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Tuesday, July 11, 2023
What's Up? Topic #34; entries 7/2023 ...on
Anything can be posted here! We'll talk about politics, sports (football, basketball, & tennis), Movies, & TV! Posts framed w/ "***" are from other contribs! - - (Comments)
***Ons really has such a nice complete game, mixing power & touch. So sick of hearing the women's game picked apart compared to the men. The women have genuine contenders. I'll say it AGAIN, Sabalenka's by far the > interesting WTA to watch play. She's always box office &'ll eventually become #1.***
This was Sabalenka's best chance & she blew it vs Jabeur in the SF! That was a choke of epic proportions, but what's new? Players do that sort of thing on the regular! No lead's safe & the match c/b practically given to them w/ UFE's & wild play, but "they can't finish!"
***But @Fiero425, that's the beauty of her game. She w/b back & eventually win SW19 & the #1 ranking just like she won her 1st GS title. It's all on her terms. She drives the bus on the tour. Either she's gonna implode or blast someone off the court. ---
OTOH, m/b it's b/c the women have a fighting spirit & don’t give up easily? Sabalenka was trying, but the pressure from Ons was ongoing. Comebacks aren't just about someone collapsing, but from a player rising to the ocassion; which the women do these days > the men.***
I'll have to take your word for it! I don't watch women's tennis as much! I barely recognize many of the players w/ the names! So many blonds w/ high ponytails or braids! The other brunettes are the killjoys & upsetters! They're all doing the same for the > part; trying to take the cover off the ball! I do like Ons' play though! It's a lot > of a versatile game w/ backup features! Most others' solutions is to just hit harder & lit'l else in the way of thinking it thru!
***I expected HUGE improvement from Sinner over the last yr. & he hasn’t improved a lick. He's actually gotten worse; inexcusable for someone his age. Last yr. he took 2 sets from Djokovic and now can't = win 1 vs Djoker only a yo'r. ...There's zero reason why Carlos should end up porentially w/ a Wimbl. title B4 Sinner. Zero. Not when Sinner has > innate ability on grass. That was a pitiful performance from him today in the SF.***
We expect too > from today's players due to the excel. of the Big 3! I have no sympathy for Sinner's plight w/ expectations that were blown up a lit'l too >! He's a nice, solid player w/ a weapon here & there, but nothing special! He'll have good & bad days; > of the X out of nowhere he'll hit a wall! He's aggr.n' me w/ the incessant glances to his box w/ the fist clenches! It's maddening! "Hey sonny, it's just 1 pt., not the set or match! Pull back on the adrenaline!" Even though Alcaraz has that something special, I think he also needs to pull back! He's trying to make the highlite reel on every pt.! Djokovic may not = have to play that well if he can just allow Carlos to run himself into the ground! Someone needs to tell Alcaraz he doesn't need every pt. to win convincingly! That MP was only worthwhile b/c it ended the match! Those pts. are grinding &'ll catch up to him sooner or later!
***Most people don't = see Nadal above Fed, meaning total slams isn't the end all be all. Meaning we have to go to peak level, which Fed clearly has above them>***
Personally I have a prob. w/ Nadal & his unbalanced resume! There are so many holes, but a factor is the H2H where Nadal owned Roger early & often!
***Just the YE title. It's the only hole. He has @ least 2 slams won everywhere. Fed doesn't.***
The thing is Roger has 2 runs of 5 Majors; Wimbl. & The USO! It took Nadal over 10 yrs. to get that 2nd AO & his upsets @ Wimbl. are legendary! Novak's obviously on top w/ his 2 runs @ majors as well where Nadal is King of Paris, no YEC's, 1/2 the wks. @ #1, & 2 (soon t/b 3) YE #1's behind Novak!
***Well Nadal would've dom. all 4 slams too if Djokovic didn't catch on like a house of fire in '11.***
That's why I apprec. Novak so much! He stopped Nadal from being The GOAT! Rafa had had such a > '10, then got to final after final in '11 only t/b thwarted by Djokovic @ every turn! He dropped 7 in a row including '12 AO! Nadal would have run away w/ it if not for Novak; THANK GAWD!
***Not yet fully sold on Eubanks. He's 27 yo. There's no guarantee that he makes another run like that @ a slam.***
I never took Eubanks that seriously! He's having a very nice run &'s > likely just "in the zone!" Do we really think he's going to cont. ascending the ranks & stay there? Back in the day there was an actor; Vincent Van Patton that got on a heater & = def. McEnroe in an exh. event in Toyko! Borg brought him back to Earth in the final & we never heard from him again; sans his dating of Farrah Fawcett-Majors!
***Vince Van Patten! But Fiero, you’re actually selling short his moment of glory. It was an actual ATP tourn. I think it was the Japanese Indoor & he beat 3 top 10 players in a row; Clerc, Gerulaitis, & Macl. Talk about being "in the zone." ...Alas the feeling doesn't last, LOL.***
Back in the day, it was a bit of a mess w/ tourns. sanctioned & giving away pts.! ...That Seiko event IMO was lit'l > an exh., but it gave away lots of $$ so was sanctioned! CRAZY X's!
I picked up a lot of good tactical play by watching the women; Court, BJK, Wade, Goolagong, & of course Navratilova! Back then in the 70's w/ the men, it was all about "s/v" aside from Borg! Even Connors played outside his comfort zone venturing into the net a lot > usual! The other baseliners of the X were use< except on clay; The Bagel Twins (Solomon & Dibbs), Vilas, Higueras, Orantes, & others! The USO, Forest Hills going to Har-Tru in '75 gave the advantage to Euro's & So. Americans!
***This new guy, Alcarez is the continuation of the Big 3:
He moves like NADAL & Djokovic Has Defense of Djokovic Shot making skills of Federer Has massive serve bigger > Fed Master of touch shots
The beginning of the Alcaraz era.***
I want to agree, but need to let Carlos cook a lit'l while longer! He's no doubt >er > past gens., but we've tried to bury the Big 3 for over a decade! Novak's the last man standing & I think he has a lit'l bit > left in him! Heaven knows he already took another AO & FO this season! Never seen dirt thrown on a champ. so soon j/b of one loss! People out there need some serious help IMO! "Come on dudes; shake yourselves!"
***1/2 of the people here do that. They always exaggerate each person’s last result. A few wks. ago the same people who were saying now that Novak's finished were saying that Carlitos was incapable of ever finishing a match.
There's no sign of Novak getting worse (yet). No 36 yo. has ever played @ this level & w/ such consistency. But it’s also true that Carlitos is going t/b an - of the Big 3 for sure. People seem to want t/b able to simplify everything to a story a 5 yo.'d like - so they want it t/b that Carlitos has entirely taken over & Novak can never win another match. - - 172cm: >est accomp. beating a 36 yo... barely.***
I recall many who undermined Novak's success the last 10 yrs. due to Roger being 5-6 yo'er! Now Carlos' lauded = though Djokovic's almost twice his age! That's hilarious and so embarrassing for those out there who tried to perpetrate that fraud on us all!
***Cinci w/b B4 the USO. Nole's currently @ the sea in Dubrovnik w/ his family so I guess Montreal will not see him this yr.***
Novak doesn't need another Canadian Masters win! He's been unlucky w/ Cincy; the comp. level, speed of court, & him just burned out! He got some Karma back helping him get his last by way of the tourn. being moved to Flushing in '20 due to Covid! That gave him a "Double Golden Masters!"
***Yeap, 4 is enough. He lost 5 finals in Cinci until finally won it in '18. +ed 1 > in '20. Guess Fed & Murray liked the surface & condition there >. Borna Ćorić's defending the title this yr. He needs 1 > Cinci & MC for 3 GM's, IIRC.***
"Great minds?!" Djokovic needs to collect as many "standalone" recs.. poss. to overcome the bias that keep Fedal on a pedestal that's crumbling IMO!
...Novak's '11 saved us from cons. seasons of Rafa winning everything as his '10 was 1 of his best efforts! Rafa could've sealed the deal as the GOAT rather early as Novak only had 1 major @ the X! That was a true rivalry unlike the make-believe 1 created w/ Fedal!
***What do you think about Djokovic's retirement? If you were him, when do you think is the right X for you to bow out & try something new?***
I don't = understand the reasoning behind asking the ??! Novak has won 2 majors this yr. & was in the final of the 3rd! WTF? I believe he has 2-3 > good yrs. left in him regardless of Fedal's retiring! Everything's gravy due to him holding every important rec. on the books including YE #1's (7), 389 wks. @ #1, 23 Majors, & a Double GM's! That's just @ the top of the list! The guy owns just about all of them except longevity since he's still young compared to Fed!
***The ??'s > about the comp. side of things. Yes, he has the recs., but clearly a guy like him will want to stay comp. also. It's > about down the line, what w/b the things you feel could start to indicate that it's X to move on.***
No X soon that's for sure! You saw how he finished last season & started this one w/ a routine win "down under!" It just makes no sense to = talk about retiring IMO!
***Nole looks like he has the same movement & game, so he can continue until the next gen steps up.***
That's the reason I'm not = discussing retirement! He's still running like a deer & takes the best to the limit, running them to death & destroying their will!
***Two slams a yr. for the next 3 yrs. Carlos w/b splitting them w/ Djokovic.
Finally; rational thought! It's a rarity w/ many trying to put a stake thru the heart of the Big 3! Novak has 2-3 good yrs. left in him! Might = p/up another FO!
***It's hard to rule vs Djokovic when you look @ what he's accomplished in the last 5 yrs. He's 36 yo & doesn't move or defend as well as he did in his prime, but he's clearly estab. that he has no issues w/ taking on anyone from the NG group in a BO5 set match. What many people don't want to admit to is that Djokovic should've beaten Carlos in str. sets @ Wimbl. Carlos deserved to win the match, but the key to his victory was based on Djokovic collapsing during the 2nd set TB. I'd like Djokovic's chances in a potential rematch. Carlos isn't as good as the Big 3. The fact that a 36 yo Djokovic is basically on = terms w/ him is > enough proof of that. ---
I wish Djoker wins 2 > slams. The # 25 is a good w/ or w/o the Wimbl. rec. if that includes Fed's Wimbl. rec. tied, then it w/b an add'l caveat. But w/ or w/o it, the #25 is a must IMO.***
I'm liking = #'s! I was looking @ 24 or 26, but #28 isn't bad!
***'26' may or may not be possible. Too much luck w/b needed for it. '28?" No chance. Alcaraz & Rune w/b consistently beating him by then; no chance. '25-26' is his ceiling & luck w/b needed for that too. He chh 30, but he left some slams on the table to inferiors & also to bans & DQs. ---
Slam rec. safe for Novak. He's done the hard work so thankfully he can relax a bit now. - Yes, key slams were WB'19 & RG'21 IMO. Too bad for US'14 & US'20 b/c he'd already have total rec., but still, unlikely Nadal can overtake this one now.***
***The Big 3 era's finally coming to a close, after nearly 20 yrs. of dom.; 65 Slams, 17 YE #1's. 908 wks., @ #1, 289 titles. A truly unpreced. level of dom. from these 3 >'s; undoubtedly special players in any era & conditions.
Their era is a massive anomaly & complete departure from tennis history, due to:
The complete lack of any strong challengers from non-Euro. countries, esp. Aust. & the USA.
Some stats:
1877-1968 Slams (pre-OE) -
177 Men’s Singles Slams won by Am./Aust. (over 2/3s of total Slams held)
157 Women’s Singles Slams won by Am./Aust. (over 2/3s of total Slams held)
'68-03 (OE) -
70 Men’s Singles Slams won by Am./Aust. (50% of total Slams held)
67 Women’s Singles Slams won by Am./Aust. (48% of total Slams held)
'04-23 (Big 3 era) -
ZERO Men’s Singles Slams won by Am./Aust. (0% of total Slams held)
25 Women’s Singles Slams won by Am./Aust. (32% of total Slams held)
While the pre-OE mainly was dom. by upper class Anglo-Saxons playing the sport for fun, Australia & the US clearly had a dom. grip on the sport. Even in just the OE, from '68-03. Once tennis had become > of a worldwide sport & standardized, Australia still produced 20 Singles titles & the USA produced an astounding 50 Singles titles. These 2 countries cont. to dom. tennis, winning 70 Slams out of 140 tries, =ling the rest of the world combined.
And then, in '04… this completely stopped.
It’s not only that the Slam dom. stopped. It’s that they stopped coming close to winning a Slam whatsoever. The athletes & all-X-> talents from these 2 stories countries ceased to exist. From '04-23, players from these countries only got to 6 combined Slam finals — and only 1 after '09. after Roddick in '03, 0 players reached world #1. Simply put, the lack of talent is a massive unprec. anomaly in the history of tennis.
...I'm not just comparing resumes in a surface-level stats-counting; it isn’t just the accomplishments drying up. The playing level is the issue.
Compare any player from the top list to the bottom list. They don’t deserve to = be in the same conversation ability wise. And = the best of the bunch, Roddick & Hewitt, who had success B4 '04 in the “OE” are far inferior, w/ clear mental, physical, & tech. flaws, compared to legendary champs like Sampras, Laver, McEnroe, Agassi, Connors & Rosewall.
And then somehow, it got > worse > Roddick & Hewitt… = though both were already a clear 2 rungs below the elite talents from their countries.
The best players since the oft-injured Roddick & Hewitt fell off their perch & ceased t/b Slam contenders in '05? Two hopelessly limited servebots in Isner & Kyrgios, both of whom have an ATG serve & a world #150 return game.
The rest of the world hasn’t picked up the slack either. Argentina did produce 2 Slams in Gaudio & Del Potro, but that’s it. Canadian, Japanese, & South African players were hopelessly overmatched compared to Euros, getting shellacked in strs. in every 1 of their Slam finals.
Also boosting this theory is the fact that America & Australia didn’t fall off in women’s tennis, just men’s. Since '04, they still won 25 Slams, producing 2 true ATGs in the Wms. sisters & 3 > Slams from a dom. #1 in Ash Barty B4 retirement. Comparatively, the Men haven’t come anywhere near the same stratosphere as the Wms. sisters in talent or achievements.
Clearly, there has been an unprecedented drop in men’s tennis interest in countries which had produced the > talent & > ATGs by far. It’s like if Brazil stopped producing forwards, Germany stopped producing midfielders, & Italy stopped producing defenders.
We know that the Big 3 are the best Euro players ever. But they were only ever tested vs fellow Euros, never facing true talents from the historic tennis hotbeds. Their dom. feels hollow looking @ it historically.
How > of the Big 3’s gaudy #'s & success can we ascribe to the massive talent glut from the rest of the world?***
***I do sort of feel bad for Hamburg. They got bumped out of their 1000 Masters status when the Spanish/Ion Tiriac put political muscle behind moving the Madrid Open to the Spring & making it a "red clay" tourn. I personally much preferred Hamburg as a clay court Masters vs. Madrid.***
I've seen things change when it comes to tournaments depending on who's at the top! Way back when, you had Graf & Becker making so much news & winning back in the 80's & 90's! Hamburg as a Masters was a no-brainer while they reigned @ or near the top! As soon as they were gone, Germany lost status when they actually had a YE Chp. or 2! Madrid gained back their status w/ Nadal when @ 1 X it was a Fall event indoors! Our Sunshine Double's all about $$! Heaven knows we don't have good reps. leading the way on the tour! It was the same thing w/ Shanghai; all about how > was being offered to get players to compete! The rest of the Masters are legacy events w/ Rome not offering >, but have a lot of status to hang in there!
***You know Fiero, the ATP seems Hell bent on making the Masters > "big events;' transitioning > of them into 12 day affairs. Shagnhai Masters are going 12 days this yr., which's insane considering they haven't played it in what, 4 yrs.?
Aren't Canada & Cincy both going 2 wks. next yr.? OT1H, I can see "why" of their strategy: it's their "babies," whereas the Slams are indep. behemoths they've no control over.
Having said that, I dunno, it's an awkward transition, b/c they're going to cannibalize solid long standing smaller tourns. to make way for these 2 wk. event Masters. In +tion, I thought the Italian & Madrid Masters were really stretching out the schedule. Some players had 3 days btwn. BO3 matches. WTF!!??
IMO Paris Indoors & MC almost become > appealing as Masters simply b/c they'll retain the > challenging 8 day sched. Two relics in a tennis Cal., chockful of 2 wks. Masters. ---
I'm surprised that both Alex di M. & Chris Eub. lost in str. sets. Isner & Monfils lost in 3 sets in their 1st matches this wk. in Atl.***
We have to start assuming the worst when it comes to today's player! We've been so spoiled by the Big 3, we've started to expect consistency & a trajectory that goes up instead of having bumps & hills! Alcaraz's the only one that can brk. that trend IMO! I personally think he'll have trouble def. his USO title, but it's just one of the tourneys that's very difficult to repeat! Few have done it; = someone like Novak! He seems t/b single-minded & may actually drop out of the top 2 or 3 w/ 2 Majors! He can still surprise us w/ another Fall run & this X take another Paris Indoor instead of blowing it in the final!
***Fedal Era, '05-10 Big 3 Era, '10-19 Big 4 Era, '08-16 Djokr Era, '15-26
Is it still the Big 3 era the last 10 yrs. if Djokovic has won > slams > Roger, Rafa, & Murray combined since '13?***
Regard< of the tourn. brk-down, all 3 of them are going to forever be inextricably linked together for 2+ decades = though Novak owned the last 10 yrs.!
***Sampras, Fed, & Djoker all lost in the final of the very next slam after brk'n the slam rec.
Sampras broke the rec. W 2000, lost USO 2000 final. Fed broke the rec. W'09, lost USO'09 final. Djokovic broke the rec. RG'23, lost W'23 final.
Nadal's the exception to the rule.
Nadal broke the rec. AO'22, extended the slam rec. RG'22.
This unique achievement'll likely stand for a VERY LONG X, poss. 4 ever. ---
Nadal's also the only one out of the Big 3 who didn't manage to brk. the rec. right after tying it.
Fed tied the rec, @ RG'09, broke @ W'09 Djokovic tied the rec. @ AO'23, broke @ RG'23***
***W/ Nick's talent he should've won @ least 4 to 5 slams by now if he's that talented & good. Both Wawrinka & Murray have beaten the Big 3 & they have 3 slams each.
Or @ the very least Nick has to win a Master title. baby steps...
- Carlos, Rune, Tsits, Medvedev, Rublev, Berr, Khachanov, Fritz have a Masters, but not Nick.***
The thing is, Fedalovic have changed the history/legacy of tennis forever! The destinies of 2 or 3 eras of players that prob. should've accomp. > but for those 3 players over 20 yrs. of dom. may never be fulfilled! Here & elsewhere I've bemoaned the NG'rs not being able to deal w/ the Big 3 to the last, but they're being assisted by the coming & going of good vets like Murray & Wawrinka that also stunt the growth of "up & comers!" Looks as if Alcaraz, Rune, & Medvedev are doing their jobs @ diff. levels of success, but it's coming along nice! Novak's the last man standing it seems; sans a good-bye tour of Nadal next season!
***Djokovic didn't get into Fed's head until '14 when he was well beyond his prime. ---
That’s what I thought for a long X. But upon watching some earlier matches btwn. them, it was clear that it started > earlier. Their 1st Slam final @ the USO in '07 (after Fed lost to Djokovic a few wks earlier in the Can. Open) showed just how tight Fed was vs Djokovic. Fed was down a brk in the 1st & 2nd sets & only b/c young Novak choked big X did Fed win those 2 sets in TB's. Then @ the AO '08, Fed was up a brk in the 1st set only for Novak to come back & win that set & then win the remaining 2 sets as well. Yes, this was right after Fed had mono so many chalked up this loss to that, but then in the '10 & '11 USO's, Fed lost those 2 infamous SFs despite having 2 MP's in the 5th set. One can argue it wasn’t until after these 2 fiascos that Novak got into Fed’s head, so I get your pt., but I think = B4, Fed was already feeling the nerves in matches vs Novak.***
Thx!
***How does Djokovic's dom. @ GS tourns. compare to other tennis players?
ND’s periods of dom. based on GS's are from AO'11 to RG'16 & from Wimbl.'19 to Wimbl.'23.
Fed’s only period of dom. was from Wimbl.'03 to AO'10.
In this per., Fed won 16 GS's out of the 27 contested. Out of the 11, he couldn’t win, he reached the final in 6. He won both USP & Wimbl. 5 cons. X's in that per. Such was his dom. that Fed still remains the last player to defend the USO title.
Djokovic won 12/22 contested in his 1st per. of dom. & 11/20 contested (Djoko was banned in 2. It’s really 11/18) in the 2nd per. of dom. In his 1st per., Djokovic reached 6 finals, & in the 2nd, 3 finals (1 to contest).
Nadal’s per. of dom. was from RG'08 to RG'14 & after that from RG'18 to RG'22.
Nadal won 11/25 GS's contested in the 1st per. & 8/20 GS's in the 2nd per. He was runner-up in 4/14 & 1/12 remaining GS's resp.
Bjorn Borg won 11/20 GS's from Wimbl.'76 to RG '81. He was runner-up in 3/9 remaining GS's.
Pete Sampras won 12/29 GS's from Wimbl.'93 to Wimbl.'00.
During Djokovic’s 1st per. of dom., he held all 4 GS's simult. ('15–16), something Fedal never managed. In his 2nd per. of dom., Djokovic came agonizingly close to completing the Cal. Slam.
Fed held the world #1 ranking for a rec. 237 cons. wks btwn. '04 & '08. In comparison, Djokovic’s best rec. stands @ 122 cons. wks btwn. '14 & '16. Nadal’s stands @ 56 & Sampras’ @ 102 wks.
Clearly, Fed’s per. of dom. is the best we’ve seen in tennis. Djokovic can topple that w/ a few > GS win in the upcoming tourns. He has a golden chance to complete the CS in '23 & register the > dom. era in tennis history.***
***Was Djokovic's '15 the best ever start to the season?
Talking about the very best start ever, let's take a look. I'll run this thru RG for each scenario, since that's when my 3 candidates lost:
'84 McEnroe: His only loss was to a clay monster named Lendl; the same guy that was in the process of winning 3 FO titles in a 4-yr. span.
42-1, .977 overall 10-1, .909 vs top 5 86% of overall matches were won in str. sets 81.8% over matches vs top-5 were won in str. sets
0 matches lost in str. sets
'11 Djokovic: His only loss was to Federer @ the FO.
41-1, .976 overall 10-1, .909 vs top 5 73.8% of his overall matches were won in str. sets 54.5% of his matches vs top-5 were won in str. sets
0 matches lost in str. sets
'15 Djokovic: His 3 losses were to Stan, Fed, & Karlovic
41-3, .932 overall 7-1, .875 vs top 5 65.9% of matches overall were won in str. sets 37.5% of matches vs top-5 were won in str. sets
1 match lost in str. sets
It's '84 Mac > '11 Djokovic > '15 Djokovic here.
Nadal & Federer both missed the cut.
Note: Borg in '80 was solid & should prob. be a cand. for 3rd place w/ '15 Djoker. He went 38-1 thru RG while winning 84.6% of his matches in str. set & while having a 10-1 rec. vs the top-5. ---
In '11, Nole had to beat a prime Nadal to win IW's, Miami, Madrid, & Rome. There was no opp. near that level in '15. I think the answer is pretty obvious.***
Novak saved us from Rafa running away w/ the GOAT race after his '10 season! Out of nowhere, after Novak won DC for Serbia, I didn't think it poss. to do >er, but Djokovic's '15 was = >er as he took 3 > majors, 6 Masters, & the YEC acquiring rec. pts that may never be broken!
***Big 3 @ 4 slams & YE ATP -'04-21
In 18 yrs:
AO 16 wins 2 R-ups FO 17 wins 1 R-up -W 16 wins 1 R-up USO 12 wins 3 R-ups
ATP 10 wins 3 R-ups
Now @ the YE ATP Djokovic won in '22 for the 1st X in 7 yrs. ('15 ) or any Big 3 win there FTM IMO in no small part b/c ….SHOCKER… he wasn't as exhausted YE (DNP the NA tourneys nor the AO) ---
Despite Djokovic having won 23 slams, it doesn't seem t/b as held highly as Fedal when they got the slam rec., why is that so? One ret. 2 yrs ago, the other was hurt for 9 months &'ll ret. next yr. It was > exciting when they were all playing. Now if he wins another it's like being a stat padder vs very low comp. I'd say the same if Rafa or Roger was in that pos.***
I've written on this phenomenon! It's not surprising as it goes on in other sports; hypocrisy, favoritism, & just plain idiocy! The Tennis Intelligentsia just doesn't care about the rec.bk.! This is about forming a narative history for the future readers! They're making out that "tennis" begins & ends w/ Fedal & anyone else in the pic's an inteloper! What makes it insane is that Novak acquired these recs. faster > Fedal as well as owning the > important! I bought in earlier thinking "if Fed retires after his Wimbl. wins @ either '12 or '17," he could fall behind both Nadal & Djokovic & could still say legit. "what if?" He messed up by hanging on too long, stealing 3 > Majors, but he's still in 3rd pl. in just about every category!
***Fedal are loved by the tennis estab. They're willing to foresake their morals & beliefs just t/b loved by others unlike Djokovic who stands up for his beliefs & for what's right. Djokovic has always been unfairly targeted & hated by the media & the estab. b/c of that. Djokovic has the > important recs. & that's why he's the GOAT. All the cringey Rolex comms. & PR doesn't make someone the GOAT.***
***What's up w/ the Sharapova ball bouncing B4 the service for MMOH ...I keep waiting for him to scream or squeak like Maria.***
OMG, you "cursed" Hurkacz, knocking him out by MMOH! Such a disappointment! So many of these players w/ so much talent, but just can't keep it together for very long! Btwn. physical issues & mental en oui w/ the Tour being so long, guys like Hurkacz, Khachanov, & Shapavalov are blowing it! We're already seeing cracks w/i the latest crop w/ Tiafoe, Fritz, & Sinner! Alcaraz is holding up well so far! Very impressive! We'll see for how long! I see a successful USO comeback w/ Novak since he resents dirt being kicked onto his grave so prematurely!
***Those hyping Shelton are no diff. > those worshiping young Donald Young or Ryan Harrison. He's never going t/b top 10.***
In comparison to the Big 3-5, the NG'rs will appear frauds today! The excel. isn't there & the consistency definitely won't happen as they're brk'n down physically very early due to the speed of the game! If a player wins a tourn., you c/b assured, if they don't WD from the next venue, they'll lose early! Even the King & Prince of 250's, Ruud & Rublev are susceptible to bad losses after they win an event! Right now, only Rune, Medvedev, & Alcaraz seem to have the "it" factor w/ other good players who prob. need personal masseuses on retainer; Sinner, Tiafoe, Fritz, Zverev, Tsitsipas, & Hurkacz!
***I don't buy that nice guys can’t be champions (but you do have t/b selfish & arrogant, LOL). Federer, Nadal, Edberg among others are fairly mellow guys.
It's the inner drive, “fire in the belly” which works w/i both the fiery types & the > placid personalities. As of now it seems both Shapavolov & Felix lack that.***
They were the few & far btwn. "exceptions" to the rule! Most top players in any sport turn into jerks! They're accustomed to people kissing their arses regard< if they expect it or not! We accept it for the > part until "the entitlement" becomes extreme! There's really nothing a player in tennis can do that w/b that off. compared to the prima donnas of my era! Back in the day players like Borg, Connors, & McEnroe were prob. treated like royalty behind the scenes!
***Novak not declining much from his prime is still an unknown variable, but it still can't compare to a Roger actually @ his peak/prime. ---
Novak had prime Nadal from the start, who owned Fed in H2H since '08. Fed was still able to beat anyone else except Novak on grass. He won '17 Wimb. w/o a set lost. I'd say that > a worthy opp. Novak in '16 had a >est ELO 2629, Fed in '07 had 2550. In '16 Novak had 16950 ATP pts., Fed in '06 had 15903 pts. ---
I'm forever thankful to Djoker for stopping Nadal from going on a rampage in '11 & having another 3-slam season.
Djoker single-handedly denied Nadal the following 7 slams since '11:
'11 Wimbl. '11 USO '12 AO '15 FO * (worst of Nadal; Djoker didn't win it) '18 Wimbl. '19 AO '21 FO ===
I only watched the Super Bowl & playoffs, but refused to watch the regular season.***
I'm cutting down on watching > & > sports for diff. reasons! The latest abomination is in GOLF w/ Mid'l East investments & support! I'd excuse a tennis event or 2, but taking over GOLF Tour for the > part, I drew a line in the sand! Haven't watched an event in months! Tennis is getting there, but I'd lost interest already after the tenure of the Big 3! Djokovic's the last man standing & he has a good 2-3 yrs. to pad his rec.! I'll prob. stop watching; already cut women's tennis off ages ago! Baseball's a wonder to me w/ tons of $$ flowing, but few watching! I haven't paid attn. to baseball since White Sox won almost 20 yrs. ago! Basketball's all about $$ & contracts &'s unwatchable IMO! Hockey's never registered w/ me! The last sport I'm holding onto is football = though it's just about as bad w/ $$ concerns over winning! Mahomes's keeping my interest in KC! Those playoffs the last 2 or 3 yrs. have been over the top entertaining so far! As a Sr., it's all I have left!
***I think Reps. are trying to make us go broke.***
I've been saying that for yrs.! Reps. have purposely been inflating the debt, lowering taxes, & jeapardizing our credit rating so they can cut programs the Dems have created over the yrs. from Soc. Sec. to SNAP food programs for kids! They can't poss. say they've cared about the Nat'l Debt when they've contributed the > over the yrs.; a 1/4 of it under Trump alone! It's our own fault as we forget the good job of Clinton to leave us a "sur+" that was given away by "W!" We ignore the job Obama did w/ such unprecedented economic growth during his X in office! All we hear about is how the Dems & libs are overspending, trying to take away guns from law abiding citizens, & ABORTION, ABORTION, ABORTION! We're such suckers; esp. women who supported Trump over Hillary! They've set themselves back 50 yrs. & I'll laugh in the faces of bitches who complain "a lack of repres." in gov't! There are > women voting out there, but women in gov't is in jeapardy as we keep sending the same old, white guys to screw us all over!
***I couldn't have said it better myself. I think young women are going to show up & vote for pro choice next yr. I hope they don't think Reps. are done trying to ban abortion; to make it a crime of MURDER. That happened in '22; not that long ago. They need to know if there's a Rep. president, Rep. majority proof Senate & House. There's no ?? Reps would pass a law making abortion illegal on a federal level. They don't really care about States' rights un< it's to allow them to segregate or lynch Blacks. ---
10 of the last 11 recessions are under GOP admins. & GOP budgets.***
We all keep note of it, but for some reason the country prefers being in a hole giving Repuklicans power ever so often to trash all the good things that happen while the Dems were in charge! We're a special kind of stupid! I've seen this happen again & again so we deserve t/b relegated to Banana Republic status!
***The public is taking these recent charges of Trump > seriously > the 1st 2. He just took a 10% hit on favorable/unfavorables. And like 65% now say the charges against him are serious. Only like 30% say "no big deal/witch hunt." Biden's "unfavorable" not as bad as Trump's now.***
IDK how Biden's unfavorables s/b that bad w/ how things are running! It has t/b the constant undermining of Repuklicans who talk about him incessantly as if he's the > doddering of old men out there! Well if that's the case, what does that say about them? He's been winning since he took office! The GDP is up, inflation & unemployment down, & we're slowly recovering from Trump's "reign of terror!" The cons. who want Trump back are so desperate, they're picking on Biden's son who has problems! If the Dems look @ the Trump kids, these same hypocrites w/b crying "foul!" I can't watch the news w/ how incompetent these fools all look in DC! McConnell & Feinstein are just the tip of the iceberg that's ready to sink us like the Titanic!
***Trump's likely t/b in prison by the X the Rep. Nat'l Conv. begins.***
IDK! He's been skating thru so > over the yrs.! There doesn't seem t/b any stomach in prosecuting an ex-president; = 1 as corrupt as Trump! It'll start a precedent w/ idiots on "the right" who feel compelled to reciprocate! Some morons are already talking about impeaching Biden! FOR WHAT? Who knows! Repuklicans are like kids w/ mental disorders! They don't = hear how ridiculous they sound!
***I can’t believe Trump isn’t being charged w/ that woman insurrectionist's death.***
Well, she was an ex-Marine IIRC! She was just following the orders of the Comm. & Chief! "ATTACK!"
***Trump wasn’t Comm. & Chief. That was the reason Mitch McConnell gave for not prosecuting Trump for the insurrection. H said Trump was guilty, he just wasn’t POTUS anymore.***
What did they do, take away Trump's Comm.-&-Chief epaullets early? Trump was still the president on Jan. 6th, holding up Biden's trans. team by not approving dept. fund transfers!
Alcaraz, Sinner, & Rune have peaked my int. so there m/b a carryover af. the B3, but approaching 70, the singlemindedness I had w/ the game is long over! I used to sleep & breathe the game! The Early Bird club fees were cut signif. if you got there @ 6:30 AM! The game blew up in '75 after the duel success of Evert & Connors in '74!
***I don’t really hate the Big 3, but some things about them in tandem that I consider unfort. consequences.
1. Way too high expectations going forward. B4 them, a player winning 3-6 Slams was a great champ. Someone w/ 7+ c/b conspared ATG. There were valid reasons (@ the X) Pistol Pete was in the convo. for GOAT status. Now he’s dismissed as a fake pretender. T’aint true! If Alcaraz ends up w/ “only” 4-8 slams that achievement c/b minimized by some.
2. The “in=ities” magnified by the Big 3 dom. for such an extended per.: by their late 20’s they could afford an entourage w/ nutritionists /trainers /conditioners /health therapists & = medical staff on-call. What other players could afford the overhead of @ least 500k a yr. to give them = > extended prof'nal shelf life? Anymore?***
I've been saying for yrs. that our expectations have been raised & altered for all X due to the excel. & consistency of the Big 3! After pushing them over a cliff, we think Carlos will fill the void! I think things will go back to normal where no player will = approach 10 major wins! The NG'rs haven't proved that they can = stay on the court > a month or so w/o brk'n down! It's almost automatic to take off the following event if they = make a final! That's so sad after what Fedalovic have done to elevate the game to standards that can't be met IMO!
***Nole won the very next set after taking that bathroom brk. @ Wimbl final.***
Carlos didn't donate some pts @ crucial X's like other players! Novak was in control, up a set & SP in the TB, but blew it! I have nothing but admir. for both their efforts! I'm not having a problem w/ the results @ all! I preferred Novak taking that 3rd FO > so his resume w/b > bal.! He now has 3 CGS; 1 > Nadal & 2 > Fed! Anything Djokovic wins now is gravy & he's just extending recs. that may never be broken!
***Novak's 13 HC slams are too unbal. w/ 10 AO & 3 USO's. According to Ult. Tennis stats, Djokovic doesn't have the > ATP recs., let alone having all the recs. He still has a lot to prove & wants to receive the same respect & recognition as Fedal, that's why he's not retired yet.***
That's hilarious! I've been saying for yrs. Nadal isn't the GOAT due to such an unbal. resume; 2 Wimbl., 1 AO (@ the X; 2 now), 4 USO, & 14 FO! If he isn't the "clay GOAT" IDK who is! Fedovic have a much > bal. rec. & have 6 YEC's compared to Nadal's '0' wins!
***And still he gets booed by the crowds everywhere. Seems people care > about entert. value > they do about recs. - I'd pay to watch Stan W. & Thiem defin.***
I lived in Chgo & we're rabid tennis fans giving > support to the ladies games when they had real stars! A '1975 men's final I attended @ Soldiers' Field on a platform court! It had Tanner & Alexander! Hardly stars, but well worth seeing live going 3 TB's; Roscoe winning 7-6,6-7, 7-6 over John!
***Exactly. - Well, here in the US they're turning > tennis courts into Pickleball courts. It became the fastest growing sport after Fed retired, seriously. So tennis' somewhat dying over here.***
Like > things, tennis for oldsters needed to slow down for us! Even @ 66 I think I could pick up Pickleball & be comp. unlike w/ tennis & the new tech!
***What pro sport do you follow the most!***
Becoming a Sr. a few yrs. ago, I started paring down viewship w/ some sports! There are many reasons outside of the comp. or lack thereof! $$'s become > important > winning as evidenced by players who think nothing of leaving a winning club for a >er paycheck! ...Tennis is moving in the dir. of Golf! After Djokovic retires, it w/b hard to watch the game! Mind< aggression just isn't entertaining to me!
***When Fedal were ahead I had no qualms saying they were >er. You can’t argue w/ the recs. & what’s achieved. Back then Djokovic had a lot of work to do to catch them. Even when he was dom. in'11,'15 or other per., he wasn’t >er. They were the top dogs back then. However, now that Djokovic has passed them, many fans just can’t accept it. They need t/b @ peace & let go! If Alcaraz or someone else passes Djokovic recs., esp. major titles, then I w/b the 1st to say he’s >er > Djokovic & the new BOAT or GOAT.***
The frustration build-up started early! After Novak won his 1st FO to acquire just 12 Majors to Fedal's 17-14 resp., the so called experts like Wilander & McEnroe were already heralding the ascension of Novak! They didn't see any reason he wouldn't overtake Fedal sooner or later! ...The tour has been his plaything ever since '18 Wimbl., = w/ limitations to his play due to Covid & bans to 2 countries w/ majors & Masters events he wasn't allowed to play! He still took over the rec.bk. & anything won now is just gravy to set the #'s so high no one may ever brk them!
***ITA. The > he won the > bitter they got. It’s now @ very unhealthy levels &'ll likely never change. If Nole gets to the USO final & loses, what a terrible thing that w/b for his career! But get this, if he wins it's = worse b/c it's a hyper inflated slam title vs mug opps. who couldn't hold the jockstrap of any player from prev. gens. So basically playing > matches & staying comp. is a bad thing for Djokovic's rec. brk'n legacy where he already has all 3 big recs. to his name.***
It's a no win situation for Novak when it comes to some fans! They were ready to put him out to pasture after dropping a 5 set Wimbl. final w/ taking the 1st 2 majors earlier! They're insane! It was just 2 yrs. ago he was on the verge of a CYGS! Did they forget? He was on course to do it again B4 Carlos upset him! I think the guy has 2 or 3 > "great" yrs. left in him! He doesn't look t/b slowing down & just won his 3rd FO vs kids almost 1/2 his age!
***You are absol. right. I've said it B4 & I'll say it again, too many invested a seriously unhealthy amt. of emotional energy into a specific player. ...Some need that GOAT title b/c they want t/b on the 'right side' of history; that they picked the right horse. ---
Masters' #'s are skewed. Many Masters had BO5 finals during Fed's peak, as did the YEC & some 500 events (incl. Basel). Fed played in 11 BO5 finals in '06. He often skipped sev. of the HC Masters. Regard<, @ the >-important HC slams, a player wouldn't have 6 losses in USO finals vs 5 diff. players if he were the HC GOAT. He reached 19 finals of HC slams & took 13. Who is better? W/o +ing overall stats @ AO & USO. As for Masters, Novak vs Fed: IW 3-0, Miami 1-0, Montreal 1-1, Cinci. 1-3, Shanghai 0-2, Paris 2-0, ATP Finals 3-3, Dubai 1-3, Swiss Indoors 1-1, DC 0-1..Overall, 20-18 for Novak w/ only Shanghai as a tourn. where he didn't beat Fed. ---
If Murray won that day "down under" in 2012 vs a future 23 X GS champ, then it means Murray was that damn good on that day.***
No one'll match that kind of tenaciousness! Novak survived 5 hrs. in the SF vs Murray, then went to war for almost 6 hrs. (5:53) in the final vs Nadal! That made 7 in a row for Novak over Rafa! That was the 1st X, done again during Rafa's wane in '15-16!
***Peak Stan = HC GOAT.***
I wouldn't go that far, but Stan seems to go up vs Djokovic when it means something > usual like completing a CYGS or stopping a run! Novak was going for 4 in a row "down under" in '14! Novak's Nole-Slam had to wait a yr. & in '16 after 4 majors in a row, Nole was done for the season! His elbow became an issue & he was out of it until Wimbl. in '18 when he took back the tour as his own plaything!
***Stan just had a very short peak @ slams when both his game & fitness were good approx.'14-16. He had trouble w/ Fed's variety outside clay & Nadal's high topspin to his BH, but vs Djokovic he matched up extremely well, often dom. the baseline rallies.***
***There's only one Swiss Miss; my Hingis <3...***
My girl! Martina H. was one of a kind! She wasn't physically strong like the Amazons of the day, but made up for it in consistency, cerebral play, & amazing defense! It's a wonder she stayed #1 for so long; 209 wks., winning 5 majors! She also was 1 match from a CYGS, but did it in dubs! Hingis didn't have as > trouble w/ Venus Wms., but getting thru both her & Serena was daunting which knocked her down a peg! Later it was a resurgent Capriati & Davenporte thwarting her efforts! ---
In the old days, it was no big deal making up a match! Today, they're just too grueling; often going almost 3 hrs!. Back in the day I recall Manuela Meleeva having to do the imposs.! At the '84 Ital. Open, due to rain she had to wrap up the 3rd set of her QF, then went 3 sets > in the SF, laid down for 1/2 an hr. & finished off the tourn. win over Evert-Lloyd in str. sets! Chris had to complete her SF & obviously didn't deal w/ the situation as well!
***Capriati's ranked way too low on > people's all X list. There are very few players that reached her talent level. I feel like many, people hold her burnout in the mid-90s against her > they should. If Jennifer only had a nutrit./conditioner, she whb unbeatable for about a decade, starting from '94.***
As well it s/b held vs her! She was a child; out of control > too early in life! It was inevitable she'd get busted! It may have saved her life! It got her 3 majors late IIRC! It still haunts me that AO final vs Hingis! Such hot conditions w/ gruelingly long pts. that shortened Hingis' career as well! ---
I'm still sorta shocked by '82 Wimbl.! Connors was so "past it!" Like McEnroe, he had lost his >est rival a few months B4; BORG retiring! I thought it amazing Connors = got to the final, > < to upset John! McEnroe looked either bored, unconcerned, &'s prob. still shaking his head over this one! IIRC, the main diff. was the serve! All of a sudden, Jimmy was pumping in some that weren't returnable! It was the last X it stood out = w/ his late wins over John here & Lendl @ the '82 USO or the following season @ both Wimbl. & the USO! I can still recall a Wimbl. final in '77 where Borg returned all but 2 of Connors' serves in their 5 set match! ---
I see Sinner has been given a "walkover" vs Murray in '23 Can.! WTF? Was looking forward to seeing the old man run around like a chicken w/ his head cut off! I guess he wanted no part of that! He's just going to mentally brk. down the NG'r who can't handle the 1-sided fandom cheering him on as they DF & commit UFE's! Oh well, early night in Canada! - More upsets the next day: Rune, Tsitsipas, Medvedev, & Alcaraz (Paul)!
***Not a fan of Di Maur's counter-punching. He went down in Cincy final to Sinner. Both 1st X finalists.***
Counterpunching c/b entertaining, but leaves the player vuln. if they're not "on!" Everything has t/b clicking for consistent enough play to = win a tourn., > < stay in the top ranks for very long! You see what counter-punching did to Murray! Goolagong was supposed t/b a counter-puncher tech., but IMO she went to the net too often t/b classified anywhere near a def. player! It was beautiful though! I = keep a highlight reel of 1 of her AO final's wins on my FB stream @ all X's! Di Maur's, a typical, classic Aussie player who's solid, but he won't def. an elite player consistently! I think he mhb "in the zone" just staying in these grueling pts. & games over the last few days! IDK how he's supposed to survive Cincy?! My bet is he just WD's over losing in an early Rd.! Sinner didn't have that bad a X of it; closing out players in 2 sets & a WD (Murray) for the most part! That prob. would've changed his wk. if Murray could've mustered up the old magic!
Novak obviously has > durability & consistency > newbies! No one'll last as long as the Big 3 ruling the tour for 2 decades! Today's snowflakes melt every 2 months!
***> who exactly? Gasquet, Monfils? Who're you talking about?***
Any of the new up & comers; esp. Alcaraz, Rune, Sinner, Tiafoe, & FAA! They won't be able to stay on the court long enough to brk any rec. of substance!
***How do you know what the future has in store for Alcaraz?***
Unlike most, I have common sense & eyes! Today's players are already having trouble staying on the court! WTF's wrong w/ you? Players win an event & instantly lose early in the next or just plain WD! The game's taxing them physically & mentally so we aren't seeing the same durability as we had the Big 3! Wake up; snap ouf of it!
***Nadal played on, & won, & won, & then won some more. How can you talk about common sense when you are making just predictions? Predictions that fit your narrative.***
Your genius continues to show thru the darkness! How many X's have we said the Big 3 are exceptional? You can't compare them to ANYONE! Their durability & consistency are unprecedented! The only one who's shown = skill if not consistency yet is Alcaraz, but has already shown physically the tour w/b a challenge on him!
***Sinner, despite having needed only to win 4 matches to win the title, having played a final lasting < an hr. & 1/2 & being about to turn 22, he has acknowledged being "exhausted" & has asked the Cinci. org. to make his debut be on Wed.***
For some out there, this hasn't happened enough to get it to sink in! It was the very reason they changed Masters 1000 events to BO3 finals after marathon 4 set final by Fedal in '06 Rome! Both players WD from Hamburg the following wk.! The game back then wasn't = as physically draining & fast as it is now! I'm wondering what the tour will have to do to rectify the situation; m/b go to NG YEC scoring?
***ADF completely dropped a turd vs DeMinaur in the Toronto SF. It was esp. painful after he was hitting so well in his earlier matches. Hopefully he'll bring his best level when he plays Novak in Cinci.***
I've been saying we have to get accustomed to inconsistency & a lack of durability when it comes to today's players! We can't expect them to hold up like any of the BIG 3! We can continue the full sched. of the men's tour, but we have to expect players to have a nice run, make it to a SF, a final, or = win an event, but fall off a cliff & lose early the next tourn. or just WD altogether! That's why the finals have gone to BO3 due to BO5 being a killer in a wk. long event! Going to 2 wks. isn't going t/b enough! The game's moving so fast &'s so physically debilitating, = young 'uns like Sinner needed a reprieve after winning Toronto!
***Last wk. Tsitsipas said he'd rather achieve #1 over a slam win. No wonder he doesn't have 1 so far. Rune said just the opposite. ...You win a slam 1 X & you're already part of history.***
Back in the day winning majors usually took care of the race to #1, but not always as evidenced by Vilas & Orantes who didn't get much of a sniff of the top ranks even after winning their majors! Orantes won the '75 USO over Connors, but never got above #4 in the world IIRC! Vilas won 2 majors in '77; FO & USO, but Borg was KING & held #1 w/ just his Wimbl. victory! A major's still just 1 tourn. & only gets you so many pts. & $$, but it means a lot to a player & their country! Serbia only has 2 Int'l sports champs, but they're @ the top of their resp. games; Novak in tennis & Nikola Jokić in the NBA!
***I got the felling that since Vajda left Novak camp, he is going for > aces making > DF's &'s a bit passive on the FH side. Novak, B4 Covid would hit 20 shots rally w/o missing a single ball. ...Practicallym Novak's going for safe shots @ pressure pts, so his opps. have X to flatten their shots & take the control in the match. Ivanisevic doesn't have the authority to tell it to Novak, so he is repeating the same mistakes over & over. Becker, Vajda or Mouratoglou's needed if he wants to win AO & Wimbl. next yr.***
Free pts. serving is always a huge bonus; esp. when getting older! Look @ Isner still slinging 'em & +ing to his ACE recs! You lose a lit'l snap & leg strength normally! I know it seemed like having < pop on the serve of Navratilova impacted her rivalries from Evert to Graf & Seles! Her serve just didn't hurt them; esp. after she turned 30! Taking calc. gambles w/ serve speed & placement has saved many a loss when down in a Djokovic service game!
***And funny enough, Carlos' ahead in the race = though he skipped Oz & Novak won 2 slams, reaching the final in the 3rd.***
Why's it funny or surprising? It's all about the math! Novak unable to play in the Sunshine Double where Carlos won IW's, then Madrid on clay! Majors are only worth twice as much as a Masters & this is a rare occasion where Novak hasn't won - 1 this season! It's a wonder he's able to stay @ #2 for that matter! Just shows the weaknesses of the rest of the tour; win one wk., then lose early or WD the next w/ the other elites! It's keeping Djokovic in the game!
***Novak has been exceptionally lucky in his opps. for a few seasons now. He’s been gifted easy slams & I’m sure you’re all apprec. of that. You certainly seem t/b. Us Rafa fans are envious, brother! ---
Congrats Djokovic: 3rd Cinci title, 39 Masters Chps. & best player in the world. Djokovic's the GOAT for a reason.***
As I said, everything's gravy now! IIRC, Djokovic just needs to win MC next yr. t/b a Triple Golden Masters' winner! Another 1st? Yeah!
***I know this goes w/o saying, but we're way overdue for an unexpected slam winner. I mean, we haven't had one since Gaudio @ the '04 FO, & that's about t/b 20 yrs. ago.***
There have been ops. that just weren't cashed in! The Big 3 had a mental edge over the men's tour w/ Novak being the most vuln. to an upset; hence his 3 losses to both Murray & Wawrinka in majors! Ferrer could've risen up @ that FO final vs Rafa for once! Anderson had his chance @ Wimbl. in '18 after Novak survived Nadal in the SF! There have been other openings, but mentally they just couldn't get the job done w/ an extreme or mind-blowing upset! It didn't happen in any of the finals where "also rans" had a chance!
***Zverev & Tsissy are this era's >est flops when it comes to not rising to the occasion & digging deep to get the win…***
Well they picked up a lit'l something in the way of glory! People keep touting OGM as if Djokovic's a failure since Fedal have theirs! Zverev got his 2 yrs. ago w/ 2 YEC's! Tsitsipas snagged a YEC where Nadal hasn't had a sniff w/ 20 yrs of trying! Who're the real flops?
***Has Rafa really played the WTF 20 X's? But you know who the flops are brother. Nobody ever grew up dreaming of winning the WhatTheFeck…***
Well, when I was growing up, tennis wasn't in the Olympics so few if any really cared about winnng OG until after Fedal got theirs in Dubs./Sngls!
***I don’t ct. the Olympics either buddy. I remember Sampras skipped the ATL Olympics, possibly the > nationalistic Olympic Games since Hitler & Agassi screeched & yelped & essentially cheated his way to the GM., helped by corrupt officials. I know the players nowadays rate it, but that doesn’t make it a historically important feature of our sport.***
***Reps. know they got nothing for the people, but they want power, so they got to blame Biden for those high gas prices. When they're the strong capitalists, they call Dems. socialists. You'd think they'd see whose fk'n them, but they want to get back in so they can give the wealthy a nice big tax brk. Go figure, stupid or what?***
The problem is Repuklicans know how to make up shit & @ the same X get the populous to agree w/ their deception b/c of other issues like gun & abortion! I can’t = watch Nat’l news w/ it being undermined @ every turn by outside cons. sources! It'd make sense to follow their lead if it ended well! So far all they’ve done is blown up the Nat’l Debt & passing the BUCK to the Dems to fix the prob.! X’s running out w/ the ability to actually fix these issues due to cons. malfeasance! As a Sr. I just can’t GAF any> after Reagan & his people got the ball rolling in this dir.! Clinton saved the country after Bush the 1st! Obama did likewise w/ his son! Trump may have tipped it to a pt. where recovery won’t be possble if we allow them to trash it all yet again in '25 on! ;-)
***Mexico needs sports teams from MLB, NBA & NFL: And why the fk.'s that important to Americans? Mexico, who sends us millions of broke ass illegals, shouldn't get ANY help from us until they take back these fucking scrubs. We s/b lobbing missiles @ them, not giving them sports teams.***
Broke ass illegals? You mean people who'll do the jobs we feel are beneath us like housekeeping, landscaping, & restuarant working? If you're going t/b a bigotted nat'list, @ least be accurate! It's total BS pushed by Repuklicans & cons. that they're a bunch of criminals when > are honest, hardworking people just looking to help their families! You want to harvest veggies for hardly min. wage? I don't think so! Their dedication & hard work helps keep prices down! Pols have been playing football w/ this BS for yrs.; hoping for them to cross & help out while pretending to object!
***Everybody wants to rule the world.***
I wouldn't want to rule this world! Besides destroying it piece by piece, the populous' getting stupider & apathetic! The worst of it is here in the States where befuddled, doddering, & just plain evil pols are exacerbating the situation! They only care about their power & $$! It's so sad & pathetic voters are allowing it to get worse as X goes on! I can't = watch the news over the insanity going on out there!
***"The View" & Whoopi on pause during the writer's strike. Finally a TO from her racist tripe.***
Race can't be discussed, esp. in mixed co. B4 it gets ugly. A lot of it's the lingering shame of historic US attrocities: internment camps, systematic genocide of Native Americans, & of course slavery. As intellectual as we're supposed t/b, race's one of those topics that harbors long lasting resentment on both sides. Passions run high. There's also guilt or apathy of the descendants that comes into play. How else have Reps have gotten away w/ telling their constituents to embrace it & don't allow the "woke crowd" to intimidate them?
***How can you be impartial when you openly hate women, & esp. Black women?***
Why's it "hate?" Are you saying everything spouted is a lie? I was one who gave women every benefit of the doubt, but as a Senior I'm seeing how delusional they have t/b! They go into college loan financial debt just so they can do what they actually want to do; be a "stay at home mom!" ...Don't get me started on "single-motherhood" & how they picked Trump over Hillary! Women have set themselves back 50 yrs.! "You're all delusional AF!"
***Your post was based solely on opinion. Not facts. There's a diff. btwn. the 2.***
Where's the lie? If single-motherhood's so great, why are their boys so screwed up? Can you refute all those use< degrees women acquire? What about justifying women voting for Trump over Hillary? I didn't get a defense, just some tripe about opinion! It's the opinion of experts! I can go on! It might sound like being a mysoginist, but deny any of it if a woman!
They're 1-1 in Slam matches (but Alcaraz leads 2-1 overall)
Djokovic was the betting underdog in RG, but beat Alcaraz.
Alcaraz was the betting underdog at Wimbl., but beat Djokovic
Alcaraz has IWs + Madrid, but Novak has the YEC
Alcaraz's ranked #1, but Djokovic has a huge slew of pts. he's about to rack up now that he's going to play in North Am. again.
Djokovic's the fave to win the USO, but Alcaraz's only slightly behind him
They've played 12 total sets & they're tied 6-6
Who's the best in the world, right now? ---
Djokovic & it's not = close. He's the > reliable & complete player. Tiny relies on luck & ballbashing to win. That's not gonna cut it vs the best. His days of fluking slams are done.***
Djokovic all the way! Carlos has a ways to go = though holding 2 Majors & a couple Masters' events!
***Novak got an extra brk. on his way to winning his 39th M-1000 over Alcaraz in Cincy. Players shouldn’t be allowed to change their clothes. They’ve made up rules that encourage players to cheat. Was he longer than his allotted time, do you know?***
Djokovic is hitting "Fed terr." where you have to start giving the "old guy" a lit'l leeway! It was a scorcher from what they described w/ heat & humidity to boot! I just don't think people realize how poorly you can feel w/ the court "baking" your feet! My hooves peeled badly after an event played! Novak w/-stood that & the relent< attacks of Alcaraz! Both s/b proud of their efforts! CA's already scary good & it took everything Novak had to survive yet another test to his longevity! Courier was almost hysterical when Novak took an extra clothing brk.! OMG, he about lost it calling "911! WTF?"
***Yeah. Courier really got worked up about that brk. M/b a closet Djokovic hater, I was thinking. Ended up apologizing to Josh for going on & on about it. ---
He was vehemently objecting to it. I thought he was gonna pop a vein. - Well if Novak was #2 seed in USO'21, his draw whb > easier.***
Novak was #2 seed in Cincy, but the seeds went down early & often in his 1/2 of the draw where his >est comp. B4 the final was a rejuvenated Zverev in the SF's! Novak's path was a lot easier; esp. playing all night matches until the final! On the other side Carlos had to fight "tooth & nail" to get there! He still almost won this Masters' final match & prob. should have! As a Novak admirer, I apprec. the charity! Everything earned now is just extending rec. efforts that may never be achieved again!
***Don't you think playing night matches was a disadvantage for the F. By the F, he'd get used to the heat in some capacity & m/b wouldn't suffer heat stroke after he managed to brk. CA in the 1 set?...Still played 5h < CA in his '23 Concy run.***
I think it helped Novak overall since he's getting older! He doesn't need t/b "going to war" in that blazing heat @ his age; esp. vs some kid like CA who has all the X in the world!
***This all began when they started treating ballkids as waiters & towel carriers. The players are getting too mollycoddled out there now.***
I always thought Rafa used the ballkids as indentured servants w/ towels @ every corner of the court, someone to handle his bot'ls, etc.!
***He did & it’s not nice handing these filthy wet towels to children like something out of Dickens.***
Novak's the only player I know that can win 2 majors, make another final, & @ the same X be put out to pasture! Some sicknesses out there in the heads of many!
***The haters & some Fedal fan boys were just desperate for him to lose Cincy final. It’s been a tough few yrs. for them & they're lit. using neg. energy of hoping he loses to try numbing the pain they feel for their idols being passed. It is what it is. The prob. for them is Novak's already the >est & anything he wins now just is the icing on cake & +ing to his incredible career & legacy. Djokovic simply can’t lose @ this pt. & only gains.***
The Djokovic/ Alcaraz rivalry's reminiscent of Navratilova a lit'l past her PRIME & coming up vs the next star in Graf! It won't be long, but it w/b good!
***Why did Steffi have a neg. rec. vs Navratilova @ the USO?***
Martina @ her "S&V" best was >er > "Fraulein FH" Graf's baseline game! It chb worse, but Steffi turned around their '89 USO Final w/ Navratilova up a set & a brk. to close out the OG-CYGS champ. quickly!
***But in '91 Graf was in her prime & Navratilova was in her decline & yet she still lost to her there.***
I was never > proud of Martina in that '91 USO SF! She had failed to defend her Wimbl. title due to brk-up w/ Judy Nelson! She came back to the States & only played WTT that Summer preparing for the USO! Navratilova was awful & struggled in the early Rds. getting into TB's again & again! She barely got past Arantxa Sanchez-V. in the QF w/ 2 > TB's B4 overwhelming her in the 3rd set! By the X she got to Graf in the SF she was swinging freely & prob. should've beaten Steffi in str. but for a terrible line call which frustrated her! She was done by the final vs Monica Seles & bowed out after yet another 1st set TB in her mid 30's trying to compete w/ kids!
***I never get the big deal about the 5-6 yr. age gap that Fed had on Djokodal. It's not like he hasn't lost to them in his peak & the age gap isn't that big tbh. It seems > of an excuse to say that he's too old, but look @ Djokovic still being comp. vs a guy 16 yrs. younger. lol!***
It just tickled me that your last statement implied Djokovic came up short! Somehow "comp." all of a sudden denoted Nole lost to Carlos in Cincy!
***Fed led Novak 13-7 in the 1st 20, Novak leads 20-10 in the last 30 (from '11 onwards iirc, ie. the yr. Fed turned 30).
Fed did fine vs Novak in majors up until '12, never won in a BO5 again after that.
Coincidence? Novak reaching hts. Fed could never reach? Or does age actually matter? I tend to think the data is pretty clear here.
Rafa's completely diff. for various reasons, but too lazy to repeat here.
As for Carlos/Novak, I imagine Novak w/b in a lot > trouble if the age gap was smaller. Carlos' still learning & developing trying to do everything for the 1st X. If he was mid 20s, I imagine the match-up wouldn't be half as close. Carlos wouldn't cramp cause of pre-match excitement for instance. ---
It mostly being used as an excuse & it's been overplayed X & X again.***
6 yrs.' a lot < 16! Who's using age as an excuse? Novak's still winning! If anything, Alcaraz s/b embarrassed!
***...yes, the fact Alcaraz isn't able to consistently beat 36 yo Djokovic def. dampens the hype around him as a generational talent. ---
6 yrs.is nothing. If people want to use age diff. as a reason for losing, then @ least Novak has > of a excuse having 16 yrs. on Alcaraz & c/b his dad. ---
LOL-worthy (d)joke(bot) analysis that '01 Sampras is over the hill, but not '14 Fed,'15 Fed, or '19 Fed who was > older.***
Sampras had such a fall from grace that tech. began 2 yrs. B4 holding the YE #1 ranking for 6 seasons! He won Wimbl. in 2000 & went for over 2 yrs. w/o winning "ANYTHING!" He'd make a major final, but w/b swamped like Hewitt & Safin did in successive USO finals! That was a miracle comeback & win to take the '02 USO, but having Agassi in the final helped since Andre was Pete's personal pigeon for the > part!
***Novak vs Murray 25-11, slams 8-2 Novak vs Wawrinka 21-6, slams 5-4
Murray beat Novak at WB & US, but Novak already had those slam titles. OTO.side Novak stopped Murray from winning AO and RG.
Wawrinka was in the zone for 3 slams. He met Novak all 3 X's, Fedal only 1 X. Looking overall their H2H, Novak did dom. both of them.
***This proves how lit'l > fans know. Fed had a >er FH & serve, but BH's no contest Djokovic.***
People can't even be honest w/ themselves! If Roger's BH was so >, why couldn't he compete w/ Rafa, much < def. him in Paris? He never came close!
***Fed did win 20 slams w/ that BH part of his arsenal. It's not as bad as people make it out t/b.
Djokovic has the >er BH, but Fed had the >er BH slice. The 1 hander's BH slice to me is usually superior to the 2 hander's BH slice.***
I know what you mean, but realistically who's hitting a 2-handed BH slice! Borg was good for it; = on grass, but IDK anyone who legit. hits their BH slice w/ 2 hands; = women!
***RF beats RAFA b/c he's that good. RF losses to Djokovic; old, declined, diff. tennis gen., can't move, can't serve, just chokes.
Boy, these Fedal fans want to have their cake & eat it too. What a bunch of jesters:-D***
It's so hard to take them seriously! The same one's giving excuses for Roger's losses to Novak as "he's just old & run down!" Carlos defeats someone of the same age in Djokovic @ Wimbl. & it's totally dismissed = though the disparity is almost 3 X's! Consistency in their BS isn't in the MO of "haters!"
***Well said:-D Then they claim Novak fans are jealous of their favs. Jealous of what exactly? That insecurity they try to project on others is best part of the whole charade. ---
- Nole's resp. for 2/3 of Rafa's losses in RG
- Nole's resp. for 1/2 of Rafa's losses in CC finals
- Nole's resp. for 1/4 of Rafa's total losses on CC
- Nole has < wins vs Rafa on CC > Rafa vs him on HC
- Nole has >er W% vs Rafa on CC > Rafa vs him on HC
- Nole has won vs Rafa @ all big CC tourns. (& X X's except in Madrid) while Rafa has never won vs Nole in AO, Miami, Paris & Cinci. That's exactly 1/2 of HC slams, 1/2 of HC Masters, & 1/2 of HC big indoors tourns.! & > once he won only in USO and WTF! ---
Yea, Fed was a lit'l disappointed, when he realized he w/b passed, but he's ok, enjoying life, & all he's worked for. He knows his career was still quite amazing. A lot of his fans should realize that as well & stop harping about Djokovic non-stop. It doesn't make Fedal any < of great players. Just somebody else did a lit'l > they did, & that's it.***
I still say Fed could've saved his place in history instead of being but a footnote soon IMO! I've been saying for yrs. that Roger stayed in the game too long! Sure he still had minor successes along the way after winning Wimbl. in '12, but overall he went over 5 yrs w/o taking another major! He allowed Nadal & Djokovic to catch him while still on the tour! Being 5-6 yrs >er means nothing today in comparison to Novak @ 36 dealing w/ kids almost 1/2 his age! Roger could've lived for another 20 yrs w/ our ability to muse "what if?"[/i} he had retired in '12! Laver's 2 CYGS held him in good stead for over 30 yrs until Borg, Sampras, then Roger who hit 15 majors! Having 17 majors whb > impressive when still ahead of Nadovic! Instead he limped out of the game w/ 20, but already behind to Nadovic's 22-21, resp. last yr.!
***Well I think winning 3 > Slams late in his 30s was impressive. 20 Slams is a beautiful #. Nice Rd. # & a lot of Slams.Fed may have maintained the "what if" narrative like Laver & Sampras. ---
Casper down double brk. in the decider 4-1. About to ghost these 1200 pts. Ruud's gone along w/ Rune, Tsitsipas, & Korda.***
Shocking; NOT! I think Ruud was lucky to defend those FO pts! I knew he wouldn't make it in NY! The comp.'s tough & seeds are getting knocked out left & right! From the 1st Rd. you have t/b ready! Strange that they keep saying the era's weak j/b Novak's still @ the top of the ranks as 36 yo!
***Seems like only Alcaraz is capable of stopping Novak. The rest of the field is useless. There are > players capable of stopping Alcaraz > Djokovic.***
IMO, only Alcaraz & Med have the game & skill to def. Novak @ his best or close to it! The rest can catch him having a bad day in a BO3 Masters like a Rune, but few others worry me @ all!
***Yeah, no one actually cares about Dak. He is, has been, & always w/b an avg. to below avg. QB in the NFL. If he didn't play in Dallas, no one'd know who he was.***
I don't watch sports news like I used to! So Dak's kicking up a fuss? Very nervy after his results over the yrs! He's way overpaid; totally stealing $$ from Jones & The BOYS & he's giving DIVA attitude? Shame! Not surprising as this is Dallas! They're cursed watching inferior teams like The Saints win it all while they can barely make the playoffs w/ all that talent! What makes it worse is Dak's doing commercials & going about his business as if he's actually doing the job!
***This is the same reason eventually guys like Hitler or Putin always lose. It's why the South lost the Civil war. Right always in the end, wins. It's why Japan didn't win. And it's why if we go to war w/ China, we will win that war. B/c God is on our side.
This is why Dallas loses. They are the bad guys. And w/ that many good Americans rooting against them, putting out all that bad karma, hopefully they continue to lose.
But then why do us good guys (The Lions) lose every year? What did we do wrong?
The Curse of the Billy Goat was a sports curse that was supposedly placed on the Chicago Cubs Major League Baseball(MLB) franchise in '45, by Billy Goat Tavern owner William Sianis. The curse lasted 71 yrs, from '45 to 2016. ...The Cubs lost the '45 World Series to the Detroit Tigers, & didn't win a pennant or World Series Chp. again until '16. ---
I believe Randall Cunningham playing today & taught right from off.-minded coaches w/b the GOAT over Brady, Manning, Montana, etc.***
No doubt the prototype QB of his X! Too bad he was no team player, actually skipping a playoff game t/b w/ his pregnant wife! The team couldn't say anything & his teammates had to bite their lips! Rodney Pete did an admirable job in his stead! The QB that seems to never get a prop is Terry Bradshaw! J/b he had a > defense, his kudos are non-exitent! He threw the ball down the field unlike the field managers of these days!
***Yeah, but guys in those 'rough tough' days trained w/ smokes & a 6-pack. That's why guys like Y.A. Tittle looked like they were 50. Brady takes care of himself far better > any of those old guys did. They couldn't compete w/ him.***
Brady w/b knocked out for the season > a few X's if he played in those past eras! He wore a skirt in comparison to past >s who had to deal w/ seasonal concussions! He's prob. the > crooked of all QB's led by his coach, Tom Beli-cheat! Spy-Gate, Cell Phone-Gate, & Inflate-gate proves his entire career was shady AF! His kickers should get > credit for those early wins! ===
***If they can't put the all X hit leader in the HOF, then who cares? Don Mattingly is deserving.***
Not that I paid much attn., but as good as Mattingly may have been, the team didn't make the playoffs until the end of his career & never played in a World Series! They were owned by Boston w/ Clemons pitching & remained in the wilderness w/ a losing rec. until Buck Showalter took over & started harvesting the talent that would take the Yankees back to glory in the 90's after Mattingly retired!
***I think he belongs in the HOF. I don’t have the stats in front of me right now, but I recall them being impressive. ---
There are 14 1st basemen ahead of him w/ just as good if not >er #'s who also are not in the Hall.***
***Novak pushed himself for that last service brk & the bagel vs Djere in the 3rd Rd. USO. He’s a lit'l gassed & has bps. to defend on his serve now. He saves the 3 bps. & takes the 3rd set.***
IDK why anyone'd think this was anything > a glorifed exh.?! This is Djokovic's countryman & like Fed w/ Wawrinka, he has a distinct mental advantage over him! I wasn't sweating it going down 0-2! I knew all he had to do was tighten his game up & really make the guy play! It was no way this match result was going t/b anything but in Djokovic's favor in the end! He's giving a show allowing Djere to race to a lead only t/b backhanded like he was some kid being disrespectful dropping sets 3 & 4, winning only 2 games! I played the game & it's so easy to choreograph a match over someone you know you can def. no matter the lead spotted to him! Novak's now impressing his fellow players running down dropshots in the 5th set w/ ease! He's up 3-0 in the final set!
***Are you watching the match or following the score. Djere was full on into this match.***
For yrs. I wondered why Serbia hadn't won > DC > the 1 in '10? They had the #1 player in the World to lead them w/ sev. in the top 100! The problem is these guys can't finish! As good as Karatsov & Kecmanovic someX's play; Miomir getting to the AO Rd. of 16 "down under" taking Novak's pos. in the draw when "sent packin'" last season, they're frauds! There's so many of these guys, but their consistency sucks & I had no doubt Novak'd come back in 5 sets!
***Federer made his March to 100+ titles winning a heavy # of 250/500s. Djokovic is making his match winnning 1000s & slams vs the best in yourd. He just won hsi 4th USO vs Med in str. sets; 24 Majors overall. ---
I believe that wraps up the final dub'l Djokovic needed to get.
AO-RG '16, AO-WIM '11, AO-US '11.
RG-WIM '21, RG-USO '23.
WIM-USO '11.
As for triples, he's got the No RG triple, the no WIM triple, & the no USO triple. Just doesn't have the no AO triple.***
It's why the experts pk'd Djokovic The GOAT after he won his 12th Major @ '16 FO! Winning his rec. set'n 24 Majors, he did it in rec. X now winning 3 majors 4 X's ('11,'15,'21,&'23)! He'll put all the major recs. out of reach; = from someone as talented as Alcaraz! I just can't see any other > in the near future having the longevity of the Big 3! They've had unprecedented tenures @ the top of the ranks!
***Very impressive! He faced someone who beat him on the exact same Court just 2 yrs. ago. People did want to see Alcaraz play him again, but that wasn’t t/b. It's been 5 yrs. since he won a U.S.O. Big comeback. In the press conf. Djokovic talked about having > motivation to cont. ---
Just heard Nole will likely skip the whole Asia swing & only play Paris & WTF? ...This yr. he's now 800 pts. ahead in the Race, but if Alcaraz wins Beijing /Shanghaï /Basel, this is pretty much over. I get that he's 36 & GS's are his priorities & that he needs to rest, but still... An 8th YE-#1 w/b precious & I doubt he'll have such a good opp. again after this yr. ...- I'm perfectly fine w/ this decision. He's balancing his personal & pro life very well. He said he isn't going away any X soon.***
Novak doesn't have much to worry about! His pts are ahead of last season since he acquired 4000 from AO & Wimbl. alone from this season after losing out on them last yr.! He was in such straits last season he had to play Astana & Tele Viv! He's way ahead of the game & other players only needing to have resp. results in Paris & the YEC > likely to get that 8th YE #1 to set himself apart from all players for all X! ...We're assuming Carlos can finish the season on a winning note after last season's disappointment w/ injuries! He's still beatable IMO even w/ all that talent!
***Yes, he said that evey slam cost him 1 month of free X w/ his kids. Tennis isn't the only priority now in his life.***
The bal. m/b working for him to win 3 majors in a season 2 of the last 3 yrs. in his mid 30's! He wasn't = able to play AO & USO! He got to 24 majors w/ ease!
***It's a good while back I gave up interest in women's tennis b/c of all that grunting.***
I haven't been a serious women's tour observer since the days of Navratilova, Hingis, & Henin! ...W/ the Big 3, interest has been peaked for over 2 decades! Now Novak Djokovic's the last of them, winning his 4th USO & 24 majors overall! The recs. just keep on accum.! We'll see how Gauff holds up to the pressures of a USO winner!
***It isn't lost on me that Djokovic was frightening close to winning another CYGS like 2 yrs. ago. He has now surpassed Roger yet again, both in major SF's & finals contested over a career & likewise broke free of a tie w/ Fed for most yrs. (3) winning at least 3 majors in a cal. yr. He also (this yr.) moved from 2nd past Fed on the career TB win-loss rec. & % of TB wins over the long haul. He has surpassed Roger & Rafa in YE #1 ranking rec., and then we know about his Masters Shields recs., his wks @ #1 on the ATP tour & a host of other recs. that are too numerous to set forth here. A lot of his major victories in finals have been over or thru Fedal, as well as Andy & others like Stan. His '11 &'15 (this yr. &'21) are right up there w/ Nadal in '10 or '13, Roger in '05-07 & Connors & McEnroe during their best yrs. So, all in all, what to say about the Serbian Slayer?
In the OE it's very hard for me to deny that he's the > accomp. ATP prof'l of them all. He has been so good for so long it's astounding. He's beating on far younger gens unmercifully (Fedal did too TBF) & his upside is still way up = now, whereas one is retired & the other is closing in on that. I now believe that = w/ Carlitos, he has 2 or 3, poss. >, he's > capable of winning. That's simply mind-boggling @ his age. ...He has come back from MP down in majors > anyone I can recall. His 5 set rec. has t/b up there w/ the BOAT as well--he's quite clutch in the deciding set it seems to me. What to say about Novak Djokovic?
