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What's Up? Topic #25; entries 3/18 - 9/18
Anything can be posted here! We'll talk about politics, sports (football, basketball, figure skating & tennis), Movies, & TV! Posts framed w/ "***" are from other contributors! - - - ( - Closed - 100 posts - )
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***As Trump trashes NAFTA, Mexico turns to Brazilian corn***
ReplyDeleteTrump's so lame, he doesn't know this was a Rep. initiative which was part of the Reagan campaign that Clinton went along w/ and Obama continued! B/c it was going on during Dem. Admin., he's ready to cut off his nose to spite his bloated face thinking he's hurting Barack! He's such a tool & I feel sorry for the kids that have to survive this mess called a presidency!
***...That begs a ?? then: is Mueller going to go after Comey for his untimely release of info on HIllary's emails?***
If there's any justice! So many have forgotten his totally unprofessional behavior before the election having press conferences concerning investigations that were opened then closed w/i days! Most everyone has seen him as some victim who's exposed Trump when he's more than likely very responsible for him being in office in the 1st place! Comey's no noble soul deserving of sainthood!
***Mueller was given a specific mandate. As w/ Ken Starr & others, when that mandate's thrown aside to go off on tangents, it violates the mandate & becomes a witch hunt.***
Starr definitely was on a witch hunt, but he went that extra mile of leaking stuff throughout as well as holding press conferences like he was entitled to act like some kind of KING w/ all of us his subjects while he's held court! He'll burn eventually just like all the rest who lost their fk'n minds going after the Clintons! Attacking their charity (CGI) that had saved millions of lives shows Reps have truly lost their way; esp. since they've allowed Trump & his criminal family carte blanche to do pretty much anything they've wanted w/ no oversight!
***Sam Nunberg wants to tear up Mueller subpoena...REALLY! - Trump will now get to see what happens when you defy a special counsel grand jury subpoena.***
Hard to believe anyone could possibly be that loyal as to go to jail for Trump! He wouldn't do it for his own children! Surfing by Fox News, they're going over an Oscar recap when all this big news is going on! It's hilarious how much they're in denial; totally look like fools doing it too!
***Mueller's doing a real good Ken Starr type investigation & much like Starr’s I suspect by the X it's wrapped up, the only people left who will care w/b the most rabid of partisans.***
Well we're closer than you think if this fool Nunberg's openly being uncooperative w/ Mueller!
***We've been hearing that for over a yr. now; forgive me if I’m skeptical.***
Trump & his attorneys have been saying for almost a year the investigation will end soon; Thxg, Xmas, then NY's!
***You know why that is don’t you? They feel they needed to pacify the unhinged one. He’s now finding out he was lied to.
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I've lost track of how many X's I've heard the media & left claim every leaked & overhyped piece of info was going t/b the end of the Trump Presidency.***
It shb; esp. w/ the rampant nepotism going on! If Bill had brought Chelsea into the WH, you animals w/b snarling & have articles of impeachment so fast our heads would spin! What a bunch of hypocrites w/ Reps turning a blind eye to all the nefarious goings on happening right under their noses!
***The porn star Trump was fk'n is the one suing him. She's going to court to invalidate their NDA since he never signed it.***
ReplyDeleteThe same man who said he's such a germ-a-phobe, he's raw-dogging w/ a porn star! Unbelievable! Anything this man says appears t/b a lie so check the sky if he says it's blue!
***Drumpf's a pathological liar. It's one of his many mental disorders. A pathological liar's a whole nother level than your regular liar.
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The solution to America's political problems is more unemployed politicians.***
I would say they should go back to the old days where things were done in 2 or 3 months in a yr., but w/ all the damage done today, they aren't = doing that much work in the best of X's w/ all their nonsense!
***The youth: Is 18 too young to buy a gun?***
Only in this retched country can there be such hypocritical double standard where we can send kids into war, have the right to buy a gun, & be responsible for serious crimes, but @ the same X, they're not mature enough to drink or buy cigarettes!
***What does "be responsible for serious crimes" mean in your list?***
Kids can get life or the death penalty in this country for kidnapping, carjacking, or murder!
***Good. But committing crimes & violating the rights of other citizens is a diff. subject. We're talking about the rights, privileges & responsibilities of every citizen; not citizens who chose to infringe on the rights of others.***
Which makes lit'l to no sense when it's a victim< crime like drug dealing making it more a problem trying to restrict use! Make it legal like drinking & moderate it's use! ...Anything dealing w/ kids is the only crime I have no sympathy for the perpetrator! I don't want to hear "I couldn't help myself!"
***Never going to happen. Heroin will never be legal; ever. More people die due to drugs than anything else.***
For one thing cigarettes & alcohol kill more people! Stats show in other countries that drug use actually went down when they were legalized! My fave country is The Netherlands, & Amsterdam in particular that allowed people to make their own decisions to use or not to use; overdoses went drastically down due to legalization!
***I get that. What I don't get is how that relates to the rest of the list. Is he arguing that you shouldn't be charged as an adult until you are 18? That w/b insane. - = 16 yo's c/b charged as an adult. And we're having epidemics of ODs while they're illegal. How's that working for you?***
That's why I call them kids! Some states think nothing of trying them as adults when they're far from it; = if as evil as FK!
***Kids seem to have regressed in the last 20 yrs. Perhaps no guns, voting or booze until 21. I might make an exception for a young person w/ a job & a home under 21.***
The way I see it, you can't make kids more responsible than past gens since they've become more dependent & are staying in the home for extended periods until almost 30! How do we make them responsible for much of anything that's a victim< crime?
***Put them out on their asses so they have to work. Fixed!
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I'm still trying to figure out if Trump has any accomplishments at all.***
The presidency's been on auto-pilot since taking office! It's hilarious how Trump said he "inherited a mess" which only proves what good shape Obama left the country in to begin w/! He's the one that inherited a mess w/ high unemployment, the stock market crash, & 2 wars being waged started by "W!" What a joke Reps have perpetrated when they couldn't pass the simplest of bills, only getting their act together @ the end of last yr. passing that ridiculous tax bill that inflated the deficit & mainly helped the rich including Trump himself! I guess you can say Trump accomplished ripping off the country w/ the sleazy help of a Rep. Congress!
***...I do sympathize w/ the Rich family. They know that Fox used their son's death for cheap political purposes. They want revenge on Hannity & the other Fox scumbags for doing so. Unfortunately, the law can't offer them any relief.***
ReplyDeleteI'd say make an ex. of FNC, but since those A-holes have no shame, it really wouldn't matter to them t/b embarrassed by their rachid tactics in the news! ...but the Rich family have begged them to stop! Total morons over there!
***Two media orgs closely aligned being sued. Infowars is getting nailed also. Couldn't happen to two nicer groups.
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Obama proposed a stimulus package; so did Reps. Obama proposed a healthcare plan; so did Reps.***
You can't fight it; some will just believe & think a certain way no matter the true circumstances! It's pathetic, but there's evidence of this widespread delusionary attitude that's rampantly going on; esp. in the SOUTH!
***Too funny. Everything's assbackwards & paradoxical w/ rightwingnuts. So Mr. Steele attempts to "transform" the "faux oppression" of liberal & blacks politics into the "real oppression" of cons. whites. It's an attempt to make a real silk purse out of a faux sow's ear.
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Perhaps of interest to those who have not been following NAFTA negotiations closely: the Canadian gov't has had a full team on this since before Trump = won the nom. ...all working w/ their counterparts in Wash'ton as well as state gov'ts & US business groups, & of course the Mex. gov't & other contacts there.
It's also bipartisan - people from all parties are working on this. But apparently Trump thinks it's btw him & Trudeau, & b/c he's done zero research on it, he assumes no one else has either. ...The problem is that Trump doesn't seem to realize Trudeau knew he was lying & so it wasn't a successful bluff. ...But that didn't happen so it just makes him look like a fool.***
No matter what Trump says; it all makes him look like a fool since he doesn't have a clue of what he's talking about! I wish I knew why people use euphemisms when it comes to the voracity of this man? He's a pathological & sociopathic liar who embellishes = when it isn't nec.; just can't help himself! He almost intimidates others to lie so anyone in his orbit automatically become pathetic liars as well; = Kelly who's the biggest embarrassment! I guess if they keep repeating the same lies as their fear< leader in DC, it has t/b true; @ least inside their empty heads!
***Trump doesn’t care what Trudeau thinks. He gets a kick out of lying w/ impunity, so he bragged about it. When he talked about it in a speech he was showing off. Trump knows he can do whatever he wants, regard< of what Canada says or does. He’s not negotiating, he’s having a good X @ Canada’s expense.
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There are few - and Obama isn't one of them - who could come anywhere near 'Grabem' on the lying scale. Maybe a few evangelical preachers, used car salesmen or husbands coming home @ 4:30 a.m. after "working late @ the office," but nobody you'd take seriously. And = then most of them aren't as stupid as Grabem. Here he is gleefully bragging about how he's lied to a guy w/ whom he's trying to negotiate an agreement - an agreement, in fact, that will affect millions of American lives if he blows it which he is perilously close to doing.***
Why would anyone expect him to change? He's been like this his entire pathetic life; going bankrupt sev. X's while blowing any advantage he had in business! I have lit'l sympathy for any of us since he hasn't hid how divisive, ignorant, & an overall sleazebag since well before he ran for office! No one s/b surprised & most who do support him think he's doing a great job; just giving him a few mulligans on the "Grabem" scale!
***I want the 60 vote threshold gone. It's ridiculous. Yes, it means the Reps might get stuff done that I don't like, but it also means if the Dems can get their shit together & win elections in the future, we can avoid more gridlock.***
ReplyDeleteThey'll just find more ways to accomplish the same goal! Look @ what they did w/ Obama who was just 1 vote short of 60 when Kennedy died! McConnell, w/ no shame, went about his business of obstructing any & everything to the detriment of the country; = threatening the credit rating we covet so much! Compromise is a dirty word in his lexicon!
***It doesn't just mean that Reps pass bills we don't like. It would weaken the system of chks & balances as it abolishes the need for any & all bipartisanship. And it would currently hand over all power to one party. In a 2-party system, you can't have a system that could potentially give one party close to absolute power if you want to preserve Democracy.***
That's already been put @ risk w/ how the Reps have sanctioned every scummy thing Trump has done during his admin.! They've allowed him carte blanche, have quashed investigations, & now turned their ire on the Justice Dept. who've had the nerve to ?? his actions! This country's doomed since there's a new normal that's so embarrassing!
***Yes, & the abolishment of the 60-vote-threshold would make it = easier for them. - For some reason, I was thinking it was a new rule, but I just looked it up & it's not. So I understand why it's in place, but I just think so much gets bogged down. And remember, the Reps couldn't = get Obamacare repealed & it only needed 50 votes.***
It's b/c they're incompetent idiots who've never been able to count votes! Remember when they got the HOUSE back in '11; their 1st 3 votes went down in flames! They have a serious problem trying to run things; hence the mess we're in now w/ Trump!
***Reps only felt they had to disagree w/ IA b/c they feel they need to support Trump! If they just impeached & removed him they wouldn’t have any problems anymore.***
The problem w/b "the base" w/b incensed! Those losers actually think Trump's doing a good job shaking the very foundations of protocol, Federal red tape, & expectations! All the rules have been cast aside allowing him to ride rough shot over all of them! They're scared shit<s since all the forecast show they're in trouble regard< of what they do! The local election results have gone totally against them, but if they were to = criticize Trump, they feel they'd lose = more support!
***Well they should make a decision! Stop complaining to the press about what they do to protect Trump & his behavior or just stop protecting him by impeaching & removing him! This system they have of complaining to the press about him is annoying the base too! - Here’s hoping that Mr. McCabe walks out of the FBI office right into Mr. Mueller’s office.***
That's one reason he was fired; McCabe already labeled a whistleblower when he backed Comey's testimony on Trump trying to quash Flynn investigation! Funny how all these Reps are being thrown out j/b they aren't kissing Trump's ass! These are career pols & workers who're being cast aside; not sure how they'll recover!
***How does he keep getting away w/ this? Getting rid of everybody who is investigating you has t/b the definition of obstruction. It just makes him look more guilty. What IS he so afraid of?***
Hilarious how Trump paraded Bill Clinton's detractors @ Hillary's debate, but he has more complaints against him w/ unwanted touching, rape, & paying for it w/ Stormy! Just goes to show his hypocrisy has no bounds! Anything he pts out, more than likely he's = more culpable for the same offense! He thought Hillary w/b under investigation from day one; guess who's in the crosshairs now? Idiot!
***...Trump has a nasty habit of accusing people of something he's guilty of. Like if he says it 1st, you can't say it back about him. What a MO-RON!! Now that Stormy and, what, 6 other women are accusing him, I wonder what those 15 or so women he sexually harrassed are thinking. ...Maybe they should have waited til the Stormy Daniels thing was taken care of.
ReplyDelete---
A talk worth listening to by David Frum:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP6rCBkVpr4 -
"We're living in the most dangerous challenge to the US that anyone alive has ever encountered. The country's institutions are in real trouble, but I want to make clear what the trouble is and what the trouble is not. Trump's not the heart attack of democracy, he is the gum disease. You can die from gum disease, but it doesn't happen instantly, and it only happens if it's allowed to fester...
All of the books that are out about Trump s/b read. There's something t/b learned from all of them. I was fascinated by the Michael Wolff book (Fire & Fury: Inside the Trump WH), but he gets one important thing wrong, not just as an error of fact but as a real error in judgment & it's dangerous. And that's the presentation of Trump as an imbecilic dotard. That's a big mistake & a really ominous mistake. Yes for all of the parts of the job that the president is supposed to do Trump is very disengaged, but for the things the president is not supposed to do, he's very wily & energetic & he has the most ferocious will to power of any president, certainly in my adult lifeX. And so people go up against him thinking b/c they know more or understand bureaucracy >er that they will win & they discover that he's just got a desire for dominance that imposes itself on weaker spirits."
...David Brooks' thoughtful, reflective approach seeks to inspire young people on a personal level in their own lives and as a call to group action. He suggests acting out of love rather than out of hate & retribution.The Q&A session @ the end is worth listening:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URSERvgLDGY -
...It's so mind-boggling & absolutely frightening the ridiculous stuff talking heads & tv news pundits are mouthing these days about the person who's president. He m/b soothed & stroked, or else "You're Fired!"
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3Q3RT1h064 -
...McCabe himself is a lifelong Rep. Trump gleefully & maliciously tweeted that it was '90 days til McCabe's retirement.' Trump knew all along he was going to continue humiliating McCabe & then ensure he got him fired just before his retirement day so that McCabe w/b deprived of his pension after 20 yrs of service. Trump's using McCabe as a convenient scapegoat obviously, as well as for the reasons McCabe outlined (his knowledge as a witness surrounding the firing of Comey). One of the things Trump holds against McCabe is the fact that his wife received $$ for her campaign from a Clinton friend, Terry McAuliffe, who was Gov. of VA! In fact, Trump donated political campaign $$ to the Clintons back in the 1980s, so why the heck doesn't he fire his own fat ass?***
Hypocrisy!
***McCabe is also said to have documented his meetings w/ Trump.
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/fired-fbi-official-andrew-mccabe-kept-memos-of-his-interactions-with-trump-a-person-familiar-with-the-case-says/2018/03/17/8ef5bb0e-2a07-11e8-bc72-077aa4dab9ef_story.html?utm_term=.98fc9b02785c -***
Everyone has to since the whole world knows Trump will lie as soon as the meeting's over! It's quite pathetic that this man's word means lit'l to nothing!
After Trump is removed; there won't be any redeeming commentary no matter how long we wait after all this BS! The man w/b forever thought of as the most corrupt in all of US history!
ReplyDelete***Well, firing McCabe can't keep him from testifying again.***
That's why Trump is so insulting; so later he can say "they have something against me due to a firing or an insult of their character!"
***Some get bent out of shape when police officers are suspended w/ pay & benefits while they're being invest. for wrong-doing. McCabe was found to have engaged in wrong-doing & some are PO'd b/c he was fired w/o receiving his pension.***
That's hilarious coming from Sessions saying "McCabe wasn't as forthcoming" when he failed the same test brought before a Senate committee! Have we ever heard so many "I don't recall" from such a person in the highest position in Justice? Sessions will burn eventually; on Earth by Trump & Satan after his crooked ass keels over!
***Indeed. Using the same "reasoning" the Trump apologists are using to "defend" screwing McCabe out of his hard earned pension, Sessions s/b fired as well, immed., & no pension for him, not = the one he presumably earned during his tenure in the Senate.***
How long will responsible Reps allow this kind of juvenile behavior to go on unchecked? The handful of Reps I had some kind of respect for have done a 180 finding Trump a threat 2 yrs ago; now one of the best presidents in memory! Something's wrong w/ L. Graham, Hatch, & Grassley! McCain has always vacillated btw being a hero & a Rep hack so I'm over him! ...All this to protect TRUMP? It just makes no sense to turn one's character to allow everything to "go under" due to one man who's as sleazy as they come!
***Responsible Reps, @ least the ones w/ balls are "never Trump." The rest are pussies too scared of loud rednecks & their guns to speak up. - It's rather amusing since I've been getting lambasted on /r/liberal for saying McCabe shouldn't be regarded as a hero.***
None of them are heroes if you remember their past! Comey & McCabe were right in the middle of investigating Hillary days before the election! They contributed to Trump being in this position to hose them over as much as he likes!
***It started from Trump firing Comey improperly. Trump's actions led to it. He should stop tweeting.***
Even though being investigated before he won the presidency, Trump really got the ball rolling against him when he accused Obama of bugging Trump Tower! That got Justice involved the 1st month of the Admin.! He never backed off; = after the investigation found NOTHING! He rationalized since Manafort was being investigated & probably bugged, that proved his pt. which is total BS! Manafort, Flynn, Gates, & all the rest who are under indictment or have already accepted plea deals are mostly a result of Trump's big mouth!
***Before Trump fired Comey, these Dems wanted him out:
- http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/opinion/the-conversation/sd-before-trump-fired-fbi-director-james-comey-democrats-wanted-his-dismissal-20170510-story.html -***
Trump very well could have fired Comey for j/c early on due to how he treated the Clinton invest.; just days before the election! He was kept on & obviously approached by Trump to drop the Flynn case! That snowballed out of control when Comey went on the offensive to keep his distance & expose the collusion of Trump! Sessions is recused due to his lying about meetings w/ Russians so Rosenstein does the honorable thing hiring a special counsel! Trump continues acting as guilty as sin by attacking all concerned in Tweets & on TV; making his entire admin. nervous since he's so out of control! It's only gotten worse w/ his delusion of being persecuted unfairly when he's fought the investigation from day one!
***Some Congressman offered McCabe a job so he w/b able to receive his pension.***
ReplyDeleteStill working the system I see! I'd have more sympathy for the guy if he weren't complicit in so much wrongdoing going back to the Hillary email invest.! Comey & McCabe kept that BS going up to a wk. before the election aiding Trump in his campaign rant about how shady the FBI was & continues to be!
***Considering facts like the fake dossier, FISA warrant, & stuffing his staff w/ Hillary fan club members, it seems the mandate was to intensify the diversion from bad actors in the Obama Admin.
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The dossier is not fake. The dossier alone did not lead to the investigation. The Hillary fan club doesn't exist.***
Unfortunately it's been proved; if a lie is repeated enough, it takes hold! Trump & his followers love the tactic = when busted! It's truly shameer defined. We are entitled to a fair & speedy trial & a jury of our peers. Speedy & peers need t/b defined.***
People are usually given the death penalty on a case due to their lack of character to accept their guilt! I can't remember anyone getting the death penalty if they admitted their heinous crime in a X-ly fashion! That kid down in FLA is willing to plead guilty to the school shooting if they take the "DP" off the table! That's on them if they insist on putting this kid to death eventually & costing their state a lot of $$!
***You're talking plea bargaining & that s/b stopped as well. Even if the kid pleads guilty it s/b a jury & not a judge who determines his fate; esp. where the death penalty is possible.***
W/o sighting stats, I believe most cases are decided & processed w/ a plea; esp. if the person is "guilty as sin!" It shortens the X in jail & saves the tax payers from going thru an arduous process that will get the same result as a plea!
***That is a good pt., but as I posted earlier, I believe economics has t/b a part of the sentencing procedure. Death penalty w/i 30 days or the expense of life in prison. Life in prison is punishing the taxpayers.***
I know it's hard to believe, but DP cases end up costing the taxpayers! It's been compared in the past; LWOP costing $600,000 = w/ all the frills of cable TV & educating them while DP is appealed again & again on the tax payer's dime & can end up costing over $2 M! Sorry; all DP cases give people is a sense of revenge & justice when LIFE would make the person suffer more IMO! Some people can't handle being cooped up @ home for more than a few days; try prison & being told what to do & eat every single day for decades!
***Monster...try to IMAGINE if after the Bush admin, & we'd found out that the federal gov't was doing this to the Obama campaign. I can't believe you don't understand how ridiculous this is.***
Which makes no sense since Obama hasn't done anything to undermine Trump's admin.! If anything, Trump's been trying to undermine Obama by rolling back every initiative, LAW, or EO just for spite; so please spare me the victimhood!
***...I personally believe Trump is a prima donna, but his successes that meet his supporters approval will help insure his occupancy of the W.H. for the next 7 yrs.
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At this X in Pres Obama's 2nd term, was there = a mention of Trump running? IIRC, it was Jeb, Marco, Ted, & a few other Reps that were seen as those possibly getting the nod. The Dem. party is trying to bring the party more to the center. And when people actually are willing to have a contentious discussion about all of Trump's so called accomplishments, the truth will come out that to this date, he hasn't accomplished anything. ...People are seeing what the GOP had done to our standing in the world & also seeing how trump hasn't really done anything for this country. In fact, everything the right accused Pres. Obama of being & doing, Trump IS!***
***Not to re-litigate, but the Electoral College means we elect the president state by state, not as a true Nat'l vote. If that were the case, Clinton would have won. A majority of voters nationwide didn’t want that travesty currently in the WH. The EC is an antiquated system that was a sop to the save-holding states. The northern states had a bigger population & the southern states worried they would be outvoted consistently, so using the original 3/5 clause in the Constitution meant they could count their slaves (= though they couldn’t vote) which helped "parity.” I have said for some 20 yrs now, the EC s/b abolished.***
ReplyDeleteHard to believe this has happened twice in < than 20 yrs! Before "W" & now Trump, it had only occurred once in the last 100 yrs! It was Harrison who was the last in 1888!
***Reps have a utter disregard for the value of human life-- evident right here in this forum too-- Gun nuttery here is like mad dogs-- Children being killed in classrooms is more like "so what?"***
They'll go "to the mats" to protect a fetus, but after being born, they're on their own! Reps & cons don't want to = support public educ.! I can't tell you what they really want now; just a sense anything said will fit the X's, not their true feelings about something like "the safety net" created for the populous!
***...They m/b deluded enough to think they can trust Trump & his Russian friends w/ their interests w/o blowback though.***
We allowed "the rot" when electing such a reprobate to the highest office in the land! Trump has lowered the bar so much, everyone's getting "dragged" just so he can defend himself & family instead of honoring the country's wellbeing!
***And typically the process of firing, from the X the recom. is initially made to the X that building security escorts the person out of the building, takes X and involves an op. for the embattled employee to contest the recom., a matter of wks. McCabe's sacking was rushed & the timing makes it clear that there was an intent to strip him of his pension. That Trump, his toadies, & his worshipers seem to think that that's just great shows what despicable people they are.***
Hence Hillary's moniker for these people still apropos; "deplorables!" They revel in it allowing Trump t/b as class< as possible! So what if there was collusion w/ Russians, or that a porn star is taking up so much of his X, & staff's coming & going like checker pieces on a board! Those are just "mulligans" in their opinion!
***If trade w/ China in particular is interrupted, there w/b consequences. ...The idea of regulating a more fair trade is of course to get more products made here & people will buy them or will they? B/c of cheap Chinese products Americans have been able to do w/ lower wages & still afford a great many products thanks to China. If those products disappear, the consumer is not going to have the $$ to buy American products. This is not Trumps fault. It all started years ago when American industry went looking for cheaper manufacturing & our politicians allowed the trade imbalance.***
Tis the problem w/ cons; object to knee jerk action dealing w/ guns, but when it comes to something as big as trade, they're willing to go the protectionist route! They love crashing the economy don't they? Hard to have any sympathy for us when we allow this same play ever so often when things are good! They screw it up, then Dems fix it only t/b undermined relent<ly w/ Rep. obstruction! We deserve anything that happens under Trump!
***It is said had Trump invested his $$ in the stock market/index funds, he'd be 5 X's richer.***
Trump would rather cheat people right under their noses! Paper chasing's no challenge for the Donald! To this day I wonder why anyone ever did business w/ this man? J/c he says he's a great businessman shouldn't have been enough to con NY's brightest!
***The Senate w/b the ones to press the case if Comey lied to them. Cons will sink lower and play dirtier always. I'd like to think that if Dems were in charge they would hold anyone lying to them accountable regardless the affiliation. We see Pubs not doing it before our eyes.***
ReplyDeleteCurrent news being made everyday, but they shut it down in the HOUSE; while some still want to dredge up Benghazi! Reps just can't be explained beyond the corrupt sensibilities! "Hypocrisy" is their middle name & s/b +ed to the seal of the RNC!
***So what did McCabe's wife do w/ the $700,000 she received from Clinton cronies? - This isn't relevant to the topic. It's been shown that @ the X his wife was running for office, McCabe sought advice & made considerable efforts to avoid any conflicts of interest or = appearances if the same.***
More false equivalencies! They just can't help themselves! I was wondering how they would handle disparaging other Reps, but it's obvious they have no qualms about signifying @ a moment's notice no matter the situation! Reps like Mueller, Comey, McCabe, and others had stellar reputations, but now they're conspiring to bring Trump down & m/b on Hillary's payroll! It's more than a lit'l pathetic just showing they'll go to any lengths to shield Trump & attempt to keep the party above the sleazy fray! They're failing miserably while defaming the entire Justice Dept., all MSM, Congress, & other institutions!
***They aren't = interested in looking @ evidence in good faith. We post a source, they whine about the source, or it's too long, or won't @ least do the due diligence to research topic from both perspectives themselves. Just regurgitate the latest talking pts memo they got in their email today.***
Well both sides are guilty of that! The only diff. is, lib media isn't being sued for misrepresenting facts like the Rich case on FNC w/ Sean Hannity & "Infowars!"
***...Most of the people who wind up on juries are biased. They favor one side over the other. Often it is the prosecution side, but someX's it is the side of the defense as we saw in the O. J. Simpson trial.***
I watched OJ live & it definitely went on too long; but that was mainly due to the incompetence of the prosecution! It shb split up into 3 or 4 separate cases after all was said & done! They had no credibility after allowing Fuhrman on the stand! Wks of unbelievable testimony no one could believe sealed their fate! I lived in Cal. for yrs & heard of many "huge" cases they've lost b/c they're too concerned w/ politics over getting a conviction! Calif. JD has wasted so much $$, getting nothing out of prosecuting OJ, the McMartins, The Menendezs the 1st X, & so many other loss-leaders!
***I agree that the prosecution appeared t/b fairly incompetent, but that mhb b/c they were over confident w/ all the evidence they had against O. J. They had a lot of evidence. There is also the possibility that they didn't want to win the case or @ least that those whom they worked for didn't want them to win it. Prosecutors can usually win cases which they want to win. Regard<, the jury in that case was biased & did not reach the right verdict based on the evidence.***
Didn't bother me after so many other injustices on the other side! They're too extensive to list & we all know it!
***...Women have also & this was another case where a woman victim was brutally murdered & her killer was allowed to get away w/ the crime. It fit into that particular pattern of injustice which this society largely overlooks.***
***Roger's back on top as #1 winning Rotterdam! Rafa really lost his #1 ranking b/c of injury unfortunately history repeats.***
ReplyDeleteWell the whole world has been taught "any loss" by Rafa has t/b something other than getting beat; injury, personal strife, food poisoning, etc.! I've never had much respect for the guy since he can't seem to accept losing a match w/o him or one of his handlers making excuses for him!
***...He lost his ranking b/c Roger had >er results since after clay season last yr.***
Thank you! Rafa, his fans, & handlers need to stop the BS! Rafa's summer & fall have always been marginal; hence just 3 USO's & no YEC's!
***I wouldn't call that "marginal" - 3 USOs is still pretty damn good, not to mention the handful of Masters he's won in the fall.***
For someone talking about him being a GOAT, "it's marginal!" He's had some awful upsets over the yrs @ Wimbl. & the USO! He only won this past USO due to such an easy draw! Come on you know this already! Of Fedalovic, Rafa's been so up & down compared to the other 2! Injuries can't explain it all & = if it did, who cares? He has 10 FO's which comprises most of his highlights while the other players have much more balanced resumes! Again, we've already gone over this! Rafa's the clay GOAT @ best & that's the end of my rant!
***I hear you, Fiero. Rafa has some tarnish on his GOAT armor. He's the clay GOAT & I'd say the "specialist GOAT." But his lopsided resume will also put some ?? about his overall GOATness, = if he were to win 5 more RGs.
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It seems to me Novak @ the moment lacks the killer instinct that characterizes him & other tennis greats. ...I say play some ATP250s.***
Tennis is all about confidence; usually winning begetting more winning! Since players aren't afraid of him as they were 2 yrs ago, they try harder & are making Nole's comeback more of a nightmare than a success! Someone mentioned he should stop trying to avoid Federer! WTF are they talking about? Nole has owned Roger since 2010 for the most part! Fed's only wins have been on super fast courts like Cincy & that happened just once 3 yrs ago when Nole was @ the top of the rankings! How soon we forget all the X's Roger has walked away w/o a trophy; esp. in majors like Wimbl., USO, & the AO b/c Nole knocked him off! There's a bit of amnesia going on w/ some people!
***Easy there, ok?... Roger knocked himself out.***
So Nole was "gifted" all those majors in '11, '14-15, & '16? Nole apprec. everyone of them I guess! The delusion's still real here!
***So, Sasha's in a sophomore slump. Goes home early again.***
Probably, but more than likely, this isn't like the old days when seeds routinely won early Rds & made their appointed positions in the draw; esp. on the ladies' side of things! You have t/b ready from Rd. 1, day 1 or you w/b a spectator so fast it'll make your head swim! Sasha's gotta tighten it up & close out matches he should win; same w/ Thiem & Dimitrov who's already gone as well! I had high hopes for this next gen., but have been terribly disappointed; = w/ 2 Masters wins by Zverev last yr.! How do you go from big winner to early Rd. casualty again & again like this? He probably thought he had a chance to acquire that $1M bonus for winning both the singles & doubles; out in both so early! Shame!
***Actually it's precisely the other way around. If you overachieve, it's hard to maintain the pts wk. in, wk. out. But the ranking position is another story. Your only problem comes when there's a good amt. of pts about t/b dropped & there's someone close to you. Also, it's precisely those pts that keep you seeded & thus w/ a >er path to later Rds.***
Like most Aussies, Emerson was a much >er doubles player! He did very well w/ multi-partners including Laver, Stolle, & Fraser! In the mid 70's, he was playing indoor doubles matches w/ BJ King & Laver in another & his serve still sounded like a cannon!
ReplyDelete***I really hate it @ changeovers where players make the ball kids chase after them w/ the towel & don't collect it until they're sitting down. Just saw Ferrer do that. What a colossal asshole.***
I think it's ridiculous they're allowed to = go thru all these gyrations in the middle of a match! Back in the day, the only X players actually toweled off was if they fell! They barely wore wrist bands, but these fools actually need X towels on court like Nadal making these kids "serve him" like he's paying them $$! I think it should all be nixed; make them play thru & m/b it'll shorten pts & matches! The players of today are supposed t/b so much more fit, but they're breaking down faster than pros of old! If I miss a match, I don't really have regrets; esp. if it's someone like Nadal who drags matches out so long w/ his slow moving & selfish persona! People just come out to see him & nothing else matters but his comfort I guess!
***...I do see a lot of conversation on the forums about "petty crimes," like your complaint about Ferrer, w/ Fiero also +ing Nadal. Rudeness. These are perceived differently by diff. viewers. Court conduct c/b a matter of personal taste. W/o specific infraction, we're talking about a "slight," and that's individual perception. The other thing to take on board is that, however much we want it t/b a "gentleman's" or "ladies'" game, it's a big business. These players are pros, fighting for pts & $$. We all hope they play hard. Then we hope they play admirably w/i the rules of the game. We expect a lot from them. Their last focus is the ball kids.***
I started watching tennis when it was still a gentleman's sport & there were only 2 or 3 obnoxious A-holes on the tour; none on the ladies side! You had Nastase, Richey, Gonzales, Connors, & BJK who c/b a lit'l demonstrative, but she was tired bringing the WTA to life! Now all players are a bunch of jerks who have their moments never seen before modern tennis started in the 90's! = Fed has gotten snippy w/ umps invoking the "do you know who I am" moniker!
***...While there are almost all types of fans of every player, I don't see a certain breed as fans of Roger or Novak. IDK why Rafa attracts a kind of fringe lunacy that the others don't; @ least to the same degree.***
I have my faves, but still acknowledge their rivals & love spilling stats on both side! There are plenty of players who I never latched upon, but will laud their accomplishments t/b fair! There are certain players who get my ire str. off; from the beginning there was animus! Rafa, Agassi, McEnroe, & Evert on that list, but give them their due if only to elevate a fave! If you give a rival no credit, how can it be a rivalry when any loss is other than ability? Surface & X of the season comes into play!
***Chung seems like he c/b pretty good. Never heard of this 'Djokovic' guy though.***
He's some old guy hanging on to fame, unable to = make major finals after holding all 4 @1X for his "Nole Slam!" His star burned brightly; maybe too brightly! We'll find out sooner rather later! He can't continue like this for long before calling it quits!
***The Senate just passed a 2000 page $1.2T budget. If that is not a recipe for a disaster IDK what is. It seems to me there is a conspiracy w/i our gov't to destroy this country.***
ReplyDeleteAmen, Rep. often spend more when in power! I truly believe they want to bankrupt the country so they can cut the safety net created from Soc. Sec. to welfare & everything inbtwn! They've always hated Medicare & have been assaulting it over & over during the admin. of Obamacare! ...Reagan & "W" cut taxes & dereg. Wall Street & we saw what happened; an economic collapse w/ banks going under! Now we put someone = more irresponsible in charge & it's a wonder things haven't gone into the toilet yet! Obama must have left things in a lot >er shape than I thought! So far we're still afloat = w/ the rampant investigations into Trump & the FBI!
***Oh for God's sakes Fiero, 1/3 of this country makes it's living off of gaming the system. ...Besides a good chunk of that w/b used to rebuild our military.***
Reps like cheap labor as well; just more lip service about Mexicans to get applause from the Nazi base of their party! Obviously a lot of waste going on if the Defense Dept.'s b!tchin' about $$ when they get the lion's share of the budget!
***M/b there are Repubs that like cheap labor, but they're idiots. All illegals vote Demo; now thats justice.
---
Dowd resigns amid shake-up in president’s legal team.***
Trump just wanted an advocate to go out & embarrass himself by ranting about a "witch hunt" & totally undermining the process of the special counsel! Dowd surprisingly lasted longer than I thought; lying to Trump about how soon the invest. would end! Get ready people; conspiracy theories w/b abound w/ the clowns left over including the head nut, Joseph Digenova!
***That dude is a fruitcake. I can't make up my mind if I think it's good or bad that Trump hired a conspiracy theorist as a lawyer. He'll probably cry foul & will happily jump into a smear campaign, but it might make things easier for Mueller too. - Easier for Mueller in what way?***
A smart attorney wouldn't goad the special prosecutor! The way Trump has his defense team exacerbating the situation only makes it tough on all concerned when the results come tumbling out! Heaven knows that m/b why Ken Starr turned over every rock & interviewed anyone Clinton = spoke to briefly! He was terribly undermined & looked like a sick nut; which he was BTW! When you create a document talking about a stained dress & soiled tissues; you have to believe the guy is sick in the head! Hired to investigate a land deal that was 20 yo & gets Bill for lying about an affair! "Well done Ken; you fk'n idiot!" Turned the country upside down for that shit! Now w/ Trump; there's plenty to work w/ since he can't keep his mouth closed or his cell in chk giving all kinds of reasons for him t/b impeached! "Thanks Don!" Even this shady Rep. congress will have to work hard to try & dismiss all the wrongdoing of this admin.!
***Fiero425, you forgot to mention that Starr buried the fact that he found no evidence of wrongdoing in the Whitewater deal. It was pretty much, "Oh, BTW, the Clintons did nothing wrong w/ the land deal."***
That's why the people poo-poo'd the whole thing! Even w/ a Rep. Congress, doing all they could to bring Bill down, the people were behind him! A lot of Cal. reps lost their seats alone supporting that witch hunt! The worst thing about it was the same people being "holier than thou" wound up getting busted by Hustler Mag. owner, Flint! Gingrich, Cunningham, Barr, Hyde, & a host of others were run out of office! Such hypocrites! Reps pols are all a-holes IMB!
***...It ain't just Reps who overspend. It's the entire US Congress. When is the last X you ever heard a Dem. complain about spending. There ain't no good guys in Wash'ton.***
ReplyDeleteDems @ least try to pay for their shit! They aren't ready to sign on to huge tax cuts; esp. giving back to the rich like Reps do X & X again! No way are Dems as bad! It's during their stewardship that the deficit & the Nat'l Debt goes down; see history on Clinton & Obama!
***Reps derange events that leads to recessions & invites depression-The "Great Recession" began under Rep. misleadership -(Dec. '07?) - Dems have to enter in, then clean up the mess-- FYI: Goldman Sachs has profited from every recession in the past century.***
We'll see what happens if Trump goes thru w/ his threat of not signing the approved omnibus spending bill sent to him today! He has until midnite to change his "mind" yet again! It w/b an extended "shut down" since Congress has left town! This won't get fixed overnite if this moron actually goes thru w/ it! What a nerve blaming the Dems since "they have no language" in the bill addressing the DACA issue! When will someone inform him Dems have no real power? He should blame McConnell & Ryan for something like that!
***That bill is 2000 pages long. Rest assured no one in the congress has read all of it. But they'll vote to approve it anyway. That's suicide as there is all kinds of stuff in there that's not good for this country.
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...Trump's already someone who thinks he doesn't need to prepare. I would think that Dowd would've wanted him to prepare for a potential interview. A lawyer who believes in conspiracy theories m/b more willing to let Trump get away w/o or lit'l prep b/c it's a conspiracy anyway.***
The way I imagine this having happened:
Mr. Trump: So. What do you think about the witch hunt as it stands right now?
Mr. Dowd: You're screwed.
Mr. Trump: You're fired.
Mr. Dowd: You can't fire me! I quit!
***No President has had this much turnover.***
Self respect runs most of these people out of a job! They think they can handle the situation for the sake of the country, but Trump's so "out there" nuts, he'll run more responsible individuals off! You see what's happened to so many people who had stellar reputations; it's all over for them! Kelly's been turned into his boss; a pathological & sociopathic liar! The only person that seems t/b holding onto his self-respect is the defense secretary when he didn't bow & scrape @ the table telling Trump how wonderful he is! The rest have lost it all & I can't imagine anyone hiring them for anything after what they presided over in this admin.!
***FEMA dropped "climate change" from their strategic planning document.***
It's not like they're only hurting Obama's feeling by doing this; all our descendants have to deal w/ the repercussions of having morons in leadership! Trying to save a job now in comparison to wearing sunscreen & running around in an oxygen mask in the future makes so much sense!
