Chile on world map.

Shouldn’t the most famous athlete in the world be the top performer too?

At one time and that time may still not have passed, Ali was the most recognizable face on the planet – sports, non-sports whatfreakingever.

Woods is unanimously considered as the most famous athlete on the planet – not the most recognizable face. Shouldn’t that mean that no other athlete, leave alone your wife, be able to beat you?

I mean, you HAVE to be the most dominating force on the sports scene to claim that title. Or do you?

Clearly Federer is the one with numbers to prove that he is way ahead of Woods – in every freaking category – from age to Slams to being able to handle a far ‘prosperous’ looking wife etc.

Or just being an American adds that extra shine on you to bump the guy who really deserves it? Or is it how you carry yourself and how it resonates with the public and endorsers alike?

There has to be a reason why Woods has been able to lift a dead game like golf worldwide despite not even close to breaking the all-time Slams record – compared to Federer.

Federer, on the other hand, had a head start with just having a more mainstream sport at least internationally and then his records presumably and logically should throw him over the top to displace Woods as the most popular athlete in the world.

So is it the Cinderella story of a black guy making it in a white sport.

What is it? If a guy like Federer with all his fake goody goody image, mannerisms and records cannot make it what hope does tennis have in producing the most famous athlete of the world – ever.

Or is this the case of Nadal playing in Federer’s era to not claim the top prize in any respect?

Highlights from the 2010 Acapulco final. From Jenny. Thanks.

JENNY

Will AO be the last Slam for both Federer and Nadal?

Even though this year’s AO title (Federer) and the upcoming clay season (Nadal) may go counter to above, making it way too premature, there are a host of other obvious factors on the other side of the see-saw matching that presumption, if not outweighing it.

If pushed to choose who between the two as to who is most likely to win another Slam, I will have to go with Nadal.

Nadal still has no real threat or heck upcoming threat if he is even close to 90 percent on clay. Against Soderling last year he was at barely 50 percent. With the rest he has had since the AO and the at least perceived notion that he appears to be taking this recent injury far more seriously, Nadal could be close to 100 percent unless Indian Wells and Miami are given undue preference.

Federer, on the other hand, has a gaping divide between him and the youngsters on his favorite surface(s) that’s growing exponentially by the minute if not by the seconds, given the boat the two parties are sailing in today with age being the least one of the logs in the fireplace.

On the face of it Nadal’s recurring injury and lack of any decisive corrective action may seem far more debilitating than anything Federer is going through professionally and personally, but lack of mastery of his chosen surface(s) compared to Nadal’s absolute lock on his, more than covers any idle ground – with competition not even considered.

Additionally, Federer’s record of losing six of the last seven events looks far worse than Nadal’s return from last year’s injury break where he at least matched the previous season’s results – on hard courts.

Nadal may also have come out from under that divorce cloud by now, allowing him to mentally dictate like old times, unless ‘Gypsy’ produces separation to mess things up again.

And that’s all when you are pushed to choose one between them to win another Slam. Without the pushing nobody is delivering the baby now.

Nadal’s injury may come back even stronger at Indian Wells and Miami to make all clay assumptions moot or Federer’s illness, as is expected, may not only NOT allow him to return in time for Indian Wells, but inject enough rust in his game to disallow win at a Slam again.

Djokovic interview after winning at Dubai.

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Dubai final: Highlights.

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Photos.

Space for your concern and more updates for / from Plane.

PLANE

I’m Chilean I live in Santiago. I was in my apartment (17th floor) with my girlfriend when the earthquake began, it was horrible, we thought the entire building was going to fall apart. The body count it’s 214, but it’s estimated a total of 300. Here are good pics of what happened: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/02/earthquake_in_chile.html

Saludos.

Childhood = Curtains and upholstery?

Who will win the title this weekend?

Clock and US tennis.

Which programming would you rather watch:

-The league geared to your schedule meaning most of the games will start when you are done with your work and are parked on your Lazy-Boy late evening OR

-The tour with over 70 percent of the programming timed when the clock strikes midnight in your time zone.

Unless you are a die-hard fan or a die-hard lunatic why would you even consider the latter considering you have a living to make the next freaking day.

And if it took a Connors, McEnroe, Sampras and Agassi to force people to wake up in the middle of the night, what’s on the tour today to even make you look at the scores now?