...I feel we've witnessed the single best player over the long haul on the men's tour. Whether Sampras or Fed @ their peak would've beaten Nole on grass or HC's, or the fact Rafa @ his best on clay was largely unbeatable by anyone, isn't the ??. The reality is he has outperformed all of the others for longer & to a >er degree (he has far & away the > "big titles" as that is defined by the ATP) than all of the other >s--and this is no longer in dispute in any imaginable argument otherwise. We should enjoy him as he cont. to extend all the > recs. he alone holds as he extends it into the future & recall we were there to see it. I said the same thing about Fed during his dom. & as to Nadal concerning his clay recs., but Novak has clearly surpassed them both. A truly incredible athlete--remarkable. ---
It's getting harder to support a "X GOAT" view @ this pt. Novak's pulling away from the pack enuf, that I think > & > folks will accept his GOAT status, when all's said & done. As you say, it's a combo of peak & career longevity. At this pt. his career sort of looks like as if Bjorn Borg had the longevity of Jimmy Connors.
My current prediction for his final Slam ct. is 27, which is just crazy. I remember getting flack back in '14 after he won his 7th or so, in predicting that he might = Pete's rec. (or something like that). It seemed crazy to think that a 27-yo (Daniil's age) would have 6 or 7 > Slams in him...& he's actually won 17 > since.
Here's a crazy stat: His 12 Slam titles after turning 30 (!) are as many as Roger (4) & Rafa (8) combined. Here's the > Slams won after turning 30:
***Golf still has > TV audiences & both Majors & minor tourns. get wkend coverage. The older Tennis fans will recall all majors'd get reg. TV cov. (CBS, NBC) & only the AO'd get covered on ESPN when sponsored by Ford. Nowadays, I think only FO finals are licensed to NBC. ...***
There's chaos w/ Disney/ABC/ESPN due to huge losses in movies that've bombed of late.; esp. w/ the C-19 in '21! It seems in today's market, a movie needs to make its budget back almost right away & double the revenue to make it worthwhile t/b produced! I haven't been watching sports as much the last 2 yrs.! It's all about $$ w/ athletes over winning! Golf I totally gave up on w/ their Mid'l Eastern intrigue & sponsporship! Baseball, Soccer, & Hockey aren't = on my radar! Football, Basketball, & Men's Tennis is about all I can stomach @ this X!
***Their stock was $200+/sh. a few yrs. ago & now mid $80's. ...More people are cutting off cable & turning to streaming which is making these neg.s > difficult in the future. ===
Rodger's career's finished. Jets just got a $75 M fist shoved up their ass. Serves them right for signing the bum to that contract.***
Didn't Aaron give back some salary to help pay another player?
***The bum can afford it. It got him another guaranteed $75 M contract w/ the Jets & all he had to do was run 4 plays in 5 mins. Who among us wouldn't like to get paid $75 M for just 5 mins. work? Very bad work @ that. ---
He was guaranteed over $100 M if he stayed w/ GB.***
He had to get outta town! GB had t/b sick of him! Even w/ all his recs., he was becoming a disappointment on & off the field! He had become the DIVA Favre became; No OTA's, demanding max $$, then there was lying about beng vax'd for COVID! Getting the illness didn't help missing 2 games after going to a crowded Halloween party in the mid'l of the Pandemic w/ no protection! His playoff results were the worst for someone w/ great reg. season marks! I think he was looking for "Favre love" following in his footsteps!
***I think that he was frustrated w/o getting to > SB's & was cranky as he aged. - - I disagree. I think GB needed Rodgers gone > he needed to leave. For 1 big reason; Jordon Love. GB had to find out what they had in him. They couldn't do that w/ Rodgers on the roster. They spent a 1st Rd. DP on Love & he's been on the bench for 2 yrs. He needed to get on the field....Also that team'd never really be Love's if Rodgers' on the sideline. Love will want an ext. next yr. ...His trade value w/o any real tape w/b very lit'l & GB'd still need a QB a yr. after he left assuming Rodgers played out his contract.*** ---
Detroit got "full of themselves" & out-coached (smarted) losing to Seahawks w/ a lead at home! KC holds on over Jags 17-9 to go 1-1 on the season! Skip Baseless looking like a delayed prophet as Baker Mayfield leads Bucs over my Bears in Tampa! WTF's happening in Cinci? I thought Burrow's was supposed t/b the next coming of ....! ...Over Mahomes of all QB's!
***The OL not giving Mahomes X to throw... again the fact they scored only a mere 17 pts. & their defense once again had to give them a chance to win in the end.
It appears they were actually wise not signing Hopkins since he already suffered a serious injury, but just a hunch that if they can't trade for a big name player to take the pressure off Kelce, they can forget about getting back to the SB.
The Lions offense always plays better at home so it does not surprise me they scored a lot > pts. this wk. Amazing that it's the ident. result though; another wild shootout w/ the Seahawks @ home & another loss again, go figure.***
Past >s said there was lit'l to stop Novak becomng The BOAT = though he had to overcome > over the yrs. in the way of injury, a Covid ban, & DQ @ USO! The longevity of the Big 3 is unprecedented &'ll prob. keep them @ the top for all X! The game is so fast & grueling now, I can't imagine any of these snowflakes being able to stay on the court long enough to brk. any of their recs! Alcaraz's a > player, but I can't see him holding up for 20 yrs.! He has some legit comp. in Med, Sinner, & Rune! Djokovic has 24, taking 3 majors in a season for the 4th X! What's to really stop him from winning 1 or 2 > for the next 3-4 yrs.? He keeps himself fit & stretched!
***Wow! He's won 50% of his Majors since turning 30. - I’ve been thinking a lot about Novak winning 12 of his last 19 slams. The best he did at his actual peak was to win 11 out of 22 btwn.'11-16. Roger won 12 from 17 slams btwn.'03-07. I don’t think Novak's >er > he was 10 yrs. ago, but having opps.'s another thing I’ve been thinking about, & like Roger in his yrs. of complete dom., op'nity presented itself & these boys are capable. I think we can already talk about Novak as one of the best athletes ever. The man brks. all the recs. yr. after yr. & = though he clearly shows that his yrs. are catching up w/ him, he constantly adapts & finds ways to win.
I'm glad that he lost @ Wimbl., so he played USO rel. w/o pressure & won another slam where he lost so many X's in the final. It's diff. to predict how many > slams there are in Novak, but this USO's certainly not his last. Every next slam he takes is a bonus. He'd prob. take another Wimbl. I w/b happy if he gets to 25. The comp's there, they can beat him & we shouldn't expect another dream season like this, but I'm sure of 1 thing: in another yr. or 2, Novak will still play in the SF's & finals of slams if he stays healthy. Once he's there he'll always be a man to beat.***
As much as I'd like to see younger guys step up & figure out how to play tennis. I have to say that I really enjoy watching this version of Djokovic play. He mixes in aggression quite well. He figures ops. out >er on court > any player I recall, = Wilander. He's still a very clean ball-striker who almost never misses rally balls. He never beats himself. It's just been fun watching him befuddle pretty > everyone out there on the tour for the past 5 yrs. He has made the last 2 gens. of players coming up since '13 look like complete mental midgets, which perhaps they are. Still, he has the tools to expose them for it. ---
***Imagine if all Big 3 members end up w/ >er careers > THE ENTIRE 90s gen. combined.***
More > likely, all s/b embarrassed & ashamed at what was perp. 20+ yrs. ago! We were so desperate t/b part of tennis history, we anointed Sampra "The GOAT" w/ 14 Majors & no FO finals on his resume! He did his best dealing w/ so many clay specialists & past winners out there! He = def. 1 or 2 en route to his best showing, making the '96 FO SF losing to eventual champ Kafelnikov! Now we have The Big 4 & = Murray made a final! ...Alvaraz's no doubt the future of men's tennis, but can he stay on court? Many players are brk'n down earlier due to the speed & stress of the game!
***Tennis att. & TV ratings in total only amt. to about 0.2% of the American pop. So basically you won't find anyone in your vicinity who knows or cares about tennis. It's still a fringe sport.***
IMO, every ent. med. has suffered over the yrs. as OPTIONS; esp. in "The States" are out of control! I never think about it, but to this day I could pretend to come into Chgo as a totally amazed tourist if I wanted = THO lived here for over 50 yrs.! It's always changing & growing! ...The one thing that couldn't survive is "men's tennis!" We've had lit'l to no success & I go back to '75 final @ Sold. Field btwn. Tanner & Alexander! Lendl in the 80's'd headline an event, then promptly lose in his 1st or 2nd match! Navratilova played it yr.-ly; winning it 12 X's over the best in Court, Evert, Mandlikova, Shriver, Novotna, & Goolagong! ;-)
***If cons. recs. are so important, then PETE's 6 cons. YE #1s is an unbroken, GOAT-tier rec. that shows an era worth of dom.***
Plenty of ATG's hold recs. that today's players can't = come close to! Back in the day it seemed like Borg w/b the > prolific winner, taking over 82% of his matches! Djokovic's brk'n that rec. today w/ 83.6 winning %! Connors'll end up being the ONLY player in tennis history to win the USO on 3 diff. surfaces! Regard<, Djokovic seems to own the > signif. recs. to date; YE #1, wks. @ #1, Majors, Masters, 3 CYGS's, 4 X's taking 3 of 4 majors, 2 GM, etc.!
***If Fed had the Djoker luck in slams, Wimb '19 whb his. Unfair how = in the CIE, he still had the toughest slam to win @ 38.***
It amazes me how people'll undermine Novak's win suggesting Roger was past it in the '19 Wimbl. final! If past it, what does that say about the rest of the tour as Fed made that '19 Final after winning the title in '17? ...The tour allowed Roger to extend his career! Nadal won 2 > majors in '22 older & not in the best of health! How many X's does Novak need a miraculous comeback & it's not luck? What has he had about a dozen matches saved w/ MP's vs him?
***...describes what it’s like in a Serbian household during a Djokovic match. No matter who's playin', it's all about Novak.***
Well IMO the same thing has been going on around the world w/ fans, the Tennis Ingel., & the MSM for yrs! Fed was on everyone's lips after he broke Sampras' Major rec. of 14 w/ a Wimbl. win in '09 over A-Rod! He got a lot > credit for his 15 Majors due to him overtaking Pete < 9 yrs! IMO it was a weak era that was unwatchable as Roger got all the accolades while some "upstart" from Spain was cleaning his clock up to that X & >! All concerned have made accomm. by lifting both onto the GOAT pedestal; "Fedal!" Lit'l did they know another kid was on the horizons that'd shatter all their recs. in "rec. X!" The only thing > devastating to the masses that are "hating it" will have to watch Djokovic extend those same recs. out of sight as he's still on top of the game @ 36+!
***I now think that Patrick was right when he refused Townsend funding. It's X to decide on who Taylor is; a dubl's specialist or singles player.***
Townsend needs to drop a few #'s! That's the way it is! Back in my day, it was enough t/b athletic! Many tennis players carried a lit'l extra wt.! Patrick Krajicek mused that "80% of WTA Tour players were big, fat pigs!" His only retraction was humorous; "ok, only 75%!" It took Navratilova to revolutionize training for female tennis players! Even Evert was a porker thru the 70's! Now adays, Serena got away w/ carrying around some extra #'s, but overall I can only think of Ostapenko who's a lit'l soft!
***Players like to have X off over Xmas, w/o going to play MS tourneys. They often do lucrative exhs. then, too, so they can truly fk. up their chances of winning in Oz.***
I stopped listening to all that catterwalling & bitchin' about the tennis sched. ages ago; esp. from MEN after they whored themselves out for that Indian Team Tennis thing sev. yrs. ago! They're always whining about injuries & being tired by YE, but it never seemed to stop them from playing exhs. & other events in the off season! Most here are too young to remember the season has always been long; = longer when the YE Masters event was played in Jan. up to '86! Lendl has a noteworthy rec. of winning it twice that yr.! He won it in Jan. for the end of '85, then again in Nov. for '86! Same for Navratilova when she won the VS's YE tourney in March, then again in Nov, '86!
***ITA, brother. Rafa & Novak played that Indian thingy @ the end of '13. It was a $$ earner for those wealthy boys, but look how they did in Australia. ---
You have a lot of wishes when it comes to the ATP cal. changes. I believe Asia is here to stay.***
It's all about the $$ unfortunately! If not for all their disposable income, we wouldn't have an Asian Tour, > < a Masters in Shanghai!
It's gotten so bad in the Rep. ranks, it doesn't matter how good a piece of legis. is. The country c/b in default, & they'd still go "thumbs down!" Funny, that's my last memory of McCain; going 'thumbs down' on vote to repeal Obamacare! The last sane act of a Rep.! Trump's still grumbling about it!
***Saw McConnell had another freezing ep. This is sad, = if he's been a bit of an agent of darkness in the past. I don't get these people, at what pt. do they consider just retiring & living their best lives? He's phenomenally wealthy. He's been @ the centre of power. Does he need to die in the chair? I just don't get it.***
Like Trump, I don't blame the old farts who won't let it go! I'm all for pointing the fingers at the enablers who allow this BS to go on election cycle after another! The real idiots are the "mates," the voters, then the fellow pols that keep them in important positions of power! Yeah, they want to die in the chair!
***I did watch Russell Brand w/ Bill Maher, & he's just obnoxious, bossing around, & interrupting Maher, so I turned it off.***
...that era of comedy way back when w/ Carlin, Mahar, & D. Miller! They were all so cerebral & invoked "historic quotes," a past era, or lit. that's "above" the common college student! George never changed much over the decades, but I was so disappointed when others started copping out & supporting "the other side!" Miller eviscerated Reagan, Bush & W's admins. initially, but now make them out as American heroes! You can play it down the mid'l @ your own peril of losing credibility these days! Mahar got on my bad side helping 'W' get elected in 2000 by supporting Nader! That was the beginning of the end! We've never really recovered from that one! The Nat'l Debt was going down w/ sur+es under Clinton, but "W" squeaked in nefariously! He gave away that sur+ & > destroying any hope of equity! We've just been sheep grazing around ever since as a select few truly herd us around here in the States & elsewhere! I've been disgusted w/ the "right leanings" as it's only gotten worse! No one in their right minds thought it poss. that Trump'd win, but it happened due to the dilligence of some true psychos @ the top as many have been brainwashed into allowing attrocities & lies to go unchallenged! The true hypocrisy is we're always trying to manage other people's affairs abroad!
***...makes me think of how pathetic Foxs News was in the Mid-late 90s.***
FNC just started in the mid 90's! Living out in Cal., w/ extra hrs. to my day, Prime Time started earlier so I watched the entire lineup of Hannity & Combs, Catherine Crier, & Bill O'Reilly that began @ 5 PM PST! They hadn't gotten offensive yet, heaping > of their ire on Bill & Hillary Clinton! It was truly pathetic @ the X!
***Why on Earth do these Dems refuse to step down? Feinstein died this morning @ 90! It's rather bizarre that Rep.'s who we all secretly consider t/b > selfish, tend to have an eye on the bigger pic. & freely act to put their group objectives B4 personal motivations. It's something that's always confused me. And yes I'm thinking about Ginsburg...McConnell's freezing up these days.***
People just don't know how DC works! Senators are like Feudal Kings that are handed a ton of power, $$, & respons.! As long as they hold office, = if they do nothing, oversee quite a few offices & staff members; 1000's of them! The people Feinstein hired will prob. now have to go looking for another job! It's like that & > which I try not to aggravate myself by knowing! It's criminal these old farts hanging on so long they're being wheeled around the Capitol, propped up, & told what to say! That McConnell thing the > egregious as he stroked out twice while his brethren just escorted him out as if nothing happened! A-holes!
***I was listening to FNC & they say Hunter Biden received $5M from Chinese spy companies how can we not elect Trump, then to get Biden out? Did they offer any proof? No? How surprising. ---
So you’re just going to believe whatever they say, even though in court they admitted UNDER OATH that no reasonable person should believe them? And they had to pay $787 M to Dominion b/c they knowingly spread lies about the election? But you’re just going to let them make a chump out of you again, huh? ---
It's terrible politics from the GOP. There was a X where one might not like them, but you had to respect them. They were all about winning. Now this just seems performative. I honestly wouldn't be shocked if they try to find someone else, but b/c they're unable to get someone who can garner the votes, they end up going back to McCarthy. And this X I'm sure he'll force them to get rid of the stipulations that handcuffed him. Gaetz might just have played himself & his MAGA cronies. Going t/b a fun watch anyway. Whoever it is will likely be slapped around by the Dems.***
Reps. have been a colossal mess for the last 30 years since their "Contract on America" was formed by Newt Gingrich during the Clinton yrs! Compromise became a dirty word not to be even spoken of or that Rep. w/b "primaried" & run out of pols! It didn't take long to have casualties; one of the 1st being Gingrich himself! He was thrown out as Speaker of the House! The "rightwing" became > radical as X went on & it seemed they were actually trying to sabotage their own country if it helped them to gain power & retain it! The > horrible things have occurred under their supposed leadership, but they ignore it, passing the buck to Dems., & their idiot supporters eat it up! Dems. like Clinton & Obama did > jobs, cutting debt, passing long-lasting legis. like healthcare, but all of it's been undermined by Reps. over the yrs. hoping for failure! Presidents like "W" & Trump have blown up our Nat'l Debt, been complicit in 911, a coup to overthrow an election, & embarassed us Int'ly as they openly laugh @ clowns like "The Donald!" They lost Boehner & Ryan as Speakers too as they couldn't control those Rep. animals called Maga-Nuts! Now McCarthy makes 4 run out of office! How they pt. fingers @ Dems for anything is absol. amazing, but > amazing is their continued support! I'm disgusted!
***I’ll never get over Reps. trying to pass themselves off as the financially responsible party, when the debt has increased significantly every X 1 of them is President. They conveniently forget it was Clinton who completely elim. all debt, then W got in office & sent it soaring. We’ve never recovered from it. And yes, it was Obama who passed healthcare — modeled on the healthcare the Rep. Gov. Romney enacted in Mass., which came from a cons. think tank. But since it was Obama, the Reps. had to act like it was the > radical, worst plan ever.***
I blame "the people!" They see what's going on, but don't seem to GAF as long as Reps. are running the show! It doesn't matter how > they embarass themselves & hurt the country, they're perfectly satisfied turning a blind eye! Allowing all that went on during Trump's tenure shows how "insane" these people have t/b! McConnell's freezing up, staggering around, but is still the Senate Minority Leader! McCarthy sold his soul to be Speaker, but it was inevitable that he w/b overthrown! He made it something assuredly would occur when he gave his caucus the power to throw him out w/ 1 dissenting vote! Nothing c/b done by the HOUSE until they find another Speaker! What rational person'd want the job w/ the Sword of Damocles hanging over their head? I'm so done, but that was the case 30 yrs. ago w/ how they behaved during the Clinton yrs.! It's only gotten worse as X's gone on! Thank goodness I'm a SR. & don't have to deal w/ it > longer!
***At Djokovic's age, Fed had 19 slams, 5 behind Nole.
During early era, by age 26, Fed had won 12 slams to Nole's 6. This was partially b/c of weak era Fed played vs non-Big 3.
But btwn. age 26 to 29, Djokovic reduced the gap to 4. Fed was @ 16 & Nole 12. This was despite Fed, Andy, & Stan playing well in the matches.
Btwn. age 30 to 32, Nole reduced the gap to 1. Fed had 17 slams @ age 31 & Nole 16. This is when everyone thought Nole'd become the GOAT (Wimbl.'19). Fed had huge start due to weak era & still was just 1 slam ahead @ same age & now Nole was going to have his own weak era. But we thought Nole w/b unlucky to have weak era when he's old. Nole proved us wrong, showing his old ism't the same as other player's old.
Pandemic hit, Nole unable to play Wimby, got DQ in USO. Still @ age 33, both Fed & Nole were @ 17 slams.
Age 34, Nole goes ahead for the 1st X, beating weaker comp., 20 slams to 17 @ same age.
Age 35, Nole gets banned for 2 of his main slams; still ahead by 4 slams, 21 to 17.
Age 36, Nole's ahead by 5 slams @ same age. 24 slams to 19. Fed w/b 36 yrs. & 5 months by the X he won AO. He was @ 19 B4 that. Nole's 36 yrs. & 5 months this month, won USO last month.
Unchartered terr. Fed had huge advantage early on & Nole has huge advantage later on. Right now, if Nole is fit, he can prob. be 6 slams ahead of Fed @ age 37. M/b 7 slams ahead @ age 38 by which X I think he'd slow down a lot. He hasn't slowed down @ all = after Pandemic cost him a lot. ---
Jannik Sinner w/b officially World #4 in the rankings after defeating Alcaraz in the China Open final tonight!***
People were so sure Carlos would come back to overtake Novak for #1! While Novak's not defending his pts. @ Astana or Tele Viv, he's skipping Shanghai as well! Alcaraz needed to win China & do well for the rest of the season! I don't think it's gonna happen! Looks as if he's going to come up short un< he wins out thru Paris & the YEC!
***Carlos mhb wiser to skip the Hopman Cup (for sure) & m/b = China altogether instead of playing so much. Let him miss the game a little & grow hungry for it. He s/b on a grown-up schedule now, not playing matches every available wk.***
Player his age aren't accustomed to winning so much! It's why the young players are brk'n down so early & often! JCF should've cancelled CA's partic. in that stupid Hopman event! Many say he made a promise to play, but after Wimbl. win, he really needed to rest & it's costing him!
***...We know from prev. young > players when they reach so high, they often have a slump while they try to process it all. Sampras, Roger, Novak, all had breakthrus of diff. sorts when young & needed t/b sheltered a bit after. Carlos def. is too enthusiastic to play, highly ambitious, but you’re right, his coach s/b putting a hand on his shoulder & saying, "slow down, take a brk. Learn to miss the game. ---
What slam did Sinner clip Charlie?***
Since Sinner played Djokovic twice on grass, my guess' at Wimbl. last yr. in the 4th Rd.! IDK how he does it! Jannik seems to have Carlos' #!
***What # is that? It’s 4-3 for Sinner in total & they’ve shared the last 4.***
Not that Sinner wins every X, but that he worries Carlos & now has a winning H2H edge! Nothing sinister in the comment! It's a > rivalry!
***Ah yeah, but if you have a players # it means you’re beating them all the X b/c you’re in their head. Carlos has nobody like that. This is a close rivalry now, but I’d gen. expect Carlos to win the big matches btwn. them.***
***Sampras was a S & V'r. His athleticism wasn't his main strength if we compare him to guys like Agassi or Djokodal. He relied > on his skills.***
Pete could push himself until he puked! He hung in there & won a bunch of matches on his last legs! He had a lot of heart = if he wasn't the > fit!
***Sampras kept the pts. short. He didn't run end credit for his accomps. due to the era & conditions of play! Most players were aggressive S & V’rs on quick courts of grass in 3 of the 4 majors & lightning fast HC’s! Bjorn did all that working from the baseline w/ a stick! Even today he holds recs. that may never be broken; winning %, 3 str. Chn’l Slams (FO/Wimb.), & winning 5 str. Wimbl. & taking 4 FO’s in a row @ the same X! Nadal has his 14 FO’s, 8 > Borg, but having all those Wimbl. sets him apart from him & all other players from the past, present, or poss. future!
***Nadal leads h2h w/ Djokovic in GS's w/ 11–7. However, if you dive a lit'l deeper pic w/b > clear. Nadal leads 8–2 @ the FO & 2–1 @ the USO, while Djokovic leads 2–0 @ the AO & 2–1 @ Wimbl. If we take away FO, Djokovic leads 5–3.
Overall the 2 have faced each other 59 X's, incl. in all 4 GS finals, w/ Djokovic leading 30–29 overall. Of their 59 meetings, 27 matches have been on HC w/ Djokovic leading 20–7, 28 on clay w/ Nadal leading 20–8, & 4 on grass where they are tied 2–2. It’s clear Nadal's King of clay. Djokovic's King of HC's. To date, Djokovic's the only player to have beaten Nadal in all 4 majors.***
...Laver had 2 players that gave him heartburn! Hoad & Rosewall had a lot of success vs him; Lew actually started out 8–0 over Laver! That’s what happened to Djokovic who got a later start allowing Fedal to get a lead on him, but he eventually surpassed all their recs. &'s extending them into impossible #'s to ever match again! ---
Looks like the YEC will decide the ult. #1 for the season! I thought Novak w/b well ahead of last season's tally missing so many events, but = though he won 3 of the 4 majors this yr., he'd still wind up in 2nd place! Something's wrong w/ that in so many ways!
***Nole missed many events, but he also ran up his pts. last Fall w/ all those results & won the ATP Finals. Even though he won 3 slams this yr., he hasn't won as many M1000s & Charlie has done a pretty good job of getting to the SF or Final of all his tourns. played.***
IIRC, that Fall run wasn't that great! We're talking Astana (500), Tele Viv (250), R-up in Paris, & The YEC (1500)! By taking Cinci in Aug., he made up for Rome last season! I guess what's making the big diff. is Carlos isn't defending any pts. from last Fall! Novak has to match it to stay on top & at least make the YEC final > likely!
***I guess that’s part of getting older, you play < tourneys. He may forfeit #1 t/b healthy for the slams. I'm wondering if he w/b tempted to play MC. He wins that & he‘ll have a triple career GM's.***
Novak needs goals = if he doesn't bring them up! I was just thinking about that Triple GM's after winning Cinci for the 3rd X! I think it w/b worthwhile going after another MC, a 5th USO t/b 1 up on Rafa, 1 > FO to go 4 CYGS, a Wimbl. to match Roger's 8, & 3 > of his pet Major "down under" to finish off his career w/ 13 AO's! He w/b so far ahead of his rivals, = they'll have to give it up to the man w/ 30 Majors, 4 CGS, a triple GM, 400+ wks. @ #1, w/ 8 YE #1's! It w/b very realistic believe it or not!
***Since the post Wimbl. hype, Tommy Paul (Can.), Djokovic (Cinci), Medvedev (USO), Sinner (Beijing), & Dimitrov (Shanghai) have beaten Alcaraz.
This is an interesting pt. in Carlos’ career. He's no longer the hunter. He's expected to win every match, or at least he's the fave in every match he plays. Huge expectations. This is the transition X of learning to deal w/ the new kind of pressure. It w/b interesting to see how he navigates the RR during the tour chp. in Turin.
We can’t forget he’s a young man growing into all of this. I think he’s done well thus far. Today he had the same amt. of winners as Dimitrov, but 5 > errors overall. The differences were that small. Looking forward to seeing the adjustments he makes & how he chooses to wean himself of the constant input from his coach.***
Grigor tried to give it away, but hung in there! Carlos' been frustrated & loses his cool just a lit'l! Going down in 3 sets helps Novak in YE #1 race!
***I'd be frustrated too losing to a scrub like Dimi. We all know what's going to happen in the next Rd. He'll disappear like Casper. ---
Dimitrov & Novak are good friends. I bet Novak already sent out a congrats. Did it help Novak for the YE #1 race? It certainly did.***
I apprec. rat'l thought so early in the morn! Grigor's been playing quite well the last few months! It shb a str. set win by him over Carlos, but he stumbled as > players do these days! Alcaraz loss strengthens Novak's hold on #1! After he gets to 400 wks, Carlos may take over the mantle as top dog in this era of tennis!
***Carlos' only 20. You’re really scared of him, eh? Give the kid some credit, he’s way advanced for his age.***
What's your pt.? Carlos' scary good & w/ Daniil, they're the only players who can really threaten Novak's ext. career! Even though Med hasn't won over Djokovic in a while, he has the game that competes well when "on!" Carlos' a human "highlite reel!" Fortunately a lit'l imaturity's still there for him to make mistakes! He was able to overcome Novak @ Wimbl., but just barely! The Serb had it, but didn't punch away that volley in the 2nd set TB! The match was up for grabs after that! It was heroic taking it to 5 sets IMO, but > satisfied Novak stopped Carlos in Paris! That was worth > to his resume! He has a triple CGS now; again setting himself apart from Fedal! Everything's gravy from here on out!
***What?! A win this yr. doesn't =ate to awhile. I guess you conveniently forgot when Meddie took him to the woodshed in Dubai.***
Why would I? Dubai's lit'l > a glorified exh.! Get over yourself! Sorry U're feeling butt-hurt over Novak's achievements! I'm luvin' it!
***So, now all Nole has to do is get > pts. in Paris & WTF. He doesn't = need to win. A final w/b enough if Alcaraz makes the SF. ...He just needs to do >er. Medvedev's def. out too. Would've still been in the race if he'd won Beijing & Shanghaï, but Djokovic holds all the cards now. ---
If Rublev had lost, it whb the 1st X ever a Top 10 player didn’t make it to a Masters QF. It’s been that bad, though — only one made it.***
That's how Rublev stole MC earlier this season! The same losses were tradit'l in Bercy! Players are worn down, others desperate to make YEC! The pressure has t/b excruciating! The most shocking is how many Paris Opens Djokovic has; 6 chps. is insane for a top player! He owns all the recs.! That just never happened back in the day! Sampras was the > likely to go down early & often taking only 2! Nadal's never won the event w/ all those RG trophies!
***House ousts McCarthy as Speaker in historic vote; (216-210)***
It had to happen! McCarthy compromised himself so much to get the job in the 1st place! The mid-term election resulted in Reps w/ only a 5 vote majority! That made the real loons a lot > powerful to make McCarthy jump thru hoops to get anything passed! Pelosi could handle this situation! Someone as weak & stupid as McCarthy was doomed to failure! I guess I s/b surprised he lasted this long! It was his destiny to fail!
***Dem.-run gov't.'s our #1 prob.***
The delusion is real! Who would pt. out politics today as Reps. have shot themselves in the fk'n head yet again? It taints us all no matter the party! They've dismissed McCarthy as Speaker of the House last wk. & have no clue who to back in the future! Any smart person'd walk away like Ryan, but the IQ of Rep. leadership expon. dropped yrs. ago! Any new Speaker's subject to the same treatment as a few demented MAGA-Trump-sters cripple gov't! They have the comperable intel. of a gila monster! Wasn't Goetz about t/b indicted for traffiking in teenage girls just a few yrs. ago? WTF? Reps. are about the sickest POS in the history of dem. pols! Compromise's a dirty word in their world so nothing ever gets done! It's our own fault allowing them to rewrite history for the "gullible right" as the Nat'l Debt has gotten out of control under their leadership X & X again! Their lame acct'ng act about being fiscal is nauseating, but not 1/2 as > as their supporters!
***This is why Hillary lost. Blue collar white man is racist? The left used to pretend to serve the working class, but now you’re all showing what you really think of us. Which I knew since I was a kid, btw. Meanwhile the Dems are virtuously chasing the votes of trannies, child abusers, misogynists, homophobes & - black racists? This is really the way you’ve all gone over there. Deplorables, indeed…***
M/b, but I'll put our deplorables up vs yours anyX! We're not shooting up clinics, murdering doctors, putting targets on families of judges, etc.
***You see, this is a prob. w/ people. I’m disappointed in you, bro. You assume things of me b/c I criticise your pol. pets. You s/b the one criticising them, instead of deluding yourself that they’re any > virtuous > the side you hate.***
I now have no dog in this hunt! I gave up yrs. ago that either party'd run things w/o some bumbs in the road! Unfort. parity doesn't exist! One side has gone so far into another world, it might as well be an alt. universe! If Dems jaywalk, Congressional hearings are in order b/c they're flaunting law! If a Rep. sells out his country to a KGB Russian leader, he's lauded! Extremes m/b, but criminal behavior is criminal behavior! An entire pol. party decides to make the character of the president's son determine the office! Don Jr. is one step ahead of indictment, but if he's brought in as a pol. pawn, the whining wouldn't end! It makes me depressed to see the childish behavior going on! The hypocrisy! Trump ??'s Biden's compentency as McConnell meanders around Congress in a FOG! I was so hoping never see it get this bad! I try to ignore the news to keep my BP down! It filters thru anyway so I know we're all doomed! A ceasefire just isn't in the cards! Threatening t/b primaried makes them all march in lock-step! It doesn't seem to matter that being in unison, no matter how disgusting will be the end of us all!
***You know, there are mirror images in both parties. ...They’re tearing your country apart. But that’s your prob. if you won’t hold them acct.able, not mine. ---
M/b we need to get rid of “cons.” & “lib” as well as “left wing” & “right wing.” All they do is create div. instead of the collaboration you rightly want to see. These umbrella terms are not essential. There isn’t a need t/b part of a group when we’re all individuals, esp. when we’re presented w/ only 2 groups.***
***Yes, free speech is still better in the US than in many places, including Germany. But we also have hate speech laws that can & are used to censor divergent views, as well as issues around censorship, "misinfo.," cancel., etc. The whole mis/dis/mal-info. is a big one, & one that so-called progressive heroes like AOC cheer for. The gov't & media are quick to accuse non-sanctioned views as mis/dis/mal, but rarely (if ever) correct themselves.
I fully support trans-people to self-define as they want, to live as they choose, etc. But it isn't a blanket, "whatever the most radical trans-activists say is gospel truth, b/c it is the Latest Thing & as a good leftie I agree w/ it wholeheartedly." ...I don't think biological men have the right to participate in women's sports b/c they're not bio-women; regard< of what they claim. I don't think we s/b so quick to offer "trans-affirming healthcare" to kids, let alone be paid for by American tax-payers. Nor do I think "mis-gendering" someone s/b considered hate speech or be prosecutable. Etc.
...Yes, I get it. You think the left is good, the right is bad. I used to think that way too, or at least that the left (Dems) were the "lesser of 2 evils." My view has changed over the last 6-7 yrs. Now I hate them all. (Haha) Note that Dems only supported gay marriage when it became politically expedient to do so. Obama started off as (supposedly) against gay marriage, but when the pol. tide turned, he "changed" his view. ...***
Clinton tried to get the ball rolling in '93 w/ Gays in the military! Reps. lost their shit, talking to servicemen on ships, submarines, etc., trying to rile them up about being cramped up in places w/ gays! They got away w/ it & Bill pulled back; going totally cons. to save his agenda which he did in the end! Dems have always been on the sides of minorities = if it hurt them politically! In Hawaii, there were the 1st marriages in '97! The rule in our democracy was, if one state made law which made gay marriage legal, all other states had to follow! That was the beginning of the end as Reps. went on a crusade of hate & I've never forgiven them for it! They = paid black leaders & churches to back their efforts! I'm still disgusted by all concerned! "W" overdid it in '04, winning re-election, but he wound up being a colossal loser as he lost every meaningful fight afterwards! His admin. were a bunch a-hole haters & they paid for it! OBAMA took over w/ "hope & change!" Unfortunate those haters had a huge comeback anointing a creature like Trump as President! We're still paying for it!
***Barack Obama became the "Deporter-in-Chief."***
That's one of many problems I had w/ Obama! No matter how well he came off, Reps did their best to try dirtying him up! He tried to appease those animals early on w/ mass deportations one of those ugly acts of cowardness! He ran from controversy trying to stay 1 step ahead of the slime! Trump can take a bow though on how he tossed long-standing immigrant kids out of the country! I can still see this woman on the news! She voted fot Trump! He told her what he'd do if elected! Her husband of 12 yrs. was snatched up by Feds dropping their kids off @ school! He was summarily kicked out from 6; no hearing, no nothing! Even I wouldn't berate her today w/ "I told you so bitch!" That man has hurt so many families; just maliciously! It hasn't saved us a damned thing! It just made us > of a laughing-stock internat'ly!
***Why was it cowardly. That's the law of the land. And now we're seeing, in NY Chgo., it's diff. when they're lying on your streets. These are economic immigrants.***
It was so obvious Obama thought it would take some heat off him when it came to Reps. & cons.! He was wasting his fk'n X! Those people showed their entire ass to the world! They were ugly, insulting, & for the > part disgusting POS! it wasn't enough to go after him, they had to drag in his wife & kids! I've been DONE w/ Reps. ever since! Electing Trump & overlooking his colossal fraud of an admin. showed they have no patriotism or = loyalty to the democracy!
***...Watching Humbert go thru 3 seeded players to reach the SF? Seeing the ‘old’ guy Dimitrov upset the #1 seed?***
I've always loved this X of the season; going back to McEnroe & Borg contesting Masters Chp.! The Elites were subject to upset regard< of when a tourney was held, but indoor Fall tennis was >, getting the best out of the players! You didn't have to deal w/ the Sun or wind & your strings in the racket felt like an ext. of an arm! Today's players will never understand the skill it took t/b @ the top of tennis back in the 70's & 80's! W/ today's tech., mediocrity is rewarded; hence big servers having mod. success just throwing in bombs! He really hurt his chances to grab the YE #1 by losing match to Grigor RD. 16 in Shanghai! ...It's so hard to watch Sebastian! He gets leads, then forgets how to play for a few games B4 saving it in a 3rd set TB! I keep hearing the same thing over & over; "Korda's up a set & a Brk" B4 having to find his game; not so luckily vs Novak in Adelaide in Jan.! Glad he knock'd off Shelton in the RD. 16! ;-)
***How does Novak Djokovic's rivalry w/ Carlos Alcaraz compare to his prev. rivalries w/ Fedal?***
The rivalry obviously won’t be as long-lasting, but it has all the tension of something signif. = early on! Alcaraz’s move up the ladder was exponential IMO! He's winning Masters, def. the titles, took his 1st of 2 Majors B4 20, & actually def. his best preds.; Nadal & Djokovic! Luck has nothing to do w/ it & his only hinderances w/b his body or/& his huge ego! He’s a human highlite reel extending himself unnecess. trying to exort the crowd for him! So far Djokovic has been holding off the challenge by winning 3 majors this season & barely lost the 4th in a 5th set Wimbl. final to Carlos! ---
Fedal have no claim to an era of a GOAT, but past champs have an argument; Borg or Sampras!
***That’s irrational. I know it sounds neat in principle. Some insinuate that the Big 3 set off on their run @ the same X as each other & Novak won the race to the finish, but they didn’t. And there were diff. currents & opportunities in those 20 yrs. that made it obvious that the one who started last had an advantage, which we clearly see now.***
Fed could've saved his legacy if he had retired earlier! His Wimbl. win in '12 whb a > X, but his ego & need for the adulation kept him playing for almost 6 yrs B4 winning those last 3 majors! It just wasn't worth it IMO! Borg & Sampras left in a X-ly fashion, but Roger just hung on too long! He was winning lit'l events, being quite respectable @ #3 in the world, but as a GOAT option it just hurt him just like Connors his last 8 yrs.!
***No way Novak'll end up W/ 30 majors; m/b 26. Alcaraz & Sinner'll > likely stop Novak from reaching many future slam finals. Some = think Novak can win the GS. Yes, Novak's good, but as I see it, Carlos & Jannick are Fedal replacements & got something Rafa & Fed don’t have, Y O U T H.***
They are younger, but Novak’s exp. keeps him @ the top of the game! He was a 5th set loss @ Wimbl. to Alcaraz from getting that CYGS! As good as the new crop is, they’re still vuln. to their own inexper. & fragile bodies! The reason “The Big 3” lasted so long was b/c the latest heirs couldn’t stay on the court > a 2 months B4 brk'n down! Rafa was vuln. to injury himself, but something in him overcame his pains to accum. 14 FO’s alone; a rec. that may never be broken! Alcaraz, Sinner, Rune, Medvedev, & a few of the other top players have crazy skills, but only Carlito & Daniil have been able to cash in btwn. them w/ 3 majors, a few Masters, & a YE #1! We’re still waiting for Tsitsipas, Zverev, & others to max out their talent! Djokovic will hang in there for @ least another 3 or 4 yrs., m/b get to 110 Titles to eclipse Connors’ 109! Most other rec. belong to Nole already! .-)
***I'm starting to think that players are beginning to figure something out w/ Alcaraz. Since the USO, Alcaraz has lost to the likes of Med & Dmitrov, then out-classed by Sinner. It w/b interesting to see if this carries over into '24, & if so, can any of the young players like Rune, Sinner, or Shelton take advantage & sneak in a slam.***
Alcaraz's going thru "growing pains!" Not a physical thing as much as it's a mental & ego situation! Carlos obviously has all the power & talent in the world! His head's gotten too big w/ people praising him for his shotmaking! I've been saying since early on, he's too busy trying to make the highlite reels! He needs to just pull back & let a pt. go instead of running himself into the ground! We always say "this" or "that player shd this to win the pt.!" The problem is pts. last too long for that kind of nonsense! He's making the plays, but it's taking its toll; hence these bad losses of late!
***I was telling people @ the X that it's not like Djokovic was on the ropes B4 Alcaraz's cramping in that FO SF.***
"Being on the ropes" means nothing when it concerns Djokovic! Most of the X he'll find a way back! He was never in > trouble > @ Wimbl. B4 stealing that 4th set! Getting to the 5th @ Wimbl. made all the diff. in this season! The dynamics would've totally changed if Djokovic had finished off that comebk.! I was almost glad he lost it! I didn't want the media to lose their minds on another poss. CYGS @ 36! The detractors w/b sour lemons pointing out how weak the field is w/o Rafa, Roger, & Andy!
***Yr. over yr. strength post '15:
'16 - best rivalry Djokovic/ Murray Matches 3-2 Slam finals 2-0 Djokovic Masters finals 1-1 ATP finals 1-0 Murray Best match - Wimbl. QF Fed/ Cilic or Olympics Nadal/ Delpo
'17 - best rivalry Fedal Matches 4-0 Slam finals 1-0 Masters finals 2-0 Best match Aussie Open final - Fedal
'18 - best rivalry Rafa/ Thiem Matches 3-1 Nadal Slam finals 1-0 Nadal Masters finals 1-0 Nadal Best match Wimbl. SF - Nadal/ Djokovic
'19 best rivalry Rafole Matches 1-1 Slam finals 1-0 Djokovic Masters finals 1-0 Nadal Best match Wimbl. finals - Djokovic/ Fed
'20 - reduced yr. Best rivalry - Djokovic vs Thiem Matches 1-1 Slam finals 1-0 Djokovic Masters finals 0-0 Best match Nadal vs Thiem AO
'21 Best rivalry - Djokovic/ Medv Matches 2-1 Djokovic Slam finals 1-1 Masters finals 1-0 Djokovic Best match Djokovic/ Nadal - RG
'22 Best rivalry Sinner/ Alcaraz Matches 2-1 Sinner Best match Nadal vs Medvedev AO
'23 Best rivalry Djokovic Alcaraz Matches 2-1 Djokovic Slam finals 1-0 Alcaraz Masters finals 1-0 Djokovic Best match Wimbl. finals - Djokovic/ Alcaraz ---
Compared to '15 when we had 2 greats playing 8 X's.
Nadal's not obsessed w/ recs. b/c he's obsessed w/ Djokovic. For someone w/ OCD like him, there's room for only one obsession in his life.***
Has t/b a long term obs. IMO! I just wonder when he knew his legacy was in trouble? I believe when Novak took his 1st FO in '16, Rafa had t/b looking over his shoulder = w/ his lead of 3 majors @ the X! The FO became his pet Slam & he did just about everything he could to win to the detriment of his body! It curtailed efforts @ Wimbl. w/ just 2 wins early on when @ the top of his game! Prob. shh > USO's, but it's always been a tough title to win going back to the efforts of Borg competing on all 3 surfaces! Nadal's only real head-block IMO was The AO for some reason! It was early in the season, a reg. HC event w/ plenty of warm-ups doing either Hopman or ATP Cups (United Cup)! Why only 2 titles spread over so many yrs. of trying?
***"Carlos Alcaraz's only 20 yo &, unfort., already has an enviable injury list. The end of last season & the beginning of this one, he had to miss in order to cure all ailments, but at the end of '23, just when the fight for the 1st place took off, the Spaniard announced that he was retiring from Basel.
As things stand now, the course of the yr. reminds a lot of his older compatriot, Rafael Nadal. He plays, suffers from pain, takes a vacation to heal everything that is bothering him & returns to Tour. And so on.
Let's see what has been bothering Carlitos since '21.
- USO,'21: WD due to an abdominal muscle injury in the QF's
- Final Masters in Turin,'22: abdom. muscle injury, WD B4 the start of the tourn.
- AO,'23: leg pain (stated he made an unnatural move in practice that caused leg pain), WD B4 the start of the tourn.
- Rio,'23: hamstring strain, lost to Nori in the final
- Acapulco,'23: recovering from a hamstring strain, WD B4 the tourn. to recover
- Miami,'23: struggled w/ cramps, lost final to Sinners
- MC,'23: problems w/ back and arm pain, WD B4 the start of the tourn.
- RG,'23: struggled w/ cramps, lost to Djokovic in the SF's
- Basel,'23: inflammation of the ligaments of the left foot & back pain, WD B4 the start of the tourn.
Is there an end to this streak? And will we see him on the field by the end of the yr.?"***
I've been trying to tell people of this concerning Carlos! He works too hard trying to make the highlite reels of sports shows that it's brk'n him down! I keep saying to myself, "why's he running for that particular pt. when up 2 brks?" He's lit. trying to take the cover off the ball blasting every rally ball aside from his many dropshots! He has all the talent in the world, but I see him limping out of the game like Murray; really abusing his body craving the adulation of the crowds!
***I think Novak will win Bercy. He's paced himself very well this yr. Since he got lucky in Paris, he's ridden that wave & won the USO as well by playing the min. warm ups. He's going t/b fresh, and there's huge ??'s over the rest of the top 10 seeds. I hope Shelton turns up blazing too. He's got nothing to lose & he c/b this yr.'s Holger Rune in Paris.***
If Novak snares this Masters in Paris, he w/b the un??ed King of Paris Indoors leaving Rafa t/b Emperor of RG's! Shelton's on top of his game while Rune's struggling! IDK why he doesn't just shut it down for the season? Holger's barely surviving his 1st Rd. in Basil after dropping his last 5 matches! I can apprec. him being out there though! Such a hottie! I don't think he's going to make the YEC = though in 8th place @ the moment! Lucky for him Ruud's been off his game as well! Tiafoe only got by 1st Rd. in Vienna due to Evans' injury down a brk. early when it happened!
***Rodger’s a staple of the gen. he played in. It’s too bad so many leftists have grown such hatred for him b/c he disagreed on COVID.***
Disagree all you like, but why tempt fate by going to a crowded home w/o wearing a mask? "Surprise, I got COVID!" What a moron! ...He can sit there all perfunctory sounding so "above it all" on a Nat'l forum like Pat McAfee!
***Masks were ineff. Kabuki theater, dude.***
At my age as a Sr., I just didn't "tempt fate" so frivolously while Trump was in "power denial!" Another moron; gets sick & goes out on field trips w/ his pure Secret Service detail prob. getting sick as well! Lets not forget the Rose Garden soire given & > of those fools became ill! Rep. Congressmen still refused to wear masks going into hearings & going about their business w/o = warning people around them! They're animals "on the right!" EveryX I think they can't go any lower, they find new depths! Blaming the Dems. for their 3 wks. of incompetence w/ no Speaker still has me Gawd-smack'd!
***Purdy's > for this system, but if you pick him up & put him in San Diego or KC he's lost. He doesn't have the physical tools. If SF ever needs Purdy to go out & win them a game, they're going to lose. If Tom Brady were drafted by the Browns, he's likely not considered the GOAT. He may not have ever won a SB.***
So many careers have been curtailed, derailed, or totally lost being chosen by the wrong team! Montana wouldn't have been The GOAT for as long as he was if not for a system called "The West Coast offense!" Then there are the QB's gifted w/ so much talent around them, they get no props; Bradshaw, McMahon, & Aikman OTTH! As > as Mahomes is supposed t/b, he's not putting up "the #'s" due to losing key players! The only anomoly I can't understand is Dallas! Almost 30 yrs. of futility over egos & firing 1 of the best Ft.ball coaches of all X IMO; just insane! No one assessed talent like Johnson & "The Boys" would've swept the SB's of the 90 w/ all their talent if not for Jones! I've been no fan of Dallas & have enjoyed their struggles since the days of Switzer! Self sabotage has kept many a team from winning anything!
***Tom Brady won SB's w/ 2 diff. teams, not b/c they were the 2 best systems, but b/c he’s Tom "Fk'n" Brady. ---
If you actually watch Brock Purdy, Idk how you can argue that he w/b lost in KC or San Diego (L.A btw). He goes thru his reads, he’s accurate w/ the ball, & he’s able to carve out whatever the defenses give him. Purdy can play ball & the scouts were wrong making him "Mr. Irrel." He's not nearly as talented as Mahomes or Herbert; he's just not. He has a MVP cand. RB in McCaffery, Deebo, & Aiyuk, & Kittle w/ an elite defense. And and and. Outside of Kelce, who does Mahomes have? Purdy is a good QB, but he’s not a "put a team on his back & win them a SB type guy." So long as he doesn't make mistakes & SF doesn’t need him to win them a game, they w/b ok. ---
Jimmy G went 3 NFC Chps. & a SB on this team w/o McCaffery & Purdy is the reason they are winning in SF.***
I don't watch sports' shows like I used to; really down to ESPN's "ATH" & "PTI!" I've given up on "First Take" & FS1's, "Undisputed" after sensory overload on spat w/ Sharp & Bayless! If I surf by other shows, Purdy's usually getting so undermined, = w/ his success as "Mr. Irrelevant!" It's like they can't let that go to prove it was justified in the end! Montana & Brady went late in the draft!
***I just chk'd the Bills rec. @ home. I forgot we lost one home game; game vs the Jaguars in London.***
That was a new one; having the Jags play b2b games abroad! Is this a push to making football Trans-Continental? I personally couldn't stand the flight from Calif. to HI! (NY to) London sucks, fighting the currents for 6-9 hrs. depending on the part of US a team is flying in! Becoming a fan of Trevor Lawrence! He's coming along nicely!
***I thought violence against babies had been normalized in the West under the guise of 'wimmins rights.'***
Yep! There are women's rights causing deaths, but what's worse is politics playing w/ lives! Cons. demand all babies t/b born, but couldn't care < about them afterwards! Kids are being abused or living in horrible conditions due to this philosophy! Why cut support & programs for kids while giving tax brks. to the rich? It makes no sense, but that's what Rep. politics is all about; a true lack of common sense!
***You're conflating 2 diff. arguments that don't really have much in common. Cons. don't care < about kids? Who told you that?***
Whatever! I still say the hypocrisy of cons. enrages me! I've watched Reps. play pol. ft.ball w/ this issue for as long as I can recall! Going back to Reagan, his admin. thought it w/b "cute" to feature kid's meals w/ ketchup being a veggie! Cons. have been after any & all programs having to deal w/ child hunger, wanting to kill the SNAP program & others! The only thing progressive about cons. is the disgust we should have for their lame leadership!
***...& if you want to talk about hypocrisy, it's considered virtuous t/b pro-abortion that terminates the life of between 600k & 1 M babies in the US/yr., & yet we get the same old "babies being bayoneted by bad guys" propaganda every X some cunt wants to play on your emotions & send you to war. It gets played over & over again. Go look @ the WW1 & WW2 propaganda posters about the Germans & the Japs; now the Palestinians. Same old shit.***
I have just about the same animus for stupid women who use "abortion" for birth control! They have t/b a special kind of stupid w/ X ways to prevent it! I have the biggest problem w/ minorities who stress education, while common sense is obviously lost!
***...You can't get thru life w/o making "judgements" as you call them. One ex. of a "judgement" in this particular case, w/b aborting a baby b/c the scan showed a boy was being born when the mother wanted a girl.
...Abortion as birth control is a fairly common occurrence. I know it t/b true. If parents have a scan that says the baby is going t/b seriously handicapped & have lit'l life expectancy, or the mother's life m/b an issue... IDK. Never having been put in that position. ...I don't have much respect for absent fathers, but plenty of respect for those that aren't & play an important & active role in the development of their offspring.***
Well I already mentioned I tore up my "feminist card" after Trump elected! I'm beginning to rethink everything I believed for all those yrs. of giving women the "benefit of the doubt!" Now I'm seeing how misled I've been by listening to their catterwalling & victimhood portrayed on a daily basis! This issue of using abortion as birth control has really PO'd me! You have t/b a special kind of stupid to allow that to happen = once, much < > that! The US has some of the > educated women in the world, but it appears thru constant brainwashing of other women, common sense was thrown out decades ago! Being single-mothers is destroying the Blk family unit! Not many of these women = consider marriage B4 getting pregnant as their moms encourage a back-up plan to get out instead of staying in relationships! When it comes to absent fathers, blame that on women too! Who chose these men? SomeX's they don't inform the guy, then others are vindictive & promise to never allow the father X w/ his offspring! The US is one fk'd up place where the stats show how destructive today's attitudes are when it comes to family! Divorce is expected = if lucky to find a spouse! These same single-minded idiots don't see how they're trashing their own futures & the lives of their kids! If being alone is so beneficial, why are so many of their kids mentally handicapped, in jail, or committing suicide? I'm disgusted beyond belief! Kevin Samuels is my new hero on You-Tube = though he died last yr.! Women couldn't stand his TRUTH, so they cheered his passing though they're coming around to his way of thinking!
***CALLS +ING SPANIARD TOO EXPENSIVE for Vienna Promo"
If this is true, it’s prob. inevitable it happens b/c Charley has choices. ...I can only imagine the going rate for the "Big 3," in their prime. Charley doesn’t get out of bed for < €750,000.***
Wow; yet another reason to kick Alcaraz off my fan list! I saw the arrogance early, but hadn't thought it had gone this far! Rafa prob. was doing the same when he was a kid! Carlos @ least won 2 majors & was the YE #1, unlike Agassi who hadn't won shit, but thought he was "tennis!" 'Image "truly" was everything' until '92 Wimbl. win 6-7 yrs. into his career! Now Alcaraz has cut off his nose to spite his face! He really needed those 500 Vienna pts. to catch Novak for YE #1! I thought he was resting an injury, but it wound up being > about $$! WOW, again!
***I don’t think it’s a good thing. The total official financial commitment to the tourn. is €2,559,790, the total prize $$'s €2,409,835, the winner gets €450,650. Carlos wanted €750,000, just to turn up. I guar. that if Novak was thinking to play, he’d have gotten €1,000,000. All of this m/b legal, too. ---
Roger's like the tennis Messiah.***
It's been one of my biggest gripes over the yrs.! I've said it over & over again that the Tennis Intel. believe tennis begins & ends w/ Fedal! Even you who know >er put Roger on an "Iconic" level or pedastal though in 3rd pl. w/ 20 Majors! The WHOLE World thinks "Federer" when tennis is brought up; esp. as Wimbl. approaches! I jumped on the Novak train in '11, seeing he was prob. able to overcome all obstacles to leap-frog Fedal; just not so soon! He's the last man standing of the Big 3 as he sets recs. that may never be broken!
***Alcaraz upset in Bercy 2nd Rd. YE #1 in jeapardy as Djokr leads race by 500 pts. - No way someone could've EVER convinced me @ age 20 to get rest while playing tennis, football & bskt.ball...Can't see someone convincing Carlitos that he isn't invincible @ his young age.***
It's either the "new Normal" or "Normal; sans Big 3!" Back in the day, there was limited winning! Even the elites succumbed to upsets, but Fedalovic somehow "broke the mold" & elev.ed themselves above norms to share about 90% of avail. BIG TITLES! I just can't see this crop of snowflakes being able to overcome physical brk.downs due to the game moving so fast! Novak's not = close to being done! It's like people forget he won 3 of 4 majors for the 4th X ('11,'15,'21,'23)! I'm sure > thought Fed's 3 ('04,'06,'07) would hold as a rec.! Novak will inevit. own them all for decades to come! I was ready to pass the torch to Alcaraz, but he has the same limitations of all the others his age!
***Why the need for comparisons? Carlito’s got his own game & it’s still developing. I seriously doubt, as a kid, he was trying to emulate anyone. Alcaraz has heart, fight, & he’s a solid all around player. He makes shots that can light up any highlight reel. When he’s healthy & focused, you can’t help but smile to see him out there on court. He's > > like Carlos Alcaraz > he is Rafa or Roger. ---
It's like you want to say that Novak's hovering up titles in a "weak era." Isn't that what you're saying? He's won 1/2 of his Majors post 30. What does that say? And it's very likely he'll win this yr. again in Paris, the YEC, & the YE #1. B/c he's so >, or there's really so lit'l comp.? Clearly, he's still a very > player, but what does this say about the comp.?***
***Rodger’s a staple of the gen. he played in. It’s too bad so many leftists have grown such hatred for him b/c he disagreed on COVID.***
Disagree all you like, but why tempt fate by going to a crowded home w/o wearing a mask invax'd? "Surprise, I got COVID!" What a moron! ...He can sit there all perfunctory sounding so "above it all" on a Nat'l forum like Pat McAfee!
***Masks were ineff. Kabuki theater, dude.***
At my age as a Sr., I just didn't "tempt fate" so frivolously while Trump was in "power denial!" Another moron; gets sick & goes out on field trips w/ his pure Secret Service detail prob. getting sick as well! Lets not forget the Rose Garden soire given & > of those fools became ill! Rep. Congressmen still refused to wear masks going into hearings & going about their business w/o = warning people around them!
***Purdy's > for this system, but if you pick him up & put him in San Diego or KC he's lost. He doesn't have the physical tools. If SF ever needs Purdy to go out & win them a game, they're going to lose. If Tom Brady were drafted by the Browns, he's likely not considered the GOAT. He may not have ever won a SB.***
So many careers have been curtailed, derailed, or totally lost being chosen by the wrong team! Montana wouldn't have been The GOAT for as long as he was if not for a system called "The West Coast offense!" Then there are the QB's gifted w/ so much talent around them, they get no props; Bradshaw, McMahon, & Aikman OTTH! As > as Mahomes is supposed t/b, he's not putting up "the #'s" due to losing key players! The only anomoly I can't understand is Dallas! Almost 30 yrs. of futility over egos & firing 1 of the best Ft.ball coaches of all X IMO; just insane! No one assessed talent like Johnson & "The Boys" would've swept the SB's of the 90 w/ all their talent if not for Jones! I've been no fan of Dallas & have enjoyed their struggles since the days of Switzer! Self sabotage has kept many a team from winning anything!
***Tom Brady won SB's w/ 2 diff. teams, not b/c they were the 2 best systems, but b/c he’s Tom "Fk'n" Brady. ---
If you actually watch Brock Purdy, Idk how you can argue that he w/b lost in KC or San Diego (L.A btw). He goes thru his reads, he’s accurate w/ the ball, & he’s able to carve out whatever the defenses give him. Purdy can play ball & the scouts were wrong making him "Mr. Irrel." He's not nearly as talented as Mahomes or Herbert; he's just not. He has a MVP cand. RB in McCaffery, Deebo, & Aiyuk, & Kittle w/ an elite defense. And ??. Outside of Kelce, who does Mahomes have? ---
Jimmy G went 3 NFC Chps. & a SB on this team w/o McCaffery & Purdy is the reason they are winning in SF.***
I don't watch sports' shows like I used to; really down to ESPN's "ATH" & "PTI!" I've given up on "First Take" & FS1's, "Undisputed" after sensory overload on spat w/ Sharp & Bayless! If I surf by other shows, Purdy's usually getting so undermined, = w/ his success as "Mr. Irrelevant!" It's like they can't let that go to prove it was justified in the end! Montana & Brady went late in the draft!
***I just chk'd the Bills rec. @ home. I forgot we lost one home game; game vs the Jaguars in London.***
That was a new one; having the Jags play b2b games abroad! Is this a push to making football Trans-Con'l? I personally couldn't stand the flight from Calif. to HI! (NY to) London sucks, fighting the currents for 6-9 hrs. depending on the part of US a team is flying in! Becoming a fan of Trevor Lawrence! He's coming along nicely!
***What do you have against the Dolphins? LOL***
When Miami stole Kyree Irving, they were off in running w/ the media, the fans, & the sports comms. out there! They all promised great things w/ that +tion while KC would suffer! They got a lit'l of both, but Miami hasn't fulfilled any of that promise & The Chiefs got their 2nd SB w/o Ky! I'm very upset w/ him! It had t/b all about $$! I'd've given KC a discount to keep that team together! A dynasty was in the making, but greed can't be helped I guess!
Hard to believe, but it appears the 10 pts. Alcaraz got for just being in the draw's 2nd Rd. in Paris is keeping him in the YE #1 race!
***The things you Djoker fans cry about. M/b everything s/b made ridiculously easy for him, is that it?***
You know better > that! I'm just amused & entertained by Djokovic taking over the Men's tour! It's hard to keep invoking Fedal by the masses, but b/c they aren't playing, according to you & others the tour m/b WEAK AF since an old man's showing them all "how it's done!" To avoid jinxing it, I'm not going to prematurely + another YE #1 to his rec.! It was the same w/ Paris & #40! I gave Grigor a chance! Heaven knows Andrey played well enough to win in the SF, but blew it! I = guessed that DF'd occur on MP! It was to expected from "King of the 250's!"
***You’re "amused & entertained by Novak taking over the [Men's] tour," but couldn’t be surprised. W/ his main rivals absent, injured, or retired, who else would take over the tour? Who? I’ve often said it that the GOAT talk's silly b/c largely these recs. are about op.; being able to grab so many in a clutch where nobody else avail. to take them.
Djokolytes unwittingly agree w/ me when they say Rafa only won Australia in '22 b/c Novak was absent. Rafa fans say Novak won the FO this yr. b/c Rafa was missing. This is to acknowledge what I’m saying. And although it’s not so simple, Rafa may still have won AO & Novak may still have won in RG. Who else would've won? In the absence of their main rival, they were the only options. And Novak's w/o Fedal now, so he’s making cheap & easy hay.***
IDK what to tell you! It's a lot of BS IMO b/c stats, facts, & reason seem to get thrown out the window these days! It's all about "op. & absense of comp." now according to you! I'm lost! I thought players still had to perform! All I know is, 100 yrs. dtl, no one'll GAF about our opinions on the subject! It can only be about history & the rec.bks. eventually!
***If it was just simply about stats, then there w/b no arguments. ...?? for U: which was Novaks >est single victory in a GS? And why?***
W/o a doubt, I have to go to '21 FO SF where Novak def. the "clay GOAT," Nadal on his home turf! It solidified Nole's rec. w/ a > needed 2nd FO title while def. Nadal to do it! That's something Fed was never able to do w/ > chances earlier vs a young Nadal! It can't get any >er > that = if you want to hark back to all 3 of Novak's Wimbl. finals over Roger!
***Anything can happen Kieran. '21 FO Mole,’ Musetti was up 2 sets to love. In the final, Tsitsipas was up 2 sets to love. Novak was the 1st player in history to come back from being 2 sets to love down twice & still win a major. At the same tourn., he was the 1st player in 25 yrs. to play a tourn. the wk. prior to a Major & win it.
You made the statement w/o any oppos. I'd say Ruud is < oppos. > Medvedev & Zverev. I'd say Medvedev & Zverev are < oppos. > Nadal. There’s still no empty court on the other side. You can’t fault the chps. for who they do or don’t face on their way to a chp. And when you're reduced to nuancing the quality of comp., you’ve been reduced to the Sampras camp when Fed surpassed their boy.***
DJOKOVIC CAREER WINNING % BY ENVIRONMENT: ~ 84.9% on HC [688-122] ~ 80.4% on clay [270-66] ~ 85.8% on grass [115-19] ~ 84.5% outdoors [890-163] ~ 80.0% indoors [192-48]
MOST #1 FINISHES IN ATP RANKINGS HISTORY (since '73): 8: Djokovic ['11, '12, '14-15, '18, '20-21, '23] 6: Sampras ['93-98] 5: Nadal ['08, '10, '13, '17, '19] 5: Federer ['04-07, '09] 5: Connors ['74-78]
Etc. What does Roger have over that? Lit. nothing in terms of counting stats. I mean, 1 > Wimbl.? More dom. 4-yr. peak span? Peer generational dom.? Impressive, but > outweighed by the rest (Novak might grab that 8th Wimbl.). And Rafa? Most Slam titles @ a single venue? Surface dominance? Better Slam final win %? Again, impressive, but doesn't come close to balancing out Novak's overall superior rec. ---
A 10th Masters series event in Saudi Arabia? It’s incredible the way the world is, that sports people are bending over backwards for a horrific place like Saudi Arabia…***
Oh good! That'll help facillitate my slow WD of watching tennis on TV! As a Sr. I've already given up on GOLF after that fiasco w/ the Saudi Tour & subsequent merge! It's one of the reason I c/b stumped when Dubai event is going on! I haven't dealt w/ Qatar since Djokovic def. Murray in '17! I've always called tourns. in the ME glorified exhs. & refuse to deal w/ sponsors so soaked in blood $$! I suppose all we need now is for the Saudis to finance an expan. of the NFL! The Jags played b2b games in London last month! The SB Chp. KC Chiefs competed in Germany vs The Dolphins Sun.! Never been into Soccer so already off my "must see" list going back decades! Baseball's boring AF & been off my radar since my Wh. Sox won in '05! I didn't = watch Cubs win theirs a dec. later in '16! Basketball is something to watch when nothing else is on! I hate that it's all about $$ w/ these guys! It's obscene the $$ being tossed around for unhappy malcontents who couldn't GAF about winning as much as making a fast sev. mil.!
***Djokovic had a pretty good yr. Came back to the AO a yr. after being deported & won it rather handily. Won the FO for the 3rd X. He came w/i a set of winning Wimbl. He was granted entry into the US & won the USO for the 4th X in his career. He got on the winning side of the h2h vs 2 of the best youngsters, Rune & Alcaraz, 3-2 for both. He re-gained & held onto the #1 ranking finishing there for the 8th X in his career. And he won the YEC for a rec. 7 X's, passing Fed’s 6.***
These poor, sad Fedal fans are fit t/b tied! You guys don't know what to do! "Should we undermine Novak, blame a lack of comp., accuse all concerned that events are being gifted to him, or ignore him altogether?" As far as I'm concerned we have been so lucky to have this 2nd Golden Age of tennis where we saw up close & personal, the 3 GOAT's! I give no qtr. to past gens. of players b/c many had deficiencies that were overlooked to put them on a pedestal in the 1st place! These 3 (Fedalovic) can't be compared to any past great b/c they've set a new standard that m/b unattainable due to how grueling the tour c/b on players today! I can't imagine any player in the near future that can stay on top for 20 yrs.! Connors tried his best, but after all that X on tour, he still only had 1 season of 3 Majors & still leads the title rec. w/ 109 events won! Laver had 2 CYGS, but 3 of 4 Majors were on grass! Borg never won a USO w/ tries on all 3 surfaces; just 4 finals! Sampras never played a FO finals, but held YE #1 for 6 str. yrs.! These were supposedly the best B4 The Big 3 & their accomps. are embarrassingly stronger > ALL the rest!
***What's striking about Novak's career resume is how full it is: he has some of everything, & a lot of most things. But the wks. @ #1 might actually be his > mind-boggling stat: I mean, 400+...needs 4-5 months > to have 2 yrs. worth on Roger, & chance to > double Rafa's total. That speaks not only to peak level, but sustained dom.
Even if you ignore rankings & focus only on accomps., like me "PEP" system, you still have the prob. of Novak having > big yrs. 20 PEP's basically an elite yr. - there are usually 3-4 guys in that range, in a given yr.; it's the type of season that 2nd tier guys dream of having, but usually don't have, or a typical Andy Murray prime season. 30 is great (about top 100 OE), & 40 is prob. the best player on tour (top 50 OE), w/ 50+ being rare historic seasons (about top 20 in the OE).
To compare Roger, Rafa, & Novak, here's how many seasons they have @ the 50, 40, 30, & 20 thresholds:
RF: 4/7/11/15 RN: 3/5/12/13 ND: 6/8/11/16
Anyhow, as you can see, Novak & Roger have > 50 & 40 seasons than Rafa. Rafa has one > 30+ PEP season > either one, but 2 & 3 fewer 20 seasons > Roger & Novak, respectively. But this pts. to the fact that in terms of tour dom., Roger & = > so Novak, reigned > prominently.
...But to pass Novak he needs a lot >, b/c of the completeness of Novak's resume. Meaning, even if you focus on Slams, you have to look at everything else as a TB, & Novak's "everything else" is a lot...more. The big gap in YECs (Novak 6, Rafa 0) & widening gap in Masters (Novak 40, Rafa 36) is hard to make up, = if he ties Novak's Slam ct. Not only is Rafa running out of X, but Novak is still a moving target. Meaning, = if Rafa resurges, he'd really need Novak to collapse in order to have a chance of =ling his overall resume...& really, he needs > 1 year's return to form.
Not to go on too long, but another way to look @ is that using GOAT pts., Novak's @ 1094, Roger @ 926, & Rafa @ 885. Rafa's 41 pts. behind Roger; that's Rafa's 2018 season. Meaning, another really good (but not one of his very best) seasons & he =s Roger; or it could merely be a couple merely decent ones (by Rafa's standards), like his 2020 yr.
But he's 209 GP behind Novak - which is the =valent of 5 '18 seasons. That's really hard to make up, esp. going into a season in which Rafa turns 37 yo.***
Rune's playing w/o fear in the YEC vs Nole! I see a lot of Boris' recklessness in him, ripping the ball & approaching the net to cut off pts.! It worked >er in the old days! Novak's swatting away > of those attempts @ pressuring him w/ ease! IDK how people still say Djokovic's comp. isn't there & "he's padding his #'s?!" He can't & won't win w/ many no matter the recs. he brks.! Shame! I'm not a fan of his game, but apprec. what he's doing out there on all surfaces vs "all comers!"
***Novak drops RR match to Sinner in 3 sets. Alcaraz def. Medvedev. SF set: Carlos vs Nole & Jannik vs Daniil.***
Novak annihilated Carlos 2 & 3 in the SF, then Jannik in the Final 3 & 3! It's his 7th YEC & 98th title overall! Gets to 400 wks. @ #1 & 8th YE #1!
***There’s no way you thought Sinner was going to play the same in the final. And that Novak was too. You predicted that so you could save face if Novak lost by nobody could've expected. He beat 3 novices @ this event, & HH. Let’s not lose our heads, eh?***
OMG! I had no idea you had such animus & a low regard for the top talent of the tour! IDK what you want?! Rune & Alcaraz have proved they can def. Novak in the crunch; actually having winning recs. B4 the Fall! HH's 1 of the best servers on the tour & this court's supposedly the fasted! Djokovic's draw was tough; esp. getting the "new guns" in his path! All superlatives have been used on the guy & it's deserved! He's the last man standing of the Big 3 & dealing w/ them from his beginning of pro play incent. him! His #'s might not be as good w/o them pushing him & Sir Andy! His critics have resorted to undermining other players & pt.'n out his weakness on the OH! That's their >est gripe!
***Regard< of how one views the younger guns, there c/b no denying that Novak came to play & played >er when it ct.'d in the KO Rds. He was stellar when it ct.'d the >. Kudos to the Italian for not taking the easy way out & losing his last RR match = though he knew it might mean facing Djokovic in the final if things went as planned. Sinner just isn't Nole--yet (TBH, I don't think he ever w/b). ---
I doubt they asked Novak mins. B4 the DC match. Serbia lost in the SF to Italy w/ Sinner Def. Novak in 3 sets.***
AnyX B4 a match is abuse of power IMO! What are they looking for from the World #1? Have the conspiracies started that Djokovic must be "on something" to have unprecedented success at 36? I guess there has t/b something other > skill; training, thoughtful sched., & a mentality that's overcome all obstacles to his GOALS which might contribute to the rec.!
***No, the conspiracies about Djoker haven’t started - they started yrs. ago when he suddenly spiked. Abuse of power is when the world #1 ducks a dope test… ---
Novak was w/i the venue of the event when approached t/b tested. And he used his status to put it off. Yes, it has made the news, but I don't see the same kerfuffle when he refused a test. - IDK if Novak used the Troicki defence. He might've complained it was too close to the match…***
When Miami stole Tyreek Hill, they were off in running w/ the media, the fans, & the sports comms. out there! They all promised great things w/ that +tion while KC would suffer! They got a lit'l of both, but Miami hasn't fulfilled any of that promise & The Chiefs got their 2nd SB w/o Ty! I'm very upset w/ him! It had t/b all about $$! I'd've given KC a discount to keep that team together! A dynasty was in the making, but greed can't be helped I guess!
***...If you’re hanging your hopes on Flacco it’s dire X's. ---
Not as dire as having an inexperienced, unproven, poorly performing rookie. If Flacco's 75% of his prime, we can make the playoffs. Elite defenses elevate avg. QB play. See early Tom Brady.***
Flacco will always be one of my heroes! A decade ago he threw a 70 yd. bomb TD pass to get into OT to knock the Broncos out of the playoffs w/ a FG!
***You go get a QB that has experience & the proven capability t/b effective in the NFL. Flacco won’t light things up, but he’s seen it all, & can keep mistakes down & prob. make a few big throws when needed. ---
Flacco can get us to the playoffs... once you're in, anything can happen, = fairtytales. But if you rely on a fairytale to make the playoffs, you prob. w/b on the outside looking in. ---
It looks like the Bills might lose the rest of their games & go 6 & 11 this season. 11 & 6 w/b >, but things do not seem t/b going the Bills way recently. At least Josh Allen has made the Bills comp. this season. I think the Bills are a lot >er > their rec. They almost beat the Eagles who have the best rec. in the NFL.***
The Bills have been snake-bit for as long as I can recall! From "Wide Right" & "Music City Miracle" to allowing KC to beat them in the playoffs w/ only 13 secs. & now this season! They've always found ways to lose no matter how good their team! Wilson made a bad deal w/ Satan & the curse is The Bills will only "get close" to >ness! I stuck w/ them thru their 4-peat as they destroyed Marino & the Miami Dolphins yr. in & yr. out, then NE snuck up on them! They haven't been the same since! The success of late w/ Josh has been fleeting as they lose these close games again & again!