***The Big O is usually how I feel after watching Max Aaron's skating! I like his tight pants. I think it's unfair that the judges give him costume deductions! The judges are always finding reasons not to give Max the marks he truly deserves!***
ReplyDeleteIt's ridiculous to see Max behind Jason each X when the tech. content was so much more in Max's performance! My mouth went agape @ it in the 4 CC in Jan.! Max m/b the typical stiff US skater, but the jumps were sound! J/b Jason can do spirals shouldn't overrule completed quads! That was a complete joke; scores totally given to Jason on rep. & seniority over tech. content! When was that ever the case in men's skating? Even Yagudin was losing to Plushenko early on b/c of his 2 quads! It forced Alexei to do more which eventually broke down those hips in '02 after the Olympic yr.!
***I don't understand why Max doesn't get >er PCS when he chooses music that he likes & Jason only does what Rohene forces him to skate to!
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My wife always teases me & says that my mouth become agape whenever there's a real stiff male skater on the TV! It's just a habit from my navy days I guess!***
===
Vincent Zhou had an incredible SP @ Worlds w/ 2 quads (Lutz & Flip) putting him into the lead w/ Max Aaron to follow who survived his lone quad attempt! He scored close to 97 pts. w/ a couple skaters to go, then the last group!
***Nathan's SP jump landings weren't the best today, but he held on to 4Lz+3T, 4F & 3A - 101.94 - currently in 1st. ...Ben Agosto mentioned that Max recently had started a job in his home state of AZ before he got the call to go to Worlds. It currently looks like he will finish 15th (79.78) in the SP.***
It's hard to believe seeing this happen again & again; reputation & ranking still helps or hurts w/ scores! Max's program was fairly clean, but still wound up well behind other skaters w/ poor GOE or jumping passes not as difficult! Dimitri Aliev tripled his 4T & still wound up over 80 pts. while getting nothing for it since it was a repeat from successfully execution in his 4Lutz combo!
***I'm not a fan of Vincent, but I kind of get this feeling that he can win this outright. He has no fear; feels less pressure than Nathan. He's not quite so exhausted.***
The judges won't allow it! He had a good program w/ a 4L for Gawd-sake and he's still running behind his seniors! Kolyada had 1 quad & Nathan had shaky landings! Max way back & I can't understand it besides him not being well enough known internationally!
***Wakaba Higuchi s/b on the Tursy-POTS short list.***
She made the podium! What a surprise! Figures Zagitova would pay one day trying to do all those jumps in the 2nd 1/2 of her program! It finally caught up w/ her! After missing that Lutz, there was nowhere else to go & think of changing things! Congrats to Osmond; what a shock!
***Congratulations to Nathan Chen on becoming the new World Champion! It mhb a seriously fugly comp., but Nathan @ least did himself proud. And good on Max for coming in as 3rd alt. & helping the US hang on to 3 spots for men. I want to give poor Vincent a big hug. He looked devastated.***
I missed Max; not waking until the last 3 or 4 skaters! What a messy ending, but happy for Nathan; the only one of the faves to stand up after all's said & done! What in the world happened? No wonder they usually skip it after the Olympics; Yagudin one of a few to perform well after winning back in '02!
***I was lurking on other boards & Nathan's World Champ status is drawing a lit'l army of detractors/ haters. I guess it comes w/ the territory. He conquered his Olympic demons, skated last while holding the lead, & had dealt w/ a small foot injury. I don’t see how you can’t have total respect for that.***
ReplyDeleteWhat can they possibly be "hating on?" Everyone else crashed & burned, while Nathan skated quite well & didn't hold back when he could've w/ his lead! It wasn't = close so I can't imagine what their beef c/b!
***Ross Miner @ Nat'ls vs. the Worlds Field:
1 Nathan Chen USA 321.40
2 Ross Miner USA 274.51
3 Shoma Uno JPN 273.77
4 Mikhail Kolyada RUS 272.32***
Like Mirai in '14, I wonder is Ross chewing bullets over being stepped over saving Adam from humiliation after all his "trash talking" before Nat'ls? I'm not saying it was a bad decision, but feelings have t/b hurt when you perform well in that moment & someone else takes the spot on the World Team!
***I strongly suspect that if Miner had been named to the Olym. Team, he wouldn't have competed @ Worlds. Neverthe<, the possibility of Miner as the '18 World Silver Medalist is quite something to contemplate.
---
This season has been exhausting. - Totally! I most definitely need a holiday now.***
If you were around 20+ yrs ago, you'd be more exhausted! Skating was so prevalent after the "Tanya/Nancy" drama; the GP was prime X on Fox! The amateurs & pros had their events telecast weekly thru the summer, culminating in the "Goodwill Games!" It c/b on X channel! We get lit'l pub in comparison to then! You have to hunt down coverage now = w/ the Olympic Channel!
***There were comps every wk. during the late summer & early fall. SomeX's X comps most of which had live streaming.***
You're saying you wouldn't be exhausted or are you contradicting the idea of more skating being televised? Heaven knows I can't say there was much in the way of live streaming back in the 90's! Windows was just created for Gawd-sake! I just seem to remember taping a lot of skating back then; Surya as an am. & Oksana as a pro! I was sending tapes to friends there was so much it was hard to keep up w/!
***I meant there's more skating to see now than 20 yrs ago & it's not made for TV fake comps. And, skating is easy to access & watch if you want. We = get to see the jr. GP events.***
Well that was what I was talking about; plenty of made for TV events b/c skating was HUGE back then! There was "ICE Wars" to look forward to along w/ prime X events w/ special rules! I found it quite entertaining b/c they started using music w/ vocals! Until then, the only person that got away w/ that was Katarina Witt who did a quick "hum" of a few bars of something during her music @ the '94 Olympics in Lillehammer!
***I'm sure it was a Magical X for fans back then, but I'd rather go thru the 100's of senior b w/ lousy streams we have today instead of one of those cheesy fests shows & "pro" comps of The mid 90s. The comp. side is what makes skating interesting for me.***
**RHWBH**
ReplyDeleteWatching some of the old eps Bravo's playing of RHOBH & it appears Lisa's one evil bitch! She does & says things that aren't a joke as she likes to deflect! The accusation of Mauricio cheating on Kyle was malicious! ...Is she just "bent" or being a villain? Kyle's a real sucker thinking & treating her as a friend!
***...Lisa assumed it was the cheating headline b/c the other one wasn't a "headline," just a back page tabloid story.***
...There was that clip of Lisa throwing it out there about Mauricio being seen w/ a younger woman I wouldn't have found funny regard< if a joke!
***Lisa/Ken had similar (cheating) tabloid headlines about them a couple of seasons before. ...That's her style & not Kyle's; Kyle's style is to ignore it no matter how long the tabloids keep repeating the same rumor/crap....***
Funny how the Puerto Rico trip went better after Ken & LVP left! The energy did change & the girls seemed to have more fun! LVP does run from these conflicts when she can't deflect them & move on! She hates to apologize which is nothing new, but why do people allow her to get away w/ this shit? Strange! - This video from "Baywatch Nights" took me back 30+ yrs when I 1st saw LVP in a video by ABC called "Poison Arrow!" She was quite stunning @ the X; rivaling Joan Collins really! She got old fast though! She seems t/b totally oblivious to the stuff she says; w/ Ken backing her @ every turn! Husbands do that, but he can get abusive to the other women calling them a "silly cow" or worse!
- https://www.bing.com/search?q=Poison+Arrow&src=IE-SearchBox&FORM=IESR3N -
***Lisa looks great for her age, esp. considering that she has had the least amount of work done to her face/body. She gets some Botox, very lit'l though as her face still has movement, & hasn't had any fillers (except for some lip plumping I think). ...I am 61 yo & ...been blessed w/ throughout my life.***
I'll be turning 61 next month, but I've held on so far! ...Maybe I'm just being overly critical b/c I don't like LISA's manipulation of the group! Last yr. she was moving like she was in pain! Her dancing was a lit'l embarrassing since she was in entertainment! BTW she's been busted a few X's & the videotape doesn't lie!
***You look both good & your age IMO. The opposite of aging/getting older isn't very appetizing IMO. lol. Lisa doesn't manipulate anyone any more than the others do, .... Yes, it is painful (& hysterical) to watch her toddle around in those high heels she/they all wear. She's a bit bow-legged so wearing the heels makes her walk look like a waddle. I agree, she can't dance, but she was brave enough to have a very public go @ it on a Nat'l TV show & not all "entertainers" can dance.
I have never claimed that Lisa is a "saint." Lisa has made/had her fair share of shitty comments/digs/blunders/embarrassing moments, but she @ least learns from them & doesn't repeat them. ...Kyle's the most manipulative of all of them. She loves to throw stones then hide her hands while crying victim. LOL***
Kyle's prob. one of my least faves since she does pull the victim card more than anyone! She allowed Lisa R to abuse her sister count< X's; = in her own home! She seems to allow LVP to abuse her, lie about events, & eventually forgives everything! ...I wouldn't go out of my way to allow them back into my life! What was it Hong Kong, she used that term describing herself; "abused wife?" LVP was busted again for lying & she never seems to take responsibility for it! She always does the "I'm not doing this" thing instead of just saying "I'm sorry & apologize for my comment!" She just can't do it w/ any sincerity & it's not b/c she's British!
***400+ pt. (1.7%) drop for Dow. 174 pt. (2.4%) for NASDAQ today after big loses yesterday. Exciting X's! Let's hope it drops another 1000 pts next wk. That'll show 'em that Dems were right all along & that the future belongs to them!***
ReplyDeleteNeither party has clean hands; Reps just more full of shit & terribly hypocritical & pathologically lyin' sacks like their boss @ the top!
***Impeachment doesn't nec. mean removal from office. And remember, Trump's successor is as crazy as he is, in his own way. Pence is an ultra-right wing, religious fanatic. He may look normal, but he has distorted religious beliefs that are terrifying.***
Amen & hallelujah to that! Trump's an embarrassment, but Congress will have to reign him in sooner or later! Pence is more a traditional con. they'd love to follow, so let's hold onto the head whacko for now!
***Do they? They haven't done a single thing since Nov. McConnell refused to sign a bipartisan statement calling out Russia for ist election meddling. They still look to the WH for guidance on laws & don't bring bills to the floor that the WH won't sign &/or bring the bills to the floor knowing they won't pass so they don't have to fight the WH. They still don't think that Mueller needs protection, Rubio said yesterday that the fear of Bolton is hyperventilating & they haven't yet passed a law that would limit Trump's nuclear 1st-strike power. ...Everything Pence would want to do would set the country back yrs. But people are obviously willing to fight. It w/b much easier to fight Pence & the damage that he does, we'd be able to undo over X. But we can't undo a (nuclear) war.***
Yes they will! W/ Bolton pounding the table for war like he did as commentator on FNC, Reps will have to do something! Starting this trade war w/ China is the 1st of many decisions that they won't be able to live w/; esp. with their constituents beginning to get hurt economically! Trump never thinks things thru & this alone will cost them all @ the polls!
***Reps are skipping townhalls b/c they don't want to face their constituents, except for 3 Senators that didn't care their constituents would get hurt by an ACA repeal. They don't care that their constituents get hurt by their tax reform & I haven't seen any Rep. arguing that they should reclaim the power that the Constitution gives them regarding trade. So I don't see a single thing that would make me believe that (most) Reps care one bit about their constituents (except for the ones who are stinking rich & campaign donors of course). It is partly their constituents' fault since they vote for the same clown each cycle. Why should they care?
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Watching the rallies going on seemingly everywhere concerning gun control. I'm so impressed w/ these young people. Absolutely amazing.***
It still remains t/b seen if this idiot Congress does anything to assuage them! If they didn't do much after lit'l babies were killed in Sandy Hook, I'll wait to reserve judgment on it being worthwhile!
***18 yo's can vote; 1st graders couldn't. If these kids succeed in organizing all the younger crew to vote, change may come. This March march has kept the emphasis on registering, educating, & voting. Good!***
Where are the parents of the victims? They did a lit'l PR w/ Obama, but it died a slow death w/ NOTHING being done! We're some sick puppies here; buying more guns when gun control threatened!
***Liberal here who would never listen to Hannity or Maddow. Both are nothing more than propaganda.***
Maddow's just trying to counteract the BS on FNC! Hannity wasn't as bad when he had a buffer like Alan Colmes to balance him out! Now he sounds like a raving lunatic & so unsympathetic to the Rich family that they had to sue him over using their murdered son as a talking point!
***Pence is an ultra-right wing, religious fanatic. He may look normal, but he has distorted religious beliefs that are terrifying. - He's also in the Russia situation up to his neck if you ask me. I'm hopeful we can get rid of both of them in one Mueller blow.***
ReplyDeleteWow, how does President Ryan sound?
***He sounds like someone who won't bring about the end of the world as we know it.***
But would the position be in the hands of someone smarter? Ryan proved yrs ago as Majority leader of Congress that he couldn't count votes! The 1st 3 bills Reps tried to pass when they took over the HOUSE in '11 failed miserably! It didn't get much >er later w/ practice! It's hard to want any Rep. in a position of responsibility; esp. now w/ their hands over their eyes & ears when kids are trying to get them to pass some kind of gun control!
***Are you seriously doubting that Ryan w/b better than Trump? ...This isn't about who's smarter or who's < of a religious fanatic anymore. It's about the possibility of a nuclear war & so far, ...wondered why the US isn't using nuclear weapons when the country has them, is Trump. He's wanted a war from day 1 b/c in his mind, it = power or whatever & he's now the guy with the NSA who wants war with Iran and thinks a first strike against NK is justified. If you give me the choice btw Trump & Ryan right now, I'll take Ryan 2 X's over. Hell, I'd = take Pence @ this pt. b/c I'm kind of hung up on this being alive thing.***
A chimp w/b >er than Trump, but I have a lot of animus towards all Reps; esp. the pols that have voted for & allowed Trump to drag down our most vital of institutions! Will the MSM, the FBI, Intel agencies, & other Fed. depts recover fully after this assault on their integrity?
***DiGenova isn't joining Trump's legal team after all.***
You don't have t/b a legal expert to know it wasn't happening! The judge would have nixed it = if they had waivers! DiGenova & his wife, Victoria Toensing have a serious conflict of interest since they're defending clients who might have to testify against Trump! There was no chance of this; just a diversionary tactic of Trump throwing their names out there since they defend him so passionately on FNC! I remember both of them back during the "Crossfire" days on CNN! They were more credible then; now they sound like lunatics! What happened to them? Both were Federal prosecutors so they're smarter than what they're showing now!
***Bad day on Wall St. for Dems. DOW up 669 pts. Trump proves t/b a genius!***
Cheer while you can! This only proves Obama left shit in such good shape, = Trump couldn't fk it up so soon! Give him X; this economy will crash if he's allowed to continue this erratic behavior acting as if he's the CEO of the country! We all know he's failed miserably in the past; bankrupting himself 4-6 X's!
***I just watched parts of the "60 Mins" interview w/ Cooper. I find it odd for Stormy to have brought her infant to her gym, in her car while a stranger approached them @ the gym's parking lot. What mother would bring such a young baby to work out?
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I didn’t watch the interview so maybe I’m not understanding, but lots of moms w/ babies go to the gym. Child-minding @ my gym takes babies as young as 2 m o., there’s also classes specifically for moms w/ their babies. That’s not odd to me at all.***
I couldn't undetstand it either until realizing that the desperation to try & discredit anything she says is paramount! If you catch someone in a small fib, we're supposed to ignore the main story & give Trump absolution! Yeah, 20 women are lying on him! He must really feel victimized! The hypocrites of "the right" will give this sleaze every benefit of the doubt, but I just SMH in the outrage of Clinton when Trump's beating him in this dept. by a lot!
***Rightwing kook assassin attacked David Hogg; a Parkland shooting survivor. So far after 2 days a dozen advertisers have dropped her. In an attempt to stop the bleeding, Laura issued an apology while invoking religion. It was bullshit & = more advertisers left after her ill-fated attempt. A 55 yo woman has been attacking these kids for wks. Then she goes personal. The kook profession rightwing doesn’t know what to do about it! Now they got the fat man on the radio attacking him! Revenge is a dish best served cold!***
ReplyDeleteWhat would possess this silly, stupid woman to attack a child? Like Ann Coulter, they say whatever's flying out their ass & deal w/ the consequences! This really backfired b/c I can't really remember her apologizing for anything saying, "I stand by what I said!" That's why her apology is worth<; doesn't mean a word of it! She said what she said & in the meanX, the MSM is eviscerating her ass 24/7! I woke up hearing about the controversy & she's losing advertisers slowly but surely!
***Wow. There are quite a few haters.***
Trump has made it acceptable to the masses t/b class< pigs who attack anyone & anything! Funny how they talk about free speech, but are willing to undermine children just trying to stay alive going to school! They're all truly pathetic & sick in the head!
***This is nothing new. Rightwing talk radio has been promoting hateful speech for decades, but you're right. Trump has made it acceptable for his deplorables to parrot this stuff in polite company. It's going to get worse before it gets >er b/c they are losing these battles.
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All too much of his critics are being way too vitriolic & nasty & in the long run they are being self defeating. ...IMO a lot of what he has offered is vitriol and anger along w/ things that are not a solution.***
I think they tried to "reason" w/ the deplorables after Sandy Hook & Aurora & nothing happened in the way of legis. being passed to save lives! If murdering babies didn't swing it to "common sense" America, not sure some kid's ranting & being angry should provoke the deplorables to = care! Undermining & vilifying children is just plain disgusting! We all know the division btw the right & left is growing Xpntially, but the right has gone that extra mile feeling entitled to behave so poorly in the discourse! It always has to go -, someX resulting in violence j/b of the animus btw the 2 sides! Compromise is a DIRTY word w/ cons & will not be tolerated!
***...Kids s/b making a ruckus. I'm quite proud of them. It shows there's still some yeast in the culture. What; you think they s/b docile? "Keep swinging, kids!"***
Nyah; their thinking is stuck in the 50's & 60's where kids are t/b seen & not heard! Heaven knows I did my best to keep out of "grown people's business" when I was his age, but it seems only in the big city are kids permitted to TALK! In the hinterlands of the country, kids are expected to respect their elders to the extreme of not having cognitive thought when out in public when grownups are speaking! lol! Hard to believe the fear of losing power has pushed some of these losers to = create an advertising campaign to mislead the public w/ ads making kids look bad or unpatriotic! Sick!
***Ingraham has been an attacking, boorish prude for a long X. Was it just like yesterday she got owned telling somebody to "Shut up & dribble?" If anything Trump learned from her.***
Trump learn? Ingraham had a soul? These type of people are vile & see the world in a twisted way I could never imagine! There are few sacred cows out there; Trump proving he has no boundaries when going after the POPE on Twitter! Someone shake this fool!
***Fox's Shep Smith fact-checks Trump's Amazon claims: 'None of that was true'***
ReplyDeleteShep's the only totally reliable anchor on this foul network; truly tells it like it is! I'm surprised he's lasted this long b/c he calls out the Reps as well as any other network! Baier & Wallace have had chances to surprise me w/ some honest commentary, but fall back into excuse making for wrongdoers on "the right!"
***Let us not forget that a lot of the establishment Reps HATE Trump just as much as any leftist sheeple.***
But they're being gut< turds unwilling or unable to muster the courage to object to how things are bring run; or not run as the case may be! The only ones mouthing off are "R's" that are halfway out the door & ready to jump ship from DC politics! The rest have endorsed all that's going on & aligning themselves w/ this monster sitting in the POTUS chair! The same people who thought the man insane & a liar are now his biggest cheerleaders & I'm embarrassed for them all!
***I don't like Bernie at all. There was a X when I used to like and respect him. We are seeing his true colors.***
Bernie's just a mean old man now who's so full of himself, he doesn't see it! He & Jill Stein contributed to the debacle we're in now & they should take "credit/blame" for anything that happens due to their interference & undermining of Clinton! It seemed like she was catching it from all sides & still should have won; Sanders, Stein, Comey, & Obama def. didn't help!
***Hillary did get millions more votes than Trump. - - Doesnt make a diff. She didnt get the right votes in the right places in order to win. ...Yes, she had a lead, but she lost it just before the election. Yes, she didn't have votes in the right places, but she still totaled almost 3 M more than Trump.***
The country truly is split right in 1/2! Those 3+ M votes Hillary got for her huge overall lead concentrates in Calif. really! The diff. wound up being 70,000 in 3 Mid-W states; mostly of white women that Trump won out believe it or not!
***Mueller's a Rep. himself so don't look for too much in results--- it ain't gonna happen.***
It's not enough Reps have hijacked the process of Special Counsel, where only a cons. is qualified to run them; now they're even undermining "one of theirs!" In there minds, any scrutiny of a cons. is a MSM & Dem. "hit job" & can't be trusted! Trump's legacy w/b the annihilation of any trust in the system after his flaunting of moral and constitutional mores with impunity! Reps have sat back watching this after turning over every rock to find something on Obama, getting nowhere, but nothing Trump does deserves a 2nd thought! We'll see how they hold up as a party after the bar has been lowered so far, maybe they could turn to David Duke to secede him! The country's given me no reason to think it impossible! Every X I think Trump has gone a bridge too far, it like goes "poof" amongst the last couple outrages & the new ones around the corner! This tariff he's talking about which could turn into a trade war has made top Reps to go scurrying for cover & are hiding out! They don't want to answer any ??s @ this X giving free reign to Dems who're running 100 town halls around the country! What can they say but throw out word salads of garbage?
...Comey s/b rewarded instead of scorned since he went out of his way to sabotage Clinton! It's like Comey "playing the victim" is absurd! Trump's congratulatory handshake in the Oval Office sank Comey making him look all the more corrupt! Trying to deflect the "slings & arrows" Trump & his sycophants have shot @ him by being an open book exposing the Prez can't take away from his role in the state of affairs we're in now!
***...Comey drafted parts of the report before he finished the investigation. But that's standard practice. Lawyers & investigators often start drafting the report before they finish.***
ReplyDeletePeople don't realize the process is just that; a process of formality that puts things on the record, but are well known by both the "prosecution" & the "defense!" A 'summation' c/b written before a trial begins! It's not preconceived notions being penned; they're facts & are as valid in the beginning of a hearing as much as the end un< there's some surprise rebuttal!
***...Comey was FBI Dir.! Why didn’t he try to convice Obama to arrest Trump & throw him in prison?***
A lot of this is on Obama b/c he didn't want t/b seen as assisting one candidate over the other! He didn't think it possible Trump would win & figured it would sort itself out eventually! What an idiot! He shg full boar going after Trump, the Russian connection, & all the malfeasance of Trump & his org,! Comey didn't think it a big deal to hold a press conference on Hillary days before the election! Now he's trying to clean up his reputation & it's not working; both sides think he's as sleazy as they come w/ historically bad judgment!
***Yes I have a big problem w/ this whole situation of helping elect Trump; then doing this bash Trump book rather than use power to jail or defeat him w/ Russia & saying he's a criminal mafia person.
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But it’s like Comey's saying rather have criminal mafia president who s/b in jail, then prevent criminal mafia person from becoming president during or after election.
===
Clinton raised taxes on the wealthy in '93. The GOP then claimed that the tax hikes would lead to recession. Instead, we got fiscal responsibility (rapidly falling debt loads) & the best economy of our lifeX's.***
The GOP doesn't want to hear that! All they can do is invoke Clinton's indiscretions to undermine his accomplishments! Amnesia takes over these people when in power & think they can do "no wrong" while Dems can do "no right!" If people are willing to allow this travesty to continue, we deserve anything that results in this fiasco called a Fed. gov't!
***...I've told my GOP Congressional delegation that none of them will get my vote in upcoming elections in most part b/c of their vote on the Tax Bill. We have to quit sending the same people back to DC.***
Unfortunately the people in this country are idiots for the most part! Clinton actually created a "budget sur+," but we decided instead of continuing this trend & paying down the debt, "lets elect a guy we'd love to have a beer w/!" Hence "W," the start of 2 wars & crippling debt begun during his stewardship! Obama did his thing; brought us back from the brink of collapse, but instead of continuing as is w/ Hillary, we decided to go w/ a pathological & sociopathic liar & reprobate!
***Well, as much as I sympathize w/ the "throw the bums out" sentiment, we should remember that just 2 yrs ago, a lot of the country decided they were done w/ "sending the same people back to DC;" so they sent Trump instead. He's sure shaking up the status quo; esp. the GOP. What did we expect when we advocated throwing out the professional, polished, & groomed lifeX politicians?***
The only thing crazy is the hypocrisy over the situation; wanted the swamp drained, then are cheering on the alligators & snakes still slithering around DC as we speak/post! It wasn't that long ago when Clinton & Obama got kudos for what they did w/ the budget, Nat'l Debt, & economy, but we don't seem t/b content un< we're going "under!" Thanks a lot people!
***China Open on Nole's schedule? His >est record.***
ReplyDeleteHe has a lot of great records! I personally think Aussie accomplishment probably the biggest since no one else has won 3 in a row in Open Tennis history!
***...Fed's skipping the clay to prolong his career. He often says that he still loves the surface, but unfortunately it's not good for his body. ...***
It's not the surface that's hard on his body; more like the competitiveness of his opponents who can hang in there longer dragging matches out to hours past what Fed would like! His last good win was back in '11 stopping Nole after he had started the season undefeated until that point in the Semi's of Paris! Of course his going out so unceremoniously to Nadal as expected in the final took away from the win over Nole! He just ruined a great final; was relegated to spoiler IMO!
***I believe him when he says that it's not good for the body. What you said about the competitiveness of the opps is =ly true, but I think it's not as big a factor in Fed's decision to skip the season as much as the prospect of wearing his body down/getting injured is.
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...But then Serena is not really a clay courter. ...Serena came back way too early.***
Players are tougher, more athletic, & aren't running scared of either Wms sister! I doubt Serena gets out of the 1st week of Paris outside setting up her draw w/ qualifiers, WC's, & old "never-weres" that can't challenge her! Osaka destroyed her in Miami just by running down all her shots which frustrated Serena into UFE's; = on MP that went long!
***Serena needs to find her hammer; THE SERVE! She owns the true hammer of Thor. It takes X. I would think 3 months of tournament matches & a ton of basket ball should assist her to regain her form.***
It's not just that! My mom loves Serena, but said to me that those long strides to her FH will take X to get back after having a kid! Hormones change, the bones get brittle, & muscles don't recover as quickly! It will definitely take X & thinking she would win "right off" was insane!
***...I'd put Chrissy before Court in the overall rankings. Court racked up too many AO title when nobody was coming there during Xmas X. It helped her to be from Australia. - ...After all Chrissy & Martina have the same GS count in singles. Why put one of them above MC & not the other.***
Martina & Margaret were more complete players & own a ton of doubles titles which is why Evert s/b ranked behind them both! The only reason Graf's ahead is due to her singles prowess which is probably why I don't have that much regard for her play; coupled w/ Seles getting stabbed allowing Steffi free reign when no one challenged her but Arantxa for a X in the mid 90's!
***IMO doubles titles should play no role (except m/b as a TB) in evaluating the degree of goatessness of players.***
If it was a close call & there are just a handful of major doubles titles I'd agree, but we're talking about GOAT-dom where Martina's won X titles w/ many partners; the last approaching 50 y.o. @ the USO in '06 winning MxD w/ Bryan! She also has the Box Set completed in '03 w/ Paez which few can say they own! That elevates her BIG X IMB; = above Margaret!
***Well done Kokk! Roger go home & do some work. You can't coast it. These guys aren't that bad.***
You can't win them all; esp. defending as many pts as Roger had to do after so much success last spring! He was rather lucky to have a cakewalk of players "down under" to hold onto that major, but I didn't for a min. think he'd win both IW/Miami again! He should have @ least won 1 match to regain the #1 ranking vs Kokk! Age & nerves catches up w/ all of us eventually I guess!
***I never dream about tennis, but had 1 where David Ferrer won the FO.***
ReplyDeleteA real shame such a middle of the roader who worked damned hard, but did him lit'l to no good when it came to major events! Even Gerulaitis accomplished more & he supposedly didn't take his tennis anywhere near as seriously! Berdych & Ferrer head that group of players who had all kinds of ability, but never got too far when it really counted! They were owned lock, stock, & barrel by the "Big 4" & are on a steady decline w/ no fan fair! Cilic saved himself from obscurity by winning USO & being a finalist vs Roger "down under!"
***Having a female coach didn’t work out for Murray did it? Maybe Novak should hire Lendl who’s proven.***
Outside of mothers of top male players, I can only remember one successful collaboration of female coach/male player & that was 30 yrs ago w/ former Russian #1 Andrei Chesnokov! Lendl w/b a good choice, but doubt he would take much out of his leisure X to help Nole out! Becker can't be rehired b/c I think "the Mrs." had everything to do w/ kickin' him to the curb being a bad influence on her husband! I'm starting to think Novak has hit the wall like Borg & emotionally just isn't into the game! He might be toast! We'll see how he handles the clay season! If he goes out in the 2nd Rd. of MC, he might need to reassess his willingness to continue as a pro!
***As a Novak fan, Wimb '14 was the most satisfying victory. This lead to Novak winning 6 more majors. Federer's serve was as usual fantastic. That Novak could challenge the GOAT on his own turf, albeit his declined ground game due to his age was a proud moment for me as his fan.***
Becker's job was saved when Nole won that match @ Wimbl.! He had gone over a yr. w/o winning a major & the MS1000's victories were done while Becker recuperating after some kind of surgery!
***...Raonic has more facets to his game. He can now hit more consistently w/ his FH & can stay in rallies. However, his net play is atrocious. He missed most of the volleys @ the net, & many of them were very easy ones. Players w/ more variety beat him by mixing it up, i.e. bringing him to the net, changing the pace of the shots, etc.***
Today's players have lit'l to no net game! If they venture forth, most of the X the point's nearly won on the approach so they can just knock off a "sitter!" You make them reach or grope for a volley & they look horrible; same w/ the women! Venus looks as if she's all @ sea when she doesn't hurt her opp. w/ the approach shot! She either misses the passing shot or her block of the volley sits up to be knocked off! I just don't understand it! It seems players like Federer are a dying breed w/ few others having net games they can rely on w/ confidence!
***I really don't think it was nerves. I don't think Fed's been putting in the hard yards. It's so obvious today that he had no confidence in his shot making. In IW I thought it was just the conditions. This happens when you've cut down on your hard practice & you're trying to maintain racquet control on the fly. I'm not bothered about the losses tbh. He has X to get his shit together before Wimbl. And personally I don't care a damn about the rankings. He needs to go home & do some work now and get ready for the grass. My only disappointment was that I was hoping he would win his 100th title @ Wimbl.***
IDK who to root for btw Coric & Shapo in Miami; love 'em both so much! Shapovalov's flashier, but Coric is m/b coming into his own & deserves the win! Denis is playing on another level @ the moment & should win though!
***NextGen continues to rise. Shapo has the >er upside of the 2, but Coric seems more ready to win some titles this yr. - Coric took the match in 3.***
***I really miss the comp. matches btw Fedalovic. I wish that Fed & Novak had peaks around the same X in their careers so that we could have witnessed fantastic matches thru-out the entire yr. They would have stolen a lot of slams & Masters from each other. They are 2 of the >est HC players of all X & probably the most consistent #1 POAT. It was mind boggling to see Djokovic stay fresh @ slams & Masters.
ReplyDelete---
I'm fine w/ Spain winning; you know I don't care @ all about DC. It's overrated, but anything that may lead to Nadal overplaying is cool w/ me.***
I'm really shocked! I thought Spain was quite vulnerable; = w/ Nadal! The Spanish Armada isn't what it used t/b & kicking Ferrer out there seems to me as if "red flags" s/b waving! Where's their "next gen?" France in the same predicament w/ aging stars & successors not ready for prime X = though Pouille did his job this wkend!
***This era has been rather more predictable:
'17: For sure, we thought that it was going t/b the yr. of Murray/Djokovic w/ Fedal fading into the sunset. The surprise was that it was the opp. The < than surprising part was that, in the absence of Andy & Novak, it was Fedal that really stepped up.
'16: No one foresaw Djokovic not bouncing back from a fade after RG, but again, not so surprising that it was Murray of all the options.
'15: OK, Stan was def. a surprise in that final. Everyone thought it was Nole's that yr.
'14: Wawrinka & Cilic: correct...no one would have called either really.
'13: Again, true. Nadal's comeback was fearsome, & more than = a fan could have wished for. But still, it was Nadal.
'12: Nothing strange happened. Each of the big 4 won a Major, & they tended t/b the last 4 men standing @ big tourneys. OK, Andy won a gold medal & finally got his 2st Major, but no one could call those wins shocking.
'11: Djokovic didn't come out of left field as a perennial #3-4, but no one really thought he'd take such a big leap forward in form & confidence, & that it would last so long.
All that said, these X's won't last forever & I think we're moving into a period that's going t/b LOADS more complicated to predict.
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I see nothing wrong w/ claiming Fed's 10 yrs past his peak. The guy is 36 after all. The longer he plays, the longer his post-peak period will become. Longest post-peak per. of any player which includes sev. wks @ #1 10 yrs later.
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Another aspect people don't pay attention to is the mental one. Fed in '08-09 not only suffered a slight drop in level, but he was also facing tremendous pressure, pressure that Rafa & Novak have never faced. The guy was only 2 slam short of Pete's GS record so undoubtedly his mind was on brk'n it. He was close to immortality as nothing is >er than having the most slams. Would Djokovic have been as dom. in '15 if he had been 2 slams away from the slam rec.? Probably not. It's easy t/b as dom. as he was when he had no pressure. Likewise w/ Nadal in '13.***
The way I see it, no one had more pressure on him than Nole; trying to come into his own & @ the same X deal w/ Fedal already anointed as the GOATs!
***That's not pressure. How can you face pressure when you are the hunter or challenger like Novak was? The only X he faced tremendous pressure was when he was chasing 4 slams in a row. But = that pales in comparison to the slam rec.***
Nole had tons of pressure put on him after winning AO in '08 & a couple Masters titles! He went a while w/ nothing until '11 when he broke out winning everything in sight! Then there was the pressure of holding on while battling Fedal; winning 7 in a row vs Rafa init. & overtaking Roger in their H2H!
***I agree to an extent w/ this. When Nole came to the scene Fedal were in the GOAT debate. Nole inserted himself into it for some X. Unfortunately for him many will always see him as the Third one.***
***The '07 AO was the last of Federer's beast-mode peak. The '10 AO was the last of Fed's prime. The '17 AO started the beginning Fed's resurgence. He came up clutch in 5-setters(6-0 from '17-present compared to 24-20 prior to that):
ReplyDelete- Fed's beast-mode peak was from 11/03 - 2/07.
During that X frame:
246-15, .946 overall
61-6, .910 vs top 10
exclud. clay, Fed was an outrageous 56-2 vs the top 10
198 of his 246 wins(80.48%) were in str. sets
41 of his 61 wins vs the top 10(67.2%) were in str. sets. Nobody in the top 10 beat Fed in str. sets during this X frame.
Fed started slipping in '07 after Dubai. For ex., #55 Guillermo Canas d him @ IW & Miami. One was a str.-set blowout of Fed. #53 Volandri blew out Fed 6-2, 6-4 in Rome. Granted, this is clay, but Volandri had a career rec. of 6-9 @ RG & a career rec. of 30-45 overall. Volandri stunk as a player.
Fed's '07 yr. was incredible. But his performance that yr. slipped a lit'l after starting out 12-0. He ended '07 by going 57-9. Keep in mind that Fed in '05-06 went 173-9.
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I believe that Fed's burning the candle @ both ends started catching up to him in '07. He burnt himself out. Also, his schedules in '05 & '06 were huge....played BO5 matches/titles other than slams.
...Fed played in '06 that were no >er in a BO5 setup after that yr:
Basel title match
Rome Masters' title match
MC title match
IW title match
Miami title match
Madrid title match
WTF title match
...Toss in 97 matches overall that yr., along w/ mixing in squash & skiing & you get a Fed that's starting to wear out in '07. By early '08, it really caught up to him. These schedules were too long, esp. when tossing in BO5 title matches in non-slam events.***
It happens to the best of them @ 1 pt. or 2 after so many yrs of >ness! Nole's drop's probably the most notable, but he contributed to that himself behind the scenes in his personal life a couple yrs ago! He finished off his Nole-Slam, was a finalist @ USO & YEC, took 4 Masters, but still wound up #2 behind Murray @ YE! It all came down to 1 match changing the course of history for about 5 min.! Murray was no legit #1, but who would have thought it w/b "old man river" Fed to supplant him? Even Nadal had a >er chance @ it & eventually did acquiring the #1 ranking for a while! W/ Nole lurking, it's still about Fedalovic! All I can think of saying in an open letter to Nole by way of Cher in "Moonlighting;" "SNAP OUT OF IT!"
***Comp. got tougher in '07-12 than '03-06. M/b a small decline, but not enough to put Fed out of his Prime or peak.***
Looking back in 100 yrs it's going to look like a weak era regard< of the truth! There was unprecedented success & a literal monopoly over majors & Masters! It's embarrassing seeing Fedalovic rule for well over a decade from '04-18! ...= in the "hay days" of Borg, Connors, & McEnroe, they didn't win EVERYTHING! To my dying breath I believe there were players w/ the ability to win majors over this last decade, but unfortunately for them, there were 3 GOAT's trolling the draws! It was just about impossible to overcome them all!
***How many 'non-weak era' Slams has Fed won?
ReplyDelete'03-07, historically weak era
'08-10, avg.
'11-14, strong era
'15-16, weak era*
'17- ., historically weak era
*w/ a great chp. in Nole however
Given these objective parameters, he has won a grand total of 5 majors outside of a historically weak era - '08 USO, '09 W, '09 RG, '10 AO, '12 W.
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Nadal wasn’t injured. He lost to a Swede fair & square in '09.***
No player in the history of the game has been as unlucky as Nadal; fate allowing others to take a major due him! He was "never" beaten in a major match; more extenuating circumstances allowed others to hold "his trophy!" Someone in his camp finds a medium to leak what's going on behind the scenes to undermine the wins by Soderling, Warwinka, & any other player fortunate enough to catch Nadal on a bad day! They were "gifted" the match since there's no legit reason how Nadal could have lost un< there was an injury, some kind of personal strife, or mental fatigue allowed a change of fate/destiny!
***...Nadal was in top form in '15-16? ;-) ***
Every era has a period where a top player falls, but comes back; Connors in the '70's comes to mind! I never thought he'd win another major after '78 USO (thru Borg's injured thumb)! He not only won 3 more majors over Lendl, he acquired the #1 ranking for a X back in '83! Roger's outdone Connors w/ his current resurgence when most thought he was done as well after Wimbl. '12 defeating his pigeon in the final! It's been longer & more dom. performance as well! Rafa's fall had more to do w/ Nole who owned the tour during that period of '15-16! Even when Nadal was playing fairly well in Qatar back in '16, he was destroyed b/c Djokovic was relent< & all his shots just FELL IN! Lets not just make the entire 2 yrs of brilliance be undermined j/b Nadal went 2 seasons w/o a major! It happens to the best of them; each era having a backstory that needs a complete airing out!
***I wouldn't say '03-06 & '17-18 were weak. They were normal. '07-16 was outstanding. Who has been the best player then; the best among the best?
- Djokovic 12 slam titles, 9 finals, 10 SF's, 5 YEC's, 30 M1000's
- Nadal 12 slam titles, 5 finals, 3 SF's, 1 OG, 22 M1000's
- Federer 8 slam titles, 9 finals, 11 SF's, 3 YEC's, 12 M1000's
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My personal rating:
slam title: 3
final: 1
semi: 0.5
Olympic Gold: 1.5
YEC's: 1.2
M1000: 1
1) Djokovic 86
2) Nadal 66
3) Federer 56.1
That's why I think Djokovic has been the best player ever.
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Like wks @ #1, cons. wks @ #1, WTF victories, cons. GS finals, SF. e.t.c? These m/b the 2nd most important criteria for determining G.O.A.T. or for specific reasons they don't matter? Oh yes we can remove his best yrs so we can pretend t/b objective while hampering his claim unobjectively.