If three out of four Slams are beyond your comfort zone, why even bother when you have other sports hitting your sweet time spot on a daily basis.

Solution: Move the schedule to suit the country or continent you want to revive as tennis fan base. That means that other three Slams will be played at night local time until the US market revives. Locals are already hooked so you have them by the balls – they are not going anywhere.

Why not constantly look for new balls until the world is conquered?

What does your choice of sport say about you?

I mean, there are more than obvious differences in the following different sports attract.

In the US, among the top three sports – Football, Basketball and Baseball – the low lives probably are seen in most numbers at Basketball. But then the court-side seats there are a virtual who’s who of the movers and shakers from Hollywood to other sports to you name it.

But overall – comparatively – Basketball still has to be the biggest magnet of rowdies and low lives.

On the other hand, typically a tennis fan is much more educated, sane, cultured and resourceful financially. With the sprinkling of freaking toddlers here that sane theory goes out the window once and for all.

Or is it the female gender participation in this exercise that softens the picture or at least balances the saw held down by hooligans? I mean, is it because more females are attracted to tennis that the sport is being saved from being billed as another ‘soccer fiasco’?

Sure there are females hooked on to the NBA but I don’t think they can match the crowd at a tennis arena percentagewise, don’t you think?

Or does it all have to do with how sever the sport is regarding contact? The more chronic it gets, the more hooligans it attracts. Boxing or MMA?

Nevertheless, there are visible traits that make you like or dislike a certain sport.

How about the GOAT theory? Does an emergence of a genius in any discipline profoundly effect the make up of the crowd? Maybe. But wouldn’t that be just a momentary blip only to slip back to it’s roots eventually? Woods, Federer?

Additionally the players’ lives are another reflection of who they are appealing to. There’s hardly a player in the NFL who hasn’t been to the prison. They are either in there, on their way in or on their way out.

Look at NBA. Despite commissioner’s over the top efforts to clean up the image by forcing players to wear suits on the sidelines to eliminating all rap paraphernalia to whatever, there appears to be no end to the crap.

Is it then the race? Are sports dominated by black / white / brown/ yellow athletes more likely to be in trouble?

While your country and upbringing has lot to do with which sport gets grandfathered into your DNA there appears a trail that in broad sense say a lot about who you are based on which sport you root for.

Photos.

WOW!!! The Exorcist star has grown up.

Shouldn’t she have given up on that color with ‘commando strips’ all over the net? Or is she trying to say something?

Has the unisex tour begun already?

How can you freaking have that much water on the freaking court? What kind of genius plumbing is that?

Serena dressed-up in traditional regalia. From M. Thanks.

M

Quote from Getty:

“World number one tennis champion Serena Williams laughs on February 23, 2010 as she is dressed-up in traditional regalia by women from the Kamba tribe in the Wee village, Makueni district, some 300 kilometers southeast of Nairobi, to inaugurate a school she funded. The school, built in collaboration with another charity ‘Build African Schools’ is her second action in the eastern Kenya region since 2008. AFP PHOTO / Tony KARUMBA (Photo credit should read TONY KARUMBA/AFP/Getty Images)”

More of / on Nadal-Shakira video. From Adrian. Thanks.

ADRIAN

OK, given that Nadal is not an actor, Xisca CANNOT be fine with and used to seeing her boyfriend doing these sorts of scenes with someone as hot as Shakira!! You can expect that from Roddick with Brooklyn, but I feel for the girl… this thing between Shak and Nadal looks VERY real…!! jaja

This is the whole video:

http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/shakira/gypsy–218648338

Tsunami alert.

DEE

There is a Tsunami warning! be safe!I heard there was one in south Japan as well. Chieko san , Hope you are OK
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/02/27/chile.quake/

M

Chile Earthquake 1000 Times More Powerful Than Haiti Quake

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouncyjB4Ips&feature=player_embedded

*abrazos besos oraciones*

Photos.

This is getting beyond ‘forced hugging’.

Even my inflatables don’t do that. Geeezzzz!!!!

‘Love Cyprus’? Yeah, that’s for clearing that up.

I don’t think that means ‘jack’ to the ball.

OK, I would agree with that.

Isner refuses to give in.

