not going well.***
ReplyDeleteThe Dems & liberal networks have learned to play "childish" name-calling so "weird" has been used, overused, & run into the ground to club VP choice, Rep. J.D. Vance OTH!
***Dems have been trying the "when they go low, we go high" for yrs., & it doesn't work. Throwing mud sticks. "Weird" isn't = close to the kind of things that Reps. call Dems. But it's a start. Gloves off. Esp. if Trump's going to ?? Kamala's "blackness." She should ?? his Christianity in response. B/c his Christianity seems t/b performative & opportunistic. At least she's actually Black.
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It was "poor form" & stupid. It's also racist, & something he's also done to Nikki Haley. He's ??ing a person's authenticity, which he has also done to Barack Obama w/ the birth certif. crap. It's a distraction from policy. But contrary to your above, I don't just detest Trump, I don't want him t/b President b/c of his policies as well. I know what he was like as a President B4, & I don't want a repeat of it. On many levels, I know we basically agree on him on a personal level, but don't for a min. think that it colors my opinion on his pol. positions. That diminishes my own pol. astuteness. I know I don't want his MAGA coalition any closer to power than they already are. And there are just the basic core Rep. policies that I disagree w/. On this we differ, which's fine.
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Trump meeting was sched. for 1 hour w/ the NABJ. During the 1st 2 mins. Trump berated the moderators saying that they delayed him for 35 mins. b/c they were late (a stereotype). Trump was trying to deflect to make the NABJ look derelict which plays to his MAGA base. The mods didn't not take the bait & carry on w/ dumpster fire of his presence on stage.
Facts: The reason for the delay was due to Trump's insistence that the "Fact checking" device be turned off. Trump bitched about this 45 mins. prior, but the NABJ wouldn't bulge. This is why when he came on stage the mod. when direct to her ?? regarding the "elephant in the room" which most def. +ed fuel to Trump's child-like behavior. When the mod tried to inquire about Project 2025, the Trump team insisted that #45 had a hard stop @ that pt. in the disc. The major newspapers have verified this & it was announced on MSNBC., CNN, & the major news networks like ABC, CBS, & NBC > def. will follow up. The one mod. from FOX, Harris said that it was a hostile environ. Really? It was all due to the ">est of Liars;" #45
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Secret Service protection stopped for RFK, Jr. when he endorsed Trump. End gov't waste. Don’t protect people who aren’t actually running for office.***
The Secret Service has been stretched rather thin since the days of Obama! His "death threats" were quad.'d compared to other Presidents! It proved 1/2 the country wasn't ready for a Black man to lead the country! The SS were caught being > a lit'l incompetent; drunk & driving into posts outside the White House, allowing someone on Obama's elevator w/ him carrying a knife, & of course the > egregious, haggling w/ a hooker in Colombia as they were preparing for a visit by the President! Trump didn't help things later by having about 20 people & 3 residences to cover! All these people have enough $$ to cover their own expenses for security, but don't!
***Many Dems say ‘walls don’t work.’ They believe the Mex. border can’t be totally secure.***
ReplyDeleteIt's such a joke pretending to care about that border! If it was a serious issue, either the Dems or Rep. whd something already! Trump killed a bill that was compromised earlier this yr. so I just laugh when I hear about a WALL! Trump mentioned it a 1000 X's & said Mexico'd pay for it! We're all FOS & know we need those illegals to help w/ work we're too snobby, weak, & lazy to do like care for our own kids, pick veggies, & keep up the grounds/lawns!
***A border w/o a barrier is like a door w/o a lock.***
There are walls down there, but part of it is desert territory & water barriers! What else you want?
***Kamala was nom. unanimously by her party @ their convention. - Zero votes. Dimwingers disenfranchised 14 M voters, Simp.***
Done under the cover of darkness last month on cell phones & Zoom Calls! During the DNC, the ct. was just overlooked & drowned out by the performances that make Reps. PO'd! All they had was Hulk Hogen & Amber Rose!
