Spanish team with Spain’s Prime Minister.

 

 

 

 

Del Potro’s underpants. From Ch. Thanks.

CH

Re. los calzones…

A Spanish supporter holds a slip with a legend “Del Potro, we took your underpants off your ass” during the single match of the Davis Cup final between Argentina’s tennis player Jose Acasuso and Spain’s Fernando Verdasco, at Islas Malvinas stadium in Mar del Plata, Argentina, on November 23, 2008. AFP PHOTO/JUAN MABROMATA (Photo credit should read JUAN MABROMATA/AFP/Getty Images)

Here’s the next contest. First correct answer = Wall of Fame listing.

It’s two-part question:

1. Who (ATP) won 27 titles in one year – an open era record – combination of both singles and doubles titles?

2. How many singles and how many doubles?

So your answer will look like this:

1. Del Potro.

2. 12 singles and 15 doubles.

Geeeezzzz. Now remember the day care center will be serving sweets to all toddlers on Thanksgiving.

Insults and expletives lace Spain’s Davis Cup title.

Verdasco and Spanish Davis Cup captain Emilio Sanchez criticized the Argentine crowd for shouting insults and expletives at the Spanish team during Saturday’s doubles match.

“When they express themselves in a manner which lacks respect, they lose all the credibility they had gained until now,” said Sanchez.”This is a sporting event and the winner is decided by what happens on the court.”

Verdasco said the crowd’s behaviour pumped him up. “It gave me more motivation… I played better after they started insulting me.”

Money, at the center of Argentina’s Davis Cup defeat?

Argentine press report that financial conflict also affected the Davis Cup team that lost last weekend’s final against Spain. Nalbandian was originally due to receive half of the $2.8 million the Argentine tennis association was paying the team, but del Potro, after rising into the Top 10 during the second half of the year, was asking for a more equal distribution.

So if this is really true, did Del Potro seal the loss just to get back at Nalbandian and the Argentine tennis association, knowing how much the win here would have elevated Nalbandian’s status in the country and the world? Quite reasonable to assume, don’t you think?

Del Potro will have many more chances to win it on his terms, while this may have been Nalbandian’s last shot at vindicating lot of stuff with the title.

It comes down to leadership and where you stand on the totem pole of great players. Great players will readily give up ANYTHING standing in the way of a crucial win. They have no choice. They are wired that way. You think if Nalbandian had voluntarily agreed to whatever Del Potro asked for – gladly – the result would have been a little different? You bet!!!!

Del Potro would have killed himself on the court to repay that favor. That was a great tool for Nalbandian to absolutely guarantee the win. Injury and illness is no match to rock solid determination and motivation to win. Have you heard / seen Michael Jordan dropping what 50 points while being visibly sick on the court with glazed eyes and all?

Del Potro had a semi-legitimate alibi that gave him the opening and he took it – with impunity – while heaping all the garbage on Nalbandian – all with one stroke. Nalbandian is now running for cover from eggs and tomatoes being thrown at him while Del Potro is having the last laugh.

You see when the ego is bruised beyond a mark, individual is pushed beyond the ‘caring’ threshold, irrespective of what it is – sometimes even death. Conversely when he receives a favor out of ‘bigness’ of heart from someone, he is willing to put his life on the line. It’s a law of nature that is immutable till the end of time.

Legends recognize it and use it to get to their chosen destination in every field of human endeavor.