Djokovic talks about reaching Dubai finals.

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Djokovic vs Badhdatis @ Dubai: Highlights.

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How do you explain this BS?

After Tiger Wood’s apology, Buddhism was the third most googled word on the net. How freaking of a moron do you have to be to so foolishly and blindly follow what ANY freaking celebrity says or does?

And remember ‘Broco’ sales (it’s a SUV, for rock people) shot through the roof after OJ was plastered all over the tube running away from authorities.

Or how about clowns flocking around to buy the glass frame Sarah Palin wore throughout her ridiculous campaign?

On a side note, it has been reported that it was, after all, not the killer whale who strayed at Sea World and killed the trainer. Thorough investigation revealed the real culprit. It was Rosie O’Donnell.

The most ignored shot in tennis.

Addition of which is so vital that it can, most of the time, singlehandedly determine the outcome of the match. To be more specific it could very well decide if you will be a top ten player or not. Can it bump you to No. 1? Maybe not but it could be the most crucial component in your overall blueprint to get there.

Have a clue? No, you don’t!!!!!

And yes there’s already a precedent of someone who used it so effectively that he may never be forgotten as one of the greats of the game. And this tool quite conspicuously figured in most of his wins, specially the close ones.

Given the open secret laid bare with such strong exhibit, you have to wonder why it has not been picked up and has not already become the staple of all tennis academy routines worldwide.

You need a clue, don’t you? Well, try this. Sampras was the player who popularised it most in recent times. Even Federer’s arsenal does not include this weapon at least to the degree it existed within Sampras’s tool shed.

Give up?

It’s the freaking second serve. If you can routinely hit an ace on your second attempt or at least make it ‘unreturnable’ or how about ‘ensure a weak return’, that could improve your chances of not getting broken as many times. Beyond that your overall game has to come in to finish the job.

Who would fare better at other’s sport?

Murray talks after losing to a dude with four eyes.

Click here.

Is Federer’s illness just another notch on the ‘complacent’ rope?

Illness late in the career can cause immense stress (considering it’s likely to take far more time to heal compared to your younger days) IF you haven’t finished your job many times defined by sources outside your person like the press, past records etc.

While Federer may still protest the notion that his job is done here, there are far too many factors now pointing to a dramatic shift downwards: Marriage, twins, No. 16, Roland Garros, illness, Wawrinka’s marriage etc.

Time lost recuperating from this illness is clearly magnified by the limited window now available to make any waves. Two months today would be equivalent to six months in younger days with exponential progression beyond that.

Additionally, this time off the court – completely – will drive him into a world glowing with family bliss, home cooked food, no traveling, own bed, local hair and nail salons, nose job surgeons etc.

That combination of presence somewhere and absence somewhere is diametrically opposite to producing something exciting on the tour. Father time will disallow many moves soon to make this hiatus look like eternity now that the youngsters are finding their stride – once they are able to stand on their two feet, that is.

Nadal, on the other hand, cannot help but feel encouraged to win another back to back titles at the FO and Wimbledon with Murray mired in the history of pressure-induced hick ups. He may have his own problems but this carrot should motivate him just that much more to get back on the court. It may also force him to pace himself during the clay season to capitalize on Federer’s absence – a choice he may not have made if Federer was firing on all cylinders.

Why? Because then clay season would look like his last shot at least this season of winning ANY title.

Translation: This illness, loss of momentum, family bliss, competition, age etc. are forming into a swiss-knife like confederation to produce a vice-like grip on all future moves.

Dubai quarterfinals: Highlights.

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Stopping your opponent vs winning yourself.

Is there a dynamic on the tennis circuit today that can entertain the above notion?

Federer stopping Nadal from winning the US Open?

With the gravy train already in full swing for Federer, holding your arch rival from bagging a career Slam just a few years after you when there are other obvious daggers holding down your legacy to pierce the ‘never going to happen again’ shield, this reason may slip in the equation if the two meet in the US, don’t you think?

Wimbledon? Not so much since Sampras still holds the most titles number at seven.

Roland Garros? Will that work in reverse there?

For Delpo and Djokovic: Not allowing Murray to get on the Slam board to release the beast?

For Serena, ANYTIME  she plays Sharapova ANYWHERE?

You got more? No, you don’t!!!!!