Federer for me is not really that far from Djokovic or Nadal. However, I personally think he's closest to greatest ever we have. He's not perfect, but he will pop up in top 3 of almost 90% criterions you can come up w/ in G.O.A.T debates, from level of play to achievements.***
I have so much more reverence for past champs; esp. Hoad who's so lit'l referenced = though owning Laver! He didn't have rackets w/ retro-rockets & grooved strings to help impart more power & spin on the ball! Add on the homogenized courts over varying surfaces, it was made easier for players of today to "own it!" It's amazing that 3 players (Fedalovic) of this one era will wind up w/ most if not ALL of the tennis records!
ReplyDelete***Here's how I view the greatness of Fed/Nadal & which I think defines GOAT. ...I admire Rafa's tennis achievements, ...as McEnroe always states, "Fed's the Barishnikov of tennis" + his greatness, competitiveness, & heart make him the GOAT. IDK what the future brings for either of them in terms of victories into the future, but they're astounding in diff. ways.***
That image of "genius" compared to an "artisan" has gone on for eons! When the styles are so diff., but one being more "artistic" like a serve/vol'r rivaling a player who worked a lot harder t/b a physical specimen! In my day the consummate rivalry in style @ the top of the their games had t/b McEnroe going up vs Lendl! If McEnroe was on his game & serving well, there just wasn't a lot Lendl could do, but as John got older, he lost a lit'l "stick" on his serve & Ivan punished him in their waning yrs! After them w/b Sampras & Agassi; shortened rivalry due to Andre's apathy to the game @ X's! Now the GOAT rivalry of them all in some circles have that same dynamics! If Fed's on his game w/ an aggressive style, he can overwhelm Rafa = this late in their careers! IMO, Fedal is more PR hype than reality w/ many others being more comp. like Novak & Rafa who've played about 50 X's! Nole had a late surge w/ 2 "7 match" winning streaks to catch up & surpass H2H leading 26-24! Only Laver & Rosewall can say they have a more substantial rivalry! Unfortunately, most of the contests occurred "Pre-Open" era w/ their 2 major encounters occurring in the final of the WCT Chp final in cons. yrs; '71 & '72!
***Borg revolutionized tennis & his 3 channel slams are still highly regarded to this day. In Borg's X you had to go from pure baseline play to S&V @ Wimbl. Borg skipped AO so had he played it he could've finished w/ 15-16 slams.***
I'm an orig. Borg fan, but = I wouldn't go that far! He no doubt could have continued winning FO's like Rafa is now but for being "run off" by the ATP tour in '82! Going "down under" just made lit'l to no sense for the top players back then! The payout was @ the bttm along w/ the conditions being just awful; choppy grass, heavy gusting winds, & bugs! That's just OTTH since it just wasn't a Major monitored = when Connors won it in '74! W/ Wilander, Lendl, & Edberg headlining in the 80's, it still didn't register on the sports Richter scale until Sampras & Agassi started going! Top players gave the event legit status by the mid 80's, but IMO, it hadn't gotten to = status of the other Majors until Fedalovic! Besides them "owning" it for over a decade, they consistently ventured down there yr. after yr.! The USO better get "on the stick" or it'll plummet in status & wind up being the most disliked Major no matter how much $$ they offer!
***I think the AO was relevant in the 80s once Lendl & the Swedes started going. McEnroe then started going... a bit American-centric view to suggest it was a non-event until Agassi & Sampras.
- I'd say there were 3 major milestones...
1. Lendl, Wilander & the Swedes started going
2. Change of date... there was no AO in 1986 as they moved the dates around. Edberg won back to back in '85 & '87
3. Moving from Kooyong to Flinders Park in '88.
1) made it relevant 2) made it attractive on the calendar 3) made it attractive financially***
***In the interview excerpts I've seen, there are X's when Comey chooses his words very carefully.***
ReplyDeleteNot so much so as to repeatedly affirm his decisions & "would do it again!" What a tool; universally losing all credibility! Going on this book tour just highlights his need to "grandstand" & put himself ahead of the true story or case @ hand! He really did affect the election & for him to not take responsibility for that, he'll go that extra level down in HELL for turning history, precedent, & hope upside down in this way!
***Calling Comey a grandstander is the only true thing 45 has ever said.***
Trump drags down the most genteel of gentlemen down into the sewer & it's unfortunate that Comey has fallen into that trap! You can't go toe to toe, insult for insult w/ that petulant child called the POTUS! Talking about the orange tan, hand size, & Trump's marriage is no >er than what Reps put The Clintons thru!
***IDK what Comey has said about Trump's marriage, but his orange tan is obvious. It struck me as a personal observation that Comey checked out. It was probably supposed t/b a lighthearted anecdote that someone thought w/b funny to include in the book. I don't see any insults & offensive intent in either.***
How many presidents have been described as a crime family boss? The observations by Comey are fine, but why put them in a book? What's next, talking about Trump's "organ" size b/c it mhb mentioned in the Steele Dossier? Both sides are acting like class< pigs; not a president & former Dir. of the FBI!
***Why not? I don't really see the issue here since Comey's not the only one who feels like that about Trump. The whole book is about Comey's personal observations & choices.***
I'm no fan of Trump's, but not looking t/b a hypocrite by condoning Comey when Sec. of Defense Gates decided to get rather personal w/ a book while Obama was still in office! It was tacky then & it's = more tacky now b/c the investigation is ongoing he's commenting on! It's just a bit class< after being lauded for having so much integrity! It must have flown out the window a while back b/c I haven't seen it!
***Trump lawyer Michael Cohen's mystery client is Fox News host Sean Hannity - And now he's trying to create some distance. Hmmmm. ...In open court before a judge, Cohen's attorney's named Hannity. Hannity is saying no no no. Hmmmm.***
Something's there or Hannity wouldn't go out of his way t/b very specific in what he didn't utilize the talents of Cohen for! That told me he's hiding something! "How do you like it SEAN? Enjoy the scrutiny!"
***Yes, his denial does seem very kinda legalistic doesn't it? Quite specific. In the meanX they had to pry his name out reluctantly vs his wishes in open court before a judge that he's a client. Interesting to no end. I'd be curious what holes that leaves b/c it's clear he's slicing a thin slice of cake there. He claims he never paid legal fees. So they called them something else? On a real news network, Hannity w/b fired for giving end< commentary defending Cohen while secretly being a client of his. Lucky for Sean he doesn’t work for a real news network. - Neither does Ingraham.***
Amazing how these guys make $$ just making up shit as they go along while on TV, radio, & being interviewed for mags/papers! Hannity, Ingraham, Limbaugh, Coulter, & all the rest can justify any sleazy thing Trump does, but were all so ready to "sick" a special counsel on the Clintons over trivia compared to the present day malfeasance of their "golden boy!"
***The Dems aren't positioned to govern. They don't have either body of Congress. They don’t have the Presidency. The GOP has all 3; yet, they are not governing.***
ReplyDeleteWhy surprised? It's not like this is the 1st X this has happened w/ Reps totally in charge, but getting nothing done! They can't even count votes; Ryan & Boehner screwing up the 1st 3 BILLS being approved when they did take over in '11! They're undercutting themselves & sabotaging every effort it seems from those old Tea Baggers in Congress! Hard to blame them when the people that installed them are happy w/ the obstruction & red tape! We're such idiots in this country!
***...Comey's book w/b in my carry on.***
His redemption tour isn't going to help Comey in the eyes of the world; left, right, dem., rep., cons. & lib all have reasons to ?? his judgment when he says "I have no regrets!"
***The Dem. Party's suing Wikileaks, the Russian gov't, & the Trump campaign for disrupting the '16 election
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/democratic-party-files-lawsuit-alleging-russia-the-trump-campaign-and-wikileaks-conspired-to-disrupt-the-2016-campaign/2018/04/20/befe8364-4418-11e8-8569-26fda6b404c7_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.1f8ed9c48bab -
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The GOP is planning to run campaigns vs Hillary Clinton.
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/clinton-stars-central-villain-gops-midterm-strategy-153319503--election.html?guccounter=1 -
I think whoever thought of that & goes along w/ it needs to visit a psychiatrist b/c of a very unhealthy obsession. This is just sick. What has that woman ever done other than be a woman & successful in politics?***
But it's worked for well over 25 yrs; constantly beating on this "grandma" from Chappaqua NY! The whole cons. movement needs to get over her & what they perceive as past criminal behavior! Sooner or later the country w/b honoring her the same way Barbara was sent off this past wk.! Unfortunately, the derangement syndrome of "some" is so intense, they might dig her dead body up just to make a political pt. & it's well past them all being "sick!"
***That’s b/c most Rep. rank & file react to Clinton like Pavlov’s dogs. Clinton?! Bark bark bark! They were trained well by their masters. - I saw a photo of Sec. Serv. agents standing next to Barbara Bush's casket during the wake & it said that they were w/ her for the duration of the wake. ...I don't think I'll ever be able to understand how anyone can hate w/ such ferocity & = < how anyone can hate someone they don't = know w/ such ferocity.
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Sleep experts claim you need to get up the same X every morning, = on wkends to est. a sleep pattern. If you can't fall asleep after being in bed for 15 mins, they say get back up out of bed for up to a .5 hour & try again. Naps are OK as long as they aren't more than 2 hrs. ...***
All great suggestions, ideas, & goals, but some of us have "NEVER" had much of a normal sleep pattern! From childhood I mhh a sleep disorder! The symptoms were there, but had diff. explanations as to why I was tired! There were X disorders from insomnia, subsisting on 2-4 hrs sleep to near narcolepsy before being treated for apnea in '06! Contributing to not breathing @ X's whiles asleep, I've always worked odd hrs! I rarely did 9-5's; most of the X 2nd shift & @ X's overnite getting off @ 8 or 10 am! It never really bothered me since I was always tired & run down anyway! By 50 I was done w/ a serious lack of being able to concentrate, terrible memory loss, hypertension, & a sig. loss of patients w/ just about anything! I retired early! I still make all those suggs you made; esp. about a consistent wake up X! There's no such thing as "catching up" on wkends! People probably end up ruining their wk. when having trouble getting to sleep Sunday nite b/c they oversleep Sundays!
***...McCain got it right. Always a man of principles.***
ReplyDeleteLet's not go nuts w/ the hyperbole! He was still a Rep. which means he voted & supported some horrendous bills, laws, invest./probes, tactics, ideas, etc.! No one leaves this world a saint & he wouldn't be anywhere near the top of my list of "possibles!" ...People have short memories where McCain = voted vs MLK B'day! What was the real reason; personal belief that King wasn't deserving or was he supporting his party right down the line as he always has? ...I can't be a hypocrite & sing his praises j/b he's on his last legs! I guess that makes me all kinds of a "cold fish!"
***Hatch criticizes McCain for blocking Trump from his funeral.
- https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/07/politics/orrin-hatch-john-mccain-funeral-plans/index.html -
This man Hatch has no decency. McCain is Dying. His last wishes mean nothing?***
Hatch has no credibility anyway! He's the same man that ??ed Trump's mental state before becoming president, now he's kissing his rings as he leaves the Senate! What a hypocritical a-hole & loser! I lost respect for him 20 yrs ago during the Clinton affairs of the 90's! He couldn't act like a mature human being back then & he's even further from it now!
***Why are the networks letting a notorious unabashed & unrepentant liar like Kellyanne Conway on for any air X @ all? This is a gross violation of media & journalistic ethics.***
Don't forget "hypocrite!" She still invokes Clinton & Monica after all these yrs! Why was Whitewater & Bill's dalliances fodder for all concerned, but when it comes to Trump "it's a private matter?" These type are all so FOS I can't stand it!
***...And NBC News, CNN, MSNBC, ABC etc....everything else is against Trump.
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I'm not saying dismiss what Trump says & does. There are MANY more news outlets that are portraying him -ly (beyond his own doing) than portraying him +ly, then that's basically all we can agree on. ...That's why I cited Fox as an example of a biased media source FOR Trump.
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You can't criticize news outlets & media for reporting on Trump's words, actions, & behaviors. If Trump 'field goal punts' a puppy across the street, are the media outlets NOT supposed to report on that b/c of the fear of "portraying him negatively?" ...Trump portrays himself -ly. Him being a liar & a hypocrite criticizing others when he does the same shit x10 s/b reported & not hidden like a dictator.***
Amen & hallelujah to that! I couldn't have said it better!
***I keep thinking that Reps regain some sense of decency, but it appears that may never happen again. Ever.***
After support of Trump & Moore in ALA., then a Rep. congress allowing insanity to reign in the WW, I just have lit'l reason to believe they're redeemable! The hypocrisy of it all when Trump is "allowed a mulligan," but the country should come to a screeching halt b/c Bill got a hummer or 2 back in the '90's! I'm disgusted by the party & they keep giving me ammunition to justify saying "they're sinking deeper and deeper in the political sewer," but we need to look at ourselves since we allowed it to get this bad! After no one's = chastised for screaming out "LIE" @ Obama's SOTU; actually being celebrated & made $$ off of it, I just assume the worst! My head has been in perpetual "shake" mode ever since! I just didn't think it could get this bad, but everyday a new scandal rears it's ugly head! Few seem to care since the MSM is overwhelmed & made to look like fools w/ Trump pulling their string! The credibility of all our institutions are in jeopardy; people just have lit'l to no idea how ridiculous & dangerous this has become!
***...I find losing weight very easy when I put my mind to it, but maintaining a healthy weight in the long term is very difficult.***
ReplyDeleteSame here! I also let myself go in my 50's & kept eating gluten knowing my system wouldn't dispose of it in a X-ly fashion! At 61 w/ sleep apnea, I had to do something when I tipped the scales @ 250#! I put myself back on a program to lose it quickly! I can see results right away from cutting down on portions, doing smoothies w/ berries & banana, & eating nuts, salmon, & fruit!
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***...My upbringing was somewhat like Gizelle; grew up upper mid. class. I never realized until I was an adult what my parents sacrificed to make sure we never felt the struggle. ...My parents were not wealthy, but they were comfortable. We had everything we needed & most everything we wanted; how blessed I was looking back on this now.***
Same here; quite comfortable, but not rich! I think we did >er b/c my parents were @ the top of their fields & knew a lot of people! We constantly got free tickets for things; esp. to tennis matches since I was a fan! It wasn't unusual to receive gift baskets for Xmas from diff. co. in Chgo.! I never went to concerts on my own, but m/b babysitting some kid who's parents were allowed backstage to a Jackson 5 event, but wanted to keep the kid out of the way & off the floor! You don't have t/b rich to feel that privilege later in how things were just a lit'l bit easier than the neighbors!
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***Good thing Michelle/RuPaul clocked The Vixen on that comment by pointing out that Cher's look in that performance was very iconic.***
That's easy for "old bags" like Ru, Michelle, & me to say that that look was iconic; we saw it live 100 yrs ago! No one born in the 80's & 90's would recognize that curly triangle "doo" but us oldsters! ;-)
***I agree. I'm an "oldster" too, & = I have never seen that performance, so I would never assoc. that look as iconic Cher. A few yrs ago I worked w/ a gay man in his early 20's who had never = heard of Madonna. Seriously. So folks really can't assume that the old icons are still revered (or = known) by today's young people, let alone assume that they would recognize some of their lesser looks.***
Cher was more known for her hair than her voice way back when believe it or not! It was a huge deal that she supposedly never cut it & could sit on it easily! She wore some wigs that were short, but that "Jackson 5" perf. was a one shot deal! I tuned in to "S & C Show" just to see her sing that solo w/ Bob Mackie gown & a new hairstyle; a light representing the moon behind her in silhouette! Just pulling it back into a tight doo w/ 2 huge pearls in the bun was worth seeing @ the X! I don't think people realize how ICONIC that show was! What other could go thru such a continual metamorphosis? After the breakup, Cher & Sonny got solo gigs w/ the same format, simultaneously telecasting on opp. networks! They were doing the same sketch comedy, then were brought back together after the divorce? That was huge in the "Donna Reed" & "Hazel" era I grew up in! On TV people still had twin beds after marriage & divorcees carried a scarlet letter! It wasn't that long ago that Madonna wearing her bra exposed was scandalous! ;-)
***LOL, yes, all true! OMG, remember when Madonna performed "Like A Virgin" on the MTV Awards in '84? People's heads almost exploded! The definitive Cher look for me will always be the super long, str. hair & the Bob Mackie gowns.
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And speaking of the fact that younger people might not be familiar w/ those icons & their looks, I grew up in the 90s & still have heard of Madonna's MTV VMA performance. It's up to each queen if they want to educate themselves on drag culture or choose to remain ignorant about it.***
This is the oddest top 20! ...All of a sudden, "also rans" like Isner, Querrey, Sock, Dmitrov, Anderson, & Cilic are flying high while some "Next Gens" are scrambling & trying to recover from injury like Milos & Kei! Is Sasha or Thiem ready to take that next step? I personally think not, but it w/b nice if they could continue this roll & not burn out before Paris; where it really counts!...This w/b like Connors & Borg @ the top of the tour in '86 instead of Edberg, Becker, Wilander, & Lendl! If this winds up being another routine Nadal clay season, followed by Roger defending his Wimbl. title, I'll say it's weak b/c the players are so much >er physically! Obviously they're having trouble psychologically to allow Fedal to lead the way this late in their careers! Winning a major is one thing, but t/b #1 & #2 in the ranking too shows not only their strength, but the weaknesses of the tour to allow this to perpetuate in '18!
ReplyDelete***According to some, Fed's been past his prime since '07.***
The only thing comparable in my lifeX was Connors having a resurgence in '82 & '83 after being a non-factor starting in '79 when Borg dismissed him & McEnroe & Lendl were pushing him aside! People thought he was done; I said the same about Roger = when making major final after major final in '14-15! Who really saw '17 coming w/ Fedal taking back the tour, Djokoray dropping precipitously, & the Next Gen making their move; esp. Sasha @ this X owning 3 Masters!
***At least the dom. of Fedal is < overwhelming as last yr, that's for sure.***
I didn't think Roger could defend all those titles like Nole did a few X's! Taking AO & the 1st 2 Masters is tough; repeating requires superhuman effort = w/ a weak Top 10! Make no bones about it, it's weak; esp. w/ Fedal leading the way after so many yrs!
***So the bizarre "#1 contest" btw the Big 2 of '18 continues. The one who does nothing but rests in his armchair gains #1; this X Roger after Rafa losing in Madrid. Fed could enjoy his #1 status until Halle/Wimby where he has 2 wins to defend where Nadal can do nothing but wait for the grass king to slip & hand him that bizarre #1 back. Strange X's in tennis or an indication that old 30y+ champ bodies need longer rests to maximize their potential on avg.***
This is really unprecedented success in so many ways! Back in the day, it just wasn't done to take X off; if injured you were probably "done!" The Haas story is all too common w/ a player trying to repeatedly come back from injury & it just doesn't work! It's amazing Del Po is hanging in there, but to me it just proves how weak this Top 10 is t/b led by Fedal after all these yrs! Now we have Nole trying the same thing & it's just not working for him! The big ?? is will Murray & Wawrinka be another stat?
***Its called being #1 by default. I will channel my inner Fiero, but the Fedal #1 baton-passing has as much to do w/ their sustained >ness as it does w/ the pussyassness of the younger gens. No one has stepped up to claim it; yet.
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...Either the young guns are pussies or there are so many potential greats that they're neutralizing each other.***
Both! I look back decades & we had our share of gut< wonders, but @ the X we gave more credence to the omnipotence of the player like Borg over pigeons like The Bagel Twins (Solomon & Dibbs) & Gerulaitis! The same dynamics went on w/ Borg & Connors to some extent winning most of the major titles played, but nothing like it is now w/ more than adequate players whose only impediment is what's btw the ears & not in their abilities on the court!
***It seems that Rafa & Roger are approaching some kind of rec. as to # of X's they changed hands @ 1 & 2. Yet another "tandem" record?***
***Raonic & Chung are injured.***
ReplyDeleteThe way they're playing these days "all out," w/ the ball traveling over 100 MPH may have a lot to do w/ it! Back in the day, sure there were injuries, but it didn't have much to do w/ "overplaying" the ball/shots! It had to do more w/ stress put on the arm & tennis rackets lit'l more than sticks! Players weren't as fit either w/ beer guts; esp. in dubs! Now everyone is lean, has a team of assistance, endorse mngt., but they're all breaking down anyway! I've already stopped watching the women; not too long before all the geezers I know w/b leaving the men's ranks, but I've been impressed somewhat by the "Next Gen" of Zverev, Thiem, & Chung!
***...Novak has won 7 matches vs Rafa in a row; done it twice.***
During that 2nd run of 7 matches, Nole wasn't = losing sets to Rafa! He got lit'l credit for doing it since Nadal was in a rut & dropping matches to other players under usual circumstances like on clay, w/ leads, or/& w/ MP's! Dropping that USO to Fabio is still making me SMH since Rafa was up 2-0 & preceded to lose the next 3 on HC!
***You do make the pt. that '15 was a nadir for Nadal. Exactly about Fabio. SMH. Everyone & his grandmother was beating Nadal in '15.***
It's the reason Nadal shouldn't ever be considered anywhere near "GOAT-dom" seeing as he either breaks down or loses his edge after a great season! His best chance to have a longer successful run was 2010-11 but for Nole outdoing him in all those finals & dominating the tour! His '13, like '08 gave him similar chances, but he couldn't stay on the court longer than a yr. & a 1/2; hence him scratchin' to this day to get >er on the cons. wks @ #1's list!
***"Anywhere near GOAT-dom?" I think he is VERY near GOATness. Sampras was the GOAT not that long ago, and Rafa is 2 Majors past him. If you want to hold his injury issues against him, knock yourself out. Another way to look at it is that, despite his injury issues, he's surpassed a lot of records, dominated Roger and held his own against his personal closest rival, Novak.***
Here we go again! I thought the consensus was that Nadal's the "clay GOAT" & nothing more since his career wasn't balanced in the least! I give more credit to Nole who's falling behind Rafa every day wallowing in mediocrity, but has records Nadal will never touch! Sampras won 7 Wimbl. & 5 USO's; again Nadal will never come close to surpassing that no matter how many more titles he acquires in the next 2 yrs! He can go to 20 majors, but if 14 are @ the FO, I'm not as impressed as w/ Roger who's success was spread around with 8+ Wimbl. & 5 USO's! This isn't going to change & people need to get this to sink into their collective skulls! There are diff. levels of success & Nadal's fallen woefully short w/ only 7 of his major wins outside of FO so far!
***I don't understand how balanced you think Sampras' rec. was w/o a FO or = a quality run there. I also don't understand how you call Nadal's accomplishments falling "woefully" short. I thought you took the long-view on tennis.***
Everyone has shortcomings @ 1 or 2 of the majors; Nadal's had minor & major problems @ 3! All the top players have a tourney that eludes them like Borg in NY, Sampras in Paris, & Lendl @ Wimbl.! They're still ahead of Rafa who's had trouble @ 3 of the majors & continues to not have the consistency of any other champion breaking down all too often! Lendl @ least survived into the 2nd wk. of Wimbl. yr. in and yr. out! Rafa's rec. is getting worse! I'm still wondering what his problem c/b "down under" since it's early in the season and holding only 1 title?
***I know how great Nole was, but he currently stinks & w/b roadkill for Federer. The opposite was true @ certain pts in their matchup, particularly '13 when Nole got 2 gimme wins @ the end of the yr.***
ReplyDeleteYou could say Nole was down quite a bit after being pret' near perfect in '11 thru the spring of '12! After beating Rafa 7 str. X's including major wins over him @ Wimbl., USO, & AO, something had to give! Nole started showing kinks in his armor! Roger acquired a Wimbl. & received Silver medal from Olympic run, dropping final to Murray! Rafa reasserted himself in '13 w/ Nole salvaging his season; 4th AO & 3rd in a row! Nole was so down he acquired a new coach in Becker! Their tenure together was not looking good until Wimbl. in '14 where Nole finally "got it back" overtaking Fedal for #1 again & reigned supreme until the very last wk. of '16! He had completed his Nole-Slam & again, something had to give; esp. w/ the tumult of Nole personal life behind the scenes! Not everyone can come back "from the dead" like Fedal the last 2 seasons! I'm not going to pretend to know where Nole's future is going @ this pt! I missed his win over Kei earlier this wk. in Madrid, but = if tired, it had to give us hope until going down in flames to Edmund the next day! Will Nole get a WC into every tourney just to get @ least 1 match in per wk?
***Novak beating RBA is tech. an upset being seeded >er @ #13 to Nole's #20.***
Up to recently, any match won by Nole was an upset! His heart just didn't seem t/b in it @ X's; heaven knows he wasn't scaring anyone until Rome! I was rather impressed by his effort vs Nadal & pushed him around quite a bit! He wasn't going to win, but I'm hopeful for the future & look forward to his advancing in Paris! He has his pigeons & rarely loses to them, but this isn't the same Djokovic! It's looking good for him in the next Rd., but that's why they call them upsets!
***Darth has warned us all about the so called baby Fed. Maybe it's X to remove that name b/c Grigor isnt worthy.***
Well IMO, Grigor's still "Baby Fed;" more to do w/ style, not the performance! If I don't have my glasses on & look up @ the screen, I wouldn't be able to tell the diff. btw Fed & Grigor due to the exact impersonation being done by him! When learning the game, that's how I trained; using the style of a person I enjoyed watching! I = went to Wade's odd service motion for a while after she won Wimbl. back in '77! I had a pretty good serve already, so fooling around w/ it a lit'l didn't hurt! Used many diff. players 'games' from the men & women's tours including hitting the service toss on the way up like Tanner! Grigor has taken it to another level where he's = modeled his gait around the court to Roger's!
***I try to stay away from the random gossip. ...I try to keep it mostly about the tennis. W/ Djokovic, it has been hard, as the last 2 yrs have been so mysterious, unexplainable. So, yeah, folks do look for other explanations. Even Novak himself has opened up the door that there was "personal" stuff.***
It's nothing new to the men's tour! We make this out t/b a once in a lifeX occurrence! I don't look for these stories either, but every once in a while it bleeds into a tennis telecast because it can't be overlooked! At the top of the list had t/b Nole & his possible entanglements outside his marriage, bringing a love guru in to make it all better! This has been "some fall from grace" by the top player at the X! Smaller incidents were revealed recently w/ Stan W. & Deliciamo L. who w/i months of their marriages are catting around the world! Is 11 months a rec. in how short a marriage lasted w/ Everts' to Norman ending after 15 months?
***...Hamburg & Madrid. I don't think there's another one.***
ReplyDeleteThey're practically the same event IMO; changing status, surface, & period in the sched. for yrs! Hamburg actually was a Masters 1000 event before being relegated to 500 level! Madrid was +ed in '02, played concurrently w/ Hamburg as M1000 before taking the place of the German Open; both being BO5 until the last decade! That was another reason Roger hasn't won these events more! The finals were long & quite comp. most of the X, but Nadal took most of them after becoming the clay GOAT in '05!
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...I group Murray w/ the Big 4, but in name only! He really only snuck up on the most vulnerable of the group winning his majors @ Wimbl. & the USO over Nole! Andy's had opportunities, but has been embarrassed by the oldest on grass 2 or 3 X's! It goes w/o saying Nadal's owned him; esp. on clay!
***You regard Djokovic as the most vulnerable of the group & the easiest to beat in a Slam final?***
Yes, Nole was the most vulnerable of the Big 3; DUH! As much as I prefer him over the others @ this X, he's made his life more diff. than it had t/b in too many matches to count! No lead is safe; = if he completes the deal, it's predictable how a match will turn out in the end! In '11 @ the USO, I said to people in the room, Nole will brk & serve for it in the 3rd, but'll find a way to blow it & need a 4th! Sure enough that's exactly what happed in a TB! It was the same thing @ Wimbledon in '14; up 2 breaks serving for it in the 4th & having MP, but still lost a TB & needed a 5th! Do I need to remind people of '12 AO in a final that went 5:53 & 5 sets! Nole was serving for it again in the 4th, Nadal found a way to take a lead in the 5th before giving it back the Serb making that 7 str. losses! Nole also allowed Stan W. to sneak up on him @ 3 majors he prob. should have counted as his own; AO '14, '15 FO, & USO '16! Stan just didn't have the success vs the others; esp. Roger who humiliated him again & again!
***Indeed if Novak didnt give Slams to Stan & Murray, he whh 16/17 Slams by the start of '17. He whh the same amount of Slams as Fed in the beginning of the yr. And yeah, he was the most vulnerable - Fedal lost only 1 Slam final to non-ATG players - '09 USO & '14 AO; meanwhile Novak lost too many.
---
I know this topic is beaten to death:
A. If you're going by career achievements, overall dominance & place among ATGs, then its definitely "only" a big 3. Murray's best 12 month stretch was 2 slams btw the '12 USO & '13 Wimbl., while Fed, Rafa & Nole have all won 2+ slams in a single CY 3+ X's in their career. Also Fedalovic all have 47+ "big titles," 4+ YE #1's, 12+ slams, CS, 28+ Masters, 180+ wks @ #1 X 3 slam yrs, so yea it ain't close in this perspective.
B. If we're talking about this gen. then yes I say its fair to consider it a Big 4 as they've been the 4 best players in their gen. And most of all, this B4 was created around '08 when Nole & Murray were still wayyyyy behind Rafa & Rog, but were clearly >er than the rest. The >est diff. was Nole post-'11 that sets Murray below the rest, but overall, they've consistently been the 4 best players in the world for like 10 yrs str. (@ majors, WTFs, Olympics, Masters, world ranking, etc)
Therefore, it depends on whether you're looking @ "A" or "B" that determines whether you consider them as a Big 3 or 4
---
In a sense, Wawrinka has confused things by winning the same number of slams as Murray - but he is clearly not in the same league career-wise (he being below Hewitt/Nastase/Smith, all of whom have won fewer slams than him, whereas Murray is arguably above Courier/Vilas, who have more slams than him).***
Raonic's a pretty dangerous lower seed that did beat Roger in Brisbane 2 yrs ago! Fed barely made it thru today vs Kyrgios in Stuttgart; m/b vulnerable to the big serving of Milos! He should have taken back the #1 ranking just in X for Wimbl., but it'll all come down to QUEENS which is thought t/b the toughest draw in their history!
ReplyDelete***Here we go w/ grass court speeds. ...I want it hot & dry, gladiator-style.***
Borg obviously proved if one had the nerve, heart, & stamina, he could overcome the worst of it with choppy, fast, and unpredictable grass of the old days! He had to deal with some of the best on grass and he survived; HELL he destroyed taking 5 in a row! Only been done a handful of times going back to Pre-Open era! I miss those days; wasn't as much a war as a chess match at times with the best of the world! People think it's the serve and being able to pound out as many aces as possible! Back in '76, John Feaver of Australia spiked 50 in the 2nd round and he still lost to countryman #10 seed, John Newcombe in 5! Those were the days of true grit and determination due to the surface being so volatile; esp. if dry one day and slippery the next!
***...Bartoli revealed in an interview that her eating disorder developed as a result of an abusive relationship w/ her BF @ the X. She did also catch a virus, which weakened her condition, but that was later.
---
...more simply: anorexia / bulimia***
Back in the day I used to wonder how any tennis player c/b tech. out of shape, but it was all too common; esp. on the lady's tour! IIRC Richard Krajicek insulted them by saying "80% of them were big, fat pigs!" After reflection, thinking he'd "pull back," he really only revised the # saying, "ok; 75%!" There were a few players w/ eating disorders & you could see they were battling wt. issues; Bartoli was one of them & she was fortunate to have enough talent to overcome this issue in '13 by winning Wimbl.! Wimbl. '90 Finalist Zina Garrison confessed to an eating disorder later on! There was also allegations of her fiancé/husband being abusive due to wt. issues!
***I have a feeling that Nadal could pulverize the Austrian Sun. in Paris like he did last yr.***
Logic tells me the same, but if Thiem can steal the 1st set, I'll give him a chance! He'll really need to play a lot like Schwartzman & go for broke! He has to keep up the pressure, have good depth of shot, & cut off weak shots @ the net to close out pts sooner! It's like today's players are on auto-pilot & refuse to do the least lit'l thing outside of their comfort zone figuring "I need to stay w/i myself!" Idiotic; which is why "the also rans" of this gen. have only been fodder/pigeons for Fedalovic the last 12+ yrs!
***...The ?? of course is if Thiem has the lead - can he close it out or will he choke?***
I'm praying for an upset! Funny, = if Dom wins, his ranking remains @ #7 the last X I looked! Not sure I can recall someone outside the top 3 winning a major, but the ranking staying static; @ #7 of all things!
***...destroyed Zverev in the QF. Thiem's the next champion @ RG.***
Sasha had worn himself out winning another Masters & then going 5 sets 3 X's in Paris! His stamina is an issue; maybe not in just one match, but over a period of X that obviously takes it's toll!
***Nadal's been the "POY" this season; 2 Masters titles + RG?***
The same chb said about Novak in '16; held 2 majors, was a finalist in a 3rd, & captured 4 Masters! ATM w/o looking @ the rankings, if Fed repeats @ Wimbl., he still only has to make up about 100 pts btw now & the USO!
***...Just like when you cons attempted to ruin The Dixie Chicks career? Roseanne's been cancelled due to ignorant comment on Jarrett.***
ReplyDeleteThe country truly was done morally when that shit kicked off w/ relent< attacks on anyone who dared criticize "W!" The Rep. party lost their souls about then after 911, who would do & say anything to stay in power! They wanted the people on their side & used that disaster as a Kudgel to beat people over the head w/ & divide us like @ no other X; "until now of course!" Reps have always blown up molehills into mountains, but Trump has taken it to a new level where people actually have to fear for their fk'n lives b/c of the ignorant things said by this man! He's such a despicable human being who continues to undermine every institution to deflect his own troubles & crimes! Impeachment is inevitable!
***...Well, Roseanne combined the "Planet Of The Apes" reference w/ "Muslim Brotherhood" so let's not pretend that this wasn't racist j/b someone compared Dubya to a chimp. It takes a special kind of racist defensiveness to pretend that there's some =alence here. You know - that defensiveness that says un< you say "nigger," it's not nec. racist; someX's not = then.***
IDK why anyone s/b surprised? Trump's given license to say & do just about anything! When you can go yrs making out Obama's some traitorous, chip off his Kenyan father's block, call Mexicans rapists & thugs, & openly discriminate vs the Muslim people, it can only get worse w/ him being the ex. of what it means t/b an American! Roseanne re-boot depicted the plight of a lot of people in this sad & pathetic country! Pols playing games w/ our lives when there's no need t/b in this state of hyper-partisanship! It's not doing the country any good & it's embarrassing us in the eyes of the world; esp. w/ Mr. Twitter on a constant "rant!" The truly sad thing is the support not how awful he is to people & the office he holds! You can't blame the crazy person, but I can call his handlers & FANS on the carpet as being evil as FK!
***Trump's fault. What would you do w/o him?***
Just like everything's Hillary's fault = though she didn't win! Imbeciles! Trump invokes Obama & the Dems everyX he needs a scapegoat! This charade will continue to the day the Dems impeach his corrupt ass next yr.!
***Roseanne Barred.***
W/ cons, it's only fair if a liberal is the one being punished! I remember the days of Hannity & O'Reilly calling for "boycotts" of TV Hosts & other artists for indecent language / lyrics! Bill's out & Sean's on life-support due to being sued for abusing the Rich family & the murder of their kid!
***I liked when Anderson Cooper came out. There was a collective sigh of "and?" ��***
I'm shocked cons haven't gone all out to try & undermine CNN for having 2 gay men running the prime X newscasts! Anderson does his thing for a 2 hrs, then passes the baton to Don Lemon! Who would have thought it a few yrs ago?
***Kamala Harris is asking some ??'s about the children being separated from their parents.***
This is why we've been going thru this shit for as long as I can remember! We say we don't like illegal immigration, but all concerned knows the prices of produce, clothing, childcare, & so much more would increase exponentially! We blame them for job losses, but how many really want to do that "brk'n back" grunt work? Even welfare recipients would rather sit @ home! The economy begins to sag when we're oppressive sending everyone away when they're paying taxes & contributing to society! We're such hypocritical, insane a-holes to listen to Trump & Sessions on anything!
Trump said he can "pardon" himself = though it's not illegal to collude w/ the Russians since they were colluding w/ him! He decides as President what's against the law! Circular logic; the "Rep. way!"
ReplyDelete***...The only statement lacking credibility given you haven't argued any of the 3000+ statements is your own...***
It's all about the shiny object w/ Reps! While looking for credit for doing their jobs, they ignore deficiencies in other areas! It's a pathetic deflection tech. that has been abused for any & everything pol.! It has t/b used as fodder making the other side look bad or put them in an unflattering light! Trump couldn't help that dig at Obama, but what else is new? Just wait until the next few Presidents who'll use Trump as a barometer of corruptness in gov't for gens to come! He has no idea, but that w/b his legacy; his family using the OVAL Office as a cash register! It's been obscene!
***...Too bad about the rape accusations, but at least Bill's progressive!***
Pls leave that old man alone! Some m/b truly desp. to take the heat off Trump & to do serious deflecting when his crimes vs society are presently going on while TROLLS are trying to hang Clinton after 20 yrs! Spare us all the indignations, recriminations, & willingness to "grandfather" BILL into "me too!" Monica made out ok, her family's rich so she's not starving, & if she didn't want t/b remembered this way for all X, m/b she might have left this guy alone since he's married! He didn't pick her up off the street for Gawdsake! It's always the guy's fault = though a lot of X it's the woman doing the pursuing & manipulating of the situation! I'll take Clinton's tenure in the WH over Trump's anyX!
***Meanwhile Obama trades terrorists for traitors.***
...When the history books are thru w/ Trump & his morally bankrupt admin., Obama will've angel wings in comparison! Under his resume he'll have the signing of the ACA, the Nobel Peace Prize, & obviously being 1st minority President of the country! What'll Trump be known for outside of porn stars, shady business dealings while in office, possible collusion w/ foreign gov'ts, officials of his campaign & intel dept. being indicted & convicted of crimes, & on & on & on? Just keep Benghazi, Hillary's emails, & Comey alive & on the tip of your tongue & you'll be soothed for a lit'l while longer I guess!
***Cohen Prosecutors to Get Seized Phone Data by Wed. U.S. prosec. in Manhattan will get a vast array of data seized from 3 phones belonging to Prez Trump’s personal lawyer Michael Cohen. ...1M items taken from the phones haven’t been designated privileged or highly personal & subject to a final verification w/b released to the gov't.***
Most of Cohen's illegal dalliances w/b local & I expected SDNY to handle most of them! Mueller will get Cohen on some of his dealings abroad; making secret trips surreptitiously going thru other countries to avoid a rec. of him visiting in Eastern Europe!
***American land developers are probably waiting for prices of quality Puerto Rican land to drop so they can nab it cheap & develop it for high profit yields.***
It's enough that Obama was ready to restructure "PR's" debt! The storm just gave Trump an excuse to undermine the real tragedy down there & cut them off since things seem so hopel< down there! I can still see that idiot throwing paper towels to the people like that w/b enough for them to salvage their homes, get the power grid back up, & open a hospital! All those deaths & no one really seems to know or care!
Trump has no shame & Reps have followed suit! ...Obama's being punished to this day over "you can keep your own doctor" w/ the ACA, but Trump, his minions, & con. media can play the victim when they're the ones who've let this become +er than it should've! Fox & others who can sit there w/ a str. face saying "all Trump said about the sleazy FBI & JD. is right & we can't take them seriously any more!" ... Benghazi will = come up w/ losers like Trey Gowdy! As smart as he is really, he looks like a fool continuing his rant over her & the appearance that she got away w/ something!