***Haley told them to vote for Trump, which they did. Just like Biden released his delegates, telling them to vote for Harris, which they did.***
They enthusiastically gave up their votes to Harris! Biden was slowly deteriorating & a change had to happen if we wanted to save our Democracy! Even the "rightwingers" of the party are throwing their support behind her! Trump's own cabinet is running from him like the plague! He's damaged so many reps., even w/ this magnanomous gesture, people like AG Barr s/b maligned until he croaks!
***Rep. Liz Cheney blames FNC for Jan. 6th getting out of hand.***
I wish I could obsolve the woman, but I’m not ready to anoint her a saint after going along w/ Trump 93% of the X! After her life’s threatened “she’s seen the light!” I don’t think so! Being a Cheney she already had strikes against her! She’s been no Princess Laia to Darth Vader! I apprec. many Reps. going on rec. supporting Harris! She was such a bad candidate 4 yrs. ago, now she’s our savior! What a comeback! The only one that could've beaten her w/b Hillary after her being maligned to the hilt by those people on “the right!” There was no mercy, least of all a SOUL in that entire Party as they couldn’t do enough w/ facts! They had to make up $#!t like a child porn org. in the basement of a pizza parlor! Reps. c/b 'not too bright!'
***...Trump’s heroes, along w/ Hitler, Putin, & Hannibal Lecter!***
That’s Trump’s destiny; t/b as noteworthy as Hitler! He thinks himself on par w/ Wash'ton & Lincoln! They’ve already rated him “The Worst President!” That says a lot about the lack of intel. & common sense to tempt fate again w/ our Democracy! Hopefully Harris will pull us out of this apocalypse!
***I'll never forgive Mitch McConnell for kneecap'n Obama, stealing 2 SC appts., & pack'n the Court w/ rightwing fanatics; not to mention his complicity w/ Trump.***
Being in such an advanced age situation, his justice will come sooner > later! He has a very high price to pay IMO! The amt. of evil in this man is incalculable after what he did during Obama’s tenure as president! He gave > respect to Putin as Trump was Russia’s pawn! The man spent > of his X watching TV & playing golf! Funny how it was Trump among others who complained about Obama playing golf! They have NO SHAME & hope KARMA catches up to them all!
***What's the secret Mitch so desper. wants us to not see? He's sliding into dementia & may not remember his motivations.***
What does that say about the entire Rep. Party to have this state of affairs w/ a senile OLD man fronting for their heinous acts vs our democracy?
***That's something rarely mentioned. The egos of some of these female {WNBA} players are as big if not >er > some of the best male players. The jealousy these women have over somebody else getting attn. is mind boggling. They don't care about how the WNBA does as a whole. Their screeds are all "what about ME" whining. They s/b thankful Clark has boosted the popularity of their sport. But petty jealousy.***
ReplyDeleteSorry, but the WNBA's a total joke! I half-heard the other day, Reese was getting praise for rebounding the ball 20 X's in 3 cons. games! THEY LOST ALL 3! So what? I'm no fan, but the league's lucky to have Caitlin Clark as she's gotten the women > $$ & >er traveling accomm.! Hard to believe these women are behaving like all the others; jealous, envious, & hateful towards her! It's a damn shame that women hate each other so much! The comp. goes beyond sports w/ them; relationships, jobs, & of course w/ MEN! It's so sad & pathetic! This is why they lose or lack getting respect & prob. why Hillary Clinton lost the Presidency to a Caveman back in '16! Women did it to themselves! They're screwed for yrs. to come as this SC's making their lives hard to bear!
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***It's no wonder that pathetic league couldn't draw flies if the seats were covered w/ fresh cow shit. Women prove t/b just that; Women. They're petty, jealous, catty, & won't listen to anyone, all while being toooootally self unaware.***
The nails & hair situation is what women fall back on when it comes to their sport attracting fans! Look @ Gymnastics & fig. skating in the Olympics w/ the costuming & tons of makeup.