Whale kills trainer at SeaWorld in Orlando. I know why.

STOP FREAKING BERATING THESE ANIMALS LIKE ROBOTS WHO GET TO EAT ONLY IF THEY OBEY YOUR COMMANDS. Geeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzz Louiisssssssssssssssssssseeeeeeeee!!!!!!

You think these animals don’t realize they are being humiliated every time they are hungry. Or that the training / humiliating sessions coincidentally occur just before their meal time?

Their cup may take a little longer to fill up but that only means delaying the explosion down the line – inevitably.

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Ivanovic excited to play at MSG again. Nicely timed. Geeezzzz!!!!

And that’s as a replacement for Serena. Yeah, these exos have this weird thing about restarting your ‘slumping in the crap’ career – all out of the blue.

Besides, the added exposure at one of the brightest stage in sports cannot hurt, can it? If exposure is what you are after, you might also consider getting together with someone called Hugh Hefner. All dimensions of that word will suddenly come to ‘light’.

This is clearly a girl hurting because of the humble beginnings. The sudden flood of cash and fame is just too much to absorb for a psyche that’s been starved forever.

I can imagine what I would look like if given free rein at an animal farm retreat.

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Shakira and Nadal music video. From Liz. Thanks.

LIZ

Shakira and Nadal music video

http://bit.ly/aZBGb8

Photos.

Just add that sparkly girly stuff!!!!!!!

If Ljubicic can evoke that, you are not going anywhere – big.

If you lose to any dude with glasses, it doesn’t matter what sport it is, your end is near / here.

Why are we not being shown the third row or the fourth row?

Is it the teeth’s turn this time?

Dubai Highlights: Wednesday.

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Photos.

I have never tried that. Now where are my clothes?

Is he planning to play the ‘organ’ in a cathedral tonight?

Which sport enjoys the highest degree of difficulty?

Basketball: You need some nasty discipline to knock down a shot beyond the three-point line. Even regular jump shot etc. is no easy task given the conditions. Stats bear that out: Even Jordan could score at less than 50%. Kobe is at what 46?

Tennis: To keep the ball within the rectangle, over the net and beyond the wheelhouse of your opponent – on the run – should amount to something.

Cricket: To find the sweet spot on your bat when the ball is traveling at the speed of light while attempting to not get killed AND score points is worthy.

Football: To release the ball before you are blown to pieces, maimed or martyred while making sure you thread a needle at the same time should get some attention.

Ice Hockey: To skate and breathe at the same time while intentionally bumping other players into oblivion while attempting to make the puck appear invisible is laudable.

Baseball: The eye-hand coordination needed to hit that rock with a bat round in shape and make it sail over the fence reduces that spot on the bat to the bare minimum.

Soccer: To run around with the dire aim to look busy while the ball is not even in your zip code should need some acting classes. All I want to know is just exactly how much dope do you need to freaking watch it. Just give me a number – in lbs or kgs – and I will go away – for sometime.

Can Djokovic’s career, end up being defined by one word: Default?

Everyone with a pulse on the tour crashing out largely to injuries and illnesses, when we are still in the second month of the season, Djokovic is emerging as the only one standing.

Just from among the top five, even Murray is faltering big time – against Tipsy, forget about the rest of them from Federer to Nadal to Delpo.

If this keeps up that default bump to No. 2 may continue to land him on the top at No. 1. He is about 4000 points shy. If Federer is a no go at Indian Wells and beyond or is incapable of reaching rounds needed to just defend points (a more likely scenario), Djokovic may get help from some unexpected quarters expediting the ‘default’ syndrome.

If Murray’s lame excuse for crashing so early at Dubai against Tipsy “I am coming from a big break after the Australian Open and was not as prepared as I should have been for the tournament. I was still trying out things on the court, rather than playing my normal game.” is to be taken at face value, Djokovic may be in for a far easier ride than he ever imagined on his way to the top of the mountain.

Under current conditions, Djokovic should be a hot favorite to win Roland Garros this year – hands freaking down. That could prove to be his only saving grace against the giant ‘default’ billboard about to go up somewhere around his neck.

Could that then produce the seventh career Slam joker considering Murray’s complete ineffectiveness on the red surface?

Top 10 Most Dangerous Foods.

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