ReplyDelete***Mex. kids held for mos. as punishment for border-crossing.***
Reps are FOS as usual; trying to make criminals out of civil acts that have gone on for decades! Blaming the Dems for holding up funding to keep the families together is just +ed to the Trump LIE column which is wrapped around the throats of all Reps who feel compelled to back his every action! That's what's so hypocritical about these Rep. a-holes; always talking about family, God, & expanding democracy, but fault these people who are literally running for their lies! Asking for political asylum isn't a crime, but Sessions is trying to equate them in this circumstances w/ Mexico! His racist ass will receive justice sooner rather than later; SCUM sucking hillbilly!
***That's what I think about a whole region that vote as a block, no matter how disgusting the candidate! Moore almost won in AL. & that highlights everything I've been saying about these degenerates on the "right!" They're all sick in head as far as I'm concerned; take offense, I couldn't give a fk! These people are ruining the country the way they thought Obama was doing, but the rest of the world liked and respected us then! That's no longer the case w/ Trump being an Int'l moron!
---
Both the tax cuts & reg. rollbacks have had no effect on the economy.***
So far! It took a while for "W" to fk up the economy w/ 2 tax cuts & starting 2 wars on the cheap! Just give Trump X; tariffs, termination of treaties, & insulting the G-7! It's only a matter of X; we'll all be fk'd! THE blame w/b shifted just like they always do; nothing's ever their fault! A-Holes!
***Don't get me wrong. I'm crossing my fingers that the damage isn't too bad. My pt. is that no matter how much the righties try to claim that the tax cuts & reg. rollbacks have helped the economy, there's no evidence of it.***
When have they cared about facts, proof, or = the truth smackin' them in face? After 7 Congressional investigations into Benghazi, run by them BTW, they're still bitchin' about Hillary, her emails, & the CGI! These people are so fk'd up in the head I can't stand it! I'm just glad I'm old & won't have to deal w/ this nonsense for much longer!
***I guess you missed all of those vids of Dems expressing support for Rep. issue policies when they thought they were Obama’s.***
That's the sick thing about fk'n Reps, = if the Dems actually coop their ideas or compromise, they're beaten over the head in some way w/ that same comity! I can still hear some "on the right" who railed against Obama for his immigration policy, or lack thereof, but @ the same X would put Dems on the defensive saying "he's sent back more 'illegals' than any President before him!" Obama couldn't fk'n win w/ these people! If a Dem jaywalks, he's not worthy of life, but these same people support & elect scum who are child molesters, white nationalists, & are openly hostile to free speech, the media, Muslims, & Mexicans! When the tariff wars send the economy into a tailspin, Trump & the rest will blame Obama just like "W" w/ Bill who turned over great situations to American life! Good luck to us all if we can truly survive this reign of terror & incompetence!
***The border crossers are refugees, many being turned away from ports of entry before they can legally claim refugee status. They should have their day in court.***
ReplyDeleteIt makes no diff. if these people are being shot @ while trying to make it here, Trump stands there & pts for them to go back! It's amazing how I haven't heard much in the cost of this ridiculous exercise! We of course feel this is traumatic to the psyches of these kids being separated from their parents, but then they become wards of the state while we spend more $$ housing their moms in prisons for a civil offense! Murderers are given more deference! The Trump-sters have t/b beaten over the head w/ news saying how reprehensible they are to support something like this! Yrs down the line after they've grown, we can only hope not into dysfunctional human beings! Some will look back @ this being a defining moment in their development! Media anchors were crying last nite; Trump broke today, but he's still passing the buck making out it's all the Dem's fault!
***Everybody wants immigration reform.***
Everybody but Congress or they would have dealt w/ this during the admin. of "W" when he had all 3 branches of the gov't under Rep. control! They don't want to get this done! He made a proposal & McConnell shot it down! Heaven knows they weren't going to do it under Obama; & so this BS continues, only giving lip service to actually getting a bill passed!
***I seriously am wondering what recently happened that caused this to go from a tolerable state of affairs that was widely ignored to top priority intolerable state of affairs. Was there a policy change last wk. that suddenly made things worse?***
Unfortunately this country has plenty of dimwits w/ so much going on, they can't seem to allow the info to pass thru w/o pictures! I well knew this was going t/b a disaster way back when Trump initiated this "NO Tolerance" ban! Of course what put us = @ that pt. was what he did last yr. making the courts "smack him around!" He's so busy trying to overturn Obama's EO's that he doesn't take X to find out the repercussions! He railed about it all today; the case being overruled by a judge! Trump of course is the victim, it inconveniences him! What a DICK!
***B/c our pop. is small in Canada, it was recognized that immigration was nec. to help economic growth.***
It was the same for the US; pretty much open borders b/c we needed the people! There was nothing magnanimous about allowing anyone & everyone to move here t/b a part of this colossal melting pot! Unfortunately, = though the policy was successful, there are those inbreds, mostly in the SOUTH who think themselves superior to all others & want to blow up any bridge when it comes to the outside world! They're narrowminded twits who don't have a leg to stand on; putting all their reasoning into being such bigots by invoking MS-13 of all things! Further making us all look back is Trump's Jihad vs Muslims pretty much making a referendum vs anyone entering the country who ain't as white as the driven snow! The plight of PR proves all you need to know! W/o the pics & info saying how bad it is there, we've all forgotten about those poor people! We're supposed t/b responsible for them as they're a territory & actually have voting rights in the primary, but Trump hasn't brought them up since throwing those paper towels to the crowd way back when!
***Oh right. Wasting $$ enforcing the law.***
This is a like a traffic or parking offense I heard of some b-ball player recently where it ended up in 4 cops & the guy getting tasered! That's a waste too, but it happens every fk'n day somewhere in the US!
***Trump’s Lies vs. Obama’s
ReplyDelete- https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/12/14/opinion/sunday/trump-lies-obama-who-is-worse.html -***
I think it's Trump's goal t/b remembered as president no matter the cost or embarrassment! What >er way for this orangutan to make history than t/b the biggest sociopathic & pathological liar in the history of this country! As Charlie Sheen might say; "WINNING?"
***I really don't care that Sarah Sanders was "shamed" this wkend & asked to leave a restaurant.***
Reps love playing the victim; all of 'em are FOS! They own it all; the presidency, Congress, The SC, & gov. across the country! If things are going well, they s/b happy & toot their own horn! If things are as shitty as they love to tell us, take responsibility! S.S. can KMA; her & her whole retched family (father included)!
...We have a president & minions going out of their way to divide the country in 1/2 & they're succeeding more & more every day!
The delusional side of the country ignore cooperating witnesses, guilty pleas, & Trump's own attorney getting raided & his files confiscated!
Reps need to hyphenate their names w/ "hypocrite" since it's ok for them t/b belligerent & "people of conscience" when there's an issue! The other side needs to stfu & sit down I guess! ...Compromise was a dirty word when Reid & Pelosi were running the show! McConnell & Ryan have done it their way & gotten "nothing" done!
***It’s sickening that SGS's father, supposedly a man of the cloth whose job includes teaching about the 10Cs, bore false witness by alleging that the restaurant owner followed her to the [nonexistent] restaurant across the street.***
Reps & cons can rationalize "needing" to tell a lit'l "white lie" to get people's attn.! Of course Huckabee's as FOS as his daughter & Trump & he's w/o a doubt one of the most disgusting of A-holes since he's supposed t/b so "w/ GOD!"
***This is not just about Sanders having a diff. political view than the people serving her. This is about her being Trump's Goebbels. When the President is giving orders to put children into interment camps, everyone w/ any moral fiber @ all has to stand up & say NO as loudly & clearly as possible. That includes telling his minions who are "just following orders" that they are immoral & you'll not assoc. w/ them.***
I keep saying, don't blame the crazy person; put it on the enablers & supporters! We love to blame the clue< leader concerning the mess created when it's the lieutenants that s/b held just as responsible! All are complicit in some way in doing Trump's dirty work saying, "I was only following orders!" Hmmm, where have I heard that before?
...so called Blue Dog Dems were bigots & racists who couldn't stand = rights & protections for all! They shamed themselves & their party, but they got over it after going to the dark side! Now look @ them; Trump might hold a KKK rally on the WH lawns & burn a cross to make sure it's memorable!
ReplyDelete***Most of the Dixiecrats went back to the Dem party where they remained for life. They're still racist. That's why prominent Black cons are objects of scorn for Dems. They're pissed that they don't own them.
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Sarah Huckabee Sanders was not harmed, just embarrassed when thrown out of that Red Hen restaurant. But the person she represents is harming people w/ policies she defends- that justifies refusing to serve her in the restaurant.***
I'll save my tears for the truly maligned & downtrodden in this ever turning retched society! Any condoning of the Trump admin. policy of hate & discrimination only drags the country further into the sewer due to the leadership going out of their way to divide & conquer! I'll allow you to "cry a river" for Huck-Sanders as she's embarrassing herself by going out there to a "Nat'l Podium" lying to the people on a daily basis!
Well Trump can take responsibility for coarsening the dialogue w/ his constant refrain of name calling & indicting anyone who displeases him! If people can't be civil, don't blame anyone else but yourselves when your gut< leader attacks our very institution of democracy trying to deflect his own despicable complicity in this vile cover-up of Russian intrigue!
***...The owner of the restaurant shouldn't have told Sarah to leave the restaurant.***
All true, but Sarah should know >er than to believe she can go into that press room in DC everyday & lie to the American people! She's supposed t/b the mouthpiece of the president so most expect untruths, but I have lit'l to no sympathy for the woman! She's so Gawd-fearing, but thinks nothing of lying thru her teeth about everything; the admin., her personal victimhood, & Trump's handling of his job! It's a wonder all concerned can still put up this front of "nothing to see here" when the noose is tightening around all their necks! Manafort's already locked up for witness tampering & w/b prosecuted for $$ laundering more than likely! Flynn's making more news by being made to continue his coop., postponing his sentencing yet again! Papadopoulos was probably a mole working right under Trump's nose & has spilled his guts to Mueller! Gates is also saving $$ by pleading guilty & testifying vs his bud & partner Paul M.! I'm not sure people care too much about Sarah's bad outing to an eatery w/ her family! At least they're all still together; others confined crossing the border had theirs ripped from them & are lost in "the system!"
***It sounds like Sec. Pruitt's scandals are enough to last an admin. thru 2 terms & yet, he's still in office. There isn't = a rumor that Trump'll fire him & Congress isn't really doing anything. It's mind-boggling.***
Replacing any of these hacks appointed by Trump w/b a real chore since no one wants to fill the openings there are currently! Just like the AG post's locked up for as long as Sessions takes his weekly beatings from his boss, the Senate is loathed to = attempt holding hearings since the candidates sent up have embarrassed all concerned so far! Many can't answer the most basic of ??'s concerning the job they're being appointed to & Congress is being dragged down more & more trying to deal w/ the situation! Railroading the bench w/ shady & beholden judges c/b done under a cloak of darkness & secrecy! The next gen. is going to pay for their apathy this last election! Their civil rights w/b peeled away lit'l by lit'l! "Good luck suckers!"
There were yrs of futility w/ Fed unable to brk thru Djokovic's defenses; even on grass twice ('14,'15) where he shb favored! ...All 3 of Fedalovic are deficient @ 1 of the majors w/ Nadal being nipped again & again in AO finals since '12! It was a fantasy w/ Fedal being lit'l more than a marketing RIVALRY, all of us being conned into making excuses for Roger by saying Nadal was stealing some of their matches w/ his gamesmanship! This new Roger has "been on a tear," knocking Rafa off sev. X's in a row!
ReplyDelete***Why didn't dull play Queens?***
Scared! It's a mental thing on grass w/ him! Rafa should skip this part of the season like Roger does w/ spring on clay!
***Once Rafa scoops up all the clay pts & bites the Coupe des Mousquetaires, his basic mission for the yr is over.***
...For whatever reason, he becomes satisfied after winning the clay season & collecting another FO title! He winds up coasting the rest of the way like no other TOP player I can recall! He may have seriously tried to win a few summer HC Masters & the USO, but it could j/b happenstance! His YEC campaigns have been a waste of a flight! At Wimbl. I'm now accustomed to him going out early; esp. after that 2nd Rd loss to Rosol in '12! His only decent run since '11 was in '14 getting to the 4th RD losing to a newbie @ the X; Kyrgios! I'm starting to think it truly is mental since the grass is so homog'd & isn't what it was for baseliners from the past like when Borg & Lendl had to play on it!
I think Rafa's results in comparison to Fed & Djokovic are a joke! How many X's do I have to say Nadal's wins weren't balanced where most of his titles are on clay! I don't begrudge him his status except to say Roger & Nole have accomplished more off the dirt by a huge margin! It's evidenced by how many YEC titles they each possess while Nadal's been only lucky to make a final or 2! Why's that so hard to sink in for you?
***Novak fans are the 1's w/ the inferiority complex, who for yrs couldn't accept that Novak wasn't as good as the other 2, & once he finally dom., they wanted to rush him to a historical pedestal he hadn't yet earned. Novak fans are also particularly insecure about ??'s of popularity & marketability.***
Nole's never been in the discussion, = when he was owning it like no other for a 2 seasons! Like Navratilova before him as a reigning #1, the advertising $$'s & adoration went somewhere else; mostly to Evert! There was no mistaking it & few had any illusions of why it was happening! Fedal was coined making it easier to bring in fans who didn't play the game; putting them up on a pedestal before they actually earned it as well! Their rivalry was supposed t/b the talk of legend = though Roger was scratching to beat Rafa on grass! I got caught up in it too; actually helping to make excuses for Roger not winning a match! Rafa made for an easy target w/ a hideously ugly game, gaming his opps since he was a kid, made the world play @ his speed, & to this day prob. feels no shame in matches he may have actually stolen 1 way or another!
Djokovic has a winning rec. over Fedal IIRC & got them in their prime when they owned the tour! Nole, like Lendl before him had to overcome the likes of Borg, McEnroe, Connors, Becker, Edberg, & Wilander, & never got or will get the love! He's more settled & happy more than likely, so that hunger may have left him for the X being! ...Owning the Nole-Slam sets him apart = though he'll prob. wind up short in MAJORS! I can't imagine why I'd have an inferiority complex as evidenced by Homage to the Serb listed in the signature! I'm quite proud of him & will help to keep him in the discussion if only vicariously close to the inevitable GOATS! End RANT!
***Did you see Fed's supposedly amazing FH go missing when it was critical. Did you see the pt. he was broken on & the MP he lost.***
ReplyDeleteThat FH c/b wild @ X's! Roger had more than a few wayward FH today under lit'l or no pressure! Paire really stretched him & had 2 MP's when he had never taken a set off Fed before today! I see Roger as being a lit'l vulnerable @ Wimbl. although favored! I've lit'l faith about him being able to sustain that level of play from last season; hence my early prediction that he wouldn't repeat @ the earliest Masters in March! ...Roger has X to get it together, but his play today won't beat big servers OTTH like Kyrgios, Isner, or Querrey!
***I'm offering no excuses for the '08 Wimbl. loss of Federer to Nadal.***
Not sure, but maybe it all balances out! Roger was able to literally steal a Wimbl. title in '09! He said later that he had counted himself out, down a set & X set pts vs him in the 2nd! But for the shakiest TB loss ever by Roddick who literally donated the match that was his for the taking! He had @ least 4 cons. set pts w/ a high BH volley @ the net to close it out! Even after blowing a bunch of other chances, he was still in it until the last; not dropping service until the final game in the 5th (14-16)!
***I always felt that way. Poor Andy; Roger really mugged him off w/ that one. - I would prefer the balance coming the other way (i.e., Roger winning in '08 & losing in '09).***
I don't like either option, but we needed Roger to get those FO & Wimbl. titles in '09 to save us from the reign of Nadal as #1! As I like to think, it all balances out w/ Karrna giving Del Po the will & ability to blitz Nadal in the SF & come back from the dead in the Final vs Roger @ the '09 USO stopping his run of 5 str. titles! The balance restored vicariously thru fate!
***...Well maybe age's starting t/b a factor; Fed can’t win forever.***
I'd love for the "Next Gen" to finally brk thru; w/b very nice! Some may have laughed @ past eras where 1 or 2 players dom. like Tilden, Laver, Gonzales, & others; usually attributing their long stretch of wins to it being a weak era a lot of the X! Before OPEN tennis, we just can't be sure of anything w/ the Am. & Pro tours separated until '68! It seems this era is reflecting what was going on all too well; total dom. by 3 players who'll wind up w/ ALL the recs outside of "CYGS!" Nole of course has his own version won back in '16 that sets him apart from Fedal!
***Another decent win by Novak. First final since Eastbourne last yr.***
If he were to complete this comeback; what a hoot & a feather in his cap for Nole to have won b2b grass court events! That was his last victory last season! I doubt we'll ever be able to say that about a certain "Clay GOAT!" He's having enough trouble getting out of the early Rds of Wimbl. the last few yrs vs players ranked outside the top 100!
***What made the diff. in the 3rd vs Cilic in his win over Nole in Queens?***
...Nole was doing his thing, running Cilic back & forth, but his opp. hung in there making some great "gets!" Djokovic usually gets very frustrated when there are these 20+ stroke rallies coming up short! It's how he's always lost finals he should have won like '15 FO & '16 USO's vs Wawrinka & the '12 USO & '16 YEC to Murray! Even the matches won by Nole over these 2 have been excruciating long & it usually happens b/c they match up well, dragging the matches out! It's not like Nole's playing poorly, but Stan & Andy raise their level of play to match him! ...along w/ dealing w/ Fedal would have crushed anyone else, but he's trying to make a comeback! I'll take this effort any day; Cilic just won it more than likely!
***What do you think of Djokovic's Wimbl. draw?***
ReplyDeleteDraw for Djokovic isn't bad = though #12 seed; same section as #7 Thiem who's rife for an upset early w/ those long sweeping strokes! I'm hoping Nole represents & gets @ least to the SF!
***Exactly, Novak got very lucky. Being seeded #12, he could have fallen in Roger's, Cilic's or Rafa's 1/4. ...Actually, if someone got really lucky in this draw, it's Novak. There's no ?? about it.***
Everyone knows about Djokovic's huge wins over Fedal in majors from '10 USO to '15 FO! Along the way there was AO final in '12 that shb wrapped up in 4, but serving for it, he let the game go, then the TB before surviving Rafa's lead in the 5th!
At Wimbl. in '14, Nole's working Roger over & has a 2 brk lead in the 4th to finish off the old man! He not only drops both brks, he loses the TB w/ more MP's before coming back to win the 5th! That was so unnec. wear & tear! Nole might have already surpassed Fedal if not for those lapses to players who s/b no more than his pigeons!
***Serena had more multi-slam rivals, but Steffi had the biggest challenger. So the recs m/b compared as they stand & as they stand, Serena needs 1 more FO to completely seal the issue. Then she'll have 4 titles @ each slam & 2 slams more than Steffi overall.***
Serena can win = more majors, but I have to give The GOAT moniker to Martina who was the more rounded player & accomplished a ton more on the court due to her Doubles prowess! Who else w/b winning majors approaching 50! Serena's trying, but sooner or later her body & X'll catch up w/ her! She never conditioned like Navratilova which allowed her to retire in '94, go into the Tennis HOF, then return to the tour to win more in doubles & complete her "Box Set" by taking AO in '03 w/ Paes! She wrapped it all up by winning her last major in '06 @ the USO w/ Bob Bryan! Who else will ever do that? NOT any of these people we're seeing now; MAN OR WOMAN! They all blew off the opps in dubs except for the few Serena won w/ Venus!
***Overall it's Navratilova. "18" isn't THAT much behind 23, but 41 is way ahead of 16. I know people argue dubs doesn't count, but Navratilova's #'s are ridiculous. Likewise, if we compare overall careers, Serena's already way ahead of Steffi.***
That's justice since Graf shouldn't have anywhere near the #'s she acquired due to a lit'l help from her countryman! A huge asterisk s/b affixed to Graf's recs since we all know Seles was a lit'l more than comp. & would've won some of the majors Graf blithely continued to win while Seles was sidelined!
***Navratilova's conversion rate increased into her late 20's & 30's & yet the vast majority of people are still saying she's a GOAT contender (me too). Graf was basicly done in tennis by the age of 27. At 27, Navratilova was still dom.
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Hingis somehow had Seles # which hurt her badly in her comeback after the stabbing just when Graf had her own miserable slump in '97-98.***
I could never understand why Hingis just owned Seles? Monica could run Navratilova to death w/ their age disparity in the early 90's, Martina Hingis had lit'l to no trouble defeating Seles for some odd reason!
***Me neither. Maybe it was b/c Seles' fave line of attack - into the BH, which worked a treat vs Steffi - opened up Hingis' DTL double hander. And by '97, Seles was already too slow to keep tracking down that shot. Hingis also closed down the net much >er than Steffi. Hingis was a >er rounded player than any of them (or maybe = Serena for that matter), but badly lacked power so her all court prowess amounted to nought once power tennis took hold in the late 90s.***
No player got more out of their game & body w/ nary a misstep besides that '99 FO finale & subsequent Wimbl. upset in the 1st Rd than Hingis!
***"I have more talent in my lit'l finger than Lendl has in his entire body." -- J. McEnroe ('85).***
ReplyDeleteWell his talent got some truly humiliating losses to this Czech reject; esp. @ the end after their '85 USO F. match-up! McEnroe was so gifted that he gave up the 1st set, up a brk @ 5-2 & preceded to give it all back, losing the TB, & was then unceremoniously supplanted as #1 by that DOWER tennis hack from across the pond! Lendl would go on to own both McEnroe & Connors; matches big & small = though more noteworthy in the tennis history bks!
***...Look @ the AO earlier this yr. & Nadal's draw @ the FO. He really was supposed to make the final of AO.***
A balance has to be struck in the tennis universe; IMO neither should make the final! Their literal Redux of '06 last season shouldn't be repeated! The tour's already a joke allowing Fedal to rule things after a decade when their rivalry was coined & reveled in as the best ever! It was truly boring for me w/ the same 2 people, not only winning all major events, but they weren't allowing the rest of the players the scraps of an odd Masters 1000 or 3 to spread around the wealth! All concerned s/b embarrassed b/c it's still going on! The "next gen" have plenty of players w/ the nec. ability, but somehow can't get that one big win in a major!
***Nadal doesn't need to defend all those pts, he just needs to win a similar amt. Perhaps he wins Can. & gets to the finals of Cincy, but fails to win the USO. Perhaps he loses in the final of Beijing, but makes the SF of the WTF. He's also already matched his Wimby result from last yr, so everything from now on is gravy vs last yr.***
It's hard enough to defend the pts of a successful season; Nadal just has to depend on other players to have a small fall off as well! Looking @ Djokovic in '16, he won 2 majors & was a finalist @ a 3rd, but still dropped to #2 in the world after losing 1 match! His '15 was too extraordinary to = attempt to replicate '16, he came close, but still lost his ranking to Murray who won 1 major & somehow acquired the nec. pts in 500 level tourneys to overtake Nole for the top spot that season! Both Fedal have had to defend a lot of pts this yr., but Nadal's more in jeopardy if Fed repeats @ Wimbl.! His Fall isn't as tough to defend! Repeat of '16?
***If Nadal goes to the final of Wimbl., or = the QF, then he's pts up on last yr's already. Add to the fact that he only reached the 3R in Canada, QF in Cinci, I believe he'll probably @ least = them, if not >er. The USO, he's as much a fave as any other player to go all the way, so I'm not too worried about it. ...I think it'll be anyone's guess as to how the next part of the season will go.***
If Nole gets to SF to play Fed, this X it w/b diff. from Wimbl. '14 & '15 b/c he has no pressure of winning #18:
1. He doesn't have pressure of breaking the Wimbl. rec. b/c he already has it @ 8 titles.
2. He doesn't have pressure to break some 5 yr. slam drought as he won #20 @ AO '18.
3. He doesn't have pressure of winning tourn. #100 as it's #99 he's going for.
4. He doesn't have pressure of defending #1 ranking OR regaining #1 ranking by winning Wimbl.
The pressure is OFF. Fed will play freely AND he's got his improved BH w/ an improved BH return that was missing in both '14 & '15. Also no friggin Edberg making him to do stupid shit like SABR & trying to S&V like a clown.
Djoker looked strong, but I'm still not convinced he's back enough to get to the final here. I actually hope I'm wrong b/c Roger does owe him an asskicking here.
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I'd say the pressure is on Fed; Rafa's younger & could easily win another few RG's. The motto is the same; X slams for Roger is nothing if the Nadal hits X or more.***
***The best 12 month span ever goes to Djoker. From Wimbl. '15 til the FO of '16, he won 4 str. slams while posting a gaudy 85-6 rec. This is the best 1 yr. per.
ReplyDelete...'11 Djoker doesn’t make the cut. For 1, he didn’t win the WTF. Fed had 3 diff. yrs in which he won 3 slam titles while also winning the WTF.
'11 wasn’t = Djoker’s best yr. '15 was Djoker’s best. He won 3 slams & the WTF. He also posted 31 wins vs the top 10, which is a rec. And he beat Fed w/ the modern 97" racket in 2 slam finals. '15 was easily Djoker’s best yr. What I haven’t decided yet is if Djoker’s '15 tops Fed’s '06 season to grab 3rd place on my list. I'll give 3rd to Fed due to his longer schedule. "92 wins" is a ton of wins during the yr. & back then the Master’s series which weren’t considered important anyway, were BO5 in the final.
Best cal. yrs:
1. Laver '69
2. McEnroe '84
3. Federer '06
4. Djoker '15
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While Djokovic was beating Nadal in 7 finals in a row, Fed was losing 4 matches out of 5 to Nadal, winning only 1 RR match. From '10 USO to Wimbl. '12, the Big 3 lost only to each other in GS's: Djokovic won 4 slams, Nadal 3, Fed 1.
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TBH, Novak's movement is very good. ...we never know whether he has a seat @ the table w/ the big boys until we actually see it happen. Rafa's def. in-form & he wouldn't want to let this op to go by.
If the match ends in 3 sets, winner's Novak.
If the match ends in 5 sets, winner's Rafa.
If the match ends in 4 sets, winner's Rafa w/ 60% chance.
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Djokovic can do more things >er on grass than Nadal. You're right that I prefer Djokovic's style of play, but more significantly, he plays the important shots >er on grass. However, I also said that Nadal can find a way to win b/c he can make adjustments & play by fighting for every pt, which can negate Djokovic's superior game.
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...Problem w/ Djokovic-Nadal is the matchup. It basically means that Nadal's patterns of play, the depth, trajectory & bounce of his shots - feed right into Djokovic's game. So you might've Djokovic playing lackluster tennis, but he'll look like a world beater vs Nadal. Conversely, Rafa m/b playing very well, but would look fairly pedestrian vs Djokovic.
To Nadal's credit, he's mitigated some of the matchup issues. ...On grass however, recalling their '11 Wimbl. Final, Nadal was playing much >er tennis then, but still lost very tamely to Djokovic. Even the one set he won in that match was likely b/c of it being Djokovic's first Wimbledon major.
So what does Rafa need to do to win this SF? He has to play >er than ever; as good or >er than the '07-10 level for ex. The problem is that Nadal is nowhere that level. He isn't = playing as good as last yr. '17). His serve looks worse, his FH lacks pace & penetration, on the BH he's loath to flatten it out DTL &'s mostly going cross court or just trying to run around it. His I/O FH's usually played safe & he makes an UFE if he goes for too much. Nadal's used some tactical acumen & great determination to get so far, + luck of the draw. But the thing is that his serve + ground game is just not up to the mark.
So, I really don't see how Nadal could hurt Djokovic tmrw. The familiar patterns of CC FH to BH + cc BH to FH were = costly vs Delpo. Djokovic's a master @ redirecting the ball & making Rafa pay. Also there is no one else who looks more comfortable rallying w/ Rafa's FH than Novak Djokovic.***
Well I hope you're right! It w/b so COSMIC to have all of the "Big 3" leave the tour & seeming t/b done, all come back to win majors! Novak's already in the conversation; pretty much ready to overcome Nadal but for his elbow issue! It was evident something was wrong months before, but somehow held it together to complete his Nole-Slam! Whoever wins this match should win the tourney!
***...I hated Sampras, but I still say that for one match, his highest level is better than anyone (= Fed).***
ReplyDeleteI so agree about Sampras! He was the real/true maestro & could embarrass the best of them when he was "ON" his game! He had the >est weapon in tennis @ the time; a killer 2nd serve when it counted to save BP's & serve out a title! I used to frequently pull out a tape of '95 IW Final where they were experimenting in prime X tennis on Monday night; harking back to the 70's when the pro game was just taking off! Agassi had one of his resurgences; had won the USO & followed it up w/ win over Sampras "down under" in '95! IW's w/b the rematch & it was a barn burner; well for one person! Agassi was playing well enough, but Pete's miss-hits & broken string shots were falling in for winners! He had Andre talking to himself; the Mikes picking it all up for a Nat'l audience late evening!
***A CYGS is huge. Laver mhh only 2 surfaces, but those 2 surfaces probably had more diversity than the 3 surfaces today. And if I were Rod Laver, I'd be saying something like this: “yeah, these Federer, Nadal, & Djoker characters had some good runs, but nobody has won a CYGS in nearly 50 yrs. And that was done by yours truly.”
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...But you're not willing to take into acct. that this isn't '11-'12 Djokovic or the '15-'16 version playing @ Wimbl. tmrw?
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...I don't think Nole's mentally @ the "'11-12 or '15-16" level. Those yrs, he had a mental aura & just refused to lose. However from a game perspective, his new serve seems very eff.. His FH is almost, now, the more deadly wing. His BH's as solid as ever. He's also stretching & moving as he used to before. So from his form, I think he's close to his prime.
But then again, I don't watch, or analyze Novak's game as keenly as I do Rafa's. So you m/b correct in assuming that Novak is not back & hasn't faced a stronger player. In which case, Nadal might have a >er chance tmrw. I think it's all subjective opinions. Let's see what transpires tmrw.***
That level of play may not occur again for quite a while! These Next Gens don't seem to have the body & stamina to win that much! I believe Nole's near perfection in '15 thru FO in '16 was terribly debilitating since he was making final after final wk in/wk out! Even Fed wasn't doing that back in his "hey day!" Current players like Milos & Kei can't seem to stay on the court more than a month or so before breaking down & being on extended brks for rehabs! I had enough of waiting for Del Po to fulfill his promise, but didn't b/c his wrist snaps like a twig periodically!
***I do think Fed was doing that back in his hey-day. The one thing that Novak endured the pressure on was 4 Slams in a row. Almost everyone expected a let-down after that. But no one expected a 2 yr. walkabout.***
Fed didn't have to deal w/ the current Big 4 @ the X! Nadal was still a neophyte though he owned Roger early! Nole had to deal w/ a lot more comp.; in '15 setting rec. defeating 31 "top 10" pros!
***'15/16 Djokovic had a 6-3 h2h (including 3-0 in Majors) w/ Fed & a 7-0 (1-0 Majors) w/ Nadal. So that’s 13-3 & 4-0 in Majors during that per. w/ what some would argue are the 2 best player of all X. I find that more impressive than Roger’s heyday as far as domination.***
***# of extra majors Federer would've likely won if Djokovic didn't stop him: 5-6 (AO '11, Wim. '14, Wim. '15, USO '15 + 1-2 of AO '08, USO '11, AO '16)
ReplyDelete# of extra majors Nadal would've likely won if Djokovic didn't stop him: 3 (Wimbl. '11, USO '11, AO '12)
If/when Djokovic stops Nadal 2 more X's, it c/b called =.
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Both Djokovic & Nadal defend so incredibly well. It's a great rivarly to enjoy & hopefully they continue to battle for many more yrs.***
Very entertaining! They bring out the best in each other; & @ X's the worst! This is the true rivalry; even-Steven, then surpassed Rafa after Nole completed 2 strings of wins for 7 str. victories! Fedal was never a real rival w/ Rafa owning Roger early & often! It inexplicable that a change of rackets has made the diff. in "Daddy Warbucks" that he can not only beat his fellow "GOAT," he turned it around winning quite a few in a row going back to AO last season & taking over the #1 ranking for a X to extend his rec.!
***Current odds on SF (w/ the partial result taken into acct).
1. Novak 3/10
2. Rafa 23/10
Works out to (approx.) 77% chance for Novak & 23% chance for Rafa.***
M/b weighing in on Rafa being a notoriously slow starter! He >er get a good sweat in when doing his warm-up in the morning! One slip & he'll be gone in 40 min.! This w/b huge if Nole could pull this off after '17!
***If this 2nd SF doesn't put the nail in the coffin & bring on 5th set TB's, nothing will. Novak finishes off Rafa in SF, 10-8 in the 5th.***
I liked the old days when the TB was initiated @ 8 all! Borg had quite a few he took @ 9-7, 8-6, & 9--8 when he won Wimbl. in '76!
***This win over Nadal was the penultimate match of the tourn.; after Isners loss to Anderson in a long 5.***
It w/b for me as well! Nole was gagging on some of those serves returns late! I've never seen him handcuffed so often! He normally fights them off & @ least gets it back over the net! Those were some horrible misses = when lined up; many flying yds over the baseline or wide! It was a great win, but chb more succinct for a change! Nole has to always give us drama; ala AO '12! This w/b HUGE if Nole pulls this off! "THE Big 4" have all had trials w/ health & physical issues; taking X away, but coming back stronger! Nole took a lit'l more X to "get there!" Looking good & I'm feeling it!
***One particular match of Novak that I'd suggest you watch if you want to see some of the best body serve returns is Djokovic vs Nadal, WTF '15 SF. Novak's footwork while returning those serves was something else.***
I'm sure I saw it; maybe = taped & in collection! The one match I'm obsessed w/ was from 2 yrs ago in Qatar! Nadal & Djokovic were in the final & Nole was flying high as #1! Nadal played well, but Novak was a machine & wouldn't allow Rafa = a pt. if he could steal it! It was probably the last X Djokovic was "in the zone" & annihilated Nadal 1 & 2! I can still hear the announcers after a particularly long rally that Nole won to Rafa's despair; "Djokovic is alive & kicking & Nadal's on the floor! What a pummeling's this has been!"
***Djoker already had one big match w/ Andreson; Wimbl. m/b. We'll see. I think Anderson m/b off in two 5 setters.***
Is this the 1st major since AO back in '08 vs JW Tsonga that Nole hasn't had to go thru the other "Big 4?" He's always had it tough to finish off his wins @ the GS's! Fedal have had their share of pigeons there was no hope of losing to! We can only hope Nole completes this deal & finishes strong to re-estab. his "seat @ the table!"
***The comp. isn't >er. If I'm being nice to the field the last 2 yrs...screw it I have no desire t/b nice, the field's weak as hell. Next Gen hasn't shown us anything yet & injuries w/ a drop of form has made Djoker, Murray, & Wawrinka largely irrelevant. The old X'rs can still play well enough to get by everyone under these circumstances.
ReplyDelete---
Nadal's sink in '15-'16 was a combo of injuries, which led to lack of confidence. Some X off helped him gain both confidence & his game back. Much as it did for Roger, though Roger's regroup went pretty fast, esp. after a much longer fallow per., vis-a-vis Majors, esp. Given that Rafa's younger, & his fall was both shorter & < deep, I think it's much < surprising than Roger's resurgence.
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The fact that Nole won this match playing so badly shows just how much >er a ceiling he has than Nadal. He really has underachieved when you think about it, in terms of allowing Nadal to win so many big matches & esp. so many FO's & = USO's.***
...Esp. dropping those major finals to Murray & Wawrinka; neither are scrubs, but not in Nole's class! They may have played the matches of their lives, but often he cracked b/c they made him hit one more ball! He s/b ahead of Rafa & closing in on Roger but for those losses; 6 snatched from him @ Wimbl., USO, FO, & AO QF in '14!
***Djokovic isn't all the way back yet & from Nadal's perspective that's probably what hurts the most. Djoker played dom. tennis in the 1st set, but after that he was very beatable. Hell @ X's it looked like he was asking t/b beat & Nadal just couldn't get it done. Cash was right in what he said. His comeback wasn't immediate like Fed's. It took 7 months.
Nole obviously has shown some signs, but I thought a few things were telling. His return was mostly terrible in big moments & that's historically his best shot. He clearly struggles moving forward. He'd have reached a lot of Nadal's dropshots w/ ease a few yrs ago. Even his movement to the BH wing isn't fully back. And when he got tight he basically started pushing off both wings. I'm not sure how Nadal lost that match today. Clearly they both played a lot >er yesterday, but Nadal seemed t/b by far the steadier of the 2 today.***
Well Djokovic won his 4th Wimbledon title going away over Anderson! It's his 13th major; 1 behind Sampras! It seems some need to pacify their terror that Nole "might j/b all the way back!" If he wins USO, what'll the naysayers say then?
***Here are some stats that show you how far apart the Big 3 are compared to the rest of the field includ. Muzzah:
Slams:
Federer - 20
Nadal - 17
Djokovic - 13
Murray - 3
"Big Titles" (Majors, WTFs, Olyms & Masters):
Fed - 53
Nadal - 50
Djokovic - 48
Murray - 20
Wks @ #1:
Fed - 310
Rafa - 181
Nole - 223
Murray - 41
YE #1's:
Fed - 5
Rafa - 4
Nole - 4
Murray - 1
3+ Slam Sns:
Fed - 3
Rafa - 1
Nole - 2
Murray - 0
2+ Slam Sns:
Fed - 6
Rafa - 4
Nole - 3
Murray - 1
Career GS:
Fed - Yes
Rafa - Yes
Nole - Yes
Murray - No (only won 2/4)
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I was a proponent of the Big 4, but w/o considering Murray as an ATG. Djokovic winning again changes things.
Yrs from 1st to last slam:
Fed 03-18
Rafa 05-18
Nole 08-18
Murray 12-16
And I think the "Big 3" aren't done.***
***...I complain despite Roger having 8 Wimbl.; that should say it all. I would complain about it if he finished w/ 10 b/c it's fake grass, the outlier (like Madrid) compared to every other tourn. on grass. And that has hurt Roger & greatly helped Rafa & Novak; not to mention it's helped kill surface variety.***
ReplyDeleteIt was the surface variety in my day that made Borg more great than any of these clowns today! He did it all w/ a wood racket & courts of all persuasions making his defensive, backcourt style all the more admirable! He was a tennis GOD & that's the reason he'll reign along w/ any of them; = if they have twice as many majors! He did it the old fashioned way; HE REALLY EARNED IT!
***What Borg did was outstanding. He could easily transition from slow clay to lightning fast grass, showing how versatile he was. Now it's difficult to tell how adaptable players are b/c all GS surfaces play almost the same.
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Wimbl. has gotten a worthy champion. There are many which you can't separate one from other. On clay you can easily distinguish Nadal from others based on his play style. On HC's, you mostly can't separate Djokovic from Murray. The way Djokovic slides on grass, his movement, the ROS, & his precision based baseline games, he has unique aura @ Wimbl. now. If he wins another, he w/b in truly based people @ the prestigious tournament w/ Borg, Sampras & Fed. ...This Wimbl. whb awesome w/ Fed-Nole match in the final.***
After Djokovic defeated Nadal in the SF's, it was a foregone conclusion that the final was decided then & that it w/b only a formality being held off by a day after Anderson defeated Isner Fri.! Nole got the job done quickly, efficiently, & w/ lit'l ?? taking his 4th Wimbl. crown! "Congrats Nole; this is your 13th Major, just 1 behind Sampras in 3rd place all X!"
***It was a great match, a classic btw the 2. I thought Nadal played excellent. Novak played great too, perhaps a bit tent. here & there, but overall an epic match. Come to think of it, their matches rarely disappoint. This is a fantastic matchup, unlike Fedal's.
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I think this win will lift up Novak's self confidence more & as a result of it, he'll not have those patches of tent. play like he had. He expects to win everything from now on, before Wimbl. he wasn't exactly sure where he was.