***If Europe has a women's basketball league, I w/b paying close attn.***
She'd prob. make > in Europe! The WNBA obviously don't know how well they have it! Beating up on Clark is truly "cutting off their noses to spite their faces!" Totally moronic broads!
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***Just came in to say that USA - Serbia, OG Semi's match in basketball yesterday was amazing. Huge respect to both sides & all players.***
The US was on the verge of being upset in that Olympic SF game! They were quite lucky Serbia missed a few open shots near the end of the game! They dodged a bullet!
***It's not all luck. The Serbs looked gassed down the stretch. Stef & the old man finally took charge of the game instead of getting bossed.
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Yeah, they turned it around in about 30-40 sec. about the 2:30 mins left of the game. Serbia was +2 & tried 3-pt., but missed. After that they were down -5, B4 they = realized what happened. Curry was unbelievable. W/o him, not sure if USA would win. Pretty strong team they gathered this OG; LeBron, Curry, Durant, Embiid.***
The US took OG over France in the final!
***Anyone here looking forward to the USO? ESPN & the USTA have ext'd their relationships w/ a new 12 yr. agreement that'll keep the USO w/ ESPN thru 2037.***
ReplyDeleteI've been > interested in the past! I miss the tour when Osaka & Barty were on top! Fedal's gone & Novak's on his last legs! After winnng OG last month, I'm not sure what will motiv. the guy @ 37 holding so many of the tour recs.! He's just extending them every X he goes out there! We'll see what he can muster as #2 seed behind Sinner! Jannik's gotta be feeling the heat & controversy he's overcoming w/ failed drug tests from March @ IW's!
***If I had to put $$ on it, I think Djokovic will retire after the last slam in '28, whether that be the USO (or FO if it's moved to Fall due to Wimbl. moved earlier to not interfere w/ the Olympics). Djokovic's adamant about defending his OGM. Plus, I think he wants to @ least pass Roger in match wins & titles (m/b go for Connors recs. in both), which are attainable if he plays 4 > yrs. If FO's the last slam in '28, I think it w/b fitting for Novak if he retired @ the place where he won Gold.***
The seeds are dropping like flies @ The USO on both the men & ladies' side of things! Some are quite surprising as they c/b coming into NY on a heater, winning an event, but doesn't seem to matter as it once did! Novak's extending his rec. of being the only player w/ 90+ match wins @ every major event! It's now @ 90 & ct.'n here in NY as he def. his countryman Djere who had to retire in the 3rd set last night!
***Alcaraz is down 2 sets to LOV &'s barely holding on vs Van de Zandschulp @ the USO, 2nd Rd.***
Wow, Carlos is making his life so difficult! He started out vs Von de Zand. "hot-dogging," running down balls unnecess, in the early stages of this match! After all those acrobatics, he still lost the 1st set 1-6! What an idiot! He throws up a short lob, then lit. runs closer to the baseline almost getting hit! This is the same person so concerned about his health, he cut his workout short the other day, but now he's trying to run all balls down like a gazelle! He very well may come back strong to take it in 5, but this is what I'm talking about w/ him! SomeX's you just need to concede a pt. & say "good shot!" He's going to run himself out of the game early! I know I said the same about Nadal, but the ball's traveling a lot faster these days!
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Again; where's the swag? Carlos' totally subdued so far dropping his serve yet again in the 3rd set! UPSET? I guess we shouldn't be surprised! The same thing happened last yr. after winning Wimbl.! He didn't win another event & was a shell of himself barely getting to YEC SF! UPDATE: He's gone! Couldn't happen to a nicer guy so full of drama playing these matches!
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Djokovic has dropped to #4 in the World on the LIVE Rankings after drop'n his 3rd Rd. match to Popyrin! Nole'd FALL further depending on what Med or Rublev can do while in! That also means The Tennis Olym. stand of Djokr, Alcaraz, & Musetti are all out by Rd. 3! There's been a blood-bath since Day 1!