***I think this season was tanked by the John Madden curse. Putting Josh Allen on Madden '24 was a huge mistake. - I don't have a fave team, but every yr. I find myself hoping they'll win it all after those horribly painful cons. SB losses in the early '90s. It was bad enough that the Bills never won when Ralph Wilson owned the team, but Marv Levy's in his late 90s too, so it w/b terrible if they never won in his lifeX either. I don't see it happening this yr. w/ how inconsistent they have been. Better luck next season. ---
I predict the Bills win over the Chiefs by a FG on Sun. the Chiefs have 4 starters out so the Bills should win; I hope. It's defin. a 'must win' for the Bills.***
I'm a big KC fan, but they haven't been the same since losing Hill! Tyreek's doing his thing in Miami, but he w/b iconic pairing w/ Mahomes! He left for the $$ & I think that was a huge mistake! The receiving has been abismal on the team w/ Kelso even dropping balls, probably distracted by Taylor Swift! KC hasn't just been losing games, they've looked amateurish doing it! I've been very disappointed and they've made themselves hard to watch!
***Good win by the Bills over the Chiefs.***
Lucky win! Being off-side by an idiot KC receiver saved the game for them or it would've been another bad loss! Let's be real & honest! Allen was so fortunate to avert another shattering defeat!
***Mahomes was saying it was a really bad call kind of trivial.***
The frustration comes into play b/c this tragically happened sev. yrs. ago vs Brady & the Pats! It was a Playoff game where KC was up, but @ the end when finishing them off, KC intercepted Brady, but he was saved by a lineman off-side giving The Pats another 4 downs, eventually losing! Shame to lose like that!
***Evidence from officer’s body cam was not permitted as evidence, nor was footage from a prev. drug arrest allowed in, which showed Geo.Floyd eating the drug evidence during the arrest by Chauvin.
Another key issue was how long it took the ambulance to show up, despite a cop radioing in to get one as soon as Floyd said he couldn’t breathe, which was early on, when he was still standing.
Now, I’m not stating Chauvin was completely innocent. He had no reason to keep Floyd in that pos. for as long as he did. While Floyd did initially put up resistance when the police were trying to get him into the cop car.***
Well it certainly reads as giving Chauvin an out! Watching the news, this shit happens every day somewhere in the country! We have a serious issue, but we can't say "cut the cops!" It's already the fk'n Wild West out there! We need them = if mentally deficient! The people are just as crazy w/ Karens & Kens terrorizing neighborhoods just as much as criminals!
***...I hate people like that. Freedom of speech, to call somebody a killer? Lowlife…***
Well, we have Trump here in the States taking "freedom of speech" past the limits if poss. by someone so delusional! ...Using campaign funds to pay for these civil matters is Karma for the idiots actually giving $$ to someone who brags about having > $$ > any other! FOOLS!
***Evidence from officer’s body cam was not permitted as evidence, nor was body cam footage from a prev. drug arrest allowed in, which showed Geo.Floyd eating the drug evidence during the arrest by Chauvin. B/c of a miscomm. btwn. the dispatcher & the EMS crew they didn’t arrive for about 20 mins.
...there’s the indication some cops lied on the witness stand about the method of restraint, & the autopsy depicted the cause of death as not being related to a knee on the neck/strangulatIon. IDK what the status is of an appeal, but there does seem t/b enuf doubt cast on the events to allow another look @ what happened.
Now, I’m not stating Chauvin was completely innocent, either. IMO, he had no reason to keep Floyd in that pos. for as long as he did. While Floyd did initially put up resistance when the police were trying to get him into the cop car, by the X he had been on the ground for = a min. or 2, he had given up any form of resistance, so I don’t think Chauvin was justified in restraining him for about 8 mins.***
Well it certainly reads as giving Chauvin an out! I can't imagine being laid out like that for so long as other cops stood around w/ witnesses a plenty! I'm still disgusted = though I took this incident as just another of many! Watching the news, this shit happens every day somewhere in the country! We have a serious issue, but we can't say "cut the cops!" It's already the fk'n Wild West out there! We need those cops even if mentally deficient! The people are just as crazy w/ Karens & Kens terrorizing neighborhoods just as much as criminals!
***...There are bodycam angles & a suppressed autopsy that show conclusively that Geo Floyd wasn’t murdered. Chauvin didn’t kill him. Race wasn’t an issue in the attempt to arrest him for committing a crime. The police were trying to help him, not kill him, & that there was confusion that delayed the EMS.
...You’re correct, BTW, when you say “it’s the fk'n Wild West out there.” They show stats of how violent crime has risen. The culture has changed.***
***...I hate people like that. Freedom of speech, to call somebody a killer?***
Well, we have Trump here in the States taking "freedom of speech" past the limits if poss. by someone so delusional! He's accusing the judge & his assts. of conspiring against him during the trial!
***The Reps. wanted the Clinton's blood = B4 Clinton took office. Couldn’t find anything in objective reality, til the Bj's & the lie.***
It was w/ Clinton in office it was discovered Reps. didn’t GAF about the country! Things were running swimmingly under Clinton, the budget was balanced, & a SUR+ was created! They didn’t like that; whining, complaining, & kvetchin’ on anything & everything trying to bring this man down low! I’m still disgusted & haven’t forgiven Reps. since! They’ve only gotten worse in their hatred to the ideas of compromise so they’re not reachable w/ common sense, logic, or facts! I’m just plain done w/ them for all X's; esp. after anointing an animal like Trump as their leader!
***...I don’t think what Israel is doing is evil. Unfort. they have to destroy the real evil that hides next door & Palestinians are suffering b/c of it, but - Israel needs to destroy Hamas or face destruction itself.***
Decades ago, you never heard a disparaging word about the Jews in the Mid'l East! They were thought t/b victims! I just kept my mouth shut, esp. due to my step-dad being Jewish! I've always had a prob. w/ the situation! As a young child, I just didn't see the "common sense" in building in an area surrounded by "haters!" IMO, it w/b like the NAACP setting up shop in the mid'l of the Aryan Nation in the NW woods of the USA! Insane! I haven't been pleased by their leadership since Golda Meir! Sharon & Netanyahu (fam. of crooks like Trumps) were & have been just as thuggish, being just as terroristic killers as Humas & Palestinian haters of the Jewish state! Israel is getting & growing hate w/ their victimization of women & kids! Call me an a-hole; I don't GAF!
***..An elective abortion is not health care. It's a life style choice. Even then, most of us aren't interfering w/ women's choices, particularly if it's done in a X-ly manner.***
Elective, but someX's nec. to save the life of the mother! Plastic surgery is something totally electible, but suing for minor errors happen > often > not! I don't think people have a leg to stand on either way, but it still happens! We elect these fools to make laws that make no fk'n sense! I have lit'l to no sympathy for any concerned! She prob. supported the legis. until she needed a waiver due to her circumstances!
***Everyone has access to Birth Control. There's a simple universal principle called the Law of Cause & Effect.***
All that education & sophistication & women are found to still be special kinds of idiots! X birth controls are out there w/ abortion pills, but they're still dealing w/ unwanted pregnancies! It's worse in the Black community where these fools have X kids w/ X fathers; NONE as husbands! I just SMH saying to myself, "the > things change, the > they stay the same" in this circumstance of life! WTF?
***That’s right, and yet there are people who’d say it’s racist to pt. out that deadbeat dads are @ rec. hts. in the black comm.. I think in England the woman has to name the father of the child’s B4 the state will entertain the notion of giving her $$ for it. Then the state goes after the father - and he pays.
It’s not racist to wonder why single mothers are @ a rec. ht. in black comm. in Amer., compared to others. And that violent crime's rife. It’s just noticing what’s going on. Denzel Wash'ton's asking the grown up ??: where was his father? It starts in the house.
SomeX's there’s racism in the dem. party that looks @ black peoples as a sub species that can’t control itself, everything bad that happens to them is all whitey’s fault. There's a gain there for them if they can keep telling the black person they’re a victim. ...***
Slam faves: Djokovic, Alcaraz Slam contenders: Rafa (RG only), Med, Sinner Slam darkhorses: Rublev, Zverev, Tsitsipas, Rune, Shelton, FAA, Hurkacz (Wimbl.)***
Very DARKHORSES! These guys are struggling to make Masters' finals! I'm just not sure WTH's going to happen in '24! It's too easy to say Novak'd continue his dom., b/c it has to stop sooner or later! I give him the AO until he's actually knocked off by someone playing >er! The rest of the season is up for grabs IMO; esp. w/ the Olympics coming up & the lead up in MC, Paris, & Wimbledon! ;-)
***Fed didn't blow it in the OG '12 final. His legs were toast after the crazy long SF vs Del Potro unfortunately.***
True enough Del Po kept Roger out there, but he was supposedly the Grass GOAT! Murray was another one of his pigeons so it still surprised all!
***I'll never understand what took Fed so long to realize that his BH needed to improve. I've read some interview w/ Ljubicic & mentioned Fed's BH & how they started to work on it.***
After all those yrs. of losing to his rivals, Fed was stubborn to a change. Other 2 adapted >er & changed their game > to stay on top.
That's what it's all about; stubborness & ego-mania! Fed had had it so easily after Sampras, Safin, & others had retired, he didn't think he needed to do anything special to keep winning; esp. after taking 3 of 4 majors 3 X's early on! Roddick being his main rival, truly was his pigeon only coming close to beating Roger in a major @ '09 Wimbl., but choked it away w/ a lead!
***Did this remind you of anyone?***
Wow! You truly are delusional AF! You say you're fair & bal., then say something as ridiculous as this; = as a joke it's silly! I'm assuming you're referring to Novak by way of Fedal retiring! Nadal won everything in '10, then in '11 Novak def. him 7 str. X's in finals stopping his roll! Nole was winning over both B4 '11, then afterwards kicked their asses in their primes! Djokovic has had to deal w/ many elite players who're actually beating him @ X's today; = on clay; Alcaraz, Rune, Sinner, etc.! If you compare Fed emerging on top in '03 w/ Roddick, Nalbandien, Agassi, & Hewitt on their last legs to ND, you can't be reached! Either seek help or "get off the pipe!" If you're tryng to PO me, you're doing a > job!
***The 4 Musketeers: Rene Lacoste, Henri Cochet, Jean Borotra &...Jacques Brugnon.
Lacoste had an interesting career b/c it was very short, but dominant. He retired early due to illness (a resp. disease). He played only 305 matches, but won 262 of them (85.9%), includ. 7 Slams & 20 Masters =lents. Cochet won 8 Slams, a pro Slam, & 27 Masters =lents, but it was over 800+ matches. Borotra won 4 Slams & 18 Masters =lents in almost 800 matches. Brugnon was a far impressive now w/ jet air-flight, 1st class hotel acccoms., app. $$ @ every event, & huge paydays to win! Back then it was about the "LOVE of The GAME!" I'm sure they say they "Love" the game today, but it's not the same! Players back then were only apprec. by other tennis players! You c/b still anonymous w/ the fame of being #1 in a game like tennis! HOAD chb huge in the sport but for a hernia showing off lifting heavy-wts.! In '56 he was in the USO Final to complete a CYGS, but lost to Rosewall in 4 sets! Back issues restricted & curtailed his career thru the 60's, but won his share of Pro Slams! He went into the military for a while, but managed to play on tour until '73! He owned Laver starting out 8-0 over The Rocket early on!
***...Rafa was in "God-mode" that '08 clay season, and the highlights are worth it. Obviously, the '19 AO Final was far less of a car-crash, but worth watching over-and-over? You pretend to be such a student and historian of the game, and you swear that your allegiance-switch was about Fedal getting too much glory. If that were true, you'd have more appreciation for Nadal and his game. Instead, you're just fanboy with an agenda. Keep rewatching boring matches.
Me, I'm rewatching Alcaraz d. Djokovic on TC replay today, to figure out how Charlie might just have the bead on him for 2024, and my predictions for the year to come. (Just to bring it back around to topic.) IMO, if Alcaraz could pick off Novak in the Wimbledon final, at 20, he can do anything. 2024 could be the start of his best years. (Scary, right?) ===
...Anyhow, no need to compare - it was a diff. world & game. But there's a continuity that verifies that the past greats were truly great. I mean, consider how we can connect all of tennis history in just a handful of players:
Roger or Rafa (1) played Andre Agassi (2), who played Jimmy Connors (3), who played Pancho Gonzales (4) who played Bill Tilden (5) in 1951 when Tilden was 57. Tilden started in 1912 -- so that's 111 yrs. of tennis in just 5 careers that overlapped, if only for a match. "Five Degrees to Bill Tilden."
The game evolved, but it was gradual and through the players, not outside of them. To illustrate this, let's do some match-researching:
...Match 3 ('89): We chg w/ Connors fabled SF run @ the USO as a WC in '91, but let's go w/ the QF of the '89 SF, which was the last yr. that Connors was in the top 10 - he ended '88 @ #7 & '89 @ #14, then missed > of '90 B4 coming back as a top 50-100 guy for 2 yrs. in 91-92 & the fading out. Anyhow, Connors faced a 19-yo by the name of Andre Agassi, losing in 5 sets. Connors = doled out a bagel in the 3rd set. Agassi reached (and lost in) his 3rd Slam SF in the last 4 tries, & had 3 Masters titles to his name. He wasn't yet in his peak, but he was an elite player who had finished the previous yr. @ #3.
Match 4 ('05): Agassi's now 35 & reaches what became his last Slam final, facing a guy who had won 4 of the prev. 7 Slams; a peak Roger Federer. He lost to Roger in 4 sets, but it wasn't a push over.
Match 5 ('19): We could take any # of Roger's final few yrs. when he was still a very good player & beating > everyone not named Novak Djokovic. He was losing to the young guys too, though, but holding his own until nearly the very end. But as late as the '19 Tour Finals he beat Novak & Berrettini in the RR, though lost to Tsitsipas in the SF.
...Tilden & Rosewall deserve t/b on the short list of >est male tennis players in history, regard< of the era they played in. Only Gonzales, Laver, Connors, Borg, McEnroe, Lendl, Sampras, Fedal, & Djokovic could really be considered in the same category, & I think they deserve t/b above 1/2 of those guys (Tennis Abstract his Tilden 4th behind only Laver, Djokovic, & Fed; & Rosewall 8th...I'd put Nadal ahead of both, but might put Tilden & Rosewall 5th & 6th all-X).***
***What did you think of the way Donald & Melania treated Joe when they didn't give a welcome? Joe went there to take up office as all previous outgoing presidents have done. Trump = went so far as to sacking the man who opens the door to let the incoming president in. Additionally, they didn't attend the inauguration.***
Trump delayed the transition to the extent of holding up funds Biden was to get to start his admin. in Dec. ‘20! The Trumps don’t deserve any consideration! They’re thugs in $10 K suits! I have no respect for them & deserve any disrespect they get! They disrespected the Presidency, all Federal institutions, & blatantly abused the office! Screw Melania & her crooked husband! They should expect t/b treated like criminals b/c that's what they are!
***Trump's a victim of his own poor decisions.***
He's no victim! If anything Trump has victimized the entire country, system, & Fed. institutions!
***No where near as much as the Clinton's, Obama's, & Biden's!***
No matter how many X's you repeat it, history tells us they fixed what Reps. fk'd up! Clinton actually created a Sur+ w/ the Nat'l Debt going down! Obama passed Nat'l Healthcare & brought the deficits down! Biden's rec.'s still in progress, but unemployment is under 4%, gas prices down, no recession or inflation spikes, & recovering from Trump's incompetent handling of Covid-19 Pandemic! Either find a new song to sing or give it up! You're embarrassing yourself, but if a Trump supporter, you prob. don't GAF! Lying's like a day at the beach for your type!
***Nothing like playing the phony insurrection slogan.***
Blinders on I see! I guess no one died Jan 6th on the steps of Congress! I supposed it was a picnic that got out of hand as those animals shit on the Congressional floor & destroyed offices! Such losers, but we deserve it! We're getting dumber in the States! Women set themselves back 50 yrs. going for Trump over Hillary so we deserve how fk'd up the country has become!
***Pelosi calling for 'uprisings.' When is she going t/b charged?***
Pelosi was the most eff. Speaker in memory! The Reps. viciously attacked her while they couldn't ct. votes when they were in control! How many X's did they need to find someone to take the job; 3-4 X's since Boehner! Pelosi passed 200 Bills while Reps. lost votes on their own legis.! So much incompetence on "the right!" It's sad the country gives these clowns a chance & to this day they can't get their own ducks in a row much < compromise w/ Dems! It's pathetic on a level inconceivable a decade or 2 ago!
***Pelosi knew what it took to pass legis. Something Reps. are incapable of. - Career Civil Servants keep the Gov't running. Pol. Appointees are partisan & come & go as new admins. take over. They're bound by existing rules, laws & procedures.***
During the Trump yrs., he & his admin. ran out the > exper. talent who were cons.! Many of these people had been on the job for 30+ yrs.! I'm really surprised things haven't finally crumbled @ the Fed w/ the leeches left behind by Trump who're loyal to him! The real harm may have already started! Heaven knows Congress is a freakin' mess w/ near illiterates in charge! This new Speaker chosen is clue< & hasn't been in office long enough to know what he's doing!
***Why voters continue to vote for these monsters is beyond me.***
They want these monsters to do exactly what they're doing! It started w/ Trump's SC w/ unqual. Assoc. on an agenda & that was to overturn Roe v Wade! Congrats ladies! You kept voting for these monsters & you got what you wanted! You've been set back 50 yrs & no one else c/b blamed but women who have the majority of the vote! They kept supporting & installing cons. monsters in office! They finally got the ? radical enough to trash 50 yrs of precedent to turn the country upside down over a privacy law! I'm still sick! I threw out my feminist card! You're on your own ladies! Ya fk'd up & t's gonna cost you big X!
***The US Const. says what about treason?
"Treason vs the US, shall consist only in levying War vs them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid & Comfort."
It's very vague.***
Since Trump was fellating Putin throughout his admin., does that ct.?
***Depends on what secrets he sold them. Telling Putin he’ll hand the Ukraine over to him if he's re-elected is def. giving comfort to Putin. ---
Why would ANY US presidential campaign have 140 contacts w/ a foreign gov't, let alone Russia?***
We forgot Trump took pictures w/ Russians Spies actually brought into The West Wing! For all we know, they planted "bugs" all over the place! When his supporters couldn't = pretend to think that wasn't a big deal, the level of acceptance had gone into the sewer! From then on, I promised to never vote for a right-winger for ANYTHING! EveryX I think they couldn't get any lower, over the yrs. they outdid themselves sinking to debts akin to the era of Caligula! After the insurrection you'd think sanity'd finally prevail, but here we are, just escaping the fall of our democracy, Trump's still running the show; barely causing a few marriages to brk. up like Geo. & Kelly Ann Conway! I wonder why it took him so long to divorce such a woman? The drama continues! It's seems we're destined to collapse so don't be surprised if they sneak this one out somehow! They already had a dry-run in 2020!
***White Nat'lists mark Trump win w/ Nazi salute.***
The Brotherhood has been backing Trump since the beginning! The media tried to make a big deal w/ it, but like everything else, it was like "water off a duck's back!" Trump's Teflon is made of Vibranium!
***A person who's demoralized is unable to assess true info.***
I think Obama getting elected, then re-elected in '12 drove 1/2 the country out of their coll. minds! They got together & decided, it was worth sinking to depths unimaginable to get back into power! The country's reward has been a cons. SC who set some women's rights back 50 yrs.! I tore up my feminist card telling myself, "there are > women in the country, but they keep voting for pols promising to take away their rights!" I was done after helping to put Trump in office over Hillary! The self-hate of women was proved! They can't stand one another! They're > responsible > any # of moronic men who vote for creatures akin to swamp creatures! It's getting worse all the X! I just thank I'm a Sr. & if the country tanks, I won't live that > longer to care!
Someone voted for these clowns! When are people gonna start pointing the finger @ themselves when horrible things like this begin to happen? People are acting surprised! This is what these cons. clowns have been trying to do for decades; elim. abortions! Would we care as much if the woman was poor & a minority? Can we guess?
***Dear Rep. women: how can you be okay w/ this? I just can’t believe how far right the GOP has gone. I used to vote Rep. in some elections, but that Rep. Party I knew is gone & it’s both depressing & terrifying.***
This is what these women wanted & voted for! Don't pt. fingers @ the Pols! They're only doing what many women wanted; abortion veto no matter the cost!
***Why voters continue to vote for these monsters is beyond me.***
They want these monsters to do exactly what they're doing! It started w/ Trump's SC w/ unqual. Assoc. on an agenda & that was to overturn Roe v Wade! Congrats ladies! You kept voting for these monsters & you got what you wanted! You've been set back 50 yrs & no one else c/b blamed but women who have the majority of the vote! They kept supporting & installing cons. monsters in office! They finally got the ? radical enough to trash 50 yrs of precedent to turn the country upside down over a privacy law! I'm still sick! I threw out my feminist card! You're on your own ladies! Ya fk'd up & t's gonna cost you big X!
***The US Const. says what about treason?
"Treason vs the US, shall consist only in levying War vs them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid & Comfort."
It's very vague.***
Since Trump was fellating Putin throughout his admin., does that ct.?
***Depends on what secrets he sold them. Telling Putin he’ll hand the Ukraine over to him if he's re-elected is def. giving comfort to Putin. ---
Why would ANY US presidential campaign have 140 contacts w/ a foreign gov't, let alone Russia?***
We forgot Trump took pictures w/ Russians Spies actually brought into The West Wing! For all we know, they planted "bugs" all over the place! When his supporters couldn't = pretend to think that wasn't a big deal, the level of acceptance had gone into the sewer! From then on, I promised to never vote for a right-winger for ANYTHING! EveryX I think they couldn't get any lower, over the yrs. they outdid themselves sinking to debts akin to the era of Caligula! After the insurrection you'd think sanity'd finally prevail, but here we are, just escaping the fall of our democracy, Trump's still running the show; barely causing a few marriages to brk. up like Geo. & Kelly Ann Conway! I wonder why it took him so long to divorce such a woman? The drama continues! It's seems we're destined to collapse so don't be surprised if they sneak this one out somehow! They already had a dry-run in 2020!
***White Nat'lists mark Trump win w/ Nazi salute.***
The Brotherhood has been backing Trump since the beginning! The media tried to make a big deal w/ it, but like everything else, it was like "water off a duck's back!" Trump's Teflon is made of Vibranium!
***A person who's demoralized is unable to assess true info.***
I think Obama getting elected, then re-elected in '12 drove 1/2 the country out of their coll. minds! They got together & decided, it was worth sinking to depths unimaginable to get back into power! The country's reward has been a cons. SC who set some women's rights back 50 yrs.! I tore up my feminist card telling myself, "there are > women in the country, but they keep voting for pols promising to take away their rights!" I was done after helping to put Trump in office over Hillary! The self-hate of women was proved! They can't stand one another! They're > responsible > any # of moronic men who vote for creatures akin to swamp creatures! It's getting worse all the X! I just thank I'm a Sr. & if the country tanks, I won't live that > longer to care!
***It seems the only thing that will stop The 49'rs is injuries.***
Experts are so down on Purdy! He was winning, but he got no credit for it!
***I think none of us w/b shocked if 49rs, Detroit, Dallas, Miami, KC, Bills, Browns, etc. end up losing to someone eventually in the playoffs. ...No one is unbeatable. The Lion's have a chance. Not afraid of Dallas any>, that's for sure. Although now, if we play them it w/b in Dallas b/c the refs suck.***
Speaking of Dallas, Jimmy Johnson was finally inducted into the Cowboys "Ring of Honor!" Firing him was prob. up there as one of the worst, bonehead decisions ever! I'd put it up there w/ Boston selling off Ruth to the Yankees! ...Johnson's the best assessor of talent ever! He played no faves &'d let you go if you couldn't help the team NOW!
Detroit started out good; got a FG & then intercepted Dax, but haven't been able to do anything > = though running the ball well!
***I'm a long X Cowboy fan. So a win is always going t/b better > a loss.***
Skip Bayless mhb stroking out in his chair! He m/b too drained for "Undisputed" Mon.!
***I don't get why Campbell went for 2 from the 7 yard line after the penalty.***
When on the road, it's suggested to go for the win! I think it was the best decision, but Lions aren't solid enough to actually get it done! I recall from the late 90's, Minn. w/ Dennis Green (as coach) was in the same position, but went for the tie instead of the win w/ a 2 pt. conversion! Dallas got the ball 1st & Emmitt Smith ran about 65 yards for the win on the 1st play of OT!
***Rodgers & Kimmel feud "is on" after being accused of being on the Epstein list.***
Since I don't do Kimmel, I have no idea where all this animus is coming from! Why'd Rodgers invoke his name in reference to Epstein?
***I think Kimmel fired shots @ Rodgers over his vaccine status.***
I recall Rodgers' story! He has been a total a-hole; lying about his status, going to a crowded Halloween party w/o vax, then acquires Covid-19 unable to play 2 games!
***Why'd an elite athlete in prime physical health get vax'd for COVID?***
We're talking about a TEAM, not just an individual! When Djokovic refused vax 2 yrs. ago, he was an individual player! Passing on the virus was < likely! It cost him a few tourns., was banned from Austr., but came back strong in '23 to dom. = though limited play due to his age!
***Whatever happened w/ the Favre thing?***
The investigation is ongoing! He's being looked @ along w/ 30-40 other people ripping off millions!
Stephen A. Smith's crazy, an idiot, a liar, & FOS! He's a plant who's no real expert in sports! He's a fraud!
***This has been a long X coming, he finally speaks on it. I'm here for it on You Tube.***
Speak on it! What does calling Jason a "fat bastard" have to do w/ the subject @ hand? SA's a "balding POS!" How'd he like that? Jason never called him out his name! SA's a fraud & no real expert in sports! He's an embarrassment, but that's what the "powers that be" want; someone they can control! Katt Williams speaks eloquently on the subject!
***Jason Whitlock's the only dude I know of who can get SAS this tight every X he mentions his name.***
Jason's the only one to expose SA for being a fraud & no real writer of sports! There are receipts & evidence of his incompetence! I've seen & heard him make terrible mistakes while on "First Take" that are terribly embarrassing! He's a fool & an idiot!
***Jason's telling the truth.***
SA's in total denial! He's now going back to an article from '15 to undermine Jason! He's too desperate for words!
***Put the crack down.***
If that's the best you got, SA doesn't have a chance! You have t/b a complete loser if you believe SA over Jason! I'm no fan of JW, but he's not a liar & a fraud! That identifies > w/ SA who's a real tool & idiot!
***Jason Fatlock's gonna be exposed.***
JW has receipt to show SA's a fraud & a liar! After playing 1 game, how do you avg. 1.5 pts. in that Sr. season after he supposedly blew out his knee? HOW? The math ain't mathing!
***17 str. 3 pt'rs; yeah right.***
He was Curry B4 there was a Curry! lol!
***So was Kimmel on the Epstein list?***
He was not! Now Rodgers has been kicked off the "Pat McAfee Show" for the rest of the season for defaming the talk show host!
***There's > evidence Aaron Rodgers' asst. Kevin Lanflisi is his gay lover > there is evidence Jimmy flew on Epstein's plane. How come Aaron can't keep a GF. Did Danica Patrick confirm they consumated the relationship when they "dated?" I don't think so. Beard.***
I was such a fan of Rodgers! I commiserated w/ what he had to go thru w/ Favre hanging on for much too long! I was one to tout his talent, athletic ability, & how cerebral a player he was! I made excuses when the Packers came up short! I was so glad he finally got a SB over 10 yrs. ago! The last sev. yrs. just showed him t/b an arrogant ass playing Hamlet every season like Favre! I totally jumped off his bandwagon w/ the C-19 debacle! He showed a true lack of character & maturity w/ his behavior & outright lying to the public like a Trump apostle! After going to the Jets, it was true Karma w/ him going down early this past season! The org. was already a joke & he wound up being the "Kimmel" of the show! They were talking about him > anything in the media!
***In my mind Rodgers' such a scumbag. He's the kind of guy who'd sign a contract or 2 after he knows in his heart he just doesn't have it any>. He makes a lot of $$. I don't think he works out very hard. So he'll take the ball, throw it, or run w/ it for as long as he can. ...Most athletes I believe don't want to go out that way. That's how you w/b remembered. But clearly Rodgers doesn't care what people think about him, or he doesn't mind being the asshole. And if he's a con., why'd he give up big $$ people are willing to give him? He knows he's a bad investment. Do you think Trump would turn away $$ b/c the person was making a bad or risky investment? I predict he'll run for politics. Possibly for the Presidency. Reps. will love him.***
***Gronk just said Mike McCarthy's in trouble. Dallas is down 27-7 in the 1st Half of their playoff game.***
I find this > a lit'l amusing w/ The Cowboys! Even when they started sliding in the late 90's, they were still able to beat GB & Favre! Rodgers, now Love will continue to own them! Too bizarre!
***Okay, only down 17. If they come up w/ a stop or TO, then score, it'll be 10 pts. Come on GB. Get at least 3 & eat up a lot of clock. Take it to the 4th up 20.
All I know is if Dallas gets bounced in the 1st Rd., I don't want to hear anyone next yr. say Dallas is going to win it all. No they aren't. LOL.***
GB scored another TD! I think they have this! Not a fan of "Undisputed," but have to watch Skip Baseless & Michael Irving crawl into a hole after this embarr. perform. yet again! Being #2 seed did them no good or favors as they go down in flames to a WC team that prob. shouldn't have been in the playoffs! They thought having a "home game" would help; IT DIDN'T!
***I heard Taylor finally let Travis go to 2nd base & he's been playing > >er. Promised him 3rd base if he wins the next game. Sex for the next 1 & anal for SB.***
IDK who'd want to deal w/ that ne'er-do-well skank? She's gone thru just about all the single celebs in Hollywood & molested a Kennedy kid! She's disgusting & I have no idea why she's not taken to task for spreading herself around for well over 10 yrs.!
***I hope they lose BIG & say good-bye!***
Couldn't happen to a > deserving franchise of arrogance! They scored TD, then get flagged on the successful 2 pt. conv.! After the penalty, they miss the PAT when it "donked" off the upright! GB scoring @ will now w/ it getting out of hand B4 the 4th Qtr.! They're up 41-16 now! McCarthy >er have his resume typed up! Jerry can't ignore this embarrassment! The fans are already booing! ===
I don't pay as > attn. to the nuts & bolts of any games these days; dropping some sports! Golf's the 1st to go being run by blood $$ of the Mid'l East! Tennis seems t/b on it's way! Baseball WS going on & it's so easy to miss it altogether! I haven't watched > @ all since Wh. Sox won it in '05! I didn't = realize The Cubs took it a dec.+ later = though I live w/i 2 miles of Wrigley Field! Never been a hockey person & selec. watch a lit'l of the NBA! More a fan of Calif. teams so have no idea what's going on w/ the BULLS! I can't keep up w/ the sports' banter since players coming & going, contracts brk'n, susp., & worst of all analysts become the story > the sports! END RANT! ===
***When the heavywt. Div. didn’t have a true larger > life champ. ...In older X's, everybody (= non-boxing fans) knew who the Heavywt. champ was. Foreman, Ali, Tyson, were all mainstream stars. Now the >er stars are in the lighter Wts, which usually don’t get the same amt. of attn. though turning aroun).***
I haven't paid much attn. to BOXING since Tyson bit off part of Holyfield's ear! It got comical @ X's w/ scoring controversies! Buster Douglas was supposedly losing his fight in Japan vs Tyson B4 knocking out the champ! Then George Forman's comeback & subsequent reign as a bloated grandfather of 8 prob. "did in" boxing for all X IMO! It couldn't be taken seriously; esp. in the Heavywt. Div.! All this OTTH!
I just heard Nadal's out of the '24 AO! Not surprising if already kvetchin' about injury in Brisbane! It can only get worse for him as he approaches 38 yo playing such a defensive game! What else is going to happen as he ages out? I didn't think he'd embarrass himself to the last like Fed! SURPRISE! What an idiot!
***Aukland / ASB Classic started tonight w/ Ben Shelton the top seed!***
Anyone taking bets if he'll get out of the 2nd or 3rd Rd.? He's been on my bad side acting out & disrespecting Djokovic @ the USO last yr.! Be confident all you like, but you can't be an a-hole when it comes to the Big 3 of the past gen.! Shap got a WC so it w/b good to see him after all this X! Wolf already upset in the 1st Rd. thanks to Van Assche! ---
Well, I was off by a Rd. or 2, but right about Shelton! He coudn't get past unseeded Taro Daniel in the SF! He had a great chance to win Aukland w/ Qual. Tabilo making the final over Fils who played well, but had a couple sloppy games costing him in the end! There was a good field, but > of the top players were upset & not ready to win @ the beginning of the season! The 1st Rd. draw of the AO's quite tough, so the upsets will continue > likely!
***I'm not going to make excuses. It was just Taro Daniel's day. He just didn't miss anything, while Shelton was a lit'l off. That happens, it's tennis. Even Alcaraz lost some matches to players he shouldn't've. What I can almost guarantee is that Daniel will never play that well again. I wouldn't be surprised if he lost to Tabilo in the final. ---
Dino's got pretty good game for a young scrub. Novak praised him a lot after the match. Let's see how this youngster will progress going further.***
It's that very mature way of undermining Novak & this era by calling the kid a scrub! It's ridiculous of course, but what can we do? My only fault w/ Prižmić is he was red-lining the entire match, lit. trying to take the cover off the ball on every shot! He's worked out a lot for an 18 yo, so has very strong arms & legs normally reserved for pro weight lifters; very impressive thighs! I think I prefer his legs over Rune's; didn't think it poss.! Dino, like Alcaraz needs to pull back just a lit'l or both'll have much shorter careers due to physically brk'n down! He had a brace on his elbow & needed his leg strapped early in the match! That's so rare for a player this young! He's doing it to himself! Again, I blame parents & coaches when kids are pushed to overdo it to compete vs MEN! Girls had the problem back "in the day" w/ Jaeger & Austin! They have the early success, but it doesn't last & were guaranteed frequent & serious injuries!
***I didn’t see it, but qualifiers c/b dangerous 1st Rd. opps. for the seeds.***
I said the 1st Rd. looked tough! Dino prob. would've beaten anyone else but Novak! Tiafoe was lucky not to go down in flames w/ Coric having 2 set pts. in that 2nd set TB! It should've gone 5 sets @ least like Fritz who were both barely able to get to the 2nd Rd.!
***Fingers crossed that Djokovic is elim. in the next Rd.***
Hatah's gonna hate! Doesn't that sound kind of sad & pathetic conspiring to overcome an old man of 36+? B/c the man has managed his playing X >er > kiddies, you want to put the thumb on the scale to help overcome The GOAT! BO3 is one of the ways you can get your way I guess! Most of Novak's bad losses in DC, UC, & The Olympics occurred as a result of abbr. matches, BO3! All I can do is SMH! Try again! Novak w/b long gone by the X any changes can occur to help the hatah's out there!
***Stephen A Smith thinks Jerry Jones will suck up his pride, fire McCarthy & hire Belicheck. Belicheck has lost the privilege of asking for full control. Dallas is the perfect fit after such a humiliating loss to GB. A highly talented team who needs the right coach.
IDK how the owner gets so much blame? Not one tackle, block, pass, or catch was done by Jones. He pays these players 10's of millions each to play consistent & not give games away. Packers went the length of the field on the opening drive easily. 7-0. How is that the 82 yo owners fault? ---
He sets the culture & thinks he’s a drafting wizard, etc, etc. How often did Kraft do pressers? The Rooneys? If you don’t think he’s involved in other aspects behind the scenes….***
There's nothing new when it comes to owners who get too involved in the running & overall cultural mngmt. of his team! The >est is obviously Jerry, but the same mismanagement of a team goes to past owners like Al Davis & Daniel Snyder!
***The players were going into revolt if Jones didn't pay the "Black QB." I was against it b/c of the blown out knee he had, nothing else. His mobility was hampered.***
Dak, like > players has an inflated sense of his abilities & how much he's needed to lead the team! It's like he doesn't care that the backup QB did just as well last season while he was injured! What bugs me is things don't necess. improve when he demands & gets these huge contratcs! It isn't enough of course as we see him doing commercials to steal even > $$ when he hasn't won shit! The only thing that I approve of is it's happening to Jerry! He makes you want a disaster after sabotaging his own team 30 yrs. ago due to his own inflated ego! It's prob. what's made him a successful businessman, but it's not helping his team win! He hasn't changed much; slowing down just a lit'l & allowing his son to have a say in what goes on!
***The Eagles have struggled in the last month of this season. It w/b interesting to see which Eagles team shows up today.***
Amazing how far Philly has fallen! If it had been the whole season, I'd think it made sense after playing a SB, but they were 10-1 & fell off a cliff! The losses have been terrible & embarrassing as well! Now in the playoffs, they look = worse, making Mayfield look like a pro-bowler!
***You're right about that. This has been the > complete collapse of a highly rated team that I can recall in recent yrs. They = looked demoralized when the game was still w/i reach. ...I've been kind of a Baker Mayfield "sympathizer" this season b/c there were high hopes for him @ 1 X, & this was his shot to redeem himself. Even if the Bucs don't win another game, they've already surpassed what was predicted for them.***
You're not the only Mayfield sympathizer! Way back when Skip Bayless was a huge fan when he played in Cleveland! He touted him again & again until he was finally traded away! Mayfield's been a nomad ever since!
***I forgot that Skip was a Baker groupie. - That TD to Palmer shb a 5 yd. compl. The DB just slid off him like he was greased. That's just plain old 'don't want to'.***
***The 4 home teams have the advantage this wk.***
This is Buffalo's best chance in yrs. after going down in flames to KC the last 2 seasons! Mahomes isn't accustomed to playing Div. Games on the road, but they looked pretty good last wk. def. Miami w/ Tyreek Hill held in check! "Sorry Tyreek; Kelce & Pat lost your phone #!"
***Det. barely squeaked by the Rams, whereas the Bucs demolished the Eagles.***
Who hasn't demolished the Eagles after they started the season 10-1? I thought only the Cowboys could self-destruct so badly after such a start! They just didn't look interested in the game; esp. Jalen who sat on the bench oblivious to what was happening!
***Houston & Green Bay in the SB would feature two #7 seeds. This w/b great.***
I can tell you the league & sponsors wouldn't like that match-up! Who'd watch? Last season couldn't be >er w/ the 2 top seeds making the SB! Besides that the Div. & Conf. games were amazing! Who'd of thought 13 secs. was too > X left for Mahomes to steal that game from Cincy?
***Everyone agrees Dallas should've brought in 6 X SB Champ Belicheck. It’s crazy a guy like Bill is avail. & Jerry Jones' going to stick w/ McCarthy. Oh well. M/b Jerry thinks he can get him next yr. when McCarthy's contract's up?***
I've found Stephen A t/b a huge douche-bag & doesn't really know his ass from a hole in the wall! His opinion on anything has t/b taken w/ a huge handful of salt! He's an incompetent fool when it comes to football making sev. mistakes I can pt. out!
***Stephen A can really be overbearing, but I've heard him interviewed outside of Sports & he's very intelligent on a wide range of subjects. But yeah, he c/b a shouting douche-bag when he's trying to one-up a panel of sports analysts. ---
Well then his swagger makes up for it b/c everyone loves his brash personality. ...From Sept. to Nov., “1st Take” avg'd 554 K viewers compared to 120 K for “Undisputed.” During the 2 wks. from Nov. 27 to Dec. 8, “1st Take” (581 K) drew an audience 5 X's > “Undisputed” (105 K), according to sources. ...Stephen A. & “First Take” are “handing McAfee a 583 K viewer lead-in” & McAfee is “only maintaining 302 K," which's a 48% drop, according to Andrew Marchand of the N.Y.***
W/ well over 330 M people in the US, those #'s are abysmal IMO! I rarely watch ESPN outside of tennis, football, & the occasional basketball game! Sportcenter & other programs are unwatchable w/ the new talent IMO; esp. the women! They're trying to force these broads down our throats & it "ain't" happening w/ me! I've stuck w/ "ATH" & "PTI" due to being a fan from their inception back '04 & '01 resp.! ESPN deserves whatever happens w/ McAfee as they sold their souls to get him! I've never watched > of him & can barely stand it w/ Rodgers pontificating! He sounds like a loon trying to defend himself vs Kimmel after so many yrs. of him being exposed for lying about the C-19 VAX!
***Jones had a top tier coach who could've brought him 2 or 3 > SB trophies, but his own ego blew that up. Jones has been on the Karma payment plan ever since. LOL***
I think you're under-estim. Johnson! He would've owned the 90's & stretched it into the next century IMO! I was no fan of the Cowboys, but the eye saw the talent & abilities where it didn't matter if the opp. was in their huddles! They couldn't be stopped! The HOLES for Emmitt to run thru were gaping enough for a truck to run alone! Their defense punished you! Go chk. 'em out on You Tube in '91 & '92!
***Bill wants to win 1 > SB. Philly isn’t a bad idea. Atlanta? Are they good?***
Bill doesn't need the SB! What he wants to do is pad his reg. season rec.! He's just a few behind Shula! He prob. needs to have 2 or 3 winning seasons to overtake the all-X leader!
***I thank God for these shows like Kimmel's. Pointing out cons. hypocrisy & corruption. What Rogers did is a classic Rep. move. Doesn’t matter if it’s true. Say it & it becomes true in your world.***
Cons have been playing the victim for decades! When they're exposed in some way, it still becomes a victory as they whine about the lib. suppression of "freedom of speech!" They gave up having true shame yrs. ago! The LAW means nothing! The religious zealots have shame meaningful as ours has degenerated into cheerleading on both sides!
***I think they truly believe their own nonsense. For ex. to cry that aff. action isn’t fair to whites, who havent been fair to everyone else. Or for them to tell Blacks the Justice system isn’t racist, but Trump gets a Mex. judge, suddenly it's racist. Or the Biden family 20 LLC's are corrupt, but Trump's 500 are cool. ---
Best NFL teams of all X?
Which was the best?
Late 70s Steelers
'84 & "89 49ers
'92 Cowboys
'99 Rams
'98 Denver
'91 Redskins
'85 Bears
'07 Patriots***
*It's hard t/b > dom. > the '85 Bears holding the Patriots to Neg. Ydg. in the 1st 1/2 of SB XX! That team should've ruled the late 80's, but we've never gotten it together concerning a QB! They had a chance to draft Mahomes, but passed! McMahon the last w/ a heart of a Bear (Lion) to take them to a SB win traded away!
***I'd go '85 Bears too. They just terrorized their opps. You could see the fear in their eyes.***
You know how you channel surf btwn. the game & other fare? Normally you watch the offense of your fave team! It was the other way around here in Chgo! The Defense was > entertaining! They could sack a QB on cons. plays, knocking them out; someX's needing the 3rd stringer to get in there! That '85 team officially took over as America's Team, embarrassing The Cowboys 44-0 @ Texas Stad. clinching a playoff birth (11-0)!
***“Mike Ditka, not wanting to embarrass his former mentor, put in the 4th string after building a substantial lead in the 1st 1/2. It was the only thing he tried all day that didn’t work.” Ouch! - Hard to bet against the Montana era 49'ers, but if there is a >er team, it’s the '85 Bears. ---
Who played the victim in this exchange? Rodgers or Kimmel, Is Rodgers a cons.?***
Way back when I thought it had to do w/ Kimmel exposing Rodgers for being a hypocrite & a liar! A-Rod was busted for making the masses believe he was vax'd when he wasn't! He not only didn't take care, he went extreme going to a crowded Halloweed party dressed as John Wick! Of course he came down w/ Covid missing 2 games! Kimmel put him on blast, but as was said earlier, that's "his schtick!" Kimmel of course looks like a victim of Rodgers' retaliation, but that's the nature of Social media!
***He never said he was immunized & he never said Kimmel was on Epstein's list. Stop getting info. from late night “comedy" shows.***
Oh, that makes all the diff.; their lies were > inferred or implied! Cons. are so smart!
***Frankly, the ?? was inappr. to begin w/, but he answered the ?? truthfully, again not his fault you're too dumb to know the diff. We have this thing called the internet, & when people use big words that confuse, you can just look that shit up. It's pretty cool actually, but it removes any excuse you have for being just outright uninformed & stupid on a topic you're discussing.***
***Only ONE whom died was a female protestor murdered by D.C. cop Jan 6th!***
They should've blown her fk'n head off! What kind of animal brks into Congress & tries to jump thru a secured door w/ guns pulled by agents? The bitch deserved it & >! ---
***OMG, how many Blk. women speak w/ no respect for Blk. men or themselves invariably! They're an embarr. as they can't take responsibility or be held acct.able amongst them! The defense is blind & intransigent! I spoke to a cousin approaching 60 & she's just as loud & ignorant "w/ a need t/b right" to the detriment of facts & the truth! It's sad & pathetic as the self-destruc. grows! K. Samuels had tried to let us know when going wrong, but some women celebrated his death 3 yrs. ago!***
***Fiero's: "unemployment is still under 4%, gas prices down, no recession or inflation spikes, & recovering from Trump's incompetent handling of Covid-19 P@ndemic!" & OKTexas can't rebut it w/ fact or logic. ---
Have you guys been keeping up w/ the state of education system & the family home in America right now?***
I try not to think about it! We're raising a gen. of underachieving, complacent, & self-entitled idiots here in the States! Decades ago we started falling behind in math & science measured against other western countries! We have all this tech., but it's done our kids no good! It's made it easy t/b uninformed to just about everything! How many X's a day do we hear, "just look it up on Google?" It's embarrassing to see how far we've fallen! ===
***Wanting to cheat on your husband or wife? The better ?? is, why do people get married when they want to sleep w/ other people?***
You're judging a person "if you'd do the deed" everyX you see or meet someone! Anyone denying that is a fk'n liar! She kept after the guy until she got an answer she couldn't accept! If you can't handle the answer, don't ask the ??! That's what women do all the X! They demand a guy to confess to an affair, promising they just want the truth! LIE! They're kicking you out the moment you're honest w/ them! Again, anyone denying it is a fk'n liar! It's sorta like that trope of "play silly games, win silly prizes!" SomeX's you just have to keep something to yourself! A prime ex. is someone asking, "does this make me look fat?" Either a thumbs up or down will cost you!
***Do women really need a man?***
I was thinking about this & glad it was brought up! It's bad advice being given btwn. women! They think b/c they're educated, self-sufficient, & successful that means they don't need a man! W/o a doubt I think that's the stupidest thing to tell other women! Having a husband, = one who cheats is an asset! The partnership can only be helpful to both; esp. in their old age! Today's women think they can have it all, but it comes @ a cost! Most women's retirement plan winds up thinking their kids will take care of them! They w/b sorely mistaken as most won't GAF; esp. when old & decrepit! I wish women would've paid > attn. to Kevin Samuels when he was alive; B4 wishing his death due to truths they coudn't handle! Most will grow old, alone, & w/ a cat or dog as their only companion! Totally idiotic & I feel sorry for them! They're doing it to themselve! All that empowerment & they've never been > unhappy, taking meds, & under a psychologist's care! What has all that independence really done for you guys as a group?
***You wonder whether Milos, a former Wimbl. runners-up, will announce his retirement after his retirement vs De Minaur b/c the hips problem has been on-going for a # of yrs.***
Such a shame! I enjoyed watching the game of Milos! He's precise w/ his serve & big FH running opps. from side to side w/ precision & power! It's what gave him a Masters' win over Rafa yrs. ago! What a shame he broke down!
***Jannik's going to win a GS @ some pt. this yr., poss. the AO.***
I hope so, but I have to see it to believe it! How many X's have we said the same about Zverev, Tsitsipas, Medvedev, & Thiem? Dom & Daniil got their lone Majors due to Novak being DQ'd @ the USO & overwhelmed w/ the moment of a poss. CYGS in another! Even then Dom was stetched to the limit by Sascha! This latest crop does look >er though; obviously w/ Carlos winning 2 Majors, he's a proven commodity! We can only hope Jannick & Holger prove they're the real deal! I've almost given up hope on our American contingent of Fritz, Tiafoe, Paul, Korda, & Shelton! They might sneak thru a Masters or Major draw after Novak's gone, but we'll have to see!
***I think it's basically a foregone conclusion that Alcaraz will enter the club of all-X >'s, where exactly he ends up remains t/b seen. There's sev. tiers of ATGs, from the "borderline ATGs" like Nastase/ Vilas/ Courier to the "er ATGs" like Connors/ Borg/ McEnroe/ Lendl/ Sampras to the "GOATs" like the Big 3.
...I see the over/under for Alcaraz being somewhere btwn. er ATG... perhaps somewhere in the Agassi-to-Lendl range. He m/b >er or worse, but that's my personal mid-pt. of expect. But expecting him t/b as good as the Big 3's quite unfair.***
Oh, happy day for the Djokovic hatah's! Sinner's playing out of his mind while Novak can barely keep the ball in play so far! Can this be the beginninng of the end? Sinner up 6-1, 3-1 so far in the SF! Novak looks out of sorts! The wind can't be that bad! Jannik's balls are still falling in!
***I didn't see the incident w/ Djokovic dealing w/ a heckler in the stands. The heckler must've had too much to drink. GS Tennis these days is like a carnival atmosphere so I guess this means > & > hecklers who don't necess. understand the game are going t/b or act silly, to put it mildly.***
Things started going downhill w/ class< & obnoxious fandom in '75 or so after Evert & Connors won their 1st majors! The "tennis BOOM" began, getting fans who didn't = play the game involved! People started to take lessons, got into tennis fashions, & watched matches on TV started by the "Battle Of The Sexes" w/ BJK & Riggs in '73! In the mid 70's I actually had > tennis clothes than regular fare! My fave TV event occurred in the FALL taking the top 4 men & women competing in a WITC Chp. @ Sea Pines Plantation in So. Carolina giving 1 pt. per victory in singles, doubles, & Mx. doubles! BJK won the Inaugural event by taking the MxD's w/ Stan Smith! Evert & Borg won the singles resp.! Each match was telecast 1/ wk.end spanning 11 wks. IIRC in the Spring the following yr.! Very entertaining!
***Do you think Sinner will now win in 4? I do. Novak just eek'd out that TB.***
He better hope this is closed out in 4! If it goes 5 we all know who that favors! It ain't "spider-legs!" Will they have to sedate Jannik if he blows this?
***Sinner won over Nole in SF. then def. Medvedev in a 5 set final after besting Zverev in 5 sets.***
Sinner's the last man standing "down under;" def. Djokovic then Medvedev in the final coming back from 2 sets down! Wow! Again? Daniil just can't seem to finish! He blew a lead vs Nadal 2 yrs. ago in the '22 AO Final!
***We were expecting a highly comp. final "down under" only to almost see it over in str. sets in m/b 2 hr. duration.***
It did almost happen, but the night was saved by Daniil who can't seem to finish off an opp. no matter the lead!
***Yes, that's 2 X's now he's blown a 2-0 lead in the final of the AO in last 3 yrs.***
***IMHO, I have to say the Steelers were great for an era back in the 70's. They had some ferocious defensive teams during their era of dominance; Lambert, "Mean Joe" Greene, LC Greenwood, & Ham. Those guys were no joke. And = though Bradshaw was just OK, he had > support surrounding him.***
Terry Bradshaw won 4 SB's in 6 yrs. & dom. the Cowboys, but never got > credit for it due to the Steeler's huge cast of characters w/ an "Iron Curtain" defense!
***Those Steeler teams were dom. They only allowed 13 pts a game. Bradshaw was better & smarter > he's given credit for. He had Lynn Swann & Stallworth to throw to as well as Franco in the backfield. ---
Belicheat thinks he's the center of the universe & everybody should bow down to what he wants.***
Bill's been reading & listening to all his good press, making him out t/b the BOAT in coaching! Unfortunately for many, I recall his stint in Cleveland B4 going to NE w/ Brady! Their skills along w/ willingness to cheat to win @ any cost is their only downer I guess!
***Exactly. The MSM in their babble that he's the >est coach ever as my local sports radio station pt.'d out they NEVER mention his failure @ Cleveland having only one winning season in 5 yrs. there b/c they know it shoots down their narrative & destroys it. ESPN have to say that so they can get interviews w/ him. My local radio station don't give a crap if they dont get an interview w/ him, so they don't hold back those facts as they do. ---
The Detroit loss to SF is absolutely on Campbell. He thinks he's smarter > football. He is not. You take the pts. instead of going on 4th down.***
Well he'd be a genius if it all worked out! Even Belicheat went on 4th down & 2 w/ Brady inside their own terr. in a game vs Manning on MNF! It's always brilliant if it works; if not it was the stupidest call ever made in coaching history! Detroit just forgot how to score in the 2nd half!
***It's > not taking the pts. It's the fact everyone knows he isn't going to take the pts. & play 3rd down like it's 2nd down. ---
So far Niners have forgotten how to play defense.***
They got smacked around during Half-X & found their defensive skills! Detroit was 24-7 & forgot how to score until too late!
***Campbell took the Lions to the NFC Chp. game by being aggressive. They hadn't won a single playoff game in over 30 yrs. He's a great coach & his players love him. You guys don't know what you're talking about. Detroit had a > season & Campbell turned them around.***
The Lions won't allow Minn. & GB to own the NFC North Div.! That w/b good to see = though a Chicagoan here! I was happy Detroit was comp. @ least!
***I said all wk. that Lamar had the supporting cast to beat the Chiefs, but Jones, Sneed, & others just played better. It wasn't penalty calls that caused dropped passes or punched out that ball in the end zone. Lamar just couldn't do it all. I dont think I've seen that many near or complete sacks of Lamar in a single game this season.***
That was amazing; the punch-out on the 1 yd. line! I've seen it a few X's; stretching the ball out causing a T/O! Lamar's interception in the End-Zone didn't help his cause! He contributed to this loss & it just wasn't meant t/b for Baltimore!
***So far Niners have forgotten how to play defense. That visit to the shelter to play and cuddle w/ the fur babies must have relaxed them too much.***
They got smacked around during Half-Time & found their defensive skills! Detroit was 24-7 & forgot how to score until too late!
That Chgo. Winter storm in '79 was a double whammy of Xmas & NY'rs Eves getting hit w/ the blizzard each day, then the temps. dropping. That was why we had snow above eye level until mid-April. The Sun just reflected off of the piles hanging on into Spring. ===
***Belichk'n & Tom "Shady" Brady have disgraced the sport of football w/ their cheating & having to cheat to achieve >ness. You can put them in the same catagory of Lance Armstrong, Roger Clemons, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGuire, & Barry Bonds; all w/ "**'s" next to their names b/c they all cheated to achieve >ness.***
Unfort. they're selling their souls to bring Brady into a NFL Network Show making him #1! I personally hope he'll end up like Montana, have a goof-ball presense, & a neg. Q rating to squash that dream of moving on after football!
***I forgot Tom Brady's joining FOX next season. That could actually be a trainwreck.***
If there's any justice, it w/b a flop! The elite teams are in the AFC so CBS will clean up covering Mahomes, Burrow, Allen, & Jackson for yrs. to come! I'm hoping Brady in particular winds up being a "yawner" as Joe Montana who's boring AF!
***Too bad for Belchk'n put his own selfish interests ahead of his team to pass Don Shula's all X wins rec. & he ain’t going to get it. ---
Taylor Swift en route from Tokyo to watch Travis Kelce in the SB.***
I hear she wants the NFL to pay for her plane ride & accom. in Vegas! She'll get it too!
***How do you feel Purdy will do vs a relent< KC pass rush?***
It can throw off any QB; = ones as good as Mahomes! Brady stole 2 SB's w/ defenses that rose to the occasion to stop the improv. aspects of Patrick's game vs both NE (AFC CC) & TB (SB LV) resp.! It looks as if KC has gotten over their growing pains w/ the receiving! The catches have been routine & eff. of late!
***MUST WIN for Mahomes...***
Only if he wants to catch Brady! He's already ahead of sched. w/ TD's, passing/running yds., MVP's, & few INT's! KC blew 2 other SB chances; the SB vs TB & the AFC Conf. game when DL went offsides in a play Brady threw an INT! Mahomes was running for his life in the SB, but that Conf. game was lost on a boneheaded play by a defensive lineman! At least he could've stopped Brady from scoring later; but didn't!
***MVP; Jackson. ...Anyone else's thoughts?***
Hard to ignore Jackson getting another MVP only to go down in flames in the playoffs yet again! Embarrassing!
***Peyton Manning won MVP 5 X's; '03,'04,'08,'09,'14. Never won a SB in any of those yrs. He was 1 & done twice '08,'14; 1-1 in '04. If you look up Rodgers, he's much the same. His PO rec. the yrs. he won MVP is 2-4. He was 1 & done twice & never made it out of the Div. Rd.***
***You don’t know what the word "racist" means. Look it up.***
I'm starting to feel the def. has taken on new meanings! Heaven knows we keep seeing/hearing people, Pols in particular that say "we're not a racist country, Blacks learned a trade while enslaved," & from Nikki Haley, "slavery wasn't the reason for the Civil War!" We're getting stupidier as X goes on! As a Sr., I was hoping t/b long gone B4 it got this bad! I saw it coming! Trump being elected just capped it all off! We're fk'd!
***Trump & the idiot logic he & his followers run on certainly isn’t helping things. ---
Only an ignorant fool could believe racism over after 1960's. Changing the laws is a step, not a cure.***
As been said my MLK & others, we have to go after "the hearts & minds" to truly overcome racism! We've been set back 50 yrs. w/ the ignoramuses that thought it w/b a good idea to make an imbecilic bigot to the Presidency! I actually put it on women who have > votes, but = though complaining about a lack of repres., they still went w/ Donald over Hillary! I have nothing for them & their kvetchin' from here on to the end of X! They're a fk'n idiot gender who just can't help making bad decisions from single motherhood to breaking up families b/c they don't feel fulfilled!
***Blaming a gender is far too gen… that’s the kind of thinking that feeds racism & bigotry. Let’s just stick the the actual people who make excuses for Trump's lies & fuel his popularity. No need to paint blame on a gender group.***
Well that's easy to do; just move on & accept it! Don't appt. blame! I gave women the benefit of the doubt since I was a kid & they've disappointed me @ every turn; esp. when sabotaging their own best interests! They've hosed themselves when it comes to "choice!" In the blink of an eye, they've set themselves back 50 yrs.! No shit! "As a collective women have "fk'd themselves" for decades to come! Being a Sr. I had to stop giving a shit! Stupidity runs downhill & it always seems to happen when Reps. are in charge! Women still support these mysoginist pigs so this is on WOMEN! I know plenty of men tried to support their cause, but now look at them! They're screwed!
***That’s bullshit. Plenty of women out there w/ completely diff. viewpts. & perspectives… makes no sense to label them all by the actions of a faction.***
In incorp. comes into play when you can find something psychotic in > women! From the manipulation of partners, family, & friends to the delusion they're entitled to so much! It's hard to call myself a misogynist due to it being akin to "White Supremacy!" Heaven knows I can't be lumped in w/ them! As a Sr. I've just reflected on society, seeing it sink into depths unimaginable 20 yrs. ago! I do pt. the finger > @ women these days as they make so many bad decisions! From acquiring tons of college debt to their incomplete educ. or use< degrees they do earn! Single-motherhood's killing us; esp. the poor & uneduc. where they can get stuck in miserable lives! They might end up jailed, suicidal, or carrying around mental issues! We all need therapy according to the late Kevin Samuels! I need it, but'd rather stay damaged, hateful, & jaded!
***Again, you're gen. which is unfair to the individual. You might have an incredible person in front of you that you’re labeling & dismissing b/c of their gender. That would make you wrong about that person & there more ignorant from your prejudice. As somebody who claims to have reflected on society perhaps you reflect a lit'l on yourself & see the fault in your POV.***
Very unimaginative deflection! Generalizations are still valid! It's obvious all women aren't as dysfunctional, but there are plenty of them! You see them, you know they're fk'd up, & you avoid them like the plague; warning folks along the way!
***...The level of delusion that this dude is in the unfathomable. Ego’s are a hell of a drug!***
His ego? What about hers? She got all deflated b/c of her husband's complimenting her BFF? She's truly lucky this didn't get = > OOH; like Travis getting arrested! Total a-holes!
***If your partner says something that disrespectful, they don't like or respect you.***
Well if you can't take the answer to a ?? being pressured, don't ASK! This is akin to asking, "does this make me look fat?" There's no good answer! Women prefer you lie to them! The delusion is real w/ them! - Why do people bother to get married if they allow petty incidents like this to brk. them up?
***I think he did a LOT > "compliment her BFF." He said he found her BFF > attractive > his wife. His wife. It = appears that he ONLY got w/ her b/c she was his crush's BF. That sounds rather twisted to me.***
Same ol' BS! Women say "just tell me the truth!" It always goes as bad as to say "YES" to "does this make me look fat?" All women are FOS! They want t/b lied to! They admit it as they start blubbering b/c they heard a truth they couldn't handle; which is everything!
***...These people are just doing a job. Do you apprec. your boss yelling @ you in front of customers, clients, or co workers? I feel like people forget that officers are just people too. I'm def. supportive of him getting a nice pay day, but that doesn't mean you have to try to humiliate the person who made a mistake too.***
Mistake? Cops can change your life over a mistake! People have been innocently injured, paralyzed, & killed thru cop mistakes! It happens over minor things like a traffic stop! TV dramas have it happening during a bank robbery or something! Now we can't = walk around taking pics on a public street! You're now in danger of being assaulted by cops for just that! ---
***Why did Hillary lose the swing states she was expected to win?***
It was a perfect storm! Besides Hillary being one of the most hated women in US history, her staff wasn’t able to elevate her above a massive ego! She didn’t think she needed to ask for the votes of the populous in those swing states! I can’t remember her making = 1 trip to Wisc.! MI had been under Rep. rule for yrs., & Ohio normally went cons. in Presidential elections! A Rep. hadn’t won the office w/o winning OH IIRC!
Even though Comey & his FBI staff were as digusting as poss. to sabotage her, this came down to women IMO! Their self hatred shone thru & they supported the misogynist pig, who’s committed fraud, getting away w/ it, & raw-dogging a porn star while Melania was expecting! They knew all this & still voted for Trump!
Women have cost themselves so much! Looks as if Trump’s set the movement back 50+ yrs.! They will regret him installing those coservative judges all over the country to make their lives #ell for the next 50 years! Women have more votes out there, but continue to bellyache about a lack of representation as they install one old white guy after another into every office poss.! As a Sr., I couldn’t care er > any Dem. for President in '24 including Biden & Harris. Should she run & can she win?***
Hillary needs to just walk away! She tried doing her best, but the Amer. people jumped on the bandwagon to undermine, deligitimize, & humiliate her from day 1! I’d give this country the “BIG Mid’l Finger” after they chose a creature like Trump over her in '16 setting us back 50 yrs.! No matter how well the country’s doing, Reps. are talking it down just to appease The Boss of their party! Hillary was the > qualified & she obviously scared Putin into desp. measure to assist Trump into the Presidency! I guarantee he wouldn’t have pulled half this shit on her! We deserve what we get! As a Sr., I couldn’t care < as it'd do no good but drive up my BP!
***The Bills are a class act, & the fans make it happen. So is Josh Allen. Hopefully he gets his Super Bowl(s).***
Same here! I lived out in Calif. back in the 90s! We got all the Bills games for some reason! I woke @ 10 AM on Sun. to the Bills doing their thing for yrs! I was a huge fan of their cast of characters from Kelly & Thomas to Smith & Bennett! ...They tamed KC back then; = w/ Montana! I kept up w/ them as well due to Coach Schottenheimer taking over! He just couldn't get over the hump to make a SB; poor guy! He was sabotaged along the way w/ missed FG's coaching Cleveland, fumbles, & just plain bad luck vs Elway in the playoffs! Bad fortune & his cons. leanings led to him being lit'l > a great "reg. season" coach! I'm glad KC was able to finally get there under Reid! Hopefully Buffalo can get back there soon after so many yrs. being in the shadow of NE!
***The Broncos are finally finding out what Chiefs' fans went thru for almost 20 yrs. w/ Elway. The roles have been reversed where now it’s the Chiefs that have a > QB & Denver has been trying to find 1 since Peyton Manning left. ---
Yeah, I only watched the game this X b/c I knew the Chiefs had an excel. chance of winning. ...Shady Brady having scandal after scandal that in college you get kicked out of the program for which proves the NFL's as corrupt as our gov't. is, I wanted the Chiefs to win b/c of that, It w/b a > refreashing change now hearing over the yrs. how the Chiefs were the last to do it.***
I can understand the country's over the SB w/ The Chiefs winning yet again! People outside of the state of MO want to move on! When it comes to fave SB, loved Foles actually outplaying Brady in SB LII when QB of Phili! When it comes to KC, I apprec. the tough playoff games they had to overcome; usually down by double digits late! Poor Houston has never recovered from loss to Mahomes up 24-0! Hilarious!
***The thing that's impressive about the Chiefs is they have proved that you DON'T have to cheat to achieve greatness.*** ---
Looks as if Skip Baseless is on his way out! The ratings have been steadily dropping after Shannon Sharpe left last yr.! I've also noticed that "Undisputed" has been cut from 2 1/2 hrs. to just an hr.; repeating Craig Carton's, "The Carton Show" to fill the slot until "The Herd" comes on at 1 PM, EST! Bayless has been sitting there like a doddering old man, allowing 3 loudmouths (Irvin, Sherman, & Johnson) to take over his show!
***Bayless always comes off as such a douche. I mean, I guess that's his schtick, & these sports "argument" shows are all over-the-top. The others at least do it w/ some humor. He's such a sourpuss there's very lit'l entertainment in the process.***
'Going hard' on one player is the latest thing in "making a name" for himself! Bayless couldn't be > insulting of a human being > his yrs. of relent to come, & families set for life! What did they get out of it in the end?
I'm shocked Djokovic isn't on the list @ least once! At '12 AO in the SF & Final alone, he was on court struggling w/ Murray (4:55) & Nadal (5:53) resp. for 11 hrs.! The other matches leading up to those marathons mhb brief & efficient!
***1. It m/b sweet to use golf clubs that are diff. to mis-hit.
... 3. And club that's designed to hit right & a ball that's designed to fly str. ... 6. I understand how it is, pros get the good stuff. The clubs/ball makers want the pros to use their stuff, so they give them the BEST.***
The same tech devel. went into tennis rackets! Up until the mid 70's, rackets were as basic as a stick w/ cat-gut strings! The sweet spot was lit'l > the size of a fist! I can still recall Navr'ova/Evert in '78 Wimbl. Final! She was @ the net early in the match & a volley rolled up the throat of the racket! Even the best could flub the easiest shot back then! W/ today's rackets, the hardest shot c/b knocked off for a winner on reflex! It's ridiculous how the "Tennis Boom" led to advancements that changed the sport O/N; esp. after Connors & Evert won '74 Wimbl.!
Of those 20 yrs., the Big 3 won the majority of Slams in all but 2 yrs. ('14,'16), & all 4 Slams 8 X's (40%). ---
Apparently Saudis are going to host some kind of 'all star'/top 6 players BS tourn. in Oct. Need< to say, they offered plenty $$.***
It's apparent, the Saudis think they can buy their way to World-wide respectability! I barely keep up w/ Dubai & Qatar events! Unfort. for them, I have a long memory & all they'll end up doing is running off true fans & MOI that won't allow their "blood $$" to buy into the future of tennis! I'll prob. only give the ATP 2 or 3 > seasons B4 jumping off the wagon since '73! It was a long run, but not sure I can support a sport under new mngmt./sponsorship! - What in the world has happened to Musetti, FAA, & Korda? They just can't get too far into a draw these days! The losses are piling up in str. sets!
***Put a fork in FAA b/c he has already peaked & the only way to go is down. He doesn't have the belief & fire to win big events. Korda @ least tries & Musetti needs X to mature. At least FAA is non-problematic unlike Shelton the jerk.*** ---
Wow; Alcaraz better hope to at least make the final this coming wk. in Rio! People will begin to wonder about the guy! He lit. hasn't won an event since Wimbl.! He's in So. America trying to defend pts. in Argentina & Brazil! He lost SF to Jarry in Buenos Aires so far! Lets see what happens in Rio!
***Who's Ryan Harrison coaching in Dallas? If he's coaching Shelton, then it's a marriage made in heaven. They w/b competing on who's the >est jerk.***
I've overlooked the talk of Ryan's bad attitude for yrs.! I was captivated for other reasons > his tennis; him & his bro. Christian!
***Surface GOAT - Rafa won 68.1% of the total poss. PEP pts. on clay. Quite aston., really.
Lendl on Carpet? - I knew Lendl was a maestro on carpet, but this was a bit surprising to see him 2nd. McEnroe actually had a >er carpet peak Elo, but Lendl looks >er according to this metric. Borg on clay is right behind him, unsurprisingly.
All-Surface Greats (ASGs) - Only a handful of players have every surface they played on represented: The Big 3, of course, w/ Novak being the > bal. (his worst surface is clay, & still 19th on this list) - not counting the few carpet matches all 3 played. Borg has 3 surfaces in the top 11 & he was still pretty good on his worst surface, HC's. Laver has all 4 surfaces represented, &'d prob. be > dom. on this chart if I had incl. his pre-OE stats.
Finally, Jimmy Connors - who is one of the most bal. players of the OE. His clay rec.'s kind of forgotten, but he was really good on clay - about as good as Vilas & Fed.
...Comparing across surfaces - ...Nadal & Connors were about as good on HC's (though Nadal played a lot >), or that McEnroe was about as good on carpet--his best surface--as Sampras & Federer were on grass, their best surfaces. Or that Nadal was about as good on grass & HC's as Murray was on his best surface, grass. Or that Borg on clay, in his short career, was a bit >er > Roger or Novak on any surface (though Borg gets the benefit of his #'s not being softened by decline). ---
Actually, Novak and then Roger have the best you group those 3 together in terms of services they all have played on. Sadly, carpet is no longer played on, which I used to enjoy immensely. Novak has more success than Roger on Clay both in terms of the height of his, and where it is on the chart. He is equal to Roger on grass more or less and is slightly had a Roger on her records, unbelievably so. What is impressive is Borg to me--incredible player him across 4 surfaces as you can see. Connors and McEnroe too! But how about Rod Laver! He stands out superbly as well! Mac was relatively weak on clay - with a 12.8 PPEP%. That's still solid, though. I don't have these stats for non-greats, but I'm guessing he was about as good on clay as some of the better clay-courters of the late 90s and early 00s. That's better than Becker, Edberg, and Sampras on clay, but doesn't figure into the chart and is significantly worse than Roger on clay (24.2%) or even Lendl on grass (19.5%). I don't have an exact number in mind, but I'd say 15-20% is where the elite begins, 30% is bordering into great, 40% is truly great, and 50% is GOAT-worthy. ---
...This stat somewhat depresses guys who won a lot of weak tourns. like Vilas & Muster, both of whom were dom. on low level clay tourns., but not as > on >er level ones. Muster had the one clay Slam & a handful of Masters, but won > of his clay tourns. on 250/500 =valents & didn't go deep @ RG that freq.. Meaning, this stat is > heavily wt.'d towards big titles & going deep @ Slams over accum. a lot of Muster & to a er).
Laver was very bal., > on all surfaces - = those that he had to adapt to rel. late in his career (HC's & carpet). And remember that those #'s don't include > of his peak. That said, it is hard to compare this stat to Pro Circuit players b/c the nature of the circuit was so diff., w/ the H2H tours. Players like Pancho Gonzales'd focus on the pro tours & have ness--& why I think he's the overall GOAT--is that he was so good on all 3 surfaces. His worst surface, clay, is still >er (36.8%) > all but 2 players, Nadal & Borg.***
Dubai's a mess! They didn't have Fedalovic to begin w/, then they lose their top 2 seeds B4 the final! Karma? Rublev just disintegrated out there! His temper looks t/b getting worse; usually for no good reason! He was in control of that match vs Bublik in the 3rd! He was up a brk., ready to go 2, then next we see, it's all tied up @ 5, then he's defaulted for abusing a linesman! Wow! What a wk.! He'll def. drop in the rankings along w/ Medvedev who was trying to defend his title!
***Sampras, Laver & Borg are > "legends" @ this pt.***
Agreed; Sampras, Laver, & Borg > legendary! I place players like Connors, Agassi, Lendl, & McEnroe a bit below = though there's an argument for each! Agassi had the 1st CGS since '69 Laver, Connors has the most tourn. won @ 109 events, Lendl played 8 str. USO Finals, & then there's McEnroe's run in '84! Emo was fortunate that Laver, Rosewall, Hoad & Gonazales were Pro's so he had the amateur ranks to himself for a while getting to 12 majors & holding the rec. for decades waiting for Sampras! I ?? the elite class! Murray was owned by Fedalovic taking only 3 majors, Wawrinka never = got to #1, & Hewitt only made a mark due to Sampras falling by the wayside & barely made a blip on the ATP radar! Roddick mhb world class, but he was the perennial Rnr.-up to Roger again & again! He really needed to finish off that Wimbl. effort in '09! He blew it all w/ that 1 high BH volley miss in the 2nd set TB!
***...You can diminish any player's achiements. E.g., Laver era was weak b/c Gonzalez was playing pro. Becker was lucky to win his slams B4 Sampras was around. Borg was lucky to win 5 Wimbls. B4 peak McEnroe. And in a few yrs. some will say Nadal was lucky not to face Alcaraz & Sinner on clay.***
They’re still trying to diminish Djokovic & he owns just about every important rec.! He obviously had a true gaunlet of talent to weather & broke recs. def. those top 10'rs! Borg’s run prob. the > impressive as he was a baseliner in the grass court era, dealing w/ some of the best S & V'rs in the game includ. Newcombe, Laver, Ashe, McEnroe, Tanner, Nastase, etc.!