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Players aged 32 or over in top 20 @ end of '17:
Federer (#2)
Wawrinka (#9)
Tsonga (#15)
Isner (#17)
Berdych (#19)
Players aged 32 or over in top 20 on Mon. 16 July '18:
Nadal (#1)
Federer (#2)
Anderson (#5)
Isner (#8)***
***Mate, he's a Fed fan. He loathes Rafa.***
ReplyDeleteI was speaking of any naysayer trying to undermine Nole's fantastic win! He was no fave & seemed to float under the radar! I never thought this possible & whb happy enough if he had gotten to the SF after a horrendous 2 yrs w/ 2 smaller tourn. wins! It'll take pressure off of him & he might go into the summer w/ new life! It w/b nice if he could complete his resume w/ @ least 1 Cincy Masters!
***...Novak had far >er form in '11, more confidence & was in Rafa's head. I don't think there's any doubt he would've been the fave in that FO match by a good margin if he had survived Fed in the SF.***
That was a glorious period where Nadal was playing his best & had come off '11 as #1! Nole hadn't won anything in 3 yrs besides a few Masters so Nadal had no excuses besides the fact Nole was kickin' his ass! He was actually doing it in str. sets on clay beating him @ Madrid & Rome! I taped every match & was watching them over & over again until Nole started a new streak in '15 culm. in that shellacking in Qatar annihilating Rafa 1 & 2 in early '16!
***Djokovic & Fed both had 3 slams around the X they turned 23. Hmm that's interesting.***
This was one of the 2 best rivalries really; not Fedal (Nadal 23–15 overall & 9–3 in majors)! The other is the most significant w/ more contests btwn. the 2; Djokovic over Nadal 27-25 w/ 2 "7 match win streaks" by Nole over Rafa!
***Hmm, if Djoko wants #1, he's gotta start pretty much now un< he decides to vulture a few 500s.***
That's what Murray did to snatch #1 back in '16's YE! How does someone w/ 2 Majors/& USO final, 4 Masters, completes his Nole-Slam @ the FO, & R-ups @ YEC to wind up #2? That was shameful!
***How'd you assess Fed after Wimby; an off day or injury?***
Why wasn't he just beat? Anderson's no scrub & took Murray out of a USO in a marathon 4 set match 2 yrs ago! I said before the tourney started that Fe was vulnerable to a big server like Isner, Anderson, & Dimitrov who can hang in rallies w/ him! I didn't think he w/b able to sustain '17 level & it showed! It's not like he's playing badly, but it's not elite & there are a few others that can "take him!"
***B/c he had the match lit. on his racket (MP 3rd set) & also had a brk chance iirc in the 4th set too. Other than that, this is Federer @ Wimbl.. Yes, he's not the same player that won Wimbl. 5 X's in a row & wasn't defeated on grass for 6 yrs, but he's still great on the surface. It's laughable that you mention those trio, Anderson is respectable now, but Isner & Dimitrov, esp. the latter lol, wouldn't have a prayer vs Fed. I don't nec. think it was about sustaining his level, it was more his game just fell apart mid way thru the match & never recovered.***
It's like people's memories are in suspended animation! Roger blowing matches w/ X MP's is nothing new! Back in his prime when he supposedly was owning Nole, in '10 & '11 he blew 2 SF's w/ serve in hand @ the USO! It's famous the missed opps & of course the genius of Djokivic's ROS that makes him an all X great alone!
***ITA w/ you that he's done it before & he's done it many X's since then, but @ Wimbl., the expectations are diff. & the last bad loss he had which wasn't in an injury affected yr. was '11, so it's quite shocking to see him lose like that. Much kudos to Nole, his comeback took a while, but it came just @ the right X!***
***Trump & Putin summit was beyond self-serving garbage. An outrageous display of one of Trump's awful campaign speeches while he blatantly disregards the best interests of the US in an Int'l forum. I'm really unsettled by all of this. It m/b X to take a break from reading & watching it on a daily basis if our representatives refuse to strongly repudiate what he's been doing this past wk.***
ReplyDeleteTrying to watch FNC to see how they'd deflect this Int'l travesty; more concerned & interviewing people over this Lisa Page email BS from 2 yrs ago! Trying to bury Struck to make him out t/b partial in his investigations of Clinton & her email is more important than a treasonous act of a president! Someone like outgoing Rep. Issa has no credibility after that farce of an invest. over Benghazi! My hands are literally shaking; non + over Reps trying to spin this or <en the enormity of it all!
***Even CNN says Strzok is FOS.***
SO what? Even if true; why's it more important than Trump embarrassing himself on an Int'l stage looking like a puppet of Putin? The America 1st president just sold us out, throwing his own Intel agencies under the bus & has accepted a soccerball as a goodwill gesture of this Russian dictator! McCain ripping Trump a new one from his sickbed!
***Paul Ryan: “The president must apprec. that Russia isn't our ally.” It seems Trump’s shocking performance in Helsinki was beyond the pale for Ryan. -
It started w/ side by side photos of Obama & Putin, & the RW practically swooning of Putin’s virility. Very Brokeback Mountain IMO, but anyways, we were hearing everyday how “weak” Obama was & non confrontational he was. Now the new guy is on bended knees.***
Trump def. had an aide close by to dust his knees after this freakin' joke of a summit! Can a president look any more weak? Trump's pathetic in so many ways! "Good luck Reps; you were told he's some kind of Manchurian Candidate out to destroy the country's economy & our alliances! He's right on course!"
***Everyone agrees Trump's guilty of treason so where is impeachment and removal? Or 25th Amendment removal?***
Been put on the backburner & simmering since day 1! He's been out of line since the beginning owning property & making $$ off the presidency; Emollients clause of the Constitution tells us so! Congress hasn't held his feet to the fire over any of his promises to open his tax recs & to distance himself from his businesses when he's actually running it all from the Oval Office while in commercials he's watching the TV news!
***IMO, he disgraced himself way before he was ever elected. The people that voted for him knew what kind of man he was, and still voted for him. His documentaries alone should have opened their eyes as to what they were in for if they voted for the tyrant.***
We need to get off Trump in that respect of ever blaming him for much! The info was out there & his supporters didn't seem to care! What surprised me was the diff. in the election; Trump won the women's vote! That's the most disappointing thing; esp. w/ all the caterwauling about a lack of representation when there have been more women in the electorate for yrs! They're holding themselves back & I'll have to laugh in their faces when I hear any whining about what this man will do to take away their civil rights! Two SC Nom. all too soon; one stolen from Obama! We'll all rue the day!
***Hillary wouldn't have sided w/ Russia that's for sure.***
Hillary scared Putin like no other person! She would've cut his balls off as president; believe it! He went all out in his quest to undermine her campaign b/c he whb in serious trouble & wouldn't have been able to get away w/ this shit today! This is a dark day in America to hear a president alienating NATO & siding up to Putin; actually complicit in all that'll happen as a result of this act of treason!
***Rand Paul calls all the uproar over today’s events “Trump derangement syndrome” & strongly supports Trump, while of course attacking Hillary.***
ReplyDeleteHe's sees his party going down in flames; acting = crazier than he usually behaves & the lifeboats should start being thrown overboard! Many have already jumped ship; = off of FNC b/c of their complicity w/ what's been going on! Of course "this too shall pass" as other issues in the past!
***There's no Hillary cult. - I think it's the political =lent of "Oh look, a squirrel!"***
Pavlov's Dog comes to mind! Every X Reps are tongue-tied they invoke the Clintons, emails, CGI, Monica, & Whitewater! They're like dogs who salivate every X her name comes up; along w/ Pelosi, Waters, & Warren! Funny, Reps say they have nothing against women, but they go hard & often @ all of them if they're smart & being critical! They lose their fk'n minds & lose all perspective to start acting like petulant kids on a playground w/ all the name calling & attacks on character they wished they had!
***...Enlighten me as to what Obama has to do w/ Trump.***
Obama & Clinton are Trump's fallback when things get tense! The problem is, he's overdone it trying to blame anything & everything on Obama! When he left office the country was in great shape; unemployment steadily low & going down, the economy chugging along w/ the markets going ever higher; how Trump takes credit for anything is beyond me and the Int'l community! I couldn't care < if he wants to take credit for every good happening, but passing the buck on Obama at least once a day is quite pathetic!
***Trump hired Bill Shine as asst. & deputy chief of staff for comms last month
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/former-fox-news-executive-bill-shine-joins-trump-white-house-as-deputy-chief-of-staff-for-communications/2018/07/05/3003112c-8075-11e8-b660-4d0f9f0351f1_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.325f22f04088 -***
Trump has no problem hiring someone w/ this retched history @ FNC! The Rep. Party has shown, you can have longstanding accusations of child molestation, & all you need is an "R" behind your name to get these nimrods to support the candidate! I remember the RNC in better days; = voting to rid country of Nixon way back when! As Trump has said often @ his rallies, "I can shoot someone on 5th Ave. & no one would care!" I guess he's right; so far nothing he's done has even peaked the ears of the more responsible members of the party; Corker calling them "a cult!" It whb nice if he & Flake would have spoken up before informing all that they won't be running this Fall, preferring to run & hide from the never-ending ??'s of "WTF?!"
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EPA Chief Pruitt finally resigns; Trump tweets regrets, but accepts it.
- http://www.wsfa.com/story/37678808/scott-pruitt-resigns-as-epa-administrator-trump-tweets -
***I mean what’s Mueller been doing for over a yr? - Indicting 20 people, getting 5 guilty pleas, & putting 2 people in jail (though 1 of them is only in jail awaiting trial b/c of witness tampering).***
The delusion is strong w/ this one Jedi Master! ;-)
***...And so it is w/ Putin, the Russian president who has so enchanted Trump, for reasons that we can't yet confirm. ...Trump also sought to reopen the facilities that Obama ordered closed. Let’s face it: When it comes to Russia, the true appeaser here, the apologist, the defender of the Kremlin, is the current president.
ReplyDelete...Other than oil & natural gas, Russia has nothing the world wants. It's a nation of 146 M people (a # some demographers say is shrinking), & yet Cal., TX, & NY have >er economies. Corruption, lack of transparency & organized crime — all of which blend into the gov't itself — send foreign investors scurrying. ...Putin's punching well above his wt. Why's Trump so enthralled w/ this man? What does Moscow have on him? That secret remains behind Putin’s mask; we must continue to pry it away.
- https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/07/15/helsinki-summit-what-does-vladimir-putin-have-donald-trump-column/779478002/ -***
Thx!
***I'm tech. only a part-X Trump supporter. I support the stuff he does that I like & oppose the stuff I don't. Does your traitor-list follow the "one drop" rule? If so, then any support, no matter how insignificant probably gets one placed on your lit'l list, "where they'd none of them be missed."***
I have a college roommate I've stayed in touch w/ for over 40 yrs! After 30 yrs he let it slip he was a secret Rep.! It was like I never knew the person! We stayed in touch = from out of town, but when I heard he was supporting Trump, that was a bridge too far! I can apprec. you thinking it's ok to have a diff. of opinion & support is an individual thing, but w/ this "Russia thing" as Trump says, we're talking Nat'l security! We're being compromised & if anyone can support someone that nutty, I'd have to separate myself! I love this guy, but Trump's as offensive to humanity as it can get! Trump's offended everyone @ 1 X or another & I find it unforgivable ANYONE CAN ACCEPT TRUMP LYING THRU HIS TEETH ALL DAY LONG! He lied about NATO leaders apprec. his views & felt they'd implement paying more ASAP! ...The man's an Int'l disgrace & any support is offensive to me! I feel for you since I understand where you're coming from, but it's like he's called friends, family, & ME "animals, rapists, terrorists, murderers, druggies, pussies, …..!" What am I supposed to do, ignore all that? Please! Good luck! - This is just the beginning! Collateral damage for all concerned w/b evident soon enough!
***I'll start boycotting all American made products that I can. Hit this country hard until they wake up & do something about this ogre.***
Those American products will more than likely be produced abroad! That's what usually happens in these situations; more cost eff. having cheaper labor which in turn causes jobs t/b elim. here! It's elementary, but the genius can't think these things thru until it all blows up in his face; then passes the buck by blaming Obama!
***Wasn't the 90s a great X economically for the US? Yet, Monica, Monica, Monica. I don't buy it. And what system is this where people of colour, LGBTQ, & women were being treated well?***
That's what's so very sick about this country! We were moving along nicely in '00, but it was said "we can't deal w/ this prosperity! We need to Fk this up & elect someone we'd like to have a beer w/!" Thanks geniuses! Here we go again, Obama survived the Rep. hate-fest leaving the country in great shape & again the country can't stand prosperity! They need to sabotage it w/ someone who does things a little diff.! Good luck suckers! You'll all pay for it 1 day & I'm going t/b laughing from the grave!
***Since Sarah & her father lied about what happened afterward- I see the Red Hen was justified in throwing her out.***
ReplyDeleteHaven't you noticed; Reps do lit'l else but play the victim? Everyone's out to get them; the Dems, liberals, feminists, gays, illegals, progressives, Socialists, Communists, & of course the "MSM" who supposedly never give them a brk! These people are so full of shit; owning it from coast to coast, but are always thinking like some kind of pathetic underdog that no one likes!
***IDK anyone who believes we are victims. True, we are Zero Sum, Eternal, Arch Enemies, & the only American thing that we share is public property.
...'Dems For Trump' President: My Party Is Suffering from 'Trump Derangement'
Dec 23, '17 // 2:14pm - ...Fox & Friends Wkend
...It seems to me that the NEO-Lib. Dem. Party's currently trying to commit suicide via 'death by a 1000 small bleeding cuts. I wish them total success in this program!***
When doesn't a Rep. not play the victim? It's all about the MSM, obstructionist Dems, & Hillary Clinton pulling all the strings from behind the scenes! You guys make yourselves victims every X you invoke her name or decide to kick Pelosi, Warren, or Watters around for pol. expediency! The "Prince Of Darkness," Robert Novak once said about 20 yrs ago that "Reps haven't had an original idea since they freed the slaves!" Their rec's still intact, falling back on the same old, tired TP's & never seeming to look towards the future! It's pathetic in so many ways!
***T/b fair & balanced, no Trump type will accept the thesis that Trump did any < than dom. in the Helsinki apology meeting. Evidently Lindsey Graham isn't accepting Trump's attempted walk-back of his equivocating on who's more believable, Dan Coats or Vladimir Putin. Marco Rubio, OTOH is glad Trump cleared it up. The WH's walking back the walking back of the walk back.
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...Now the DNC's totally changed and 'the party vs the people.'***
If the Dems are diff., WTF's going on w/ Cons. & Reps when they seem t/b surrounded by Russian influence? Don't you find it shocking that 2 doz. ops have been indicted & a Russian woman's in jail now waiting t/b tried for espionage? You guys have t/b truly delusional to overlook all that's been going on w/ Mueller & this invest. which is picking up steam as we speak; errrr post!
***Obama Still On The World Stage - "Obama spoke to a crowd of about 15,000 in a Johannesburg cricket stadium on the eve of what whb Mandela's 100th BD. He remarked on the progress that swept the globe during Mandela's lifeX — w/ > prosperity & opportunity — but also that backlash that followed in recent yrs, in the wake of inequality & insecurity."
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As long as I'm not paying for his blather, I don't care who's footin' the bill! I can't believe that the fraud & criminal is actually gathering a crowd...= in Africa!***
I can imagine the Trump supporters are quite embarrassed that he can't go anywhere w/o making the country look bad & Obama makes 1 appearance a continent away & they're freaking out; unable to allow this man his retirement! It's pathetic, but what else c/b expected from such losers & sick individuals of hate?
***Again...if leftist Dems like you didn't have hypocritical dub'l standards, you'd have no standards @ all...***
ReplyDeleteWe're benign compared to the "hatin'" on Obama that continues coming out of the slimy mouth of Trump! Some pig in Congress actually screamed out during a SOTU, "you lie!" Yeah, very courteous & respectful on the cons. side of the aisle; NOT! There was rec. obstruction going on, going down to filibustered votes on the most banal of legis.! Screw you & the rest of those animals who should've lit'l to nothing to say after such a horrendous rec. of malfeasance, corruption, & incompetence!
***...And liberals always resort to insults & any immature action they happen to think of @ that X!***
Nyah, it's called frustration dealing w/ people not living in reality! "There's no Russian collusion" = w/ signed, sealed indictments & guilty pleas! Just keep living the lie bozos! ...Trump's some kind of Manchurian candidate w/ Putin pulling his strings? I'm sorta appalled Reps & cons have rolled over while all this is going on! SHAME on you all!
Are you guys really wearing clothes & just not telling each other you're naked? Y'all like electing the so called common man & for some strange reason, Trump was assigned that moniker = though a privileged snot-nose brat w/ an IQ barely above cretin! The jury's still out on his level of intel. w/ him demanding other people's transcripts when all of us know, when he pts a finger, a bunch more are pt'd back @ him! He brings about his own discreditation!
***Repeated requests for add'l sec. in Benghazi were routinely denied" by Hillary "Clinton’s St. Dept." — Paul Ryan on Mon., Sept. 26th, '16 in a Tweet***
Mon Dieu, HILLARY, Hillary, Hillary; too pathetic for words! She'll be dead & buried, cons. losers will continue to invoke her name like she turned over missile secrets to Russia! Funny, Trump is conspiring right under their noses & they don't GAF! Talk about traitors; Rep. party is now just a subsidiary of the Presidium!
***LOL...��...typical leftist hypocrite....- ...you mean like Buuuuuush?***
Well "W" did see into the soul of Putin when they met! They looked each other deep into eyes of such sincerity & compromise as Russia shot down passenger planes & encroached on sovereign nations nearby! Obama no >er in reigning Putin in, but Trump is literally giving away the store to his "blackmailer" &'s been pushing away our most loyal of allies!
***...They either love Putin & want America to follow in Russia's path or agree w/ the left that he's evil & anti-American. You can't have it both ways.***
But they do want to have it both ways! Cons on FNS went out of their way to pump up Putin; speaking of his strength & putting up pics of him bare-chested riding a horse! We've all seen it; usual propaganda you'd expect from the Kremlin itself! At the same X these "patriots" stomped their own president every chance they got, talking about how weak Obama was & pt'd out how Asaad & Putin had stepped over so many of his "red lines" that they were ashamed & disheartened! These people don't seem to care about America as much as they do w/ consolidating their own power base! ...They've already shown how far they'll go when they stole a SC justice seat! We can't go back after that; it can only get worse when you see how Reps have rolled over for Trump = though he's an embarrassment to human-kind! I have to tell those so called patriots, "good luck living w/ this new world order!"
***YES....LEFTIST dems LOVE COMMUNISM. The Communist Party USA ALWAYS endorses dem. candidates & their pol. platform almost mirrors the dem. party platform. Hell....= Merriam-Webster dictionary has "leftist" as a synonym for communist.***
***...This is the top 10 list for most major match wins in Open Era:
ReplyDelete1. Federer- 336
2. Djokovic- 251
3. Nadal- 242
4. Connors- 233
5. Agassi- 224
6. Lendl- 222
7. Sampras- 203
8. Murray-188
9. Edberg- 178
10. McEnroe- 167
So yeah, the "Big 3" are pretty much once again in a league of their own here. Federer has almost 100 more than Djokodal, but Fed's played around 20 more slams than both of them so it =s out.
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So far Nadal has won a > % of the slams he played in than Federer. Nadal has played in 53 slams, winning 17. That’s 32%. Fed has played 73 slams, winning 27%. So Nadal just needs to continue playing?
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# of matches won per major:
1. Djokovic- 4.65
2. Federer- 4.60
3. Nadal- 4.57
4. Connors- 4.09
5. Murray- 4.08
6. Lendl- 3.90
7. Sampras- 3.89
8. McEnroe- 3.71
9. Agassi- 3.67
10. Edberg- 3.30
---
Open Era:
1. Borg 5.22
2. Djokovic- 4.65
3. Federer- 4.60
4. Nadal- 4.57
5. Rosewall 4.13
6. Connors- 4.09
7. Murray- 4.08
8. Laver 4
9. Lendl- 3.90
10. Sampras- 3.89
---
78.6% FO (11/14) Nadal
42.1% WIM (08/19) Fed
31.6% AUS (06/19) Fed
29.4% USO (05/17) Fed
23.1% USO (03/13) Nadal
16.7% WIM (02/12) Nadal
07.7% AUS (01/13) Nadal
05.9% FO (01/17) Fed
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Djoker 2.0 arrived in '11 - from that pt. onwards:
Djoker has won 12 slams
Rafa has won 8 slams (3 w/ Djoker injured / out of form in '17 / '18)
Fed has won 4 slams (3 w/ Djoker injured / out of form in '17 / '18)
Fed's much older, but he's still good enough; making finals @ RG '11, Wimby '14 & '15, & USO '15 in +ition to his '12 Wimby title.
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...I feel Nadal doesn't win as many free pts on serve as the other guys do.***
People don't realize how much that comes into play! When I was younger, I got plenty of free pts b/c I pounded the serve! As I got older, matches started getting more comp. due to a lack of pop on the serve making me work a lot harder to hold! That made all the diff.! It's the only thing that took McEnroe & Navratilova out of the game! At the end, their serves had lit'l on it to threaten the younger players! Lendl & Becker attacked it & @ Martina's last Wimbl. final in '94 vs Martinez, her serve was getting knocked off for return winners! You can't win like that if a serve & volley tech!
***...Novak was tent. when playing Rafa @ Wimbl. But, the confidence gained by beating him, actually improved his game. If you noticed, Novak was not pushing @ all vs Anderson, not = in the last set where Nole didn't play very well. ...I do believe that Roger would have beat the Novak if he was playing the way he played against Rafa. …
ReplyDeleteNole isn't strong @ USO b/c it's mostly been a fast HC for his career and on it he's just not very good. Yes he has beaten a badly post-prime Roger a few X's, but on top of a couple ugly losses to Nadal he's lost to Murray, Stan, & Nishikori there. It's a far cry from what AO was to him.***
You also have to take in consideration the X of the yr. for both Nadal & Djokovic! Being fresh @ the beginning of the season obviously has helped Nole w/ him not only winning 6 AO, he took 3 in a row (an Open rec.)! Both Nole & Rafa work a lot harder to win their matches & nearing the end of the season, most top players w/b run down; hence being vuln. @ the USO! Nadal's Summers & Falls have been dismal over the yrs w/ only glimpses of brilliance! He's still quite vuln.; more so than NOLE who's had his fair share of great "finishing kicks" w/ wins in Shanghai, Paris, Beijing, & of course owning sev. YEC's that Rafa hasn't had a sniff!
***And that's why to me Djoko is the best player. He's had to earn his victories; & work a lot harder than his counterparts. His titles were not gifted to him. He didn't luck out. He had to sweat it. Proof by #'s:
- Titles won W/O BEATING A SINGLE TOP 8 PLAYER:
Fed: 32 out of 98 (= 32.6 %)
Nadal: 26 out of 79 (= 45.5 %)
Djoko: 12 out of 69 (= 17.3 %)
- Titles won after beating 1 or more top 2 player:
Djokovic: 30 out of 69 (= 43.4 %)
Nadal: 23 out of 79 (= 29.1 %)
Fed: 23 out of 98 (= 23.4 %)
- Titles won after beating 1 or more top 4 player:
Djokovic: 40 out of 69 (= 57.9 %)
Nadal: 38 out of 79 (= 48.1 %)
Fed: 36 out of 98 (= 36.7 %)
- Titles won after beating 1 or more top 5 player:
Djokovic: 46 out of 69 (= 66.6 %)
Nadal: 42 out of 79 (= 53.1 %)
Fed: 44 out of 98 (= 44.8 %)
Most wins over top 8 players by event (on way to title):
- Djokovic:
5: WTF '12
4: WTF '13, WTF '15
3: CANADA '07, AO '11, AO '12, AO '13, AO '15, AO '16, WTF '08, WTF '14, PARIS '13, PARIS '15, ROME '11, ROME '15 (15 total in 5 diff. events)
- Nadal:
3: IW '13, IW '09, RG '11, RG '14, M-C '08, ROME '12 (6 total in 4 diff. events)
- Fed:
5: WTF '03, WTF '06, WTF '10, WTF '11
4: WTF '04, WTF '07
3: USO '04, USO '07, MADRID '09, MADRID '12 (10 total in 3 diff. events)
Morality: Fedal had it easy. Djoko GOAT'd his titles. That's all.***
I always had a feeling Nole had to work harder to win his titles w/ Fedal in opp. among others! I'd almost gotten bored w/ the men for a while 10-15 yrs ago b/c it was routine for Roger to win almost all the big titles! Like today, I say he was playing hella well, but people really didn't rise to the occasion enough; sorta like Del Po in '09 in NY! It's the same kind of gutlessness I attach to an era of players who've allowed Nadal all those FO titles outside of Nole & Soderling efforts! Even Roger s/b ashamed of himself in that respect if he's the true GOAT! I guess I have to allow for the asst. of the homogenized courts, rackets w/ techno buttons running up the side, & conditioning superior to previous gens contributing to the >ness of Fedalovic! Even McEnroe & Connors were vulnerable on certain courts & events way back when! You really can't say that anymore w/ 3 str. players achieving a CGS very early; Nole w/ his Nole-Slam in '16!
***...it's not Fed's fault that the rest of the Big 4 weren't reaching the finals & he reached more finals than anyone else? What's the pt. of having >er % of GS's won in which you beat a member from the Big 4 if in fact you lost many X's to other players (non- Big 4)? - You have to beat whoever is in front of you, you have to beat the field, it's not just about beating the Big 4.
ReplyDelete...I disagree w/ Age/Diff. Era argument.
If one feels that he's not good enough @ a certain age to play tennis, then he should retire. Fed's faced Murray 25 X's, Nadal 38 X's & Djokovic 45 X's so one can't say that he's from a completely diff. era. He's good enough to win the last 5 meetings vs Nadal (last 4 since the start of '17 & last 3 which were str. sets), but still's way behind in career h2h: 15-23 vs Nadal. Federer's good enough @ the age of 35-36 to win Wimbl. '17 in str. sets & win AO '18 by losing only 2 sets (str. sets before the final), but not good enough to have a winning rec. vs either Nadal or Djokovic @ GS (or overall). This just shows that Age/Diff. era argument is fallacious & that Nadal & Djokovic are way above compared to the rest of comp. Fed has ever faced.
- Nadal, Djokovic & Murray have reached GS finals a decent # of X's - Nadal: 24, Djokovic: 22, Murray: 11.
- Fed H2H In GS (any stage):
vs Nadal: 3-9
vs Djokovic: 6-9
vs Murray: 5-1
Fed H2H in GS Finals:
vs Nadal: 3-6
vs Djokovic: 1-3
vs Murray: 3-0
One would also expect Fed to have a far >er winning % than Nadal & Djokovic; esp. considering that his peak yrs were '03-07 where he had to face weaker comp., but he doesn't.
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Since Nadal began his absolute peak & Fed completed the most dom. 5 yr. stretch in Open Era history, < than .8 of a % separates them.
Federer had more losses before hitting his stride than Djokovic & esp. Nadal. He going 51-50 in his 1st 101 matches from ages 17-19 had much more to do w/ their winning %'s being >er than weak opp. bumping up Fed’s #'s.
Since Fedal have both won their 1st slam ('03 Wimby & '05 FO), Fed’s winning %'s far >er. Heck, it’s >er since Nadal won his 1st.
Since they both won their 1st:
Fed, 960-152, 86.3%
Nadal, 815-153, 84.1%
Since Nadal won RG in ‘05:
Fed, 805-135: 85.6%
Nadal, 815-153, 84.1%
^Fed, fwiw, has 12 more matches played vs top 10 players in that X span, 9 more vs top 5 players.
Nadal & Djokovic have some arguments going for them in this debate. Winning % isn’t one of them, as it’s practically trivia. The diff. btw Fed & Nadal is explained quite neatly by their 1st 3 yrs on tour, when Fed went 50-51 & Nadal went 45-29. Remove 3 yrs where neither of them were = remotely close to being contenders...Fed jumps ahead, 84.7%-84.4%, w/ 250+ more match wins. Tell me: do those 3 early yrs really constitute a significant advantage?
Say Fed retires today & Nadal/Djokovic caught up to him in matches played, winning 80% of their matches en route. They’d end up w/ a lower winning %. But, could you fault them for winning 80% of their matches in their early-to-late 30s, surely notching slams along the way? I'm certain given the choice btw winning % & majors, they would choose the latter.
---
Total ATP finals played:
Fed: 149 (30 GS finals)
Nadal: 115 (24 GS finals)
Djokovic: 100 (22 GS finals)
Murray: 67 (11 GS finals)
Also, it'd be very ignorant to ignore the age diff. among Fed & the rest of the Big 4.
5 & 6 yrs diff. can def. change things, both for >er & worse. As simple as that, Fed's peak was earlier than anyone else's from the Big 4 which's obvious b/c of the age diff., if you still think age doesn't play a role here, then check out Wimbl. '03, AO, USO & Wimbledon '04 to ask yourself why Djokovic & Murray DNP in those tourns.***
***I did a comp. for another thread of slams won beating highest ranked comp. & slams won beating lowest ranked: top 12 of slams won beating (most) highest ranked players on the way to title (since ATP started keeping track of ranking = early 80s)
ReplyDeleteAnd #1 is NOT one of the big 4-
1- WIM '91: STICH: 1-2-4 (= ranking of players he beat for title)
2- AO '12: DJOKOVIC: 2-4-5
3- USO '07: FEDERER: 3-4-5
4- RG '11: NADAL: 3-4-5
5- USO '85: LENDL: 1-4-6
6- AO '11: DJOKOVIC: 2-5-6
7- USO '90: SAMPRAS: 3-4-6
8- AO '13: DJOKOVIC: 3-5-6
9- AO '14: WAWRINKA: 1-2-7 (c/b permuted to #2 given he had to beat the top 2 players)
10- WIM '87: CASH: 1-3-7
11- AO '16: DJOKOVIC: 2-3-7
12- RG '84: LENDL: 1-4-7
Note that Djokovic gets listed 4 X's: undeniably, he's the player who had to deal w/ toughest/most consistent & comp. elite AND/OR most challenging draws, esp. @ AO. ...There's A LOT more diff. btw top players & the rest of the field- esp. in terms of stamina, resilience, & mental toughness- than there is btw let's say #60 & #90. So, no, gap in ranking is NOT "=") - No slam has been won beating players 1,2 & 3 but once, again Djokovic is the one who did it in a tier 1 event (CANADA Master '07).
Now for top 12 of "cakewalk" slams or lowest ranked opp:
1- USO '17: NADAL: 28 (= >est ranked player faced. This has got to stay the rec. for a while.
2- WIM '00: SAMPRAS: 21
3- WIM '97: SAMPRAS: 18
4- WIM '98: SAMPRAS: 17
5- AO '03: AGASSI: 16
6- AO '84: WILANDER: 15-21
7- AO '01: AGASSI: 15-18
8- AO '99: KAFELNIKOV: 13
9- RG '86: LENDL: 12
10 AO '02: JOHANSSON: 11-23
11 RG '88: WILANDER: 11-14
12 AO '89: LENDL: 11-13
And this is IT for slams won w/o facing @ least 1 top 10 player. ...Note that there's only 1 USO in the list. Usually, fiercely comp. slam. '17 situation was extremely unusual.
---
...Murray pulled out of Wimby citing his body was not prepared for BO5 tourney. But is it prepared for what he's going thru in DC?***
This is the way he's been playing for a while now! He had a more aggressive game yrs ago & approached the net a lot, now he only seems to go there when in trouble! Unfortunately he's always in trouble & down a set before he gets his act together! He's an idiot who kvetches about his body breaking down, but plays the game actually doing the job to himself going hrs unnec.!
***Murray's working himself back to full fitness & tournament readiness. He's an elite player. Surely he's allowed to use a 500 as a tester & bail when he needs to. I'm sorry he's pulled out of Toronto, but it looks like he's trying to measure what he can do & save himself for the big moments.***
Absolute slime! I hate when some player kills himself to win a match then bails like this! It's so disrespectful of the fallen player!
***I was lurking on other boards & Nathan's World Champ status is drawing a lit'l army of detractors/ haters. I guess it comes w/ the territory. He conquered his Olympic demons, skated last while holding the lead, & had dealt w/ a small foot injury. I don’t see how you can’t have total respect for that.***
ReplyDeleteWhat can they possibly be "hating on?" Everyone else crashed & burned, while Nathan skated quite well & didn't hold back when he could've w/ his lead! It wasn't = close so I can't imagine what their beef c/b!
***Ross Miner @ Nat'ls vs. the Worlds Field:
1 Nathan Chen USA 321.40
2 Ross Miner USA 274.51
3 Shoma Uno JPN 273.77
4 Mikhail Kolyada RUS 272.32***
Like Mirai in '14, I wonder is Ross chewing bullets over being stepped over saving Adam from humiliation after all his "trash talking" before Nat'ls? I'm not saying it was a bad decision, but feelings have t/b hurt when you perform well in that moment & someone else takes the spot on the World Team!
***I strongly suspect that if Miner had been named to the Olym. Team, he wouldn't have competed @ Worlds. Neverthe<, the possibility of Miner as the '18 World Silver Medalist is quite something to contemplate.
---
This season has been exhausting. - Totally! I most definitely need a holiday now.***
If you were around 20+ yrs ago, you'd be more exhausted! Skating was so prevalent after the "Tanya/Nancy" drama; the GP was prime X on Fox! The amateurs & pros had their events telecast weekly thru the summer, culminating in the "Goodwill Games!" It c/b on X channel! We get lit'l pub in comparison to then! You have to hunt down coverage now = w/ the Olympic Channel!
***There were comps every wk. during the late summer & early fall. SomeX's X comps most of which had live streaming.***
You're saying you wouldn't be exhausted or are you contradicting the idea of more skating being televised? Heaven knows I can't say there was much in the way of live streaming back in the 90's! Windows was just created for Gawd-sake! I just seem to remember taping a lot of skating back then; Surya as an am. & Oksana as a pro! I was sending tapes to friends there was so much it was hard to keep up w/!
***I meant there's more skating to see now than 20 yrs ago & it's not made for TV fake comps. And, skating is easy to access & watch if you want. We = get to see the jr. GP events.***
Well that was what I was talking about; plenty of made for TV events b/c skating was HUGE back then! There was "ICE Wars" to look forward to along w/ prime X events w/ special rules! I found it quite entertaining b/c they started using music w/ vocals! Until then, the only person that got away w/ that was Katarina Witt who did a quick "hum" of a few bars of something during her music @ the '94 Olympics in Lillehammer!
***I'm sure it was a magical time for fans back then, but I'd rather go thru the 100's of senior b w/ lousy streams we have today instead of one of those cheesy-fests shows & "pro" comps of The mid 90s. The competition side is what makes skating interesting for me.
---
...What a messy ending @ Worlds this yr. When I watch Max Aaron skate, it always winds up leading to a messy ending!***
Well I still haven't seen him since I turn away often from the repeat telecasts! Max saved us a spot by being in the top 12 since Nathan won; we'll now have a full allocation of 3 skaters @ Worlds next season! Unfortunately the women can't say the same; dismally low in the final results, but only because the rest of the world is so much better!
***Kwan left Frank, costing her the '02 OGM in the process.***
ReplyDelete...Slutskaya was in Kwan's head by then! There was a TV event called "Masters Of F.S.;" more an exh. comp. like the Japan Open! It was that FALL & Kwan had already dropped a warm up in Australia, the '01 Goodwill Games to Irina! Slutskaya did her thing w/ 3 triples to "Samson & Delilah!" Kwan doubled her 3F in "East Of Eden!" She fired Frank that night! ...She finished the season losing Canada to S. Hughes, The GPF to Irina, & = though the fave @ SLC, only the judges could save her!
***She just got all the fawning b/c her consistency made her eminently marketable. Big sponsors could invest in her & count on her to make the World or Olympic Team.***
My faves over the yrs were the exact opp. & as inconsistent as you could find on the ice, but they were still STARS; Slutskaya, Bonaly, Cohen, Urmanov, & Plushenko! ...They usually got scorn; esp. someone like Surya who didn't fit the "ice princess" façade of the tour!
***Evan gets so hated on for his OGM, but he was a World Chp. & X US Nat'l Chp. ...I think people just don't like Evan.***
...He well deserved the OGM @ the X, but other skaters had to falter as you said! Not sure IIRC, but = after Plushy performed so abysmally w/ a few shaky landings, he was still only a 2-axel behind in the scoring! ...Arakawa pulled back on her program's jump passes since Sasha hit the ice twice on the Lutz & Flip triples! IMO, no one was as gifted on the ice, but Sasha found ways to come up short to skaters not in her class!
***...I'd agree w/ you except for the fact I dont sense Hughes is < downplayed than Lysacek @ all. Lastly it's worth noting Lysacek has fewer Nat'l titles than both Weir & Abbott, extremely strange for an Olympic & World Champ. to have fewer Nat'l titles than 2 guys who never truly made it big. Just as it is worth noting Olympic Champion Hughes doesn't = have a Nat'l title.
---
...Personally, I enjoyed Evan a lot when he burst onto the scene in '03-04 season. Afterwards, he seemed much more controlled & very careful except when he put his skate in his mouth when commenting on Weir. …I remember Weir calling Lysacek a "slore" or something which seemed like an immature & random insult.
---
...At least Abbott has the bronze in the '14 team event, but right now medals in the Oly. Team events are relative in terms of their overall significance, despite being worthy & valuable for many skaters.***
Gawd, what a wasted career! I was never a fan due to his rivalry w/ Weir that got ugly @ X's & his gen. attitude just rubbed me the wrong way! He should have won a lot more after all the buzz over the yrs! Btw that blade breaking on him 10 yrs ago & the chronic injuries related or not related to that accident, any news of him after '10 Vancouver had t/b talk just to keep his name out there for his endorsements purposes!
***'08 U.S. Nat'ls: Evan was injured & he skated sloppily in the FP, but the judges manufactured a 'tie,' which gave the win to Evan over Johnny. It was highway robbery. Of course, Evan then had to pull out of Worlds due to his injury which gave Johnny the better opp. to medal. ...Clearly, U.S. fed politics were fully behind Evan (3rd @ U.S. Nat'ls) & not Johnny (the U.S. chp.). ...After '10 Olympics, Abbott didn't ever get back into U.S. Fed's full graces. When Evan made mistakes, he had been coddled. When Abbott made mistakes, he was clobbered. So Abbott paid the price in '11, then came back in '12-14 w/ some of his best performances, = though he never had great success @ Worlds.***
Evan was obviously coddled & favored by all concerned! I was really ticked off w/ that BS about a tie & handing the GOLD to Evan!
***...20 slams is more than enough given that it's 6 clear of Pete's record 14. The fact that some hack like dull w/ his disgusting moonballing has vultured 17 says more about the field than Fed's achievements. Sure Fed could've won more but no way can you tell me that dull s/b winning 17 of these. ...Fed can't keep winning slams til the end of X in the hope that someday someone stops Nadal from winning RGs.***
ReplyDeleteThank GAWD for Fed & Nole to save the history of tennis so far by being foils enough to keep DULL in 2nd running for the GOAT! He was being supplanted by Nole for a while = though behind due to some fab yrs, but somehow Fedal's reestablished themselves @ the top! I just can't believe w/ all the talent out there, a dark horse hasn't been able to do more than Cilic @ '14 USO!
***Diff. era w/ Pete & he had no rivals in striking distance. He thought that rec. would last a long X, not 7 yrs after he retired. Now athletes are playing longer & the courts are playing much more similar making it easier to win more slams.***
Fed prob. should've won more; esp. @ the USO, but he also stole a few! Roddick giving away that '09 Wimbl. shouldn't be forgotten! ...Not sure how A-Rod could sleep after that one! I can still see that high BH-volley sitter blown along w/ X other SP's going by the wayside!