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Unbelievable; 3 Aussies in the 4th Rd.! Prob. been longer > the US who's been scratchin' for any kind of success, notw/standing the efforts of Taylor, Tiafoe, Korda, Shelton, McDonald, & Paul! The GOLDEN AGE is well behind us when > countries'd covet our A, B, & C DC teams w/ Sampras, Agassi, Chang, & Courier leading the way! I'm still sorta interested in this USO - w/o Novak in the draw!
***Fed ??'s process in 'tricky' Sinner case. He thinks Jannik Sinner's doping case raises ??'s about whether the men's world #1 shb allowed to cont. competing until he was absolved of intentionally using an anabolic steroid he tested + for twice in March.***
ReplyDeleteWeigh in? This was a huge deflection which Fed's admirers will call being "diplomatic!" It's > like a "wimp in" > anything! Typical Fed!
***I hear ya, but Methuselah's sooo corp. speak = 2+ yrs. into retirement that = ??'ing the protocol as he did here is the =alent of blockading the str. of Paris.
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...Pistol Pete is always in the convo., esp. if talking fast grass & HC's. He had an iron will & feared no one.***
True enuf! Thru his tenure @ the top, Pete was 2nd to none, = w/o playing in a FO final! At his best, he'd only make 2 good runs in Paris B4 the eventual champ. took him out in the QF & SF resp.! Even Agassi embarrassed him in an early Rd. of RG! It was a diff. story on faster courts where he excelled; esp. indoors & on grass! He still had some "Kryptonite" players that beat him on his fave surfaces; 1 being Richard Krajicek who stopped his Wimbl. runs right down the mid'l by upsetting Pete in the '96 QF! Krajicek caught him on HC's as well, but overall, Pete was the man w/ nerves of steel! Fed doesn't come close IMO!
***Fiero talking BS again. Fed's better > Sampras....put simply.
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What I fail to understand is why Sinner choose to work w/ the man who appareantly gave him the drug right up til he was cleared (6 months)? And THEN he fired him?***
In criminal parlance, the term > familiar w/b "taking the rap!" M/b he was paid quite handsomely to keep his mouth shut!
***Taylor has gotten so much >er. Sascha's going to have to take it up a few > levels or Zed's USO's Dead today.***
Any & all players have bursts of bril.! Fritz = did it 2 yrs. ago winning IW over Nadal! At Wimbl., he came back to Earth = though Nadal was injured! It's wishful thinking Taylor will cont. some kind of grand ascent! IMO, Sinner's doing it all w/ mirrors as well since it's > about his defense; lit'l > adequate off. weapons! He'll cont. having trouble dealing w/ "old man" Nole who does it just a lit'l >er w/ >er consistency! If Djokovic gets some rest & motivation to have a finishing kick this FALL, he might excel again @ the YEC! He'd embarrass everyone like he did last yr.! As for Sascha, he just makes his job harder by being care>, allowing someone like Fritz to take him to the limit! He's #2 in the world for a reason while Taylor's scratchin' to get back into the top 10!
***Sinner gets it done in 4 over Med.***
I thought it'd go longer! Oh well! Interesting SF; the lone top seed going against a dangerous "also-ran" while the States snuck in 2 Americans to make sure NFL Sunday leads into a USO w/ a citizen in the final after all these yrs.! Who'd've thunk Roddick was the last to do us proud B4 Europe took over the Men's Tour! Daniil was not @ the top of his game! IMO, he's still one of the craftiest players out there, shocking us all w/ his court speed & winners out of nowhere!
***I think Fritz/Draper chb a comp. match had he not been ill. Sinner may still be the fave, but he hasn't looked imposing in any match, unless I'm wrong.
I just surfed by a few X's @ crucial X's close to end of the 1st set! I didn't see that he had been sick! I feel for him! It's the worst when in a tourn., the heat's beating you down, & something's going on in your guts! I've only won 2 or 3 of those, but only b/c I knew to attack & cut pts. short! Better players will know & just keep you running! Draper did himself proud!