***The bttm. line is that Borg's place in history is unique & we're likely never going TBA to fully assess his place in a satisfying way.***
Borg truly has a unique pos. in the history of tennis! He came along shortly after The OE began in '73! Players like Rosewall, Laver, Newcombe, & Nastase's careers beginning to slow down, wane, & end! He started early enuf to get grass exper. w/ 3 of the 4 majors on that surface! As a 15 yo, & the top 100 men boycotting Wimbl. in '73, Borg wound up a high seed; #6 w/ Connors @ #5! He got all the way to the Qtrs.! Lit'l did we know he'd win 5 in a row starting in 3 short yrs. making 6 str. finals! Taking 6 FO's in those 8 > yrs., he finished his career w/ 11 Majors & leading the men in the Pro Era until Sampras took over w/ 14! That's why he forever w/b brought up; = 100 yrs. from now! He's still an ICON = though I'm a lit'l uncomfort. him leading in the Laver Cup! He's no leader of men! He read comic-books while on tour & slept a lot during those yrs.!
***I saw yesterday that Nadal WD from IW. Why'd he do an exh. w/ Alcaraz B4 his return & risk his health? Now he’s going to attempt his return via clay. I didn’t hold out > hope that he'd return @ a high level, but now I’m wondering if he can = achieve Murray’s.***
No one ever said Rafa was the sharpest knife in the drawer! He has sabotaged his entire career as far as I'm concerned, being single-minded, overplaying on clay, coming & going from the tour as he pleases over the yrs., & not just letting it go when in a bad spot! You see what's happened to the guy w/ so > heart it's actually taken a toll on his body! There are prob. 50+ yo's in >er physical shape > Rafa! He's an idiot along w/ his family & team of sycophants who've kept this shit going for so long; now for well over a yr.!
***You couldn't wait could you to have another dig @ him? Calling him "an idiot along w/ his family & team of sycophants?"***
***People should stop glorifying Nadal's every single win & berating the ones by Roger who during his prime, unfort. played Rafa >ly on clay. Recently again he has had the >er of Rafa everywhere except on clay. Let's enjoy their rivalries & give credit where it's due.***
Regad< of the Fedal rivalry, Djokovic made the issue MOOT yrs. ago by overtaking both in H2H. Majors (24), Masters (40), YEC’s (7), YE #1’s (8), & 400+ Wks. @ #1! He not only took over all the recs., he did it in rec. X going “thru Fedal” in their primes! Everything Nole wins now is just gravy to ext. his lead over all pretenders to the throne!
***...Below is a list of the yrs. in which players won their last title (even if it was their first and only). It is worth noting that of the 18 titles so far this year, the oldest to win one is Grigor Dimitrov (b. 1991).
KEY: SLAM WINNER Big Title Winner Born in 1980s; Born in 1970s; Born in 1960s
'24 - ? '23 - DJOKOVIC, Monfils, Gasquet, Mannarino '22 - NADAL, Bautista Agut, Ramos Vinolas, '21 - CILIC, Isner, K Anderson '20 - none '19 - FEDERER, MURRAY, Tsonga, Fognini, Lopez, Paire '18 - DEL POTRO, Nishikori, Simon, Andujar, M Zverev, Klizan '17 - WAWRINKA, Ferrer, L Mayer, Querrey, Muller, Estrella Burgos, Dolgopolov, Cuevas, Sugita, Kohlschreiber, Istomin
'99 - KRAJICEK, RAFTER, Rios, Woodruff, T Martin, Di Pasquale, Voinea, Marin; Pioline, Black
...I might've got 1 or sev. guys wrong and/or listed them > once.
It's crazy to think that Wawrinka hasn't won a title since '17 - that's 7 yrs. ago! He's been around, but hasn't been anything close to his former self since '20, when he reached his last Slam QF & finished #18.
Anyhow, good old Karlovic is the last 70s baby to win a title in '16, the yr. he turned 37. Of the 60s baby, it's Clavet way back in '01, the yr. he turned 33. I think this illustrates how players have been aging out a bit later - Roger's gen, but > so the Rafa-Novak gen.
One final note, you can see a bit of a "bulge" in '16-17 as a lot of 80s babies won their last titles, & then > of a trickle since then. The corresponding "bulge" for 70s births' somewhere in the '00-05 range, so correspondingly earlier.
...It's prob. easy $$ on Novak being the last, & my guess w/b '25 or '26, depending upon how long he wants to hold on. Mannarino's a guy who's having a nice ext. prime - he's never been quite a 2nd tier guy, but had his best season last yr. in '23, winning 3 ATP 250 titles & finishing #22.***
***If Purdy had thrown that exact same pass that Love got away w/, you’d say it’s b/c he’s not very good & can’t lead his team to victory.***
I've been listening/watching sports commentators undermine & try to humiliate this guy, Purdy for over a yr.! I just don't understand it! Calling him "Mr. Irrelevant" persists after a SB app.! SF c/d worse! This past SB came down to 1/2 dozen > plays that Purdy had no control of; esp. the successful QB blitzes by Chris Jones! Mahomes wasn't tearing it up thru the air either & the score was tight to the end! Great finish to the game @ least!
***I'd give any QB @ least 2 full seasons B4 assessing his ceiling. It's no diff. w/ Purdy. I think the Josh Allen-like arm is over-rated. What separates the top QBs is their mind & how they process the field in the >est pressure situations.***
It's obviously worked out for Mahomes & KC! Being a defending chp. is stressful enough, but to have the angst of this past season w/ dropped balls by receivers dragged the team down into some humiliating losses! It really hurt Tyreek took the $$ over being ICONIC as Montana/Rice w/ Pat! Dumb IMO! They need to go out there & get a speedster WR to go deep!
***Yup. KC's defin. going to addr. their issue @ WR, which will almost certainly make them a >er team next yr. They’re already a dynasty & they’re only going to get >er. ---
If Mahomes wins next yr. & he’s prob. past Brady. You said it yourself 3-4 of Tom’s SBs were won in spite of him. All of Mahomes’ were b/c of him. He wins 3 in a row, something no one has done. There’s no current reason to believe he won’t play well into his 30s.***
FG's won quite a few of those games Brady's famous for winning w/ NE! I recall a Div. Playoff game where Manning of the Colts went for 2 pt. conv. early in the game, m/b the 3rd Qtr.! It wound up making the diff. in their upset of NE & Brady when Tom would've needed a TD instead of a FG! The Colts held & the kicker couldn't save the day!
***KC took a step back this yr. & still must beat Buff., Cinci., & Balt. just to make the SB. Mahomes is an amazing physical talent, but he's an accident waiting to happen. QBs w/ his game usually don’t last long. I doubt Mahomes can play @ the same level @ 40-45 as Brady did.***
Nor should he try! They're already openly speaking of a "Jordan Rule!" Defensive Coord. may intend on trying to cripple Mahomes if they can; = if it's dirty! ===
***The men's basketball leagues draw a whole lot > $$ > the chicks do. M/b if the WNBA had their players wear >er uniforms like the LFL does? As well as m/b hire beauticians to doll up the babes so men w/b > interested?***
When I lived out in Sacr. back in the 90's & early 2000's, I travelled quite a bit! I ran into the women's basketball team all the X at the airport! They were made to wear make-up while en route, but they were still very rough looking, athletic, tall Amazons! Poor Lisa Leslie! ;-)
That Chgo. Winter storm in '79 was a double whammy of Xmas & NY'rs Eves getting hit w/ the blizzard each day, then the temps. dropping. That was why we had snow above eye level until mid-April. The Sun just reflected off of the piles hanging on into Spring.
***Trump's Troubles X As Inflation Of His Scottish Homes’ Value Is Discovered; Report Claims.***
I gave up yrs. ago that Trump willl truly pay for his crimes! Going back decades there are so many instances where Trump shb prosecuted & jailed! The goal posts keeps moving! The latest thing I heard is TRUCKERS are talking about refusing to make deliveries to NY in solidarity vs the prosecution of Trump! I think the powers that be just hope he expires B4 he’s truly made to take accountability for his actions!
***Mark Robinson has just won the Rep. nom. for Gov'r of No. Carolina. He's a Black Trump supporter who says not only are Black people not owed any reparations, but in fact WE OWE reparations to white people as thanks for bringing us here as slaves.***
In the immortal words of Don King, "only in America!" I gave up yrs. ago sanity'd overcome the colossal stupidity of so many people who support such ideas & candidates! Like that movie "Amageddon," I'd go for not being taxed for the rest of my life! That way in comparison to the gov't paying out checks, just keeping everything I earned is > fair & a lot simpler!
***...Even if I do think that Biden will beat Trump again. What if Biden had done what he'd said, & been a one-term president, opening up the primary to all Dems. that'd want to run? We have a raft of > candidates on the Dem. side, as good options, esp. in opp. to Trump. I'm feeling buyer's remorse as to the DNC decision. I don't think upturning everything @ the Convention is going t/b the answer. ---
You Dems have to stop wetting the bed about this. The original assessment was correct. Biden w/ incumbency should beat Trump. As much as I think there are decent alternatives the irony is that lack of exp. &/or > progressive candidates'd detract > you'd like to think w/ voters who only pay attn. @ Presidential elec. X. Reps. have spent 4 yrs. #-ing away @ Biden's age, & it's soaked into everyone's psyche. It's impressive what they do. The election has officially started now. I still maintain HRC'd've beaten Trump but for Comey, despite the magnificent job they did on the emails thing. The key now is that there s/b no 'Comey event'. If I were you I w/b > concerned about Garland > anything else. Well apart from Biden confirming pre-conceps. of course. You have the economy & employment fizzing in your favor & I don't see that changing in X to help Trump. ---
No signs of dementia w/ Biden @ the SOTU last nite! It damages the Rep. narrative. This is the prob. the GOP has created for itself. They've created such a low bar, all Biden has to do is pass & the whole nonsense evaporates. Stupid!***
Rep. IQ's been going down for yrs.! The smarter ones are being run out of pol. b/c they make too > sense & compromise! Those aren't part of the cons. DNA these days, but who approve of chaos over peaceful co-exitence! Lying has taken over the party &'s become acceptabe amongst them; = religious ones! It's > a bit shameful to see them this way! Decades ago I could easily support & vote for a Rep.! I wouldn't install one to manage the french fries @ McD's these days! They are retched individuals impossible to respect in the least!
Watching "The Five" lose it over Biden's SOTU perform. as well! Jeanine Pirro needs her Bar Card taken away! Jessie Watters' the >gest tool on the show! Biden was a "doddering old man" B4, now "he's hyped up on something! I want him to pee in a cup!" You can't win w/ these psychos! The lone liberal on the panel, Jessica Tarlov has to deal w/ these jerks over-talking her the entire X! The disrespect's unbelieveable, but I guess she'll take anything for the $$!
***I thank you for the tip on chk'n out "The Five." I have been wondering about Right-wing media reaction. Some nerve of FNC to say that Biden @ SOTU provided no vision for his 2nd term. He actually did, quite a lot. And, as if Trump has one. Trump trades only in dystopian horror. ---
How bad is Hillary Clinton that she lost to Donald Trump? She received 3 M > VOTES > Trump. SHE was def. by the elect. coll., not by we-the-people. And no, SHE isn’t “bad,” or “crooked” or any other Trumpian pejorative cooked up in his Adderall addled brain. SHE was investigated by Reps for over 30 yrs. w/o them identifying so much as an unpaid parking ticket. SHE testified B4 Congress for 11 hrs. str. w/o taking the 5th, as Trump did over 500 X's, & SHE'd've made a > >er president > that orange ball of incoherent Nazi goo who, w/ Putin’s assist., cheated his way into the Oval Office. Does THIS answer your ???***
Don’t forget, a > many votes were peeled off by 3rd Party cand., Jill Stein! She didn’t take any EC votes, but it helped elect Trump; esp. in the So. & MW! Hillary chd things >er, but the world-wide machine was cranking @ a feverish pitch from Putin & Assange to the relent< attacks from cons. & Rep. in the US! ...She was the > qualified in the history of the country! Putin feared her; hence his campaign w/ FB to undermine her every move! Women s/b = > disgusted as they set their movement back 50 yrs.! The cons. & incompetent judges Trump installed from App. Courts to the SC will do them no favors!
***Biden showed why he's had such a long, successful career as a pol. ...I'm going to pt. out the completely class< Marjorie Taylor Greene, who wore a MAGA cap, & handed Biden a "sticker" or something w/ Laken Riley's name on it. She was in violation of House rules for wearing a campaign cap on the House floor. I believe she was asked to remove it, or leave, or face censure. She prob. knows that Mike Johnson is too afraid of her to do anything. But when MTG shouted @ Biden about Laken Riley, he held up the sticker & confronted her. I thought that was rather nimble.***
The only thing > pathetic > the antics & asinine behavior of Reps & cons. is that Lib. Dems. are still losing to them! When I was a kid, I used to think the Dems. gave "too > credit to the PEOPLE" to see thru the lies & misinfo. while Reps. went the op. way w/ a credo of "we can fool enough of the people" to succeed! I think they finally lost it after embarassment of Nixon, Ford losing out on 2nd term, & a peanut farmer sitting in a chair they thought they owned! Rep. & Cons. sold their souls to the Devil; namely the "Religious Right" for their unflinching loyalty = if the cand. was a rapist, fraud-ster, & insurrectionist! Congress had been owned by the Dems for as long as I can recall, but told the Majority Leader was a Dem. for well over 40 yrs.! It's gone back & forth w/ obvious success w/ the Dems, but as always, Reps. take advantage of the gullible & stupid to turn things around on its ear; hence huge Nat'l Debts increases when they're in charge! I heard Trump increased it by 34%! Blame it on Covid-19 I guess! Funny, Biden had > success w/ the budget, inflation, recession, & unempl. as the rightwing play down all the #'s while lying to their own kids!
***Southern Dems were racists; thus the brk-up during the Civil War b/c So. Dems wanted to keep their slaves. Then they joined the Rep. Party.
Northern Dems. wanted popular sovereignty, thus the stage is set for a Civil War btwn. the North & South. The driving issue was slavery.***
I saw the change starting after "Civil Rights" legis. passed in the 60's to make the South act right! At least pols were forced to work together & commit to compromise back then to get things done! That all changed after those bigoted Blue Dog Dems switched over to become Reps! They needed to go > extreme to set themselves apart! They sold their souls to The Devil touting their religious convictions, objected to Roe v Wade until overturned recently, calling Libs "Gawd-< heathens" who drank the blood of infants! They really started putting party over the country; = if it costs us our liberty! It's no secret when Reps. are in charge, everything goes to SHIT! Employment is tenuous, tax cuts abound as the Nat'l Debt is inflated expon.! The country eventually comes around, puts the Dems. back into power to fix it, just in X to reverse themselves again voting in trashy, unintel. bigots! If Trump takes over again, it c/b the end of Dem. as we know it! We've already allowed him carte blanche to get away w/ just about any & everything up to, but not includ. MURDER!
***You watch CNN & MSNBC religiously, don’t you? Explain why white Dems live & play among white Dems. exclusively. Explain why blacks are perpetually segregated & vote Dem. exclusively.***
Why or how do the people do anything these days? There are > women voters, but their self-hate made them select Trump over Hillary! They set themselves back 50 yrs. w/ tons of cons. judges installed to frustrate their future "movements!" This gen. might as well give it up!
***Explain.***
What's there to explain? It was like a rock rolling downhill! It started being something "out of control" w/ Comey/Friends of the FBI sabotaging the '16 election w/ an open invest. of the Clintons! FB contributed & had no idea Russians were behind the smears of Hillary = though paid in Rubles! Jill Stein took crucial votes away from Clinton; hence the election of Trump! He installs 3 hack, cons. judges to the SC along w/ Appelates that will thwart lib. causes for the next 30+ yrs.! Roe v Wade was overturned, setting other dominos to fall like IVF & Stem Cell development! If a fertilized egg's considered a child, this country is fk'd! As a Sr., I have to stop caring! My BP is high enough w/o dealing w/ Rep. a-holes & cons. actions that belie credulity, facts, & common sense!
***The driving issue was economic pressure put upon the South by a tyrannical Fed, slavery issue playing into that. The South seceded, the Fed then initiated war in order to recoup the southern states. After a yr.+ of war, the Fed outlawed slavery as a pol. strategy. The North wanted nothing to do w/ freed slaves, which is why they relegated the migrating blacks into city ghettos & kept them segregated.***
What I do know is that Lincoln was ready to accept the South back into the FOLD = w/ slavery!
***Correct. The objective was recouping the southern states, not abolishing slavery. ===
I'm glad I don't watch the news much @ all these days! It's come to this; "acceptable #'s of casualties!" Hard to believe the people "running the show" are so mature, sophisticated, & educated! They'd rather keep this shit going forever! I've been listening to this crap since I was a kid & Golda Meir was running things! I don't think the area w/b satisfied until there's total annihilation!
***Nice scalp for LL Luca! Nardi knocks off Novak in 3rd Rd. of IW!***
It had to happen sooner or later! Is this a preview of things yet to come or the beginning of the end? I'm sure Novak'll get something out of this loss! There's no doubt he's going to Miami to make up for this early exit! No AO or an IW win ahead of his visit So.! Such a rarity! Alcaraz & Sinner have a chance to close in on him for #1 if either wins IW, then does well in Miami!
***Just saw the scores. Had to come & see if a welfare chk's needed for Fiero? I'll get my homies @ the CPD to do a driveby pronto.***
I'll take any support! I'm old, doddering, & shaky AF! It's almost an end of an era! I didn't see this coming! Sampras was supposed t/b @ the top!
***All things must end. Take care of yourself, friend. - Let's face it, Novak's 36 yo. It's the beginning of the end, no matter how long he attenuates it. What's he going to take from this loss? That he needs to return >er? No, nothing. He played as well as he could, for his age, vs someone who out-played him. What he's going to take away from it is that he'd >er get used to it. #fathertime***
We'll see! Who was it that said, "the reports of my death are greatly exaggerated?" Nole only needs a MC Masters to own 3 GM's, then a FO to have 4 CGS's! Everything's gravy as we all know by now; anything just increasing the lead he already owns in all the important recs.!
***He's def. been sweeping up some hardware after his >gest opps. became s say that you can't always access your best game every day, post-30. Dj may have underest. his opp., & played too passively for too long. Also, he met a hot opp. & got out-played.***
Only in this era can we see such Jadedness to undermine the performance of a 36 yo man who won 3 Majors & barely dropped the 4th in 5 sets!
***Sinner's elbow. I haven't really been watching yet. Is there an issue?***
It's' inevitable w/ all these newbies on tour whacking away at every shot! I just don't feel like I'm missing > when I skip matches on TV! It's just not as entertaining watching the guys trying to take the cover off the ball! I've already given up on the ladies; m/b Osaka could bring me back "into the fold!" Novak was out-played which's nothing new really! He's proved so far that he c/b extended & = def. in BO3! Sascha Z. has def. DJ @ the Olympics & a YEC Final! The challenge's for anyone to do it in a major, BO5! So far as a Sr. player, Novak's defying physics, Father X, & Mother Nature! Even if he's not my fave player, you have to apprec. giving it his all w/o all the dramatics as some other camps overdue to RETIRE!
***Daniil has become, I think, the Andy Murray of the tour - an elite player, but a 1/2 step behind the current Big 3 (Novak, Alcaraz, Sinner). He's now 8-10 in Big Title Finals. His 8 wins:
vs. Sinner, Alcaraz, Djokr & Nadal: 2-9 vs. Others: 6-1***
It's all "in his head!" He has all the ability/ skill, & stamina t/b @ the top! He was the only one who scared me when it came to Novak's CYGS attempt in '21! I mentioned that "Novak needs Daniil t/b upset at USO!" It didn't help that Sascha Z. decided to keep Novak on court for 5 grueling sets in the SF! Sure enuf, besides being overworked in prev. matches, Djokovic was still recovering from Olym. disapptmt.! I thought he'd skip it, but the man wanted to chal. himself! He had to take advan. of the opport. to show Fedal & their fans that he was the best by a long mile in matching their OGM's! Unfort., I don't have a lot of hope for him in Paris this Summer Olym. or 1 last attempt poss. in '28!
***I do think a lot of it is in his head. In the TB, the collapse, ...in the 2nd set. I know it's poss. that Alcaraz was just too good, but surely Med chm > of a fight of it?***
***As a follow-up, here are the >gest outlier best seasons by PEP:
+23: A. Murray (55 in '16, 32 in '12/15) +19: J. McEnroe (66 in '84, 47 in '81) +18: G. Vilas (44 in '77, 26 in '75) +16: M. Rios (26 in '98, 10 in '99) +16: B. Gottfried (26 in '77, 10 in '78) +14: T. Muster (32 in '95, 18 in '96) +14: C. Richey (24 in '70, 10 in '66) +13: G. Forget (19 in '91, 6 in '92) +13: M. Wilander (47 in '88, 34 in '83) +13: N. Djokovic (79 in '15, 66 in '11) +12: M. Safin (29 in 2000, 17 in '04) +11: A. Roddick (31 in '03, 20 in '04) +11: A. Zverev (30 in '21, 19 in '18) +11: C. Ruud (20 in '22, 9 in '21)
Rod Laver's '69 season (75 PEP) was actually +32 his 2nd best OE season, 43 in '70, but he had 4 seasons in the 1960s that were 59 or >er, w/ '62 being 69...so that's not much of a gap.
Anyhow, IDK if I'd call the above "fluke" seasons, but they are the career yrs. that stood out the > from the rest of their career, & Andy's '16 is the top one (though not as a %..that might go to Guy Forget in 91/92). ---
So Murray & Monfils' still out there; like Djokovic...why do you have a prob. w/ that?***
If & when Novak becomes > of an "impediment" > a winner, I w/b kicking him too! The man +ed 3 Majors & a YEC to his rec. last season! It's obviously not his X to exit gracefully! Players like Murray & Monfils just have a good match here & there t/b an annoyance! Djokovic's still comp. w/ the top players! Other vets are scratching past Qualifiers, Jrs., other vets, & WC's!
***I think it's fair to say Djokovic wins quite a lot of tourns. compared to Murray & Monfils.***
Logic & common sense evade some who won't acknowledge Novak's accomplishing something w/ his "hanging on!" He's still winning Majors &'s very close to brk'n Connors' rec. of 109 ATP wins! Players like Monfils & Murray are just holding back the next wave of players taking up spots in draws that s/b open for "up & coming" talent! I promise t/b just as critical of Djokovic if he's just hanging around! On the ladies' side it's going on w/ Venus, Azarenka, & now Wozniaki!
***Arguably, they do the tourn. good. Unlike Djokovic, who bailed on it.***
The game has sped up so much, I can't believe it! It's hard to watch really! Back in the day, I thought I could compete w/ just about anyone w/ my serve! I couldn't comprehend trying to keep up w/ the game now = though I'd attack relentlessly! That means nothing as any player in the top 300 can hit winners from anywhere on the court over 100 MPH! That just wasn't the case back in the 70's & 80's! If I were to picture what I mean, look @ '86 USO Women's Final w/ Navratilova vs Graf! It was a tough 3 set match w/ 2 TB's! It's comperable to what I'm talking about w/ Graf smoking her FH & Navratilova trying to make Steffi uncomfortable w/ her attacking style! Even then it was a dangerous proposition to challenge Steffi's passing shots! Now you can poss. lose an eye, get whacked in the head, & take one to the gut! So far Novak's been able to keep up, but it's def. getting tougher w/ the likes of Sinner & Alcaraz, but few others when it cts., BO5!
***Anybody have comments on free agency signings? Derrick Henry to the Ravens has t/b the outstanding signing so far imho.***
I don't = try to keep up w/ free agency! The $$'s so obscene! Every X I think it's out of control & can't keep going in a dir., = > $$'s thrown @ the game! Mahome's deal was out of date the next day he signed it @ $500 M/10 yrs! Other QB's who've never = played a SB are making > him! I'm sure Tyreek Hill has all kinds of regret leaving KC for the $$ in Miami! That's 2 SB's he's missed out on! If that can happen, sillier moves will occur! All we can do is hope it all works out for the league as they get > & > powerful in the sport's market! NFL Football has become a 12 month event w/ something always going on; in or out of season!
***Yeah, but I like the Combine, free agency, Draft, OTA’s all leading into preseason. I don’t think I w/b nearly this interested if the Chiefs were not this successful. I feel like those of us who have supported them for decades are in some sort of fever dream. Sooner or later we have to wake up, but I want to enjoy it for now. ---
The Raiders used t/b such a > franchise. They're a shell of their former self. It's like they're cursed.***
Like Dallas & Wash'ton, it's about bad ownership & mgmt.; or lack thereof! Jerry Jones isn't eaten alive b/c he's the show! The team is an after-thought as he has a radio show, speaks to the media B4, during, & after the game, & hires coaches he can manipulate! The Cowboys are prob. worth the > of any franchise in the country = though they haven't won shit in almost 30 yrs.! I'd say the > valuable in the WORLD, but those Soccer Shieks throw $$ around like it's going out of style! They've been after sponsoring the PGA (LIV Tour) & is encroaching on Tennis all the X! I won't be watching either pretty soon! As a Sr., sports isn't as pleasurable due to it being > about $$ instead of actually winning! Even the > cursed of teams gets to the chp. game once in a while; = my sorry Bears in '07!
***The NY Giants', Saquon, if healthy is >er > the RB's the Eagles had. He runs, he catches, & he blocks. A 3 down running back.***
We need to get accustomed to The NFL not having too much patience or reverence of RB's as they've been devalued over the yrs.! Way back when, a team c/b formed around them; now they're released in their prime for a kid just coming out of college! Money's flowing in the league, but vet. RB's are an endangered species it seems!
***The workhorse RB (around 30 carries/game) is rapidly becoming an endangered species. A lot of teams seem t/b going RB by committee. Part of that likely is that they can then pay the "committee" backs < they'd pay one stud back. Since neither one'd've the huge #'s to justify a big contract. ---
Real players want rings...not just $$$. Even Deion took a pay cut for one yr. to try & get a ring.***
Well that's a matter of opinion! Early on it's all the $$! Later when X's running out, they think "I need a Chp.!" W/ NBA'r, Durant, it wasn't = about the $$ & winning! It was > about his ego needing constant stroking! What idiot'd volunt. leave a Chp. team like Golden State?
***Fields didn't have many off. weapons & the Bears OL was not that good either. He was traded to Pitts. for 6th Rd. cond. pick; up to 4th if starting over Russell.***
Even though I live in Chgo., it's hard to watch the Bears! Fields made me anxious due to holding onto the ball too long! He sacked himself many X's thinking he could lunch, drink, & take an aftermeal toke off a hookah B4 throwing the ball away! His escapes were almost anti-climactic w/ him continuing to hold the ball too long!
***...Raiders coach Bill Callahan threw the SB game b/c he hated Al Davis & the players, & was friends w/ Jon Gruden.***
TB had to cough up X draft choices & $$ when Gruden went South! Davis owed him $$; just like w/ Shanahan when he left the Raiders!
***Anyone w/ 1/2 a brain knew how that SB was going to end. Gruden coached both teams that yr. He knew what the Raiders were going to do B4 they snapped the ball on every play. ---
Expect the Chiefs t/b the newest team to join the forever OAKLAND Raiders & forever SAN DIEGO chargers to desert their fans & give them the mid'l finger for another city.***
Cities have to pay for those "bragging rights" when having a winning team! I think KC's been fortunate! From what I recall, Arrowhead's still a "state of the art" facility = though over 30 yo! A lit'l refresh to the place is in order after all this X! True enough the NFL teams have the $$ to do it on their own, but why not "rip off the fans" when we're suckers enough to do it? Living in Chgo, it's always been a threat of the Bears to leave town; m/b go to the suburbs, but so far they've held on by just landing that spaceship on the facility utilized as luxury accom. of Soldiers' Field! Since the 90's, everything's been upgraded except Wrigley Field! Both The Chgo. Stadium for the Bulls & Blackhawks & Cellular Field for the Sox'll prob. be demanding "facelifts" soon as well! ---
...The Dallas Cowboys have floundered since Jimmy Johnson was fired going almost 30 yrs. w/o = playing in a SB!
***Some people are so fk'd up in the mind they think their sports team is part of their family. One Raider fan said she has never missed a game, that they're family.***
...Right now I'm stressing about a wedding in May! A cousin sent invite which is in Calif.! Haven't = been thru an airport since '06! I don't apprec. being treated like cattle, strip searched, then deprived of a bev. & meal @ my age! Fk. that! Prob. not going! In my day, flying was a big part of a trip, now I dread it!
***There's NOTHING to counter the facts what a MF'r Al Davis was leaving Oakland, not giving a shit about the 1000's of lives he ruined w/ their livlihoods ruined as well. That Dan Snyder took a once proud franchise & ran it into the ground; same as MF'r Jerry Jones & Davis did. ...***
Funny, as a kid, I loved both those franchises! It mhh something to do w/ holding onto vet. players I liked & their periodic winning playing "old X football!" Davis had pretty much "lost it" decades B4 he passed on! The prob. was he was indulged; esp. in the Bay Area! ...I lived there in '97 & was embarrassed for the fandom & local radio station, 670 AM! The team'd find ways to lose games; esp. vs their hated rival, KC! One contest in particular on MNF had The Chiefs hitting town! Oakland had the game in hand until the last min. when KC got its act together enuf to set up a "Hail Mary!" Sure enough, KC's receivers got behind the defense & Grbac's prayers were answered on the last play of the game! I can still see the look on Coach Bugal's face; the guy crushed & bent over in disbelief!
I cheered the loss b/c I was so sick of the "old man!" People still kissed his ass = though the team hadn't won a SB in well over a decade! Davis took out his frustration by suing everyone in sight, ripping off cities up & down the coast dangling the team's location in front of them! I told people I knew back in Sacr. to not be lured in! Nothing > c/b said about Snyder's ownership in DC! He had a whole new set-up out there & frittered away the goodwill of the team! He did everything wrong being a rebel trying to "one up" Jones & Davis in the crazy dept.! By the X Schottenheimer was hired & fired I was done w/ "The Redskins!"
***Dimitrov def. seemed to enjoy the trappings of fame w/o the results for > of his career. IMO, the nickname "Baby Fed" never did him any favors, & he seemed to think the emphasis was on "Baby." Monfils seems to have done very well in Svitolina.***
"Baby Fed" moniker was & still is warranted since he modeled his game after Roger! Put a mask on them & you couldn't tell them apart; = physically! Fed's > a "bear" w/ chest hair that needs t/b blow-dried & styled though! Dimitrov was prob. ruined in so many ways very early on w/ expectations, $$, fame, & women; Maria Sharapova in particular! Like she couldn't sink her claws into a seasoned man, she had to troll the school-yards for a boy! It's amazing he's playing this well so late in his career after being a mere afterthought w/ the rest of the "lost gen!" There's much > in the way of comp. w/ kids just outside the top 100 lurking & crazy comp.! Novak found that out 2 wks. ago! I like Grigor's chances to succeed over a very comp. Monfils who tends to brk. down after a tough win!
***Sinner def. Dimitrov in the Miami Masters final in str. sets. Leaps Carlos to take over #2 in the World.***
Well Sinner has gotten closer to Novak in the rankings! It may all come down to what happens in MC! I think Djokovic needs to win @ least 1 or 2 matches to avoid dropping #1 ranking to Jannik if he goes on to win it! I doubt it really! More > likely Sinner w/b upset or = skip the event after winning Miami today! Novak doesn't need to hold onto the top rank any>! He's gotten 2 or 3 seasons worth of #1's over & above other >'s like Fedal & Sampras!
***Based on current levels, I can't see what makes you think that Sinner's likely t/b upset or skip it. MC's 10 days away.***
As the resident historian, why do you keep testing or disputing my posts? Why should we believe Sinner can go from HC to clay w/ all that good comp. out there to win MC? Did your forget Djokovic dropped his 2nd match to Musetti last season, but went on to take Paris for a 3rd X? Someone like Sinner is brittle or has been so far! He needs to take off someX's after making finals! He can also be upset by a clay specialist! It can happen & the odds say Novak will continue t/b the only person to go from Miami to MC & win!
***All respect to your pos. of res. historian. ;) But, what makes you think Sinner is "brittle?" He's proved t/b the sturdiest player this yr. ---
I think there were valid concerns about Sinner's "brittleness" a yr. or 2 ago, but he's been fine for awhile now. We'll see how he does for the rest of the yr. though. And of course transitioning to clay & maintaining this sort of dom. isn't something everyone can do, but he's really locked in now. 22-1 to start the yr. ---
The exciting thing is, or what I'm excited about, is having two potential young all-X >'s in their (early) primes. Or rather, 2 new ones, post-Big 4 Era. Remember wondering who the next guy w/b, way back 10-12 yrs. ago? Hoping Grigor, Milos, or Kei'd step it up? If Delpo could come back? Next Gen has some really good players, esp. Medvedev, but w/ Sinner & Alcaraz, we have 2 potential ATGs in the making. Even if one or both fall short of inner circle >ness, both seem to have a really good chance of @ least joining the "'s" like Edberg & Becker, & m/b = >.
After the 2-decade reign of the Big 4, it just feels good t/b in the new era. And it seems like the table is set: You've got Carlos & Jannik as the Big 2, then a nice host of a dozen or so contenders, a WC in Rune, & sev. = younger guys starting to show up on the radar. I like the composition.!***
***Biden has > twice the $$ that Trump does in his war chest, while Trump's still spending his on his legal issues. This c/b a prob. for him.***
It really doesn't matter! Trump could sit it lard ass around doing absol. nothing &'d still be "in charge!" The people "on the right" "back him" to the hilt! He's a felon w/ cases going on forcing him to use > avail. funds to pay legal fees! ...Others w/b under a jail by now w/ the slanderous comments Trump spews! Like Beyonce's Bee Hive, you're not allowed to say anything vs their KING! For some reason, his supporters don't care that he undermined our democracy, Jan. 6th! Past assoc. are warning the people not to vote for him! Other pols are raving against him! Trump still owns the Rep. Party! They'll eventually become irrelevant as they're close to losing the HOUSE while in session! I don't think that's ever happened in the history of Congress! That's how incompetent rightwingers are ATM! ...The word "compromise" has been del. from the brains of cons.! If a Rep. = hints @ it, they're "primaried" as they run some psycho Mega-Trumper to take their place! The good ones have left & others are leaving in a way to hurt the party as they're down to 1 Maj. Vote in the HOUSE! Jeffers c/b voted in as Speaker w/i a few wks. as these fools flail around unable to get anything done! The only thing saving us is they're shooting themselves in the foot, leg, arm, & soon t/b head!
***That FL abortion ruling surely puts that State into play for Prez. - The FL SC upheld the 6-wk. ban, but also rule that the option to vote it down w/b on the ballot in Nov.***
This is one of those issues that truly drags me down into the dumps! It's something that c/b avoided 90% of the X! My issue has nothing to do w/ the procedure or when done; > about the stupidity of some who use it as a form of birth control! Hard to believe this is an easy option instead of protecting themselves B4-hand! I give people a brk. from the 70's & 80's, but there's 30 types of BC & women aren't being resp., raw-dogging X guys, then having regrets due to becoming pregnant or picking up an STD! I was just talking about this recently to other old folks; "SHAME" needs t/b brought back! In the 70's, pos. programming on the issue became > prevalent! ...Lit'l girls began purposefully having kids w/o a Dad; actually being proud of themselves! To me that's a special kind of stupid thinking as the stats show kids from single, mothered homes have tons of issues includ. depression & suicide! No one brings it up b/c it'd pt. fingers @ the poor & minorities who benefit w/ welfare & other programs to support their bad decisions!
***...There are NOT 30 diff. types of BC, but I can tell you the ones that men can access: a) condoms, b) vasectomy, & c) abstention. Every other one's a woman's to access, includ. messing w/ her hormones. Do you really think "shame" needs t/b brought back?***
...Even if it's something necess. to save the life of the mother, it's still "BC!" I'm all for female lib. & having rights concerning their bodies, but they don't seem t/b concerned w/ taking care of it! ...Yep, we've forgotten what shame is! No one really takes responsibility for their actions!
***Trump wins Wisc. primary w/ almost 80% of the vote, but the outside choices poses prob. w/ him winning in Nov.***
IDK what to do or say w/ this situation! Nothing was > devastating to me > seeing this country turn itself on its head by electing Trump in '16! ...You're supposed to see the other side, try to understand, & forgive them! It ain't happening! I'm still flushed w/ hatred for the dir. of 1/2 the country! Their unpatriotic actions can never be overlooked; @ least not by me! ;-)
***OJ Simpson dead @ 76. The victims' families have been unable to collect on a $30M judgment that they had won. Hopefully, Mr. Simpson's estate will rectify this matter.***
They can forget it! I won't shed crocodile tears for any concerned! It was an ugly situation all around!
***OJ was 2 diff. people... one for public consumption & another behind closed doors.***
I don't like injustice, but the way the LA DA office & Marcia Clark ran this trial along w/ the complicity of an incompetent Judge (Ito), OJ deserved to walk! The prosecution was a joke from "jump" as those cops (Furman) jumped that wall & searched around the grounds of OJ's place w/o a warrant! Everything was tainted B4 it began as the arraignment judge (Kennedy) didn't have the guts to dismiss the case!
***IIRC around the X he committed the murders, Starburst had an ad campaign that had a jingle/slogan.
The slogan? "The juice is loose."***
It didn't die; just appropriated & used on T-Shirts satirically portraying "the case" & "the X's!"
***I'm just picturing the Starbust board room the day of the verdict..."We've got to do something about our slogan" & the 500,000 POP ads they likely had active @ the X. - NFL.Com does a pretty good job of giving a mid'l of the road remembrance.
"Former NFL RB O.J. Simpson dies of cancer @ age 76"
"O.J. Simpson, the decorated football superstar & Hollywood actor who was acquitted of charges he killed his former wife & her friend, but later found liable in a separate civil trial, has died. He was 76."***
It w/b just as ridiculous to overlook this man's rec. as done w/ Pete Rose & Barry Bonds! Someone had all those hits, cons. hitting streaks, & homeruns! OJ was huge! I don't think people realize what a celebrity he was @ the time! It started early w/ his football success at USC that bled into his retirement where he had tons of comm. endorsements, TV apps., movies, etc.! The man was a GOD & people yearned t/b in his presense! As much as the Browns tried to demonize him during the trial later, video footage earlier @ a recital of OJ's daughter, Sidney the very day of the murder showed them all laughing & having a good X w/ Simpson outside on the street! If Nicole wanted to get away from abuse, she didn't do a good job of distancing herself as she was totally beholden to him! He helped her entire family open businesses & paid for college ed. of a younger sister! I'm not a sychophant; these are just the facts & can't be overlooked just b/c of this crime! ---
I lived it! I was out in Cal. @ the X in the 90's! It was "OJ all the X" & around the clock! I worked nights so while "brk'n," I'd read the transcrips of that day's session! I slept thru the afternoon ??ing by Marcia & Johnny!
***...OJ did it & finding him innocent was payback for all the X's whites got away w/ murdering blacks.***
Amen & hallelujah to that! I like the law, but it's been so corrupted, truly fair & amical decisions are a crapshoot! Look @ Trump! The man has been a literal criminal since the 70's, but hasn't sniffed the inside of a jail cell! He supported the overthrow of our Democracy in '21 & the support is the same in '24! IDK what to say about such people that makes them seem rational w/ common sense! I've given up on them totally!
***People wonder how O.J. wasn't found guilty. They forget some key factors...
He had a great defense team, the prosecutor & her team were far out of their depth, & just 2-3 years earlier a bunch lousy cops had been found not guilty for beating the shit out of Rodney King. How's that related? One of the jurors actually said (22 yrs. later) that the "not guilty" verdict for O.J. was payback for that "not guilty" verdict for the cops. That's not the way it's supposed to work, but what can you do?***
This drama shouldn't have = begun in '94! After Furman jumped that wall in Brentwood w/ his fellow cops searching around the grounds w/o a warrant, as said on "L & O," all evidence (real or planted) was "fruit of the poisonous tree!" Anything found w/b inadmissable, but the arraignment judge, Kennedy was too gutest narcissists around! I don't think we realize what a big star he was back then in football (college & pro) on TV, in bad movies, & his iconic MNF fame! People wanted to bask in his aura; a person that was very personable, remembered your name, & glad-handed for as long as you wanted! W/ the Brown family, I mentioned that as much as they tried to demonize him on the stand & in the press, they were totally beholden to him as he helped them open businesses, paid for Nicole's sister's educ., etc.! That was the reason it took yrs. to = brk. away & do a divorce! Even after all that, THEY OWED him BIG X!
***So you think OJ had a right to murder them.***
That's a colossal leap, but I feel about it as > as any bad news out there! We act as if this was some kind of abberation! Every day of the wk. something like this is going on somewhere in the country! The news prioritizes celebrity as we're all captivated by "the shiny object!" It's all in your POV determining if something's right or wrong & fair or not! We're all guilty of selective outrage so forgive me as a Sr. to not GAF; esp. of a crime perpetrated 30 yrs. ago! I'm sure there are > pressing things t/b worried about; m/b this obscene election we'll have to go thru this Nov.!
***And yet every supposed piece of evidence was debunked by the defense in the trial.***
The incompetence of the prosecution made it easy! It was a "house of cards from DAY 1!" We have CSI's who sit in the foyer to rest her eyes while her boss comes in w/ the cops to talk & check things out personally! You have one of the cops take the shoes & blood vial of OJ's home w/ him! The DA surprisingly find > blood on a gate 2 or 3 wks. later @ Nicole's place, Gretna Green! I know we didn't have > rain out there, but PLEASE! Furman was an embarrassment to human-kind so I'll just let it go! I could go on, but let's not act like this was all on a jury dead set on "freeing OJ!" They were given "reasonable doubt" on a platter! I lived out there so it was a topic brought up during a sermon in church! Nothing >er since the Lindburgh kidnapping!
***The defense didn't debunk shit! How do you debunk DNA evidence? All they did was infer LAPD set him up which was horseshit! OJ was as guilty as sin. His acquittal was one thing & one thing only, payback for the Rodney King verdict. If we'd of sent those POS cops to jail, OJ whb found guilty of murder.***
You know what they say, "payback's a bitch!" Attrocities go on every single day somewhere so I shed no tears regard< of the injustice! I don't need an extra monkey on my back; esp. something that happened 30 yrs. ago! It's just not something abberant! People have been getting away w/ murder since Lizzie Borden!
Just heard Carlos' out! Not surprising really! I keep telling you guys, these players are very good, but the speed of the game w/ a need to # every shot'll take its toll! I wouldn't = try to play the game as it is now! Most don't understand, = if a player has "deft touch," that takes a toll on the arm as well! Back in the day it was about "tennis elbow" due to inferior equip. & bad technique! W/ old woodies, it took yrs. to become proficient in the game! W/ new tech, players c/b tourn. worthy w/i months! Alcaraz's a > player, but his head has gotten inflated w/ the adulation he gets for fantastic shot-making! He needs to really pull back someX; let it go & say "good shot!" Today's players will never have the longevity of the Big 3 as the comp's tough out there!
***Spot on! It's like he feels obligated to make every shot a highlight reel. Not gonna bode well long term. As you said above, >er to let some balls go past as a winner instead of chasing them down & getting injured. He has a ton already @ a young age. ---
ITA that Nadal won't play for $$. I'm sure one of the Nadalites can speak > accurately to his motives, but my guess is a combo of love of the game/comp., recs/legacy, & perhaps out of some sense of duty to his fans.
Given the setbacks he's undergone these last 2 yrs., I'd guess it's > the 1st & 3rd...love of the game & for his fans. I'm not sure what else he can do to pad his rec., & he must know he's got very lit'l chance of catching Novak in the Slam ct. I think he just loves tennis, loves competing, & loves his fans. After the last 2 decades (3 really), & being one of the best who ever played, it's a hard thing to give up. Roger didn't fully give up until he started slipping out of elite level. He was still playing at a very high level in '19 & the beginning of '20, but when he came back in '21 he was a shadow of his former self. The writing was plain on the wall.***
When playing a sport this physically tough, IMO it's not a setback as much as "it's X!" They can't stay out there forever! Roger thought he could & Nadal's testing the limits! It's ridiculous for anyone to feel any kind of way about players who are 35+! It's all gravy & when it starts getting hard to stay near the top, 'GO!' Right now, we're not sure of Djokovic! In a normal season, he'd have 3 titles by now! If it's his X, I'll support it! I think he still has a lit'l left in the tank; m/b 1 > FO to complete his 4th CGS! I'm hoping he can rise to the occasion to take MC so he'll have 4 GM's! I think = the hardcore Fedal fans will have to come around when he stretches out the rec.-bk. in his favor!
***M/b he figures that he can angle it just right & win 1 > RG, & then go out on top of his Clay Empire. I mean, why not? It isn't easy, esp. having not really played comp. for 15 months now. But given his unparalleled dom. on clay, if anyone'd accomplish such a feat, it's Rafa. ---
Rune's still acting like a jerk after explosive behavior in 3rd Rd.; same like Meddy did the other day.***
Being #1 in the World = for a min. has its privileges! It may not be fair, but Rune hasn't paid his dues to get that ben. of the doubt! I can still hark back to '81 where Borg was going to win his 6th Wimbl. title but for gut< officiating! McEnroe had lost his mind w/ the officials in an early Rd. match & he was allowed to move along in the draw! I can still see him calling the umpire "a bald eagle!" Borg > likely would've won in the final as McEnroe's game was the only one that worried the likes of Borg! In '90 John tried pulling the same thing "down under!" The rules had been revised & McEnroe fained ignorance of a change! It took one < offense to get DQ'd after insulting officials! So he knew how long he could rant & act a fool B4 getting tossed, but miscal. this 1 X! Funny, a country w/ a history as being a penal colony & the Aussies have > respect for the game, sportsmanship, & rules! ...After 50+ yrs. in the game, I still just SMH!
***Sinner upset by Tsitsipas in their SF clash. Stefanos nipped Jannik in 3 set. Sinner hampered physically a lit'l bit.***
***Rafa's kind of a freak, given his longevity & play style. It m/b that those many injury layovers preserved his body (a bit). Alcaraz seems cut from the same cloth, &'ll get his X in, no matter what.***
Why just give Rafa credit for being "a freak" of nature? All of the Big 3 c/b catagorized & included in that vein as they've all stayed in the Top 3 of ATP rankings for the > part for well over 20 yrs.! They each had small setbacks dropping out of the top 10, but they returned just as strong, if not >! Novak won 1/2 his 24 majors after 30 yo's taking 3 of 4 in 2 sep. seasons in his mid 30's! Rafa coming & going as he pleased certainly saved his career & extended his longevity! Roger didn't make too > of a wave physically until regaining the #1 ranking @ 37 back in '17! After Nadovic overtook him, he was done & prob. should've retired = w/ great performances to make a FO SF & Wimbl. Final in '19!
***Yeah, they're all freaks. I'm just pt'n out that Rafa's longevity is the > surprising, esp. considering he seemed t/b fading out in '14-16 that wasn't just one off yr., but 2.5 years. I can't think of another player who played @ a significantly lower level for 2, full & healthy seasons, then jumped back up again. He went from GOAT level to 2nd tier to aged GOAT level. Novak has his walkabouts & that 1 bad yr. in '17. Roger had 2 cycles in his 30s, but neither & not 1 that I can think of had the same pattern as Rafa. But the pt. was to use him as a model for Alcaraz - that = if the young pup over-plays, he can look to Rafa to see how he optimized. That said, if I'm not mistaken, > of Rafa's issue have been lower body. ---
We all thought that Rafa wbd by 30. So did Rafa. But, when Rafa went w/o a Major from '14-17, that was nothing compared to Roger not having won 1 for 4.5 yrs. Rafa didn't fall out of the top 10. It was Roger who didn't have a Major win from '12-17. ...I hardly think Rafa had the > surprising resurgence. I'd say Roger did, in '17. Yes, > of Rafa's issues have been lower body, @ least up until recently, & = now. Mostly it was all about his knees since '09.***
...ND has not only 1-up'd Roger, he's 2-up'd him if not > & doing it sooner! Sportcenter & Fox Sports personalities are close to anointing Novak 1 of the >est athletes ever, not just the GOAT in tennis! He's done so much in his 30's w/ anything he does now being gravy, ext. the lead he has over all his rivals in every catagory out there! ...I lived for Borg, Edberg, Sampras, Safin, & Laver on the men's side while the ladies lead the way on my list w/ Goolagong, Navratilova, Wade, Court & Hingis!
***The over-achieving players that come > readily to mind are Hewitt & Wilander, both of whom collapsed as elite players in their mid-20s & muscled on for yrs.***
Don't forget Marat Safin who was > talented than them all! His problem was btwn. the ears >ly, getting to #1 & stopping the Fed run @ the '05 AO SF IIRC! I loved his play; w/o a doubt the "Ilie Nastase" of his X, but w/ power, touch, feel, & quickness! Beautiful women surrounding him prob. didn't help! Marat won 2 majors def. Sampras @ his end in a USO final & an early vers. of Roger "down under!" BTW, his sister, Dinara Safina got to #1 for a min. w/o winning a major!
***Fact: Casper “the thug” Ruud is controlled by the infamous Norweigan Mafia. His sportsmanship awards? All bought w/ North Sea blood oil $$. He bullies younger players away from the fawning media/press & blackmails other players to sing his praises.Who else in the locker room is known as the Norweigan Prince of Darkness?***
You really don't know people; esp. if they stay undercover! Until that McEnroe v Borg movie, I had no idea how bad it was behind the scenes w/ Bjorn! I never got past the poss. that old lady he married had to of manipulated & turned his life upside down! I read somewhere the moment he saw her @ a party he was lost! It was a lot > going on unfort.! I don't need to know = though > are starving for the least lit'l tidbit on others; esp. if they're celebs.!
***Want to make a bet the Texans finish >er in the standings > the Bills next yr.?***
Bringing Rodgers to NY did the Jets no good! On paper it was a no-brainer, but after a series in Game 1, the dream was over! There are no guarantees in football or Miami w/b thriving w/ Tyreek Hill doing his thing! That's why they play the game! KC looked horrible early on this past season! All faith was being lost, but they came thru for a repeat SB! I'm gonna wait until we play @ least a few games B4 giving too much credit to Houston for the moves they made!
***And we can't forget that Jacksonville w/b healthy next yr. They aren't a team Houston can afford to take lightly. The Jaguars have a very good chance to return to Div. winner status w/ Trevor Lawrence healthy. ===
I recall when KC's baseball team moved to Oakland. ...Perhaps citizens are wising up about funding teams w/ taxes. These teams w/ new stadiums are instantly valued $1B >, all of which goes towards the owner's wealth. It still doesn't make any sense to me why the $$ collected for the naming rights of a publicly owned stadium facility should go to a privately owned team.***
The shameful thing is how the owners & league get all the benefits, but can't give back = a crumb in the way of keeping concession prizes from skyrocketing! That's the main reason whole families don't go to games anymore! You need a food loan from the bank to pay for inflated concessions! We went to Cellular Field in Chgo. it's inaugural yr. in '95! I hadn't been to a baseball game since the 70's so I about fell out seeing how > they were charging for the simplest of fare like a hotdog & drink! The pizza was ridiculously priced for the X IMO, but that's just me! The last X I actually went to a game & bought something, it was a Giants' game in 2000! I got a Nacho Cheese, Coke, & Beer for a bud; $15.50! I can't fathom what it w/b today! ===
***Bill Russell is a completely diff. circumstance when it comes to NBA GOAT-dom. He was the best player on the best team. But he didn't score enough t/b the GOAT. This is an opinion & one that can never be proven. I just know from watching Lebron in the Finals, Jordan would've kicked his soft ass. ...I can't believe you witnessed Jordan & don't see it. Kobe would've beat Lebron too.***
I bow to the feverish, winning drive of Jordan, but I grew up respecting raw >ness B4 the advent of super fandom, social media whore-dom, & the phoniest era when it comes to Chp. play! The NBA was running on fumes, drug addeled, on the verge of total collapse in the late 70's! The NBA Chp. games were on tape delay; 11:30 PM believe it or not! Magic & Bird brought them back & so w/ his 1st win & run w/ the Lakers, I give the GOAT moniker to Magic Johnson! A player who could play all 5 positions on the court & did as he had to lead the team to victory w/o their Center K.A. Jabbar that yr. in '80 over Bird's Celtics!
***Got to love Magic. Winning a HS, NCAA, & NBA Chp. is 1 of the rarest & > diff. feats to complete for a basketball player. In fact, only 15 players in the history of the game have won @ the >est level on all 3 levels. Kareem, Magic, Bill Russell, & Bill Walton.***0
I watched the Lakers pass the ball around the court like The Globetrotters toying w/ The Wash'ton Gen.! They were terribly entertaining, but weren't unstoppable due to Bird & Dr. J w/ an assist by Moses Malone to curb those winning ways in the 80's! Funny, Magic's true end occurred when Jordon won his 1st Chp. in '91, taking out the Lakers in 5! It shb a sweep but for a lucky shot by some rookie in game 1 in Chgo. IIRC! I was from Chgo., but had just moved to Cal. where the Kings were trying to make their mark in Sacto!
***A returning Rafa hasn't played a pro match in 15 mos., going back to the '23 AO. It m/b that he's finally gotten old, but I'd think we need to write off him just being rusty 1st. I'm reminded of his loss to Zeballos in '13 after a long absence from the tour. He then went on to have one of his best yrs. Again, not expecting another '13 from Rafa - that's very unlikely.***
Funny you mention that Zeballos match! Rafa was on another one of his comebacks playing So. Amer. clay events! I loved him "going down in flames" in that match vs another left-hander running down all his shots! Rafa must've made a deal w/ the Devil to still take FO's of'13 &'14 def. Djokovic in 2 all X memorable matches! ...I thought he was done, TOAST! Him & Roger! Both came back during Nole's per. of en oui & elbow injury in '16-early '18 to get to #1 in the world until Novak came back strong in the Summer of '18!
***After 8 months off the tour, Rafa was rusty. When he got going, he was nigh unbeatable thru the USO, winning 10 of his next 12 tourns., losing only to Novak @ MC & that ill-fated loss to Steve Darcis @ Wimbl. No deal w/ the Devil, just Rafa @ the top of his game. ...The last thing he wants to do is over-play @ an ATP 500. That said, I don't think any > player has been out that long & come back anywhere close to peak form, let alone @ almost 38 yo. If he wins any tourn. this yr., it w/b a remarkable achievement. ---
Yeah, I just don't get how as a tennis fan, one can't be rooting for him. One of the greatest players ever, trying to come back @ 37-38 yo. I'd like to see the King of Clay go out in style. ...The worst-case scenario w/b for Rafa to have to WD from a match @ RG due to injury, esp. to some punk like Tsitsipas.***
Is that supposed t/b directed @ me? I've been swatting the slings & arrows on this subject for yrs.; back to when Rafa was a rookie! Some players just offend me & he got on my bad side right away w/ his total act from stalling, toweling off incessantly to the arrogance of challenging every call as if he couldn't poss. "have missed that!" The short-list w/ players I'd do w/o are Connors, McEnroe, Agassi, & of course Rafa! It has lit'l to do w/ being gentile & prof'l out there b/c I liked Ilie Nastase, Marat Safin, & some'd say Djokovic who can lose their minds on court when things aren't going well!
***Thiem was prob. >er @ his peak > guys like Ferrer, Berdych, & Tsonga (or Davydenko, Nalbandian, etc)-->er players > Slam winners such as Gaudio & Johansson--but the gap isn't huge, & Thiem got the hardware to show his grandkids.***
No doubt about it! Like so many other players: Wawrinka & Murray in particular, they couldn't overcome the >ness & longevity of the Big 3! They sqelched any hint of any other player outside of them making an impact on the game in their ERA! Their dom. was & continues t/b unprecedented w/ them taking almost all of the Big titles for over 2 decades! Thiem handled Djokovic 2 X's on clay, but no matter the surface, Nadal was able to survive his encounters vs Dom! Their '18 USO QTRF'L was classic, going 5 sets, almost 5 hrs., w/ saved MP's by both players! He works too hard to play the game, so no one s/b surprised he'd "limp" out of the game one way or another! I'm just surprised Nadal's held on this long! He's the epitome of a player who works too hard to win the simplest of matches vs players not = in the top 50! It's a shame Dom wasn't able to make that "comebk." like Fedalovic when they had injuries!
Novak was a match away @ the '21 USO in completing a CYGS! Nadal's name shouldn't have = been brought up; esp. after Novak def. him @ Rafa's beloved event, Paris in the SF! IDK how these 2 players can ever be compared again! Novak's achievements are so > >er & plentiful; 4 seasons w/ 3 won majors (twice in his 30's) & 425 wks. @ #1! That alone sets him apart from any player in the history of the game not just the Open Era!
***Novak holds another rec. of his own. He's the only member of the Big 3 actually caught on camera drinking dubious potions mixed by his team who go to > lengths to ensure they're handed to him & @ X's accompanied by strange puffing & inhaling from a tube. They = made sure the empty bottles were handed back to his team on numerous occasions. I'm quite sure this has helped him a lot to achieve many of his recs.***
Well, nothing new w/ those ridiculous accusations! The same c/b said of Fedal as they both stayed @ the top of the rankings well into their 30's! The Big 3 have all had unprecedented dom. & success on the tour while age never seemed to slow them down! You know what they say about pt'n. fingers?
***There are allegations about Nadal w/ his PRP treatments being performance enhancing, yes, & coincidentally they both occurred prior to 2 of his best yrs. He had PRP treatment in '09 & '12 which preceded his '10 & '13 seasons. There's actually nothing out there on Fed, but of course that means nothing in sports. The fact remains that Novak's the only one who's been caught on camera actually having the nerve to drink magic lotions live @ matches. Some of the footage wasn't televised, but has been captured & released online & it's dodgy AF that nothing was done about it considering they actually have something concrete to go on there. Confiscate it & test it. They don't want the sport ruined like cycling by having the world #1 shamed. This is why. Silent bans of course is the other tactic they use by saying a player is out due to injury but, again, they won't give them a proper punishment as it'd taint the sport forever. That they allowed that maggot Halep back says it all. They only ban nobodies like Lepchenko. Gutless. ---
Rafa's peak range-'08-13, we get:
Rafa: 93-40 vs top 10 (69.9%); 47-26 vs top 5 (64.4%); 115-11 @ Slams (91.3%); 406-62 overall (86.8%)
Novak: 99-51 vs top 10 (66%); 48-36 vs top 5 (57.1%); 125-18 @ Slams (87.4%); 422-81 overall (83.9%)
Roger: 68-54 vs top 10 (55.7%); 33-39 vs. top 5 (45.8%); 122-19 @ Slams (86.5%); 375-82 overall (82.1%) -
Here's the best 6-yr. spans of the other 2, w/ Rafa's best repeated for comparison:
Rafa ('08-13): 93-40 vs top 10 (69.9%); 47-26 vs top 5 (64.4%); 115-11 @ Slams (91.3%); 406-62 overall (86.8%)
Novak ('11-16): 140-34 vs top 10 (80.5%); 66-25 vs top 5 (72.5%); 143-13 @ Slams (91.7%); 427-50 overall (89.5%)
Roger ('04-09): 91-30 vs top 10 (75.2%); 44-23 vs top 5 (65.7%); 149-10 @ Slams (93.7%); 442-51 overall (89.7%) -
That said, Novak's run takes the cake, IMO. What stands out for me is that he played 174 matches vs top 10 ops - vs. 121 for Roger & 133 for Rafa. And he still had a >er win % vs top 10 players (& top 5 players, w/ signif. > played > the other 2). During their 6 yr. spans, Roger won 14 Slams to Rafa's 10 & Novak's 11. Roger has the best 2-4 yr. spans (any 2-4 yr. span from '04-07 is best in class), but starts losing ground after that. If you focus on clay or any single surface, Rafa's clearly the top guy. Novak gets the overall title.***
***I'm so sure Denver's going to win over the Lakers.***
Trying to anoint LB as the GOAT is making him look worse each day! Complaining about a call after having a 20 pt. lead was amusing to see yet again! Missing that "open 3" w/ no one in the pic is his legacy IMO! Always a min. late & a $ short! He's prob. under other greats w/ fewer NBA Chp.! AD didn't help the cause "mouthing off" about his defensive skills as he allowed the Nuggets to come all the way back & win last night! Murray buried it in AD's face to go up 2-0!
***13 secs. left. Lebron has a wide open 3. But he should've waited til the shot clock was down to 3 B4 he shot. M/b he should've taken the ball to the hole. What he did was miss a wide open 3 & gave Denver 13 secs. to come down to make the winning shot. Come on man. He’s no cerebral assassin.***
I certainly don't give Lebron credit for being "the most intelligent player" on the court! Skip Baseless can't stand him, thinks he doesn't have a "clutch gene," but believes he's that cerebral player people can acknowledge! NOT ME! He clanks "free throws" & game ending shots so it's hard for me to call him the GOAT!
***MJ won 6 rings in 15 seasons. ...Coming from a Piston Bad Boy, Jordan was the man. Practically single handed retired my Pistons. He made them walk off the court w/o shaking hands. He HUMILIATED them. Lebron's never done that to anybody. Got lucky in Cleveland, LA, & those Heat Chps. Meh. I also remember an awful lot of failure.
Lebron whh to have dom. > in Miami for me to say he was >er > Jordan. W/ all that help he didn't do much. LeBron’s success in Miami has always been measured against those words (“not 1, not 2 …”), ones he wished he had back. But 2 titles & 4 Finals appearances is a success by any measure. Nothing's guar., = when 3, someX's >, of the >est players in the world come together. ---
Show me the Eastern teams he beat to go to the Finals. The East was weak.***
The East has been the worst for yrs. prob. going back decades! Those owners out West spend < $$ on players, keep them longer, & produce > dom. teams! The East has been a disgrace for @ least 30+ yrs.! I seem to recall while I was on a trip to Chgo after the Bulls brk up & move to return to >ness! At the X the Bulls & the rest of the East were below .500 except 2 teams the 1st month or so of the season in '02! This is what made it easy for The Bulls & Celtics to repeat & for the other teams to make the NBA Finals like Phili, Orlando, NYK, & Indy! They still lost, but were terribly outclassed by teams in the West!
***I was so happy the 3 X's the Pistons won. First X Magic got hurt. '04 we beat Kobe & Shaq when they weren’t getting along, but we were certainly the underdogs. They had Malone & Gary Payton. A super team that didn’t work out. Then Shaq went to Miami & they won. The West has lots of good teams. Boston is choking right now game 2 vs Miami w/ no Jimmy Butler? Denver's going to repeat. - The East has won 12 titles in that X.***
The weakness is not w/ how few Chps. won by the East, but the overall level of their conf. which has been poor! How many X's do obscure teams get sent to the East Chp. game in the playoffs while the West get fat beating them! So many of the teams have over 50 wins! The East have won plenty of NBA Chp. but some teams haven't gotten a sniff of the Final while the West beat up on each other! We may never see 2 "3-peats" like the Bulls since teams won't stay together! I'm still SMH over that fk'n ego-maniac Kevin Durant who couldn't bear sharing the credit w/ Curry in GS! It wasn't "his" team so he walks away to create his own TRIO in Brooklyn who were so mentally deficient, they couldn't get out of their own way! It's happening > & >! Actually winning is low on the list/totem-pole to some who leave winning teams for $$ & > ego-stroking! Durant has floundered ever since! The latest on the list being Tyreek Hill leaving KC for Miami! What an idiot! He's lost out on 2 SB's!
***As I've said B4, what stands out about the Big 3--& why they're the top 3 players of the Open Era (unless we ct. Laver's full career; right there w/ them) is that they combined incredible longevity w/ very high peaks. I don't think they were better (for their X) > Borg or McEnroe @ their best, but they just did it for longer - and then padded on a bunch of "" yrs. that look like peak Edberg/Becker/Agassi. Meaning, their 6th, 7th best yrs'd prob. be the best of that lesser trio. You'd say that Rafa is sort of like if Borg had the career longevity of Connors, Fed if Sampras had been any good on clay, & w/ >er longevity, Novak a super-sized version of Lendl who didn't punk out on grass & played another 5+ yrs..? Sorta/kinda.
Anyhow, for yrs. it looked like we'd never see a > player again. Next-Gen was >er > Lost-Gen, but the best player--Medvedev--while very good, isn't really a true great. Depending upon how things go for him the rest of the way, his range is somewhere between Ivanisevic & Vilas. Along w/ Zverev, Tsitsipas, Rublev etc, it's a much >er group > the sad lot of Raonic, Nishikori, Dimitrov, etc. I kind of see Next-Gen as being comparable to the group btwn Sampras & Federer. But despite that, Alcaraz & Sinner look to be potential ATGs in the making. Meaning, the Millenials are the best group since Novak/Fedal/Murray...@ least at the top. We shouldn't expect GOATness, but I see both as being @ least capable of reaching the accomplishments of the Edbergs and Beckers of the world. Who knows, m/b 1 or 2 of the younger guys emerging can join them. Go Fonzie! ---
In terms of a GOAT, or GOATs, m/b Nadal as clay GOAT IS the closest we have to a real one. He's got > a few recs. that are really going to stand the test of X. 14 FO titles, as a start. How long do you have to live B4 you see someone top that? I don't think I will. He has 2nd > Majors overall. I know there are folks who complain about so many on one surface, but he has won 2+ each on all surfaces, so that's a weak argument. And the stellar clay resume gives him a legacy that w/b hard to beat.***
Oh, the word gymnastics we someX's have to go thru! Poor baby! I'll give you "Clay GOAT" status to your boy, but that's about it! For someone who's played for 20 yrs, IMO t/b the Ult. GOAT, you need to do > win on a single surface = though 14 FO vics. will never happen again! That's why he'll hold that title forever = though I'd give Borg a nice chance to challenge his #'s but for retiring so early! IMO Nadal needed another streak somewhere else! Fedovic have 2-3 > streaks off clay & X YEC's while Nadal doesn't = have one! Nadal will always have his OGM, but IMO "so what?" Some guy called Massau has one too! Roger prob. s/b on top but for being owned by 2 other players H2H! Fed's rec. will always look a lit'l >er w/ 2 Five yr. streaks; Wimbl. & USO! Novak has his 10 @ AO, but of note is he's the only person in the OE to take it 3 yrs. in a row TWICE! Djokovic did @ least have 4 in a row @ Wimbl. & taking 7 overall, while Nadal can only lament the wasted chances on grass he lost to nobodies & scrubs taking only 2 @ SW19!
***@Fiero425 do you remember playing tennis @ 16 yo.? I'd play 7 str. hrs. in 90* w/ just a jug of Kool-Aid.***
Of course! ...I played after school & in the Summer all day & night! Someone'd ring my bell to play as early as 8 AM w/ 2 courts just down the street! It wasn't usually to stay out there all day w/o a jug of Kool-Aid! I barely drank water back then! I just hated that feeling of liquids sloshing around in my stomach! I learned later, that was why I had severe cramps in my legs; esp. @ night when trying to sleep! Total dehydration! In some ways that was why I was so healthy; actually fasting > of the day w/ all that exercise! I'd have dinner w/ family then head to courts w/ lights! At U of Chgo., a court stayed lit until midnight! I only did that twice after I turned 18! I was on court competing well over 12 hrs. if I wasn't teaching the game!
Trump's playing to the "Religious Right" & they're accepting of his bufoonery since he's making them feel good about being bigoted, misogynist pigs! The lone issue of abortion is being used fraudulantly, but they don't care! They got what they wanted from the Supreme Court, setting the country back 50 yrs. along w/ the women's movement! They're being told the pol. contrib. made will prob. go to defending Trump's crimes vs the country & populus! Again, they don't seem to care! I say, keep giving $$ to this snake, but I don't want to hear about how broke they are who are giving $$ to someone like this who's lit. a traitor & war criminal! Hard to believe their choice of "W" was the worst @ the X, but they scraped the sewer finding & supporting Trump, so we're getting what some people want; CHAOS!
***...A state being thrust back to a Civil War era law, B4 they were = a state? It's certainly not going to do the GOP any favors in this climate restricting abortion to non-existency.***
It's rulings like this that make me believe we're so close to that dystopian civilization I read so much about in the 60's! Reality's being turned inside out as we go back instead of forward! After "Roe v Wade" overturned, setting back 50 yrs. of precedent, why should we be surprised another cons. court c/b this Neanderthal as to go back to Civil War X's law! What's next, ??ing & overturning of "Brown v Bd. of Ed.? Electing Trump has given a small, vocal, & dangerous segment of the pop. to run over Democracy & the rule of law as it gets corrupted w/ these cons. judges the Reps. install during their tenure running the Senate! Elections do have consequences! Women had no idea that by self-hating & voting vs Hillary, the women's movement & = civil rights are in jeopardy now! And it's not like they weren't warned! It was pretty scary during the "W" Bush yrs. w/ "Free Speech Zones" & trashing the economy w/ ridiculous tax cuts for the rich! It w/b diff. if it actually helped w/ every day life, but all it does X & X again is db'l/trp'l the Nat'l Debt, inflate unemployment #'s, & create insolvent banking! It truly happens again & again! Dems. fix the prob., get us back on our feet, then the cycle repeats itself! I've seen it happen w/ Reagan, Bush, "W," & Trump! Clinton & Obama only got ridicule for bringing us back from the brink, but we're too dumb to NOT listen! The end can't come soon enough for me as the country spirals out of control!
***Did Trump win the '16 presidential election b/c Hillary Clinton wasn't a very good opponent? Hillary received 3M > votes > Trump did. Therefore the majority of American voters wanted Hillary to win. If it wasn’t for the undemocratic & archaic Elect. Col., we whn spared the last 7 yrs. of theater of the absurd.***
A contributing factor was a 3rd party candidate that pulled just enough votes from Hillary; Jill Stern! The FBI didn’t help announcing an investigation into her online paperwork! Comey will burn in HELL for this as he was also investigating Trump, but didn’t want to upset “the right” by acknowledging it! Then there was Russian intervention, making FB rich w/ lies & propaganda! We’re idiots here in the States & have allowed both Russia & China to help choose our leadership! It scared Putin to have to deal w/ Clinton! They wouldn’t be buddies like he was Trump! Our democracy is in jeopardy to this day due to their interference!
***McConnell was boo'd vociferously at a Rep. Town Hall setting recently.***
WTF's wrong w/ his staff to allow that kind of exposure after seeing him freeze on the floor of the Senate? More > likely these a-holes want to hold onto their jobs until the last b/c once he retires, all those staffers are gone! There's prob. w/ 1000's of them out there! We have lit'l to no idea the extent of these pols power & scope of influence!
***Ons really has such a nice complete game, mixing power & touch. So sick of hearing the women's game picked apart compared to the men. The women have genuine contenders. I'll say it AGAIN, Sabalenka's by far the > interesting WTA to watch play. She's always box office &'ll eventually become #1.***
ReplyDeleteThis was Sabalenka's best chance & she blew it vs Jabeur in the SF! That was a choke of epic proportions, but what's new? Players do that sort of thing on the regular! No lead's safe & the match c/b practically given to them w/ UFE's & wild play, but "they can't finish!"
***But @Fiero425, that's the beauty of her game. She w/b back & eventually win SW19 & the #1 ranking just like she won her 1st GS title. It's all on her terms. She drives the bus on the tour. Either she's gonna implode or blast someone off the court.
---
OTOH, m/b it's b/c the women have a fighting spirit & don’t give up easily? Sabalenka was trying, but the pressure from Ons was ongoing. Comebacks aren't just about someone collapsing, but from a player rising to the ocassion; which the women do these days > the men.***
I'll have to take your word for it! I don't watch women's tennis as much! I barely recognize many of the players w/ the names! So many blonds w/ high ponytails or braids! The other brunettes are the killjoys & upsetters! They're all doing the same for the > part; trying to take the cover off the ball! I do like Ons' play though! It's a lot > of a versatile game w/ backup features! Most others' solutions is to just hit harder & lit'l else in the way of thinking it thru!
***I expected HUGE improvement from Sinner over the last yr. & he hasn’t improved a lick. He's actually gotten worse; inexcusable for someone his age. Last yr. he took 2 sets from Djokovic and now can't = win 1 vs Djoker only a yo'r. ...There's zero reason why Carlos should end up porentially w/ a Wimbl. title B4 Sinner. Zero. Not when Sinner has > innate ability on grass. That was a pitiful performance from him today in the SF.***
We expect too > from today's players due to the excel. of the Big 3! I have no sympathy for Sinner's plight w/ expectations that were blown up a lit'l too >! He's a nice, solid player w/ a weapon here & there, but nothing special! He'll have good & bad days; > of the X out of nowhere he'll hit a wall! He's aggr.n' me w/ the incessant glances to his box w/ the fist clenches! It's maddening! "Hey sonny, it's just 1 pt., not the set or match! Pull back on the adrenaline!" Even though Alcaraz has that something special, I think he also needs to pull back! He's trying to make the highlite reel on every pt.! Djokovic may not = have to play that well if he can just allow Carlos to run himself into the ground! Someone needs to tell Alcaraz he doesn't need every pt. to win convincingly! That MP was only worthwhile b/c it ended the match! Those pts. are grinding &'ll catch up to him sooner or later!
***Most people don't = see Nadal above Fed, meaning total slams isn't the end all be all. Meaning we have to go to peak level, which Fed clearly has above them>***
Personally I have a prob. w/ Nadal & his unbalanced resume! There are so many holes, but a factor is the H2H where Nadal owned Roger early & often!
***Just the YE title. It's the only hole. He has @ least 2 slams won everywhere. Fed doesn't.***
The thing is Roger has 2 runs of 5 Majors; Wimbl. & The USO! It took Nadal over 10 yrs. to get that 2nd AO & his upsets @ Wimbl. are legendary! Novak's obviously on top w/ his 2 runs @ majors as well where Nadal is King of Paris, no YEC's, 1/2 the wks. @ #1, & 2 (soon t/b 3) YE #1's behind Novak!
***Well Nadal would've dom. all 4 slams too if Djokovic didn't catch on like a house of fire in '11.***
That's why I apprec. Novak so much! He stopped Nadal from being The GOAT! Rafa had had such a > '10, then got to final after final in '11 only t/b thwarted by Djokovic @ every turn! He dropped 7 in a row including '12 AO! Nadal would have run away w/ it if not for Novak; THANK GAWD!