***I rooted for Fed back then, but now I see that not only Roddick deserved to get that one, maybe Roger himself would've played >er from '09 onwards had he lost that match. - Zverev has a good ground game, good solid serve so it's puzzling why he hasn't won anything big yet.***
All of the Next Gen have been like that; quite talented on the court w/ all the tools except one; guts to finish off their seniors! Even back in the day, the tour didn't allow McEnroe, Connors, Edberg, Becker, & Lendl to own/win everything the way the "Big 4" have in the last decade! The most talented out there has been players like Grigor, but w/ all his styling, he has to come back from the dead to beat a kid! I love the games of Kei, Milos, Sasha, & Thiem, but they're holding themselves back "breaking down physically" or losing matches that shb won but for a mental deficiency!
***Sasha's won MS 1000s. Those are big titles. And if he should win either the next USO or AO, he'd be ahead of Roger's pace @ that age, w/ more MS & 1 major @ the same age. He's 21 only +4 months.***
Sasha has real weapons to actually be ahead of sched., but not sure where that 1st major win w/b coming? It took a while to get Roger's game to gel & of course for his seniors like Sampras, Agassi, Rafter, & the rest to age out!
***I get that it took a while for his game to gel. Pt. being, Sasha's not really 'behind sched.' as you mention that Fed did.***
Which's where I use/get the term "naïve" as I see it =lent to being "soft!" Ages ago Roger was this elegant artist/gentleman on the court while Nadal plowed the fields like an artisan winning tournaments thru attrition many X's! Players like that succeed sooner & no one in the history of the game will match those FO's unfortunately! I don't give him as much credit as I bemoan the effort the players of this past era put out; really gut<! If not for Nole outdoing Rafa @ being "Rafa" by actually outlasting him @ events like '12 AO, '11 USO, & sev. Masters on Rafa's beloved clay, Fed would already be "looking up!" Roger should give some kind of residual to Soderling & Djokovic who helped in more ways than c/b counted to keep Nadal @ bay in the majors' race!
***What a load of BS. This is a narrative that you & others like, but it has almost no basis in reality. ..There's elegance in Rafa's game & an enormous amt. of talent. You just don't like it.***
Not t/b greedy, but looking forward to ATP Masters in Cincy to see if he can close that circle of owning all 9 Masters; 8 of the 9 twice! Doubt a lot of his recs w/b broken along w/ Fedal's! They'll probably own it all for the next 100 yrs! This has been a historic era that I didn't think could surpass the 90's! They've blown Sampras, Agassi, Becker, Wilander, & Edberg out of the water! Sampras will grab onto a lit'l notoriety by holding #1 ranking 6 YE's, owning 7 Wimbls, & breaking am. rec. majors of Emerson @ 13; ending career w/ 14 @ '02 USO! Every X you think "they're done," they perform a 2nd & 3rd act! Roger went 5 yrs before extending his major's lead & holding 20! Nadal's been breaking down since '09, but he keeps coming back, holding the #1 ranking again! Most had to think Nole had not only lost "his edge," but didn't seem to care! Early RD losses to players way outside the top echelon almost sealed his fate concerning the end of his career! Taking this past Wimbl.; I just can't express the words & had no real hope of such a thing! Fedalovic are just a "Big 3" for the ages & they're still @ it w/ plenty more paragraphs to write on the BIO's!
ReplyDelete***Hard to believe that this is KA's 1st Masters SF after being a twice slam R-up finisher.***
These draws are tough; hence the requirement of all top players to show up sans injury & seniority on the court! The only weird thing is that the same people win all of them w/ just a handful of winners over the decade outside "The Big 4!" Back in the day, the same kind of dynamics occurred w/ players like Pioline, Philippoussis, and a few others who make major finals a couple X's, but outside of that their careers are limited! Anderson showing all kinds of talent, power, & consistency of late; it won't last! Even if someone comes thru like Stich back in '91 @ Wimbl., outside of his dubs win there w/ McEnroe & getting to #2 in the world for 5 min., his resume's quite short!
***Sock lost his 9th match in a row.***
Bashing the ball relent<ly wasn't going to cut it for very long! You can live off it for a while, but if you have no game to back it up, others'll wise up & more than likely allow Sock to self-destruct; totally inevitable w/o = watching him! He doesn't have a back up game; like so many other Americans w/ limited skills of big serving, bashing the ball, & usually playing long drawn out matches ending in TB's! The only shocking thing was how pathetic the tour has gotten to allow Sock to make the top 10 doing it for this long! It's finally caught up to him & he may have to go back to playing dubs seriously to make his bones!
***He hasn't fallen that much; still in the top 20 despite this losing streak.***
Barely; actually went up 2 spots = w/ the early loss! He's toast &'ll fall precipitously soon! He s/b defending all kinds of pts by the end of the season & I don't think he can do it! You think he's going to defend that Masters in Paris? "Challengers, get ready for Sock to return!"
***No, I don't think he will. But that w/b a few months from now.***
We haven't considered he made YEC & won 2 matches making the SF! That's why I'm saying "Sock's toast!" He won't = qualify!
***...You know why Players make those silly challenges on shots they're aware are out? It is like taking a TO. If you need X to regroup, people routinely call for challenge esp. if they have many left to burn.***
I well know why they do it! I think the refs need to keep these matches going! It's an athletic event & these guys need to keep it moving! If that happens, maybe they'll end before 3 hrs! Nole was using his challenges like that & it cost him in his Wimbl. match vs Querrey 2 yrs ago! When he needed a challenge on 2 bad calls, he had none to spend & that started his spiral out of the top 10!
***Hard to believe Zverev never won in Cincy; not = a match.***
ReplyDeleteIt's that X of the yr., energy being conserved by some, apathy by others, & in the case of NOLE, supreme pressure since this is the last Masters needed to complete the circle winning 9 of the 9 @ least once! ...Nadal has bragging rights w/ a CGS, OG in singles, the most titles @ the FO, & X DC's! For Roger, he has a CGS, the most titles at Wimbl., OG in Dubs, a DC, leads majors' race, & holds most of the important recs dealing w/ consistency & longevity! Djokovic may rank # 3 or #4 all X, but he's made his mark w/ his own recs that may or may not ever be broken! He has his own CGS (w/ Nole-Slam), a DC, & on the verge of some serious immortality if he can get this Cincy title!
***...Mirka can't repeat her "cry baby" call to upset Stan & help tip the scale in favor of Fed in Cincy.***
I still can't believe that BS went on @ the YEC a wk. before their '14 DC final! ...it's all the more galling Roger went out of his way killing himself to win that SF match! He would then default the final to Novak! I wouldn't have spoken civily to Roger ever again! ALL I know is a friend wouldn't have been in the middle of that drama w/ Stan and Mirka!
***I wouldn't blame that mess on Roger. Mirka is a wolf & she pounced on Stan that day. Roger naturally had to come to her defense a bit after she taunted Stan. ...Mirka's an asset for Roger, I can tell she doesn't put up w/ any BS losses or all-around weakness. It seems like Stan's family totally held him back.
---
Pretty sweeping reforms just went thru:
- https://www.daviscup.com/en/news/290057.aspx -
- - no more World Group & sev Rds a yr, instead one wk. tournament @ the end consisting of 18 countries
- - no more 5 sets
I think it's great!***
I don't mind them making changes, but everyX they do, it devalues the recs of present day players by artificially inflating their # of wins IMO! Historically I believe Nole'll eventually own the Masters Series & most of their recs, regard< of Nadal hogging clay titles! Fedalovicray initially dealt w/ BO5 in the finals making them very hard to win unlike now when the top players routinely have taken most of them! Winning 4 was a lot in a season, but Fedalovic have set recs that may only be broken by really going the extreme; going 10 point TB in the 3rd to make it = easier on the top echelon! Way back when there were dark horses who would come thru, esp. @ the end of the season, but since the tour decided to go BO3, it's given the top players more opps to win since it isn't as grueling! The DC was barely holding onto its last vestiges of a proud history of athleticism, comp., civility, & grace! They might have eased into it by shortening early Rds, but to accommodate the top players & to consolidate their HOLD on running the show over the wellbeing of the rest of the players, they've gone this route = in a WORLD Team Chp!
***Come on folks, BO5 only increases the >er player's chances of winning. If they go to BO3 from BO5, or if they go from BO3 to Super TB 3rd sets, it creates more possibilities of upsets than the other way around.***
That's one way of looking at it; may = be true, but I'm looking @ it thru the eyes of Nadal who gets into battles that last hrs = in early Rds! I wasn't surprised when he WD from Cincy after winning Can. Masters! He's one of many players that pay a price by = winning BO3! By him being wiped out, that gave other players a window to possibly win since he's #1! He probably would have lost early so it makes sense for him to just go ahead & WD before being embarrassed by some nobody he's never heard of! I don't mind the change, but I've given my view of where I think things are heading concerning wins, the recs produced, & the subsequent undermining of history!
***Trump has driven the libtards to such an intense, overwhelming obsession that they can't think of anything else. They have absolutely no plan for winning seats in the midterms b/c nothing matters to them except Trump. They forgot that he's not running now.***
ReplyDeleteThe same c/b said about the psycho conserv. who still obsess over the Clintons! That's more sick than anything in the history of dirty politics! They couldn't overcome his cons/mod. positions, so they felt the need to destroy him personally; going that extra mile by vilifying his wife & daughter! The same thing's going on w/ Obama, following the man out of office trying to undermine him = peeking out of his lane! Those people are VILE & there's really no coming back from the slime of being a TRUMP supporter! The country will suffer the shame for yrs to come w/o a doubt!
***Trumpettes are okay w/ sexual harassers so that's not disqualifying.***
The real killer & head scratcher is how they see Russia's infiltrated the WH w/ an admin. all @ sea trying to explain their contradictory statements concerning Trump's collusion & conspiracy with his "red brother" from across the planet! He loves tyrants; young & old! I'm just shocked how quiet Reps have been after all their scare tactics of "the Evil Empire" way back when! Now Trump's sucking up to Putin & no one's making a stink on the cons. side of the aisle! I'm embarrassed & disgusted! How bout anybody else?
***It's a difficult position for the Rep. leadership in Congress when it comes to this b/c it's important that they try to maintain enough of a relationship w/ Trump that they m/b able to work w/ him & possibly exert some influence on him. An outright attack on him by a Rep. leader would simply result in a Trump dismissal & attack (see McCain, Flake, Corker, et. al.) & that person would lose any op. to have a + influence on him. But the chorus was loud & clear from the Reps after Trump's press conference w/ Putin & it did influence Trump's action. The problem was that he just decided, like he always seems to, to simply deny what happened. It's why 2020 can't come soon enough.
---
...Grabem & his brown shirted ICE had no intention of ever reuniting the families. That's why the hobbit & his minions are having such a horrible X putting the families back together. They didn't = bother to keep track of the kids or their parents & why you still have 1 yo babies appearing in court to explain why they shouldn't be deported.***
Nothing done by Trump is thought thru; hence judges & common sense prevailing a lot of the X! Only people as incompetent as these could work for the FED, not = attempt to keep a rec. of these families, are now scrambling to reunite them, & practically demanding the ACLU save their asses! It w/b funny if it weren't so tragic!
***...I guess you're the sucker puncher & runner in a fist fight?***
Unlike cons. that bravely bomb clinics & hospitals while shooting doctors in cold blood over the issue of abortion! You & your ILK are quite the good examples of patriotism & compromise for America!
***One doctor kills how many unborn healthy children? I'm not saying I support murder of doctors, or anyone else, including unborn children, but if you want to play tit for tat, do the math!***
Sounds like @ least you're conciliatory when it comes to murder if it saves the unborn! That's where the radicalism starts; that lit'l bit of justification of an illegal act! The Trump Era has been ratified! "Good luck suckers; see what you get w/ this type of consensus!"
Y'all once held the USSR / Sov. Union in such repute just a few yrs ago are now "sucking" them off; Trump had kneepads under his suit in Helsinki! I've listened to clowns here & on FNC literal giving Putin praise about how strong he was & showing him riding a horse w/o his shirt!
ReplyDelete***...We already know that at least 45% of voters have no problem w/ corruption. In fact, as long as there's an "(R)" behind the crook's name, they celebrate it.***
Why should now be any diff. than the past? Even when you spell out the corruption, voters are sure "their reps" aren't a part of that cesspool! We're responsible for the swamp that has become DC, Congress actually legislating their corruption! When you see Boehner shamelessly passing out checks on the House floor from "tobacco" & "gun" lobbies, we should know there w/b no change; it'll probably get worse! Look @ Trump's admin.! He hasn't = filled all the positions, but has lost 1/2 his staff thru their own actions w/ lying, abusing their positions, & in gen. not seeming to care where the country's going!
***...It's like Trump himself said, "I could shoot someone in the face on 5th Ave. & not lose voters."***
It says more about the people who support such a troll; not how crazy he is to say it! It's always the "ENABLING" that's worse IMO! Dictators & tyrants are all over the place; it's up to the supporters to determine whether t/b led by any despicable means! Right now Rep. leadership can't feel too good anywhere in the country! They accepted Trump & he now "owns them" & their party!
***Peter Strzok is now seeking $150K in contributions to cover his lost wages & pay his attorney.***
He's entitled! This is total BS forcing this man out of his job b/c he's not thrilled Trump's president! There were people who weren't happy about "W" or Obama, but they got the job done w/o being vilified by some a-hole in the WW! If I were on the jury, I'd give him a $1M b/c this is still America & if he wants to make comments about Trump, it's his fk'n business, esp. on his personal cell!
***...Omarosa had Zero credibility w/ the Media when she worked in the WH.***
I can simplify it all; BOTH ARE FOS! She praised him & he praised her not that long ago; now on the outs the vilification begins! Who's shocked really? Neither had any credibility so I don't understand why it matters one way or another? She only confirms how lax sec. is that this bitch has tapes on everyone including Trump!
===
...I've found the latest Gawd-send concerning weight loss & lowering chance of chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, etc.! It's the "16/8 Intermittent Fast diet!" It's just restricting the window of taking in cals! You pick a per. when you want to eat meals & you don't take in anything outside of that X slot except H2O; not = a grape! I learned all about it on You Tube where it's been proved you can eat reasonable well & still lose weight if you allow the body to burn fat in the state when insulin levels are down like when asleep & the body is craving!
...After 6 wks & pretty much eating what I want, it's stabilized @ 20 #'s lost! I intend on continuing & if I need to + a lit'l exercise like walking or jumping rope, all the >er! I really don't feel deprived, ...Every once in a while I extend the fasting window & not do breakfast until NOON! It doesn't hurt to fast for days tech., but going @ it this way has been easy! Might work my way up to "OMAD" to get the full benefits of the fasting process!
- - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcTB6PhsbxI - -
***Methinks that Omarosa should present whatever info she has to Mueller, ASAP:
ReplyDelete- https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/14/politics/omarosa-trump-campaign/index.html -***
He doesn't need her pathetic conversations w/ staff! We all know this is the most corrupt admin. in the history of the country! Anyone assoc. w/ it w/b tainted for all X & won't be able to find anything else to do! Hell, Spicer is still looking for work! If not for his lame book, he might starve! I have lit'l to no sympathy for any of these people who had to know what they were getting into! They're not all as dumb as Trump; close, but not entirely as stupid!
***Good to see the Trump apologists hard @ work searching desperately for any boat in yet another Trump self-inflicted crap storm.***
They sound more & more foolish every day! Did you hear Kellyanne Conway try to gloss over the fact there's no Black advisor in the WW after Omarosa was let go last yr.? She tried to pt. to that lame HUD Sec. Carson who's in the EOP, not the WW! She rolled her thoughts & came up w/ someone called Ja'Ron (Smith) & couldn't = give us the guy's last name! Besides that she has to deal w/ the fact her husband keeps undercutting her by TWEETING something embarrassing about her BOSS! How she skirts that on these interviews isn't = funny; more pathetic!
***I wonder how Omarosa feels about having been a "token" in the White House? She says Trump knew about hacked emails prior to WikiLeaks release.***
If you listen to the people there, she discouraged Trump in taking on anyone else w/ color! She wanted t/b that TOKEN! I know the type & they're as pathetic as any racist after all's said & done! They're a disgrace to humankind just like some have said! - Of course he knew! ...Might as well allow Trump to take over this sick party & put it out of their misery! Heaven knows they're 3rd party out in Cali.! Not sure how they'll recover from his antics, dragging down the entire institution in his position! When you own it from coast to coast, there's no place else to go but down! This Nov. might just "give me life" & I can't wait to see how Reps explain "wha hapin'd?!!"
***Theoretically speaking, what happens if there is a tape & Trump admitted using the N-word?***
I just can't = venture a guess! This country's so Fk'd up w/ people who are =ly so! What this animal is doing whh past societies ready to bury the person under a prison! Many are lapping up all that he's doing! We're lost & I've stopped caring! The latest BS has Reps pushing the notion Dems are more sympathetic & enamored of Socialism! Like this country isn't surrounded by it; Soc. Sec., Gov. HC, & the regulating, subsidizing, & outright running of businesses where the gov't is totally enmeshed in how things are operating! We're already there; WTF are these a-holes talking about?
***I don't think Pence is worse, but I don't think he's normal either. He's just as bad, only in a religious/cons. fanatic kind of way. What probably makes him worse for everyone but white men is that he appears more normal, so whatever he does, he'll probably be able to disguise it as normal.***
Pence made himself look as guilty as sin when he had his personal papers sealed @ the university housing them around when the election was decided! He's embarrassed the state of Indiana more than a few X's w/ the NCAA HQ almost leaving! There's probably much dirt t/b had on Pence; not as much criminal as in immoral behavior trying to make things diff. for gays & transgendered people!
***I don’t believe administratively he c/b as bad @ all! The policies he instituted as Gov. of Ind. were someX's so bad & horrible, but well w/i the ideological boundaries of America. But the Trump admin. is insane crazy spectacle, but that wouldn’t describe Pence's admin. of Ind.***
***Omarosa says Trump's def. not racist & it's absurd to say he is, then bitch says he is racist.***
ReplyDeleteYou can say the same thing about your fear< leader! He contradicts himself in the same sentence if not him vs his own admin! ...Whatever's going on w/ Omarosa, it's all on Trump for bringing her in in the 1st place! She flattered him & it didn't matter she was a disaster! As long as she stroked that ego & made news praising him she was safe until it got too big = for her! Was it a coo w/ Kelly finally locking her out of the WW?
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Is FNC turning on Trump? First on Fox & Friends Trump was pretty much called an idiot falling into Omarosa's trap! Just watched the 7 PM hr. w/ Martha & she started her show talking about the Manafort case which is going to jury soon! I'm shocked @ their priorities & willing to smack Trump upside the head when he does something stupid like going after this woman who's learned all she knows about "playing the media" from the master.
***Trump wants to revoke the security clearance for Bruce Ohr who had early contacts w/ Christopher Steele.
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/former-intelligence-officials-rebuke-trump-for-pulling-brennans-security-clearance/2018/08/17/ea8382f2-a20d-11e8-8e87-c869fe70a721_story.html?utm_term=.590a95e5c4d7 -
And Reps are standing by watching him trample the Constitution & abusing his power.***
Trump's now @ war w/ "Intelligence" where past officials are circling the wagons around Brennan who's being vilified by Trump relentlessly as well! Attacking Mueller, Ohr, Brennan, or anyone else isn't going to change the exposure of his criminal acts!
***Not so sure it’s a good idea to declare war on the Intelligence Community = if he's masquerading as the president. One has to wonder just how much they really tell the Clown in Chief. ...And how capable he's of understanding whatever they do share w/ him. He brags that he "knows it all."***
Well that's just one of his many lies! My mom says "that fool doesn't read!" Of course Intel don't tell him much if anything! He's a blabbermouth & besides that he's looking more & more like that Manchurian Candidate I read about as a child & it's happening right under our noses! No one seems to REALLY care or "articles of impeachment" whb already drawn up by the Speaker! Sooner or later; if not Ryan this yr., maybe Pelosi later after elections this FALL! Heaven help us that we all return to common sense & run these a-holes out of office!
***How deeply distressing that some persons of color who support Trump, rationalize his use of the "N-word".***
I find it more distressing that it was "white women" who put Trump over the top 2 yrs ago! They did this in full knowledge of how lascivious & disgusting this guy is, but in their mentality Trump was a >er choice than one of their own in Hillary! That's more disgusting than some ignorant a-hole supporting Trump vs his fellow minorities! Women complain about a lack of representation in gov't, but they tend to vote for the old white guy almost every X in the crunch of an election! Mexicans have the same problem w/ their race traitors sitting up there on cable news everyday rationalizing the actions of their pol. leaders in the Rep. party! The thing is they've been getting away w/ this type of behavior for yrs & the moral turpitude of these people is increasing exponentially! Not sure how we get it back after Trump pushed the envelope off the fk'n table w/ lit'l to no repercussions as of yet!
***B/c some women can't imagine themselves worthy of power or influence; much < actually having it. They can't see how any woman should or could, be. It's more ingrained than "a problem w/ Hillary."***
***Fed has asserted many X's that all his friendship w/ Stan's put aside when on the other side of the net. But, need< to say, Fed wasn't as conscious about his "smart scheduling" then as he's now. Otherwise, he should have tanked that match @ the YEC back in '14; ITA w/ you.***
ReplyDeleteI just can't believe how this era is starting to mirror the past when Vets ruled! ...How in the world has this Next-Gen allowed geezers to rule the tour & the top 10 in their waning yrs?
***I have hopes these guys won't be as pathetic as the Raonic, Dimitrov, Noshikori gen. But they still need more X & chances are there are a couple young guys that are often touted right now that won't ever become great players. I think Thiem will fall in that group & maybe others.
One thing to remember about "Next-Gen" is that they're already far more successful than the "Lost-Gen" were @ a comparable age. Let's go back 5 yrs to '13, & here are the 'LG' players (born '89-93) ranked in the top 50 for YE-rankings:
11. Raonic (22)
17. Nishikori (23)
21. Janowicz (23)
23. Dimitrov (22)
26. Paire (24)
32. Pospisil (23)
49. Sousa (24)
51. Tomic (21)
And here are the top 50 Next-Gen currently:
- 4. Zverev (21)
15. Tsitsipas (20)
16. Edmund (23)
17. Pouille (24)
18. Kyrgios (23)
21. Coric (21)
25. Chung (22)
27. Khachanov (22)
32. Shapovalov (19)
37. Rublev (20)
38. Tiafoe (20)
42. Jarry (22)
43. de Minaur (19)
45. Marterer (23)
So not only are there currently twice as many players age 24 & under in the top 50 as there were 5 yrs ago, but there are more very young players (age 21 & under): 7 ranked #43 or >er. In '13, Bernard Tomic (age 21) was the highest ranked 21-or-under @ #51.
My guess is that a yr. from now we'll see 3 or 4 of the above names in the top 10 & that 1/2 or more of the top 20 w/b made up of Next-Gen'rs.
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BO5 is almost a diff. sport to me; the one I prefer. Reducing the GS matches to BO3 w/b castration of men's tennis. I w/b all for introducing a 5th set TB though.***
...It would devalue the current major wins = more IMO! There's a reason Masters used t/b hard to win in previous eras! It's gone to BO3 in finals, which in turn allows the elites a >er chance of taking most of them! We've talked about the so called >ness of these "Big 4," but it's a combo of them being a lit'l >er than the rest & the accommodating of them w/ scheduling & shortening of matches to BO3 finals! I think if "play" were sped up a bit, results would change; more blowouts one way or making the er w/ the fans! Who cares about the pros being unhappy? They're being compensated hand over fist! Stop kvetchin' & looking for easier wins!
***Fully agree. I've more or < stopped caring about Masters over the yrs. Having watched Nalbandian-Fed in Shanghai '05 & Fedal in Rome '06, it just feels like Ramen noodles now.
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I actually like the current system. It makes the Slams stand out as more special & intense, & the shorter "samurai fight" style of the Masters provides their own kind of drama. That said, I could see changing the WTF to BO5. They'll never change the Slams to BO3, but that w/b a travesty if they did.***
I say the majors and Masters still don't get enough importance when it comes to pts! I'm still fuming over Novak dropping down to #2 @ the end of '16 owning 2 majors, 4 Masters, & was a finalist @ the USO & YEC! How does it happen = w/ run of pts Murray acquired @ 500's that this travesty occurred like '16 elections here in the States? It's historically mind-blowing IMO!
***ITA w/ this. Maybe make the WTF finals a BO5 again & also make all the Olympic matches BO5. That's the only changes I'd consider. I think keeping MS finals BO3 is ideal.***
***It's funny though, the guy has won Wimbl., he's in the finals here yet something is still lacking in his game. Is it mental? I'm not sure, but this is actually bad news for the comp. Were he to get it all together...***
ReplyDeleteI believe if Nole steals this title, he'll go into the USO & blow the field away! Tennis' like most anything is about confidence! No matter how skilled a person is, w/o confidence you just have good showings! Nole's been doing both for yrs, but if he has that confidence he had from 2 yrs ago, the field doesn't have a chance! He was embarrassing the best of them then; toying w/ Rafa by the X they played @ FO '15!
Nole finished Cilic off in style! I'm glad it went 3 sets; practice was had & it makes Roger get on the court later tonight since the other women's SF has to play out! Goffin's no slug & snuck up on Roger @ the YEC IIRC! W/ Nole & Murray out, you would think he'd take advantage, but was taken to the limit in RR play & eventually taken out by Goffin in the SF in 3!
***I'm aware of McFly's threat. Roger playing as he should take care of this tourney, this is fast HC's & he's still the best there is in these conditions. He needs this tourney too to show signs of life after that debacle of a grass season.***
Love the overconfidence; upsets occur w/ it all too often! I think I saw it just before Wimbl.
***It isn't overconfidence pal. Goffin's in w/ a shot, but he'll need help from Roger to beat him @ Cincy. I was actually the only one worried he'd lose @ Wimbl. to Anderson or Isner. When you see the crazy letdowns in big moments like the IW final, Halle & Wimbledon losses, they become very frequent occurrences w/ Fed. It was encouraging that he beat Stan in the type of match he has been losing since Rotterdam. Now let's see if he can follow it up w/ a couple more wins.
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I agree w/ the view that the tour--esp. Fedal--s/b concerned if Novak finds his best form. While we never really got to see prime Novak vs. prime Roger, prime Novak usually beats post-prime Fedal. And of course if Novak resurges, it may delay the ascendancy of Next-Gen to the top.
The USO ...a very important tournament that may really set the stage for the next yr. or 2 & >ly impact historical recs. For instance...
1. If Rafa wins it, he's only 2 behind Roger, w/b very hungry for his 2nd AO & potentially able to tie Roger @ RG next yr.
2. If Roger wins it, he prob. safely distances himself enough to hold the Slam lead & can put the cherry on top in AO or Wimbl. next yr.
3. If Novak wins it, it's one < op. for Fedal & all of a sudden he's only 3 behind Rafa &'s the fave to win AO, his best tournament.
4. If a Next Gen'r wins it, all of a sudden the door's blown open & anything could happen going forward.
5. If one of LostGe...oh, nevermind. But who knows...***
Not really! I said long before the tourn. that it w/b impossible for Roger to duplicate '17! He was fortunate to retake AO, but defending the Masters double in March was out of reach; getting to final of only 1 of them! I didn't think he was playing that hot by the X Wimbl. rolled around & I specifically said he was vulnerable to a big server like Isner, Raonic, or Anderson; actually using their names instead of their games!
***I was very worried about Anderson @ Wimbl. Roger just didn't have the "feel" he usually has when he wins a Slam. TBH, IDK how he won the 2018 AO...he was helped out by a weak draw & Cilic beating Rafa & being himself in the final. But I haven't seen the "great Fed" since Wimbl. a yr. ago except for a set here or there. If he doesn't find that form then he's not going to beat a resurgent Novak or a healthy Rafa. The age gap is = more noticeable now. 31 & 37 is quite a gap, athletically speaking.***
***I agree that it would destroy epic tennis if they lost BO5 completely. I've said this before, but I wouldn't be opposed to Slams being BO3 for women & men to something like the QFs, then BO5 for both men & women. I wouldn't mind if BO5 were instituted the last 2 Rds of YEC, or m/b the whole thing. And I sort of agree w/ @Fiero425's pt. that if MS1000's finals went back to BO5, then m/b the Big 4 wouldn't own them all. Nadal v. Fed in Rome '06 (& Nadal v. Coria in '05) were classics, & that was the one that forced them to change it, b/c then both Roger & Rafa pulled out of Hamburg, leaving the tourn. w/ what was then nothing, & they complained.
ReplyDelete---
So what do you expect from the 2nd SF in Cincy; long 3 sets?***
I don't have a prediction; just a hope Goffin can keep Roger out there for a while to soften him up @ least! Fed has 7 titles; he can let this one slide by! He needed help to get his FO; "be considerate Roger & let it go! Karma will reward you!"
***7 is not enough. ...if Fed wins today he needs to make up for the embarrassing H2H w/ Nole. - 5 is only tied for the rec. He needs another to add NYC to his empire. I expect Roger to step up & destroy McFly. Get small revenge for that YEC loss.***
If I had to make a prediction, that w/b it!
***I don't remember if this is the 2nd or 3rd X that Nole w/b playing for "Golden Masters" or whatever they call it 1st X. Does anyone remember?***
The USO traditionally has been the 2nd hardest to win w/ the heat, humidity, planes flying overhead, scheduling, & the inconsistency of the courts! In '78 freshly laid down, it played like a pane of glass & too fast for Borg to catch up to big serving! In the early 90's it was slowed down where Edberg played rec. length matches @ the X going 5 sets & over 5 hrs a few X's in one of his runs! Federer had his run when the comp. was rather weak over 10 yrs ago! He's barely gotten a sniff since, = though most would say he had his chances in '15 vs Nole! I'm not greedy, but if Nole takes it, I w/b thrilled! I just want them to keep Nadal's rec. intact; inability to defend a title off the clay surface! How he's anywhere near being a GOAT, I'm lost! As I've said, if most of his titles are on clay, it's just not as impressive as someone like Borg who elevated his resume w/ those 5 str. Wimbl. & 2 YEC's! Rafa'll always be looking up to Borg IMO for that reason = though he has only 6 FO titles!
***I've never understood what makes one major harder to win than another? All the same players play them & only 1 out of 128 can win?***
...It was no accident Connors never played a FO final, Lendl's w/o a Wimbl. though 2 finals, & Borg's futility is well chronicled by me & others @ the USO! I could go on, but you know this already!
***I was not expecting Roger t/b firing on all cylinders today after playing 2 matches yesterday. = though I'm sorry for the win, I think the abbr. match definitely helps Roger.***
I just wonder what's on the minds of Nole, his support staff, & the fans about this situation of winning the last Masters' event?
- Nole could go all out to win this tourn. to complete his Golden Masters this yr; 9 of 9 @ least once
or
= He could try his best initially, but seeing it hope< & in a hole, let it go & save himself for USO realizing he has more ops in the coming yrs
***The only downside of Nole winning TRS tmrw is that the GOAT thread of TTW will lose some of it's epicness. I do think that'll happen tmrw though, after 9 yrs of glorious reign.***
***Fed beat Novak 7/9 X's when he was still a pup. He got an early advantage, but when they were both in their prime Novak has bossed Fed around and's leading the h2h. Fact of the matter is: Novak won all Masters events now @ least once, shows an ability to win everywhere more than Fed has shown.
ReplyDelete---
If Fed loses @ this USO it w/b a sizable upset no matter who it's against.***
People are hoping Nole's in Nad's qtr. instead of Fed's, but they're assuming he = gets that far! From what I've seen of his play, Roger may have trouble just getting out of the early Rds depending on the dark horses that w/b floating in the draw! ...Both Novak & Roger went 3 sets unnec. to lower ranked players in Cincy! At least we know Nole has his act together, but Roger has some work to do!
***Absol. correct. The Fed we saw for much of this tourn. won't be getting to the QF @ the USO. All this wk. proved is that Fed can play like a complete hack on fast courts & still beat most.
===
Top 3 - Who Has Won Most Titles at 14 Biggest Tournaments in Tennis
AO - Fed (edges Nole b/c he has reached 1 more final)
IW's - Fed (edges Djokovic b/c he has reached 2 more finals)
Miami - Djokovic
Monte Carlo - Nadal
Rome - Nadal
3rd Clay - Fed
French Open - Nadal
Wimbledon - Fed
Canada - Nole (edges Nadal b/c he has reached 1 more final)
Cincy - Fed
USO - Fed
1st Indoor - Fed (edges Djokovic b/c he has reached 2 more finals)
Paris - Nole
ATP Tour Finals - Fed
Federer - 8
Djokovic - 3
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Imo, Fed doesn't edge Nole in AO or IW. He has been playing catch up on Djokovic in those 2 tournaments although he's played 6 yrs >er. It took Nole 9 yrs to reach 6 titles 'down under' & Fed 15. Djokovic also won 5 out 6 @ his peak. It took Djokovic 9 yrs to reach 5 titles in IW & Fed 13 yrs. Also, Djokovic dominates the H2H vs Fed & all his rivals @ those 2 events.
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You forgot the OG in singles (Tier B), which is a big title =ly relevant as the WTF's (Tier B).
...Let's compare these 2 prestigious tournaments:
1) Difficulty: WTF's are played among the best 8 ATP players in the ranking. It makes the draw extremely though. Every CY there's an edition of this event. OTOH, Oly. Games are played every 4 yrs. ...Even though WTF's are very difficult to win, b/c of the quality of the opps, the OG in singles are = more diff. to achieve b/c of the limited # of editions.
2) Current prestige among players: Some players like Steffi Graf, S. Wms, Agassi, Djokovic or Murray say the OG Medal in singles is so prestigious or = more than a GS.
...An OGM isn't as relevant as a GS, but in the current era it's @ least =ly relevant as the WTF, a tourn. played every yr, while the Olympics are disputed every 4. The OGM doesn't give the players any ATP pts. Murray, the last winner, won 0 new ATP pts. Players play both for their individual resume & their country. GS are more prestigious & more relevant, but no more difficult to achieve. ...Even Fed found it impossible to win one; shows how diff. it is to achieve.
Sampras participated in the '92 Olympics & Agassi won the OGM in '96. In the 90s, the OGB started t/b more relevant, but in the XXI century the OGM in singles has acquired a new status as a relevant trophy in tennis. A great example of its importance c/b apprec. in how Djokovic cried of emotion & pain when Del Potro beat him in the '16 Summer Olympics.
...There's no obj. reason to consider the WTF more relevant than the OG in singles, esp. when the 1st one is played every yr & the 2nd once every 4 yrs, making it even more difficult to achieve.
The OGM in singles is relevant for both the country & the individual resume. It has become a trophy =ly relevant as the WTF in the XXI century.
Category of tournaments:
Grand Slams (Tier A)
WTF/OG in singles (Tier B)
Masters 1000 (Tier C)
Masters 500 (Tier D)
ATP 250 (Tier E)***
***...OTOT Djokovic & Nadal play a >er % game. Roger's game is @ the mercy of his timing.***
ReplyDeleteOh Gawd; let's not go to the age card! Maybe Roger should retire if his fans start using that as an excuse for looking this bad @ 37! I really thought he'd have a >er showing, probably winning in 3 sets! After Nole won the 1st set, I thought he had a chance finally to claim this title!
***I've been saying in the last 1.5 yrs of Roger's amazing return, that he's not really been tested in his level of tennis b/c he didn't play Joker @ that X. ...In form Joker was an ultimate test for Fed's level (like Rafa is the ultimate test on clay) & the test did not come good for Roger. ...dissipating all ??s by praising his opp. who completed historic all M1000 titles. Good strategy. But the ??s will come back to Fed, if not now, then later after USO, un< he wins it. But if he meets Joker there & loses again, then he'll have to either sit down w/ Ivan & rethink his strategy against Joker, or simply admit Joker "owns him" since '15 til now (7-3 overall, 3-0 in BO5 GS), & Fed can do nothing >er on his part than retire to stop that worsening F2F.***
Both Fedal have taken advantage of Nole's absent; nothing new there! It's still amazing Roger's been able to get thru when I think he's been subpar since the AO! All knew he'd never repeat '17 & defending AO was huge, but he hasn't been anywhere near as impressive since; making 2 Masters finals w/ no wins! Hard to stay in the top 3 w/o something a lit'l more substantial to the resume!
***...We still have not reached a state where the field has a better chance than Fedalovic to win the USO. When do you folks think it will happen?***
It's going t/b a while longer it seems so I wouldn't hold my breath in the foreseeable future for a changing of the guard! I've been begging for it as all know thru my rants about the Next Gen! W/ Nole's resurgence, we might just return to era of him "owning it!" Rafa & Roger w/b his "rivals in waiting!" He'll inch up the major's list again to pass Sampras @ least in the next yr!
***So which do you prefer; a Novak win or a Next Gen breakout?***
Right now I'd prefer Novak to put a stamp on this season b/c EVERYONE had just about counted him out! He was dropping matches serving for it; ala Queens! If not him, a NG'r like Sasha or Thiem; anyone but Fedal!
***You push for change, but not including Djokovic. Fair enough. Inconsistency, thy name is tennis fan.***
I need him to get closer so Fedal doesn't seem so omnipotent to commentators & historians! Lendl went thru the same circumstances w/ stars ahead of him like Borg, McEnroe, & a fading Connors! I'll be perfectly satisfied not having to + anything to his fan page, but after Nole acquires 1 more FO, another Cincy, 2 AO's to make it his own again like Fedal have Wimbl./FO for them! I think I can live w/ that if Djokovic shuts it down for the Next Gen to take over! I'm not greedy!
***Not much greedy, but Darth is too, and admits it. Aren't we all? ...Fedal is a rivalry that won't be put aside. Nothing is going to upend that.***
Federer can own the era; no problem w/ that! I'm just looking to reveal the complete rec. & not allow deification when he has serious rivals who've owned him @ diff. X's! Nole probably won't catch up, but his rec. will speak for itself! He has the most complete resume in the history of tennis; showing his versatility & not so dependent on a single surface like some players I know!
***So your Big 3 prejudice only extends to Nadal? ...CS means nothing? If there weren't such a gen. prejudice against clay, Rafa w/b held up in >er esteem.***
I've no problem w/ the surface! It's just boring AF w/ Nadal; esp. when he's dominating w/ the ugliest game in the history of the sport behind Francios Durr!
***IIRC Johnny & Evan were tied in total pts in '08 & the TB was the short tech. score by rules. Johnny mhb the artistic skater, but in the end it was the SP that tipped the scale. I didn't feel like the U.S. Fed was sending a message.***
ReplyDeleteThe USFSA'll always run games w/ people's futures & their participation in these things! Ties are suspicious; esp. when the elements are so diff.! Back in '02, Eldridge was up for his 3rd Olympics @ SLC! He was the prohibitive fave @ Nat'ls w/ only a skinny kid from Chgo trying to complete quads w/ no artistic jeux de vie in his skating as his real comp! IIRC Timothy Goebel wound up being tied w/ TODD after the SP, but they gave Eldridge the top due to his artistic score b/c Goebel tech. did more! ...Tim kept his feet @ SLC, completing all of his quads, & won a Bronze for the USA while Eldridge was in 6th well out of contention! He not only won that Bronze, but 2 World Silver medals behind Yagudin & Plushenko in cons. seasons! Again TE had the respect of the USFSA @ the expense of disrespecting Goebel!
***ITA w/ what you say; Todd going to 3rd Olympics in '02 b/c the USFSA had been playing faves w/ him since @ least '92.***
Loved it! When Rudy Galindo beat him in '96, El just had t/b in shock! Rudy just outskated Todd to Swan Lake!
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As far as I'm concerned Michael Weiss beat Todd @ '98 Nat'ls! J/b the judges are a bunch a corrupt hacks didn't change that for me! This was an Olympic yr. & they "chose" Todd regard< of the performances! It was criminal, but it's sorta the norm here & elsewhere!