***...The Assoc. Press says that WADA & Nado Italia, the Italian anti-doping body, have just a couple of days left to appeal it, so we should know soon.***
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, the Ialian A-D body will get right on that! Don't make me laugh!
***There's definit. some bias whether it's sex, #1 player, or Italian. I can't say def., but something about this whole process stinks.
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After Sinner def. Fritz in str. sets, he has #1 all but locked up; almost 3000 pts. ahead. He could coast w/ mod. results & still win it.
For remaining tourns., there are 2 Masters, the YEC, 4 ATP 500s & 7 ATP 250s. Remaining tourn. "slots:"
...Sept. 30th (1000): Masters (Shanghai)
...Oct. 28th (1000): Masters (Paris)
Nov. 4th (250): 2 ATP 250s (Belgrade, Metz)
Nov. 11th (1500): ATP Finals
That's 5250 poss. pts. Zverev's 2885 & Alcaraz 2990 pts. behind, so they have to surpass Sinner by about 3,000 pts. thru the rest of the yr. to win the #1 ranking crown. A tall order.
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...For the foreseeable future, the Slams look like Sincaraz's to lose. Surprises can & (eventually) will happen. M/b 1's hurt & the other gets upset, & someone else takes home a title. But there's a real poss. that we're @ the beginning of an era not that diff. > Fedal in '05-10. After Safin won the '05 AO, Fedal won the next 10 Slams, 17 of 18, & 21 of 23 (thru'10). I'm not sure Sincaraz w/b that dom., but right now it doesn't seem impossible, m/b not = unlikely. But it's hard to access the younger guys - the Mensiks & Fonsecas. We're in a Sincaraz era, w/ really only Novak being a serious contender--& m/b Medvedev, though I'm not sure he can beat the Big 2 any> on the big stage.
The next Slam's 4 months away, so let's see how the rest of the yr. plays out. Still X for players to take a step forward or brk. thru. Of esp. importance is Novak, who is hard to place, though in terms of Slam chances next yr. he'd still be my #3. But after him, Zverev & Medvedev still lead the pack, but it isn't signif. ahead of a 1/2 dozen other guys. But again, some moving parts B4 I'm ready to predict the AO beyond Sinner/Alcaraz/Djokovic being the top 3.
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I'm not sure if Novak w/b able to fight w/ Sinner & Alcaraz in BO5 going forward. My feel is that Sinner & Alcaraz's game has become too fast & too physical for aging Novak. Next AO will tell a lot, but I think he might fare >er in BO3 currently. He did win OG in that format.
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There's no debating the GOAT. There c/b only one choice, & that's Novak Djokovic. He has far & away > “Big Titles” > any other player (72 compared to Rafa’s 59 & Roger’s 54), wks. @ #1 (428, compared to Roger’s 310 & Sampras’ 287), YE @ #1 (8, to Sampras’ 6 & Fedal's 5) & wins over top 5 & top 10 opps., > any other male player in history. It's not just the # of titles, but the incredible balance. He's the only man to have completed the CGS 3 X's. Laver, Emerson, & Nadal each completed the CS twice, but Novak completed it 3 X's. He's the only man to have won all 9 Masters 1000 events. Agassi, Fed, & Nadal have won 7 of 9. Not only is he the only man to have won all 9, but he has won each of those 9 X X's. He has the rec. for the # of majors w/ 24 (Rafa 2nd w/ 22 & Roger 3rd w/ 20), the rec. for the number of ATP Tour Finals with 7 (Roger is second with 6 and Lendl and Sampras are tied for third with 5), and the record for the number of Masters 1000 w/ 40 (Nadal's 2nd w/ 36 & Roger's 3rd w/ 28). And now, OG, the last of the “Big Titles” that he hadn’t won.