***Not yet fully sold on Eubanks. He's 27 yo. There's no guarantee that he makes another run like that @ a slam.***
ReplyDeleteI never took Eubanks that seriously! He's having a very nice run &'s > likely just "in the zone!" Do we really think he's going to cont. ascending the ranks & stay there? Back in the day there was an actor; Vincent Van Patton that got on a heater & = def. McEnroe in an exh. event in Toyko! Borg brought him back to Earth in the final & we never heard from him again; sans his dating of Farrah Fawcett-Majors!
***Vince Van Patten! But Fiero, you’re actually selling short his moment of glory. It was an actual ATP tourn. I think it was the Japanese Indoor & he beat 3 top 10 players in a row; Clerc, Gerulaitis, & Macl. Talk about being "in the zone." ...Alas the feeling doesn't last, LOL.***
Back in the day, it was a bit of a mess w/ tourns. sanctioned & giving away pts.! ...That Seiko event IMO was lit'l > an exh., but it gave away lots of $$ so was sanctioned! CRAZY X's!
I picked up a lot of good tactical play by watching the women; Court, BJK, Wade, Goolagong, & of course Navratilova! Back then in the 70's w/ the men, it was all about "s/v" aside from Borg! Even Connors played outside his comfort zone venturing into the net a lot > usual! The other baseliners of the X were use< except on clay; The Bagel Twins (Solomon & Dibbs), Vilas, Higueras, Orantes, & others! The USO, Forest Hills going to Har-Tru in '75 gave the advantage to Euro's & So. Americans!
***This new guy, Alcarez is the continuation of the Big 3:
He moves like NADAL & Djokovic
Has Defense of Djokovic
Shot making skills of Federer
Has massive serve bigger > Fed
Master of touch shots
The beginning of the Alcaraz era.***
I want to agree, but need to let Carlos cook a lit'l while longer! He's no doubt >er > past gens., but we've tried to bury the Big 3 for over a decade! Novak's the last man standing & I think he has a lit'l bit > left in him! Heaven knows he already took another AO & FO this season! Never seen dirt thrown on a champ. so soon j/b of one loss! People out there need some serious help IMO! "Come on dudes; shake yourselves!"
***1/2 of the people here do that. They always exaggerate each person’s last result. A few wks. ago the same people who were saying now that Novak's finished were saying that Carlitos was incapable of ever finishing a match.
There's no sign of Novak getting worse (yet). No 36 yo. has ever played @ this level & w/ such consistency. But it’s also true that Carlitos is going t/b an - of the Big 3 for sure. People seem to want t/b able to simplify everything to a story a 5 yo.'d like - so they want it t/b that Carlitos has entirely taken over & Novak can never win another match. - - 172cm: >est accomp. beating a 36 yo... barely.***
I recall many who undermined Novak's success the last 10 yrs. due to Roger being 5-6 yo'er! Now Carlos' lauded = though Djokovic's almost twice his age! That's hilarious and so embarrassing for those out there who tried to perpetrate that fraud on us all!
***Cinci w/b B4 the USO. Nole's currently @ the sea in Dubrovnik w/ his family so I guess Montreal will not see him this yr.***
Novak doesn't need another Canadian Masters win! He's been unlucky w/ Cincy; the comp. level, speed of court, & him just burned out! He got some Karma back helping him get his last by way of the tourn. being moved to Flushing in '20 due to Covid! That gave him a "Double Golden Masters!"
***Yeap, 4 is enough. He lost 5 finals in Cinci until finally won it in '18. +ed 1 > in '20. Guess Fed & Murray liked the surface & condition there >. Borna Ćorić's defending the title this yr. He needs 1 > Cinci & MC for 3 GM's, IIRC.***
"Great minds?!" Djokovic needs to collect as many "standalone" recs.. poss. to overcome the bias that keep Fedal on a pedestal that's crumbling IMO!
...Novak's '11 saved us from cons. seasons of Rafa winning everything as his '10 was 1 of his best efforts! Rafa could've sealed the deal as the GOAT rather early as Novak only had 1 major @ the X! That was a true rivalry unlike the make-believe 1 created w/ Fedal!
ReplyDelete***What do you think about Djokovic's retirement? If you were him, when do you think is the right X for you to bow out & try something new?***
I don't = understand the reasoning behind asking the ??! Novak has won 2 majors this yr. & was in the final of the 3rd! WTF? I believe he has 2-3 > good yrs. left in him regardless of Fedal's retiring! Everything's gravy due to him holding every important rec. on the books including YE #1's (7), 389 wks. @ #1, 23 Majors, & a Double GM's! That's just @ the top of the list! The guy owns just about all of them except longevity since he's still young compared to Fed!
***The ??'s > about the comp. side of things. Yes, he has the recs., but clearly a guy like him will want to stay comp. also. It's > about down the line, what w/b the things you feel could start to indicate that it's X to move on.***
No X soon that's for sure! You saw how he finished last season & started this one w/ a routine win "down under!" It just makes no sense to = talk about retiring IMO!
***Nole looks like he has the same movement & game, so he can continue until the next gen steps up.***
That's the reason I'm not = discussing retirement! He's still running like a deer & takes the best to the limit, running them to death & destroying their will!
***Two slams a yr. for the next 3 yrs. Carlos w/b splitting them w/ Djokovic.
Finally; rational thought! It's a rarity w/ many trying to put a stake thru the heart of the Big 3! Novak has 2-3 good yrs. left in him! Might = p/up another FO!
***It's hard to rule vs Djokovic when you look @ what he's accomplished in the last 5 yrs. He's 36 yo & doesn't move or defend as well as he did in his prime, but he's clearly estab. that he has no issues w/ taking on anyone from the NG group in a BO5 set match. What many people don't want to admit to is that Djokovic should've beaten Carlos in str. sets @ Wimbl. Carlos deserved to win the match, but the key to his victory was based on Djokovic collapsing during the 2nd set TB. I'd like Djokovic's chances in a potential rematch. Carlos isn't as good as the Big 3. The fact that a 36 yo Djokovic is basically on = terms w/ him is > enough proof of that.
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I wish Djoker wins 2 > slams. The # 25 is a good w/ or w/o the Wimbl. rec. if that includes Fed's Wimbl. rec. tied, then it w/b an add'l caveat. But w/ or w/o it, the #25 is a must IMO.***
I'm liking = #'s! I was looking @ 24 or 26, but #28 isn't bad!
***'26' may or may not be possible. Too much luck w/b needed for it. '28?" No chance. Alcaraz & Rune w/b consistently beating him by then; no chance. '25-26' is his ceiling & luck w/b needed for that too. He chh 30, but he left some slams on the table to inferiors & also to bans & DQs.
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Slam rec. safe for Novak. He's done the hard work so thankfully he can relax a bit now. - Yes, key slams were WB'19 & RG'21 IMO. Too bad for US'14 & US'20 b/c he'd already have total rec., but still, unlikely Nadal can overtake this one now.***
***The Big 3 era's finally coming to a close, after nearly 20 yrs. of dom.; 65 Slams, 17 YE #1's. 908 wks., @ #1, 289 titles. A truly unpreced. level of dom. from these 3 >'s; undoubtedly special players in any era & conditions.
ReplyDeleteTheir era is a massive anomaly & complete departure from tennis history, due to:
The complete lack of any strong challengers from non-Euro. countries, esp. Aust. & the USA.
Some stats:
1877-1968 Slams (pre-OE) -
177 Men’s Singles Slams won by Am./Aust. (over 2/3s of total Slams held)
157 Women’s Singles Slams won by Am./Aust. (over 2/3s of total Slams held)
'68-03 (OE) -
70 Men’s Singles Slams won by Am./Aust. (50% of total Slams held)
67 Women’s Singles Slams won by Am./Aust. (48% of total Slams held)
'04-23 (Big 3 era) -
ZERO Men’s Singles Slams won by Am./Aust. (0% of total Slams held)
25 Women’s Singles Slams won by Am./Aust. (32% of total Slams held)
While the pre-OE mainly was dom. by upper class Anglo-Saxons playing the sport for fun, Australia & the US clearly had a dom. grip on the sport. Even in just the OE, from '68-03. Once tennis had become > of a worldwide sport & standardized, Australia still produced 20 Singles titles & the USA produced an astounding 50 Singles titles. These 2 countries cont. to dom. tennis, winning 70 Slams out of 140 tries, =ling the rest of the world combined.
And then, in '04… this completely stopped.
It’s not only that the Slam dom. stopped. It’s that they stopped coming close to winning a Slam whatsoever. The athletes & all-X-> talents from these 2 stories countries ceased to exist. From '04-23, players from these countries only got to 6 combined Slam finals — and only 1 after '09. after Roddick in '03, 0 players reached world #1. Simply put, the lack of talent is a massive unprec. anomaly in the history of tennis.
...I'm not just comparing resumes in a surface-level stats-counting; it isn’t just the accomplishments drying up. The playing level is the issue.
Compare any player from the top list to the bottom list. They don’t deserve to = be in the same conversation ability wise. And = the best of the bunch, Roddick & Hewitt, who had success B4 '04 in the “OE” are far inferior, w/ clear mental, physical, & tech. flaws, compared to legendary champs like Sampras, Laver, McEnroe, Agassi, Connors & Rosewall.
And then somehow, it got > worse > Roddick & Hewitt… = though both were already a clear 2 rungs below the elite talents from their countries.
The best players since the oft-injured Roddick & Hewitt fell off their perch & ceased t/b Slam contenders in '05? Two hopelessly limited servebots in Isner & Kyrgios, both of whom have an ATG serve & a world #150 return game.
The rest of the world hasn’t picked up the slack either. Argentina did produce 2 Slams in Gaudio & Del Potro, but that’s it. Canadian, Japanese, & South African players were hopelessly overmatched compared to Euros, getting shellacked in strs. in every 1 of their Slam finals.
Also boosting this theory is the fact that America & Australia didn’t fall off in women’s tennis, just men’s. Since '04, they still won 25 Slams, producing 2 true ATGs in the Wms. sisters & 3 > Slams from a dom. #1 in Ash Barty B4 retirement. Comparatively, the Men haven’t come anywhere near the same stratosphere as the Wms. sisters in talent or achievements.
Clearly, there has been an unprecedented drop in men’s tennis interest in countries which had produced the > talent & > ATGs by far. It’s like if Brazil stopped producing forwards, Germany stopped producing midfielders, & Italy stopped producing defenders.
We know that the Big 3 are the best Euro players ever. But they were only ever tested vs fellow Euros, never facing true talents from the historic tennis hotbeds. Their dom. feels hollow looking @ it historically.
How > of the Big 3’s gaudy #'s & success can we ascribe to the massive talent glut from the rest of the world?***
Thx!
***I do sort of feel bad for Hamburg. They got bumped out of their 1000 Masters status when the Spanish/Ion Tiriac put political muscle behind moving the Madrid Open to the Spring & making it a "red clay" tourn. I personally much preferred Hamburg as a clay court Masters vs. Madrid.***
ReplyDeleteI've seen things change when it comes to tournaments depending on who's at the top! Way back when, you had Graf & Becker making so much news & winning back in the 80's & 90's! Hamburg as a Masters was a no-brainer while they reigned @ or near the top! As soon as they were gone, Germany lost status when they actually had a YE Chp. or 2! Madrid gained back their status w/ Nadal when @ 1 X it was a Fall event indoors! Our Sunshine Double's all about $$! Heaven knows we don't have good reps. leading the way on the tour! It was the same thing w/ Shanghai; all about how > was being offered to get players to compete! The rest of the Masters are legacy events w/ Rome not offering >, but have a lot of status to hang in there!
***You know Fiero, the ATP seems Hell bent on making the Masters > "big events;' transitioning > of them into 12 day affairs. Shagnhai Masters are going 12 days this yr., which's insane considering they haven't played it in what, 4 yrs.?
Aren't Canada & Cincy both going 2 wks. next yr.? OT1H, I can see "why" of their strategy: it's their "babies," whereas the Slams are indep. behemoths they've no control over.
Having said that, I dunno, it's an awkward transition, b/c they're going to cannibalize solid long standing smaller tourns. to make way for these 2 wk. event Masters. In +tion, I thought the Italian & Madrid Masters were really stretching out the schedule. Some players had 3 days btwn. BO3 matches. WTF!!??
IMO Paris Indoors & MC almost become > appealing as Masters simply b/c they'll retain the > challenging 8 day sched. Two relics in a tennis Cal., chockful of 2 wks. Masters.
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I'm surprised that both Alex di M. & Chris Eub. lost in str. sets. Isner & Monfils lost in 3 sets in their 1st matches this wk. in Atl.***
We have to start assuming the worst when it comes to today's player! We've been so spoiled by the Big 3, we've started to expect consistency & a trajectory that goes up instead of having bumps & hills! Alcaraz's the only one that can brk. that trend IMO! I personally think he'll have trouble def. his USO title, but it's just one of the tourneys that's very difficult to repeat! Few have done it; = someone like Novak! He seems t/b single-minded & may actually drop out of the top 2 or 3 w/ 2 Majors! He can still surprise us w/ another Fall run & this X take another Paris Indoor instead of blowing it in the final!
***Fedal Era, '05-10
Big 3 Era, '10-19
Big 4 Era, '08-16
Djokr Era, '15-26
Is it still the Big 3 era the last 10 yrs. if Djokovic has won > slams > Roger, Rafa, & Murray combined since '13?***
Regard< of the tourn. brk-down, all 3 of them are going to forever be inextricably linked together for 2+ decades = though Novak owned the last 10 yrs.!
***Sampras, Fed, & Djoker all lost in the final of the very next slam after brk'n the slam rec.
Sampras broke the rec. W 2000, lost USO 2000 final.
Fed broke the rec. W'09, lost USO'09 final.
Djokovic broke the rec. RG'23, lost W'23 final.
Nadal's the exception to the rule.
Nadal broke the rec. AO'22, extended the slam rec. RG'22.
This unique achievement'll likely stand for a VERY LONG X, poss. 4 ever.
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Nadal's also the only one out of the Big 3 who didn't manage to brk. the rec. right after tying it.
Fed tied the rec, @ RG'09, broke @ W'09
Djokovic tied the rec. @ AO'23, broke @ RG'23***
***W/ Nick's talent he should've won @ least 4 to 5 slams by now if he's that talented & good. Both Wawrinka & Murray have beaten the Big 3 & they have 3 slams each.
ReplyDeleteOr @ the very least Nick has to win a Master title. baby steps...
- Carlos, Rune, Tsits, Medvedev, Rublev, Berr, Khachanov, Fritz have a Masters, but not Nick.***
The thing is, Fedalovic have changed the history/legacy of tennis forever! The destinies of 2 or 3 eras of players that prob. should've accomp. > but for those 3 players over 20 yrs. of dom. may never be fulfilled! Here & elsewhere I've bemoaned the NG'rs not being able to deal w/ the Big 3 to the last, but they're being assisted by the coming & going of good vets like Murray & Wawrinka that also stunt the growth of "up & comers!" Looks as if Alcaraz, Rune, & Medvedev are doing their jobs @ diff. levels of success, but it's coming along nice! Novak's the last man standing it seems; sans a good-bye tour of Nadal next season!
***Djokovic didn't get into Fed's head until '14 when he was well beyond his prime.
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That’s what I thought for a long X. But upon watching some earlier matches btwn. them, it was clear that it started > earlier. Their 1st Slam final @ the USO in '07 (after Fed lost to Djokovic a few wks earlier in the Can. Open) showed just how tight Fed was vs Djokovic. Fed was down a brk in the 1st & 2nd sets & only b/c young Novak choked big X did Fed win those 2 sets in TB's. Then @ the AO '08, Fed was up a brk in the 1st set only for Novak to come back & win that set & then win the remaining 2 sets as well. Yes, this was right after Fed had mono so many chalked up this loss to that, but then in the '10 & '11 USO's, Fed lost those 2 infamous SFs despite having 2 MP's in the 5th set. One can argue it wasn’t until after these 2 fiascos that Novak got into Fed’s head, so I get your pt., but I think = B4, Fed was already feeling the nerves in matches vs Novak.***
Thx!
***How does Djokovic's dom. @ GS tourns. compare to other tennis players?
ND’s periods of dom. based on GS's are from AO'11 to RG'16 & from Wimbl.'19 to Wimbl.'23.
Fed’s only period of dom. was from Wimbl.'03 to AO'10.
In this per., Fed won 16 GS's out of the 27 contested. Out of the 11, he couldn’t win, he reached the final in 6. He won both USP & Wimbl. 5 cons. X's in that per. Such was his dom. that Fed still remains the last player to defend the USO title.
Djokovic won 12/22 contested in his 1st per. of dom. & 11/20 contested (Djoko was banned in 2. It’s really 11/18) in the 2nd per. of dom. In his 1st per., Djokovic reached 6 finals, & in the 2nd, 3 finals (1 to contest).
Nadal’s per. of dom. was from RG'08 to RG'14 & after that from RG'18 to RG'22.
Nadal won 11/25 GS's contested in the 1st per. & 8/20 GS's in the 2nd per. He was runner-up in 4/14 & 1/12 remaining GS's resp.
Bjorn Borg won 11/20 GS's from Wimbl.'76 to RG '81. He was runner-up in 3/9 remaining GS's.
Pete Sampras won 12/29 GS's from Wimbl.'93 to Wimbl.'00.
During Djokovic’s 1st per. of dom., he held all 4 GS's simult. ('15–16), something Fedal never managed. In his 2nd per. of dom., Djokovic came agonizingly close to completing the Cal. Slam.
Fed held the world #1 ranking for a rec. 237 cons. wks btwn. '04 & '08. In comparison, Djokovic’s best rec. stands @ 122 cons. wks btwn. '14 & '16. Nadal’s stands @ 56 & Sampras’ @ 102 wks.
Clearly, Fed’s per. of dom. is the best we’ve seen in tennis. Djokovic can topple that w/ a few > GS win in the upcoming tourns. He has a golden chance to complete the CS in '23 & register the > dom. era in tennis history.***
***Was Djokovic's '15 the best ever start to the season?
ReplyDeleteTalking about the very best start ever, let's take a look. I'll run this thru RG for each scenario, since that's when my 3 candidates lost:
'84 McEnroe: His only loss was to a clay monster named Lendl; the same guy that was in the process of winning 3 FO titles in a 4-yr. span.
42-1, .977 overall
10-1, .909 vs top 5
86% of overall matches were won in str. sets
81.8% over matches vs top-5 were won in str. sets
0 matches lost in str. sets
'11 Djokovic: His only loss was to Federer @ the FO.
41-1, .976 overall
10-1, .909 vs top 5
73.8% of his overall matches were won in str. sets
54.5% of his matches vs top-5 were won in str. sets
0 matches lost in str. sets
'15 Djokovic: His 3 losses were to Stan, Fed, & Karlovic
41-3, .932 overall
7-1, .875 vs top 5
65.9% of matches overall were won in str. sets
37.5% of matches vs top-5 were won in str. sets
1 match lost in str. sets
It's '84 Mac > '11 Djokovic > '15 Djokovic here.
Nadal & Federer both missed the cut.
Note: Borg in '80 was solid & should prob. be a cand. for 3rd place w/ '15 Djoker. He went 38-1 thru RG while winning 84.6% of his matches in str. set & while having a 10-1 rec. vs the top-5.
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In '11, Nole had to beat a prime Nadal to win IW's, Miami, Madrid, & Rome. There was no opp. near that level in '15. I think the answer is pretty obvious.***
Novak saved us from Rafa running away w/ the GOAT race after his '10 season! Out of nowhere, after Novak won DC for Serbia, I didn't think it poss. to do >er, but Djokovic's '15 was = >er as he took 3 > majors, 6 Masters, & the YEC acquiring rec. pts that may never be broken!
***Big 3 @ 4 slams & YE ATP -'04-21
In 18 yrs:
AO 16 wins 2 R-ups
FO 17 wins 1 R-up
-W 16 wins 1 R-up
USO 12 wins 3 R-ups
ATP 10 wins 3 R-ups
Now @ the YE ATP Djokovic won in '22 for the 1st X in 7 yrs. ('15 ) or any Big 3 win there FTM IMO in no small part b/c ….SHOCKER… he wasn't as exhausted YE (DNP the NA tourneys nor the AO)
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Despite Djokovic having won 23 slams, it doesn't seem t/b as held highly as Fedal when they got the slam rec., why is that so? One ret. 2 yrs ago, the other was hurt for 9 months &'ll ret. next yr. It was > exciting when they were all playing. Now if he wins another it's like being a stat padder vs very low comp.
I'd say the same if Rafa or Roger was in that pos.***
I've written on this phenomenon! It's not surprising as it goes on in other sports; hypocrisy, favoritism, & just plain idiocy! The Tennis Intelligentsia just doesn't care about the rec.bk.! This is about forming a narative history for the future readers! They're making out that "tennis" begins & ends w/ Fedal & anyone else in the pic's an inteloper! What makes it insane is that Novak acquired these recs. faster > Fedal as well as owning the > important! I bought in earlier thinking "if Fed retires after his Wimbl. wins @ either '12 or '17," he could fall behind both Nadal & Djokovic & could still say legit. "what if?" He messed up by hanging on too long, stealing 3 > Majors, but he's still in 3rd pl. in just about every category!
***Fedal are loved by the tennis estab. They're willing to foresake their morals & beliefs just t/b loved by others unlike Djokovic who stands up for his beliefs & for what's right. Djokovic has always been unfairly targeted & hated by the media & the estab. b/c of that. Djokovic has the > important recs. & that's why he's the GOAT. All the cringey Rolex comms. & PR doesn't make someone the GOAT.***
***What's up w/ the Sharapova ball bouncing B4 the service for MMOH ...I keep waiting for him to scream or squeak like Maria.***
ReplyDeleteOMG, you "cursed" Hurkacz, knocking him out by MMOH! Such a disappointment! So many of these players w/ so much talent, but just can't keep it together for very long! Btwn. physical issues & mental en oui w/ the Tour being so long, guys like Hurkacz, Khachanov, & Shapavalov are blowing it! We're already seeing cracks w/i the latest crop w/ Tiafoe, Fritz, & Sinner! Alcaraz is holding up well so far! Very impressive! We'll see for how long! I see a successful USO comeback w/ Novak since he resents dirt being kicked onto his grave so prematurely!
***Those hyping Shelton are no diff. > those worshiping young Donald Young or Ryan Harrison. He's never going t/b top 10.***
In comparison to the Big 3-5, the NG'rs will appear frauds today! The excel. isn't there & the consistency definitely won't happen as they're brk'n down physically very early due to the speed of the game! If a player wins a tourn., you c/b assured, if they don't WD from the next venue, they'll lose early! Even the King & Prince of 250's, Ruud & Rublev are susceptible to bad losses after they win an event! Right now, only Rune, Medvedev, & Alcaraz seem to have the "it" factor w/ other good players who prob. need personal masseuses on retainer; Sinner, Tiafoe, Fritz, Zverev, Tsitsipas, & Hurkacz!
***I don't buy that nice guys can’t be champions (but you do have t/b selfish & arrogant, LOL). Federer, Nadal, Edberg among others are fairly mellow guys.
It's the inner drive, “fire in the belly” which works w/i both the fiery types & the > placid personalities. As of now it seems both Shapavolov & Felix lack that.***
They were the few & far btwn. "exceptions" to the rule! Most top players in any sport turn into jerks! They're accustomed to people kissing their arses regard< if they expect it or not! We accept it for the > part until "the entitlement" becomes extreme! There's really nothing a player in tennis can do that w/b that off. compared to the prima donnas of my era! Back in the day players like Borg, Connors, & McEnroe were prob. treated like royalty behind the scenes!
***Novak not declining much from his prime is still an unknown variable, but it still can't compare to a Roger actually @ his peak/prime.
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Novak had prime Nadal from the start, who owned Fed in H2H since '08. Fed was still able to beat anyone else except Novak on grass. He won '17 Wimb. w/o a set lost. I'd say that > a worthy opp. Novak in '16 had a >est ELO 2629, Fed in '07 had 2550. In '16 Novak had 16950 ATP pts., Fed in '06 had 15903 pts.
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I'm forever thankful to Djoker for stopping Nadal from going on a rampage in '11 & having another 3-slam season.
Djoker single-handedly denied Nadal the following 7 slams since '11:
'11 Wimbl.
'11 USO
'12 AO
'15 FO * (worst of Nadal; Djoker didn't win it)
'18 Wimbl.
'19 AO
'21 FO
===
I only watched the Super Bowl & playoffs, but refused to watch the regular season.***
I'm cutting down on watching > & > sports for diff. reasons! The latest abomination is in GOLF w/ Mid'l East investments & support! I'd excuse a tennis event or 2, but taking over GOLF Tour for the > part, I drew a line in the sand! Haven't watched an event in months! Tennis is getting there, but I'd lost interest already after the tenure of the Big 3! Djokovic's the last man standing & he has a good 2-3 yrs. to pad his rec.! I'll prob. stop watching; already cut women's tennis off ages ago! Baseball's a wonder to me w/ tons of $$ flowing, but few watching! I haven't paid attn. to baseball since White Sox won almost 20 yrs. ago! Basketball's all about $$ & contracts &'s unwatchable IMO! Hockey's never registered w/ me! The last sport I'm holding onto is football = though it's just about as bad w/ $$ concerns over winning! Mahomes's keeping my interest in KC! Those playoffs the last 2 or 3 yrs. have been over the top entertaining so far! As a Sr., it's all I have left!
***I think Reps. are trying to make us go broke.***
ReplyDeleteI've been saying that for yrs.! Reps. have purposely been inflating the debt, lowering taxes, & jeapardizing our credit rating so they can cut programs the Dems have created over the yrs. from Soc. Sec. to SNAP food programs for kids! They can't poss. say they've cared about the Nat'l Debt when they've contributed the > over the yrs.; a 1/4 of it under Trump alone! It's our own fault as we forget the good job of Clinton to leave us a "sur+" that was given away by "W!" We ignore the job Obama did w/ such unprecedented economic growth during his X in office! All we hear about is how the Dems & libs are overspending, trying to take away guns from law abiding citizens, & ABORTION, ABORTION, ABORTION! We're such suckers; esp. women who supported Trump over Hillary! They've set themselves back 50 yrs. & I'll laugh in the faces of bitches who complain "a lack of repres." in gov't! There are > women voting out there, but women in gov't is in jeapardy as we keep sending the same old, white guys to screw us all over!
***I couldn't have said it better myself. I think young women are going to show up & vote for pro choice next yr. I hope they don't think Reps. are done trying to ban abortion; to make it a crime of MURDER. That happened in '22; not that long ago. They need to know if there's a Rep. president, Rep. majority proof Senate & House. There's no ?? Reps would pass a law making abortion illegal on a federal level. They don't really care about States' rights un< it's to allow them to segregate or lynch Blacks.
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10 of the last 11 recessions are under GOP admins. & GOP budgets.***
We all keep note of it, but for some reason the country prefers being in a hole giving Repuklicans power ever so often to trash all the good things that happen while the Dems were in charge! We're a special kind of stupid! I've seen this happen again & again so we deserve t/b relegated to Banana Republic status!
***The public is taking these recent charges of Trump > seriously > the 1st 2. He just took a 10% hit on favorable/unfavorables. And like 65% now say the charges against him are serious. Only like 30% say "no big deal/witch hunt." Biden's "unfavorable" not as bad as Trump's now.***
IDK how Biden's unfavorables s/b that bad w/ how things are running! It has t/b the constant undermining of Repuklicans who talk about him incessantly as if he's the > doddering of old men out there! Well if that's the case, what does that say about them? He's been winning since he took office! The GDP is up, inflation & unemployment down, & we're slowly recovering from Trump's "reign of terror!" The cons. who want Trump back are so desperate, they're picking on Biden's son who has problems! If the Dems look @ the Trump kids, these same hypocrites w/b crying "foul!" I can't watch the news w/ how incompetent these fools all look in DC! McConnell & Feinstein are just the tip of the iceberg that's ready to sink us like the Titanic!
***Trump's likely t/b in prison by the X the Rep. Nat'l Conv. begins.***
IDK! He's been skating thru so > over the yrs.! There doesn't seem t/b any stomach in prosecuting an ex-president; = 1 as corrupt as Trump! It'll start a precedent w/ idiots on "the right" who feel compelled to reciprocate! Some morons are already talking about impeaching Biden! FOR WHAT? Who knows! Repuklicans are like kids w/ mental disorders! They don't = hear how ridiculous they sound!
***I can’t believe Trump isn’t being charged w/ that woman insurrectionist's death.***
Well, she was an ex-Marine IIRC! She was just following the orders of the Comm. & Chief! "ATTACK!"
***Trump wasn’t Comm. & Chief. That was the reason Mitch McConnell gave for not prosecuting Trump for the insurrection. H said Trump was guilty, he just wasn’t POTUS anymore.***
What did they do, take away Trump's Comm.-&-Chief epaullets early? Trump was still the president on Jan. 6th, holding up Biden's trans. team by not approving dept. fund transfers!
Alcaraz, Sinner, & Rune have peaked my int. so there m/b a carryover af. the B3, but approaching 70, the singlemindedness I had w/ the game is long over! I used to sleep & breathe the game! The Early Bird club fees were cut signif. if you got there @ 6:30 AM! The game blew up in '75 after the duel success of Evert & Connors in '74!
ReplyDelete***I don’t really hate the Big 3, but some things about them in tandem that I consider unfort. consequences.
1. Way too high expectations going forward. B4 them, a player winning 3-6 Slams was a great champ. Someone w/ 7+ c/b conspared ATG. There were valid reasons (@ the X) Pistol Pete was in the convo. for GOAT status. Now he’s dismissed as a fake pretender. T’aint true! If Alcaraz ends up w/ “only” 4-8 slams that achievement c/b minimized by some.
2. The “in=ities” magnified by the Big 3 dom. for such an extended per.: by their late 20’s they could afford an entourage w/ nutritionists /trainers /conditioners /health therapists & = medical staff on-call. What other players could afford the overhead of @ least 500k a yr. to give them = > extended prof'nal shelf life? Anymore?***
I've been saying for yrs. that our expectations have been raised & altered for all X due to the excel. & consistency of the Big 3! After pushing them over a cliff, we think Carlos will fill the void! I think things will go back to normal where no player will = approach 10 major wins! The NG'rs haven't proved that they can = stay on the court > a month or so w/o brk'n down! It's almost automatic to take off the following event if they = make a final! That's so sad after what Fedalovic have done to elevate the game to standards that can't be met IMO!
***Nole won the very next set after taking that bathroom brk. @ Wimbl final.***
Carlos didn't donate some pts @ crucial X's like other players! Novak was in control, up a set & SP in the TB, but blew it! I have nothing but admir. for both their efforts! I'm not having a problem w/ the results @ all! I preferred Novak taking that 3rd FO > so his resume w/b > bal.! He now has 3 CGS; 1 > Nadal & 2 > Fed! Anything Djokovic wins now is gravy & he's just extending recs. that may never be broken!
***Novak's 13 HC slams are too unbal. w/ 10 AO & 3 USO's. According to Ult. Tennis stats, Djokovic doesn't have the > ATP recs., let alone having all the recs. He still has a lot to prove & wants to receive the same respect & recognition as Fedal, that's why he's not retired yet.***
That's hilarious! I've been saying for yrs. Nadal isn't the GOAT due to such an unbal. resume; 2 Wimbl., 1 AO (@ the X; 2 now), 4 USO, & 14 FO! If he isn't the "clay GOAT" IDK who is! Fedovic have a much > bal. rec. & have 6 YEC's compared to Nadal's '0' wins!
***And still he gets booed by the crowds everywhere. Seems people care > about entert. value > they do about recs. - I'd pay to watch Stan W. & Thiem defin.***
I lived in Chgo & we're rabid tennis fans giving > support to the ladies games when they had real stars! A '1975 men's final I attended @ Soldiers' Field on a platform court! It had Tanner & Alexander! Hardly stars, but well worth seeing live going 3 TB's; Roscoe winning 7-6,6-7, 7-6 over John!
***Exactly. - Well, here in the US they're turning > tennis courts into Pickleball courts. It became the fastest growing sport after Fed retired, seriously. So tennis' somewhat dying over here.***
Like > things, tennis for oldsters needed to slow down for us! Even @ 66 I think I could pick up Pickleball & be comp. unlike w/ tennis & the new tech!
***What pro sport do you follow the most!***
Becoming a Sr. a few yrs. ago, I started paring down viewship w/ some sports! There are many reasons outside of the comp. or lack thereof! $$'s become > important > winning as evidenced by players who think nothing of leaving a winning club for a >er paycheck! ...Tennis is moving in the dir. of Golf! After Djokovic retires, it w/b hard to watch the game! Mind< aggression just isn't entertaining to me!
***When Fedal were ahead I had no qualms saying they were >er. You can’t argue w/ the recs. & what’s achieved. Back then Djokovic had a lot of work to do to catch them. Even when he was dom. in'11,'15 or other per., he wasn’t >er. They were the top dogs back then. However, now that Djokovic has passed them, many fans just can’t accept it. They need t/b @ peace & let go! If Alcaraz or someone else passes Djokovic recs., esp. major titles, then I w/b the 1st to say he’s >er > Djokovic & the new BOAT or GOAT.***
ReplyDeleteThe frustration build-up started early! After Novak won his 1st FO to acquire just 12 Majors to Fedal's 17-14 resp., the so called experts like Wilander & McEnroe were already heralding the ascension of Novak! They didn't see any reason he wouldn't overtake Fedal sooner or later! ...The tour has been his plaything ever since '18 Wimbl., = w/ limitations to his play due to Covid & bans to 2 countries w/ majors & Masters events he wasn't allowed to play! He still took over the rec.bk. & anything won now is just gravy to set the #'s so high no one may ever brk them!
***ITA. The > he won the > bitter they got. It’s now @ very unhealthy levels &'ll likely never change. If Nole gets to the USO final & loses, what a terrible thing that w/b for his career! But get this, if he wins it's = worse b/c it's a hyper inflated slam title vs mug opps. who couldn't hold the jockstrap of any player from prev. gens. So basically playing > matches & staying comp. is a bad thing for Djokovic's rec. brk'n legacy where he already has all 3 big recs. to his name.***
It's a no win situation for Novak when it comes to some fans! They were ready to put him out to pasture after dropping a 5 set Wimbl. final w/ taking the 1st 2 majors earlier! They're insane! It was just 2 yrs. ago he was on the verge of a CYGS! Did they forget? He was on course to do it again B4 Carlos upset him! I think the guy has 2 or 3 > "great" yrs. left in him! He doesn't look t/b slowing down & just won his 3rd FO vs kids almost 1/2 his age!
***You are absol. right. I've said it B4 & I'll say it again, too many invested a seriously unhealthy amt. of emotional energy into a specific player. ...Some need that GOAT title b/c they want t/b on the 'right side' of history; that they picked the right horse.
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Masters' #'s are skewed. Many Masters had BO5 finals during Fed's peak, as did the YEC & some 500 events (incl. Basel). Fed played in 11 BO5 finals in '06. He often skipped sev. of the HC Masters. Regard<, @ the >-important HC slams, a player wouldn't have 6 losses in USO finals vs 5 diff. players if he were the HC GOAT. He reached 19 finals of HC slams & took 13. Who is better? W/o +ing overall stats @ AO & USO. As for Masters, Novak vs Fed: IW 3-0, Miami 1-0, Montreal 1-1, Cinci. 1-3, Shanghai 0-2, Paris 2-0, ATP Finals 3-3, Dubai 1-3, Swiss Indoors 1-1, DC 0-1..Overall, 20-18 for Novak w/ only Shanghai as a tourn. where he didn't beat Fed.
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If Murray won that day "down under" in 2012 vs a future 23 X GS champ, then it means Murray was that damn good on that day.***
No one'll match that kind of tenaciousness! Novak survived 5 hrs. in the SF vs Murray, then went to war for almost 6 hrs. (5:53) in the final vs Nadal! That made 7 in a row for Novak over Rafa! That was the 1st X, done again during Rafa's wane in '15-16!
***Peak Stan = HC GOAT.***
I wouldn't go that far, but Stan seems to go up vs Djokovic when it means something > usual like completing a CYGS or stopping a run! Novak was going for 4 in a row "down under" in '14! Novak's Nole-Slam had to wait a yr. & in '16 after 4 majors in a row, Nole was done for the season! His elbow became an issue & he was out of it until Wimbl. in '18 when he took back the tour as his own plaything!
***Stan just had a very short peak @ slams when both his game & fitness were good approx.'14-16. He had trouble w/ Fed's variety outside clay & Nadal's high topspin to his BH, but vs Djokovic he matched up extremely well, often dom. the baseline rallies.***
***There's only one Swiss Miss; my Hingis <3...***
ReplyDeleteMy girl! Martina H. was one of a kind! She wasn't physically strong like the Amazons of the day, but made up for it in consistency, cerebral play, & amazing defense! It's a wonder she stayed #1 for so long; 209 wks., winning 5 majors! She also was 1 match from a CYGS, but did it in dubs! Hingis didn't have as > trouble w/ Venus Wms., but getting thru both her & Serena was daunting which knocked her down a peg! Later it was a resurgent Capriati & Davenporte thwarting her efforts!
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In the old days, it was no big deal making up a match! Today, they're just too grueling; often going almost 3 hrs!. Back in the day I recall Manuela Meleeva having to do the imposs.! At the '84 Ital. Open, due to rain she had to wrap up the 3rd set of her QF, then went 3 sets > in the SF, laid down for 1/2 an hr. & finished off the tourn. win over Evert-Lloyd in str. sets! Chris had to complete her SF & obviously didn't deal w/ the situation as well!
***Capriati's ranked way too low on > people's all X list. There are very few players that reached her talent level. I feel like many, people hold her burnout in the mid-90s against her > they should. If Jennifer only had a nutrit./conditioner, she whb unbeatable for about a decade, starting from '94.***
As well it s/b held vs her! She was a child; out of control > too early in life! It was inevitable she'd get busted! It may have saved her life! It got her 3 majors late IIRC! It still haunts me that AO final vs Hingis! Such hot conditions w/ gruelingly long pts. that shortened Hingis' career as well!
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I'm still sorta shocked by '82 Wimbl.! Connors was so "past it!" Like McEnroe, he had lost his >est rival a few months B4; BORG retiring! I thought it amazing Connors = got to the final, > < to upset John! McEnroe looked either bored, unconcerned, &'s prob. still shaking his head over this one! IIRC, the main diff. was the serve! All of a sudden, Jimmy was pumping in some that weren't returnable! It was the last X it stood out = w/ his late wins over John here & Lendl @ the '82 USO or the following season @ both Wimbl. & the USO! I can still recall a Wimbl. final in '77 where Borg returned all but 2 of Connors' serves in their 5 set match!
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I see Sinner has been given a "walkover" vs Murray in '23 Can.! WTF? Was looking forward to seeing the old man run around like a chicken w/ his head cut off! I guess he wanted no part of that! He's just going to mentally brk. down the NG'r who can't handle the 1-sided fandom cheering him on as they DF & commit UFE's! Oh well, early night in Canada! - More upsets the next day: Rune, Tsitsipas, Medvedev, & Alcaraz (Paul)!
***Not a fan of Di Maur's counter-punching. He went down in Cincy final to Sinner. Both 1st X finalists.***
Counterpunching c/b entertaining, but leaves the player vuln. if they're not "on!" Everything has t/b clicking for consistent enough play to = win a tourn., > < stay in the top ranks for very long! You see what counter-punching did to Murray! Goolagong was supposed t/b a counter-puncher tech., but IMO she went to the net too often t/b classified anywhere near a def. player! It was beautiful though! I = keep a highlight reel of 1 of her AO final's wins on my FB stream @ all X's! Di Maur's, a typical, classic Aussie player who's solid, but he won't def. an elite player consistently! I think he mhb "in the zone" just staying in these grueling pts. & games over the last few days! IDK how he's supposed to survive Cincy?! My bet is he just WD's over losing in an early Rd.! Sinner didn't have that bad a X of it; closing out players in 2 sets & a WD (Murray) for the most part! That prob. would've changed his wk. if Murray could've mustered up the old magic!
Novak obviously has > durability & consistency > newbies! No one'll last as long as the Big 3 ruling the tour for 2 decades! Today's snowflakes melt every 2 months!
ReplyDelete***> who exactly? Gasquet, Monfils? Who're you talking about?***
Any of the new up & comers; esp. Alcaraz, Rune, Sinner, Tiafoe, & FAA! They won't be able to stay on the court long enough to brk any rec. of substance!
***How do you know what the future has in store for Alcaraz?***
Unlike most, I have common sense & eyes! Today's players are already having trouble staying on the court! WTF's wrong w/ you? Players win an event & instantly lose early in the next or just plain WD! The game's taxing them physically & mentally so we aren't seeing the same durability as we had the Big 3! Wake up; snap ouf of it!
***Nadal played on, & won, & won, & then won some more. How can you talk about common sense when you are making just predictions? Predictions that fit your narrative.***
Your genius continues to show thru the darkness! How many X's have we said the Big 3 are exceptional? You can't compare them to ANYONE! Their durability & consistency are unprecedented! The only one who's shown = skill if not consistency yet is Alcaraz, but has already shown physically the tour w/b a challenge on him!
***Sinner, despite having needed only to win 4 matches to win the title, having played a final lasting < an hr. & 1/2 & being about to turn 22, he has acknowledged being "exhausted" & has asked the Cinci. org. to make his debut be on Wed.***
For some out there, this hasn't happened enough to get it to sink in! It was the very reason they changed Masters 1000 events to BO3 finals after marathon 4 set final by Fedal in '06 Rome! Both players WD from Hamburg the following wk.! The game back then wasn't = as physically draining & fast as it is now! I'm wondering what the tour will have to do to rectify the situation; m/b go to NG YEC scoring?
***ADF completely dropped a turd vs DeMinaur in the Toronto SF. It was esp. painful after he was hitting so well in his earlier matches. Hopefully he'll bring his best level when he plays Novak in Cinci.***
I've been saying we have to get accustomed to inconsistency & a lack of durability when it comes to today's players! We can't expect them to hold up like any of the BIG 3! We can continue the full sched. of the men's tour, but we have to expect players to have a nice run, make it to a SF, a final, or = win an event, but fall off a cliff & lose early the next tourn. or just WD altogether! That's why the finals have gone to BO3 due to BO5 being a killer in a wk. long event! Going to 2 wks. isn't going t/b enough! The game's moving so fast &'s so physically debilitating, = young 'uns like Sinner needed a reprieve after winning Toronto!
***Last wk. Tsitsipas said he'd rather achieve #1 over a slam win. No wonder he doesn't have 1 so far. Rune said just the opposite. ...You win a slam 1 X & you're already part of history.***
Back in the day winning majors usually took care of the race to #1, but not always as evidenced by Vilas & Orantes who didn't get much of a sniff of the top ranks even after winning their majors! Orantes won the '75 USO over Connors, but never got above #4 in the world IIRC! Vilas won 2 majors in '77; FO & USO, but Borg was KING & held #1 w/ just his Wimbl. victory! A major's still just 1 tourn. & only gets you so many pts. & $$, but it means a lot to a player & their country! Serbia only has 2 Int'l sports champs, but they're @ the top of their resp. games; Novak in tennis & Nikola Jokić in the NBA!
***I got the felling that since Vajda left Novak camp, he is going for > aces making > DF's &'s a bit passive on the FH side. Novak, B4 Covid would hit 20 shots rally w/o missing a single ball. ...Practicallym Novak's going for safe shots @ pressure pts, so his opps. have X to flatten their shots & take the control in the match. Ivanisevic doesn't have the authority to tell it to Novak, so he is repeating the same mistakes over & over. Becker, Vajda or Mouratoglou's needed if he wants to win AO & Wimbl. next yr.***
ReplyDeleteFree pts. serving is always a huge bonus; esp. when getting older! Look @ Isner still slinging 'em & +ing to his ACE recs! You lose a lit'l snap & leg strength normally! I know it seemed like having < pop on the serve of Navratilova impacted her rivalries from Evert to Graf & Seles! Her serve just didn't hurt them; esp. after she turned 30! Taking calc. gambles w/ serve speed & placement has saved many a loss when down in a Djokovic service game!
***And funny enough, Carlos' ahead in the race = though he skipped Oz & Novak won 2 slams, reaching the final in the 3rd.***
Why's it funny or surprising? It's all about the math! Novak unable to play in the Sunshine Double where Carlos won IW's, then Madrid on clay! Majors are only worth twice as much as a Masters & this is a rare occasion where Novak hasn't won - 1 this season! It's a wonder he's able to stay @ #2 for that matter! Just shows the weaknesses of the rest of the tour; win one wk., then lose early or WD the next w/ the other elites! It's keeping Djokovic in the game!
***Novak has been exceptionally lucky in his opps. for a few seasons now. He’s been gifted easy slams & I’m sure you’re all apprec. of that. You certainly seem t/b. Us Rafa fans are envious, brother!
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Congrats Djokovic: 3rd Cinci title, 39 Masters Chps. & best player in the world. Djokovic's the GOAT for a reason.***
As I said, everything's gravy now! IIRC, Djokovic just needs to win MC next yr. t/b a Triple Golden Masters' winner! Another 1st? Yeah!
***I know this goes w/o saying, but we're way overdue for an unexpected slam winner. I mean, we haven't had one since Gaudio @ the '04 FO, & that's about t/b 20 yrs. ago.***
There have been ops. that just weren't cashed in! The Big 3 had a mental edge over the men's tour w/ Novak being the most vuln. to an upset; hence his 3 losses to both Murray & Wawrinka in majors! Ferrer could've risen up @ that FO final vs Rafa for once! Anderson had his chance @ Wimbl. in '18 after Novak survived Nadal in the SF! There have been other openings, but mentally they just couldn't get the job done w/ an extreme or mind-blowing upset! It didn't happen in any of the finals where "also rans" had a chance!
***Zverev & Tsissy are this era's >est flops when it comes to not rising to the occasion & digging deep to get the win…***
Well they picked up a lit'l something in the way of glory! People keep touting OGM as if Djokovic's a failure since Fedal have theirs! Zverev got his 2 yrs. ago w/ 2 YEC's! Tsitsipas snagged a YEC where Nadal hasn't had a sniff w/ 20 yrs of trying! Who're the real flops?
***Has Rafa really played the WTF 20 X's? But you know who the flops are brother. Nobody ever grew up dreaming of winning the WhatTheFeck…***
Well, when I was growing up, tennis wasn't in the Olympics so few if any really cared about winnng OG until after Fedal got theirs in Dubs./Sngls!
***I don’t ct. the Olympics either buddy. I remember Sampras skipped the ATL Olympics, possibly the > nationalistic Olympic Games since Hitler & Agassi screeched & yelped & essentially cheated his way to the GM., helped by corrupt officials. I know the players nowadays rate it, but that doesn’t make it a historically important feature of our sport.***
***Reps. know they got nothing for the people, but they want power, so they got to blame Biden for those high gas prices. When they're the strong capitalists, they call Dems. socialists. You'd think they'd see whose fk'n them, but they want to get back in so they can give the wealthy a nice big tax brk. Go figure, stupid or what?***
ReplyDeleteThe problem is Repuklicans know how to make up shit & @ the same X get the populous to agree w/ their deception b/c of other issues like gun & abortion! I can’t = watch Nat’l news w/ it being undermined @ every turn by outside cons. sources! It'd make sense to follow their lead if it ended well! So far all they’ve done is blown up the Nat’l Debt & passing the BUCK to the Dems to fix the prob.! X’s running out w/ the ability to actually fix these issues due to cons. malfeasance! As a Sr. I just can’t GAF any> after Reagan & his people got the ball rolling in this dir.! Clinton saved the country after Bush the 1st! Obama did likewise w/ his son! Trump may have tipped it to a pt. where recovery won’t be possble if we allow them to trash it all yet again in '25 on! ;-)
***Mexico needs sports teams from MLB, NBA & NFL: And why the fk.'s that important to Americans? Mexico, who sends us millions of broke ass illegals, shouldn't get ANY help from us until they take back these fucking scrubs. We s/b lobbing missiles @ them, not giving them sports teams.***
Broke ass illegals? You mean people who'll do the jobs we feel are beneath us like housekeeping, landscaping, & restuarant working? If you're going t/b a bigotted nat'list, @ least be accurate! It's total BS pushed by Repuklicans & cons. that they're a bunch of criminals when > are honest, hardworking people just looking to help their families! You want to harvest veggies for hardly min. wage? I don't think so! Their dedication & hard work helps keep prices down! Pols have been playing football w/ this BS for yrs.; hoping for them to cross & help out while pretending to object!
***Everybody wants to rule the world.***
I wouldn't want to rule this world! Besides destroying it piece by piece, the populous' getting stupider & apathetic! The worst of it is here in the States where befuddled, doddering, & just plain evil pols are exacerbating the situation! They only care about their power & $$! It's so sad & pathetic voters are allowing it to get worse as X goes on! I can't = watch the news over the insanity going on out there!
***"The View" & Whoopi on pause during the writer's strike. Finally a TO from her racist tripe.***
Race can't be discussed, esp. in mixed co. B4 it gets ugly. A lot of it's the lingering shame of historic US attrocities: internment camps, systematic genocide of Native Americans, & of course slavery. As intellectual as we're supposed t/b, race's one of those topics that harbors long lasting resentment on both sides. Passions run high. There's also guilt or apathy of the descendants that comes into play. How else have Reps have gotten away w/ telling their constituents to embrace it & don't allow the "woke crowd" to intimidate them?
***How can you be impartial when you openly hate women, & esp. Black women?***
Why's it "hate?" Are you saying everything spouted is a lie? I was one who gave women every benefit of the doubt, but as a Senior I'm seeing how delusional they have t/b! They go into college loan financial debt just so they can do what they actually want to do; be a "stay at home mom!" ...Don't get me started on "single-motherhood" & how they picked Trump over Hillary! Women have set themselves back 50 yrs.! "You're all delusional AF!"
***Your post was based solely on opinion. Not facts. There's a diff. btwn. the 2.***
Where's the lie? If single-motherhood's so great, why are their boys so screwed up? Can you refute all those use< degrees women acquire? What about justifying women voting for Trump over Hillary? I didn't get a defense, just some tripe about opinion! It's the opinion of experts! I can go on! It might sound like being a mysoginist, but deny any of it if a woman!
***Who's The Best Player In The World?
ReplyDeleteBoth hold 2 of the 4 Slam titles.
Alcaraz missed AO, while Djokovic missed USO
They're 1-1 in Slam matches (but Alcaraz leads 2-1 overall)
Djokovic was the betting underdog in RG, but beat Alcaraz.
Alcaraz was the betting underdog at Wimbl., but beat Djokovic
Alcaraz has IWs + Madrid, but Novak has the YEC
Alcaraz's ranked #1, but Djokovic has a huge slew of pts. he's about to rack up now that he's going to play in North Am. again.
Djokovic's the fave to win the USO, but Alcaraz's only slightly behind him
They've played 12 total sets & they're tied 6-6
Who's the best in the world, right now?
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Djokovic & it's not = close. He's the > reliable & complete player. Tiny relies on luck & ballbashing to win. That's not gonna cut it vs the best. His days of fluking slams are done.***
Djokovic all the way! Carlos has a ways to go = though holding 2 Majors & a couple Masters' events!
***Novak got an extra brk. on his way to winning his 39th M-1000 over Alcaraz in Cincy. Players shouldn’t be allowed to change their clothes. They’ve made up rules that encourage players to cheat. Was he longer than his allotted time, do you know?***
Djokovic is hitting "Fed terr." where you have to start giving the "old guy" a lit'l leeway! It was a scorcher from what they described w/ heat & humidity to boot! I just don't think people realize how poorly you can feel w/ the court "baking" your feet! My hooves peeled badly after an event played! Novak w/-stood that & the relent< attacks of Alcaraz! Both s/b proud of their efforts! CA's already scary good & it took everything Novak had to survive yet another test to his longevity! Courier was almost hysterical when Novak took an extra clothing brk.! OMG, he about lost it calling "911! WTF?"
***Yeah. Courier really got worked up about that brk. M/b a closet Djokovic hater, I was thinking. Ended up apologizing to Josh for going on & on about it.
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He was vehemently objecting to it. I thought he was gonna pop a vein. - Well if Novak was #2 seed in USO'21, his draw whb > easier.***
Novak was #2 seed in Cincy, but the seeds went down early & often in his 1/2 of the draw where his >est comp. B4 the final was a rejuvenated Zverev in the SF's! Novak's path was a lot easier; esp. playing all night matches until the final! On the other side Carlos had to fight "tooth & nail" to get there! He still almost won this Masters' final match & prob. should have! As a Novak admirer, I apprec. the charity! Everything earned now is just extending rec. efforts that may never be achieved again!
***Don't you think playing night matches was a disadvantage for the F. By the F, he'd get used to the heat in some capacity & m/b wouldn't suffer heat stroke after he managed to brk. CA in the 1 set?...Still played 5h < CA in his '23 Concy run.***
I think it helped Novak overall since he's getting older! He doesn't need t/b "going to war" in that blazing heat @ his age; esp. vs some kid like CA who has all the X in the world!
***This all began when they started treating ballkids as waiters & towel carriers. The players are getting too mollycoddled out there now.***
I always thought Rafa used the ballkids as indentured servants w/ towels @ every corner of the court, someone to handle his bot'ls, etc.!
***He did & it’s not nice handing these filthy wet towels to children like something out of Dickens.***
Novak's the only player I know that can win 2 majors, make another final, & @ the same X be put out to pasture! Some sicknesses out there in the heads of many!
***The haters & some Fedal fan boys were just desperate for him to lose Cincy final. It’s been a tough few yrs. for them & they're lit. using neg. energy of hoping he loses to try numbing the pain they feel for their idols being passed. It is what it is. The prob. for them is Novak's already the >est & anything he wins now just is the icing on cake & +ing to his incredible career & legacy. Djokovic simply can’t lose @ this pt. & only gains.***
The Djokovic/ Alcaraz rivalry's reminiscent of Navratilova a lit'l past her PRIME & coming up vs the next star in Graf! It won't be long, but it w/b good!
ReplyDelete***Why did Steffi have a neg. rec. vs Navratilova @ the USO?***
Martina @ her "S&V" best was >er > "Fraulein FH" Graf's baseline game! It chb worse, but Steffi turned around their '89 USO Final w/ Navratilova up a set & a brk. to close out the OG-CYGS champ. quickly!
***But in '91 Graf was in her prime & Navratilova was in her decline & yet she still lost to her there.***
I was never > proud of Martina in that '91 USO SF! She had failed to defend her Wimbl. title due to brk-up w/ Judy Nelson! She came back to the States & only played WTT that Summer preparing for the USO! Navratilova was awful & struggled in the early Rds. getting into TB's again & again! She barely got past Arantxa Sanchez-V. in the QF w/ 2 > TB's B4 overwhelming her in the 3rd set! By the X she got to Graf in the SF she was swinging freely & prob. should've beaten Steffi in str. but for a terrible line call which frustrated her! She was done by the final vs Monica Seles & bowed out after yet another 1st set TB in her mid 30's trying to compete w/ kids!
***I never get the big deal about the 5-6 yr. age gap that Fed had on Djokodal. It's not like he hasn't lost to them in his peak & the age gap isn't that big tbh. It seems > of an excuse to say that he's too old, but look @ Djokovic still being comp. vs a guy 16 yrs. younger. lol!***
It just tickled me that your last statement implied Djokovic came up short! Somehow "comp." all of a sudden denoted Nole lost to Carlos in Cincy!
***Fed led Novak 13-7 in the 1st 20, Novak leads 20-10 in the last 30 (from '11 onwards iirc, ie. the yr. Fed turned 30).
Fed did fine vs Novak in majors up until '12, never won in a BO5 again after that.
Coincidence? Novak reaching hts. Fed could never reach? Or does age actually matter? I tend to think the data is pretty clear here.
Rafa's completely diff. for various reasons, but too lazy to repeat here.
As for Carlos/Novak, I imagine Novak w/b in a lot > trouble if the age gap was smaller. Carlos' still learning & developing trying to do everything for the 1st X. If he was mid 20s, I imagine the match-up wouldn't be half as close. Carlos wouldn't cramp cause of pre-match excitement for instance.
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It mostly being used as an excuse & it's been overplayed X & X again.***
6 yrs.' a lot < 16! Who's using age as an excuse? Novak's still winning! If anything, Alcaraz s/b embarrassed!
***...yes, the fact Alcaraz isn't able to consistently beat 36 yo Djokovic def. dampens the hype around him as a generational talent.
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6 yrs.is nothing. If people want to use age diff. as a reason for losing, then @ least Novak has > of a excuse having 16 yrs. on Alcaraz & c/b his dad.
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LOL-worthy (d)joke(bot) analysis that '01 Sampras is over the hill, but not '14 Fed,'15 Fed, or '19 Fed who was > older.***
Sampras had such a fall from grace that tech. began 2 yrs. B4 holding the YE #1 ranking for 6 seasons! He won Wimbl. in 2000 & went for over 2 yrs. w/o winning "ANYTHING!" He'd make a major final, but w/b swamped like Hewitt & Safin did in successive USO finals! That was a miracle comeback & win to take the '02 USO, but having Agassi in the final helped since Andre was Pete's personal pigeon for the > part!
***Novak vs Murray 25-11, slams 8-2
Novak vs Wawrinka 21-6, slams 5-4
Murray beat Novak at WB & US, but Novak already had those slam titles. OTO.side Novak stopped Murray from winning AO and RG.
Wawrinka was in the zone for 3 slams. He met Novak all 3 X's, Fedal only 1 X. Looking overall their H2H, Novak did dom. both of them.
Novak-Medvedev 9-5
Novak-Zverev 8-4
Novak - Tsitsipas 11-2
Yes, Alcaraz has beat all of them routinely this yr. Med did play great US'21, but he had a highway until the final. Novak felt fatigue.
So overall only 1 win vs Novak & Fed @ slams by their strongest competitors in easier per. outside clay.***
***This proves how lit'l > fans know. Fed had a >er FH & serve, but BH's no contest Djokovic.***
ReplyDeletePeople can't even be honest w/ themselves! If Roger's BH was so >, why couldn't he compete w/ Rafa, much < def. him in Paris? He never came close!
***Fed did win 20 slams w/ that BH part of his arsenal. It's not as bad as people make it out t/b.
Djokovic has the >er BH, but Fed had the >er BH slice. The 1 hander's BH slice to me is usually superior to the 2 hander's BH slice.***
I know what you mean, but realistically who's hitting a 2-handed BH slice! Borg was good for it; = on grass, but IDK anyone who legit. hits their BH slice w/ 2 hands; = women!
***RF beats RAFA b/c he's that good. RF losses to Djokovic; old, declined, diff. tennis gen., can't move, can't serve, just chokes.
Boy, these Fedal fans want to have their cake & eat it too. What a bunch of jesters:-D***
It's so hard to take them seriously! The same one's giving excuses for Roger's losses to Novak as "he's just old & run down!" Carlos defeats someone of the same age in Djokovic @ Wimbl. & it's totally dismissed = though the disparity is almost 3 X's! Consistency in their BS isn't in the MO of "haters!"
***Well said:-D Then they claim Novak fans are jealous of their favs. Jealous of what exactly? That insecurity they try to project on others is best part of the whole charade.
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- Nole's resp. for 2/3 of Rafa's losses in RG
- Nole's resp. for 1/2 of Rafa's losses in CC finals
- Nole's resp. for 1/4 of Rafa's total losses on CC
- Nole has < wins vs Rafa on CC > Rafa vs him on HC
- Nole has >er W% vs Rafa on CC > Rafa vs him on HC
- Nole has won vs Rafa @ all big CC tourns. (& X X's except in Madrid) while Rafa has never won vs Nole in AO, Miami, Paris & Cinci. That's exactly 1/2 of HC slams, 1/2 of HC Masters, & 1/2 of HC big indoors tourns.! & > once he won only in USO and WTF!
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Yea, Fed was a lit'l disappointed, when he realized he w/b passed, but he's ok, enjoying life, & all he's worked for. He knows his career was still quite amazing. A lot of his fans should realize that as well & stop harping about Djokovic non-stop. It doesn't make Fedal any < of great players. Just somebody else did a lit'l > they did, & that's it.***
I still say Fed could've saved his place in history instead of being but a footnote soon IMO! I've been saying for yrs. that Roger stayed in the game too long! Sure he still had minor successes along the way after winning Wimbl. in '12, but overall he went over 5 yrs w/o taking another major! He allowed Nadal & Djokovic to catch him while still on the tour! Being 5-6 yrs >er means nothing today in comparison to Novak @ 36 dealing w/ kids almost 1/2 his age! Roger could've lived for another 20 yrs w/ our ability to muse "what if?"[/i} he had retired in '12! Laver's 2 CYGS held him in good stead for over 30 yrs until Borg, Sampras, then Roger who hit 15 majors! Having 17 majors whb > impressive when still ahead of Nadovic! Instead he limped out of the game w/ 20, but already behind to Nadovic's 22-21, resp. last yr.!
***Well I think winning 3 > Slams late in his 30s was impressive. 20 Slams is a beautiful #. Nice Rd. # & a lot of Slams.Fed may have maintained the "what if" narrative like Laver & Sampras.
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Casper down double brk. in the decider 4-1. About to ghost these 1200 pts. Ruud's gone along w/ Rune, Tsitsipas, & Korda.***
Shocking; NOT! I think Ruud was lucky to defend those FO pts! I knew he wouldn't make it in NY! The comp.'s tough & seeds are getting knocked out left & right! From the 1st Rd. you have t/b ready! Strange that they keep saying the era's weak j/b Novak's still @ the top of the ranks as 36 yo!
***Seems like only Alcaraz is capable of stopping Novak. The rest of the field is useless. There are > players capable of stopping Alcaraz > Djokovic.***
IMO, only Alcaraz & Med have the game & skill to def. Novak @ his best or close to it! The rest can catch him having a bad day in a BO3 Masters like a Rune, but few others worry me @ all!
***Yeah, no one actually cares about Dak. He is, has been, & always w/b an avg. to below avg. QB in the NFL. If he didn't play in Dallas, no one'd know who he was.***
ReplyDeleteI don't watch sports news like I used to! So Dak's kicking up a fuss? Very nervy after his results over the yrs! He's way overpaid; totally stealing $$ from Jones & The BOYS & he's giving DIVA attitude? Shame! Not surprising as this is Dallas! They're cursed watching inferior teams like The Saints win it all while they can barely make the playoffs w/ all that talent! What makes it worse is Dak's doing commercials & going about his business as if he's actually doing the job!
***This is the same reason eventually guys like Hitler or Putin always lose. It's why the South lost the Civil war. Right always in the end, wins. It's why Japan didn't win. And it's why if we go to war w/ China, we will win that war. B/c God is on our side.
This is why Dallas loses. They are the bad guys. And w/ that many good Americans rooting against them, putting out all that bad karma, hopefully they continue to lose.
But then why do us good guys (The Lions) lose every year? What did we do wrong?
The Curse of the Billy Goat was a sports curse that was supposedly placed on the Chicago Cubs Major League Baseball(MLB) franchise in '45, by Billy Goat Tavern owner William Sianis. The curse lasted 71 yrs, from '45 to 2016. ...The Cubs lost the '45 World Series to the Detroit Tigers, & didn't win a pennant or World Series Chp. again until '16.
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I believe Randall Cunningham playing today & taught right from off.-minded coaches w/b the GOAT over Brady, Manning, Montana, etc.***
No doubt the prototype QB of his X! Too bad he was no team player, actually skipping a playoff game t/b w/ his pregnant wife! The team couldn't say anything & his teammates had to bite their lips! Rodney Pete did an admirable job in his stead! The QB that seems to never get a prop is Terry Bradshaw! J/b he had a > defense, his kudos are non-exitent! He threw the ball down the field unlike the field managers of these days!
***Yeah, but guys in those 'rough tough' days trained w/ smokes & a 6-pack. That's why guys like Y.A. Tittle looked like they were 50. Brady takes care of himself far better > any of those old guys did. They couldn't compete w/ him.***
Brady w/b knocked out for the season > a few X's if he played in those past eras! He wore a skirt in comparison to past >s who had to deal w/ seasonal concussions! He's prob. the > crooked of all QB's led by his coach, Tom Beli-cheat! Spy-Gate, Cell Phone-Gate, & Inflate-gate proves his entire career was shady AF! His kickers should get > credit for those early wins!
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***If they can't put the all X hit leader in the HOF, then who cares? Don Mattingly is deserving.***
Not that I paid much attn., but as good as Mattingly may have been, the team didn't make the playoffs until the end of his career & never played in a World Series! They were owned by Boston w/ Clemons pitching & remained in the wilderness w/ a losing rec. until Buck Showalter took over & started harvesting the talent that would take the Yankees back to glory in the 90's after Mattingly retired!
***I think he belongs in the HOF. I don’t have the stats in front of me right now, but I recall them being impressive.
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There are 14 1st basemen ahead of him w/ just as good if not >er #'s who also are not in the Hall.***
***Novak pushed himself for that last service brk & the bagel vs Djere in the 3rd Rd. USO. He’s a lit'l gassed & has bps. to defend on his serve now. He saves the 3 bps. & takes the 3rd set.***
ReplyDeleteIDK why anyone'd think this was anything > a glorifed exh.?! This is Djokovic's countryman & like Fed w/ Wawrinka, he has a distinct mental advantage over him! I wasn't sweating it going down 0-2! I knew all he had to do was tighten his game up & really make the guy play! It was no way this match result was going t/b anything but in Djokovic's favor in the end! He's giving a show allowing Djere to race to a lead only t/b backhanded like he was some kid being disrespectful dropping sets 3 & 4, winning only 2 games! I played the game & it's so easy to choreograph a match over someone you know you can def. no matter the lead spotted to him! Novak's now impressing his fellow players running down dropshots in the 5th set w/ ease! He's up 3-0 in the final set!
***Are you watching the match or following the score. Djere was full on into this match.***
For yrs. I wondered why Serbia hadn't won > DC > the 1 in '10? They had the #1 player in the World to lead them w/ sev. in the top 100! The problem is these guys can't finish! As good as Karatsov & Kecmanovic someX's play; Miomir getting to the AO Rd. of 16 "down under" taking Novak's pos. in the draw when "sent packin'" last season, they're frauds! There's so many of these guys, but their consistency sucks & I had no doubt Novak'd come back in 5 sets!
***Federer made his March to 100+ titles winning a heavy # of 250/500s. Djokovic is making his match winnning 1000s & slams vs the best in yourd. He just won hsi 4th USO vs Med in str. sets; 24 Majors overall.
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I believe that wraps up the final dub'l Djokovic needed to get.
AO-RG '16,
AO-WIM '11,
AO-US '11.
RG-WIM '21,
RG-USO '23.
WIM-USO '11.
As for triples, he's got the No RG triple, the no WIM triple, & the no USO triple. Just doesn't have the no AO triple.***
It's why the experts pk'd Djokovic The GOAT after he won his 12th Major @ '16 FO! Winning his rec. set'n 24 Majors, he did it in rec. X now winning 3 majors 4 X's ('11,'15,'21,&'23)! He'll put all the major recs. out of reach; = from someone as talented as Alcaraz! I just can't see any other > in the near future having the longevity of the Big 3! They've had unprecedented tenures @ the top of the ranks!
***Very impressive! He faced someone who beat him on the exact same Court just 2 yrs. ago. People did want to see Alcaraz play him again, but that wasn’t t/b. It's been 5 yrs. since he won a U.S.O. Big comeback. In the press conf. Djokovic talked about having > motivation to cont.
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Just heard Nole will likely skip the whole Asia swing & only play Paris & WTF? ...This yr. he's now 800 pts. ahead in the Race, but if Alcaraz wins Beijing /Shanghaï /Basel, this is pretty much over. I get that he's 36 & GS's are his priorities & that he needs to rest, but still... An 8th YE-#1 w/b precious & I doubt he'll have such a good opp. again after this yr. ...- I'm perfectly fine w/ this decision. He's balancing his personal & pro life very well. He said he isn't going away any X soon.***
Novak doesn't have much to worry about! His pts are ahead of last season since he acquired 4000 from AO & Wimbl. alone from this season after losing out on them last yr.! He was in such straits last season he had to play Astana & Tele Viv! He's way ahead of the game & other players only needing to have resp. results in Paris & the YEC > likely to get that 8th YE #1 to set himself apart from all players for all X! ...We're assuming Carlos can finish the season on a winning note after last season's disappointment w/ injuries! He's still beatable IMO even w/ all that talent!
***Yes, he said that evey slam cost him 1 month of free X w/ his kids. Tennis isn't the only priority now in his life.***
The bal. m/b working for him to win 3 majors in a season 2 of the last 3 yrs. in his mid 30's! He wasn't = able to play AO & USO! He got to 24 majors w/ ease!
***It's a good while back I gave up interest in women's tennis b/c of all that grunting.***
ReplyDeleteI haven't been a serious women's tour observer since the days of Navratilova, Hingis, & Henin! ...W/ the Big 3, interest has been peaked for over 2 decades! Now Novak Djokovic's the last of them, winning his 4th USO & 24 majors overall! The recs. just keep on accum.! We'll see how Gauff holds up to the pressures of a USO winner!
***It isn't lost on me that Djokovic was frightening close to winning another CYGS like 2 yrs. ago. He has now surpassed Roger yet again, both in major SF's & finals contested over a career & likewise broke free of a tie w/ Fed for most yrs. (3) winning at least 3 majors in a cal. yr. He also (this yr.) moved from 2nd past Fed on the career TB win-loss rec. & % of TB wins over the long haul. He has surpassed Roger & Rafa in YE #1 ranking rec., and then we know about his Masters Shields recs., his wks @ #1 on the ATP tour & a host of other recs. that are too numerous to set forth here. A lot of his major victories in finals have been over or thru Fedal, as well as Andy & others like Stan. His '11 &'15 (this yr. &'21) are right up there w/ Nadal in '10 or '13, Roger in '05-07 & Connors & McEnroe during their best yrs. So, all in all, what to say about the Serbian Slayer?
In the OE it's very hard for me to deny that he's the > accomp. ATP prof'l of them all. He has been so good for so long it's astounding. He's beating on far younger gens unmercifully (Fedal did too TBF) & his upside is still way up = now, whereas one is retired & the other is closing in on that. I now believe that = w/ Carlitos, he has 2 or 3, poss. >, he's > capable of winning. That's simply mind-boggling @ his age. ...He has come back from MP down in majors > anyone I can recall. His 5 set rec. has t/b up there w/ the BOAT as well--he's quite clutch in the deciding set it seems to me. What to say about Novak Djokovic?
...I feel we've witnessed the single best player over the long haul on the men's tour. Whether Sampras or Fed @ their peak would've beaten Nole on grass or HC's, or the fact Rafa @ his best on clay was largely unbeatable by anyone, isn't the ??. The reality is he has outperformed all of the others for longer & to a >er degree (he has far & away the > "big titles" as that is defined by the ATP) than all of the other >s--and this is no longer in dispute in any imaginable argument otherwise. We should enjoy him as he cont. to extend all the > recs. he alone holds as he extends it into the future & recall we were there to see it. I said the same thing about Fed during his dom. & as to Nadal concerning his clay recs., but Novak has clearly surpassed them both. A truly incredible athlete--remarkable.
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It's getting harder to support a "X GOAT" view @ this pt. Novak's pulling away from the pack enuf, that I think > & > folks will accept his GOAT status, when all's said & done. As you say, it's a combo of peak & career longevity. At this pt. his career sort of looks like as if Bjorn Borg had the longevity of Jimmy Connors.
My current prediction for his final Slam ct. is 27, which is just crazy. I remember getting flack back in '14 after he won his 7th or so, in predicting that he might = Pete's rec. (or something like that). It seemed crazy to think that a 27-yo (Daniil's age) would have 6 or 7 > Slams in him...& he's actually won 17 > since.
Here's a crazy stat: His 12 Slam titles after turning 30 (!) are as many as Roger (4) & Rafa (8) combined. Here's the > Slams won after turning 30:
12 Novak
8 Rafa
4 Fed, Rosewall, Laver
2 Agassi, Wawrinka
1 Sampras, Gomez, Connors, Newcombe, Gimeno, Ashe***
***Golf still has > TV audiences & both Majors & minor tourns. get wkend coverage. The older Tennis fans will recall all majors'd get reg. TV cov. (CBS, NBC) & only the AO'd get covered on ESPN when sponsored by Ford. Nowadays, I think only FO finals are licensed to NBC. ...***
ReplyDeleteThere's chaos w/ Disney/ABC/ESPN due to huge losses in movies that've bombed of late.; esp. w/ the C-19 in '21! It seems in today's market, a movie needs to make its budget back almost right away & double the revenue to make it worthwhile t/b produced! I haven't been watching sports as much the last 2 yrs.! It's all about $$ w/ athletes over winning! Golf I totally gave up on w/ their Mid'l Eastern intrigue & sponsporship! Baseball, Soccer, & Hockey aren't = on my radar! Football, Basketball, & Men's Tennis is about all I can stomach @ this X!
***Their stock was $200+/sh. a few yrs. ago & now mid $80's. ...More people are cutting off cable & turning to streaming which is making these neg.s > difficult in the future.
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Rodger's career's finished. Jets just got a $75 M fist shoved up their ass. Serves them right for signing the bum to that contract.***
Didn't Aaron give back some salary to help pay another player?
***The bum can afford it. It got him another guaranteed $75 M contract w/ the Jets & all he had to do was run 4 plays in 5 mins. Who among us wouldn't like to get paid $75 M for just 5 mins. work? Very bad work @ that.
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He was guaranteed over $100 M if he stayed w/ GB.***
He had to get outta town! GB had t/b sick of him! Even w/ all his recs., he was becoming a disappointment on & off the field! He had become the DIVA Favre became; No OTA's, demanding max $$, then there was lying about beng vax'd for COVID! Getting the illness didn't help missing 2 games after going to a crowded Halloween party in the mid'l of the Pandemic w/ no protection! His playoff results were the worst for someone w/ great reg. season marks! I think he was looking for "Favre love" following in his footsteps!