***Okay then. You did say 'as far as' you're concerned that Michael beat Todd. ...I certainly am glad that it's only your opinion.***
I'm not = a fan of MW's, but been watching the sport for decades & as much as this new scoring system is supposed to alleviate the chances of bias, it's still as corrupt as ever w/ the whole world watching! J/b there's a consensus winner @ X's & people are satisfied w/ the results, it doesn't elim. shady dealings going on! Even in the Olympics you have to ?? some of the decisions; Rippon's team performance position puzzling to many!
***Michael's quad lutz was badly underrotated & 2-footed. And he badly botched a planned 3-flip/3T combo, turning it into nothing. Todd's performance was unspectacular & had a bad splat on his quad toe try, but pretty much clean otherwise. I was fine with the outcome, there are far worse outcomes in the sport than that one. ...That last pt. being part of why Todd got the benefit of doubt when Weiss was hardly perfect either as I noted, & the reason people like Kwan, someX's Cohen, & others m/b held up/gifted @ Nat'ls someX's too. All federations do it @ their Nat'ls. If you ever watched the Russian Nat'ls I guarantee you they are 100 X's worse than the U.S Nat'ls as far as bias, politics, & corruption.***
...It c/b more revisionist history on my part, but like Mirai winning in '08, the USFSA didn't want the US Champ virtually unable to represent them internationally! Sasha wasn't old enough in 2000, but might have qualified for Worlds if she won the Jr. Worlds! ...so it made sense to the FS powers pretty much "chose" Michelle over Cohen! Regard< of her results, I can watch Sasha all day long!
***Yeah I think that was probably also @ least a partial pol. decision. Granted I think Kwan probably deserved to win the LP = w/ a totally subpar LP w/ Cohen's last fall, but Kwan 100% shb 4th in the long behind Nikodinov. It whb kind of stupid to send either an unproven 14 yo. (Hughes) or a jr. skater who might not even be able to compete @ Sr. Worlds as the U.S Champ. It would majorly have sunk Kwan's status internationally, so whb kind of dumb = if it is the result that prob. shh.***
***Well, the Gold in '96 wasn't the only medal Eldridge won @ Worlds. Todd took Silver in '95, '97, & '98, then Bronze in '01. As for Nat'ls, he placed 4th in '94, Gold in '95, Silver in '96, Gold in '97 & '98, took Silver in '01 & Gold in '02.***
ReplyDeleteI think Todd had a chance to do 4 Olympics, but only went to 3 IIRC! Something must've happened in '94; m/b injury & he wasn't selected! W/ Lillehammer coming up, the pros were allowed to come back! ...& allowing Eldridge that Silver in '98 Worlds!
***Regarding Todd, he was always quite humble in victory. As an up-and-coming skater, I think Todd was surprised & m/b slightly embarrassed about winning over Paul. Todd still had a lot to improve & a long way to go in the early 90s. But Todd kept working hard & he challenged himself, living up to his potential.***
I wasn't watching skating @ all around that era! I have to like what's going on in a skater or how the sport was evolving; neither was happening after Cousins in '80! I just never cared for those skaters; Witt, Hamilton, Boitano! The judging was abismal when it came to these skaters in particular which just made it unwatchable; esp. when they all went pro! Gratuitous 10's when bloods being left on the ice made so lit'l sense to me! If it weren't for Nancy & Tanya in '94 I might have missed that BOON to the sport! I don't think people realize how huge skating became; often w/ telecast on all the networks; Am. & Pro! Loved Bonaly, Urmanov, Plushenko, Slutskaya, & Cohen! Now you practically have to hunt for it; = w/ an Olympic Network!
***...WItt is a great champion & I'm sure Germany was proud to send her to '94 Olympics. Just like the Russians were proud to have Plush as their only man in Sochi so he can win an Olympic team medal.***
The diff. was Plushenko was all Russia had & he actually did help win that OG Team Medal for his country! Katarina just wanted an audience & to fulfil her need for the spotlight! Germany ended up sending another skater to '94 Worlds, Marina Kielmann, so that excuse of sending only someone w/ minimum performance level is a crock! She finished 4th! Katarina was more well known and adored & she stole an Olympic spot thru her selfishness & ego!
***Marina already had 2 Olympic games under her belt & no way was she going to medal & her skating isn't @ the same level as Witt's. - @ Worlds after the Olympics she would have beaten Tanja Szewcenko for the Bronze had she not had 1 of her 2 late falls. Tanja finished above Witt in all their h2h meetings that yr.***
I watched it; just giving drama to my animus toward "The Diva!" Hard to believe she w/b eventually outdone by an even >er ego just 2 yrs later; Oksana Baiul! This drama queen actually strained & hurt herself curtsying; & it wasn't for the extended applause! A few X's there was silence while she posed waiting for more!
***...I think Zhou is going to do just fine under the new rules. He's still developing as a skater, but has a good foundation upon which to build.***
I just watched FS of Timothy Goebel @ '02 SLC Olympics on You Tube! Any similarities in that they concentrated on the tech. side of skating before developing their artistic skills? Zhou s/b a true contender for just about anything if Chan slips up by only a lit'l! We see how great Nathan c/b from his Olympic LP performance, but you can't do that in the SP! They say you can't win w/ it, but it can certainly hurt! He was there & would've beaten Hanyu but for one of the sloppiest SP by a top skater I can recall! Even w/ that, he was in the chair for Bronze until the last 3 skaters so "what a chance!"
***When there’s a good president again they must have the right to revoke anyone who had security clearance under trump. Like Ivanka and Jared.***
ReplyDeleteDems are idiots in that respect! They try to be above the fray the more disgusting cons behave who'll do or say anything! The way some feel, 2 wrongs don't make a right, but that's how Reps have taken ownership of the country's politics from coast to coast! They never underest. how low they can go which is acceptable to the common man while Dems keep overestimating plain ol' common sense! Obviously that commodity is in short supply when it was women who put Trump in that chair! When he starts fk'n over their rights, funding for clinics, & maternity leave, I'll laugh in their faces! He said what he was going to do & he still got their support! Idiots!
***Very true! The Warner amendment is sooo misguided. - From what I understand, no one who leaves the admin. just has access to classified info. They have t/b briefed by someone so if no one briefs them, no access. ...There are many who I don't think shh access in the 1st place for that very reason of Nat'l Sec. Michael Flynn, apparently still holds a clearance BTW; someone who pled guilty to a felony. I think that should auto. cancel access & eligibility, @ least, temp.***
But what Trump's doing has lit'l to nothing to do w/ anything else but politics! He's just being a malicious A-hole & when the bricks fall on the heads of him & his sleazy family, I'll LMAO after what he's put this country through!
***Of course. Like I said, from what I've read, if he doesn't want anyone to have access, all the admin. has to do is not consult them. This is pure politics/punishment for criticizing him/the Russia investigation.
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I wonder if Trump will attempt to pardon Cohen & Manafort. Their convictions implicate him.
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Cohen cannot be pardoned b/c he pled guilty to state charges not Federal.***
That doesn't stop them from having to testify when needed vs Trump! They can still go to jail regard< of the initial plea if they stop cooperating w/ the special prosecutor!
***...The big reality is that the Dems wouldn't only need the House Majority, but a significant one in the Senate. It takes 2/3 of the Senate to convict after the House recommends impeachment proceedings.***
Even the Rep. Senate won't be able to save Trump after all his immoral & illegal dealings have come to light! He already s/b on blast for violating the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution where a President is not supposed to profit from his office! W/ a Trump hotel down the street from the WH, it w/b rich for him to say he hasn't "raked it in" since he was elected; esp. payoffs from foreign gov'ts taking over vacant floors of that dump!
***While ITA w/ you, for the last 2 yrs, I have asked, "At what pt. will the Reps abandon Trump?" They're so scared of being primaried & possibly are also compromised by the Russians, that they are scared of defying him. Every X I think we have reached that threshold, it just doesn't come..... BTW, I've coined two #'s: #Trumpidity (Stupidity assoc. w/ Trump Supporters) #TrumpsterDumpster(Those who follow Trump w/o reason)
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Same here. ...I would LOVE it if this goes to impeachment, and I really think it should, but Congress won't do it. Plus, Trump can always do the "fake news" baloney. He has excuse after excuse for everything. He'll just say, "oh, those guys lied to save their skin, it's all fake & I did nothing wrong."
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Just t/b clear, SDNY is the Southern District of NY. These districts are Federal designations & are where Federal cases are heard. NYS has 4 districts. All of them are in the 2nd Circuit w/ Conn. & Vt., so if an appeal of any case w/i that the 4 NY districts, the District of Vt. or District of Conn. is heard, it'd be heard in the 2nd Circuit. The next step on the ladder is the SC.***
***...I didn't hear the GOP whining about "extraneous" criminal charges when the Whitewater investigation went on for yrs & yrs & we ended up @ Monica Lewinsky.***
ReplyDeleteThese same hypocrites probably didn't think Trump c/b made to testify! They went to the mat & the SC to get Clinton to testify in a personal matter so that's rich of these guys who all of a sudden care about "the office of the POTUS!"
***...How many indictments, charges, convictions, & guilty pleas are we up to now? Four guilty pleas & now Manafort convicted on 8 of 18 counts! But Mueller's hasn't produced "jack?" You kids are so damn gullible. That reminds me, I've got a bridge for sale. Any of you tRumpkins interested?***
I keep flipping by FNC & FBN & they haven't touched THIS! They broadcasted Trump's rally live from WV, then went into total deflecting mode! They keep trying to find an immigrant in the news who's committed a crime & drive it home "we need that wall!" Martha's featuring a "faith based" movie that's coming out! These people need help! It's like a fire's going on right there on set, but they're pointing somewhere else saying "everything w/b ok! You exaggerate the danger!"
***It seems like this Manafort guy would have never been charged w/ any of these financial crimes & tax fraud stuff if he had not worked on the Trump campaign. Is that pretty much correct?***
Not at all! Manafort was already on the Fed's radar due to his connections to Olig. from Russia & Ukraine! You can't transfer monies like that w/o red flags going up! If anything Manafort brought more attn. to the Trump campaign & the Russian connection more prominent b/c of his unholy work abroad! ...Looks like someone is surrounded by dishonest, shady people! It's a wonder Trump has been able to keep his wingtips from getting muddy for all these months!
***None of which have anything, whatsoever, to do w/ the Muller investigation into collusion btw Trump & the Russians.
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And a semen stained dress has nothing to do w/ an Ark/ real estate deal. Cohen said under oath that Trump directed him to break the law. He directly implicated Trump as a conspirator in a crime.***
Trump-ets aren't taking it in! They've been lied to for so long & so relentlessly, the truth can't sink in! It can't penetrate their skulls, hearing the noise in their heads, "lock her up!" Bringing up Rich after Hannity was excoriated for using that kid's death for his conspiracy BS! It's probably gonna cost him $$ eventually! The lawsuits someX take a while to appear on a docket!
***I want accountability from my President. - Bullshit, you didn't require any accountability from Obama, you lying hypocrite.***
What's Obama supposed t/b more accountable for; the great economy he left, his delivered Nat'l HC., unemployment that had dropped to 4%, the deficit reduced the fasted in the history of the country, behaving as a respected & responsible world leader lauded/cheered by other countries, & did his best to unite the USA? If you go by the most extreme def. of lying, stats show over his FOUR YRS, Obama w/b responsible for 18 so called falsehoods; one of them having to do w/ HC when it was more a mistake, not a LIE! He said "you can keep your doctor!" Fools really think he intentionally lied; so IMO they're FOS! Now Trump won't be able to compare his rec. after 2-3 days when the LIES have come fast & furious; increasing = more as his troubles mount! History'll smile more on Obama than Trump; no doubt about it!
***Why isn’t the so called opp. party all unanimously for Trump's impeachment? Why is it a ?? if Pelosi will start impeachment hearings in Jan. of '19?***
ReplyDeleteIt w/b safer to just investigate him to death like Rep. congress did w/ Clinton & Obama! Add a lot of obstruction & Trump'll end up w/ a wasted presidency where all he whd is put us further in debt! I don't want to see Pence take over; probably as shady as Trump & just as culpable reigning over an admin. that may go down in history as the most corrupt & immoral!
***I don’t want to see a 100 investigation all confirming that Trump shb impeached & removed! We know that now. ...Courts have already ruled he’s violated emoluments clause.***
Facts obviously don't mean shit now & in the future! Women knew Trump was a misogynist a-hole, but he won the presidency w/ their help! He still has a lot of support & impeachment is a pol. situation & most concerned have t/b in agreement; the people & Congress! As you said, he's been in violation of the Emoluments clause of the Constitution from DAY ONE, but if no one's willing to prosecute, all the rallies & bellyaching about it hasn't done us a bit of good! Trump has proved, there's an underbelly of groups that are perfectly satisfied w/ what's going on! Any other person whb run out of office by now; HELL, they wouldn't have gotten the nom., but we are talking about lowlife Reps! They lost the moral high ground ages ago w/ how they treated Obama!
***I'm only talking about the Dems who'll have the support from 50% of America to impeach Trump! They have to have the guts to impeach him for the already decided issue of violating the Constitution on emoluments. That issue is decided. It needs no investigation b/c the issue has been investigated in the courts & ruled on. So Trump needs t/b impeached over it.
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It's still a PR battle & while Trump isn't winning, he isn't losing it either. Too many people believe him that this is a witch hunt, that what he did wasn't a crime, etc. It's why Giuliani pops off like he does. I swear his title of "lawyer" is just to get him on board, when he's really just a misinfo shill for the president. ...My only uncle really believes in the president more than anything I, his only niece, can actually say to him. He doesn't think the man has done anything wrong. He actually loves that Drumpf slept w/ a porn star. It's ridiculous.
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Dems have been spine< & continue t/b. And they have no natural leaders stepping up in big enough ways. The game has changed again & they don't have an Obama in the wings who can swing for the fences.***
What has tough or = compromise gotten them; the minority in Congress, a loss of Gov. & State Houses across the country? They at least try to speak & act w/ maturity & compromise while the American people have been rewarding corruption, moral decay, & obvious a collective insanity of racial animus to get us to this pt!
***...A defense lawyer tried out Trump's argument that "flippers" s/b outlawed. The judge wouldn't have any of it, but apparently some lawyers are concerned that Trump's remarks interfere w/ court cases.***
That's a given! Unscrupulous attorneys will say "= the president doesn't believe 'flippers' s/b admitted & believed!" People don't realize what Trump's doing to all our institutions where his behavior has been normalized; overly covered by the press where only intellectuals really care! The everyday sap on the street couldn't care <; nothing Trump is doing affects their daily lives! They aren't aware of the pending dangers; esp. w/ the Nat'l Debt spinning out of control! Reps have really messed this up again & again & we keep falling for it! You can't keep spending & @ the same X cutting taxes; esp. when @ war!
***Fed is 37, he'll most likley not be around when he’s 40, but the main reason he lost in Cincy was that Djokovic was relent< & he wanted it badly. When Nole's in form, he has been the best player since '11 & when he’s offensive, as he was in Sun., he’s very diff. to beat.***
ReplyDeleteJust hoping Fed was too old & would bow out by now! I figured he was done officially in '12 when taking a Wimbl. title after 2 yrs of watching Nole & Rafa splitting them up since his previous win @ '10 AO! He then went 5 yrs, being fodder for Nole most of the X, but he hung in there & w/ the absence of a Nole, he got back on top again! He won 3 more majors & looks to stave off Nadal overtaking his rec. in majors!
***...Folks have been writing off Rafa for a decade for his attritional style. So we'll see how it goes with Murray.***
Are you saying Rafa isn't destined for hip replacement surgery? I've been ranting for yrs that both Nadal & Murray get into unnec. battles in early Rds w/ unknown players which inevitably cost them later! IIRC, Murray's best season was '16 & he was playing well enough to make a FO final! I missed a lot of the 1st set, but it appears he was playing out of his mind & looked as if he might steal yet another major from Nole! That didn't happen b/c he decided to get into 5 set battles in cons. early RD. matches! ...He allows it to happen by playing very defensive, standing way behind the baseline & just running down everything! It's ok if the op. coops & donates w/ errors! ...By the X he faced Nole, he had truly shot his wad in that 1st set! Nole schooled him after that, running him around like a chicken! In the 4th set, Nole pulled another one of those walkabouts, up 2 brks, dropping one of them before closing Murray out for his Nole Slam & immortality! Murray was destined t/b in his situation & w/ Rafa, it's only a matter of X!
***Don’t forget Rogers unbearably hellish '15 had 2 major finals, WTF finals, 1 Masters win, 3 Masters finals & winning 2 other tournaments, oh the depths & inhumanity of it all...***
This is the consensus GOAT we're talking about! We s/b able to expect more from him! Look @ what happened to Nole in '16; won 2 majors, finished off his Nole-Slam, was a finalist @ USO & YEC, but still wound up coming in 2nd to Murray! Why would you award more impressive mantle to Fed over that? TBH that per. just showed how weak the ATP was allowing an aging player w/ arm issues & changing of his racket, still made all those finals!
***...If Djokovic is playing well the only threat this whole tourney w/b Roger if the latter catches fire. Kyrgios is a threat vs Fed, but I don't see it vs Djoker on a slow/med. HC.***
Again, this is hilarious b/c we keep calling these rivalries when they're far from it! Of Fedalovic, one player has owned another @ diff. X's & Nole has pretty much owned Roger since '11! Even though he's had chances w/ X MP's @ big moments like those USO SF's in '10 & '11, Cincy was the last tourn. Roger had some sort of advantage due to the court speed! Not = that saved him recently so IDK where he goes from here w/ us imagining him "getting revenge" by actually beating Nole in a major event!
***...To watch Roger's legacy get eclipsed, & yes it's inexorably & def. being eclipsed by Nadal right before our eyes. Any Roger fan who ruminates about how much more he might have accomplished w/b relegated to the would've-should've-and-bitter camp.***
ReplyDelete...Past legends were destined t/b eclipsed! The players I hung my hat on were Borg & Navratilova & = though they're lagging behind in the singles' major count, their legend will go on unlike others who took over the mantle of GOAT! Sampras is barely a footnote when we were making commiserate comments trying to make him the GOAT = w/o a FO final! Standards change & w/ Fedal well ahead, Nole was closing fast & just on the cusp of "owning it!" There's been a hiccup, but the future looks brighter for him! Now Fedal'll fight it out to the end & I have to believe Nole & the "Next Gen" will rise up & help secure Fed's supremacy though tenuous w/ 2 players that literally own him!
***...Roger has always won slams by himself.***
Well there have been a few assists; a big one in '09 on clay IIRC!
***Using that reasoning, then everyone has received assists.***
Now you've flipped out! Stan's had a few wins, but for the most part Nole's owned him! One player has 3 majors & has struggled to win = a handful of matches from Fedalovic while another has 13 majors w/ a few of them going thru Stan!
***Stan plays Novak tough - there's no ?? about it. Not = close. ...And I think he took him out @ the '14 AO & '15 FO. Hardly a few wins!***
Murray's right there w/ his 3 major wins going thru Nole as well; does that elevate him to GOAT status? The reason I give Djokovic a brk is due to his near perfect rec. for some yrs & the comp. of Fedal looming from the beginning of his career! So what, Nole snapped & allowed 6 majors to slip thru his fingers w/ Andy & Stan, but I also take in consideration as 3rd banana to Fedal! He's had other rivalries w/ significant ownerships over Cilic, Berdych, & Del PO, but he's had some heart-wrenching losses to each; it happens! ...Nole's now acquired 13 majors, has set records NONE of these clowns will ever achieve, so I'll concentrate on the +'s for the X being! Taking another major @ Wimbl. & completing his Golden Masters @ Cincy this season was totally unexpected & you can't drag me down! I'm hopeful about his future success & keeping up w/ Fedal!
***ITA w/ you that Djokovic has dom. both Fedal the last few yrs b/c he has the game to beat them, & I'm not sure if there's any other player who can do that consistently. That is the beauty of tennis!
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I used to be a Djokovic fan, until he cheated on his wife; now I want him to win nothing ever again.***
Well it must really break your heart that Nole's not only been winning, he's rounded out his resume recently w/ a 4th Wimbl. crown & completed his Golden Masters by taking Cincy owning all 9 Masters 1000 events! Fedal's not = close & @ their age it's a Djokovic rec. that won't be broken anyX soon! What do you think of the Nole-Slam he finished off by winning the FO 2 yrs ago! It went downhill from there until he snuck thru the draw last month & captured his 13th Major! Watching Murray about t/b knocked out in the 2nd Rd by Verdasco that's schooling him @ the moment!
***Djokovic is an incredible tennis player. I don't take away from anything he achieves. And his Golden Masters is an amazing & historic achievement & worthy of huge praise. If he stays on track & doesn't go into another slump, he could = target 20+ Slams, the wks @ #1 rec., & other historic marks.***
***I usually think Evert commentary is usually so pedestrian, but she had a pt. that Cibulkova simply outsteadied Kerber who had no answer. A counterpuncher’s worst nightmare.***
ReplyDeletePlayers like Halep & Kerber are true enigmas! I keep telling the layman how good they are, but they disappoint all too often & it's inexplicable! Cibulkova shouldn't be out-steadying any of the top players! She's never been part of the elite; more in line w/ an "Arantxa Sanchez-V." w/ a lit'l more punch due to racket technology! W/o = seeing the match, I'm sure Kerber just had too many UFE's & she donated it more than lost it!
***Nick Kyrgios is mentally weak. Never mind about immature or any of that stuff anymore, when the going gets = a bit tough; Nick gets gone.***
It might as well of been a tank job! Notw/standing more highlight reel shot-making from the maestro, Federer really wasn't doing much to overwhelm Nick! NK was his usual sloppy, care< self; esp. early on w/ L-40 on Fed's serve & didn't brk! Twas all downhill after that w/ only glimpses of what he could do; a true waste of talent! Someone prescribe something for this poor, mentally challenged child!
***We have to constantly remind everyone that Fedalovic are once in a lifeX people. They got the benefit of being in a serious transition X in tennis. ...Still Fed struggled @ the slams @ 1st, but not for as long as some of these guys. He made the 3rd & 4th Rd. very quickly. BUT he lost in the 1st Rd. of Wimbl. 3 out of his 1st 4 yrs w/ the 1 yr. he didn't being the year he def. Pete & went to the qtrs, after going to the FO qtrs that yr. ('01) & showing everyone what the future held. ...Fed played his 1st slam in '99. Agassi dom.'d '99. Pete took back over in 2000. Rafter, Ivanesevic, Courier were still playing. ...And then you had the young Hewitt.
These kids today have the "Big 4," Wawrinka, DelPo, Cilic, Dimitrov, Raonic, Nishikori. The previous group of guys we thought would take over. And these older grizzled vets who can go longer than ever b/c of racket & string tech, & better physios training. They can make their games >er over the yrs. They've been @ this 10 to 15 yrs longer than these guys. You can't just expect them to show up & blow everyone out of the water. It's ridiculous. We're basing these kids off of the "Big 4."
...Djokovic again. Once in a gen. He turned pro 7 yrs after Fed, is 6 yrs younger, & only a yr. younger than Nadal. These 3 playing @ the same X just isn't supposed to happen. So of course it's going to make it nearly impossible for = incredibly talented teenager to break in. So it's a thing where, basing these new guys off of the "Big 4" or "Big 3" is ridiculous; esp. since they're still playing w/ all the other seasoned pros. It's just insane to wonder why these kids can't brk thru.
...Thiem made the 4th Rd. of the USO 1st X out. Zverev qual. @ his 4th. ...Zverev's 1st main draw & 1 Rd. loss was '15 Wimbl. Lost to Kudla; another journeyman. But he's been around a while by '15. Qualified a lot. Played a lot.
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Serena has a child, is married to one of the richest men in the world, &'s overwhelmingly considered the GOAT. Whatever could she POSSIBLY be jealous of Sharapova for?***
I'm no fan of either player, but Serena can double her major count & she'll still lag behind in world fandom! Maria's a billionaires in her own right while Serena's just recently gotten her due! The hits online have been dominated by 2 Russian women since the advent of the internet; Maria S. & Anna Korn.! Korny never = won much besides being double's partner of Hingis, but her fandom & being retired for decades has the world still caring about her > Serena! It's an irrational jealousy, but you know it's human nature to feel underappr. & say to oneself "what do I have to do?!"
***In terms of performance quality, Plushy's really the best, isn't he? He has star quality & command over the audience that surpasses Yags & Hanyu, IMHO.***
ReplyDeletePlushenko's the "Entertainer;" ala Fred Astaire! I have to give credit to both Alexei & Yuzuru; Yags w/ more power & Yuzuru more grace! I flew home from Europe in anticipation of Evgeny winning Worlds that yr.!
***It's important to remember that Yagudin was a bit ahead of Plush. He competed in his 1st Worlds in '97, Plush in '98. That one yr. made a diff.***
Alexei had the advantage of having a more superior & centered coach, Tatiana Tarasova.! Mishin was too tyrannical!
***And that's why if we are only comparing these 3 skaters, I choose Yagudin. For me, Yagudin is/was the best of these 3 @ focusing w/ emotional intensity on fully developing artistry & expressiveness in his skating. And Yagudin was also a very pure, consistent, & superb tech. W/ Tarasova's help, Yagudin worked hard @ trying to become a complete skater. His performances @ '02 Olys were masterful.
...Plushenko is Plushenko, & he'll likely go down in the history of the sport in a class by himself. No one's passion, determination, & strength of will is >er than Plushenko's, IMHO. As far as artistry, Plush had a lot of capability, but he tended to rely more on charisma, rather than on fully exploring aesthetics. ...he did have a catlike, balletic grace.
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According to Plushy Mishin wasn't tyrannical. They've discussed everything, their relationship's like father & son. But you are right Mishin has changed Plush's programs many X's he didn't like the choreographer's works.
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At the very least Yagudin def. had >er & much more intricate choreography than Plushenko. His programs often are below his immense talents, a lot of that is Mishin is not a good choreographer, only a tech. coach, & contain lots of periods of just stroking & posing. Yagudin's programs are also more sincere, emotional, & musical.
I do think Plushenko mhh more talent & potential than Yag in many areas, including artistically, but his choreography did not bear that out. To Plushy's credit he often can perform the heck out of his cheesy/bad choreography, & he has a presence & command out there like nobody else @ X's, although Yagudin's also pretty incredible in that regard.***
We can't deny Yag's power in his skating! There's a delicacy to Plushy which is fine, but comprehensive scoring's going on & the judges apprec. Yag's overall skating package! No doubt about Plushy being more a tactician who almost never had a bad performance, but when he was ruling the tour, there just wasn't anyone who could compete w/ him! As Buttons used to say during commentary about Alexei Urnmanov, "he distracts w/ his hands!" Plushy developed the same skill & was all performance art w/ him after '06 Torino! He had that "air" that no one could touch him & it was true @ the X! He didn't do anything to elevate his skating in the meanX thinking he could rejoin the GP & double his OG count! I was very disappointed in that '10 Vanc. perf.; his landings though upright were atrocious! Even w/ the QUAD I didn't think he deserved it & I'm one who can't stand Evan Lysacek! As much as I was a fan of Plushy's, the only X he really seemed to beat Yags is when he was injured & made an error! When Sasha won, it was more about his completing those 2 QUADS & Alexei coming up short! You have to admit in '01 Worlds, Yags was flopping all over the place; = in the Qualis! I'm shocked he made it thru, but that SP to Rachmon. piece can bring a tear to your eye! It's what I'm talking about; the raw strength, power, & passion that Evgeny never achieved! I can't lie to myself!
***...I personally enjoy Yagudin the most, I had to vote for Hanyu. He has an effort< ease to his jumps & many other aspects to his skating that the others seem to lack (IMO). That said, I'd still rather watch Patrick Chan do basic stroking skills than watch a full, perfectly-skated program from any of these 3.***
ReplyDeletePoor Patrick; such bad luck! He has all this talent, but things happen when it really counts; sans World titles! I've never cared for his skating unfort.; the reck< abandon someX's thinking he can defy the laws of physics/gravity bothers me! It's never really shocking when he falls anymore, but he has commentators so in his corner, it's like it doesn't happen! When Hanya fell twice in Sochi I figured not = Chan can blow this; wrong, wrong, wrong! What is it about Canadian skaters? So many have been just on the cusp from Manning to Chan & all the others inbtwn including Orser, Elvis, & Browning! Browning's one of my all X faves in both Am/Pro ranks! I can still see him being a teammate @ one of those TV events like "ICE WARS;" propping up someone like Surya who was so under-apprec. & underscored by judges! OTOH, Patrick can flop all over the place & still get scores reserved for near perfection! He's not stealing titles, but he's still elevated above what he lays down on the ice!
***His GF's mom, who was a dance coach rather than a FS coach became Chan's primary coach! ...the figure skating coach would say things like "we are just ordinary people doing extraordinary things" while his dance coach would tell him how great he was & that he deserved high score despite major flaws in his performances.***
That's how I see Chan skating; w/ total abandon @ X's! I see blood being drawn sooner or later b/c he has t/b being puffed up by something to skate the way he does when keeping his feet would do him in good stead!
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...I can faintly remember the days when skating was seen & talked about a lot! The thing is the more exposure eventually reveals inequities which are tolerated! IIRC, on one of the tours (COI or SOI); never was much into exhb. skating, there was "THE DIVA BUS" w/ just Witt, Boitano, & Hamill! The others had to cram onto 1 other bus! They actually had the nerve to justify it by saying to our faces, "we earned it!"
***LOL that's hilarious. My aunt was @ a function Witt was also waiting for the room w/ some others next. She barged in before it was over & screamed "YOU GUYS ARENT FINISHED YET?".
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...Johnny Weir was extraordinarily precocious tech. & expressively. His movement quality was divine, & his jumping ability & rideout on landings, coupled w/ his erect posture was so amazingly effort< looking. I'd not call him a great artist. He's an inspirational personality & a lovely, innovative skater, but he didn't fully live up to his potential for a variety of reasons. Lambiel is/was a genius musically & artistically, but he wasn't always consistent tech. ETA: I've also enjoyed the skating of Kulik & Urmanov who were both great technicians w/ an artistic bent, although not exactly great artists. ...And as we know, Bowman suffered from personal demons. However, all of these skaters paid great attn. to the musical & artistic aspects of their skating.***
***Federer has always been mentally fragile. Once he gets it into his head that he can't beat an opp. he starts to behave in erratic ways -nasty press conferences, skipping tourns., crying on court etc. There's no doubt that the return of Djokovic has got into Roger's head -big X. He knows he can no longer beat him. What we saw tonight vs Millman was a player coming apart @ the seams; his game unravelling b/c he knew in his heart he had no chance in the next Rd.***
ReplyDeleteI'm not going to undermine Fed's rec. too much, but there's something to what's being proffered concerning what's going on now! It wasn't like Roger took over the tour by storm like Nadal; it took a while to get on track! When it did, the rivals were few & far btwn! He had more pigeons than rivals & that so called rivalry w/ Nadal was a made up fantasy by the media to help tennis' pub! Nadal's always owned Roger & Nole took over their rivalry in '10! ...Roger getting fat on majors & Masters vs the likes of Roddick, "old" Agassi, Hewitt, Ferrer, Safin, Berdych, & Cilic! When he came across real comp like Nadal & Djokovic, it wasn't so simple & he now has a losing rec. vs both! The excuse about his age can't be utilized since no one's putting a gun to his head to continue taking these beatings! His rec.'ll begin to slide if he continues @ this rate! He might sneak another major, but it's doubtful w/ Nadal & Djokovic @ full strength! The Next Gen.'ll eventually stop donating him wins over them!
***You could have stopped right there; that’s exactly what the rest of your post does. - Ouch!***
I like to think I c/b an honest broker of players' talents, rec., & potential = if I don't like them! I was suckered into the "Fed's the GOAT" era as he owned the tour for sev. yrs winning 3 majors 3 X's! It's been slim pick'ns since '12 Wimbl.! That's a 5 yr. gap of a handful of major finals, then 3 wins in 5 chances from '17 AO, but now he's not = getting to SF's!
***X for Delpo/Isner.***
Get ready for 2 weary warriors to go @ it for 4+ hrs! This is going to show how sad this tournament has degenerated to that it has become an event of entropy! When so many people are WD or retiring, it says something about the conditions that were created by not thinking this all the way thru! I guess players are being forced to perform in an oven w/ no air circulating!
***...I think the rest of '18 for Roger s/b just Laver Cup & Basel. Forget about Shanghai defense & Paris. He should = take a rest from YEC = though he qualifies. Then '19 s/b taken very lightly. AO after Hopman Cup only if he's well rested. Maybe Wimby b/c that's the tradition & where he feels the best. And the obligatory LC again and DC in prep for Olympics. ...avoid long matches in AO & Wimby & hope not to hit up Djoker.***
...He believes he can play a full sched. = though he finally gave up on PARIS! I was surprised he = cut the clay season last season, but he finally realized the futility of it w/ the Next Gen. asserting themselves in Rome, MC, & Madrid!
***Del Po has been largely irrelevant for 9 yrs. This w/b a nice X to step up & show he's a legit threat again.***
DP's always a threat, but like so many w/ so much game, we don't know how he'll play or if his wrists will hold out! ...IIRC, he annihilated Nadal 2,2,& 2 back in the '09 SF he ultimately won over Fed in 5! He took Nole out in the Olympics twice; so we know he has game! S/b good; esp. if Nadal's still feeling that marathon from 2 nights ago!
***...There was absolutely nothing Millman had that was going to hurt Nole. He had t/b asking “this guy beat Fed?” ...I think Nole’s mental swagger is back. W/ him the only ?? if he's completely back when pushed. A confident Nole's hard to beat.***
ReplyDeleteNole's had plenty of aberrant losses to player he's owned; esp. in important moments like a major or the Olympics! It's not like he choked, but they seemed to rise to the occasion; almost refusing to lose/miss! We've seen it w/ Murray, Wawrinka, Cilic, Berdych, & = the likes of Isner & Querrey! There's a diff. w/ Fed where he's obviously not there; either mentally or physically! It's t/b expected w/ the many yrs of him tolling away on tour @ a top level!
Fed's been abs. amazing, but we expect too much; so does he! Losses like to Millman will occur & we shouldn't be shocked! If Nole's feeling it playing @ night, we shouldn't have been surprised w/ the other night! It whb a sweet exit in '12; made it well worth it to wait 5 yrs before having another great season in '17! Winning that AO this yr. had t/b a gravy, but I have to believe Fed needs to really pull back on his sched. & seriously think about retiring after next season! I think it can only get uglier w/ the likes of players like Shapovalov, Coric, Thiem, & Zverev, Chung, & Kyrgios if he gets his shit together! I've already said he wouldn't defend all those titles from last season; the FALL ain't going t/b any >er than the Spring & Summer!
***...Many thanks to Delpo for knocking Rafa out of the SF.***
...Nole's already ahead of the game w/ no pts to defend; the rest of the season's gravy! He'll end up @ least #3 in the world either way after all's said & done! NO ONE would've thought of these possibilities after dropping Queens w/ a MP to Cilic! I can't be any more thrilled w/ developments! Rafa's still unable to defend a tourney on HC!
***Actually, of those listed, Novak's resume is the most balanced w/ the least deficiencies. All he needs is more Slams - a tall order, but I think all things tolled, if he's able to come close to Rafa's, say w/i 1, his overall career w/b >er. If he ='s Roger, he'll probably have the >er overall career. Laver really doesn't have any tarnish, but that m/b b/c he played 50 yrs ago.
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...Hope DEL PO WINS HIS 2ND USO CHP. ON SUN.!***
I'll be satisfied either way! Both deserve it being out in the wilderness for a while due to injury! It w/b nice to get Nole closer to the top w/ 2 more USO's, 1 FO, & m/b 2 AO's so he'll own it alone; Fed having Wim. & Rafa w/ his FO's!
***I think Nadal should limit HC tournaments to preserve his knees. If I were in his camp, I’d tell him to play AO, all the big clay tournaments includ. FO, Wimby, then shut it down for the yr. There aren’t many sign. recs he can realistically brk so why risk more injury? This argument applies to Fed as well. He knows he can’t win on clay, so he skips the entire season, & sev. tourneys that won’t + to his legacy.***
Nole's the last of the "Big 3" that s/b performing a full schedule! To save him the grind of touring, it would make sense to drop a clay Masters early & forget both 1000's in the FALL! Most players are worn down by season's end & that's where upsets occur anyway! I don't blame Fed or Nole for playing the YEC; still means something = though lit'l more than an exh.! Rafa persists in trying to grind out a full sched.; ego & the constant refrain of how limited he is will echo in his head for all X! ...Rafa @ least has had some success on his least fave surfaces, but longevity & the gut<ness of the "next gens" have helped his cause along the way! Only X'll tell how it all shakes out in about 3-5 yrs!
***Rafa's got his excuse by taking month off w/ knee injury; Novak got his comeback to YE #1. Good deal.***
ReplyDeleteNadal has quite a few pts to defend & skipping Beijing & Shanghai isn't going to help him! Coming back to win Paris m/b his only hope of retaining #1 un< Nole falters! Roger prob. won't defend his pts either so he may drop to #4 or 5 for the yr. = w/ an AO crown! It's been a lackluster season for him IMO! Nole's come out of nowhere & I'm still SMH in disbelief; esp. after dropping Queens to Cilic w/ a MP!
***Any season where you win a slam @ 36 isn't a lack lustre season mate. Sorry...***
For him it was dropping all those Masters' defenses! This is the type of season one of the Next Gen'r s/b having; Sasha maybe!
***He's 36 yo mate; or was when he won the AO. You're really comparing his season to a Next Genr?***
He's been >er than the Next Gen'rs up to now! If you want to use the age or injury excuse; fine, but I think he should drop out if that's how he's gonna roll til he finally hobbles away! I personally think he's run himself down overplaying, but he doesn't have anything else to do I guess! Players hate leaving the stage; look @ Connors w/ a USO run @ 39 in '91! I was saying the same about him; he'll have a good streak, but consistency won't be there like in '17 ever again; JMHO!
***...It's a good yr.! You're not making any sense.***
So I'm not allowed an opinion? Yeah I said it; Roger was overplaying until this season! He had a great yr. in '17 & was "feeling it!" I found it fortunate that he defended "down under," but I wasn't surprised in the least that he's had mediocre results since; just too much for the old guy in '18!
***Fiero, I think the pt. is that Roger has been the most successful 35+ yo since Ken Rosewall. No one in the last 50 yrs--the entire Open Era--has been close to as good @ that age & really @ any age over 32. That's impressive. As for Fedal, who knows. I counted both out & both won 3 more Slams. A lot of people were counting Novak out, & I said "If Fedal can do it, why not Novak?" And here we are.
That said, I do see us now in Novak's Indian Summer, just as '17 & the 1st half of '18 was Fedal's. Maybe Novak's lasts thru '19 & he wins 3-4 Slams, finishing w/ 16-17. ...But yeah, I think Novak will win a few more & finish w/ @ least 16. ...Roger'll get his 100+ titles but may not catch Connors. Actually, Novak's resurgence prob. protects Roger's Slam rec. I can't see Rafa winning another Slam or 2 w/ Novak around & m/b not = that. And yeah, by this X next yr. I think the Next-Gen'll brk thru either @ Wimbl. or the USO.***
...Can you imagine another run to the FO like '15 Wimbl.-'16 FO; '18 Wimbl.-'19 FO? Is that asking for too much? I imagined & hoped for '15; '11 w/ a YEC!
***Much as that might delight Djokovic fans, that would only make it = more obvious that conditions have become so uniform to make it doable - twice. That '15-16 rec. was considered all but impossible until 15 yrs back & nearly inconceivable before then; = for a player as well rounded as Djokovic. Nole's beginning to look formidable again.
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Nole hasn't yet convinced me that he's all the way back to his old self. Hopefully he wins, but if he has to lose to somebody, there is nobody >er for me than Delpo!***
I was just if not more disappointed in that class< crowd! We're supposed to expect >er from knowledgeable NY fans!