Then there's one based on feelings (subj.). For those who ascribe to this argument, there's always going t/b a debate. Laver? Borg? Sampras? Fed? Nadal? Djokovic? Each of those legends makes a compelling case, but since all subjective arguments c/b contested, there's no way to estab. a clear cut GOAT.***
***Tyreek Hill detained by police. Who's in the right? Who's in the the wrong? - You s/b able to cuss out cops w/o getting rough'd up.***
ReplyDeleteTrue enough, I've seen videos where someone cussed the cops out! You can get away w/ that when you have well trained & reasonable cops! If you get an a-hole, expect him/her to feel disrespected & will act accordingly! It's best just to keep your mouth shut, ask what the problem is, then comply to their orders; esp. if speeding like that! Tyreek fk'd up just by leaving KC! He made out financially, but he lost out on 2 SB's! What an idiot! He chb immortalized like Montana/Rice! Instead, he makes a few extra bucks & gets accolades about his speed & catches when he's elim. in the playoffs yr. in & yr. out!
***I thought it was reported that he was doing 60 mph in a 40 mph zone.***
Regardless, this didn't need to go to such an extreme! Tyreek was being a common POS & thought his celebrity could afford him being disrespectful to these cops! I hardly condone such behavior from either side, but it def. chb avoided! As far as I'm concerned, he shouldn't have = been in that freakin' State! Why'd he leave KC & Mahomes just for a lit'l extra $$! IMO it just wasn't worth it; esp. losing out on the last 2 SB's! What an idiot!
***KC weather, night life vs Miami's night life, weather & women, is it really a choice? Who really cares about another Chp. @ this pt. in his young career is his mentality. The man had 4 kids w/ 4 diff. women last yr. while married. IK what any of this has to do w/ Tyreek driving 60 mph in a 40 mph zone to get slammed to the concrete regardless of attitude. Yet, the need to teach the cocky athlete to obey the law & directions of the police officers took precedence.
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Tua gets ANOTHER concussion - The problem is that it gets worse w/ each concussion.***
Tua ran into that concussion > getting hit! The collision wasn't that impactful! Tua's brain has j/b scrabbled too often to take any kind of hit! He should've retired earlier! His mom called it!
***"4 & 16" & the Bengals get called for PI. KC kicks winning FG as X expires.***
This team w/ Burrows for the > part has KC's #, except when it cts.! Cincy's the same team that was leading KC in the Playoffs 2 seasons ago! What was it 13 sec. left after Cincy KO to KC? They gave Mahomes 15 yds. w/ a "Pers. Foul" hit "waaayyy" out of bounds! I understand him frustrating defenses & they want to pay him back, but it always end up sabotaging themselves! Idiots!
***KC has won the last 3 X's they've played. Cincy prob. plays them the closest, but everyone's riding the "Cincy beat KC in the PO's" from 3-4 yrs. ago. KC has won 2 SB's since then. Cincy hasn't beaten KC since early Dec of '22. - Cincy had an early ascent, but X'll tell if they can return from the injury plagued seasons they had the last 2 yrs.***
W/O = chk'n, KC has cut their own throats w/ T/O's; esp. wild INT's from Mahomes! The receivers are catching the ball unlike last yr., but the offense still isn't stretchin' defenses; hence Cincy being able to keep it close rep.'dly! KC can't afford to allow that to happen too often going for a 3-peat! The aura's still there w/ them somehow coming back "from the dead" to win yet again w/ a long FG! I hope the Kicker's getting a nice salary!
***Well, they’ve beaten Cincy the last 3 X's, won 2 SBs in a row & are the betting faves to win a 3rd. So…
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I was amazed how well Rodgers moved out of the pocket & threw lasers on the run. I gotta root for the old guy, esp. after that disaster last yr.***
Looking at the Jets/Pats game now on You Tube! Looks like the Rodgers of old! Too bad he's a jerk!
***Few players have made the job of QB look as easy as he does. And yes; it’s too bad he’s a jerk.***