***I think that he was frustrated w/o getting to > SB's & was cranky as he aged. - - I disagree. I think GB needed Rodgers gone > he needed to leave. For 1 big reason; Jordon Love. GB had to find out what they had in him. They couldn't do that w/ Rodgers on the roster. They spent a 1st Rd. DP on Love & he's been on the bench for 2 yrs. He needed to get on the field....Also that team'd never really be Love's if Rodgers' on the sideline. Love will want an ext. next yr. ...His trade value w/o any real tape w/b very lit'l & GB'd still need a QB a yr. after he left assuming Rodgers played out his contract.***
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Detroit got "full of themselves" & out-coached (smarted) losing to Seahawks w/ a lead at home! KC holds on over Jags 17-9 to go 1-1 on the season! Skip Baseless looking like a delayed prophet as Baker Mayfield leads Bucs over my Bears in Tampa! WTF's happening in Cinci? I thought Burrow's was supposed t/b the next coming of ....! ...Over Mahomes of all QB's!
***The OL not giving Mahomes X to throw... again the fact they scored only a mere 17 pts. & their defense once again had to give them a chance to win in the end.
It appears they were actually wise not signing Hopkins since he already suffered a serious injury, but just a hunch that if they can't trade for a big name player to take the pressure off Kelce, they can forget about getting back to the SB.
The Lions offense always plays better at home so it does not surprise me they scored a lot > pts. this wk. Amazing that it's the ident. result though; another wild shootout w/ the Seahawks @ home & another loss again, go figure.***
Past >s said there was lit'l to stop Novak becomng The BOAT = though he had to overcome > over the yrs. in the way of injury, a Covid ban, & DQ @ USO! The longevity of the Big 3 is unprecedented &'ll prob. keep them @ the top for all X! The game is so fast & grueling now, I can't imagine any of these snowflakes being able to stay on the court long enough to brk. any of their recs! Alcaraz's a > player, but I can't see him holding up for 20 yrs.! He has some legit comp. in Med, Sinner, & Rune! Djokovic has 24, taking 3 majors in a season for the 4th X! What's to really stop him from winning 1 or 2 > for the next 3-4 yrs.? He keeps himself fit & stretched!
ReplyDelete***Wow! He's won 50% of his Majors since turning 30. - I’ve been thinking a lot about Novak winning 12 of his last 19 slams. The best he did at his actual peak was to win 11 out of 22 btwn.'11-16. Roger won 12 from 17 slams btwn.'03-07. I don’t think Novak's >er > he was 10 yrs. ago, but having opps.'s another thing I’ve been thinking about, & like Roger in his yrs. of complete dom., op'nity presented itself & these boys are capable. I think we can already talk about Novak as one of the best athletes ever. The man brks. all the recs. yr. after yr. & = though he clearly shows that his yrs. are catching up w/ him, he constantly adapts & finds ways to win.
I'm glad that he lost @ Wimbl., so he played USO rel. w/o pressure & won another slam where he lost so many X's in the final. It's diff. to predict how many > slams there are in Novak, but this USO's certainly not his last. Every next slam he takes is a bonus. He'd prob. take another Wimbl. I w/b happy if he gets to 25. The comp's there, they can beat him & we shouldn't expect another dream season like this, but I'm sure of 1 thing: in another yr. or 2, Novak will still play in the SF's & finals of slams if he stays healthy. Once he's there he'll always be a man to beat.***
As much as I'd like to see younger guys step up & figure out how to play tennis. I have to say that I really enjoy watching this version of Djokovic play. He mixes in aggression quite well. He figures ops. out >er on court > any player I recall, = Wilander. He's still a very clean ball-striker who almost never misses rally balls. He never beats himself. It's just been fun watching him befuddle pretty > everyone out there on the tour for the past 5 yrs. He has made the last 2 gens. of players coming up since '13 look like complete mental midgets, which perhaps they are. Still, he has the tools to expose them for it.
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***Imagine if all Big 3 members end up w/ >er careers > THE ENTIRE 90s gen. combined.***
More > likely, all s/b embarrassed & ashamed at what was perp. 20+ yrs. ago! We were so desperate t/b part of tennis history, we anointed Sampra "The GOAT" w/ 14 Majors & no FO finals on his resume! He did his best dealing w/ so many clay specialists & past winners out there! He = def. 1 or 2 en route to his best showing, making the '96 FO SF losing to eventual champ Kafelnikov! Now we have The Big 4 & = Murray made a final! ...Alvaraz's no doubt the future of men's tennis, but can he stay on court? Many players are brk'n down earlier due to the speed & stress of the game!
***Tennis att. & TV ratings in total only amt. to about 0.2% of the American pop. So basically you won't find anyone in your vicinity who knows or cares about tennis. It's still a fringe sport.***
IMO, every ent. med. has suffered over the yrs. as OPTIONS; esp. in "The States" are out of control! I never think about it, but to this day I could pretend to come into Chgo as a totally amazed tourist if I wanted = THO lived here for over 50 yrs.! It's always changing & growing! ...The one thing that couldn't survive is "men's tennis!" We've had lit'l to no success & I go back to '75 final @ Sold. Field btwn. Tanner & Alexander! Lendl in the 80's'd headline an event, then promptly lose in his 1st or 2nd match! Navratilova played it yr.-ly; winning it 12 X's over the best in Court, Evert, Mandlikova, Shriver, Novotna, & Goolagong! ;-)
***If cons. recs. are so important, then PETE's 6 cons. YE #1s is an unbroken, GOAT-tier rec. that shows an era worth of dom.***
ReplyDeletePlenty of ATG's hold recs. that today's players can't = come close to! Back in the day it seemed like Borg w/b the > prolific winner, taking over 82% of his matches! Djokovic's brk'n that rec. today w/ 83.6 winning %! Connors'll end up being the ONLY player in tennis history to win the USO on 3 diff. surfaces! Regard<, Djokovic seems to own the > signif. recs. to date; YE #1, wks. @ #1, Majors, Masters, 3 CYGS's, 4 X's taking 3 of 4 majors, 2 GM, etc.!
***If Fed had the Djoker luck in slams, Wimb '19 whb his. Unfair how = in the CIE, he still had the toughest slam to win @ 38.***
It amazes me how people'll undermine Novak's win suggesting Roger was past it in the '19 Wimbl. final! If past it, what does that say about the rest of the tour as Fed made that '19 Final after winning the title in '17? ...The tour allowed Roger to extend his career! Nadal won 2 > majors in '22 older & not in the best of health! How many X's does Novak need a miraculous comeback & it's not luck? What has he had about a dozen matches saved w/ MP's vs him?
***...describes what it’s like in a Serbian household during a Djokovic match. No matter who's playin', it's all about Novak.***
Well IMO the same thing has been going on around the world w/ fans, the Tennis Ingel., & the MSM for yrs! Fed was on everyone's lips after he broke Sampras' Major rec. of 14 w/ a Wimbl. win in '09 over A-Rod! He got a lot > credit for his 15 Majors due to him overtaking Pete < 9 yrs! IMO it was a weak era that was unwatchable as Roger got all the accolades while some "upstart" from Spain was cleaning his clock up to that X & >! All concerned have made accomm. by lifting both onto the GOAT pedestal; "Fedal!" Lit'l did they know another kid was on the horizons that'd shatter all their recs. in "rec. X!" The only thing > devastating to the masses that are "hating it" will have to watch Djokovic extend those same recs. out of sight as he's still on top of the game @ 36+!
***I now think that Patrick was right when he refused Townsend funding. It's X to decide on who Taylor is; a dubl's specialist or singles player.***
Townsend needs to drop a few #'s! That's the way it is! Back in my day, it was enough t/b athletic! Many tennis players carried a lit'l extra wt.! Patrick Krajicek mused that "80% of WTA Tour players were big, fat pigs!" His only retraction was humorous; "ok, only 75%!" It took Navratilova to revolutionize training for female tennis players! Even Evert was a porker thru the 70's! Now adays, Serena got away w/ carrying around some extra #'s, but overall I can only think of Ostapenko who's a lit'l soft!
***Players like to have X off over Xmas, w/o going to play MS tourneys. They often do lucrative exhs. then, too, so they can truly fk. up their chances of winning in Oz.***
I stopped listening to all that catterwalling & bitchin' about the tennis sched. ages ago; esp. from MEN after they whored themselves out for that Indian Team Tennis thing sev. yrs. ago! They're always whining about injuries & being tired by YE, but it never seemed to stop them from playing exhs. & other events in the off season! Most here are too young to remember the season has always been long; = longer when the YE Masters event was played in Jan. up to '86! Lendl has a noteworthy rec. of winning it twice that yr.! He won it in Jan. for the end of '85, then again in Nov. for '86! Same for Navratilova when she won the VS's YE tourney in March, then again in Nov, '86!
***ITA, brother. Rafa & Novak played that Indian thingy @ the end of '13. It was a $$ earner for those wealthy boys, but look how they did in Australia.
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You have a lot of wishes when it comes to the ATP cal. changes. I believe Asia is here to stay.***
It's all about the $$ unfortunately! If not for all their disposable income, we wouldn't have an Asian Tour, > < a Masters in Shanghai!
It's gotten so bad in the Rep. ranks, it doesn't matter how good a piece of legis. is. The country c/b in default, & they'd still go "thumbs down!" Funny, that's my last memory of McCain; going 'thumbs down' on vote to repeal Obamacare! The last sane act of a Rep.! Trump's still grumbling about it!
ReplyDelete***Saw McConnell had another freezing ep. This is sad, = if he's been a bit of an agent of darkness in the past. I don't get these people, at what pt. do they consider just retiring & living their best lives? He's phenomenally wealthy. He's been @ the centre of power. Does he need to die in the chair? I just don't get it.***
Like Trump, I don't blame the old farts who won't let it go! I'm all for pointing the fingers at the enablers who allow this BS to go on election cycle after another! The real idiots are the "mates," the voters, then the fellow pols that keep them in important positions of power! Yeah, they want to die in the chair!
***I did watch Russell Brand w/ Bill Maher, & he's just obnoxious, bossing around, & interrupting Maher, so I turned it off.***
...that era of comedy way back when w/ Carlin, Mahar, & D. Miller! They were all so cerebral & invoked "historic quotes," a past era, or lit. that's "above" the common college student! George never changed much over the decades, but I was so disappointed when others started copping out & supporting "the other side!" Miller eviscerated Reagan, Bush & W's admins. initially, but now make them out as American heroes! You can play it down the mid'l @ your own peril of losing credibility these days! Mahar got on my bad side helping 'W' get elected in 2000 by supporting Nader! That was the beginning of the end! We've never really recovered from that one! The Nat'l Debt was going down w/ sur+es under Clinton, but "W" squeaked in nefariously! He gave away that sur+ & > destroying any hope of equity! We've just been sheep grazing around ever since as a select few truly herd us around here in the States & elsewhere! I've been disgusted w/ the "right leanings" as it's only gotten worse! No one in their right minds thought it poss. that Trump'd win, but it happened due to the dilligence of some true psychos @ the top as many have been brainwashed into allowing attrocities & lies to go unchallenged! The true hypocrisy is we're always trying to manage other people's affairs abroad!
***...makes me think of how pathetic Foxs News was in the Mid-late 90s.***
FNC just started in the mid 90's! Living out in Cal., w/ extra hrs. to my day, Prime Time started earlier so I watched the entire lineup of Hannity & Combs, Catherine Crier, & Bill O'Reilly that began @ 5 PM PST! They hadn't gotten offensive yet, heaping > of their ire on Bill & Hillary Clinton! It was truly pathetic @ the X!
***Why on Earth do these Dems refuse to step down? Feinstein died this morning @ 90! It's rather bizarre that Rep.'s who we all secretly consider t/b > selfish, tend to have an eye on the bigger pic. & freely act to put their group objectives B4 personal motivations. It's something that's always confused me. And yes I'm thinking about Ginsburg...McConnell's freezing up these days.***
People just don't know how DC works! Senators are like Feudal Kings that are handed a ton of power, $$, & respons.! As long as they hold office, = if they do nothing, oversee quite a few offices & staff members; 1000's of them! The people Feinstein hired will prob. now have to go looking for another job! It's like that & > which I try not to aggravate myself by knowing! It's criminal these old farts hanging on so long they're being wheeled around the Capitol, propped up, & told what to say! That McConnell thing the > egregious as he stroked out twice while his brethren just escorted him out as if nothing happened! A-holes!
***I was listening to FNC & they say Hunter Biden received $5M from Chinese spy companies how can we not elect Trump, then to get Biden out? Did they offer any proof? No? How surprising.
ReplyDelete---
So you’re just going to believe whatever they say, even though in court they admitted UNDER OATH that no reasonable person should believe them? And they had to pay $787 M to Dominion b/c they knowingly spread lies about the election? But you’re just going to let them make a chump out of you again, huh?
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It's terrible politics from the GOP. There was a X where one might not like them, but you had to respect them. They were all about winning. Now this just seems performative. I honestly wouldn't be shocked if they try to find someone else, but b/c they're unable to get someone who can garner the votes, they end up going back to McCarthy. And this X I'm sure he'll force them to get rid of the stipulations that handcuffed him. Gaetz might just have played himself & his MAGA cronies. Going t/b a fun watch anyway. Whoever it is will likely be slapped around by the Dems.***
Reps. have been a colossal mess for the last 30 years since their "Contract on America" was formed by Newt Gingrich during the Clinton yrs! Compromise became a dirty word not to be even spoken of or that Rep. w/b "primaried" & run out of pols! It didn't take long to have casualties; one of the 1st being Gingrich himself! He was thrown out as Speaker of the House! The "rightwing" became > radical as X went on & it seemed they were actually trying to sabotage their own country if it helped them to gain power & retain it! The > horrible things have occurred under their supposed leadership, but they ignore it, passing the buck to Dems., & their idiot supporters eat it up! Dems. like Clinton & Obama did > jobs, cutting debt, passing long-lasting legis. like healthcare, but all of it's been undermined by Reps. over the yrs. hoping for failure! Presidents like "W" & Trump have blown up our Nat'l Debt, been complicit in 911, a coup to overthrow an election, & embarassed us Int'ly as they openly laugh @ clowns like "The Donald!" They lost Boehner & Ryan as Speakers too as they couldn't control those Rep. animals called Maga-Nuts! Now McCarthy makes 4 run out of office! How they pt. fingers @ Dems for anything is absol. amazing, but > amazing is their continued support! I'm disgusted!
***I’ll never get over Reps. trying to pass themselves off as the financially responsible party, when the debt has increased significantly every X 1 of them is President. They conveniently forget it was Clinton who completely elim. all debt, then W got in office & sent it soaring. We’ve never recovered from it. And yes, it was Obama who passed healthcare — modeled on the healthcare the Rep. Gov. Romney enacted in Mass., which came from a cons. think tank. But since it was Obama, the Reps. had to act like it was the > radical, worst plan ever.***
I blame "the people!" They see what's going on, but don't seem to GAF as long as Reps. are running the show! It doesn't matter how > they embarass themselves & hurt the country, they're perfectly satisfied turning a blind eye! Allowing all that went on during Trump's tenure shows how "insane" these people have t/b! McConnell's freezing up, staggering around, but is still the Senate Minority Leader! McCarthy sold his soul to be Speaker, but it was inevitable that he w/b overthrown! He made it something assuredly would occur when he gave his caucus the power to throw him out w/ 1 dissenting vote! Nothing c/b done by the HOUSE until they find another Speaker! What rational person'd want the job w/ the Sword of Damocles hanging over their head? I'm so done, but that was the case 30 yrs. ago w/ how they behaved during the Clinton yrs.! It's only gotten worse as X's gone on! Thank goodness I'm a SR. & don't have to deal w/ it > longer!
***At Djokovic's age, Fed had 19 slams, 5 behind Nole.
ReplyDeleteDuring early era, by age 26, Fed had won 12 slams to Nole's 6. This was partially b/c of weak era Fed played vs non-Big 3.
But btwn. age 26 to 29, Djokovic reduced the gap to 4. Fed was @ 16 & Nole 12. This was despite Fed, Andy, & Stan playing well in the matches.
Btwn. age 30 to 32, Nole reduced the gap to 1. Fed had 17 slams @ age 31 & Nole 16. This is when everyone thought Nole'd become the GOAT (Wimbl.'19). Fed had huge start due to weak era & still was just 1 slam ahead @ same age & now Nole was going to have his own weak era. But we thought Nole w/b unlucky to have weak era when he's old. Nole proved us wrong, showing his old ism't the same as other player's old.
Pandemic hit, Nole unable to play Wimby, got DQ in USO. Still @ age 33, both Fed & Nole were @ 17 slams.
Age 34, Nole goes ahead for the 1st X, beating weaker comp., 20 slams to 17 @ same age.
Age 35, Nole gets banned for 2 of his main slams; still ahead by 4 slams, 21 to 17.
Age 36, Nole's ahead by 5 slams @ same age. 24 slams to 19. Fed w/b 36 yrs. & 5 months by the X he won AO. He was @ 19 B4 that. Nole's 36 yrs. & 5 months this month, won USO last month.
Unchartered terr. Fed had huge advantage early on & Nole has huge advantage later on. Right now, if Nole is fit, he can prob. be 6 slams ahead of Fed @ age 37. M/b 7 slams ahead @ age 38 by which X I think he'd slow down a lot. He hasn't slowed down @ all = after Pandemic cost him a lot.
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Slams played:
Djokovic: 72 (won 24; 33,3%)
Nadal: 67 (won 22; 32,8%)
Masters played:
Djokovic: 126 (won 39; 31,0%)
Nadal: 128 (won 36 28,1%)
ATP Finals played:
Djokovic: 15 (won 6; 40,0%)
Nadal: 11 (won 0; 0%)
Total big events played:
Djokovic: 213 (won 69; 32,4%)
Nadal: 206 (won 58; 28,2%)
Total events played:
Djokovic: 289 (won 96; 33,2%)
Nadal: 305 (won 92; 30,2%)
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Jannik Sinner w/b officially World #4 in the rankings after defeating Alcaraz in the China Open final tonight!***
People were so sure Carlos would come back to overtake Novak for #1! While Novak's not defending his pts. @ Astana or Tele Viv, he's skipping Shanghai as well! Alcaraz needed to win China & do well for the rest of the season! I don't think it's gonna happen! Looks as if he's going to come up short un< he wins out thru Paris & the YEC!
***Carlos mhb wiser to skip the Hopman Cup (for sure) & m/b = China altogether instead of playing so much. Let him miss the game a little & grow hungry for it. He s/b on a grown-up schedule now, not playing matches every available wk.***
Player his age aren't accustomed to winning so much! It's why the young players are brk'n down so early & often! JCF should've cancelled CA's partic. in that stupid Hopman event! Many say he made a promise to play, but after Wimbl. win, he really needed to rest & it's costing him!
***...We know from prev. young > players when they reach so high, they often have a slump while they try to process it all. Sampras, Roger, Novak, all had breakthrus of diff. sorts when young & needed t/b sheltered a bit after. Carlos def. is too enthusiastic to play, highly ambitious, but you’re right, his coach s/b putting a hand on his shoulder & saying, "slow down, take a brk. Learn to miss the game.
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What slam did Sinner clip Charlie?***
Since Sinner played Djokovic twice on grass, my guess' at Wimbl. last yr. in the 4th Rd.! IDK how he does it! Jannik seems to have Carlos' #!
***What # is that? It’s 4-3 for Sinner in total & they’ve shared the last 4.***
Not that Sinner wins every X, but that he worries Carlos & now has a winning H2H edge! Nothing sinister in the comment! It's a > rivalry!
***Ah yeah, but if you have a players # it means you’re beating them all the X b/c you’re in their head. Carlos has nobody like that. This is a close rivalry now, but I’d gen. expect Carlos to win the big matches btwn. them.***
***Sampras was a S & V'r. His athleticism wasn't his main strength if we compare him to guys like Agassi or Djokodal. He relied > on his skills.***
ReplyDeletePete could push himself until he puked! He hung in there & won a bunch of matches on his last legs! He had a lot of heart = if he wasn't the > fit!
***Sampras kept the pts. short. He didn't run end credit for his accomps. due to the era & conditions of play! Most players were aggressive S & V’rs on quick courts of grass in 3 of the 4 majors & lightning fast HC’s! Bjorn did all that working from the baseline w/ a stick! Even today he holds recs. that may never be broken; winning %, 3 str. Chn’l Slams (FO/Wimb.), & winning 5 str. Wimbl. & taking 4 FO’s in a row @ the same X! Nadal has his 14 FO’s, 8 > Borg, but having all those Wimbl. sets him apart from him & all other players from the past, present, or poss. future!
***Nadal leads h2h w/ Djokovic in GS's w/ 11–7. However, if you dive a lit'l deeper pic w/b > clear. Nadal leads 8–2 @ the FO & 2–1 @ the USO, while Djokovic leads 2–0 @ the AO & 2–1 @ Wimbl. If we take away FO, Djokovic leads 5–3.
Overall the 2 have faced each other 59 X's, incl. in all 4 GS finals, w/ Djokovic leading 30–29 overall. Of their 59 meetings, 27 matches have been on HC w/ Djokovic leading 20–7, 28 on clay w/ Nadal leading 20–8, & 4 on grass where they are tied 2–2. It’s clear Nadal's King of clay. Djokovic's King of HC's. To date, Djokovic's the only player to have beaten Nadal in all 4 majors.***
...Laver had 2 players that gave him heartburn! Hoad & Rosewall had a lot of success vs him; Lew actually started out 8–0 over Laver! That’s what happened to Djokovic who got a later start allowing Fedal to get a lead on him, but he eventually surpassed all their recs. &'s extending them into impossible #'s to ever match again!
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Looks like the YEC will decide the ult. #1 for the season! I thought Novak w/b well ahead of last season's tally missing so many events, but = though he won 3 of the 4 majors this yr., he'd still wind up in 2nd place! Something's wrong w/ that in so many ways!
***Nole missed many events, but he also ran up his pts. last Fall w/ all those results & won the ATP Finals. Even though he won 3 slams this yr., he hasn't won as many M1000s & Charlie has done a pretty good job of getting to the SF or Final of all his tourns. played.***
IIRC, that Fall run wasn't that great! We're talking Astana (500), Tele Viv (250), R-up in Paris, & The YEC (1500)! By taking Cinci in Aug., he made up for Rome last season! I guess what's making the big diff. is Carlos isn't defending any pts. from last Fall! Novak has to match it to stay on top & at least make the YEC final > likely!
***I guess that’s part of getting older, you play < tourneys. He may forfeit #1 t/b healthy for the slams. I'm wondering if he w/b tempted to play MC. He wins that & he‘ll have a triple career GM's.***
Novak needs goals = if he doesn't bring them up! I was just thinking about that Triple GM's after winning Cinci for the 3rd X! I think it w/b worthwhile going after another MC, a 5th USO t/b 1 up on Rafa, 1 > FO to go 4 CYGS, a Wimbl. to match Roger's 8, & 3 > of his pet Major "down under" to finish off his career w/ 13 AO's! He w/b so far ahead of his rivals, = they'll have to give it up to the man w/ 30 Majors, 4 CGS, a triple GM, 400+ wks. @ #1, w/ 8 YE #1's! It w/b very realistic believe it or not!
ReplyDelete***Since the post Wimbl. hype, Tommy Paul (Can.), Djokovic (Cinci), Medvedev (USO), Sinner (Beijing), & Dimitrov (Shanghai) have beaten Alcaraz.
This is an interesting pt. in Carlos’ career. He's no longer the hunter. He's expected to win every match, or at least he's the fave in every match he plays. Huge expectations. This is the transition X of learning to deal w/ the new kind of pressure. It w/b interesting to see how he navigates the RR during the tour chp. in Turin.
We can’t forget he’s a young man growing into all of this. I think he’s done well thus far. Today he had the same amt. of winners as Dimitrov, but 5 > errors overall. The differences were that small. Looking forward to seeing the adjustments he makes & how he chooses to wean himself of the constant input from his coach.***
Grigor tried to give it away, but hung in there! Carlos' been frustrated & loses his cool just a lit'l! Going down in 3 sets helps Novak in YE #1 race!
***I'd be frustrated too losing to a scrub like Dimi. We all know what's going to happen in the next Rd. He'll disappear like Casper.
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Dimitrov & Novak are good friends. I bet Novak already sent out a congrats. Did it help Novak for the YE #1 race? It certainly did.***
I apprec. rat'l thought so early in the morn! Grigor's been playing quite well the last few months! It shb a str. set win by him over Carlos, but he stumbled as > players do these days! Alcaraz loss strengthens Novak's hold on #1! After he gets to 400 wks, Carlos may take over the mantle as top dog in this era of tennis!
***Carlos' only 20. You’re really scared of him, eh? Give the kid some credit, he’s way advanced for his age.***
What's your pt.? Carlos' scary good & w/ Daniil, they're the only players who can really threaten Novak's ext. career! Even though Med hasn't won over Djokovic in a while, he has the game that competes well when "on!" Carlos' a human "highlite reel!" Fortunately a lit'l imaturity's still there for him to make mistakes! He was able to overcome Novak @ Wimbl., but just barely! The Serb had it, but didn't punch away that volley in the 2nd set TB! The match was up for grabs after that! It was heroic taking it to 5 sets IMO, but > satisfied Novak stopped Carlos in Paris! That was worth > to his resume! He has a triple CGS now; again setting himself apart from Fedal! Everything's gravy from here on out!
***What?! A win this yr. doesn't =ate to awhile. I guess you conveniently forgot when Meddie took him to the woodshed in Dubai.***
Why would I? Dubai's lit'l > a glorified exh.! Get over yourself! Sorry U're feeling butt-hurt over Novak's achievements! I'm luvin' it!
***So, now all Nole has to do is get > pts. in Paris & WTF. He doesn't = need to win. A final w/b enough if Alcaraz makes the SF. ...He just needs to do >er. Medvedev's def. out too. Would've still been in the race if he'd won Beijing & Shanghaï, but Djokovic holds all the cards now.
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If Rublev had lost, it whb the 1st X ever a Top 10 player didn’t make it to a Masters QF. It’s been that bad, though — only one made it.***
That's how Rublev stole MC earlier this season! The same losses were tradit'l in Bercy! Players are worn down, others desperate to make YEC! The pressure has t/b excruciating! The most shocking is how many Paris Opens Djokovic has; 6 chps. is insane for a top player! He owns all the recs.! That just never happened back in the day! Sampras was the > likely to go down early & often taking only 2! Nadal's never won the event w/ all those RG trophies!
***House ousts McCarthy as Speaker in historic vote; (216-210)***
ReplyDeleteIt had to happen! McCarthy compromised himself so much to get the job in the 1st place! The mid-term election resulted in Reps w/ only a 5 vote majority! That made the real loons a lot > powerful to make McCarthy jump thru hoops to get anything passed! Pelosi could handle this situation! Someone as weak & stupid as McCarthy was doomed to failure! I guess I s/b surprised he lasted this long! It was his destiny to fail!
***Dem.-run gov't.'s our #1 prob.***
The delusion is real! Who would pt. out politics today as Reps. have shot themselves in the fk'n head yet again? It taints us all no matter the party! They've dismissed McCarthy as Speaker of the House last wk. & have no clue who to back in the future! Any smart person'd walk away like Ryan, but the IQ of Rep. leadership expon. dropped yrs. ago! Any new Speaker's subject to the same treatment as a few demented MAGA-Trump-sters cripple gov't! They have the comperable intel. of a gila monster! Wasn't Goetz about t/b indicted for traffiking in teenage girls just a few yrs. ago? WTF? Reps. are about the sickest POS in the history of dem. pols! Compromise's a dirty word in their world so nothing ever gets done! It's our own fault allowing them to rewrite history for the "gullible right" as the Nat'l Debt has gotten out of control under their leadership X & X again! Their lame acct'ng act about being fiscal is nauseating, but not 1/2 as > as their supporters!
***This is why Hillary lost. Blue collar white man is racist? The left used to pretend to serve the working class, but now you’re all showing what you really think of us. Which I knew since I was a kid, btw. Meanwhile the Dems are virtuously chasing the votes of trannies, child abusers, misogynists, homophobes & - black racists? This is really the way you’ve all gone over there. Deplorables, indeed…***
M/b, but I'll put our deplorables up vs yours anyX! We're not shooting up clinics, murdering doctors, putting targets on families of judges, etc.
***You see, this is a prob. w/ people. I’m disappointed in you, bro. You assume things of me b/c I criticise your pol. pets. You s/b the one criticising them, instead of deluding yourself that they’re any > virtuous > the side you hate.***
I now have no dog in this hunt! I gave up yrs. ago that either party'd run things w/o some bumbs in the road! Unfort. parity doesn't exist! One side has gone so far into another world, it might as well be an alt. universe! If Dems jaywalk, Congressional hearings are in order b/c they're flaunting law! If a Rep. sells out his country to a KGB Russian leader, he's lauded! Extremes m/b, but criminal behavior is criminal behavior! An entire pol. party decides to make the character of the president's son determine the office! Don Jr. is one step ahead of indictment, but if he's brought in as a pol. pawn, the whining wouldn't end! It makes me depressed to see the childish behavior going on! The hypocrisy! Trump ??'s Biden's compentency as McConnell meanders around Congress in a FOG! I was so hoping never see it get this bad! I try to ignore the news to keep my BP down! It filters thru anyway so I know we're all doomed! A ceasefire just isn't in the cards! Threatening t/b primaried makes them all march in lock-step! It doesn't seem to matter that being in unison, no matter how disgusting will be the end of us all!
***You know, there are mirror images in both parties. ...They’re tearing your country apart. But that’s your prob. if you won’t hold them acct.able, not mine.
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M/b we need to get rid of “cons.” & “lib” as well as “left wing” & “right wing.” All they do is create div. instead of the collaboration you rightly want to see. These umbrella terms are not essential. There isn’t a need t/b part of a group when we’re all individuals, esp. when we’re presented w/ only 2 groups.***
***Yes, free speech is still better in the US than in many places, including Germany. But we also have hate speech laws that can & are used to censor divergent views, as well as issues around censorship, "misinfo.," cancel., etc. The whole mis/dis/mal-info. is a big one, & one that so-called progressive heroes like AOC cheer for. The gov't & media are quick to accuse non-sanctioned views as mis/dis/mal, but rarely (if ever) correct themselves.
ReplyDeleteI fully support trans-people to self-define as they want, to live as they choose, etc. But it isn't a blanket, "whatever the most radical trans-activists say is gospel truth, b/c it is the Latest Thing & as a good leftie I agree w/ it wholeheartedly." ...I don't think biological men have the right to participate in women's sports b/c they're not bio-women; regard< of what they claim. I don't think we s/b so quick to offer "trans-affirming healthcare" to kids, let alone be paid for by American tax-payers. Nor do I think "mis-gendering" someone s/b considered hate speech or be prosecutable. Etc.
...Yes, I get it. You think the left is good, the right is bad. I used to think that way too, or at least that the left (Dems) were the "lesser of 2 evils." My view has changed over the last 6-7 yrs. Now I hate them all. (Haha) Note that Dems only supported gay marriage when it became politically expedient to do so. Obama started off as (supposedly) against gay marriage, but when the pol. tide turned, he "changed" his view. ...***
Clinton tried to get the ball rolling in '93 w/ Gays in the military! Reps. lost their shit, talking to servicemen on ships, submarines, etc., trying to rile them up about being cramped up in places w/ gays! They got away w/ it & Bill pulled back; going totally cons. to save his agenda which he did in the end! Dems have always been on the sides of minorities = if it hurt them politically! In Hawaii, there were the 1st marriages in '97! The rule in our democracy was, if one state made law which made gay marriage legal, all other states had to follow! That was the beginning of the end as Reps. went on a crusade of hate & I've never forgiven them for it! They = paid black leaders & churches to back their efforts! I'm still disgusted by all concerned! "W" overdid it in '04, winning re-election, but he wound up being a colossal loser as he lost every meaningful fight afterwards! His admin. were a bunch a-hole haters & they paid for it! OBAMA took over w/ "hope & change!" Unfortunate those haters had a huge comeback anointing a creature like Trump as President! We're still paying for it!
***Barack Obama became the "Deporter-in-Chief."***
That's one of many problems I had w/ Obama! No matter how well he came off, Reps did their best to try dirtying him up! He tried to appease those animals early on w/ mass deportations one of those ugly acts of cowardness! He ran from controversy trying to stay 1 step ahead of the slime! Trump can take a bow though on how he tossed long-standing immigrant kids out of the country! I can still see this woman on the news! She voted fot Trump! He told her what he'd do if elected! Her husband of 12 yrs. was snatched up by Feds dropping their kids off @ school! He was summarily kicked out from 6; no hearing, no nothing! Even I wouldn't berate her today w/ "I told you so bitch!" That man has hurt so many families; just maliciously! It hasn't saved us a damned thing! It just made us > of a laughing-stock internat'ly!
***Why was it cowardly. That's the law of the land. And now we're seeing, in NY Chgo., it's diff. when they're lying on your streets. These are economic immigrants.***
It was so obvious Obama thought it would take some heat off him when it came to Reps. & cons.! He was wasting his fk'n X! Those people showed their entire ass to the world! They were ugly, insulting, & for the > part disgusting POS! it wasn't enough to go after him, they had to drag in his wife & kids! I've been DONE w/ Reps. ever since! Electing Trump & overlooking his colossal fraud of an admin. showed they have no patriotism or = loyalty to the democracy!
***...Watching Humbert go thru 3 seeded players to reach the SF? Seeing the ‘old’ guy Dimitrov upset the #1 seed?***
ReplyDeleteI've always loved this X of the season; going back to McEnroe & Borg contesting Masters Chp.! The Elites were subject to upset regard< of when a tourney was held, but indoor Fall tennis was >, getting the best out of the players! You didn't have to deal w/ the Sun or wind & your strings in the racket felt like an ext. of an arm! Today's players will never understand the skill it took t/b @ the top of tennis back in the 70's & 80's! W/ today's tech., mediocrity is rewarded; hence big servers having mod. success just throwing in bombs! He really hurt his chances to grab the YE #1 by losing match to Grigor RD. 16 in Shanghai! ...It's so hard to watch Sebastian! He gets leads, then forgets how to play for a few games B4 saving it in a 3rd set TB! I keep hearing the same thing over & over; "Korda's up a set & a Brk" B4 having to find his game; not so luckily vs Novak in Adelaide in Jan.! Glad he knock'd off Shelton in the RD. 16! ;-)
***How does Novak Djokovic's rivalry w/ Carlos Alcaraz compare to his prev. rivalries w/ Fedal?***
The rivalry obviously won’t be as long-lasting, but it has all the tension of something signif. = early on! Alcaraz’s move up the ladder was exponential IMO! He's winning Masters, def. the titles, took his 1st of 2 Majors B4 20, & actually def. his best preds.; Nadal & Djokovic! Luck has nothing to do w/ it & his only hinderances w/b his body or/& his huge ego! He’s a human highlite reel extending himself unnecess. trying to exort the crowd for him! So far Djokovic has been holding off the challenge by winning 3 majors this season & barely lost the 4th in a 5th set Wimbl. final to Carlos!
---
Fedal have no claim to an era of a GOAT, but past champs have an argument; Borg or Sampras!
***That’s irrational. I know it sounds neat in principle. Some insinuate that the Big 3 set off on their run @ the same X as each other & Novak won the race to the finish, but they didn’t. And there were diff. currents & opportunities in those 20 yrs. that made it obvious that the one who started last had an advantage, which we clearly see now.***
Fed could've saved his legacy if he had retired earlier! His Wimbl. win in '12 whb a > X, but his ego & need for the adulation kept him playing for almost 6 yrs B4 winning those last 3 majors! It just wasn't worth it IMO! Borg & Sampras left in a X-ly fashion, but Roger just hung on too long! He was winning lit'l events, being quite respectable @ #3 in the world, but as a GOAT option it just hurt him just like Connors his last 8 yrs.!
***No way Novak'll end up W/ 30 majors; m/b 26. Alcaraz & Sinner'll > likely stop Novak from reaching many future slam finals. Some = think Novak can win the GS. Yes, Novak's good, but as I see it, Carlos & Jannick are Fedal replacements & got something Rafa & Fed don’t have, Y O U T H.***
They are younger, but Novak’s exp. keeps him @ the top of the game! He was a 5th set loss @ Wimbl. to Alcaraz from getting that CYGS! As good as the new crop is, they’re still vuln. to their own inexper. & fragile bodies! The reason “The Big 3” lasted so long was b/c the latest heirs couldn’t stay on the court > a 2 months B4 brk'n down! Rafa was vuln. to injury himself, but something in him overcame his pains to accum. 14 FO’s alone; a rec. that may never be broken! Alcaraz, Sinner, Rune, Medvedev, & a few of the other top players have crazy skills, but only Carlito & Daniil have been able to cash in btwn. them w/ 3 majors, a few Masters, & a YE #1! We’re still waiting for Tsitsipas, Zverev, & others to max out their talent! Djokovic will hang in there for @ least another 3 or 4 yrs., m/b get to 110 Titles to eclipse Connors’ 109! Most other rec. belong to Nole already! .-)
***I'm starting to think that players are beginning to figure something out w/ Alcaraz. Since the USO, Alcaraz has lost to the likes of Med & Dmitrov, then out-classed by Sinner. It w/b interesting to see if this carries over into '24, & if so, can any of the young players like Rune, Sinner, or Shelton take advantage & sneak in a slam.***
ReplyDeleteAlcaraz's going thru "growing pains!" Not a physical thing as much as it's a mental & ego situation! Carlos obviously has all the power & talent in the world! His head's gotten too big w/ people praising him for his shotmaking! I've been saying since early on, he's too busy trying to make the highlite reels! He needs to just pull back & let a pt. go instead of running himself into the ground! We always say "this" or "that player shd this to win the pt.!" The problem is pts. last too long for that kind of nonsense! He's making the plays, but it's taking its toll; hence these bad losses of late!
***I was telling people @ the X that it's not like Djokovic was on the ropes B4 Alcaraz's cramping in that FO SF.***
"Being on the ropes" means nothing when it concerns Djokovic! Most of the X he'll find a way back! He was never in > trouble > @ Wimbl. B4 stealing that 4th set! Getting to the 5th @ Wimbl. made all the diff. in this season! The dynamics would've totally changed if Djokovic had finished off that comebk.! I was almost glad he lost it! I didn't want the media to lose their minds on another poss. CYGS @ 36! The detractors w/b sour lemons pointing out how weak the field is w/o Rafa, Roger, & Andy!
***Yr. over yr. strength post '15:
'16 - best rivalry Djokovic/ Murray
Matches 3-2
Slam finals 2-0 Djokovic
Masters finals 1-1
ATP finals 1-0 Murray
Best match - Wimbl. QF Fed/ Cilic or Olympics Nadal/ Delpo
'17 - best rivalry Fedal
Matches 4-0
Slam finals 1-0
Masters finals 2-0
Best match Aussie Open final - Fedal
'18 - best rivalry Rafa/ Thiem
Matches 3-1 Nadal
Slam finals 1-0 Nadal
Masters finals 1-0 Nadal
Best match Wimbl. SF - Nadal/ Djokovic
'19 best rivalry Rafole
Matches 1-1
Slam finals 1-0 Djokovic
Masters finals 1-0 Nadal
Best match Wimbl. finals - Djokovic/ Fed
'20 - reduced yr.
Best rivalry - Djokovic vs Thiem
Matches 1-1
Slam finals 1-0 Djokovic
Masters finals 0-0
Best match Nadal vs Thiem AO
'21
Best rivalry - Djokovic/ Medv
Matches 2-1 Djokovic
Slam finals 1-1
Masters finals 1-0 Djokovic
Best match Djokovic/ Nadal - RG
'22
Best rivalry Sinner/ Alcaraz
Matches 2-1 Sinner
Best match Nadal vs Medvedev AO
'23
Best rivalry Djokovic Alcaraz
Matches 2-1 Djokovic
Slam finals 1-0 Alcaraz
Masters finals 1-0 Djokovic
Best match Wimbl. finals - Djokovic/ Alcaraz
---
Compared to '15 when we had 2 greats playing 8 X's.
'14 best rivalry - Fedkovic
'13 Rafole
'12 Fedkovic
'11 Rafole / Fedkovic
'10 Rafa vs Someone
'09 Fedal
'08 Rafole/Fedal
'07 Fedal
'06 Fedal
'05 ??
---
Biggest rivalries since '11:
11: Nole - Rafa 6-0
12: Nole - Fed 3-2
13: Nole - Rafa 3-3
14: Nole - Fed 3-3
15: Nole - Muzza 6-1
16: Nole - Muzza 3-2
17: Fed -- Rafa 4-0
18: Nole - Rafa 1-1
19: Nole - Rafa 1-1
20: Nole - Rafa 1-1
21: Nole - Medvedev 2-1
22: Nole - OZI & USO Gov'ts
23: Nole - Alcaraz 2-1
---
Nadal's not obsessed w/ recs. b/c he's obsessed w/ Djokovic. For someone w/ OCD like him, there's room for only one obsession in his life.***
Has t/b a long term obs. IMO! I just wonder when he knew his legacy was in trouble? I believe when Novak took his 1st FO in '16, Rafa had t/b looking over his shoulder = w/ his lead of 3 majors @ the X! The FO became his pet Slam & he did just about everything he could to win to the detriment of his body! It curtailed efforts @ Wimbl. w/ just 2 wins early on when @ the top of his game! Prob. shh > USO's, but it's always been a tough title to win going back to the efforts of Borg competing on all 3 surfaces! Nadal's only real head-block IMO was The AO for some reason! It was early in the season, a reg. HC event w/ plenty of warm-ups doing either Hopman or ATP Cups (United Cup)! Why only 2 titles spread over so many yrs. of trying?
***"Carlos Alcaraz's only 20 yo &, unfort., already has an enviable injury list. The end of last season & the beginning of this one, he had to miss in order to cure all ailments, but at the end of '23, just when the fight for the 1st place took off, the Spaniard announced that he was retiring from Basel.
ReplyDeleteAs things stand now, the course of the yr. reminds a lot of his older compatriot, Rafael Nadal. He plays, suffers from pain, takes a vacation to heal everything that is bothering him & returns to Tour. And so on.
Let's see what has been bothering Carlitos since '21.
- USO,'21: WD due to an abdominal muscle injury in the QF's
- Final Masters in Turin,'22: abdom. muscle injury, WD B4 the start of the tourn.
- AO,'23: leg pain (stated he made an unnatural move in practice that caused leg pain), WD B4 the start of the tourn.
- Rio,'23: hamstring strain, lost to Nori in the final
- Acapulco,'23: recovering from a hamstring strain, WD B4 the tourn. to recover
- Miami,'23: struggled w/ cramps, lost final to Sinners
- MC,'23: problems w/ back and arm pain, WD B4 the start of the tourn.
- RG,'23: struggled w/ cramps, lost to Djokovic in the SF's
- Basel,'23: inflammation of the ligaments of the left foot & back pain, WD B4 the start of the tourn.
Is there an end to this streak? And will we see him on the field by the end of the yr.?"***
I've been trying to tell people of this concerning Carlos! He works too hard trying to make the highlite reels of sports shows that it's brk'n him down! I keep saying to myself, "why's he running for that particular pt. when up 2 brks?" He's lit. trying to take the cover off the ball blasting every rally ball aside from his many dropshots! He has all the talent in the world, but I see him limping out of the game like Murray; really abusing his body craving the adulation of the crowds!
***I think Novak will win Bercy. He's paced himself very well this yr. Since he got lucky in Paris, he's ridden that wave & won the USO as well by playing the min. warm ups. He's going t/b fresh, and there's huge ??'s over the rest of the top 10 seeds. I hope Shelton turns up blazing too. He's got nothing to lose & he c/b this yr.'s Holger Rune in Paris.***
If Novak snares this Masters in Paris, he w/b the un??ed King of Paris Indoors leaving Rafa t/b Emperor of RG's! Shelton's on top of his game while Rune's struggling! IDK why he doesn't just shut it down for the season? Holger's barely surviving his 1st Rd. in Basil after dropping his last 5 matches! I can apprec. him being out there though! Such a hottie! I don't think he's going to make the YEC = though in 8th place @ the moment! Lucky for him Ruud's been off his game as well! Tiafoe only got by 1st Rd. in Vienna due to Evans' injury down a brk. early when it happened!
***Rodger’s a staple of the gen. he played in. It’s too bad so many leftists have grown such hatred for him b/c he disagreed on COVID.***
ReplyDeleteDisagree all you like, but why tempt fate by going to a crowded home w/o wearing a mask? "Surprise, I got COVID!" What a moron! ...He can sit there all perfunctory sounding so "above it all" on a Nat'l forum like Pat McAfee!
***Masks were ineff. Kabuki theater, dude.***
At my age as a Sr., I just didn't "tempt fate" so frivolously while Trump was in "power denial!" Another moron; gets sick & goes out on field trips w/ his pure Secret Service detail prob. getting sick as well! Lets not forget the Rose Garden soire given & > of those fools became ill! Rep. Congressmen still refused to wear masks going into hearings & going about their business w/o = warning people around them! They're animals "on the right!" EveryX I think they can't go any lower, they find new depths! Blaming the Dems. for their 3 wks. of incompetence w/ no Speaker still has me Gawd-smack'd!
***Purdy's > for this system, but if you pick him up & put him in San Diego or KC he's lost. He doesn't have the physical tools. If SF ever needs Purdy to go out & win them a game, they're going to lose. If Tom Brady were drafted by the Browns, he's likely not considered the GOAT. He may not have ever won a SB.***
So many careers have been curtailed, derailed, or totally lost being chosen by the wrong team! Montana wouldn't have been The GOAT for as long as he was if not for a system called "The West Coast offense!" Then there are the QB's gifted w/ so much talent around them, they get no props; Bradshaw, McMahon, & Aikman OTTH! As > as Mahomes is supposed t/b, he's not putting up "the #'s" due to losing key players! The only anomoly I can't understand is Dallas! Almost 30 yrs. of futility over egos & firing 1 of the best Ft.ball coaches of all X IMO; just insane! No one assessed talent like Johnson & "The Boys" would've swept the SB's of the 90 w/ all their talent if not for Jones! I've been no fan of Dallas & have enjoyed their struggles since the days of Switzer! Self sabotage has kept many a team from winning anything!
***Tom Brady won SB's w/ 2 diff. teams, not b/c they were the 2 best systems, but b/c he’s Tom "Fk'n" Brady.
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If you actually watch Brock Purdy, Idk how you can argue that he w/b lost in KC or San Diego (L.A btw). He goes thru his reads, he’s accurate w/ the ball, & he’s able to carve out whatever the defenses give him. Purdy can play ball & the scouts were wrong making him "Mr. Irrel." He's not nearly as talented as Mahomes or Herbert; he's just not. He has a MVP cand. RB in McCaffery, Deebo, & Aiyuk, & Kittle w/ an elite defense. And and and. Outside of Kelce, who does Mahomes have? Purdy is a good QB, but he’s not a "put a team on his back & win them a SB type guy." So long as he doesn't make mistakes & SF doesn’t need him to win them a game, they w/b ok.
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Jimmy G went 3 NFC Chps. & a SB on this team w/o McCaffery & Purdy is the reason they are winning in SF.***
I don't watch sports' shows like I used to; really down to ESPN's "ATH" & "PTI!" I've given up on "First Take" & FS1's, "Undisputed" after sensory overload on spat w/ Sharp & Bayless! If I surf by other shows, Purdy's usually getting so undermined, = w/ his success as "Mr. Irrelevant!" It's like they can't let that go to prove it was justified in the end! Montana & Brady went late in the draft!
***I just chk'd the Bills rec. @ home. I forgot we lost one home game; game vs the Jaguars in London.***
That was a new one; having the Jags play b2b games abroad! Is this a push to making football Trans-Continental? I personally couldn't stand the flight from Calif. to HI! (NY to) London sucks, fighting the currents for 6-9 hrs. depending on the part of US a team is flying in! Becoming a fan of Trevor Lawrence! He's coming along nicely!
***I thought violence against babies had been normalized in the West under the guise of 'wimmins rights.'***
ReplyDeleteYep! There are women's rights causing deaths, but what's worse is politics playing w/ lives! Cons. demand all babies t/b born, but couldn't care < about them afterwards! Kids are being abused or living in horrible conditions due to this philosophy! Why cut support & programs for kids while giving tax brks. to the rich? It makes no sense, but that's what Rep. politics is all about; a true lack of common sense!
***You're conflating 2 diff. arguments that don't really have much in common. Cons. don't care < about kids? Who told you that?***
Whatever! I still say the hypocrisy of cons. enrages me! I've watched Reps. play pol. ft.ball w/ this issue for as long as I can recall! Going back to Reagan, his admin. thought it w/b "cute" to feature kid's meals w/ ketchup being a veggie! Cons. have been after any & all programs having to deal w/ child hunger, wanting to kill the SNAP program & others! The only thing progressive about cons. is the disgust we should have for their lame leadership!
***...& if you want to talk about hypocrisy, it's considered virtuous t/b pro-abortion that terminates the life of between 600k & 1 M babies in the US/yr., & yet we get the same old "babies being bayoneted by bad guys" propaganda every X some cunt wants to play on your emotions & send you to war. It gets played over & over again. Go look @ the WW1 & WW2 propaganda posters about the Germans & the Japs; now the Palestinians. Same old shit.***
I have just about the same animus for stupid women who use "abortion" for birth control! They have t/b a special kind of stupid w/ X ways to prevent it! I have the biggest problem w/ minorities who stress education, while common sense is obviously lost!
***...You can't get thru life w/o making "judgements" as you call them. One ex. of a "judgement" in this particular case, w/b aborting a baby b/c the scan showed a boy was being born when the mother wanted a girl.
...Abortion as birth control is a fairly common occurrence. I know it t/b true. If parents have a scan that says the baby is going t/b seriously handicapped & have lit'l life expectancy, or the mother's life m/b an issue... IDK. Never having been put in that position. ...I don't have much respect for absent fathers, but plenty of respect for those that aren't & play an important & active role in the development of their offspring.***
Well I already mentioned I tore up my "feminist card" after Trump elected! I'm beginning to rethink everything I believed for all those yrs. of giving women the "benefit of the doubt!" Now I'm seeing how misled I've been by listening to their catterwalling & victimhood portrayed on a daily basis! This issue of using abortion as birth control has really PO'd me! You have t/b a special kind of stupid to allow that to happen = once, much < > that! The US has some of the > educated women in the world, but it appears thru constant brainwashing of other women, common sense was thrown out decades ago! Being single-mothers is destroying the Blk family unit! Not many of these women = consider marriage B4 getting pregnant as their moms encourage a back-up plan to get out instead of staying in relationships! When it comes to absent fathers, blame that on women too! Who chose these men? SomeX's they don't inform the guy, then others are vindictive & promise to never allow the father X w/ his offspring! The US is one fk'd up place where the stats show how destructive today's attitudes are when it comes to family! Divorce is expected = if lucky to find a spouse! These same single-minded idiots don't see how they're trashing their own futures & the lives of their kids! If being alone is so beneficial, why are so many of their kids mentally handicapped, in jail, or committing suicide? I'm disgusted beyond belief! Kevin Samuels is my new hero on You-Tube = though he died last yr.! Women couldn't stand his TRUTH, so they cheered his passing though they're coming around to his way of thinking!
***CALLS +ING SPANIARD TOO EXPENSIVE for Vienna Promo"
ReplyDeleteIf this is true, it’s prob. inevitable it happens b/c Charley has choices. ...I can only imagine the going rate for the "Big 3," in their prime. Charley doesn’t get out of bed for < €750,000.***
Wow; yet another reason to kick Alcaraz off my fan list! I saw the arrogance early, but hadn't thought it had gone this far! Rafa prob. was doing the same when he was a kid! Carlos @ least won 2 majors & was the YE #1, unlike Agassi who hadn't won shit, but thought he was "tennis!" 'Image "truly" was everything' until '92 Wimbl. win 6-7 yrs. into his career! Now Alcaraz has cut off his nose to spite his face! He really needed those 500 Vienna pts. to catch Novak for YE #1! I thought he was resting an injury, but it wound up being > about $$! WOW, again!
***I don’t think it’s a good thing. The total official financial commitment to the tourn. is €2,559,790, the total prize $$'s €2,409,835, the winner gets €450,650. Carlos wanted €750,000, just to turn up. I guar. that if Novak was thinking to play, he’d have gotten €1,000,000. All of this m/b legal, too.
---
Roger's like the tennis Messiah.***
It's been one of my biggest gripes over the yrs.! I've said it over & over again that the Tennis Intel. believe tennis begins & ends w/ Fedal! Even you who know >er put Roger on an "Iconic" level or pedastal though in 3rd pl. w/ 20 Majors! The WHOLE World thinks "Federer" when tennis is brought up; esp. as Wimbl. approaches! I jumped on the Novak train in '11, seeing he was prob. able to overcome all obstacles to leap-frog Fedal; just not so soon! He's the last man standing of the Big 3 as he sets recs. that may never be broken!
***Alcaraz upset in Bercy 2nd Rd. YE #1 in jeapardy as Djokr leads race by 500 pts. - No way someone could've EVER convinced me @ age 20 to get rest while playing tennis, football & bskt.ball...Can't see someone convincing Carlitos that he isn't invincible @ his young age.***
It's either the "new Normal" or "Normal; sans Big 3!" Back in the day, there was limited winning! Even the elites succumbed to upsets, but Fedalovic somehow "broke the mold" & elev.ed themselves above norms to share about 90% of avail. BIG TITLES! I just can't see this crop of snowflakes being able to overcome physical brk.downs due to the game moving so fast! Novak's not = close to being done! It's like people forget he won 3 of 4 majors for the 4th X ('11,'15,'21,'23)! I'm sure > thought Fed's 3 ('04,'06,'07) would hold as a rec.! Novak will inevit. own them all for decades to come! I was ready to pass the torch to Alcaraz, but he has the same limitations of all the others his age!
***Why the need for comparisons? Carlito’s got his own game & it’s still developing. I seriously doubt, as a kid, he was trying to emulate anyone. Alcaraz has heart, fight, & he’s a solid all around player. He makes shots that can light up any highlight reel. When he’s healthy & focused, you can’t help but smile to see him out there on court. He's > > like Carlos Alcaraz > he is Rafa or Roger.
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It's like you want to say that Novak's hovering up titles in a "weak era." Isn't that what you're saying? He's won 1/2 of his Majors post 30. What does that say? And it's very likely he'll win this yr. again in Paris, the YEC, & the YE #1. B/c he's so >, or there's really so lit'l comp.? Clearly, he's still a very > player, but what does this say about the comp.?***
***Rodger’s a staple of the gen. he played in. It’s too bad so many leftists have grown such hatred for him b/c he disagreed on COVID.***
ReplyDeleteDisagree all you like, but why tempt fate by going to a crowded home w/o wearing a mask invax'd? "Surprise, I got COVID!" What a moron! ...He can sit there all perfunctory sounding so "above it all" on a Nat'l forum like Pat McAfee!
***Masks were ineff. Kabuki theater, dude.***
At my age as a Sr., I just didn't "tempt fate" so frivolously while Trump was in "power denial!" Another moron; gets sick & goes out on field trips w/ his pure Secret Service detail prob. getting sick as well! Lets not forget the Rose Garden soire given & > of those fools became ill! Rep. Congressmen still refused to wear masks going into hearings & going about their business w/o = warning people around them!
***Purdy's > for this system, but if you pick him up & put him in San Diego or KC he's lost. He doesn't have the physical tools. If SF ever needs Purdy to go out & win them a game, they're going to lose. If Tom Brady were drafted by the Browns, he's likely not considered the GOAT. He may not have ever won a SB.***
So many careers have been curtailed, derailed, or totally lost being chosen by the wrong team! Montana wouldn't have been The GOAT for as long as he was if not for a system called "The West Coast offense!" Then there are the QB's gifted w/ so much talent around them, they get no props; Bradshaw, McMahon, & Aikman OTTH! As > as Mahomes is supposed t/b, he's not putting up "the #'s" due to losing key players! The only anomoly I can't understand is Dallas! Almost 30 yrs. of futility over egos & firing 1 of the best Ft.ball coaches of all X IMO; just insane! No one assessed talent like Johnson & "The Boys" would've swept the SB's of the 90 w/ all their talent if not for Jones! I've been no fan of Dallas & have enjoyed their struggles since the days of Switzer! Self sabotage has kept many a team from winning anything!
***Tom Brady won SB's w/ 2 diff. teams, not b/c they were the 2 best systems, but b/c he’s Tom "Fk'n" Brady.
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If you actually watch Brock Purdy, Idk how you can argue that he w/b lost in KC or San Diego (L.A btw). He goes thru his reads, he’s accurate w/ the ball, & he’s able to carve out whatever the defenses give him. Purdy can play ball & the scouts were wrong making him "Mr. Irrel." He's not nearly as talented as Mahomes or Herbert; he's just not. He has a MVP cand. RB in McCaffery, Deebo, & Aiyuk, & Kittle w/ an elite defense. And ??. Outside of Kelce, who does Mahomes have?
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Jimmy G went 3 NFC Chps. & a SB on this team w/o McCaffery & Purdy is the reason they are winning in SF.***
I don't watch sports' shows like I used to; really down to ESPN's "ATH" & "PTI!" I've given up on "First Take" & FS1's, "Undisputed" after sensory overload on spat w/ Sharp & Bayless! If I surf by other shows, Purdy's usually getting so undermined, = w/ his success as "Mr. Irrelevant!" It's like they can't let that go to prove it was justified in the end! Montana & Brady went late in the draft!
***I just chk'd the Bills rec. @ home. I forgot we lost one home game; game vs the Jaguars in London.***
That was a new one; having the Jags play b2b games abroad! Is this a push to making football Trans-Con'l? I personally couldn't stand the flight from Calif. to HI! (NY to) London sucks, fighting the currents for 6-9 hrs. depending on the part of US a team is flying in! Becoming a fan of Trevor Lawrence! He's coming along nicely!
***What do you have against the Dolphins? LOL***
When Miami stole Kyree Irving, they were off in running w/ the media, the fans, & the sports comms. out there! They all promised great things w/ that +tion while KC would suffer! They got a lit'l of both, but Miami hasn't fulfilled any of that promise & The Chiefs got their 2nd SB w/o Ky! I'm very upset w/ him! It had t/b all about $$! I'd've given KC a discount to keep that team together! A dynasty was in the making, but greed can't be helped I guess!
Hard to believe, but it appears the 10 pts. Alcaraz got for just being in the draw's 2nd Rd. in Paris is keeping him in the YE #1 race!
ReplyDelete***The things you Djoker fans cry about. M/b everything s/b made ridiculously easy for him, is that it?***
You know better > that! I'm just amused & entertained by Djokovic taking over the Men's tour! It's hard to keep invoking Fedal by the masses, but b/c they aren't playing, according to you & others the tour m/b WEAK AF since an old man's showing them all "how it's done!" To avoid jinxing it, I'm not going to prematurely + another YE #1 to his rec.! It was the same w/ Paris & #40! I gave Grigor a chance! Heaven knows Andrey played well enough to win in the SF, but blew it! I = guessed that DF'd occur on MP! It was to expected from "King of the 250's!"
***You’re "amused & entertained by Novak taking over the [Men's] tour," but couldn’t be surprised. W/ his main rivals absent, injured, or retired, who else would take over the tour? Who? I’ve often said it that the GOAT talk's silly b/c largely these recs. are about op.; being able to grab so many in a clutch where nobody else avail. to take them.
Djokolytes unwittingly agree w/ me when they say Rafa only won Australia in '22 b/c Novak was absent. Rafa fans say Novak won the FO this yr. b/c Rafa was missing. This is to acknowledge what I’m saying. And although it’s not so simple, Rafa may still have won AO & Novak may still have won in RG. Who else would've won? In the absence of their main rival, they were the only options. And Novak's w/o Fedal now, so he’s making cheap & easy hay.***
IDK what to tell you! It's a lot of BS IMO b/c stats, facts, & reason seem to get thrown out the window these days! It's all about "op. & absense of comp." now according to you! I'm lost! I thought players still had to perform! All I know is, 100 yrs. dtl, no one'll GAF about our opinions on the subject! It can only be about history & the rec.bks. eventually!
***If it was just simply about stats, then there w/b no arguments. ...?? for U: which was Novaks >est single victory in a GS? And why?***
W/o a doubt, I have to go to '21 FO SF where Novak def. the "clay GOAT," Nadal on his home turf! It solidified Nole's rec. w/ a > needed 2nd FO title while def. Nadal to do it! That's something Fed was never able to do w/ > chances earlier vs a young Nadal! It can't get any >er > that = if you want to hark back to all 3 of Novak's Wimbl. finals over Roger!
***Anything can happen Kieran. '21 FO Mole,’ Musetti was up 2 sets to love. In the final, Tsitsipas was up 2 sets to love. Novak was the 1st player in history to come back from being 2 sets to love down twice & still win a major. At the same tourn., he was the 1st player in 25 yrs. to play a tourn. the wk. prior to a Major & win it.
You made the statement w/o any oppos. I'd say Ruud is < oppos. > Medvedev & Zverev. I'd say Medvedev & Zverev are < oppos. > Nadal. There’s still no empty court on the other side. You can’t fault the chps. for who they do or don’t face on their way to a chp. And when you're reduced to nuancing the quality of comp., you’ve been reduced to the Sampras camp when Fed surpassed their boy.***
***Djokovic is...
ReplyDelete1st in GS's w/ 24 Majors (+2)
1st in Wks @ #1 w/ 398 (+88)
Those 2 together, alone, are prob. enuf, but...
1st in YE #1 w/ 8 (+1-2)
3rd in Titles w/ 97 (-12)
1st in Big Titles w/ 70 (+11)
1st in Masters w/ 40 (+4)
1st (tied) in Tour Finals w/ 6 (w/ Roger)
1st in Match Win % w/ith 83.79% (+0.83%)
2nd in GS Win % w/ 88.26% (-1.55% behind Borg)
1st in GS finals w/ 36 (+5)
1st in GS SF's w/ 47 (+1)
2nd in GS QF's w/ 57 (-1)
1st in GOAT pts w/ 1083 (+157)
1st in Peak Elo w/ 2629 (+7)
Only player to win Career GM's twice (all 9)
Only player to win all 4 Slams @ least 3 X's each
Only player to win 10 Big Titles in a season
BEST WINNING %'S IN MASTERS 1000 HISTORY (since 1990):
82.1946%: Djokovic [397-86]
82.1862%: Nadal [406-88]
77.9%: Federer [381-108]
75.8%: Alcaraz [47-15]
74.1%: Agassi [209-73]
73.1%: Sampras [190-70]
72.0%: Edberg [108-42]
69.9%: Gui. Coria [72-31]
69.8%: Murray [227-98]
69.3%: Becker [97-43]
DJOKOVIC CAREER WINNING % BY ENVIRONMENT:
~ 84.9% on HC [688-122]
~ 80.4% on clay [270-66]
~ 85.8% on grass [115-19]
~ 84.5% outdoors [890-163]
~ 80.0% indoors [192-48]
MOST #1 FINISHES IN ATP RANKINGS HISTORY (since '73):
8: Djokovic ['11, '12, '14-15, '18, '20-21, '23]
6: Sampras ['93-98]
5: Nadal ['08, '10, '13, '17, '19]
5: Federer ['04-07, '09]
5: Connors ['74-78]
Etc. What does Roger have over that? Lit. nothing in terms of counting stats. I mean, 1 > Wimbl.? More dom. 4-yr. peak span? Peer generational dom.? Impressive, but > outweighed by the rest (Novak might grab that 8th Wimbl.). And Rafa? Most Slam titles @ a single venue? Surface dominance? Better Slam final win %? Again, impressive, but doesn't come close to balancing out Novak's overall superior rec.
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A 10th Masters series event in Saudi Arabia? It’s incredible the way the world is, that sports people are bending over backwards for a horrific place like Saudi Arabia…***
Oh good! That'll help facillitate my slow WD of watching tennis on TV! As a Sr. I've already given up on GOLF after that fiasco w/ the Saudi Tour & subsequent merge! It's one of the reason I c/b stumped when Dubai event is going on! I haven't dealt w/ Qatar since Djokovic def. Murray in '17! I've always called tourns. in the ME glorified exhs. & refuse to deal w/ sponsors so soaked in blood $$! I suppose all we need now is for the Saudis to finance an expan. of the NFL! The Jags played b2b games in London last month! The SB Chp. KC Chiefs competed in Germany vs The Dolphins Sun.! Never been into Soccer so already off my "must see" list going back decades! Baseball's boring AF & been off my radar since my Wh. Sox won in '05! I didn't = watch Cubs win theirs a dec. later in '16! Basketball is something to watch when nothing else is on! I hate that it's all about $$ w/ these guys! It's obscene the $$ being tossed around for unhappy malcontents who couldn't GAF about winning as much as making a fast sev. mil.!
***Djokovic had a pretty good yr. Came back to the AO a yr. after being deported & won it rather handily. Won the FO for the 3rd X. He came w/i a set of winning Wimbl. He was granted entry into the US & won the USO for the 4th X in his career. He got on the winning side of the h2h vs 2 of the best youngsters, Rune & Alcaraz, 3-2 for both. He re-gained & held onto the #1 ranking finishing there for the 8th X in his career. And he won the YEC for a rec. 7 X's, passing Fed’s 6.***
ReplyDeleteThese poor, sad Fedal fans are fit t/b tied! You guys don't know what to do! "Should we undermine Novak, blame a lack of comp., accuse all concerned that events are being gifted to him, or ignore him altogether?" As far as I'm concerned we have been so lucky to have this 2nd Golden Age of tennis where we saw up close & personal, the 3 GOAT's! I give no qtr. to past gens. of players b/c many had deficiencies that were overlooked to put them on a pedestal in the 1st place! These 3 (Fedalovic) can't be compared to any past great b/c they've set a new standard that m/b unattainable due to how grueling the tour c/b on players today! I can't imagine any player in the near future that can stay on top for 20 yrs.! Connors tried his best, but after all that X on tour, he still only had 1 season of 3 Majors & still leads the title rec. w/ 109 events won! Laver had 2 CYGS, but 3 of 4 Majors were on grass! Borg never won a USO w/ tries on all 3 surfaces; just 4 finals! Sampras never played a FO finals, but held YE #1 for 6 str. yrs.! These were supposedly the best B4 The Big 3 & their accomps. are embarrassingly stronger > ALL the rest!
***What's striking about Novak's career resume is how full it is: he has some of everything, & a lot of most things. But the wks. @ #1 might actually be his > mind-boggling stat: I mean, 400+...needs 4-5 months > to have 2 yrs. worth on Roger, & chance to > double Rafa's total. That speaks not only to peak level, but sustained dom.
Even if you ignore rankings & focus only on accomps., like me "PEP" system, you still have the prob. of Novak having > big yrs. 20 PEP's basically an elite yr. - there are usually 3-4 guys in that range, in a given yr.; it's the type of season that 2nd tier guys dream of having, but usually don't have, or a typical Andy Murray prime season. 30 is great (about top 100 OE), & 40 is prob. the best player on tour (top 50 OE), w/ 50+ being rare historic seasons (about top 20 in the OE).
To compare Roger, Rafa, & Novak, here's how many seasons they have @ the 50, 40, 30, & 20 thresholds:
RF: 4/7/11/15
RN: 3/5/12/13
ND: 6/8/11/16
Anyhow, as you can see, Novak & Roger have > 50 & 40 seasons than Rafa. Rafa has one > 30+ PEP season > either one, but 2 & 3 fewer 20 seasons > Roger & Novak, respectively. But this pts. to the fact that in terms of tour dom., Roger & = > so Novak, reigned > prominently.
...But to pass Novak he needs a lot >, b/c of the completeness of Novak's resume. Meaning, even if you focus on Slams, you have to look at everything else as a TB, & Novak's "everything else" is a lot...more. The big gap in YECs (Novak 6, Rafa 0) & widening gap in Masters (Novak 40, Rafa 36) is hard to make up, = if he ties Novak's Slam ct. Not only is Rafa running out of X, but Novak is still a moving target. Meaning, = if Rafa resurges, he'd really need Novak to collapse in order to have a chance of =ling his overall resume...& really, he needs > 1 year's return to form.
Not to go on too long, but another way to look @ is that using GOAT pts., Novak's @ 1094, Roger @ 926, & Rafa @ 885. Rafa's 41 pts. behind Roger; that's Rafa's 2018 season. Meaning, another really good (but not one of his very best) seasons & he =s Roger; or it could merely be a couple merely decent ones (by Rafa's standards), like his 2020 yr.
But he's 209 GP behind Novak - which is the =valent of 5 '18 seasons. That's really hard to make up, esp. going into a season in which Rafa turns 37 yo.***
Rune's playing w/o fear in the YEC vs Nole! I see a lot of Boris' recklessness in him, ripping the ball & approaching the net to cut off pts.! It worked >er in the old days! Novak's swatting away > of those attempts @ pressuring him w/ ease! IDK how people still say Djokovic's comp. isn't there & "he's padding his #'s?!" He can't & won't win w/ many no matter the recs. he brks.! Shame! I'm not a fan of his game, but apprec. what he's doing out there on all surfaces vs "all comers!"
ReplyDelete***Novak drops RR match to Sinner in 3 sets. Alcaraz def. Medvedev. SF set: Carlos vs Nole & Jannik vs Daniil.***
Novak annihilated Carlos 2 & 3 in the SF, then Jannik in the Final 3 & 3! It's his 7th YEC & 98th title overall! Gets to 400 wks. @ #1 & 8th YE #1!
***There’s no way you thought Sinner was going to play the same in the final. And that Novak was too. You predicted that so you could save face if Novak lost by nobody could've expected. He beat 3 novices @ this event, & HH. Let’s not lose our heads, eh?***
OMG! I had no idea you had such animus & a low regard for the top talent of the tour! IDK what you want?! Rune & Alcaraz have proved they can def. Novak in the crunch; actually having winning recs. B4 the Fall! HH's 1 of the best servers on the tour & this court's supposedly the fasted! Djokovic's draw was tough; esp. getting the "new guns" in his path! All superlatives have been used on the guy & it's deserved! He's the last man standing of the Big 3 & dealing w/ them from his beginning of pro play incent. him! His #'s might not be as good w/o them pushing him & Sir Andy! His critics have resorted to undermining other players & pt.'n out his weakness on the OH! That's their >est gripe!
***Regard< of how one views the younger guns, there c/b no denying that Novak came to play & played >er when it ct.'d in the KO Rds. He was stellar when it ct.'d the >. Kudos to the Italian for not taking the easy way out & losing his last RR match = though he knew it might mean facing Djokovic in the final if things went as planned. Sinner just isn't Nole--yet (TBH, I don't think he ever w/b).
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I doubt they asked Novak mins. B4 the DC match. Serbia lost in the SF to Italy w/ Sinner Def. Novak in 3 sets.***
AnyX B4 a match is abuse of power IMO! What are they looking for from the World #1? Have the conspiracies started that Djokovic must be "on something" to have unprecedented success at 36? I guess there has t/b something other > skill; training, thoughtful sched., & a mentality that's overcome all obstacles to his GOALS which might contribute to the rec.!
***No, the conspiracies about Djoker haven’t started - they started yrs. ago when he suddenly spiked. Abuse of power is when the world #1 ducks a dope test…
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Novak was w/i the venue of the event when approached t/b tested. And he used his status to put it off. Yes, it has made the news, but I don't see the same kerfuffle when he refused a test. - IDK if Novak used the Troicki defence. He might've complained it was too close to the match…***
***What do you have against the Dolphins? LOL***
ReplyDeleteWhen Miami stole Tyreek Hill, they were off in running w/ the media, the fans, & the sports comms. out there! They all promised great things w/ that +tion while KC would suffer! They got a lit'l of both, but Miami hasn't fulfilled any of that promise & The Chiefs got their 2nd SB w/o Ty! I'm very upset w/ him! It had t/b all about $$! I'd've given KC a discount to keep that team together! A dynasty was in the making, but greed can't be helped I guess!
***...If you’re hanging your hopes on Flacco it’s dire X's.
---
Not as dire as having an inexperienced, unproven, poorly performing rookie. If Flacco's 75% of his prime, we can make the playoffs. Elite defenses elevate avg. QB play. See early Tom Brady.***
Flacco will always be one of my heroes! A decade ago he threw a 70 yd. bomb TD pass to get into OT to knock the Broncos out of the playoffs w/ a FG!
***You go get a QB that has experience & the proven capability t/b effective in the NFL. Flacco won’t light things up, but he’s seen it all, & can keep mistakes down & prob. make a few big throws when needed.
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Flacco can get us to the playoffs... once you're in, anything can happen, = fairtytales. But if you rely on a fairytale to make the playoffs, you prob. w/b on the outside looking in.
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It looks like the Bills might lose the rest of their games & go 6 & 11 this season. 11 & 6 w/b >, but things do not seem t/b going the Bills way recently. At least Josh Allen has made the Bills comp. this season. I think the Bills are a lot >er > their rec. They almost beat the Eagles who have the best rec. in the NFL.***
The Bills have been snake-bit for as long as I can recall! From "Wide Right" & "Music City Miracle" to allowing KC to beat them in the playoffs w/ only 13 secs. & now this season! They've always found ways to lose no matter how good their team! Wilson made a bad deal w/ Satan & the curse is The Bills will only "get close" to >ness! I stuck w/ them thru their 4-peat as they destroyed Marino & the Miami Dolphins yr. in & yr. out, then NE snuck up on them! They haven't been the same since! The success of late w/ Josh has been fleeting as they lose these close games again & again!