***...Even if there are 1000's of highly reasonable people in the crowd who try to overtake control & quench the silliness excited by the initial heckler, their voices are drowned by tens of 1000's not thinking but shouting loud.***
***Serena basks in her role of a victim accusing the world of everything bad, = unnecess. generalizing the accusations into sexism, a typical behaviour of an egotic child. ...But by gratifying her emotions on the spot & starting her tirade @ Ramos during the match, she gained nothing, but likely sealed her match loss to Osaka.***
ReplyDeleteI was just if not more disappointed in that class< crowd! We're supposed to expect >er from knowledgeable NY fans!
***...Even if there are 1000's of highly reasonable people in the crowd who try to overtake control & quench the silliness excited by the initial heckler, their voices are drowned by tens of 1000's not thinking but shouting loud.
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Serena did this to herself. The coaching was mild, but real. It wouldn't often be called. It was though. Breaking the racket's a gimme & the embarrassing display certainly was earned. She deserved a few X violations as well.***
Everyone's talking about Serena, but no one's being a lit'l sympathetic to that child who got caught up in that nonsense created by Serena every few yrs!
***Serena's behavior was abysmal today. She got smacked down in the 1st set. Her coach decided to try to send signals to her & got caught. Then she blows up a racquet. Finally, insults the umpire. Disgusting behavior today. Osaka was humble & played beautifully today. It was so refreshing to see. I'm sorry to see that Osaka had her celebration dampened today.
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Serena has a history w/ the USO & I don't think it has always been fair to her. She's w/i her rights t/b angry & while I'll agree that she should or could have managed it >er, I understand why she didn't. I also think she had the more pressure today. But my main complaint will continue t/b that men get away w/ more aggressive behavior than women do. I think Carlos Ramos would have reacted differently to being called a "thief" by a man than he did to being called one by a woman. The men swear like sailors, break racquets, hit balls into the stadium, grapple w/ the umpires, tank sets, and Kyrgios = impuned by a female player. ...If people don't see the sexism in her getting the loss of a game in a major final, then IDK what to say.***
So you approve her use of false equivalence to what men get away with? She went once, twice, then thrice to the well of disrespect and acting up , break a racket and that's what put her in this predicament! I'm sure she feels like the victim, but why is she going to fall back on the "woman card" instead of realizing her big mouth did it again? She has to realize these same officials were there when she threatened a lineswoman on Int'l TV! I think that's why they were all too short w/ her thinking "she's used up all the benefit of the doubt entitled to!"
***No, I don't think this is about false =alence. It's about actual non-=alence. She's got a big mouth, but a lot of men do too & they get penalized <.
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Nole could pass both Fedal after winning his 3rd USO over Del Po in str. sets.***
It w/b nice! I just can't believe how the rec. bks are &'ll continue to skew for Fedalovic w/ no other players really = close! How in TF will any player be able t/b consistent enough to brk any of their recs? I just scan it & SMH!
***I expect '19 t/b the transition yr. Btwn Thiem, Pouille, Zverev, Tsitsipas, Shapavalov - one of them may break thru. Fedal c/b upset by a bunch of players including Delpo, Stan, etc. which would mean the main obstacle is Djoker. If Djoker is upset by Kyrgios or someone, then like WTA -one of Ostapenko, Osaka, Halep , Wozniacki - winning - same thing will happen in ATP. I think we are just 2 majors away from ATP becoming a WTA.***
Oh I so hope so! I want a real changing of the guard = though Nole's a fave! Congrats to him for taking his 3 USO & 14th MAJOR overall!
***I know Nole's amazing & he's going to accomplish whatever he will accomplish regard< of opp., but the gap in quality is so obvious here. For all the crap Fed gets about weak era stuff, it actually looks like he got the shortest end of the stick after all w/o any real debate. It took us until Fed was old to realize it. You're basically putting 2010+ Djokovic, Nadal, & Murray up vs Zverev, Thiem, Tsitsipas, Kyrgios etc...here. It really is laughable. And what's = make laughable is that they aren't making it to play Novak that much. So not only are they weak, they aren't = showing up to take their beatings.
ReplyDeleteUnderline:
1. Something no one can ever say about Fed: he actually has had to deal w/ genuine young talent for most of his career: Nadal, Djokovic, Murray, Delpo, Stan, Cilic, etc.
2. Fed actually had 2 generations to compete with that are better than the last 2 gens of young players: his own, consisting of Hewitt, Roddick, Safin, etc. & the next one, consisting of Nadal, Djokovic, Murray, Stan, etc. You can count Agassi from the previous one. Weak era argument right now looks like a huge pile of horseshit.
3. Novak has mostly beaten guys the same age as him in the slams he won this yr. NothIng has changed since '15-16 when he was dominating from this POV.
4. It struck me that the last X Fed beat only players close to the same age as him to win a slam is Wimb. '09. 9 yrs ago. And @ the end of '12 when he was Novak's age, after Wimb. '09 he faced exclusively younger players @ every slam where he reached @ least the SF's. No such thing for Nadal & Djokovic currently.
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ATP ranking for 17th Sept.'08
1 Nadal 6,675 1 2
2 Federer 5,305 1 2
3 Djokovic 5,295 3
...
9 del Potro ARG 1,945
ATP ranking for 10th Sept.'18
1 RNadal (ESP) 7,480
2 Djokovic (SRB) 6,445
3 del Potro (ARG) 4,910
4 Federer (SUI) 4,800
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Right now major ct. is:
Federer 20
Nadal 17
Djokovic 14
Sampras 14
I'd say the final all-X list is going t/b:
Federer 20
Nadal 18
Djokovic 16
Sampras 14
Fed I think is done winning slams; his age is finally catching up, Nadal I would hope he can win > one, but this new injury has me freaked out. His bad luck never ends. Djokovic will win 2 more, but not "dominate" for yrs as some are right now hyping things. Sampras; well he's retired :)
All these recs w/b broken one day by a new champ (kind of how Serena did it on the women's tour), but the one rec. that will stand the test of X w/b Rafa on clay & RG, no man will ever dom. a surface and/or a single slam like that. I really feel that if Rafa's healthy for yrs to come & this isn't a big setbk that he can get the all-X rec. But players like Thiem, Zverev, etc. who have been successful on clay can start all of a sudden causing him problems = @ RG, so nothing is guaranteed. Djokovic also has had some trouble w/ the new gen. of big hitters like Zverev & Kyrgios, many of the younger players can overpower him. That being said, the fact that Fed easily accumulated half of his slams in the weak transitional era @ the end Sampras/Agassi & before Nadal/Djokovic will definitely keep the GOAT debate alive for yrs & yrs to come. It's not only about quantity, but also about quality.
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What do you think about Rafa's knee? Is he really injured?***
I haven't heard how bad it is, but it's been confirmed he'll miss & be off the court for a month! He won't defend Beijing obviously so he's going to lose pts while Nole has nothing to defend since he shut it down after Wimbl. last season! After the travesty of Murray taking over #1 in '16 w/ 1 major & the YEC, it w/b horrendous if Nole were slighted again w/ 2 majors on his resume for '18!
Recs set by Fed c/b reached & broken by only 2 players! We've seen the best of the best w/ the Next Gens for the last decade & there's just no telling if any of them could come up w/ the consistency to brk ANY of their recs! Fedalovic are tennis who've owned the tour like no others!
ReplyDelete***It could happen someX's, but not in the near future.
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Write Fed off @ your own peril. ...but aside from the Djokovic loss, they've all been ones he was in control of @ some pt. until he badly lost the plot. ...He didn't become too old when he was MP's up vs Del Po & Anderson. The heat wasn't suddenly too much when he was a pt. away from a 2 set lead vs a journeyman. ...If Fed stops gagging on every ham sandwich he sees it'll not be getting any easier to win big events. But I'm not counting him out, esp. @ Wimbl.***
...Since we're talking about X wins @ one venue; what's the deal w/ China Open?
***He's not sched. to play Beijing this yr. Fiero I think b/c of the Laver Cup next wkend.***
The Laver Cup is something he can do w/o? Europe's loaded & not really needed!
***...And Djokovic hasn't played Vienna since '07 & won it.***
You mean pull a "Murray" scratching for every pt. possible & burning his lights out in the process? I don't think Nole & his team w/b that silly!
***Not like Murray b/c he overdid it. He played DC, Beijing, Shanghai, Vienna, Paris & WTF. That's way too much tennis. Djokovic is not playing two 500 tourns. for starters, nor is he playing DC. - There's a big diff., Murray played a stacked '16 season, made the 1st 3 slam finals, & was making continuous finals from Madrid all the way to the EOY. Djokovic @ one pt. in the season was 6-6 - He hardly played @ the start. He's much fresher in comparison.
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He might just do it, depending on how he feels after LC. He w/b monitoring Nadal also, who as of now is sched. to return for Beijing himself.***
I hope they do so we can have replays from a few yrs ago when Nole schooled Rafa's arse yet again in finals!
***ND's a truly great player. He wouldn't be that great if he couldn't beat Roger no? ...Stakhovsky, Tsonga (twice), Berdych (twice), Robredo, Cilic, Raonic, Anderson, Milman, Gulbis are all also in the list of players who took out Roger in 5 setters after he turned 28. Not exactly elite co.
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I think it's fair to say Nadal & Djokovic get roughly the same pt. advantage on the other in 500s. We don't know how likely either of them are to play Beijing & Nadal's sched. to play Vienna. I think they're both aiming for YE #1 & realize they'll need to play 500s to win. That's why I think Djokovic will play Beijing (Nadal will skip due to injury) & Nadal will play Vienna (Djokovic will skip). They'll likely win their respective tournaments, so that maintains Nadal's 1035 pt. lead in the 2 remaining M1000s & the WTF.
Looking @ Djokovic's performance @ Shanghai from '09, he's never lost before the SF. Nadal, OTOH's erratic, losing early & making SF a lot. He made the final last yr., but I think saying Djokovic W, Nadal SF is reasonable here. Djokovic would gain 640 pts cutting Nadal's lead to 395 pts.
As for Paris, Djokovic's a lot less consistent. W/ QF's, 2 early losses, & 4 wins. It looks favorable for him to win here too, but I'll split the diff. & say he gets a final. Nadal is a lot more consistent, with 3 QF, 2 SF, and a F in the last 10 years. It's fair to give him a SF here as well. Djokovic F, Nadal SF. Djokovic gains 240 pts, cutting Nadal's lead to 155 pts.
Going into the WTF w/ a 155 pt. deficit simply means if both players lose in the RR, if Djokovic won more RR matches, he's the #1. If Nadal wins more or they tie, Nadal's the YE #1. Then whoever goes further becomes the YE #1.***
***Nadal does look more impressive than the others when he's running, ...Fed often looks like it is completely effort< when he hits a missile thru the court.***
ReplyDeleteRafa & Andy are idiots just running "suicides" back & forth along the baseline! It's no wonder Andy is ready for a wheelchair & Nadal's already reserved the doctors to replace his hips! Make no mistake, Rafa runs more mainly due to him allowing no names, qualifiers, "has-beens," & WC's to stretch him to 3-5 hr. matches! Khachanov, Thiem, & Basilashvili ran Nadal's ass to death for @ least 4 long sets! He was done by the X he got to Del Po & tapped out, "NO MAS!" What top player do you know just defaults SF matches in 2 majors in 1 season? Nole doesn't exert himself 1/2 as much & Roger = < than that w/ his style of play! No top player runs as much as Nadal these days!
***That "idiot" has won 17 Majors.***
He has the game to approach the net & close out these pts before they get to 20+ strokes! He does it enough when it gets into the crunch of a match late in the 4th & 5th set, but s/b able to avoid that by winning more efficiently! That's trying to win thru attrition & entropy hoping they'll give him the match; ugly & boring tennis! I wasn't happy w/ Borg doing it, but he grew knowing he wasn't going to win X Wimbledons hanging on the baseline! He did enough of that @ the FO winning 6! He started s & v w/ the best of them & would attack the net on any short ball! Nadal still scurries back to the baseline as if he's afraid of it!
***His post actually makes perfect sense. He's not saying Nadal's use<, but that he's actually pretty good @ the net. For some reason he stays away from it 90% of the X so it's his own fault he plays very long matches & ends up injuring himself.***
I'm hardly suggesting S & V all the X, but = Nole does it "someX's!" Becker's influence in that respect is still there & Nole does move to the net a lot more than Rafa! Just put a good serve in, then follow up on a weak return; Rafa just doesn't do it enough!
***...Nadal never = uses approach shots much when the opportunity arises. - Nadal often finishes @ the net. You haven't been watching.***
Yeah, to take pictures, shake hands, & to leer over the net before challenging a call so ridiculous, he should lose 2 challenges!
***Not often enough. Instead of plugging away for almost 5 hrs vs nobodies, he s/b attempting to end matches faster. ...It would, however, be < vomit inducing to watch if he didn't just stand out there running back & forth non-stop & then going all passive when he's getting his ass kicked & instead try something diff., eg. approach the net & end the damn pt. before we all fall asleep. And to top it all off, he probably wouldn't be sitting on the sidelines as a spectator either or back home fishing in Mallorca.***
...and more than likely would already be ahead of Roger in MAJORS if not brk'n down so much early on! His USO rec. is abysmal in comparison to the status people want to give! Nole's been like Lendl from a past era; made final after final; won only 3, but competed well! Nadal stinks there & "down under!" This is why people w/ true historic values will look @ how his rec. is inflated by winning so many FO's as apposed to Fedovic who have more balance to their careers; not to mention added gravy of so many YEC's! That's another event truly lacking on a potential "GOAT" resume!
***Good pt. He'd prob. be above Roger if he weren't so often injured. He's just that much better when he actually plays. And funny that you say he has an abysmal record at the USO. Some would say he's over-shot the mark, but I agree w/ you. He'd have had more USO's if not for injury. ...The FO's buff up his legacy.***
***It goes back to the issue of Rafa having won 17 slams playing the way he does. I'm guessing he would not have won this much if not for his physical style.***
ReplyDeleteEven if he never attacked more, later in tournaments, what was his excuse to allowing a bunch of guys IDK taking him to 4 & 5 sets; FO included? I still remember a German kid (Brand) a few yrs ago who won the 1st set vs Rafa & had all kinds of chances to win the 2nd before succumbing in Paris! The same happens to Andy M.! The yr. he got to the FO final, he allowed players to keep him on the court for hrs playing from behind all day long! By the X he got to the final, he was playing out of his mind & took the 1st set from Nole! After that, his tongue was hanging out of his head & he was done due to all that work he unnec. went thru in earlier Rds!
***I agree otherwise that I wish Rafa would clean up the act in earlier Rds. Could save me some anxiety. But he plays the way he plays. He still wins far more than he loses. ...I understand the conversation about Nadal's injuries. Same w/ Roger's & Novak's...they're top players & we massage over their every drop in level. But Rafa is the one where so many seem to give him the blame for them.***
...I personally say "go ahead & shorten your career Rafa! You'll be running yourself out of the sport prematurely!" It's only going to get worse w/ the 'next gen' extending him more in later Rds like Thiem @ the USO! That match had t/b Nadal's limit & he just said "screw it; I'm tired & hurt!" He probably had visions of Del Po blowing the ball past him @ the baseline like he did 9 yrs ago in the USO SF, 2, 2, & 2!
***As if having to play extra sets has never happened to Fed or Nole? You specifically mentioned RG. Nadal is 112-2 in bo5 matches on clay. ...He's played more b/c he rarely has lost. Shorten his career? He's been playing on the tour for 17 yrs. It's not a short career. And he's #1 in the world, so he's not doing so bad for an old guy.***
Well I'll bet any amt he won't be grinding it out @ 37! That's what I mean about shortening his career! He would extend it by being more aggressive & saving his legs for later Rds in tournaments! I'd just assume he keep doing it like this, but feel the need to highlight the shortcomings & limited foresight!
***...No Rada wouldn't be above Roger. Remind me how many RG's he has missed w/ injury? Even if you count '16 when he played & suddenly had to WD out of nowhere that is 1. And he'd have been an enormous underdog to Djokovic there anyways. And then any other major he's missed has been @ non-clay majors which means he has never been the fave to win. The most notable one that Nads fans can and of course do argue was '14 AO when he was getting hammered by Stan who had just beaten Djokovic (a much >er HC player).
I fail to see what USO's he would've claimed w/o injury. This one? LOL, Djokovic would've murdered him if he somehow he had made the final. Also I don't think he got hurt vs Del Po. This was a classic cumulative wear & tear from being bullied by 3 str. HC nobodies for 13 hrs & barely pushing & grinding out wins. ...Anyways the Rafa tards want to have their cake & eat it too. If Roger had Nad's wheels, stamina, & endurance he'd pretty much never lose a match. The peasant needs to use his gifts to the MAX & he does; that's why this talk of poor luck is ridiculous. You reap what you sow.***
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ZHOU's the future of skating for US men! He should get as much in the way of opp. to spread his wings & gain exp.! ...He has amazing potential & needs cultivation & m/b @ Worlds down the line, we could have a gold & silver medalist like Japan! It's been a while since we were = close w/ the likes of Eldridge, Weiss, & Galindo!
***Djoker won his 14th Slam under the radar. Most people get surprised when they hear how many he won so far.***
ReplyDeleteIt seemed like Nole was @ 8 majors & tied w/ Lendl just yesterday! It was so appropr.; both perennial #3's ...! We thought Nole lost a season w/ that arm injury & figured he was no threat to Roger's 20+! There's no reason not to believe he's back & can get only >er to keep this ball rolling; m/b pad his resume w/ another Nole-Slam! ...I really wasn't sure he would come back @ all seeing as his ranking was going down precipitously & it didn't have anything to do w/ his taking X off! He was playing & losing; IIRC 6-6 until MC or Queens! I heard he's like 32-4 since! IMO, anything Nole wins is gravy now since most of us just never saw this turnaround!
***I believe Djoker whh a >er shot @ mastering all surfaces in Sampras’ era than Sampras would have today.***
...Strange that Nole had to overcome some medical issues, adjusted his nutrition, & became as fit as possible! Nole would eat up the 90's while Sampras w/b lucky to win 1/2 the tourns. today w/ how homogenized the courts have gotten & how long some of the pts last! He needed that advantage of slick grass or fast HC! Nole had plenty of trouble trying to win Cincy b/c it was so quick while Fed had hogged 7 titles, but he actually got >er in his old age & finally took one last month! What happened? We had anointed Sampras "The GOAT" just 15 yrs ago w/o = playing a FO final! It's making it easy to undermine it all now which is unfortunate! Wouldn't it be hilarious in 20 yrs some kid's just been born today who'll obliterate FEDALOVICS' recs? Not likely!
***...Yeah Nole's the one w/ the momentum now. And being the youngest of Fedalovic, he'll have more chances as well going forward.***
I've been not so quietly hinting @ a 2nd Nole-Slam saying "who else is favored to win 'down under' but Djokovic?!" No one owns it like him = though Fed snuck the last 2 while Nole still not Nole! Back in '15 I was hoping for another '11 w/ +ed sweetener of a YEC! We not only got that, but another Masters setting recs that may never be broken; 6 Masters, 8 finals, 3 majors, & a YEC! Not sure we'd jinx it just hoping to continue this magnificent run! Fedal have had theirs; Nole's turn to do something fantastic!
***Wouldn't quite predict him for another Nole-Slam, but yeah he'll start as the fave or co-fave @ all slams next yr. As for Masters, he w/b >er off skipping a few. No need to play all. Focusing on Majors w/b or rather s/b his move going forward.
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...Currently Roger has no real weakness. You can argue H2H w/ Nadal & lack of singles OG, but that's minor. Slam total is where it's at.***
We were about to anoint Djokovic "The GOAT" 2 yrs ago putting a streak together Roger only came close to @ the X! He was closer to Rafa & owning him w/ 2 "7 match winning streaks;" it was hard to avoid thinking about the possibilities! He was sev. majors behind both Fedal, but he was owning the tour like few others before him! He shot from 8 to 13 majors so quickly, it just seemed like just a matter of X! I'm getting that feeling again because I believe he'll outlast them & eventually surpass most of their recs!
***If Nole's able to win 6, let alone 7 more majors, hats off to him. The next gen won't stay worth< forever.***
We keep hoping, giving all kinds of "dap" to players like Dimitrov, Nishikori, Raonic, now Thiem, Zverev, Goffin, & Pouille! Vets have staved them off well, winning into their 30's; Cilic, Wawrinka, Del Po, & Anderson! You well know I've been begging for the "Next Gen" to take over & shake up the tour w/ some new blood! It's gotten old w/ Fedalovic winning most everything in sight; overcoming age, injury, & mental en nui after being on the tour up to 20 yrs!
***Trump's rallying the Evangelical leaders to command their flocks to vote for him out of fear - ...he'll settle for a holy war. "Divide & conquer" is more appealling to him than "e pluribus unum."***
ReplyDeleteThey're such idiots & deserve t/b played like this! ...They get a lit'l 'pub,' but the country moves on thank GAWD!
***They might deserve t/b played, but the rest of us don't!***
We deserve t/b played as well! It's not like Reps have hidden their nature! They're all a-holes who have this fictitious moral high ground they stand on! They feel entitled to lie about other's beliefs w/ the justification of being "the victim!" They've been playing that card for as long as I can remember & continue playing it as they "own it all" from coast to coast in Gov. & State Houses, Congress, the WH, & a stolen seat on the SC! This is happening around us all, but some actually think this is how a country s/b run! Dems have been the biggest suckers allowing "the rightwing" to outmaneuver them @ every turn not realizing or caring "they're playing dirty!" Playing it clean gets us the situation we're in now!
***I'm not owning that...I didn't put him in there. ...Yes, they did show us who they were, didn't hide who they were. But some people supported it, turned a blind eye, etc. Yes, the Dems have been way too passive. Politics is dirty & being polite didn't get us anywhere. There's nothing wrong w/ having standards, but I refuse to accept responsibility for that demon being in the WH.***
...Rep. are falling a long way into the sewer to protect a reprobate like Trump; willing to betray our morals, civility, & conscience to undermine estab. institutions to save this LOSER! Heaven help this fk'n country!
***Hillary was defeated by the Elec. College. I don't think the the process cares about her perceived insincerity.***
Strange that people normally like t/b fooled, lied to, & kept in the dark! Bill can feel our pain, but he was married to Hillary & more than likely feel the same about things! WTF did people think would happen if she won; the WW turned into a massage parlor? I'd rather of had that than a bunch of shady characters conspiring w/ Putin & Russia for $$ & to further their power hold! I'm ashamed in so many ways that we've allowed it to get to this situation! Can we be redeemed?
***There are surely Russian bots online +ing to the attempts to continue defaming Hillary & Bill. But there are plenty of disgruntled, ignorant knee-jerk Clinton-haters as well. Some people have = gone to the stupid trouble of attempting to claim that Hillary was concealing a 'colostomy bag' underneath her flowing caftan.
...If you have to search around for something pos. about Trump's 'regime' I think that says it all. ...In actuality, all of the ??able deeds & over-reaching of other recent presidents, including Reagan & both Bushes, in effect have taken cover behind the blatant & continual fingering of Bill & Hillary as these very bad, irredeemable, wretched, inhuman creatures. Reagan & the Bushes keep getting a pass, while Bill Clinton can't even go on a 2018 book tour to promote his collaborative work of fictional suspense w/ James Patterson, w/o being called out in a neg. OTT way for personal shit that happened 20 yrs ago. And let's remember that Clinton not only already apologized, he paid the price, he repented his sins, & he turned the other cheek to his enemies.
...When Carville indicates that the Reps need a lot of strong candidates to compete vs each other so the strongest can emerge. I had to laugh. As we know, the Reps ended up w/ a lot of weak, buffonish candidates running, & one of the weakest emerged! ...And still in our larger culture, Hillary's demonized, & Bill's looked down upon & not given full, + credit for his successful presidency.***
***...If that's true, then Sessions lied to Congress.***
ReplyDeleteThat's why Sessions recused himself having anything to do w/ Russians b/c he was busted twice during confirmation hearings t/b the AG! He was FOS talking about the brief meetings he had later didn't count or he didn't recall! Maybe the old fuck shouldn't be considered being AG if he's that fk'n doddering! He s/b up on charges for lying to Congress just like he loved to levy at others!
***Mueller has barely begun & has sev. guilty verdicts already. I'd say that is red meat. Ken Starr reminds folks that his investigation started in '94 & concluded in '02. By those standards Mueller is just getting started. Have some patience.***
I seriously jumped off The Rep. bandwagon not willing to accept anything from them after what they put this country thru back in the 90's! They were obviously frustrated some hillbilly beat their boy, Bush 41 & they set out to undermine & try to trash everything Clinton wanted to do = though he had co-opted their ideas! If Bill had wanted to give the death penalty for child molestation, those animals would've objected just to be a-holes! Now you have Trump who's setting recs w/ his lying & Reps can't be bothered trying to reel him in! Fine; they'll all pay for it in Nov. I hope! If not, this country is totally fk'd!
***Manafort plea deal looks like good news for Trump, bad news for Dems.***
Gawd, the level of delusion is just mindboggling! When it all blows up, duck b/c you'll all be "told you so" marks! Mueller's witch hunt has produced 6+ guilty pleas, coop. from them, w/ signed, sealed convictions! Deluding yourselves won't make the results of all this to <en the devastation of the party! Reps are barely a 3rd party in Cal.; that might spread EAST after this crap after owning it all! The victimhood s/b @ a minimum also since you guys really did own it from coast to coast, but people still aren't happy! You fk'd up, had a great chance to consolidate your power, now you're going to lose it all! Good luck in Nov.!
***tRump is not just an avg. liar, not = an exceptional liar, or a prolific liar. tRump is setting recs. And not just by a lit'l.***
I'm just wondering when the rightwing masses will ever wise up? There are prominent Rep. consultants & ops who are appalled by what's going on & have tried to alert the people, but the acceptance of the core "right" of these obvious lies never ends! Trying to undermine the deaths of Americans in PR prob. should have hit home, but his support is still there! They obviously have no floor he could drop to for them to finally jump off that bandwagon! ...These same people are now looking @ disgusting behavior on a daily basis & prefer to give him what they have actually called "a mulligan!" Not sure wtf that means when Clinton got no fk'n mulligan! He was investigated & on constant vigilance dealing w/ hypocritical Rep. pols who were later busted for his same indiscretions; Gingrich, Hyde, Livingston, Barr, ….!
***Strzok's text revealed the FBI didn't want Trump to win, obstructed for Hillary, ...***
One or 2 people texting about Trump losing the race isn't the fk'n FBI! That's where they happen to work geniuses on "the right!" That's ridiculous they can't have an opinion un< it's kissing up to Trump! All that BS w/b stopping soon when Mueller drops the hammer on Jr. & the SIL! Kushner will feel right @ home in jail since it's in his DNA & he spent a lot of X comforting dad while he was locked up!
You people really need to get over your misogyny! "Repeat after me, Hillary is not in power, never has been, &'s a retired grandma minding her own business!" You guys sound like a raving loons going after this old woman at every op. like she's Pelosi about to take over Congress & I think it's pathetic! She'll give you reason to bitch about her when she impeaches this MF'r! All the kvetchin' w/b worth listening to then in your frustration!
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Kavanaugh's nom. probably now in jeopardy! The woman has come forward, she's passed a lie detector test, & supposedly she's been in therapy over the incident for yrs w/ her husband! She's not a nobody people can just "assume the worst" of a fake accusation! There have been warnings of defamation if Kavanaugh or others defame her since she's no run of the mill piece we can ignore! On top of that Jeff Flake's hinting that this nom. needs t/b slowed!
***Those who claim people are “making $#!t up about Obama,” are doing that very thing to Trump. ...Hopefully the Dems will find a more mature, adult, respectful candidate who doesn’t whine when they lose an election & don’t get their way.***
Just keep deluding yourself! All Trump supporters that could overlook his criminal acts doesn't deserve understanding of how misguided they are & w/b in a world of "fk'n hurt" when this shit blows up showing how conspiratorial this president has been; probably the worst in the history of the country! Good luck w/ the people who finally decide "enough!" Say hello to President Pence un< Dems just let Trump stew in the Oval Office knowing he won't get another thing passed in Congress for the rest of his term!
***Let's review for the Dead From The Neck Up Cons That Continue Live In A World of Delusion.
1. Former 45 Campaign Chair P. Manafort - Guilty on 8 Counts Bank & Tax Fraud. Plea Deal includes Pleading Guilty to 1 Count of Conspiracy vs the USA. He's now Cooperating w/ Special Pros. Robert Mueller.
2. Former 45 Nat'l SA M. Flynn - Plea Deal that includes Cooperating w/ Mueller. Flynn acted as an Un-Registered Agent of a Known Hostile Foreign Power.
3. Former 45 Atty. & "Fixer" Michael Cohen - Plea Deal that includes Cooperating w/ SP Mueller.
Manafort attended the June '17 meeting @ Trump Tower where Russian Nat'ls w/ ties to the Kremlin & Putin tried to sell "Dirt" on HRC. That w/b the meeting the Orange Faced Shit Gibbon said did not happen. Then it did happen, but there were no Russians in that meeting. Then there were Russians that meeting, but they didn't discuss HRC, it was about Russian Orphans. Then yes, they did discuss "Dirt" on HRC. This is meeting that never happened then did happen, but 45 didn't know about it = though he later wrote the goddamn letter saying it never happened.
Cohen paid off an Adult Film Actress to prevent her from talking about her relationship w/ the 5-Deferment Draft Dodging POS 45. That failed & she's now about to drop a "Tell All" book about 45 & their relationship.
Flynn retired as Lt. Gen. (03 Stars) from the US Army. He betrayed his country for the sake of $$.
Lies on top of Lies & the Neo-Nazi/KKK/Anti-Semitic Seig Heil Shouting, Goose Stepping Followers swallow each & every one of them.
And just think if any of this had happened up HRC....The Shouts of Impeachment would loud, long, & continous....but IOKIYAAR!!***
I may j/b hopeful, but it appears this nom. SC's hurtling towards the sun! Ford has suggested they finish the FBI invest. & it s/b concluded before she comes to testify @ the Judiciary Committee! ...These bastard Reps kvetched about Garland & held him up for over a yr. while they're rushing this dude who looks as if he has a lot of demons! He also seems t/b totally committed to Trump & not the law or he wouldn't be lying about this woman! ...Ford's backing up her accusations w/ witnesses, doctor's reports, & a lie-detector test while Kavanaugh's support is more flimsy saying "it doesn't seem like something he would do!" Who would; are priests more apt t/b suspected of child molestation? Grow up people!
ReplyDelete***Wow. I hope you never sit on a jury.***
...& you're the type I wouldn't want on a jury! You'd need to catch the perp in mid-assault w/ his organ in his hand before believing a woman's been victimized. The real pathetic thing is women give more of their support to these old, white fks "on the right," while they're being made "<" @ every op.! Orrin Hatch says "she's mixed up!" Who the FK does he think he is? She's never met him. This a-hole truly hasn't learned anything &'s still acting like a minister from the 1800's w/ his starched collars! He should truly burn w/ how he's fk'd over women for the longest X while becoming as senile & crazy as Trump! This same person had reservations about Trump before elected; now he's on his knees, not just shining his shoes, but overly slobbering elsewhere! What a way to go out! If the state has any self-respect, they'll allow that old fool to retire & not throw his wrinkled, old ass back into DC politics ever again!
***It wasn't perjury, Bill and Monica never had intercourse. But Trump's smears of "Crooked Hillary" were not proven- so too bad about Trump....***
I was done w/ Reps after what they put the country thru for a WW "hummer!" These hypocrites were using this to turn the country upside down while they were doing worse @ the X; many run out of office before Clinton finished his 2nd term! Gingrich supposedly didn't want to push this since his hands were just as dirty, but being the Speaker he had lit'l choice! His tenure was getting more and more "tenuous" every election cycle w/ him barely squeaking out a win back home in GA in '98! His successor, Livingston didn't fair any >er who was exposed before he could take his oath! After leading the charge to kick Clinton out of office, other members of leadership in both Houses started going down in flames like Barr, Sen. Hyde (& his youthful indiscretion in his 30's), & a handful of Congressmen from Cal that shk >er supporting this nonsense! Calif. was the Clinton's 2nd home w/ the celebs & power brokers of Hollywood! I lived in Sacr. from '90-2001 & he visited my area of Sac. twice IIRC making it a big deal! The cons. I knew @ work chewed bullets! The venom & absolute hatred of this family was so insane; sending chill! It was so irrational & continues t/b which is why I wouldn't vote a Rep. cand. to save my own fk'n life! I'll go "Escape From NY" & volunteer for death 1st!
***IDK why Ryan & McConnell don’t announce impeachment & removal of Trump. They can keep House & Senate if they did that.***
That would actually take GUTS; a quality sorely missing in the Rep. party! It was talked about earlier today; Trump has ingratiated himself w/ the lower classes & made them feel smart! They'll go down w/ him b/c they feel their ideas are being heard; = though bigoted & misogynistic! All Rep. pols have made their bed & have lit'l to no stomach to go vs the man leading their party down a path that may not be recoverable!
***Fiero, I think you're behind the times. Everyone has pretty much given up on "Lost Gen." I mean, m/b one of them does an Ivanisevic & sneaks a Slam in someX over the next few yrs, but @ this pt. the oldest of the players born in the 90s that I think has a good chance of winning a Slam is Thiem & only on clay - & only when Rafa fades further. ...I know Zverev has disappointed @ Slams, but he has already won 3 Masters & is still a yr. & a 1/2 younger than Roger was when he won his 1st Slam. Tsitsipas just turned 20, Shapo is 19, etc. Give them a chance.
ReplyDelete---
If surfaces were =, we would have to split the results of AO/USO in 1/2 that way they would count as 1 HC slam.
-Fed (6+5 / 2 = 5.5)
-Nadal (3+1 / 2 = 2)
So if there was only 1 HC slam, 1 clay slam & 1 grass slam, the avgs & slam total w/b:
-Fed 8 grass, 5.5 HC, 1 clay = 14.5 slams
-Nadal 11 clay, 2 HC, 2 grass = 15 slams
Nadal would lead the slam total count if tennis was = in terms of HC, clay & grass.
-In a more detailed twist:
If we go by all 3 surfaces, Nadal w/b >er (min. 2, total 15)
No matter how you look @ it, Nadal's the GOAT. Too bad that Fed chickened out from playing RG b/c he whh the chance to win in '15 or '16 when Nadal wasn't @ his best. But Fed missed his chance to + a much needed 2nd clay slam & become the GOAT.
-Another ...:
Nadal was able to beat Fed on grass/Wimbl. in his 3rd try. Fed wasn't able to beat Nadal on clay/RG in 5 tries. That again shows how Nadal is about quality not only quantity.
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This rivalry of Nadovic's one of the most prolific & = matchups in the history of the sport, as these 2 giants have joined Fed in dominating men’s tennis for more than a decade. It’s difficult to find another period in tennis history where 3 giants stood almost simultaneously @ the top of the game for so long.
W/ all the attn. on Fedal over the past decade-+, it’s easy to overlook that Nadal has faced off w/ Djokovic 14 more X's than Fed, & they're the 1st men to meet in the finals of all 4 GS's. While Djokovic has a slight overall lead in their H2H rec., Nadal has prevailed in 6 of 14 GS meetings & 4 of 7 GS finals. It doesn’t get much closer than that.
Their meeting in the '12 AO ranks among the greatest GS finals of all X, right there w/ the '08 & '80 Wimbls. The longest GS final @ nearly 6 hrs, Djokovic prevailed in 5 mesmerizing sets, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 7-5.
So why is this rivalry a notch below Fedal? It’s a close call, but they've battled longer, w/ more GS final meetings & more total GS titles. Still, Djokovic’s 14 GS's (the 3rd most in the Open era w/ Sampras) are nothing to sneeze at.
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#1: Evert vs Navratilova = These 2 giants of women’s tennis met an incredible 80 X's during their storied rivalry, which spanned much of the 1970s & 1980s. There was a X when you could almost take it to the bank before the 1st serve of the 1st match of a GS tourn. that these 2 would face off in the final. From Nov. '75 to Aug. '87, one or the other held the #1 spot in the world for all but 23 wks.
Evert dom. the early yrs of the rivalry before Navratilova took control in the 1980s, particularly on the grass courts of Wimbl. & HC's of the USO. Evert won 20 of the 1st 25 matches btw the 2, but the pendulum steadily swung in Navratilova’s favor, & by the early 1980s, no one in women’s tennis seemed able to touch her. She reeled off 13 cons wins vs Evert from '82-85, & it seemed that their rivalry would end as a one-sided affair. ...Their final GS meeting @ the '88 Wimbl. SF's w/b yet another 3-set classic, this X w/ Navratilova coming out on top. In terms of unequaled dominance of the sport by 2 players for such an extended period, no rivalry in the history of tennis can touch Navratilova & Evert.***
This is why I've resented athletes that want the $$, but don't exactly cough up a refund when they cost a team wins! Reminds me of a baseball arb.! The player's going down all his heroics, but it was countered w/ all his bonehead plays! He resented it! Just never been a serious fan of these egomaniacs! Even though I'm from Chgo, I've given Rodgers all due "props," but = he's disappointed me in the past! First when vouching for his good bud & business partner, Braun a baseball player who was busted for steroid use & then this ridiculously large contract! He obviously doesn't want to win or he would've left a lit'l for the defense! GB'll never be a power w/ Rodgers scoring 40+ pts b/c his defense will always give up more! That bend, but not brk beats my crappy Bears; none of the elite teams!
ReplyDelete***In Rodgers defense, he did drop Braun like a bad habit as soon as he was a proven doper. Aside from that I agree. I get why Rodgers wants to get paid like that. He's the best or @ least most valuable player in the league, but I wish he'd have been more like "I'm good w/ $25 M a yr., now go get a shutdown corner." I don't doubt this guy's competitiveness & desire to win more rings, but w/ his contract it simply isn't easy to get a lot of other big X talent.***
That's all I'm saying! It's like these guys don't think it thru; no matter how humble, they have to maximize the payback! It's so sad & pathetic! Most normal people couldn't spend what these guys make, but it never seems t/b enough!
***Wondering about X mngt. here. No way, you should have let Minn. get back on the field w/ that amt. of X left. Packers should've won in reg. X.***
Coach has just been one of the luckiest saps around! His X mngt. & challenges are always dubious IMO! He's personally caused a lot of these losses = though he has this rep. right up there w/ A. Reid, Jon Gruden, & M. Holmgren! He's been coming up short too often w/ the best QB of all X! Now that he has that contract, I'll prob. wind up making him an ex. of a selfish a-hole that feels entitled to hog the $$ which he'll pay for in the end when the defense gives up losing plays late in games again & again!
***McCarthy's plain trash. That team has a loser's mentality & no killer instinct. The game was 20-7 @ home & I knew it'd get close. This team never blows out anyone anymore. His win % is atrocious given the QB he has. Somehow "cleaning house" for the Packers meant just getting rid of the GM & def. coord.
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I have shed many tears over the brutal robbing of Ross Minor.***
And how embarrassing for Adam who was so confident, he was talking "smack" about the judging; "I could only lose out if the judges were related to other skaters!" That's what offended me the most! Of course Adam being Adam it made sense he'd have a >er chance of skating well! Ross just had a night of all nights & may never skate that well again! It worked out, but it still stunk! Even more ungracious was Ashley scowling, thinking the ISU would overturn it for her again & replace Mirai like in 2014! The sport's still one of the shadiest out there = w/ all the so called safeguards of the new scoring system! People are skating the same programs, but aren't exactly improving by leaps & bounds! It doesn't stop the judges from giving outrageous scores for mediocre performances! Russia leads the way w/ inflated #'s @ comps I'm watching! Shady, shady, shady!