***I think this season was tanked by the John Madden curse. Putting Josh Allen on Madden '24 was a huge mistake. - I don't have a fave team, but every yr. I find myself hoping they'll win it all after those horribly painful cons. SB losses in the early '90s. It was bad enough that the Bills never won when Ralph Wilson owned the team, but Marv Levy's in his late 90s too, so it w/b terrible if they never won in his lifeX either. I don't see it happening this yr. w/ how inconsistent they have been. Better luck next season.
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I predict the Bills win over the Chiefs by a FG on Sun. the Chiefs have 4 starters out so the Bills should win; I hope. It's defin. a 'must win' for the Bills.***
I'm a big KC fan, but they haven't been the same since losing Hill! Tyreek's doing his thing in Miami, but he w/b iconic pairing w/ Mahomes! He left for the $$ & I think that was a huge mistake! The receiving has been abismal on the team w/ Kelso even dropping balls, probably distracted by Taylor Swift! KC hasn't just been losing games, they've looked amateurish doing it! I've been very disappointed and they've made themselves hard to watch!
***Good win by the Bills over the Chiefs.***
Lucky win! Being off-side by an idiot KC receiver saved the game for them or it would've been another bad loss! Let's be real & honest! Allen was so fortunate to avert another shattering defeat!
***Mahomes was saying it was a really bad call kind of trivial.***
The frustration comes into play b/c this tragically happened sev. yrs. ago vs Brady & the Pats! It was a Playoff game where KC was up, but @ the end when finishing them off, KC intercepted Brady, but he was saved by a lineman off-side giving The Pats another 4 downs, eventually losing! Shame to lose like that!
***Evidence from officer’s body cam was not permitted as evidence, nor was footage from a prev. drug arrest allowed in, which showed Geo.Floyd eating the drug evidence during the arrest by Chauvin.
ReplyDeleteAnother key issue was how long it took the ambulance to show up, despite a cop radioing in to get one as soon as Floyd said he couldn’t breathe, which was early on, when he was still standing.
Now, I’m not stating Chauvin was completely innocent. He had no reason to keep Floyd in that pos. for as long as he did. While Floyd did initially put up resistance when the police were trying to get him into the cop car.***
Well it certainly reads as giving Chauvin an out! Watching the news, this shit happens every day somewhere in the country! We have a serious issue, but we can't say "cut the cops!" It's already the fk'n Wild West out there! We need them = if mentally deficient! The people are just as crazy w/ Karens & Kens terrorizing neighborhoods just as much as criminals!
***...I hate people like that. Freedom of speech, to call somebody a killer? Lowlife…***
Well, we have Trump here in the States taking "freedom of speech" past the limits if poss. by someone so delusional! ...Using campaign funds to pay for these civil matters is Karma for the idiots actually giving $$ to someone who brags about having > $$ > any other! FOOLS!
***Evidence from officer’s body cam was not permitted as evidence, nor was body cam footage from a prev. drug arrest allowed in, which showed Geo.Floyd eating the drug evidence during the arrest by Chauvin. B/c of a miscomm. btwn. the dispatcher & the EMS crew they didn’t arrive for about 20 mins.
...there’s the indication some cops lied on the witness stand about the method of restraint, & the autopsy depicted the cause of death as not being related to a knee on the neck/strangulatIon. IDK what the status is of an appeal, but there does seem t/b enuf doubt cast on the events to allow another look @ what happened.
Now, I’m not stating Chauvin was completely innocent, either. IMO, he had no reason to keep Floyd in that pos. for as long as he did. While Floyd did initially put up resistance when the police were trying to get him into the cop car, by the X he had been on the ground for = a min. or 2, he had given up any form of resistance, so I don’t think Chauvin was justified in restraining him for about 8 mins.***
Well it certainly reads as giving Chauvin an out! I can't imagine being laid out like that for so long as other cops stood around w/ witnesses a plenty! I'm still disgusted = though I took this incident as just another of many! Watching the news, this shit happens every day somewhere in the country! We have a serious issue, but we can't say "cut the cops!" It's already the fk'n Wild West out there! We need those cops even if mentally deficient! The people are just as crazy w/ Karens & Kens terrorizing neighborhoods just as much as criminals!
***...There are bodycam angles & a suppressed autopsy that show conclusively that Geo Floyd wasn’t murdered. Chauvin didn’t kill him. Race wasn’t an issue in the attempt to arrest him for committing a crime. The police were trying to help him, not kill him, & that there was confusion that delayed the EMS.
...You’re correct, BTW, when you say “it’s the fk'n Wild West out there.” They show stats of how violent crime has risen. The culture has changed.***
***...I hate people like that. Freedom of speech, to call somebody a killer?***
ReplyDeleteWell, we have Trump here in the States taking "freedom of speech" past the limits if poss. by someone so delusional! He's accusing the judge & his assts. of conspiring against him during the trial!
***The Reps. wanted the Clinton's blood = B4 Clinton took office. Couldn’t find anything in objective reality, til the Bj's & the lie.***
It was w/ Clinton in office it was discovered Reps. didn’t GAF about the country! Things were running swimmingly under Clinton, the budget was balanced, & a SUR+ was created! They didn’t like that; whining, complaining, & kvetchin’ on anything & everything trying to bring this man down low! I’m still disgusted & haven’t forgiven Reps. since! They’ve only gotten worse in their hatred to the ideas of compromise so they’re not reachable w/ common sense, logic, or facts! I’m just plain done w/ them for all X's; esp. after anointing an animal like Trump as their leader!
***...I don’t think what Israel is doing is evil. Unfort. they have to destroy the real evil that hides next door & Palestinians are suffering b/c of it, but - Israel needs to destroy Hamas or face destruction itself.***
Decades ago, you never heard a disparaging word about the Jews in the Mid'l East! They were thought t/b victims! I just kept my mouth shut, esp. due to my step-dad being Jewish! I've always had a prob. w/ the situation! As a young child, I just didn't see the "common sense" in building in an area surrounded by "haters!" IMO, it w/b like the NAACP setting up shop in the mid'l of the Aryan Nation in the NW woods of the USA! Insane! I haven't been pleased by their leadership since Golda Meir! Sharon & Netanyahu (fam. of crooks like Trumps) were & have been just as thuggish, being just as terroristic killers as Humas & Palestinian haters of the Jewish state! Israel is getting & growing hate w/ their victimization of women & kids! Call me an a-hole; I don't GAF!
***..An elective abortion is not health care. It's a life style choice. Even then, most of us aren't interfering w/ women's choices, particularly if it's done in a X-ly manner.***
Elective, but someX's nec. to save the life of the mother! Plastic surgery is something totally electible, but suing for minor errors happen > often > not! I don't think people have a leg to stand on either way, but it still happens! We elect these fools to make laws that make no fk'n sense! I have lit'l to no sympathy for any concerned! She prob. supported the legis. until she needed a waiver due to her circumstances!
***Everyone has access to Birth Control. There's a simple universal principle called the Law of Cause & Effect.***
All that education & sophistication & women are found to still be special kinds of idiots! X birth controls are out there w/ abortion pills, but they're still dealing w/ unwanted pregnancies! It's worse in the Black community where these fools have X kids w/ X fathers; NONE as husbands! I just SMH saying to myself, "the > things change, the > they stay the same" in this circumstance of life! WTF?
***That’s right, and yet there are people who’d say it’s racist to pt. out that deadbeat dads are @ rec. hts. in the black comm.. I think in England the woman has to name the father of the child’s B4 the state will entertain the notion of giving her $$ for it. Then the state goes after the father - and he pays.
It’s not racist to wonder why single mothers are @ a rec. ht. in black comm. in Amer., compared to others. And that violent crime's rife. It’s just noticing what’s going on. Denzel Wash'ton's asking the grown up ??: where was his father? It starts in the house.
SomeX's there’s racism in the dem. party that looks @ black peoples as a sub species that can’t control itself, everything bad that happens to them is all whitey’s fault. There's a gain there for them if they can keep telling the black person they’re a victim. ...***
***...Right now I see the categories as...
ReplyDeleteSlam faves: Djokovic, Alcaraz
Slam contenders: Rafa (RG only), Med, Sinner
Slam darkhorses: Rublev, Zverev, Tsitsipas, Rune, Shelton, FAA, Hurkacz (Wimbl.)***
Very DARKHORSES! These guys are struggling to make Masters' finals! I'm just not sure WTH's going to happen in '24! It's too easy to say Novak'd continue his dom., b/c it has to stop sooner or later! I give him the AO until he's actually knocked off by someone playing >er! The rest of the season is up for grabs IMO; esp. w/ the Olympics coming up & the lead up in MC, Paris, & Wimbledon! ;-)
***Fed didn't blow it in the OG '12 final. His legs were toast after the crazy long SF vs Del Potro unfortunately.***
True enough Del Po kept Roger out there, but he was supposedly the Grass GOAT! Murray was another one of his pigeons so it still surprised all!
***I'll never understand what took Fed so long to realize that his BH needed to improve. I've read some interview w/ Ljubicic & mentioned Fed's BH & how they started to work on it.***
After all those yrs. of losing to his rivals, Fed was stubborn to a change. Other 2 adapted >er & changed their game > to stay on top.
That's what it's all about; stubborness & ego-mania! Fed had had it so easily after Sampras, Safin, & others had retired, he didn't think he needed to do anything special to keep winning; esp. after taking 3 of 4 majors 3 X's early on! Roddick being his main rival, truly was his pigeon only coming close to beating Roger in a major @ '09 Wimbl., but choked it away w/ a lead!
***Did this remind you of anyone?***
Wow! You truly are delusional AF! You say you're fair & bal., then say something as ridiculous as this; = as a joke it's silly! I'm assuming you're referring to Novak by way of Fedal retiring! Nadal won everything in '10, then in '11 Novak def. him 7 str. X's in finals stopping his roll! Nole was winning over both B4 '11, then afterwards kicked their asses in their primes! Djokovic has had to deal w/ many elite players who're actually beating him @ X's today; = on clay; Alcaraz, Rune, Sinner, etc.! If you compare Fed emerging on top in '03 w/ Roddick, Nalbandien, Agassi, & Hewitt on their last legs to ND, you can't be reached! Either seek help or "get off the pipe!" If you're tryng to PO me, you're doing a > job!
***The 4 Musketeers: Rene Lacoste, Henri Cochet, Jean Borotra &...Jacques Brugnon.
Lacoste had an interesting career b/c it was very short, but dominant. He retired early due to illness (a resp. disease). He played only 305 matches, but won 262 of them (85.9%), includ. 7 Slams & 20 Masters =lents. Cochet won 8 Slams, a pro Slam, & 27 Masters =lents, but it was over 800+ matches. Borotra won 4 Slams & 18 Masters =lents in almost 800 matches. Brugnon was a far impressive now w/ jet air-flight, 1st class hotel acccoms., app. $$ @ every event, & huge paydays to win! Back then it was about the "LOVE of The GAME!" I'm sure they say they "Love" the game today, but it's not the same! Players back then were only apprec. by other tennis players! You c/b still anonymous w/ the fame of being #1 in a game like tennis! HOAD chb huge in the sport but for a hernia showing off lifting heavy-wts.! In '56 he was in the USO Final to complete a CYGS, but lost to Rosewall in 4 sets! Back issues restricted & curtailed his career thru the 60's, but won his share of Pro Slams! He went into the military for a while, but managed to play on tour until '73! He owned Laver starting out 8-0 over The Rocket early on!
***...Rafa was in "God-mode" that '08 clay season, and the highlights are worth it. Obviously, the '19 AO Final was far less of a car-crash, but worth watching over-and-over? You pretend to be such a student and historian of the game, and you swear that your allegiance-switch was about Fedal getting too much glory. If that were true, you'd have more appreciation for Nadal and his game. Instead, you're just fanboy with an agenda. Keep rewatching boring matches.
ReplyDeleteMe, I'm rewatching Alcaraz d. Djokovic on TC replay today, to figure out how Charlie might just have the bead on him for 2024, and my predictions for the year to come. (Just to bring it back around to topic.) IMO, if Alcaraz could pick off Novak in the Wimbledon final, at 20, he can do anything. 2024 could be the start of his best years. (Scary, right?)
===
...Anyhow, no need to compare - it was a diff. world & game. But there's a continuity that verifies that the past greats were truly great. I mean, consider how we can connect all of tennis history in just a handful of players:
Roger or Rafa (1) played Andre Agassi (2), who played Jimmy Connors (3), who played Pancho Gonzales (4) who played Bill Tilden (5) in 1951 when Tilden was 57. Tilden started in 1912 -- so that's 111 yrs. of tennis in just 5 careers that overlapped, if only for a match. "Five Degrees to Bill Tilden."
The game evolved, but it was gradual and through the players, not outside of them. To illustrate this, let's do some match-researching:
...Match 3 ('89): We chg w/ Connors fabled SF run @ the USO as a WC in '91, but let's go w/ the QF of the '89 SF, which was the last yr. that Connors was in the top 10 - he ended '88 @ #7 & '89 @ #14, then missed > of '90 B4 coming back as a top 50-100 guy for 2 yrs. in 91-92 & the fading out. Anyhow, Connors faced a 19-yo by the name of Andre Agassi, losing in 5 sets. Connors = doled out a bagel in the 3rd set. Agassi reached (and lost in) his 3rd Slam SF in the last 4 tries, & had 3 Masters titles to his name. He wasn't yet in his peak, but he was an elite player who had finished the previous yr. @ #3.
Match 4 ('05): Agassi's now 35 & reaches what became his last Slam final, facing a guy who had won 4 of the prev. 7 Slams; a peak Roger Federer. He lost to Roger in 4 sets, but it wasn't a push over.
Match 5 ('19): We could take any # of Roger's final few yrs. when he was still a very good player & beating > everyone not named Novak Djokovic. He was losing to the young guys too, though, but holding his own until nearly the very end. But as late as the '19 Tour Finals he beat Novak & Berrettini in the RR, though lost to Tsitsipas in the SF.
...Tilden & Rosewall deserve t/b on the short list of >est male tennis players in history, regard< of the era they played in. Only Gonzales, Laver, Connors, Borg, McEnroe, Lendl, Sampras, Fedal, & Djokovic could really be considered in the same category, & I think they deserve t/b above 1/2 of those guys (Tennis Abstract his Tilden 4th behind only Laver, Djokovic, & Fed; & Rosewall 8th...I'd put Nadal ahead of both, but might put Tilden & Rosewall 5th & 6th all-X).***
***What did you think of the way Donald & Melania treated Joe when they didn't give a welcome? Joe went there to take up office as all previous outgoing presidents have done. Trump = went so far as to sacking the man who opens the door to let the incoming president in. Additionally, they didn't attend the inauguration.***
ReplyDeleteTrump delayed the transition to the extent of holding up funds Biden was to get to start his admin. in Dec. ‘20! The Trumps don’t deserve any consideration! They’re thugs in $10 K suits! I have no respect for them & deserve any disrespect they get! They disrespected the Presidency, all Federal institutions, & blatantly abused the office! Screw Melania & her crooked husband! They should expect t/b treated like criminals b/c that's what they are!
***Trump's a victim of his own poor decisions.***
He's no victim! If anything Trump has victimized the entire country, system, & Fed. institutions!
***No where near as much as the Clinton's, Obama's, & Biden's!***
No matter how many X's you repeat it, history tells us they fixed what Reps. fk'd up! Clinton actually created a Sur+ w/ the Nat'l Debt going down! Obama passed Nat'l Healthcare & brought the deficits down! Biden's rec.'s still in progress, but unemployment is under 4%, gas prices down, no recession or inflation spikes, & recovering from Trump's incompetent handling of Covid-19 Pandemic! Either find a new song to sing or give it up! You're embarrassing yourself, but if a Trump supporter, you prob. don't GAF! Lying's like a day at the beach for your type!
***Nothing like playing the phony insurrection slogan.***
Blinders on I see! I guess no one died Jan 6th on the steps of Congress! I supposed it was a picnic that got out of hand as those animals shit on the Congressional floor & destroyed offices! Such losers, but we deserve it! We're getting dumber in the States! Women set themselves back 50 yrs. going for Trump over Hillary so we deserve how fk'd up the country has become!
***Pelosi calling for 'uprisings.' When is she going t/b charged?***
Pelosi was the most eff. Speaker in memory! The Reps. viciously attacked her while they couldn't ct. votes when they were in control! How many X's did they need to find someone to take the job; 3-4 X's since Boehner! Pelosi passed 200 Bills while Reps. lost votes on their own legis.! So much incompetence on "the right!" It's sad the country gives these clowns a chance & to this day they can't get their own ducks in a row much < compromise w/ Dems! It's pathetic on a level inconceivable a decade or 2 ago!
***Pelosi knew what it took to pass legis. Something Reps. are incapable of. - Career Civil Servants keep the Gov't running. Pol. Appointees are partisan & come & go as new admins. take over. They're bound by existing rules, laws & procedures.***
During the Trump yrs., he & his admin. ran out the > exper. talent who were cons.! Many of these people had been on the job for 30+ yrs.! I'm really surprised things haven't finally crumbled @ the Fed w/ the leeches left behind by Trump who're loyal to him! The real harm may have already started! Heaven knows Congress is a freakin' mess w/ near illiterates in charge! This new Speaker chosen is clue< & hasn't been in office long enough to know what he's doing!
***Why voters continue to vote for these monsters is beyond me.***
ReplyDeleteThey want these monsters to do exactly what they're doing! It started w/ Trump's SC w/ unqual. Assoc. on an agenda & that was to overturn Roe v Wade! Congrats ladies! You kept voting for these monsters & you got what you wanted! You've been set back 50 yrs & no one else c/b blamed but women who have the majority of the vote! They kept supporting & installing cons. monsters in office! They finally got the ? radical enough to trash 50 yrs of precedent to turn the country upside down over a privacy law! I'm still sick! I threw out my feminist card! You're on your own ladies! Ya fk'd up & t's gonna cost you big X!
***The US Const. says what about treason?
"Treason vs the US, shall consist only in levying War vs them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid & Comfort."
It's very vague.***
Since Trump was fellating Putin throughout his admin., does that ct.?
***Depends on what secrets he sold them. Telling Putin he’ll hand the Ukraine over to him if he's re-elected is def. giving comfort to Putin.
---
Why would ANY US presidential campaign have 140 contacts w/ a foreign gov't, let alone Russia?***
We forgot Trump took pictures w/ Russians Spies actually brought into The West Wing! For all we know, they planted "bugs" all over the place! When his supporters couldn't = pretend to think that wasn't a big deal, the level of acceptance had gone into the sewer! From then on, I promised to never vote for a right-winger for ANYTHING! EveryX I think they couldn't get any lower, over the yrs. they outdid themselves sinking to debts akin to the era of Caligula! After the insurrection you'd think sanity'd finally prevail, but here we are, just escaping the fall of our democracy, Trump's still running the show; barely causing a few marriages to brk. up like Geo. & Kelly Ann Conway! I wonder why it took him so long to divorce such a woman? The drama continues! It's seems we're destined to collapse so don't be surprised if they sneak this one out somehow! They already had a dry-run in 2020!
***White Nat'lists mark Trump win w/ Nazi salute.***
The Brotherhood has been backing Trump since the beginning! The media tried to make a big deal w/ it, but like everything else, it was like "water off a duck's back!" Trump's Teflon is made of Vibranium!
***A person who's demoralized is unable to assess true info.***
I think Obama getting elected, then re-elected in '12 drove 1/2 the country out of their coll. minds! They got together & decided, it was worth sinking to depths unimaginable to get back into power! The country's reward has been a cons. SC who set some women's rights back 50 yrs.! I tore up my feminist card telling myself, "there are > women in the country, but they keep voting for pols promising to take away their rights!" I was done after helping to put Trump in office over Hillary! The self-hate of women was proved! They can't stand one another! They're > responsible > any # of moronic men who vote for creatures akin to swamp creatures! It's getting worse all the X! I just thank I'm a Sr. & if the country tanks, I won't live that > longer to care!
***Lawyers/Pols ARE NOT DOCTORS!***
ReplyDeleteSomeone voted for these clowns! When are people gonna start pointing the finger @ themselves when horrible things like this begin to happen? People are acting surprised! This is what these cons. clowns have been trying to do for decades; elim. abortions! Would we care as much if the woman was poor & a minority? Can we guess?
***Dear Rep. women: how can you be okay w/ this? I just can’t believe how far right the GOP has gone. I used to vote Rep. in some elections, but that Rep. Party I knew is gone & it’s both depressing & terrifying.***
This is what these women wanted & voted for! Don't pt. fingers @ the Pols! They're only doing what many women wanted; abortion veto no matter the cost!
***Why voters continue to vote for these monsters is beyond me.***
They want these monsters to do exactly what they're doing! It started w/ Trump's SC w/ unqual. Assoc. on an agenda & that was to overturn Roe v Wade! Congrats ladies! You kept voting for these monsters & you got what you wanted! You've been set back 50 yrs & no one else c/b blamed but women who have the majority of the vote! They kept supporting & installing cons. monsters in office! They finally got the ? radical enough to trash 50 yrs of precedent to turn the country upside down over a privacy law! I'm still sick! I threw out my feminist card! You're on your own ladies! Ya fk'd up & t's gonna cost you big X!
***The US Const. says what about treason?
"Treason vs the US, shall consist only in levying War vs them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid & Comfort."
It's very vague.***
Since Trump was fellating Putin throughout his admin., does that ct.?
***Depends on what secrets he sold them. Telling Putin he’ll hand the Ukraine over to him if he's re-elected is def. giving comfort to Putin.
---
Why would ANY US presidential campaign have 140 contacts w/ a foreign gov't, let alone Russia?***
We forgot Trump took pictures w/ Russians Spies actually brought into The West Wing! For all we know, they planted "bugs" all over the place! When his supporters couldn't = pretend to think that wasn't a big deal, the level of acceptance had gone into the sewer! From then on, I promised to never vote for a right-winger for ANYTHING! EveryX I think they couldn't get any lower, over the yrs. they outdid themselves sinking to debts akin to the era of Caligula! After the insurrection you'd think sanity'd finally prevail, but here we are, just escaping the fall of our democracy, Trump's still running the show; barely causing a few marriages to brk. up like Geo. & Kelly Ann Conway! I wonder why it took him so long to divorce such a woman? The drama continues! It's seems we're destined to collapse so don't be surprised if they sneak this one out somehow! They already had a dry-run in 2020!
***White Nat'lists mark Trump win w/ Nazi salute.***
The Brotherhood has been backing Trump since the beginning! The media tried to make a big deal w/ it, but like everything else, it was like "water off a duck's back!" Trump's Teflon is made of Vibranium!
***A person who's demoralized is unable to assess true info.***
I think Obama getting elected, then re-elected in '12 drove 1/2 the country out of their coll. minds! They got together & decided, it was worth sinking to depths unimaginable to get back into power! The country's reward has been a cons. SC who set some women's rights back 50 yrs.! I tore up my feminist card telling myself, "there are > women in the country, but they keep voting for pols promising to take away their rights!" I was done after helping to put Trump in office over Hillary! The self-hate of women was proved! They can't stand one another! They're > responsible > any # of moronic men who vote for creatures akin to swamp creatures! It's getting worse all the X! I just thank I'm a Sr. & if the country tanks, I won't live that > longer to care!
***It seems the only thing that will stop The 49'rs is injuries.***
ReplyDeleteExperts are so down on Purdy! He was winning, but he got no credit for it!
***I think none of us w/b shocked if 49rs, Detroit, Dallas, Miami, KC, Bills, Browns, etc. end up losing to someone eventually in the playoffs. ...No one is unbeatable. The Lion's have a chance. Not afraid of Dallas any>, that's for sure. Although now, if we play them it w/b in Dallas b/c the refs suck.***
Speaking of Dallas, Jimmy Johnson was finally inducted into the Cowboys "Ring of Honor!" Firing him was prob. up there as one of the worst, bonehead decisions ever! I'd put it up there w/ Boston selling off Ruth to the Yankees! ...Johnson's the best assessor of talent ever! He played no faves &'d let you go if you couldn't help the team NOW!
Detroit started out good; got a FG & then intercepted Dax, but haven't been able to do anything > = though running the ball well!
***I'm a long X Cowboy fan. So a win is always going t/b better > a loss.***
Skip Bayless mhb stroking out in his chair! He m/b too drained for "Undisputed" Mon.!
***I don't get why Campbell went for 2 from the 7 yard line after the penalty.***
When on the road, it's suggested to go for the win! I think it was the best decision, but Lions aren't solid enough to actually get it done! I recall from the late 90's, Minn. w/ Dennis Green (as coach) was in the same position, but went for the tie instead of the win w/ a 2 pt. conversion! Dallas got the ball 1st & Emmitt Smith ran about 65 yards for the win on the 1st play of OT!
***Rodgers & Kimmel feud "is on" after being accused of being on the Epstein list.***
Since I don't do Kimmel, I have no idea where all this animus is coming from! Why'd Rodgers invoke his name in reference to Epstein?
***I think Kimmel fired shots @ Rodgers over his vaccine status.***
I recall Rodgers' story! He has been a total a-hole; lying about his status, going to a crowded Halloween party w/o vax, then acquires Covid-19 unable to play 2 games!
***Why'd an elite athlete in prime physical health get vax'd for COVID?***
We're talking about a TEAM, not just an individual! When Djokovic refused vax 2 yrs. ago, he was an individual player! Passing on the virus was < likely! It cost him a few tourns., was banned from Austr., but came back strong in '23 to dom. = though limited play due to his age!
***Whatever happened w/ the Favre thing?***
The investigation is ongoing! He's being looked @ along w/ 30-40 other people ripping off millions!
Stephen A. Smith's crazy, an idiot, a liar, & FOS! He's a plant who's no real expert in sports! He's a fraud!
ReplyDelete***This has been a long X coming, he finally speaks on it. I'm here for it on You Tube.***
Speak on it! What does calling Jason a "fat bastard" have to do w/ the subject @ hand? SA's a "balding POS!" How'd he like that? Jason never called him out his name! SA's a fraud & no real expert in sports! He's an embarrassment, but that's what the "powers that be" want; someone they can control! Katt Williams speaks eloquently on the subject!
***Jason Whitlock's the only dude I know of who can get SAS this tight every X he mentions his name.***
Jason's the only one to expose SA for being a fraud & no real writer of sports! There are receipts & evidence of his incompetence! I've seen & heard him make terrible mistakes while on "First Take" that are terribly embarrassing! He's a fool & an idiot!
***Jason's telling the truth.***
SA's in total denial! He's now going back to an article from '15 to undermine Jason! He's too desperate for words!
***Put the crack down.***
If that's the best you got, SA doesn't have a chance! You have t/b a complete loser if you believe SA over Jason! I'm no fan of JW, but he's not a liar & a fraud! That identifies > w/ SA who's a real tool & idiot!
***Jason Fatlock's gonna be exposed.***
JW has receipt to show SA's a fraud & a liar! After playing 1 game, how do you avg. 1.5 pts. in that Sr. season after he supposedly blew out his knee? HOW? The math ain't mathing!
***17 str. 3 pt'rs; yeah right.***
He was Curry B4 there was a Curry! lol!
***So was Kimmel on the Epstein list?***
He was not! Now Rodgers has been kicked off the "Pat McAfee Show" for the rest of the season for defaming the talk show host!
***There's > evidence Aaron Rodgers' asst. Kevin Lanflisi is his gay lover > there is evidence Jimmy flew on Epstein's plane. How come Aaron can't keep a GF. Did Danica Patrick confirm they consumated the relationship when they "dated?" I don't think so. Beard.***
I was such a fan of Rodgers! I commiserated w/ what he had to go thru w/ Favre hanging on for much too long! I was one to tout his talent, athletic ability, & how cerebral a player he was! I made excuses when the Packers came up short! I was so glad he finally got a SB over 10 yrs. ago! The last sev. yrs. just showed him t/b an arrogant ass playing Hamlet every season like Favre! I totally jumped off his bandwagon w/ the C-19 debacle! He showed a true lack of character & maturity w/ his behavior & outright lying to the public like a Trump apostle! After going to the Jets, it was true Karma w/ him going down early this past season! The org. was already a joke & he wound up being the "Kimmel" of the show! They were talking about him > anything in the media!
***In my mind Rodgers' such a scumbag. He's the kind of guy who'd sign a contract or 2 after he knows in his heart he just doesn't have it any>. He makes a lot of $$. I don't think he works out very hard. So he'll take the ball, throw it, or run w/ it for as long as he can. ...Most athletes I believe don't want to go out that way. That's how you w/b remembered. But clearly Rodgers doesn't care what people think about him, or he doesn't mind being the asshole. And if he's a con., why'd he give up big $$ people are willing to give him? He knows he's a bad investment. Do you think Trump would turn away $$ b/c the person was making a bad or risky investment? I predict he'll run for politics. Possibly for the Presidency. Reps. will love him.***
***Gronk just said Mike McCarthy's in trouble. Dallas is down 27-7 in the 1st Half of their playoff game.***
ReplyDeleteI find this > a lit'l amusing w/ The Cowboys! Even when they started sliding in the late 90's, they were still able to beat GB & Favre! Rodgers, now Love will continue to own them! Too bizarre!
***Okay, only down 17. If they come up w/ a stop or TO, then score, it'll be 10 pts. Come on GB. Get at least 3 & eat up a lot of clock. Take it to the 4th up 20.
All I know is if Dallas gets bounced in the 1st Rd., I don't want to hear anyone next yr. say Dallas is going to win it all. No they aren't. LOL.***
GB scored another TD! I think they have this! Not a fan of "Undisputed," but have to watch Skip Baseless & Michael Irving crawl into a hole after this embarr. perform. yet again! Being #2 seed did them no good or favors as they go down in flames to a WC team that prob. shouldn't have been in the playoffs! They thought having a "home game" would help; IT DIDN'T!
***I heard Taylor finally let Travis go to 2nd base & he's been playing > >er. Promised him 3rd base if he wins the next game. Sex for the next 1 & anal for SB.***
IDK who'd want to deal w/ that ne'er-do-well skank? She's gone thru just about all the single celebs in Hollywood & molested a Kennedy kid! She's disgusting & I have no idea why she's not taken to task for spreading herself around for well over 10 yrs.!
***I hope they lose BIG & say good-bye!***
Couldn't happen to a > deserving franchise of arrogance! They scored TD, then get flagged on the successful 2 pt. conv.! After the penalty, they miss the PAT when it "donked" off the upright! GB scoring @ will now w/ it getting out of hand B4 the 4th Qtr.! They're up 41-16 now! McCarthy >er have his resume typed up! Jerry can't ignore this embarrassment! The fans are already booing!
===
I don't pay as > attn. to the nuts & bolts of any games these days; dropping some sports! Golf's the 1st to go being run by blood $$ of the Mid'l East! Tennis seems t/b on it's way! Baseball WS going on & it's so easy to miss it altogether! I haven't watched > @ all since Wh. Sox won it in '05! I didn't = realize The Cubs took it a dec.+ later = though I live w/i 2 miles of Wrigley Field! Never been a hockey person & selec. watch a lit'l of the NBA! More a fan of Calif. teams so have no idea what's going on w/ the BULLS! I can't keep up w/ the sports' banter since players coming & going, contracts brk'n, susp., & worst of all analysts become the story > the sports! END RANT!
===
***When the heavywt. Div. didn’t have a true larger > life champ. ...In older X's, everybody (= non-boxing fans) knew who the Heavywt. champ was. Foreman, Ali, Tyson, were all mainstream stars. Now the >er stars are in the lighter Wts, which usually don’t get the same amt. of attn. though turning aroun).***
I haven't paid much attn. to BOXING since Tyson bit off part of Holyfield's ear! It got comical @ X's w/ scoring controversies! Buster Douglas was supposedly losing his fight in Japan vs Tyson B4 knocking out the champ! Then George Forman's comeback & subsequent reign as a bloated grandfather of 8 prob. "did in" boxing for all X IMO! It couldn't be taken seriously; esp. in the Heavywt. Div.! All this OTTH!
I just heard Nadal's out of the '24 AO! Not surprising if already kvetchin' about injury in Brisbane! It can only get worse for him as he approaches 38 yo playing such a defensive game! What else is going to happen as he ages out? I didn't think he'd embarrass himself to the last like Fed! SURPRISE! What an idiot!
ReplyDelete***Aukland / ASB Classic started tonight w/ Ben Shelton the top seed!***
Anyone taking bets if he'll get out of the 2nd or 3rd Rd.? He's been on my bad side acting out & disrespecting Djokovic @ the USO last yr.! Be confident all you like, but you can't be an a-hole when it comes to the Big 3 of the past gen.! Shap got a WC so it w/b good to see him after all this X! Wolf already upset in the 1st Rd. thanks to Van Assche!
---
Well, I was off by a Rd. or 2, but right about Shelton! He coudn't get past unseeded Taro Daniel in the SF! He had a great chance to win Aukland w/ Qual. Tabilo making the final over Fils who played well, but had a couple sloppy games costing him in the end! There was a good field, but > of the top players were upset & not ready to win @ the beginning of the season! The 1st Rd. draw of the AO's quite tough, so the upsets will continue > likely!
***I'm not going to make excuses. It was just Taro Daniel's day. He just didn't miss anything, while Shelton was a lit'l off. That happens, it's tennis. Even Alcaraz lost some matches to players he shouldn't've. What I can almost guarantee is that Daniel will never play that well again. I wouldn't be surprised if he lost to Tabilo in the final.
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Dino's got pretty good game for a young scrub. Novak praised him a lot after the match. Let's see how this youngster will progress going further.***
It's that very mature way of undermining Novak & this era by calling the kid a scrub! It's ridiculous of course, but what can we do? My only fault w/ Prižmić is he was red-lining the entire match, lit. trying to take the cover off the ball on every shot! He's worked out a lot for an 18 yo, so has very strong arms & legs normally reserved for pro weight lifters; very impressive thighs! I think I prefer his legs over Rune's; didn't think it poss.! Dino, like Alcaraz needs to pull back just a lit'l or both'll have much shorter careers due to physically brk'n down! He had a brace on his elbow & needed his leg strapped early in the match! That's so rare for a player this young! He's doing it to himself! Again, I blame parents & coaches when kids are pushed to overdo it to compete vs MEN! Girls had the problem back "in the day" w/ Jaeger & Austin! They have the early success, but it doesn't last & were guaranteed frequent & serious injuries!
***I didn’t see it, but qualifiers c/b dangerous 1st Rd. opps. for the seeds.***
I said the 1st Rd. looked tough! Dino prob. would've beaten anyone else but Novak! Tiafoe was lucky not to go down in flames w/ Coric having 2 set pts. in that 2nd set TB! It should've gone 5 sets @ least like Fritz who were both barely able to get to the 2nd Rd.!
***Fingers crossed that Djokovic is elim. in the next Rd.***
Hatah's gonna hate! Doesn't that sound kind of sad & pathetic conspiring to overcome an old man of 36+? B/c the man has managed his playing X >er > kiddies, you want to put the thumb on the scale to help overcome The GOAT! BO3 is one of the ways you can get your way I guess! Most of Novak's bad losses in DC, UC, & The Olympics occurred as a result of abbr. matches, BO3! All I can do is SMH! Try again! Novak w/b long gone by the X any changes can occur to help the hatah's out there!
***Stephen A Smith thinks Jerry Jones will suck up his pride, fire McCarthy & hire Belicheck. Belicheck has lost the privilege of asking for full control. Dallas is the perfect fit after such a humiliating loss to GB. A highly talented team who needs the right coach.
ReplyDeleteIDK how the owner gets so much blame? Not one tackle, block, pass, or catch was done by Jones. He pays these players 10's of millions each to play consistent & not give games away. Packers went the length of the field on the opening drive easily. 7-0. How is that the 82 yo owners fault?
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He sets the culture & thinks he’s a drafting wizard, etc, etc. How often did Kraft do pressers? The Rooneys? If you don’t think he’s involved in other aspects behind the scenes….***
There's nothing new when it comes to owners who get too involved in the running & overall cultural mngmt. of his team! The >est is obviously Jerry, but the same mismanagement of a team goes to past owners like Al Davis & Daniel Snyder!
***The players were going into revolt if Jones didn't pay the "Black QB." I was against it b/c of the blown out knee he had, nothing else. His mobility was hampered.***
Dak, like > players has an inflated sense of his abilities & how much he's needed to lead the team! It's like he doesn't care that the backup QB did just as well last season while he was injured! What bugs me is things don't necess. improve when he demands & gets these huge contratcs! It isn't enough of course as we see him doing commercials to steal even > $$ when he hasn't won shit! The only thing that I approve of is it's happening to Jerry! He makes you want a disaster after sabotaging his own team 30 yrs. ago due to his own inflated ego! It's prob. what's made him a successful businessman, but it's not helping his team win! He hasn't changed much; slowing down just a lit'l & allowing his son to have a say in what goes on!
***The Eagles have struggled in the last month of this season. It w/b interesting to see which Eagles team shows up today.***
Amazing how far Philly has fallen! If it had been the whole season, I'd think it made sense after playing a SB, but they were 10-1 & fell off a cliff! The losses have been terrible & embarrassing as well! Now in the playoffs, they look = worse, making Mayfield look like a pro-bowler!
***You're right about that. This has been the > complete collapse of a highly rated team that I can recall in recent yrs. They = looked demoralized when the game was still w/i reach. ...I've been kind of a Baker Mayfield "sympathizer" this season b/c there were high hopes for him @ 1 X, & this was his shot to redeem himself. Even if the Bucs don't win another game, they've already surpassed what was predicted for them.***
You're not the only Mayfield sympathizer! Way back when Skip Bayless was a huge fan when he played in Cleveland! He touted him again & again until he was finally traded away! Mayfield's been a nomad ever since!
***I forgot that Skip was a Baker groupie. - That TD to Palmer shb a 5 yd. compl. The DB just slid off him like he was greased. That's just plain old 'don't want to'.***
***The 4 home teams have the advantage this wk.***
ReplyDeleteThis is Buffalo's best chance in yrs. after going down in flames to KC the last 2 seasons! Mahomes isn't accustomed to playing Div. Games on the road, but they looked pretty good last wk. def. Miami w/ Tyreek Hill held in check! "Sorry Tyreek; Kelce & Pat lost your phone #!"
***Det. barely squeaked by the Rams, whereas the Bucs demolished the Eagles.***
Who hasn't demolished the Eagles after they started the season 10-1? I thought only the Cowboys could self-destruct so badly after such a start! They just didn't look interested in the game; esp. Jalen who sat on the bench oblivious to what was happening!
***Houston & Green Bay in the SB would feature two #7 seeds. This w/b great.***
I can tell you the league & sponsors wouldn't like that match-up! Who'd watch? Last season couldn't be >er w/ the 2 top seeds making the SB! Besides that the Div. & Conf. games were amazing! Who'd of thought 13 secs. was too > X left for Mahomes to steal that game from Cincy?
***Everyone agrees Dallas should've brought in 6 X SB Champ Belicheck. It’s crazy a guy like Bill is avail. & Jerry Jones' going to stick w/ McCarthy. Oh well. M/b Jerry thinks he can get him next yr. when McCarthy's contract's up?***
I've found Stephen A t/b a huge douche-bag & doesn't really know his ass from a hole in the wall! His opinion on anything has t/b taken w/ a huge handful of salt! He's an incompetent fool when it comes to football making sev. mistakes I can pt. out!
***Stephen A can really be overbearing, but I've heard him interviewed outside of Sports & he's very intelligent on a wide range of subjects. But yeah, he c/b a shouting douche-bag when he's trying to one-up a panel of sports analysts.
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Well then his swagger makes up for it b/c everyone loves his brash personality. ...From Sept. to Nov., “1st Take” avg'd 554 K viewers compared to 120 K for “Undisputed.” During the 2 wks. from Nov. 27 to Dec. 8, “1st Take” (581 K) drew an audience 5 X's > “Undisputed” (105 K), according to sources. ...Stephen A. & “First Take” are “handing McAfee a 583 K viewer lead-in” & McAfee is “only maintaining 302 K," which's a 48% drop, according to Andrew Marchand of the N.Y.***
W/ well over 330 M people in the US, those #'s are abysmal IMO! I rarely watch ESPN outside of tennis, football, & the occasional basketball game! Sportcenter & other programs are unwatchable w/ the new talent IMO; esp. the women! They're trying to force these broads down our throats & it "ain't" happening w/ me! I've stuck w/ "ATH" & "PTI" due to being a fan from their inception back '04 & '01 resp.! ESPN deserves whatever happens w/ McAfee as they sold their souls to get him! I've never watched > of him & can barely stand it w/ Rodgers pontificating! He sounds like a loon trying to defend himself vs Kimmel after so many yrs. of him being exposed for lying about the C-19 VAX!
***Jones had a top tier coach who could've brought him 2 or 3 > SB trophies, but his own ego blew that up. Jones has been on the Karma payment plan ever since. LOL***
I think you're under-estim. Johnson! He would've owned the 90's & stretched it into the next century IMO! I was no fan of the Cowboys, but the eye saw the talent & abilities where it didn't matter if the opp. was in their huddles! They couldn't be stopped! The HOLES for Emmitt to run thru were gaping enough for a truck to run alone! Their defense punished you! Go chk. 'em out on You Tube in '91 & '92!
***Bill wants to win 1 > SB. Philly isn’t a bad idea. Atlanta? Are they good?***
Bill doesn't need the SB! What he wants to do is pad his reg. season rec.! He's just a few behind Shula! He prob. needs to have 2 or 3 winning seasons to overtake the all-X leader!
***The NFC South is a place to do that. LOL***
***I thank God for these shows like Kimmel's. Pointing out cons. hypocrisy & corruption. What Rogers did is a classic Rep. move. Doesn’t matter if it’s true. Say it & it becomes true in your world.***
ReplyDeleteCons have been playing the victim for decades! When they're exposed in some way, it still becomes a victory as they whine about the lib. suppression of "freedom of speech!" They gave up having true shame yrs. ago! The LAW means nothing! The religious zealots have shame meaningful as ours has degenerated into cheerleading on both sides!
***I think they truly believe their own nonsense. For ex. to cry that aff. action isn’t fair to whites, who havent been fair to everyone else. Or for them to tell Blacks the Justice system isn’t racist, but Trump gets a Mex. judge, suddenly it's racist. Or the Biden family 20 LLC's are corrupt, but Trump's 500 are cool.
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Best NFL teams of all X?
Which was the best?
Late 70s Steelers
'84 & "89 49ers
'92 Cowboys
'99 Rams
'98 Denver
'91 Redskins
'85 Bears
'07 Patriots***
*It's hard t/b > dom. > the '85 Bears holding the Patriots to Neg. Ydg. in the 1st 1/2 of SB XX! That team should've ruled the late 80's, but we've never gotten it together concerning a QB! They had a chance to draft Mahomes, but passed! McMahon the last w/ a heart of a Bear (Lion) to take them to a SB win traded away!
***I'd go '85 Bears too. They just terrorized their opps. You could see the fear in their eyes.***
You know how you channel surf btwn. the game & other fare? Normally you watch the offense of your fave team! It was the other way around here in Chgo! The Defense was > entertaining! They could sack a QB on cons. plays, knocking them out; someX's needing the 3rd stringer to get in there! That '85 team officially took over as America's Team, embarrassing The Cowboys 44-0 @ Texas Stad. clinching a playoff birth (11-0)!
***“Mike Ditka, not wanting to embarrass his former mentor, put in the 4th string after building a substantial lead in the 1st 1/2. It was the only thing he tried all day that didn’t work.” Ouch! - Hard to bet against the Montana era 49'ers, but if there is a >er team, it’s the '85 Bears.
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Who played the victim in this exchange? Rodgers or Kimmel, Is Rodgers a cons.?***
Way back when I thought it had to do w/ Kimmel exposing Rodgers for being a hypocrite & a liar! A-Rod was busted for making the masses believe he was vax'd when he wasn't! He not only didn't take care, he went extreme going to a crowded Halloweed party dressed as John Wick! Of course he came down w/ Covid missing 2 games! Kimmel put him on blast, but as was said earlier, that's "his schtick!" Kimmel of course looks like a victim of Rodgers' retaliation, but that's the nature of Social media!
***He never said he was immunized & he never said Kimmel was on Epstein's list. Stop getting info. from late night “comedy" shows.***
Oh, that makes all the diff.; their lies were > inferred or implied! Cons. are so smart!
***Frankly, the ?? was inappr. to begin w/, but he answered the ?? truthfully, again not his fault you're too dumb to know the diff. We have this thing called the internet, & when people use big words that confuse, you can just look that shit up. It's pretty cool actually, but it removes any excuse you have for being just outright uninformed & stupid on a topic you're discussing.***
***Only ONE whom died was a female protestor murdered by D.C. cop Jan 6th!***
ReplyDeleteThey should've blown her fk'n head off! What kind of animal brks into Congress & tries to jump thru a secured door w/ guns pulled by agents? The bitch deserved it & >!
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***OMG, how many Blk. women speak w/ no respect for Blk. men or themselves invariably! They're an embarr. as they can't take responsibility or be held acct.able amongst them! The defense is blind & intransigent! I spoke to a cousin approaching 60 & she's just as loud & ignorant "w/ a need t/b right" to the detriment of facts & the truth! It's sad & pathetic as the self-destruc. grows! K. Samuels had tried to let us know when going wrong, but some women celebrated his death 3 yrs. ago!***
***Fiero's: "unemployment is still under 4%, gas prices down, no recession or inflation spikes, & recovering from Trump's incompetent handling of Covid-19 P@ndemic!" & OKTexas can't rebut it w/ fact or logic.
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Have you guys been keeping up w/ the state of education system & the family home in America right now?***
I try not to think about it! We're raising a gen. of underachieving, complacent, & self-entitled idiots here in the States! Decades ago we started falling behind in math & science measured against other western countries! We have all this tech., but it's done our kids no good! It's made it easy t/b uninformed to just about everything! How many X's a day do we hear, "just look it up on Google?" It's embarrassing to see how far we've fallen!
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***Wanting to cheat on your husband or wife? The better ?? is, why do people get married when they want to sleep w/ other people?***
You're judging a person "if you'd do the deed" everyX you see or meet someone! Anyone denying that is a fk'n liar! She kept after the guy until she got an answer she couldn't accept! If you can't handle the answer, don't ask the ??! That's what women do all the X! They demand a guy to confess to an affair, promising they just want the truth! LIE! They're kicking you out the moment you're honest w/ them! Again, anyone denying it is a fk'n liar! It's sorta like that trope of "play silly games, win silly prizes!" SomeX's you just have to keep something to yourself! A prime ex. is someone asking, "does this make me look fat?" Either a thumbs up or down will cost you!
***Do women really need a man?***
I was thinking about this & glad it was brought up! It's bad advice being given btwn. women! They think b/c they're educated, self-sufficient, & successful that means they don't need a man! W/o a doubt I think that's the stupidest thing to tell other women! Having a husband, = one who cheats is an asset! The partnership can only be helpful to both; esp. in their old age! Today's women think they can have it all, but it comes @ a cost! Most women's retirement plan winds up thinking their kids will take care of them! They w/b sorely mistaken as most won't GAF; esp. when old & decrepit! I wish women would've paid > attn. to Kevin Samuels when he was alive; B4 wishing his death due to truths they coudn't handle! Most will grow old, alone, & w/ a cat or dog as their only companion! Totally idiotic & I feel sorry for them! They're doing it to themselve! All that empowerment & they've never been > unhappy, taking meds, & under a psychologist's care! What has all that independence really done for you guys as a group?
***You wonder whether Milos, a former Wimbl. runners-up, will announce his retirement after his retirement vs De Minaur b/c the hips problem has been on-going for a # of yrs.***
ReplyDeleteSuch a shame! I enjoyed watching the game of Milos! He's precise w/ his serve & big FH running opps. from side to side w/ precision & power! It's what gave him a Masters' win over Rafa yrs. ago! What a shame he broke down!
***Jannik's going to win a GS @ some pt. this yr., poss. the AO.***
I hope so, but I have to see it to believe it! How many X's have we said the same about Zverev, Tsitsipas, Medvedev, & Thiem? Dom & Daniil got their lone Majors due to Novak being DQ'd @ the USO & overwhelmed w/ the moment of a poss. CYGS in another! Even then Dom was stetched to the limit by Sascha! This latest crop does look >er though; obviously w/ Carlos winning 2 Majors, he's a proven commodity! We can only hope Jannick & Holger prove they're the real deal! I've almost given up hope on our American contingent of Fritz, Tiafoe, Paul, Korda, & Shelton! They might sneak thru a Masters or Major draw after Novak's gone, but we'll have to see!
***I think it's basically a foregone conclusion that Alcaraz will enter the club of all-X >'s, where exactly he ends up remains t/b seen. There's sev. tiers of ATGs, from the "borderline ATGs" like Nastase/ Vilas/ Courier to the "er ATGs" like Connors/ Borg/ McEnroe/ Lendl/ Sampras to the "GOATs" like the Big 3.
...I see the over/under for Alcaraz being somewhere btwn. er ATG... perhaps somewhere in the Agassi-to-Lendl range. He m/b >er or worse, but that's my personal mid-pt. of expect. But expecting him t/b as good as the Big 3's quite unfair.***
Oh, happy day for the Djokovic hatah's! Sinner's playing out of his mind while Novak can barely keep the ball in play so far! Can this be the beginninng of the end? Sinner up 6-1, 3-1 so far in the SF! Novak looks out of sorts! The wind can't be that bad! Jannik's balls are still falling in!
***I didn't see the incident w/ Djokovic dealing w/ a heckler in the stands. The heckler must've had too much to drink. GS Tennis these days is like a carnival atmosphere so I guess this means > & > hecklers who don't necess. understand the game are going t/b or act silly, to put it mildly.***
Things started going downhill w/ class< & obnoxious fandom in '75 or so after Evert & Connors won their 1st majors! The "tennis BOOM" began, getting fans who didn't = play the game involved! People started to take lessons, got into tennis fashions, & watched matches on TV started by the "Battle Of The Sexes" w/ BJK & Riggs in '73! In the mid 70's I actually had > tennis clothes than regular fare! My fave TV event occurred in the FALL taking the top 4 men & women competing in a WITC Chp. @ Sea Pines Plantation in So. Carolina giving 1 pt. per victory in singles, doubles, & Mx. doubles! BJK won the Inaugural event by taking the MxD's w/ Stan Smith! Evert & Borg won the singles resp.! Each match was telecast 1/ wk.end spanning 11 wks. IIRC in the Spring the following yr.! Very entertaining!
***Do you think Sinner will now win in 4? I do. Novak just eek'd out that TB.***
He better hope this is closed out in 4! If it goes 5 we all know who that favors! It ain't "spider-legs!" Will they have to sedate Jannik if he blows this?
***Sinner won over Nole in SF. then def. Medvedev in a 5 set final after besting Zverev in 5 sets.***
Sinner's the last man standing "down under;" def. Djokovic then Medvedev in the final coming back from 2 sets down! Wow! Again? Daniil just can't seem to finish! He blew a lead vs Nadal 2 yrs. ago in the '22 AO Final!
***We were expecting a highly comp. final "down under" only to almost see it over in str. sets in m/b 2 hr. duration.***
It did almost happen, but the night was saved by Daniil who can't seem to finish off an opp. no matter the lead!
***Yes, that's 2 X's now he's blown a 2-0 lead in the final of the AO in last 3 yrs.***
***IMHO, I have to say the Steelers were great for an era back in the 70's. They had some ferocious defensive teams during their era of dominance; Lambert, "Mean Joe" Greene, LC Greenwood, & Ham. Those guys were no joke. And = though Bradshaw was just OK, he had > support surrounding him.***
ReplyDeleteTerry Bradshaw won 4 SB's in 6 yrs. & dom. the Cowboys, but never got > credit for it due to the Steeler's huge cast of characters w/ an "Iron Curtain" defense!
***Those Steeler teams were dom. They only allowed 13 pts a game. Bradshaw was better & smarter > he's given credit for. He had Lynn Swann & Stallworth to throw to as well as Franco in the backfield.
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Belicheat thinks he's the center of the universe & everybody should bow down to what he wants.***
Bill's been reading & listening to all his good press, making him out t/b the BOAT in coaching! Unfortunately for many, I recall his stint in Cleveland B4 going to NE w/ Brady! Their skills along w/ willingness to cheat to win @ any cost is their only downer I guess!
***Exactly. The MSM in their babble that he's the >est coach ever as my local sports radio station pt.'d out they NEVER mention his failure @ Cleveland having only one winning season in 5 yrs. there b/c they know it shoots down their narrative & destroys it. ESPN have to say that so they can get interviews w/ him. My local radio station don't give a crap if they dont get an interview w/ him, so they don't hold back those facts as they do.
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The Detroit loss to SF is absolutely on Campbell. He thinks he's smarter > football. He is not. You take the pts. instead of going on 4th down.***
Well he'd be a genius if it all worked out! Even Belicheat went on 4th down & 2 w/ Brady inside their own terr. in a game vs Manning on MNF! It's always brilliant if it works; if not it was the stupidest call ever made in coaching history! Detroit just forgot how to score in the 2nd half!
***It's > not taking the pts. It's the fact everyone knows he isn't going to take the pts. & play 3rd down like it's 2nd down.
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So far Niners have forgotten how to play defense.***
They got smacked around during Half-X & found their defensive skills! Detroit was 24-7 & forgot how to score until too late!
***Campbell took the Lions to the NFC Chp. game by being aggressive. They hadn't won a single playoff game in over 30 yrs. He's a great coach & his players love him. You guys don't know what you're talking about. Detroit had a > season & Campbell turned them around.***
The Lions won't allow Minn. & GB to own the NFC North Div.! That w/b good to see = though a Chicagoan here! I was happy Detroit was comp. @ least!
***I said all wk. that Lamar had the supporting cast to beat the Chiefs, but Jones, Sneed, & others just played better. It wasn't penalty calls that caused dropped passes or punched out that ball in the end zone. Lamar just couldn't do it all. I dont think I've seen that many near or complete sacks of Lamar in a single game this season.***
That was amazing; the punch-out on the 1 yd. line! I've seen it a few X's; stretching the ball out causing a T/O! Lamar's interception in the End-Zone didn't help his cause! He contributed to this loss & it just wasn't meant t/b for Baltimore!
***So far Niners have forgotten how to play defense. That visit to the shelter to play and cuddle w/ the fur babies must have relaxed them too much.***
They got smacked around during Half-Time & found their defensive skills! Detroit was 24-7 & forgot how to score until too late!
That Chgo. Winter storm in '79 was a double whammy of Xmas & NY'rs Eves getting hit w/ the blizzard each day, then the temps. dropping. That was why we had snow above eye level until mid-April. The Sun just reflected off of the piles hanging on into Spring.
ReplyDelete===
***Belichk'n & Tom "Shady" Brady have disgraced the sport of football w/ their cheating & having to cheat to achieve >ness. You can put them in the same catagory of Lance Armstrong, Roger Clemons, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGuire, & Barry Bonds; all w/ "**'s" next to their names b/c they all cheated to achieve >ness.***
Unfort. they're selling their souls to bring Brady into a NFL Network Show making him #1! I personally hope he'll end up like Montana, have a goof-ball presense, & a neg. Q rating to squash that dream of moving on after football!
***I forgot Tom Brady's joining FOX next season. That could actually be a trainwreck.***
If there's any justice, it w/b a flop! The elite teams are in the AFC so CBS will clean up covering Mahomes, Burrow, Allen, & Jackson for yrs. to come! I'm hoping Brady in particular winds up being a "yawner" as Joe Montana who's boring AF!
***Too bad for Belchk'n put his own selfish interests ahead of his team to pass Don Shula's all X wins rec. & he ain’t going to get it.
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Taylor Swift en route from Tokyo to watch Travis Kelce in the SB.***
I hear she wants the NFL to pay for her plane ride & accom. in Vegas! She'll get it too!
***How do you feel Purdy will do vs a relent< KC pass rush?***
It can throw off any QB; = ones as good as Mahomes! Brady stole 2 SB's w/ defenses that rose to the occasion to stop the improv. aspects of Patrick's game vs both NE (AFC CC) & TB (SB LV) resp.! It looks as if KC has gotten over their growing pains w/ the receiving! The catches have been routine & eff. of late!
***MUST WIN for Mahomes...***
Only if he wants to catch Brady! He's already ahead of sched. w/ TD's, passing/running yds., MVP's, & few INT's! KC blew 2 other SB chances; the SB vs TB & the AFC Conf. game when DL went offsides in a play Brady threw an INT! Mahomes was running for his life in the SB, but that Conf. game was lost on a boneheaded play by a defensive lineman! At least he could've stopped Brady from scoring later; but didn't!
***MVP; Jackson. ...Anyone else's thoughts?***
Hard to ignore Jackson getting another MVP only to go down in flames in the playoffs yet again! Embarrassing!
***Peyton Manning won MVP 5 X's; '03,'04,'08,'09,'14. Never won a SB in any of those yrs. He was 1 & done twice '08,'14; 1-1 in '04. If you look up Rodgers, he's much the same. His PO rec. the yrs. he won MVP is 2-4. He was 1 & done twice & never made it out of the Div. Rd.***
***You don’t know what the word "racist" means. Look it up.***
ReplyDeleteI'm starting to feel the def. has taken on new meanings! Heaven knows we keep seeing/hearing people, Pols in particular that say "we're not a racist country, Blacks learned a trade while enslaved," & from Nikki Haley, "slavery wasn't the reason for the Civil War!" We're getting stupidier as X goes on! As a Sr., I was hoping t/b long gone B4 it got this bad! I saw it coming! Trump being elected just capped it all off! We're fk'd!
***Trump & the idiot logic he & his followers run on certainly isn’t helping things.
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Only an ignorant fool could believe racism over after 1960's. Changing the laws is a step, not a cure.***
As been said my MLK & others, we have to go after "the hearts & minds" to truly overcome racism! We've been set back 50 yrs. w/ the ignoramuses that thought it w/b a good idea to make an imbecilic bigot to the Presidency! I actually put it on women who have > votes, but = though complaining about a lack of repres., they still went w/ Donald over Hillary! I have nothing for them & their kvetchin' from here on to the end of X! They're a fk'n idiot gender who just can't help making bad decisions from single motherhood to breaking up families b/c they don't feel fulfilled!
***Blaming a gender is far too gen… that’s the kind of thinking that feeds racism & bigotry. Let’s just stick the the actual people who make excuses for Trump's lies & fuel his popularity. No need to paint blame on a gender group.***
Well that's easy to do; just move on & accept it! Don't appt. blame! I gave women the benefit of the doubt since I was a kid & they've disappointed me @ every turn; esp. when sabotaging their own best interests! They've hosed themselves when it comes to "choice!" In the blink of an eye, they've set themselves back 50 yrs.! No shit! "As a collective women have "fk'd themselves" for decades to come! Being a Sr. I had to stop giving a shit! Stupidity runs downhill & it always seems to happen when Reps. are in charge! Women still support these mysoginist pigs so this is on WOMEN! I know plenty of men tried to support their cause, but now look at them! They're screwed!
***That’s bullshit. Plenty of women out there w/ completely diff. viewpts. & perspectives… makes no sense to label them all by the actions of a faction.***
In incorp. comes into play when you can find something psychotic in > women! From the manipulation of partners, family, & friends to the delusion they're entitled to so much! It's hard to call myself a misogynist due to it being akin to "White Supremacy!" Heaven knows I can't be lumped in w/ them! As a Sr. I've just reflected on society, seeing it sink into depths unimaginable 20 yrs. ago! I do pt. the finger > @ women these days as they make so many bad decisions! From acquiring tons of college debt to their incomplete educ. or use< degrees they do earn! Single-motherhood's killing us; esp. the poor & uneduc. where they can get stuck in miserable lives! They might end up jailed, suicidal, or carrying around mental issues! We all need therapy according to the late Kevin Samuels! I need it, but'd rather stay damaged, hateful, & jaded!
***Again, you're gen. which is unfair to the individual. You might have an incredible person in front of you that you’re labeling & dismissing b/c of their gender. That would make you wrong about that person & there more ignorant from your prejudice. As somebody who claims to have reflected on society perhaps you reflect a lit'l on yourself & see the fault in your POV.***
Very unimaginative deflection! Generalizations are still valid! It's obvious all women aren't as dysfunctional, but there are plenty of them! You see them, you know they're fk'd up, & you avoid them like the plague; warning folks along the way!
***...The level of delusion that this dude is in the unfathomable. Ego’s are a hell of a drug!***
ReplyDeleteHis ego? What about hers? She got all deflated b/c of her husband's complimenting her BFF? She's truly lucky this didn't get = > OOH; like Travis getting arrested! Total a-holes!
***If your partner says something that disrespectful, they don't like or respect you.***
Well if you can't take the answer to a ?? being pressured, don't ASK! This is akin to asking, "does this make me look fat?" There's no good answer! Women prefer you lie to them! The delusion is real w/ them! - Why do people bother to get married if they allow petty incidents like this to brk. them up?
***I think he did a LOT > "compliment her BFF." He said he found her BFF > attractive > his wife. His wife. It = appears that he ONLY got w/ her b/c she was his crush's BF. That sounds rather twisted to me.***
Same ol' BS! Women say "just tell me the truth!" It always goes as bad as to say "YES" to "does this make me look fat?" All women are FOS! They want t/b lied to! They admit it as they start blubbering b/c they heard a truth they couldn't handle; which is everything!
***...These people are just doing a job. Do you apprec. your boss yelling @ you in front of customers, clients, or co workers? I feel like people forget that officers are just people too. I'm def. supportive of him getting a nice pay day, but that doesn't mean you have to try to humiliate the person who made a mistake too.***
Mistake? Cops can change your life over a mistake! People have been innocently injured, paralyzed, & killed thru cop mistakes! It happens over minor things like a traffic stop! TV dramas have it happening during a bank robbery or something! Now we can't = walk around taking pics on a public street! You're now in danger of being assaulted by cops for just that!
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***Why did Hillary lose the swing states she was expected to win?***
It was a perfect storm! Besides Hillary being one of the most hated women in US history, her staff wasn’t able to elevate her above a massive ego! She didn’t think she needed to ask for the votes of the populous in those swing states! I can’t remember her making = 1 trip to Wisc.! MI had been under Rep. rule for yrs., & Ohio normally went cons. in Presidential elections! A Rep. hadn’t won the office w/o winning OH IIRC!
Even though Comey & his FBI staff were as digusting as poss. to sabotage her, this came down to women IMO! Their self hatred shone thru & they supported the misogynist pig, who’s committed fraud, getting away w/ it, & raw-dogging a porn star while Melania was expecting! They knew all this & still voted for Trump!
Women have cost themselves so much! Looks as if Trump’s set the movement back 50+ yrs.! They will regret him installing those coservative judges all over the country to make their lives #ell for the next 50 years! Women have more votes out there, but continue to bellyache about a lack of representation as they install one old white guy after another into every office poss.! As a Sr., I couldn’t care er > any Dem. for President in '24 including Biden & Harris. Should she run & can she win?***
Hillary needs to just walk away! She tried doing her best, but the Amer. people jumped on the bandwagon to undermine, deligitimize, & humiliate her from day 1! I’d give this country the “BIG Mid’l Finger” after they chose a creature like Trump over her in '16 setting us back 50 yrs.! No matter how well the country’s doing, Reps. are talking it down just to appease The Boss of their party! Hillary was the > qualified & she obviously scared Putin into desp. measure to assist Trump into the Presidency! I guarantee he wouldn’t have pulled half this shit on her! We deserve what we get! As a Sr., I couldn’t care < as it'd do no good but drive up my BP!
***The Bills are a class act, & the fans make it happen. So is Josh Allen. Hopefully he gets his Super Bowl(s).***
ReplyDeleteSame here! I lived out in Calif. back in the 90s! We got all the Bills games for some reason! I woke @ 10 AM on Sun. to the Bills doing their thing for yrs! I was a huge fan of their cast of characters from Kelly & Thomas to Smith & Bennett! ...They tamed KC back then; = w/ Montana! I kept up w/ them as well due to Coach Schottenheimer taking over! He just couldn't get over the hump to make a SB; poor guy! He was sabotaged along the way w/ missed FG's coaching Cleveland, fumbles, & just plain bad luck vs Elway in the playoffs! Bad fortune & his cons. leanings led to him being lit'l > a great "reg. season" coach! I'm glad KC was able to finally get there under Reid! Hopefully Buffalo can get back there soon after so many yrs. being in the shadow of NE!
***The Broncos are finally finding out what Chiefs' fans went thru for almost 20 yrs. w/ Elway. The roles have been reversed where now it’s the Chiefs that have a > QB & Denver has been trying to find 1 since Peyton Manning left.
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Yeah, I only watched the game this X b/c I knew the Chiefs had an excel. chance of winning. ...Shady Brady having scandal after scandal that in college you get kicked out of the program for which proves the NFL's as corrupt as our gov't. is, I wanted the Chiefs to win b/c of that, It w/b a > refreashing change now hearing over the yrs. how the Chiefs were the last to do it.***
I can understand the country's over the SB w/ The Chiefs winning yet again! People outside of the state of MO want to move on! When it comes to fave SB, loved Foles actually outplaying Brady in SB LII when QB of Phili! When it comes to KC, I apprec. the tough playoff games they had to overcome; usually down by double digits late! Poor Houston has never recovered from loss to Mahomes up 24-0! Hilarious!
***The thing that's impressive about the Chiefs is they have proved that you DON'T have to cheat to achieve greatness.***
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Looks as if Skip Baseless is on his way out! The ratings have been steadily dropping after Shannon Sharpe left last yr.! I've also noticed that "Undisputed" has been cut from 2 1/2 hrs. to just an hr.; repeating Craig Carton's, "The Carton Show" to fill the slot until "The Herd" comes on at 1 PM, EST! Bayless has been sitting there like a doddering old man, allowing 3 loudmouths (Irvin, Sherman, & Johnson) to take over his show!
***Bayless always comes off as such a douche. I mean, I guess that's his schtick, & these sports "argument" shows are all over-the-top. The others at least do it w/ some humor. He's such a sourpuss there's very lit'l entertainment in the process.***
'Going hard' on one player is the latest thing in "making a name" for himself! Bayless couldn't be > insulting of a human being > his yrs. of relent to come, & families set for life! What did they get out of it in the end?
***- https://www.instagram.com/p/C2rvfCNNlpa/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=33be55e9-a432-4859-808e-750476afaa65 -***
ReplyDeleteI'm shocked Djokovic isn't on the list @ least once! At '12 AO in the SF & Final alone, he was on court struggling w/ Murray (4:55) & Nadal (5:53) resp. for 11 hrs.! The other matches leading up to those marathons mhb brief & efficient!
***1. It m/b sweet to use golf clubs that are diff. to mis-hit.
...
3. And club that's designed to hit right & a ball that's designed to fly str.
...
6. I understand how it is, pros get the good stuff. The clubs/ball makers want the pros to use their stuff, so they give them the BEST.***
The same tech devel. went into tennis rackets! Up until the mid 70's, rackets were as basic as a stick w/ cat-gut strings! The sweet spot was lit'l > the size of a fist! I can still recall Navr'ova/Evert in '78 Wimbl. Final! She was @ the net early in the match & a volley rolled up the throat of the racket! Even the best could flub the easiest shot back then! W/ today's rackets, the hardest shot c/b knocked off for a winner on reflex! It's ridiculous how the "Tennis Boom" led to advancements that changed the sport O/N; esp. after Connors & Evert won '74 Wimbl.!
***Big 3 Slams: '04-23 (20 yrs): 65 of 79 Slams (82%).
Of those 20 yrs., the Big 3 won the majority of Slams in all but 2 yrs. ('14,'16), & all 4 Slams 8 X's (40%).
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Apparently Saudis are going to host some kind of 'all star'/top 6 players BS tourn. in Oct. Need< to say, they offered plenty $$.***
It's apparent, the Saudis think they can buy their way to World-wide respectability! I barely keep up w/ Dubai & Qatar events! Unfort. for them, I have a long memory & all they'll end up doing is running off true fans & MOI that won't allow their "blood $$" to buy into the future of tennis! I'll prob. only give the ATP 2 or 3 > seasons B4 jumping off the wagon since '73! It was a long run, but not sure I can support a sport under new mngmt./sponsorship! - What in the world has happened to Musetti, FAA, & Korda? They just can't get too far into a draw these days! The losses are piling up in str. sets!
***Put a fork in FAA b/c he has already peaked & the only way to go is down. He doesn't have the belief & fire to win big events. Korda @ least tries & Musetti needs X to mature. At least FAA is non-problematic unlike Shelton the jerk.***
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Wow; Alcaraz better hope to at least make the final this coming wk. in Rio! People will begin to wonder about the guy! He lit. hasn't won an event since Wimbl.! He's in So. America trying to defend pts. in Argentina & Brazil! He lost SF to Jarry in Buenos Aires so far! Lets see what happens in Rio!
***Who's Ryan Harrison coaching in Dallas? If he's coaching Shelton, then it's a marriage made in heaven. They w/b competing on who's the >est jerk.***
I've overlooked the talk of Ryan's bad attitude for yrs.! I was captivated for other reasons > his tennis; him & his bro. Christian!
***Surface GOAT - Rafa won 68.1% of the total poss. PEP pts. on clay. Quite aston., really.
ReplyDeleteLendl on Carpet? - I knew Lendl was a maestro on carpet, but this was a bit surprising to see him 2nd. McEnroe actually had a >er carpet peak Elo, but Lendl looks >er according to this metric. Borg on clay is right behind him, unsurprisingly.
All-Surface Greats (ASGs) - Only a handful of players have every surface they played on represented: The Big 3, of course, w/ Novak being the > bal. (his worst surface is clay, & still 19th on this list) - not counting the few carpet matches all 3 played. Borg has 3 surfaces in the top 11 & he was still pretty good on his worst surface, HC's. Laver has all 4 surfaces represented, &'d prob. be > dom. on this chart if I had incl. his pre-OE stats.
Finally, Jimmy Connors - who is one of the most bal. players of the OE. His clay rec.'s kind of forgotten, but he was really good on clay - about as good as Vilas & Fed.
...Comparing across surfaces - ...Nadal & Connors were about as good on HC's (though Nadal played a lot >), or that McEnroe was about as good on carpet--his best surface--as Sampras & Federer were on grass, their best surfaces. Or that Nadal was about as good on grass & HC's as Murray was on his best surface, grass. Or that Borg on clay, in his short career, was a bit >er > Roger or Novak on any surface (though Borg gets the benefit of his #'s not being softened by decline).
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Actually, Novak and then Roger have the best you group those 3 together in terms of services they all have played on. Sadly, carpet is no longer played on, which I used to enjoy immensely. Novak has more success than Roger on Clay both in terms of the height of his, and where it is on the chart. He is equal to Roger on grass more or less and is slightly had a Roger on her records, unbelievably so. What is impressive is Borg to me--incredible player him across 4 surfaces as you can see. Connors and McEnroe too! But how about Rod Laver! He stands out superbly as well!
Mac was relatively weak on clay - with a 12.8 PPEP%. That's still solid, though. I don't have these stats for non-greats, but I'm guessing he was about as good on clay as some of the better clay-courters of the late 90s and early 00s. That's better than Becker, Edberg, and Sampras on clay, but doesn't figure into the chart and is significantly worse than Roger on clay (24.2%) or even Lendl on grass (19.5%). I don't have an exact number in mind, but I'd say 15-20% is where the elite begins, 30% is bordering into great, 40% is truly great, and 50% is GOAT-worthy.
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...This stat somewhat depresses guys who won a lot of weak tourns. like Vilas & Muster, both of whom were dom. on low level clay tourns., but not as > on >er level ones. Muster had the one clay Slam & a handful of Masters, but won > of his clay tourns. on 250/500 =valents & didn't go deep @ RG that freq.. Meaning, this stat is > heavily wt.'d towards big titles & going deep @ Slams over accum. a lot of Muster & to a er).
Laver was very bal., > on all surfaces - = those that he had to adapt to rel. late in his career (HC's & carpet). And remember that those #'s don't include > of his peak. That said, it is hard to compare this stat to Pro Circuit players b/c the nature of the circuit was so diff., w/ the H2H tours. Players like Pancho Gonzales'd focus on the pro tours & have ness--& why I think he's the overall GOAT--is that he was so good on all 3 surfaces. His worst surface, clay, is still >er (36.8%) > all but 2 players, Nadal & Borg.***
Dubai's a mess! They didn't have Fedalovic to begin w/, then they lose their top 2 seeds B4 the final! Karma? Rublev just disintegrated out there! His temper looks t/b getting worse; usually for no good reason! He was in control of that match vs Bublik in the 3rd! He was up a brk., ready to go 2, then next we see, it's all tied up @ 5, then he's defaulted for abusing a linesman! Wow! What a wk.! He'll def. drop in the rankings along w/ Medvedev who was trying to defend his title!
ReplyDelete***Sampras, Laver & Borg are > "legends" @ this pt.***
Agreed; Sampras, Laver, & Borg > legendary! I place players like Connors, Agassi, Lendl, & McEnroe a bit below = though there's an argument for each! Agassi had the 1st CGS since '69 Laver, Connors has the most tourn. won @ 109 events, Lendl played 8 str. USO Finals, & then there's McEnroe's run in '84! Emo was fortunate that Laver, Rosewall, Hoad & Gonazales were Pro's so he had the amateur ranks to himself for a while getting to 12 majors & holding the rec. for decades waiting for Sampras! I ?? the elite class! Murray was owned by Fedalovic taking only 3 majors, Wawrinka never = got to #1, & Hewitt only made a mark due to Sampras falling by the wayside & barely made a blip on the ATP radar! Roddick mhb world class, but he was the perennial Rnr.-up to Roger again & again! He really needed to finish off that Wimbl. effort in '09! He blew it all w/ that 1 high BH volley miss in the 2nd set TB!
***...You can diminish any player's achiements. E.g., Laver era was weak b/c Gonzalez was playing pro. Becker was lucky to win his slams B4 Sampras was around. Borg was lucky to win 5 Wimbls. B4 peak McEnroe. And in a few yrs. some will say Nadal was lucky not to face Alcaraz & Sinner on clay.***
They’re still trying to diminish Djokovic & he owns just about every important rec.! He obviously had a true gaunlet of talent to weather & broke recs. def. those top 10'rs! Borg’s run prob. the > impressive as he was a baseliner in the grass court era, dealing w/ some of the best S & V'rs in the game includ. Newcombe, Laver, Ashe, McEnroe, Tanner, Nastase, etc.!
***The bttm. line is that Borg's place in history is unique & we're likely never going TBA to fully assess his place in a satisfying way.***
Borg truly has a unique pos. in the history of tennis! He came along shortly after The OE began in '73! Players like Rosewall, Laver, Newcombe, & Nastase's careers beginning to slow down, wane, & end! He started early enuf to get grass exper. w/ 3 of the 4 majors on that surface! As a 15 yo, & the top 100 men boycotting Wimbl. in '73, Borg wound up a high seed; #6 w/ Connors @ #5! He got all the way to the Qtrs.! Lit'l did we know he'd win 5 in a row starting in 3 short yrs. making 6 str. finals! Taking 6 FO's in those 8 > yrs., he finished his career w/ 11 Majors & leading the men in the Pro Era until Sampras took over w/ 14! That's why he forever w/b brought up; = 100 yrs. from now! He's still an ICON = though I'm a lit'l uncomfort. him leading in the Laver Cup! He's no leader of men! He read comic-books while on tour & slept a lot during those yrs.!
***I saw yesterday that Nadal WD from IW. Why'd he do an exh. w/ Alcaraz B4 his return & risk his health? Now he’s going to attempt his return via clay. I didn’t hold out > hope that he'd return @ a high level, but now I’m wondering if he can = achieve Murray’s.***
No one ever said Rafa was the sharpest knife in the drawer! He has sabotaged his entire career as far as I'm concerned, being single-minded, overplaying on clay, coming & going from the tour as he pleases over the yrs., & not just letting it go when in a bad spot! You see what's happened to the guy w/ so > heart it's actually taken a toll on his body! There are prob. 50+ yo's in >er physical shape > Rafa! He's an idiot along w/ his family & team of sycophants who've kept this shit going for so long; now for well over a yr.!
***You couldn't wait could you to have another dig @ him? Calling him "an idiot along w/ his family & team of sycophants?"***
***People should stop glorifying Nadal's every single win & berating the ones by Roger who during his prime, unfort. played Rafa >ly on clay. Recently again he has had the >er of Rafa everywhere except on clay. Let's enjoy their rivalries & give credit where it's due.***
ReplyDeleteRegad< of the Fedal rivalry, Djokovic made the issue MOOT yrs. ago by overtaking both in H2H. Majors (24), Masters (40), YEC’s (7), YE #1’s (8), & 400+ Wks. @ #1! He not only took over all the recs., he did it in rec. X going “thru Fedal” in their primes! Everything Nole wins now is just gravy to ext. his lead over all pretenders to the throne!
***...Below is a list of the yrs. in which players won their last title (even if it was their first and only). It is worth noting that of the 18 titles so far this year, the oldest to win one is Grigor Dimitrov (b. 1991).
KEY:
SLAM WINNER
Big Title Winner
Born in 1980s; Born in 1970s; Born in 1960s
'24 - ?
'23 - DJOKOVIC, Monfils, Gasquet, Mannarino
'22 - NADAL, Bautista Agut, Ramos Vinolas,
'21 - CILIC, Isner, K Anderson
'20 - none
'19 - FEDERER, MURRAY, Tsonga, Fognini, Lopez, Paire
'18 - DEL POTRO, Nishikori, Simon, Andujar, M Zverev, Klizan
'17 - WAWRINKA, Ferrer, L Mayer, Querrey, Muller, Estrella Burgos, Dolgopolov, Cuevas, Sugita, Kohlschreiber, Istomin
'16 - Berdych, Troicki, Monaco, Verdasco, F Mayer, Almagro, Mahut, Garcia Lopez, Bellucci, Lorenzi, Monaco; Karlovic
'15 - Garcia Lopez, Ram, Sousa
'14 - HEWITT, Gulbis, Berlocq, Rosol
'13 - Robredo, Youzhny, Tipsarevic, Zeballos, Montanes, Granollers, Melzer; Haas
'12 - RODDICK, Nieminen, Seppi, Haase
'11 - FERRERO, Soderling, Davydenko, Dodig, Sweeting, Tursunov, Fish; Stepanek
'10 - Nalbandian, Golubev, Baghdatis, Llodra, Stakhovsky, Kukushkin; Ljubicic, Chela
'09 - F Gonzalez, Becker, Chardy, Ginepri
'08 - Darcis, Petzschner, Hanescu, Kunitsyn; Santoro
'07 - Malisse, Horna, Mathieu; MOYA, Grosjean, Canas, Blake
'06 - Serra, Acasuso, Ancic, Volandri, Rochus; Philippoussis, Calleri, Clement, Bracciali
'05 - SAFIN, Coria, J Johansson, Andreev; AGASSI, T JOHANSSON, GAUDIO, Rusedski, Carlsen, Moodie, Arthurs, Puerta, Bjorkman
'04 - Massu, Srichaphan, Mello, Haehnel; KUERTEN, Novak, Hrbaty, Spadea, Zabaleta, Verkerk,
'03 - Dent; Mantilla, Henman, Ferreira, Mirnyi, Schuettler, Koubek, Lee, D Sanchez, Kucera, Gambill, Boutter, Schalken,
'02 - SAMPRAS, KAFELNIKOV, Corretja, Enqvist, Escude, El Aynaoui, Sanguinetti, Burgsmuller
'01 - IVANISEVIC, Portas, Pavel, Lapentti, Tabara, Vicente, A Martin, Gaudenzi, Godwin, Vacek; Clavet
'00 - Vinciguerra; CHANG, COSTA, Norman, Larsson, Rosset, Kiefer, Squillari, Golmard, Wessels, Prinosil, Balcells; Pioline, Gustafsson
'99 - KRAJICEK, RAFTER, Rios, Woodruff, T Martin, Di Pasquale, Voinea, Marin; Pioline, Black
...I might've got 1 or sev. guys wrong and/or listed them > once.
It's crazy to think that Wawrinka hasn't won a title since '17 - that's 7 yrs. ago! He's been around, but hasn't been anything close to his former self since '20, when he reached his last Slam QF & finished #18.
Anyhow, good old Karlovic is the last 70s baby to win a title in '16, the yr. he turned 37. Of the 60s baby, it's Clavet way back in '01, the yr. he turned 33. I think this illustrates how players have been aging out a bit later - Roger's gen, but > so the Rafa-Novak gen.
One final note, you can see a bit of a "bulge" in '16-17 as a lot of 80s babies won their last titles, & then > of a trickle since then. The corresponding "bulge" for 70s births' somewhere in the '00-05 range, so correspondingly earlier.
...It's prob. easy $$ on Novak being the last, & my guess w/b '25 or '26, depending upon how long he wants to hold on. Mannarino's a guy who's having a nice ext. prime - he's never been quite a 2nd tier guy, but had his best season last yr. in '23, winning 3 ATP 250 titles & finishing #22.***
***If Purdy had thrown that exact same pass that Love got away w/, you’d say it’s b/c he’s not very good & can’t lead his team to victory.***
ReplyDeleteI've been listening/watching sports commentators undermine & try to humiliate this guy, Purdy for over a yr.! I just don't understand it! Calling him "Mr. Irrelevant" persists after a SB app.! SF c/d worse! This past SB came down to 1/2 dozen > plays that Purdy had no control of; esp. the successful QB blitzes by Chris Jones! Mahomes wasn't tearing it up thru the air either & the score was tight to the end! Great finish to the game @ least!
***I'd give any QB @ least 2 full seasons B4 assessing his ceiling. It's no diff. w/ Purdy. I think the Josh Allen-like arm is over-rated. What separates the top QBs is their mind & how they process the field in the >est pressure situations.***
It's obviously worked out for Mahomes & KC! Being a defending chp. is stressful enough, but to have the angst of this past season w/ dropped balls by receivers dragged the team down into some humiliating losses! It really hurt Tyreek took the $$ over being ICONIC as Montana/Rice w/ Pat! Dumb IMO! They need to go out there & get a speedster WR to go deep!
***Yup. KC's defin. going to addr. their issue @ WR, which will almost certainly make them a >er team next yr. They’re already a dynasty & they’re only going to get >er.
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If Mahomes wins next yr. & he’s prob. past Brady. You said it yourself 3-4 of Tom’s SBs were won in spite of him. All of Mahomes’ were b/c of him. He wins 3 in a row, something no one has done. There’s no current reason to believe he won’t play well into his 30s.***
FG's won quite a few of those games Brady's famous for winning w/ NE! I recall a Div. Playoff game where Manning of the Colts went for 2 pt. conv. early in the game, m/b the 3rd Qtr.! It wound up making the diff. in their upset of NE & Brady when Tom would've needed a TD instead of a FG! The Colts held & the kicker couldn't save the day!
***KC took a step back this yr. & still must beat Buff., Cinci., & Balt. just to make the SB. Mahomes is an amazing physical talent, but he's an accident waiting to happen. QBs w/ his game usually don’t last long. I doubt Mahomes can play @ the same level @ 40-45 as Brady did.***
Nor should he try! They're already openly speaking of a "Jordan Rule!" Defensive Coord. may intend on trying to cripple Mahomes if they can; = if it's dirty!
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***The men's basketball leagues draw a whole lot > $$ > the chicks do. M/b if the WNBA had their players wear >er uniforms like the LFL does? As well as m/b hire beauticians to doll up the babes so men w/b > interested?***
When I lived out in Sacr. back in the 90's & early 2000's, I travelled quite a bit! I ran into the women's basketball team all the X at the airport! They were made to wear make-up while en route, but they were still very rough looking, athletic, tall Amazons! Poor Lisa Leslie! ;-)
That Chgo. Winter storm in '79 was a double whammy of Xmas & NY'rs Eves getting hit w/ the blizzard each day, then the temps. dropping. That was why we had snow above eye level until mid-April. The Sun just reflected off of the piles hanging on into Spring.
ReplyDelete***Trump's Troubles X As Inflation Of His Scottish Homes’ Value Is Discovered; Report Claims.***
I gave up yrs. ago that Trump willl truly pay for his crimes! Going back decades there are so many instances where Trump shb prosecuted & jailed! The goal posts keeps moving! The latest thing I heard is TRUCKERS are talking about refusing to make deliveries to NY in solidarity vs the prosecution of Trump! I think the powers that be just hope he expires B4 he’s truly made to take accountability for his actions!
***Mark Robinson has just won the Rep. nom. for Gov'r of No. Carolina. He's a Black Trump supporter who says not only are Black people not owed any reparations, but in fact WE OWE reparations to white people as thanks for bringing us here as slaves.***
In the immortal words of Don King, "only in America!" I gave up yrs. ago sanity'd overcome the colossal stupidity of so many people who support such ideas & candidates! Like that movie "Amageddon," I'd go for not being taxed for the rest of my life! That way in comparison to the gov't paying out checks, just keeping everything I earned is > fair & a lot simpler!
***...Even if I do think that Biden will beat Trump again. What if Biden had done what he'd said, & been a one-term president, opening up the primary to all Dems. that'd want to run? We have a raft of > candidates on the Dem. side, as good options, esp. in opp. to Trump. I'm feeling buyer's remorse as to the DNC decision. I don't think upturning everything @ the Convention is going t/b the answer.
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You Dems have to stop wetting the bed about this. The original assessment was correct. Biden w/ incumbency should beat Trump. As much as I think there are decent alternatives the irony is that lack of exp. &/or > progressive candidates'd detract > you'd like to think w/ voters who only pay attn. @ Presidential elec. X. Reps. have spent 4 yrs. #-ing away @ Biden's age, & it's soaked into everyone's psyche. It's impressive what they do. The election has officially started now. I still maintain HRC'd've beaten Trump but for Comey, despite the magnificent job they did on the emails thing. The key now is that there s/b no 'Comey event'. If I were you I w/b > concerned about Garland > anything else. Well apart from Biden confirming pre-conceps. of course. You have the economy & employment fizzing in your favor & I don't see that changing in X to help Trump.
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No signs of dementia w/ Biden @ the SOTU last nite! It damages the Rep. narrative. This is the prob. the GOP has created for itself. They've created such a low bar, all Biden has to do is pass & the whole nonsense evaporates. Stupid!***
Rep. IQ's been going down for yrs.! The smarter ones are being run out of pol. b/c they make too > sense & compromise! Those aren't part of the cons. DNA these days, but who approve of chaos over peaceful co-exitence! Lying has taken over the party &'s become acceptabe amongst them; = religious ones! It's > a bit shameful to see them this way! Decades ago I could easily support & vote for a Rep.! I wouldn't install one to manage the french fries @ McD's these days! They are retched individuals impossible to respect in the least!
Watching "The Five" lose it over Biden's SOTU perform. as well! Jeanine Pirro needs her Bar Card taken away! Jessie Watters' the >gest tool on the show! Biden was a "doddering old man" B4, now "he's hyped up on something! I want him to pee in a cup!" You can't win w/ these psychos! The lone liberal on the panel, Jessica Tarlov has to deal w/ these jerks over-talking her the entire X! The disrespect's unbelieveable, but I guess she'll take anything for the $$!
ReplyDelete***I thank you for the tip on chk'n out "The Five." I have been wondering about Right-wing media reaction. Some nerve of FNC to say that Biden @ SOTU provided no vision for his 2nd term. He actually did, quite a lot. And, as if Trump has one. Trump trades only in dystopian horror.
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How bad is Hillary Clinton that she lost to Donald Trump? She received 3 M > VOTES > Trump. SHE was def. by the elect. coll., not by we-the-people. And no, SHE isn’t “bad,” or “crooked” or any other Trumpian pejorative cooked up in his Adderall addled brain. SHE was investigated by Reps for over 30 yrs. w/o them identifying so much as an unpaid parking ticket. SHE testified B4 Congress for 11 hrs. str. w/o taking the 5th, as Trump did over 500 X's, & SHE'd've made a > >er president > that orange ball of incoherent Nazi goo who, w/ Putin’s assist., cheated his way into the Oval Office. Does THIS answer your ???***
Don’t forget, a > many votes were peeled off by 3rd Party cand., Jill Stein! She didn’t take any EC votes, but it helped elect Trump; esp. in the So. & MW! Hillary chd things >er, but the world-wide machine was cranking @ a feverish pitch from Putin & Assange to the relent< attacks from cons. & Rep. in the US! ...She was the > qualified in the history of the country! Putin feared her; hence his campaign w/ FB to undermine her every move! Women s/b = > disgusted as they set their movement back 50 yrs.! The cons. & incompetent judges Trump installed from App. Courts to the SC will do them no favors!
***Biden showed why he's had such a long, successful career as a pol. ...I'm going to pt. out the completely class< Marjorie Taylor Greene, who wore a MAGA cap, & handed Biden a "sticker" or something w/ Laken Riley's name on it. She was in violation of House rules for wearing a campaign cap on the House floor. I believe she was asked to remove it, or leave, or face censure. She prob. knows that Mike Johnson is too afraid of her to do anything. But when MTG shouted @ Biden about Laken Riley, he held up the sticker & confronted her. I thought that was rather nimble.***
The only thing > pathetic > the antics & asinine behavior of Reps & cons. is that Lib. Dems. are still losing to them! When I was a kid, I used to think the Dems. gave "too > credit to the PEOPLE" to see thru the lies & misinfo. while Reps. went the op. way w/ a credo of "we can fool enough of the people" to succeed! I think they finally lost it after embarassment of Nixon, Ford losing out on 2nd term, & a peanut farmer sitting in a chair they thought they owned! Rep. & Cons. sold their souls to the Devil; namely the "Religious Right" for their unflinching loyalty = if the cand. was a rapist, fraud-ster, & insurrectionist! Congress had been owned by the Dems for as long as I can recall, but told the Majority Leader was a Dem. for well over 40 yrs.! It's gone back & forth w/ obvious success w/ the Dems, but as always, Reps. take advantage of the gullible & stupid to turn things around on its ear; hence huge Nat'l Debts increases when they're in charge! I heard Trump increased it by 34%! Blame it on Covid-19 I guess! Funny, Biden had > success w/ the budget, inflation, recession, & unempl. as the rightwing play down all the #'s while lying to their own kids!
***Southern Dems were racists; thus the brk-up during the Civil War b/c So. Dems wanted to keep their slaves. Then they joined the Rep. Party.
ReplyDeleteNorthern Dems. wanted popular sovereignty, thus the stage is set for a Civil War btwn. the North & South. The driving issue was slavery.***
I saw the change starting after "Civil Rights" legis. passed in the 60's to make the South act right! At least pols were forced to work together & commit to compromise back then to get things done! That all changed after those bigoted Blue Dog Dems switched over to become Reps! They needed to go > extreme to set themselves apart! They sold their souls to The Devil touting their religious convictions, objected to Roe v Wade until overturned recently, calling Libs "Gawd-< heathens" who drank the blood of infants! They really started putting party over the country; = if it costs us our liberty! It's no secret when Reps. are in charge, everything goes to SHIT! Employment is tenuous, tax cuts abound as the Nat'l Debt is inflated expon.! The country eventually comes around, puts the Dems. back into power to fix it, just in X to reverse themselves again voting in trashy, unintel. bigots! If Trump takes over again, it c/b the end of Dem. as we know it! We've already allowed him carte blanche to get away w/ just about any & everything up to, but not includ. MURDER!
***You watch CNN & MSNBC religiously, don’t you? Explain why white Dems live & play among white Dems. exclusively. Explain why blacks are perpetually segregated & vote Dem. exclusively.***
Why or how do the people do anything these days? There are > women voters, but their self-hate made them select Trump over Hillary! They set themselves back 50 yrs. w/ tons of cons. judges installed to frustrate their future "movements!" This gen. might as well give it up!
***Explain.***
What's there to explain? It was like a rock rolling downhill! It started being something "out of control" w/ Comey/Friends of the FBI sabotaging the '16 election w/ an open invest. of the Clintons! FB contributed & had no idea Russians were behind the smears of Hillary = though paid in Rubles! Jill Stein took crucial votes away from Clinton; hence the election of Trump! He installs 3 hack, cons. judges to the SC along w/ Appelates that will thwart lib. causes for the next 30+ yrs.! Roe v Wade was overturned, setting other dominos to fall like IVF & Stem Cell development! If a fertilized egg's considered a child, this country is fk'd! As a Sr., I have to stop caring! My BP is high enough w/o dealing w/ Rep. a-holes & cons. actions that belie credulity, facts, & common sense!
***The driving issue was economic pressure put upon the South by a tyrannical Fed, slavery issue playing into that. The South seceded, the Fed then initiated war in order to recoup the southern states. After a yr.+ of war, the Fed outlawed slavery as a pol. strategy. The North wanted nothing to do w/ freed slaves, which is why they relegated the migrating blacks into city ghettos & kept them segregated.***
What I do know is that Lincoln was ready to accept the South back into the FOLD = w/ slavery!
***Correct. The objective was recouping the southern states, not abolishing slavery.
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- https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/how-gaza-health-ministry-fakes-casualty-numbers -***
I'm glad I don't watch the news much @ all these days! It's come to this; "acceptable #'s of casualties!" Hard to believe the people "running the show" are so mature, sophisticated, & educated! They'd rather keep this shit going forever! I've been listening to this crap since I was a kid & Golda Meir was running things! I don't think the area w/b satisfied until there's total annihilation!
***Nice scalp for LL Luca! Nardi knocks off Novak in 3rd Rd. of IW!***
ReplyDeleteIt had to happen sooner or later! Is this a preview of things yet to come or the beginning of the end? I'm sure Novak'll get something out of this loss! There's no doubt he's going to Miami to make up for this early exit! No AO or an IW win ahead of his visit So.! Such a rarity! Alcaraz & Sinner have a chance to close in on him for #1 if either wins IW, then does well in Miami!
***Just saw the scores. Had to come & see if a welfare chk's needed for Fiero? I'll get my homies @ the CPD to do a driveby pronto.***
I'll take any support! I'm old, doddering, & shaky AF! It's almost an end of an era! I didn't see this coming! Sampras was supposed t/b @ the top!
***All things must end. Take care of yourself, friend. - Let's face it, Novak's 36 yo. It's the beginning of the end, no matter how long he attenuates it. What's he going to take from this loss? That he needs to return >er? No, nothing. He played as well as he could, for his age, vs someone who out-played him. What he's going to take away from it is that he'd >er get used to it. #fathertime***
We'll see! Who was it that said, "the reports of my death are greatly exaggerated?" Nole only needs a MC Masters to own 3 GM's, then a FO to have 4 CGS's! Everything's gravy as we all know by now; anything just increasing the lead he already owns in all the important recs.!
***He's def. been sweeping up some hardware after his >gest opps. became s say that you can't always access your best game every day, post-30. Dj may have underest. his opp., & played too passively for too long. Also, he met a hot opp. & got out-played.***
Only in this era can we see such Jadedness to undermine the performance of a 36 yo man who won 3 Majors & barely dropped the 4th in 5 sets!
***Sinner's elbow. I haven't really been watching yet. Is there an issue?***
It's' inevitable w/ all these newbies on tour whacking away at every shot! I just don't feel like I'm missing > when I skip matches on TV! It's just not as entertaining watching the guys trying to take the cover off the ball! I've already given up on the ladies; m/b Osaka could bring me back "into the fold!" Novak was out-played which's nothing new really! He's proved so far that he c/b extended & = def. in BO3! Sascha Z. has def. DJ @ the Olympics & a YEC Final! The challenge's for anyone to do it in a major, BO5! So far as a Sr. player, Novak's defying physics, Father X, & Mother Nature! Even if he's not my fave player, you have to apprec. giving it his all w/o all the dramatics as some other camps overdue to RETIRE!
***Daniil has become, I think, the Andy Murray of the tour - an elite player, but a 1/2 step behind the current Big 3 (Novak, Alcaraz, Sinner). He's now 8-10 in Big Title Finals. His 8 wins:
Goffin, Zverev x2, Thiem, Opelka, Djokr, Rune, Sinner
His 10 losses:
Nadal x3, Djokr x3, Zverev, Alcaraz x2, Sinner
vs. Sinner, Alcaraz, Djokr & Nadal: 2-9
vs. Others: 6-1***
It's all "in his head!" He has all the ability/ skill, & stamina t/b @ the top! He was the only one who scared me when it came to Novak's CYGS attempt in '21! I mentioned that "Novak needs Daniil t/b upset at USO!" It didn't help that Sascha Z. decided to keep Novak on court for 5 grueling sets in the SF! Sure enuf, besides being overworked in prev. matches, Djokovic was still recovering from Olym. disapptmt.! I thought he'd skip it, but the man wanted to chal. himself! He had to take advan. of the opport. to show Fedal & their fans that he was the best by a long mile in matching their OGM's! Unfort., I don't have a lot of hope for him in Paris this Summer Olym. or 1 last attempt poss. in '28!
***I do think a lot of it is in his head. In the TB, the collapse, ...in the 2nd set. I know it's poss. that Alcaraz was just too good, but surely Med chm > of a fight of it?***
***As a follow-up, here are the >gest outlier best seasons by PEP:
ReplyDelete+23: A. Murray (55 in '16, 32 in '12/15)
+19: J. McEnroe (66 in '84, 47 in '81)
+18: G. Vilas (44 in '77, 26 in '75)
+16: M. Rios (26 in '98, 10 in '99)
+16: B. Gottfried (26 in '77, 10 in '78)
+14: T. Muster (32 in '95, 18 in '96)
+14: C. Richey (24 in '70, 10 in '66)
+13: G. Forget (19 in '91, 6 in '92)
+13: M. Wilander (47 in '88, 34 in '83)
+13: N. Djokovic (79 in '15, 66 in '11)
+12: M. Safin (29 in 2000, 17 in '04)
+11: A. Roddick (31 in '03, 20 in '04)
+11: A. Zverev (30 in '21, 19 in '18)
+11: C. Ruud (20 in '22, 9 in '21)
Rod Laver's '69 season (75 PEP) was actually +32 his 2nd best OE season, 43 in '70, but he had 4 seasons in the 1960s that were 59 or >er, w/ '62 being 69...so that's not much of a gap.
Anyhow, IDK if I'd call the above "fluke" seasons, but they are the career yrs. that stood out the > from the rest of their career, & Andy's '16 is the top one (though not as a %..that might go to Guy Forget in 91/92).
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So Murray & Monfils' still out there; like Djokovic...why do you have a prob. w/ that?***
If & when Novak becomes > of an "impediment" > a winner, I w/b kicking him too! The man +ed 3 Majors & a YEC to his rec. last season! It's obviously not his X to exit gracefully! Players like Murray & Monfils just have a good match here & there t/b an annoyance! Djokovic's still comp. w/ the top players! Other vets are scratching past Qualifiers, Jrs., other vets, & WC's!
***I think it's fair to say Djokovic wins quite a lot of tourns. compared to Murray & Monfils.***
Logic & common sense evade some who won't acknowledge Novak's accomplishing something w/ his "hanging on!" He's still winning Majors &'s very close to brk'n Connors' rec. of 109 ATP wins! Players like Monfils & Murray are just holding back the next wave of players taking up spots in draws that s/b open for "up & coming" talent! I promise t/b just as critical of Djokovic if he's just hanging around! On the ladies' side it's going on w/ Venus, Azarenka, & now Wozniaki!
***Arguably, they do the tourn. good. Unlike Djokovic, who bailed on it.***
The game has sped up so much, I can't believe it! It's hard to watch really! Back in the day, I thought I could compete w/ just about anyone w/ my serve! I couldn't comprehend trying to keep up w/ the game now = though I'd attack relentlessly! That means nothing as any player in the top 300 can hit winners from anywhere on the court over 100 MPH! That just wasn't the case back in the 70's & 80's! If I were to picture what I mean, look @ '86 USO Women's Final w/ Navratilova vs Graf! It was a tough 3 set match w/ 2 TB's! It's comperable to what I'm talking about w/ Graf smoking her FH & Navratilova trying to make Steffi uncomfortable w/ her attacking style! Even then it was a dangerous proposition to challenge Steffi's passing shots! Now you can poss. lose an eye, get whacked in the head, & take one to the gut! So far Novak's been able to keep up, but it's def. getting tougher w/ the likes of Sinner & Alcaraz, but few others when it cts., BO5!
***Anybody have comments on free agency signings? Derrick Henry to the Ravens has t/b the outstanding signing so far imho.***
ReplyDeleteI don't = try to keep up w/ free agency! The $$'s so obscene! Every X I think it's out of control & can't keep going in a dir., = > $$'s thrown @ the game! Mahome's deal was out of date the next day he signed it @ $500 M/10 yrs! Other QB's who've never = played a SB are making > him! I'm sure Tyreek Hill has all kinds of regret leaving KC for the $$ in Miami! That's 2 SB's he's missed out on! If that can happen, sillier moves will occur! All we can do is hope it all works out for the league as they get > & > powerful in the sport's market! NFL Football has become a 12 month event w/ something always going on; in or out of season!
***Yeah, but I like the Combine, free agency, Draft, OTA’s all leading into preseason. I don’t think I w/b nearly this interested if the Chiefs were not this successful. I feel like those of us who have supported them for decades are in some sort of fever dream. Sooner or later we have to wake up, but I want to enjoy it for now.
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The Raiders used t/b such a > franchise. They're a shell of their former self. It's like they're cursed.***
Like Dallas & Wash'ton, it's about bad ownership & mgmt.; or lack thereof! Jerry Jones isn't eaten alive b/c he's the show! The team is an after-thought as he has a radio show, speaks to the media B4, during, & after the game, & hires coaches he can manipulate! The Cowboys are prob. worth the > of any franchise in the country = though they haven't won shit in almost 30 yrs.! I'd say the > valuable in the WORLD, but those Soccer Shieks throw $$ around like it's going out of style! They've been after sponsoring the PGA (LIV Tour) & is encroaching on Tennis all the X! I won't be watching either pretty soon! As a Sr., sports isn't as pleasurable due to it being > about $$ instead of actually winning! Even the > cursed of teams gets to the chp. game once in a while; = my sorry Bears in '07!
***The NY Giants', Saquon, if healthy is >er > the RB's the Eagles had. He runs, he catches, & he blocks. A 3 down running back.***
We need to get accustomed to The NFL not having too much patience or reverence of RB's as they've been devalued over the yrs.! Way back when, a team c/b formed around them; now they're released in their prime for a kid just coming out of college! Money's flowing in the league, but vet. RB's are an endangered species it seems!
***The workhorse RB (around 30 carries/game) is rapidly becoming an endangered species. A lot of teams seem t/b going RB by committee. Part of that likely is that they can then pay the "committee" backs < they'd pay one stud back. Since neither one'd've the huge #'s to justify a big contract.
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Real players want rings...not just $$$. Even Deion took a pay cut for one yr. to try & get a ring.***
Well that's a matter of opinion! Early on it's all the $$! Later when X's running out, they think "I need a Chp.!" W/ NBA'r, Durant, it wasn't = about the $$ & winning! It was > about his ego needing constant stroking! What idiot'd volunt. leave a Chp. team like Golden State?
***Fields didn't have many off. weapons & the Bears OL was not that good either. He was traded to Pitts. for 6th Rd. cond. pick; up to 4th if starting over Russell.***
Even though I live in Chgo., it's hard to watch the Bears! Fields made me anxious due to holding onto the ball too long! He sacked himself many X's thinking he could lunch, drink, & take an aftermeal toke off a hookah B4 throwing the ball away! His escapes were almost anti-climactic w/ him continuing to hold the ball too long!
***...Raiders coach Bill Callahan threw the SB game b/c he hated Al Davis & the players, & was friends w/ Jon Gruden.***
ReplyDeleteTB had to cough up X draft choices & $$ when Gruden went South! Davis owed him $$; just like w/ Shanahan when he left the Raiders!
***Anyone w/ 1/2 a brain knew how that SB was going to end. Gruden coached both teams that yr. He knew what the Raiders were going to do B4 they snapped the ball on every play.
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Expect the Chiefs t/b the newest team to join the forever OAKLAND Raiders & forever SAN DIEGO chargers to desert their fans & give them the mid'l finger for another city.***
Cities have to pay for those "bragging rights" when having a winning team! I think KC's been fortunate! From what I recall, Arrowhead's still a "state of the art" facility = though over 30 yo! A lit'l refresh to the place is in order after all this X! True enough the NFL teams have the $$ to do it on their own, but why not "rip off the fans" when we're suckers enough to do it? Living in Chgo, it's always been a threat of the Bears to leave town; m/b go to the suburbs, but so far they've held on by just landing that spaceship on the facility utilized as luxury accom. of Soldiers' Field! Since the 90's, everything's been upgraded except Wrigley Field! Both The Chgo. Stadium for the Bulls & Blackhawks & Cellular Field for the Sox'll prob. be demanding "facelifts" soon as well!
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...The Dallas Cowboys have floundered since Jimmy Johnson was fired going almost 30 yrs. w/o = playing in a SB!
***Some people are so fk'd up in the mind they think their sports team is part of their family. One Raider fan said she has never missed a game, that they're family.***
...Right now I'm stressing about a wedding in May! A cousin sent invite which is in Calif.! Haven't = been thru an airport since '06! I don't apprec. being treated like cattle, strip searched, then deprived of a bev. & meal @ my age! Fk. that! Prob. not going! In my day, flying was a big part of a trip, now I dread it!
***There's NOTHING to counter the facts what a MF'r Al Davis was leaving Oakland, not giving a shit about the 1000's of lives he ruined w/ their livlihoods ruined as well. That Dan Snyder took a once proud franchise & ran it into the ground; same as MF'r Jerry Jones & Davis did. ...***
Funny, as a kid, I loved both those franchises! It mhh something to do w/ holding onto vet. players I liked & their periodic winning playing "old X football!" Davis had pretty much "lost it" decades B4 he passed on! The prob. was he was indulged; esp. in the Bay Area! ...I lived there in '97 & was embarrassed for the fandom & local radio station, 670 AM! The team'd find ways to lose games; esp. vs their hated rival, KC! One contest in particular on MNF had The Chiefs hitting town! Oakland had the game in hand until the last min. when KC got its act together enuf to set up a "Hail Mary!" Sure enough, KC's receivers got behind the defense & Grbac's prayers were answered on the last play of the game! I can still see the look on Coach Bugal's face; the guy crushed & bent over in disbelief!
I cheered the loss b/c I was so sick of the "old man!" People still kissed his ass = though the team hadn't won a SB in well over a decade! Davis took out his frustration by suing everyone in sight, ripping off cities up & down the coast dangling the team's location in front of them! I told people I knew back in Sacr. to not be lured in! Nothing > c/b said about Snyder's ownership in DC! He had a whole new set-up out there & frittered away the goodwill of the team! He did everything wrong being a rebel trying to "one up" Jones & Davis in the crazy dept.! By the X Schottenheimer was hired & fired I was done w/ "The Redskins!"
***Dimitrov def. seemed to enjoy the trappings of fame w/o the results for > of his career. IMO, the nickname "Baby Fed" never did him any favors, & he seemed to think the emphasis was on "Baby." Monfils seems to have done very well in Svitolina.***
ReplyDelete"Baby Fed" moniker was & still is warranted since he modeled his game after Roger! Put a mask on them & you couldn't tell them apart; = physically! Fed's > a "bear" w/ chest hair that needs t/b blow-dried & styled though! Dimitrov was prob. ruined in so many ways very early on w/ expectations, $$, fame, & women; Maria Sharapova in particular! Like she couldn't sink her claws into a seasoned man, she had to troll the school-yards for a boy! It's amazing he's playing this well so late in his career after being a mere afterthought w/ the rest of the "lost gen!" There's much > in the way of comp. w/ kids just outside the top 100 lurking & crazy comp.! Novak found that out 2 wks. ago! I like Grigor's chances to succeed over a very comp. Monfils who tends to brk. down after a tough win!
***Sinner def. Dimitrov in the Miami Masters final in str. sets. Leaps Carlos to take over #2 in the World.***
Well Sinner has gotten closer to Novak in the rankings! It may all come down to what happens in MC! I think Djokovic needs to win @ least 1 or 2 matches to avoid dropping #1 ranking to Jannik if he goes on to win it! I doubt it really! More > likely Sinner w/b upset or = skip the event after winning Miami today! Novak doesn't need to hold onto the top rank any>! He's gotten 2 or 3 seasons worth of #1's over & above other >'s like Fedal & Sampras!
***Based on current levels, I can't see what makes you think that Sinner's likely t/b upset or skip it. MC's 10 days away.***
As the resident historian, why do you keep testing or disputing my posts? Why should we believe Sinner can go from HC to clay w/ all that good comp. out there to win MC? Did your forget Djokovic dropped his 2nd match to Musetti last season, but went on to take Paris for a 3rd X? Someone like Sinner is brittle or has been so far! He needs to take off someX's after making finals! He can also be upset by a clay specialist! It can happen & the odds say Novak will continue t/b the only person to go from Miami to MC & win!
***All respect to your pos. of res. historian. ;) But, what makes you think Sinner is "brittle?" He's proved t/b the sturdiest player this yr.
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I think there were valid concerns about Sinner's "brittleness" a yr. or 2 ago, but he's been fine for awhile now. We'll see how he does for the rest of the yr. though. And of course transitioning to clay & maintaining this sort of dom. isn't something everyone can do, but he's really locked in now. 22-1 to start the yr.
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The exciting thing is, or what I'm excited about, is having two potential young all-X >'s in their (early) primes. Or rather, 2 new ones, post-Big 4 Era. Remember wondering who the next guy w/b, way back 10-12 yrs. ago? Hoping Grigor, Milos, or Kei'd step it up? If Delpo could come back? Next Gen has some really good players, esp. Medvedev, but w/ Sinner & Alcaraz, we have 2 potential ATGs in the making. Even if one or both fall short of inner circle >ness, both seem to have a really good chance of @ least joining the "'s" like Edberg & Becker, & m/b = >.
After the 2-decade reign of the Big 4, it just feels good t/b in the new era. And it seems like the table is set: You've got Carlos & Jannik as the Big 2, then a nice host of a dozen or so contenders, a WC in Rune, & sev. = younger guys starting to show up on the radar. I like the composition.!***
***Biden has > twice the $$ that Trump does in his war chest, while Trump's still spending his on his legal issues. This c/b a prob. for him.***
ReplyDeleteIt really doesn't matter! Trump could sit it lard ass around doing absol. nothing &'d still be "in charge!" The people "on the right" "back him" to the hilt! He's a felon w/ cases going on forcing him to use > avail. funds to pay legal fees! ...Others w/b under a jail by now w/ the slanderous comments Trump spews! Like Beyonce's Bee Hive, you're not allowed to say anything vs their KING! For some reason, his supporters don't care that he undermined our democracy, Jan. 6th! Past assoc. are warning the people not to vote for him! Other pols are raving against him! Trump still owns the Rep. Party! They'll eventually become irrelevant as they're close to losing the HOUSE while in session! I don't think that's ever happened in the history of Congress! That's how incompetent rightwingers are ATM! ...The word "compromise" has been del. from the brains of cons.! If a Rep. = hints @ it, they're "primaried" as they run some psycho Mega-Trumper to take their place! The good ones have left & others are leaving in a way to hurt the party as they're down to 1 Maj. Vote in the HOUSE! Jeffers c/b voted in as Speaker w/i a few wks. as these fools flail around unable to get anything done! The only thing saving us is they're shooting themselves in the foot, leg, arm, & soon t/b head!
***That FL abortion ruling surely puts that State into play for Prez. - The FL SC upheld the 6-wk. ban, but also rule that the option to vote it down w/b on the ballot in Nov.***
This is one of those issues that truly drags me down into the dumps! It's something that c/b avoided 90% of the X! My issue has nothing to do w/ the procedure or when done; > about the stupidity of some who use it as a form of birth control! Hard to believe this is an easy option instead of protecting themselves B4-hand! I give people a brk. from the 70's & 80's, but there's 30 types of BC & women aren't being resp., raw-dogging X guys, then having regrets due to becoming pregnant or picking up an STD! I was just talking about this recently to other old folks; "SHAME" needs t/b brought back! In the 70's, pos. programming on the issue became > prevalent! ...Lit'l girls began purposefully having kids w/o a Dad; actually being proud of themselves! To me that's a special kind of stupid thinking as the stats show kids from single, mothered homes have tons of issues includ. depression & suicide! No one brings it up b/c it'd pt. fingers @ the poor & minorities who benefit w/ welfare & other programs to support their bad decisions!
***...There are NOT 30 diff. types of BC, but I can tell you the ones that men can access: a) condoms, b) vasectomy, & c) abstention. Every other one's a woman's to access, includ. messing w/ her hormones. Do you really think "shame" needs t/b brought back?***
...Even if it's something necess. to save the life of the mother, it's still "BC!" I'm all for female lib. & having rights concerning their bodies, but they don't seem t/b concerned w/ taking care of it! ...Yep, we've forgotten what shame is! No one really takes responsibility for their actions!
***Trump wins Wisc. primary w/ almost 80% of the vote, but the outside choices poses prob. w/ him winning in Nov.***
IDK what to do or say w/ this situation! Nothing was > devastating to me > seeing this country turn itself on its head by electing Trump in '16! ...You're supposed to see the other side, try to understand, & forgive them! It ain't happening! I'm still flushed w/ hatred for the dir. of 1/2 the country! Their unpatriotic actions can never be overlooked; @ least not by me! ;-)
***OJ Simpson dead @ 76. The victims' families have been unable to collect on a $30M judgment that they had won. Hopefully, Mr. Simpson's estate will rectify this matter.***
ReplyDeleteThey can forget it! I won't shed crocodile tears for any concerned! It was an ugly situation all around!
***OJ was 2 diff. people... one for public consumption & another behind closed doors.***
I don't like injustice, but the way the LA DA office & Marcia Clark ran this trial along w/ the complicity of an incompetent Judge (Ito), OJ deserved to walk! The prosecution was a joke from "jump" as those cops (Furman) jumped that wall & searched around the grounds of OJ's place w/o a warrant! Everything was tainted B4 it began as the arraignment judge (Kennedy) didn't have the guts to dismiss the case!
***IIRC around the X he committed the murders, Starburst had an ad campaign that had a jingle/slogan.
The slogan? "The juice is loose."***
It didn't die; just appropriated & used on T-Shirts satirically portraying "the case" & "the X's!"
***I'm just picturing the Starbust board room the day of the verdict..."We've got to do something about our slogan" & the 500,000 POP ads they likely had active @ the X. - NFL.Com does a pretty good job of giving a mid'l of the road remembrance.
"Former NFL RB O.J. Simpson dies of cancer @ age 76"
"O.J. Simpson, the decorated football superstar & Hollywood actor who was acquitted of charges he killed his former wife & her friend, but later found liable in a separate civil trial, has died. He was 76."***
It w/b just as ridiculous to overlook this man's rec. as done w/ Pete Rose & Barry Bonds! Someone had all those hits, cons. hitting streaks, & homeruns! OJ was huge! I don't think people realize what a celebrity he was @ the time! It started early w/ his football success at USC that bled into his retirement where he had tons of comm. endorsements, TV apps., movies, etc.! The man was a GOD & people yearned t/b in his presense! As much as the Browns tried to demonize him during the trial later, video footage earlier @ a recital of OJ's daughter, Sidney the very day of the murder showed them all laughing & having a good X w/ Simpson outside on the street! If Nicole wanted to get away from abuse, she didn't do a good job of distancing herself as she was totally beholden to him! He helped her entire family open businesses & paid for college ed. of a younger sister! I'm not a sychophant; these are just the facts & can't be overlooked just b/c of this crime!
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I lived it! I was out in Cal. @ the X in the 90's! It was "OJ all the X" & around the clock! I worked nights so while "brk'n," I'd read the transcrips of that day's session! I slept thru the afternoon ??ing by Marcia & Johnny!
***...OJ did it & finding him innocent was payback for all the X's whites got away w/ murdering blacks.***
Amen & hallelujah to that! I like the law, but it's been so corrupted, truly fair & amical decisions are a crapshoot! Look @ Trump! The man has been a literal criminal since the 70's, but hasn't sniffed the inside of a jail cell! He supported the overthrow of our Democracy in '21 & the support is the same in '24! IDK what to say about such people that makes them seem rational w/ common sense! I've given up on them totally!
***People wonder how O.J. wasn't found guilty. They forget some key factors...
ReplyDeleteHe had a great defense team, the prosecutor & her team were far out of their depth, & just 2-3 years earlier a bunch lousy cops had been found not guilty for beating the shit out of Rodney King. How's that related? One of the jurors actually said (22 yrs. later) that the "not guilty" verdict for O.J. was payback for that "not guilty" verdict for the cops. That's not the way it's supposed to work, but what can you do?***
This drama shouldn't have = begun in '94! After Furman jumped that wall in Brentwood w/ his fellow cops searching around the grounds w/o a warrant, as said on "L & O," all evidence (real or planted) was "fruit of the poisonous tree!" Anything found w/b inadmissable, but the arraignment judge, Kennedy was too gutest narcissists around! I don't think we realize what a big star he was back then in football (college & pro) on TV, in bad movies, & his iconic MNF fame! People wanted to bask in his aura; a person that was very personable, remembered your name, & glad-handed for as long as you wanted! W/ the Brown family, I mentioned that as much as they tried to demonize him on the stand & in the press, they were totally beholden to him as he helped them open businesses, paid for Nicole's sister's educ., etc.! That was the reason it took yrs. to = brk. away & do a divorce! Even after all that, THEY OWED him BIG X!
***So you think OJ had a right to murder them.***
That's a colossal leap, but I feel about it as > as any bad news out there! We act as if this was some kind of abberation! Every day of the wk. something like this is going on somewhere in the country! The news prioritizes celebrity as we're all captivated by "the shiny object!" It's all in your POV determining if something's right or wrong & fair or not! We're all guilty of selective outrage so forgive me as a Sr. to not GAF; esp. of a crime perpetrated 30 yrs. ago! I'm sure there are > pressing things t/b worried about; m/b this obscene election we'll have to go thru this Nov.!
***And yet every supposed piece of evidence was debunked by the defense in the trial.***
The incompetence of the prosecution made it easy! It was a "house of cards from DAY 1!" We have CSI's who sit in the foyer to rest her eyes while her boss comes in w/ the cops to talk & check things out personally! You have one of the cops take the shoes & blood vial of OJ's home w/ him! The DA surprisingly find > blood on a gate 2 or 3 wks. later @ Nicole's place, Gretna Green! I know we didn't have > rain out there, but PLEASE! Furman was an embarrassment to human-kind so I'll just let it go! I could go on, but let's not act like this was all on a jury dead set on "freeing OJ!" They were given "reasonable doubt" on a platter! I lived out there so it was a topic brought up during a sermon in church! Nothing >er since the Lindburgh kidnapping!
***The defense didn't debunk shit! How do you debunk DNA evidence? All they did was infer LAPD set him up which was horseshit! OJ was as guilty as sin. His acquittal was one thing & one thing only, payback for the Rodney King verdict. If we'd of sent those POS cops to jail, OJ whb found guilty of murder.***
You know what they say, "payback's a bitch!" Attrocities go on every single day somewhere so I shed no tears regard< of the injustice! I don't need an extra monkey on my back; esp. something that happened 30 yrs. ago! It's just not something abberant! People have been getting away w/ murder since Lizzie Borden!
***True statement!***
Just heard Carlos' out! Not surprising really! I keep telling you guys, these players are very good, but the speed of the game w/ a need to # every shot'll take its toll! I wouldn't = try to play the game as it is now! Most don't understand, = if a player has "deft touch," that takes a toll on the arm as well! Back in the day it was about "tennis elbow" due to inferior equip. & bad technique! W/ old woodies, it took yrs. to become proficient in the game! W/ new tech, players c/b tourn. worthy w/i months! Alcaraz's a > player, but his head has gotten inflated w/ the adulation he gets for fantastic shot-making! He needs to really pull back someX; let it go & say "good shot!" Today's players will never have the longevity of the Big 3 as the comp's tough out there!
ReplyDelete***Spot on! It's like he feels obligated to make every shot a highlight reel. Not gonna bode well long term. As you said above, >er to let some balls go past as a winner instead of chasing them down & getting injured. He has a ton already @ a young age.
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ITA that Nadal won't play for $$. I'm sure one of the Nadalites can speak > accurately to his motives, but my guess is a combo of love of the game/comp., recs/legacy, & perhaps out of some sense of duty to his fans.
Given the setbacks he's undergone these last 2 yrs., I'd guess it's > the 1st & 3rd...love of the game & for his fans. I'm not sure what else he can do to pad his rec., & he must know he's got very lit'l chance of catching Novak in the Slam ct. I think he just loves tennis, loves competing, & loves his fans. After the last 2 decades (3 really), & being one of the best who ever played, it's a hard thing to give up. Roger didn't fully give up until he started slipping out of elite level. He was still playing at a very high level in '19 & the beginning of '20, but when he came back in '21 he was a shadow of his former self. The writing was plain on the wall.***
When playing a sport this physically tough, IMO it's not a setback as much as "it's X!" They can't stay out there forever! Roger thought he could & Nadal's testing the limits! It's ridiculous for anyone to feel any kind of way about players who are 35+! It's all gravy & when it starts getting hard to stay near the top, 'GO!' Right now, we're not sure of Djokovic! In a normal season, he'd have 3 titles by now! If it's his X, I'll support it! I think he still has a lit'l left in the tank; m/b 1 > FO to complete his 4th CGS! I'm hoping he can rise to the occasion to take MC so he'll have 4 GM's! I think = the hardcore Fedal fans will have to come around when he stretches out the rec.-bk. in his favor!
***M/b he figures that he can angle it just right & win 1 > RG, & then go out on top of his Clay Empire. I mean, why not? It isn't easy, esp. having not really played comp. for 15 months now. But given his unparalleled dom. on clay, if anyone'd accomplish such a feat, it's Rafa.
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Rune's still acting like a jerk after explosive behavior in 3rd Rd.; same like Meddy did the other day.***
Being #1 in the World = for a min. has its privileges! It may not be fair, but Rune hasn't paid his dues to get that ben. of the doubt! I can still hark back to '81 where Borg was going to win his 6th Wimbl. title but for gut< officiating! McEnroe had lost his mind w/ the officials in an early Rd. match & he was allowed to move along in the draw! I can still see him calling the umpire "a bald eagle!" Borg > likely would've won in the final as McEnroe's game was the only one that worried the likes of Borg! In '90 John tried pulling the same thing "down under!" The rules had been revised & McEnroe fained ignorance of a change! It took one < offense to get DQ'd after insulting officials! So he knew how long he could rant & act a fool B4 getting tossed, but miscal. this 1 X! Funny, a country w/ a history as being a penal colony & the Aussies have > respect for the game, sportsmanship, & rules! ...After 50+ yrs. in the game, I still just SMH!
***Sinner upset by Tsitsipas in their SF clash. Stefanos nipped Jannik in 3 set. Sinner hampered physically a lit'l bit.***
***Rafa's kind of a freak, given his longevity & play style. It m/b that those many injury layovers preserved his body (a bit). Alcaraz seems cut from the same cloth, &'ll get his X in, no matter what.***
ReplyDeleteWhy just give Rafa credit for being "a freak" of nature? All of the Big 3 c/b catagorized & included in that vein as they've all stayed in the Top 3 of ATP rankings for the > part for well over 20 yrs.! They each had small setbacks dropping out of the top 10, but they returned just as strong, if not >! Novak won 1/2 his 24 majors after 30 yo's taking 3 of 4 in 2 sep. seasons in his mid 30's! Rafa coming & going as he pleased certainly saved his career & extended his longevity! Roger didn't make too > of a wave physically until regaining the #1 ranking @ 37 back in '17! After Nadovic overtook him, he was done & prob. should've retired = w/ great performances to make a FO SF & Wimbl. Final in '19!
***Yeah, they're all freaks. I'm just pt'n out that Rafa's longevity is the > surprising, esp. considering he seemed t/b fading out in '14-16 that wasn't just one off yr., but 2.5 years. I can't think of another player who played @ a significantly lower level for 2, full & healthy seasons, then jumped back up again. He went from GOAT level to 2nd tier to aged GOAT level. Novak has his walkabouts & that 1 bad yr. in '17. Roger had 2 cycles in his 30s, but neither & not 1 that I can think of had the same pattern as Rafa. But the pt. was to use him as a model for Alcaraz - that = if the young pup over-plays, he can look to Rafa to see how he optimized. That said, if I'm not mistaken, > of Rafa's issue have been lower body.
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We all thought that Rafa wbd by 30. So did Rafa. But, when Rafa went w/o a Major from '14-17, that was nothing compared to Roger not having won 1 for 4.5 yrs. Rafa didn't fall out of the top 10. It was Roger who didn't have a Major win from '12-17. ...I hardly think Rafa had the > surprising resurgence. I'd say Roger did, in '17. Yes, > of Rafa's issues have been lower body, @ least up until recently, & = now. Mostly it was all about his knees since '09.***
...ND has not only 1-up'd Roger, he's 2-up'd him if not > & doing it sooner! Sportcenter & Fox Sports personalities are close to anointing Novak 1 of the >est athletes ever, not just the GOAT in tennis! He's done so much in his 30's w/ anything he does now being gravy, ext. the lead he has over all his rivals in every catagory out there! ...I lived for Borg, Edberg, Sampras, Safin, & Laver on the men's side while the ladies lead the way on my list w/ Goolagong, Navratilova, Wade, Court & Hingis!
***The over-achieving players that come > readily to mind are Hewitt & Wilander, both of whom collapsed as elite players in their mid-20s & muscled on for yrs.***
Don't forget Marat Safin who was > talented than them all! His problem was btwn. the ears >ly, getting to #1 & stopping the Fed run @ the '05 AO SF IIRC! I loved his play; w/o a doubt the "Ilie Nastase" of his X, but w/ power, touch, feel, & quickness! Beautiful women surrounding him prob. didn't help! Marat won 2 majors def. Sampras @ his end in a USO final & an early vers. of Roger "down under!" BTW, his sister, Dinara Safina got to #1 for a min. w/o winning a major!
***Fact: Casper “the thug” Ruud is controlled by the infamous Norweigan Mafia. His sportsmanship awards? All bought w/ North Sea blood oil $$. He bullies younger players away from the fawning media/press & blackmails other players to sing his praises.Who else in the locker room is known as the Norweigan Prince of Darkness?***
You really don't know people; esp. if they stay undercover! Until that McEnroe v Borg movie, I had no idea how bad it was behind the scenes w/ Bjorn! I never got past the poss. that old lady he married had to of manipulated & turned his life upside down! I read somewhere the moment he saw her @ a party he was lost! It was a lot > going on unfort.! I don't need to know = though > are starving for the least lit'l tidbit on others; esp. if they're celebs.!
***Want to make a bet the Texans finish >er in the standings > the Bills next yr.?***
ReplyDeleteBringing Rodgers to NY did the Jets no good! On paper it was a no-brainer, but after a series in Game 1, the dream was over! There are no guarantees in football or Miami w/b thriving w/ Tyreek Hill doing his thing! That's why they play the game! KC looked horrible early on this past season! All faith was being lost, but they came thru for a repeat SB! I'm gonna wait until we play @ least a few games B4 giving too much credit to Houston for the moves they made!
***And we can't forget that Jacksonville w/b healthy next yr. They aren't a team Houston can afford to take lightly. The Jaguars have a very good chance to return to Div. winner status w/ Trevor Lawrence healthy.
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I recall when KC's baseball team moved to Oakland. ...Perhaps citizens are wising up about funding teams w/ taxes. These teams w/ new stadiums are instantly valued $1B >, all of which goes towards the owner's wealth. It still doesn't make any sense to me why the $$ collected for the naming rights of a publicly owned stadium facility should go to a privately owned team.***
The shameful thing is how the owners & league get all the benefits, but can't give back = a crumb in the way of keeping concession prizes from skyrocketing! That's the main reason whole families don't go to games anymore! You need a food loan from the bank to pay for inflated concessions! We went to Cellular Field in Chgo. it's inaugural yr. in '95! I hadn't been to a baseball game since the 70's so I about fell out seeing how > they were charging for the simplest of fare like a hotdog & drink! The pizza was ridiculously priced for the X IMO, but that's just me! The last X I actually went to a game & bought something, it was a Giants' game in 2000! I got a Nacho Cheese, Coke, & Beer for a bud; $15.50! I can't fathom what it w/b today!
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***Bill Russell is a completely diff. circumstance when it comes to NBA GOAT-dom. He was the best player on the best team. But he didn't score enough t/b the GOAT. This is an opinion & one that can never be proven. I just know from watching Lebron in the Finals, Jordan would've kicked his soft ass. ...I can't believe you witnessed Jordan & don't see it. Kobe would've beat Lebron too.***
I bow to the feverish, winning drive of Jordan, but I grew up respecting raw >ness B4 the advent of super fandom, social media whore-dom, & the phoniest era when it comes to Chp. play! The NBA was running on fumes, drug addeled, on the verge of total collapse in the late 70's! The NBA Chp. games were on tape delay; 11:30 PM believe it or not! Magic & Bird brought them back & so w/ his 1st win & run w/ the Lakers, I give the GOAT moniker to Magic Johnson! A player who could play all 5 positions on the court & did as he had to lead the team to victory w/o their Center K.A. Jabbar that yr. in '80 over Bird's Celtics!
***Got to love Magic. Winning a HS, NCAA, & NBA Chp. is 1 of the rarest & > diff. feats to complete for a basketball player. In fact, only 15 players in the history of the game have won @ the >est level on all 3 levels. Kareem, Magic, Bill Russell, & Bill Walton.***0
I watched the Lakers pass the ball around the court like The Globetrotters toying w/ The Wash'ton Gen.! They were terribly entertaining, but weren't unstoppable due to Bird & Dr. J w/ an assist by Moses Malone to curb those winning ways in the 80's! Funny, Magic's true end occurred when Jordon won his 1st Chp. in '91, taking out the Lakers in 5! It shb a sweep but for a lucky shot by some rookie in game 1 in Chgo. IIRC! I was from Chgo., but had just moved to Cal. where the Kings were trying to make their mark in Sacto!
***A returning Rafa hasn't played a pro match in 15 mos., going back to the '23 AO. It m/b that he's finally gotten old, but I'd think we need to write off him just being rusty 1st. I'm reminded of his loss to Zeballos in '13 after a long absence from the tour. He then went on to have one of his best yrs. Again, not expecting another '13 from Rafa - that's very unlikely.***
ReplyDeleteFunny you mention that Zeballos match! Rafa was on another one of his comebacks playing So. Amer. clay events! I loved him "going down in flames" in that match vs another left-hander running down all his shots! Rafa must've made a deal w/ the Devil to still take FO's of'13 &'14 def. Djokovic in 2 all X memorable matches! ...I thought he was done, TOAST! Him & Roger! Both came back during Nole's per. of en oui & elbow injury in '16-early '18 to get to #1 in the world until Novak came back strong in the Summer of '18!
***After 8 months off the tour, Rafa was rusty. When he got going, he was nigh unbeatable thru the USO, winning 10 of his next 12 tourns., losing only to Novak @ MC & that ill-fated loss to Steve Darcis @ Wimbl. No deal w/ the Devil, just Rafa @ the top of his game. ...The last thing he wants to do is over-play @ an ATP 500. That said, I don't think any > player has been out that long & come back anywhere close to peak form, let alone @ almost 38 yo. If he wins any tourn. this yr., it w/b a remarkable achievement.
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Yeah, I just don't get how as a tennis fan, one can't be rooting for him. One of the greatest players ever, trying to come back @ 37-38 yo. I'd like to see the King of Clay go out in style. ...The worst-case scenario w/b for Rafa to have to WD from a match @ RG due to injury, esp. to some punk like Tsitsipas.***
Is that supposed t/b directed @ me? I've been swatting the slings & arrows on this subject for yrs.; back to when Rafa was a rookie! Some players just offend me & he got on my bad side right away w/ his total act from stalling, toweling off incessantly to the arrogance of challenging every call as if he couldn't poss. "have missed that!" The short-list w/ players I'd do w/o are Connors, McEnroe, Agassi, & of course Rafa! It has lit'l to do w/ being gentile & prof'l out there b/c I liked Ilie Nastase, Marat Safin, & some'd say Djokovic who can lose their minds on court when things aren't going well!
***Thiem was prob. >er @ his peak > guys like Ferrer, Berdych, & Tsonga (or Davydenko, Nalbandian, etc)-->er players > Slam winners such as Gaudio & Johansson--but the gap isn't huge, & Thiem got the hardware to show his grandkids.***
No doubt about it! Like so many other players: Wawrinka & Murray in particular, they couldn't overcome the >ness & longevity of the Big 3! They sqelched any hint of any other player outside of them making an impact on the game in their ERA! Their dom. was & continues t/b unprecedented w/ them taking almost all of the Big titles for over 2 decades! Thiem handled Djokovic 2 X's on clay, but no matter the surface, Nadal was able to survive his encounters vs Dom! Their '18 USO QTRF'L was classic, going 5 sets, almost 5 hrs., w/ saved MP's by both players! He works too hard to play the game, so no one s/b surprised he'd "limp" out of the game one way or another! I'm just surprised Nadal's held on this long! He's the epitome of a player who works too hard to win the simplest of matches vs players not = in the top 50! It's a shame Dom wasn't able to make that "comebk." like Fedalovic when they had injuries!
Novak was a match away @ the '21 USO in completing a CYGS! Nadal's name shouldn't have = been brought up; esp. after Novak def. him @ Rafa's beloved event, Paris in the SF! IDK how these 2 players can ever be compared again! Novak's achievements are so > >er & plentiful; 4 seasons w/ 3 won majors (twice in his 30's) & 425 wks. @ #1! That alone sets him apart from any player in the history of the game not just the Open Era!
ReplyDelete***Novak holds another rec. of his own. He's the only member of the Big 3 actually caught on camera drinking dubious potions mixed by his team who go to > lengths to ensure they're handed to him & @ X's accompanied by strange puffing & inhaling from a tube. They = made sure the empty bottles were handed back to his team on numerous occasions. I'm quite sure this has helped him a lot to achieve many of his recs.***
Well, nothing new w/ those ridiculous accusations! The same c/b said of Fedal as they both stayed @ the top of the rankings well into their 30's! The Big 3 have all had unprecedented dom. & success on the tour while age never seemed to slow them down! You know what they say about pt'n. fingers?
***There are allegations about Nadal w/ his PRP treatments being performance enhancing, yes, & coincidentally they both occurred prior to 2 of his best yrs. He had PRP treatment in '09 & '12 which preceded his '10 & '13 seasons. There's actually nothing out there on Fed, but of course that means nothing in sports. The fact remains that Novak's the only one who's been caught on camera actually having the nerve to drink magic lotions live @ matches. Some of the footage wasn't televised, but has been captured & released online & it's dodgy AF that nothing was done about it considering they actually have something concrete to go on there. Confiscate it & test it. They don't want the sport ruined like cycling by having the world #1 shamed. This is why. Silent bans of course is the other tactic they use by saying a player is out due to injury but, again, they won't give them a proper punishment as it'd taint the sport forever. That they allowed that maggot Halep back says it all. They only ban nobodies like Lepchenko. Gutless.
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Rafa's peak range-'08-13, we get:
Rafa: 93-40 vs top 10 (69.9%); 47-26 vs top 5 (64.4%); 115-11 @ Slams (91.3%); 406-62 overall (86.8%)
Novak: 99-51 vs top 10 (66%); 48-36 vs top 5 (57.1%); 125-18 @ Slams (87.4%); 422-81 overall (83.9%)
Roger: 68-54 vs top 10 (55.7%); 33-39 vs. top 5 (45.8%); 122-19 @ Slams (86.5%); 375-82 overall (82.1%)
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Here's the best 6-yr. spans of the other 2, w/ Rafa's best repeated for comparison:
Rafa ('08-13): 93-40 vs top 10 (69.9%); 47-26 vs top 5 (64.4%); 115-11 @ Slams (91.3%); 406-62 overall (86.8%)
Novak ('11-16): 140-34 vs top 10 (80.5%); 66-25 vs top 5 (72.5%); 143-13 @ Slams (91.7%); 427-50 overall (89.5%)
Roger ('04-09): 91-30 vs top 10 (75.2%); 44-23 vs top 5 (65.7%); 149-10 @ Slams (93.7%); 442-51 overall (89.7%)
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That said, Novak's run takes the cake, IMO. What stands out for me is that he played 174 matches vs top 10 ops - vs. 121 for Roger & 133 for Rafa. And he still had a >er win % vs top 10 players (& top 5 players, w/ signif. > played > the other 2). During their 6 yr. spans, Roger won 14 Slams to Rafa's 10 & Novak's 11. Roger has the best 2-4 yr. spans (any 2-4 yr. span from '04-07 is best in class), but starts losing ground after that. If you focus on clay or any single surface, Rafa's clearly the top guy. Novak gets the overall title.***
***I'm so sure Denver's going to win over the Lakers.***
ReplyDeleteTrying to anoint LB as the GOAT is making him look worse each day! Complaining about a call after having a 20 pt. lead was amusing to see yet again! Missing that "open 3" w/ no one in the pic is his legacy IMO! Always a min. late & a $ short! He's prob. under other greats w/ fewer NBA Chp.! AD didn't help the cause "mouthing off" about his defensive skills as he allowed the Nuggets to come all the way back & win last night! Murray buried it in AD's face to go up 2-0!
***13 secs. left. Lebron has a wide open 3. But he should've waited til the shot clock was down to 3 B4 he shot. M/b he should've taken the ball to the hole. What he did was miss a wide open 3 & gave Denver 13 secs. to come down to make the winning shot. Come on man. He’s no cerebral assassin.***
I certainly don't give Lebron credit for being "the most intelligent player" on the court! Skip Baseless can't stand him, thinks he doesn't have a "clutch gene," but believes he's that cerebral player people can acknowledge! NOT ME! He clanks "free throws" & game ending shots so it's hard for me to call him the GOAT!
***MJ won 6 rings in 15 seasons. ...Coming from a Piston Bad Boy, Jordan was the man. Practically single handed retired my Pistons. He made them walk off the court w/o shaking hands. He HUMILIATED them. Lebron's never done that to anybody. Got lucky in Cleveland, LA, & those Heat Chps. Meh. I also remember an awful lot of failure.
Lebron whh to have dom. > in Miami for me to say he was >er > Jordan. W/ all that help he didn't do much. LeBron’s success in Miami has always been measured against those words (“not 1, not 2 …”), ones he wished he had back. But 2 titles & 4 Finals appearances is a success by any measure. Nothing's guar., = when 3, someX's >, of the >est players in the world come together.
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Show me the Eastern teams he beat to go to the Finals. The East was weak.***
The East has been the worst for yrs. prob. going back decades! Those owners out West spend < $$ on players, keep them longer, & produce > dom. teams! The East has been a disgrace for @ least 30+ yrs.! I seem to recall while I was on a trip to Chgo after the Bulls brk up & move to return to >ness! At the X the Bulls & the rest of the East were below .500 except 2 teams the 1st month or so of the season in '02! This is what made it easy for The Bulls & Celtics to repeat & for the other teams to make the NBA Finals like Phili, Orlando, NYK, & Indy! They still lost, but were terribly outclassed by teams in the West!
***I was so happy the 3 X's the Pistons won. First X Magic got hurt. '04 we beat Kobe & Shaq when they weren’t getting along, but we were certainly the underdogs. They had Malone & Gary Payton. A super team that didn’t work out. Then Shaq went to Miami & they won. The West has lots of good teams. Boston is choking right now game 2 vs Miami w/ no Jimmy Butler? Denver's going to repeat. - The East has won 12 titles in that X.***
The weakness is not w/ how few Chps. won by the East, but the overall level of their conf. which has been poor! How many X's do obscure teams get sent to the East Chp. game in the playoffs while the West get fat beating them! So many of the teams have over 50 wins! The East have won plenty of NBA Chp. but some teams haven't gotten a sniff of the Final while the West beat up on each other! We may never see 2 "3-peats" like the Bulls since teams won't stay together! I'm still SMH over that fk'n ego-maniac Kevin Durant who couldn't bear sharing the credit w/ Curry in GS! It wasn't "his" team so he walks away to create his own TRIO in Brooklyn who were so mentally deficient, they couldn't get out of their own way! It's happening > & >! Actually winning is low on the list/totem-pole to some who leave winning teams for $$ & > ego-stroking! Durant has floundered ever since! The latest on the list being Tyreek Hill leaving KC for Miami! What an idiot! He's lost out on 2 SB's!
***As I've said B4, what stands out about the Big 3--& why they're the top 3 players of the Open Era (unless we ct. Laver's full career; right there w/ them) is that they combined incredible longevity w/ very high peaks. I don't think they were better (for their X) > Borg or McEnroe @ their best, but they just did it for longer - and then padded on a bunch of "" yrs. that look like peak Edberg/Becker/Agassi. Meaning, their 6th, 7th best yrs'd prob. be the best of that lesser trio. You'd say that Rafa is sort of like if Borg had the career longevity of Connors, Fed if Sampras had been any good on clay, & w/ >er longevity, Novak a super-sized version of Lendl who didn't punk out on grass & played another 5+ yrs..? Sorta/kinda.
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, for yrs. it looked like we'd never see a > player again. Next-Gen was >er > Lost-Gen, but the best player--Medvedev--while very good, isn't really a true great. Depending upon how things go for him the rest of the way, his range is somewhere between Ivanisevic & Vilas. Along w/ Zverev, Tsitsipas, Rublev etc, it's a much >er group > the sad lot of Raonic, Nishikori, Dimitrov, etc. I kind of see Next-Gen as being comparable to the group btwn Sampras & Federer. But despite that, Alcaraz & Sinner look to be potential ATGs in the making. Meaning, the Millenials are the best group since Novak/Fedal/Murray...@ least at the top. We shouldn't expect GOATness, but I see both as being @ least capable of reaching the accomplishments of the Edbergs and Beckers of the world. Who knows, m/b 1 or 2 of the younger guys emerging can join them. Go Fonzie!
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In terms of a GOAT, or GOATs, m/b Nadal as clay GOAT IS the closest we have to a real one. He's got > a few recs. that are really going to stand the test of X. 14 FO titles, as a start. How long do you have to live B4 you see someone top that? I don't think I will. He has 2nd > Majors overall. I know there are folks who complain about so many on one surface, but he has won 2+ each on all surfaces, so that's a weak argument. And the stellar clay resume gives him a legacy that w/b hard to beat.***
Oh, the word gymnastics we someX's have to go thru! Poor baby! I'll give you "Clay GOAT" status to your boy, but that's about it! For someone who's played for 20 yrs, IMO t/b the Ult. GOAT, you need to do > win on a single surface = though 14 FO vics. will never happen again! That's why he'll hold that title forever = though I'd give Borg a nice chance to challenge his #'s but for retiring so early! IMO Nadal needed another streak somewhere else! Fedovic have 2-3 > streaks off clay & X YEC's while Nadal doesn't = have one! Nadal will always have his OGM, but IMO "so what?" Some guy called Massau has one too! Roger prob. s/b on top but for being owned by 2 other players H2H! Fed's rec. will always look a lit'l >er w/ 2 Five yr. streaks; Wimbl. & USO! Novak has his 10 @ AO, but of note is he's the only person in the OE to take it 3 yrs. in a row TWICE! Djokovic did @ least have 4 in a row @ Wimbl. & taking 7 overall, while Nadal can only lament the wasted chances on grass he lost to nobodies & scrubs taking only 2 @ SW19!
***@Fiero425 do you remember playing tennis @ 16 yo.? I'd play 7 str. hrs. in 90* w/ just a jug of Kool-Aid.***
Of course! ...I played after school & in the Summer all day & night! Someone'd ring my bell to play as early as 8 AM w/ 2 courts just down the street! It wasn't usually to stay out there all day w/o a jug of Kool-Aid! I barely drank water back then! I just hated that feeling of liquids sloshing around in my stomach! I learned later, that was why I had severe cramps in my legs; esp. @ night when trying to sleep! Total dehydration! In some ways that was why I was so healthy; actually fasting > of the day w/ all that exercise! I'd have dinner w/ family then head to courts w/ lights! At U of Chgo., a court stayed lit until midnight! I only did that twice after I turned 18! I was on court competing well over 12 hrs. if I wasn't teaching the game!
Trump's playing to the "Religious Right" & they're accepting of his bufoonery since he's making them feel good about being bigoted, misogynist pigs! The lone issue of abortion is being used fraudulantly, but they don't care! They got what they wanted from the Supreme Court, setting the country back 50 yrs. along w/ the women's movement! They're being told the pol. contrib. made will prob. go to defending Trump's crimes vs the country & populus! Again, they don't seem to care! I say, keep giving $$ to this snake, but I don't want to hear about how broke they are who are giving $$ to someone like this who's lit. a traitor & war criminal! Hard to believe their choice of "W" was the worst @ the X, but they scraped the sewer finding & supporting Trump, so we're getting what some people want; CHAOS!
ReplyDelete***...A state being thrust back to a Civil War era law, B4 they were = a state? It's certainly not going to do the GOP any favors in this climate restricting abortion to non-existency.***
It's rulings like this that make me believe we're so close to that dystopian civilization I read so much about in the 60's! Reality's being turned inside out as we go back instead of forward! After "Roe v Wade" overturned, setting back 50 yrs. of precedent, why should we be surprised another cons. court c/b this Neanderthal as to go back to Civil War X's law! What's next, ??ing & overturning of "Brown v Bd. of Ed.? Electing Trump has given a small, vocal, & dangerous segment of the pop. to run over Democracy & the rule of law as it gets corrupted w/ these cons. judges the Reps. install during their tenure running the Senate! Elections do have consequences! Women had no idea that by self-hating & voting vs Hillary, the women's movement & = civil rights are in jeopardy now! And it's not like they weren't warned! It was pretty scary during the "W" Bush yrs. w/ "Free Speech Zones" & trashing the economy w/ ridiculous tax cuts for the rich! It w/b diff. if it actually helped w/ every day life, but all it does X & X again is db'l/trp'l the Nat'l Debt, inflate unemployment #'s, & create insolvent banking! It truly happens again & again! Dems. fix the prob., get us back on our feet, then the cycle repeats itself! I've seen it happen w/ Reagan, Bush, "W," & Trump! Clinton & Obama only got ridicule for bringing us back from the brink, but we're too dumb to NOT listen! The end can't come soon enough for me as the country spirals out of control!
***Did Trump win the '16 presidential election b/c Hillary Clinton wasn't a very good opponent? Hillary received 3M > votes > Trump did. Therefore the majority of American voters wanted Hillary to win. If it wasn’t for the undemocratic & archaic Elect. Col., we whn spared the last 7 yrs. of theater of the absurd.***
A contributing factor was a 3rd party candidate that pulled just enough votes from Hillary; Jill Stern! The FBI didn’t help announcing an investigation into her online paperwork! Comey will burn in HELL for this as he was also investigating Trump, but didn’t want to upset “the right” by acknowledging it! Then there was Russian intervention, making FB rich w/ lies & propaganda! We’re idiots here in the States & have allowed both Russia & China to help choose our leadership! It scared Putin to have to deal w/ Clinton! They wouldn’t be buddies like he was Trump! Our democracy is in jeopardy to this day due to their interference!
***McConnell was boo'd vociferously at a Rep. Town Hall setting recently.***
WTF's wrong w/ his staff to allow that kind of exposure after seeing him freeze on the floor of the Senate? More > likely these a-holes want to hold onto their jobs until the last b/c once he retires, all those staffers are gone! There's prob. w/ 1000's of them out there! We have lit'l to no idea the extent of these pols power & scope of influence!