Wimbledon weather forecast.

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What’s that wrist band everybody appears to be flaunting?

Top 10 Incredibly Large Statues.

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Pictures from the World Cup.

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Do we love sports or is it all about our team / athlete?

I was watching the NBA finals and noticed midway through the series that I had become so consumed at wanting one team to win over the other that just the gratitude of being privileged enough in watching some of the best basketball anywhere in the world was completely lost in translation. There were some hugely spectacular plays through the event but my response to any such production by the ‘other’ team only evoked disgust and a moan in contrast to wild jubilation when similar acts were committed by ‘my’ team. By the time finals were over, I realized how much of genius and joy I missed out on being singularly obsessed on the wrong target.

Is that too far from what we manufacture when a Fedal match is on? Just like two of the best team in the world were competing in the NBA finals, Federer and Nadal hands down are the best of their generation if not the best ever. The most recent reminder of this could have been the recently concluded Roland Garros finals. Even though Federer was not involved physically, the ramifications of the result firmly planted him smack in the middle of the drama, taking away some of the oohs and aaaahs Nadal’s play more than deserved. And that’s when the two were not there in flesh. Wonder what happens when they square off physically.

You have to just look at the player’s box to truly gauge what fans elsewhere are feeling while denying themselves the ability to truly take in what they may never witness again – ever. That player’s box snap shot is a microcosm of what’s been perpetrated elsewhere at a much broader and passionate scale – pathetically.

The need to watch your team / player win clouds the senses so pervasively and completely that it robs you of a product that is probably in existence maybe ONLY to transcend such petty BS in the first place. There’s so much magic and supernatural ability that gets passed over without its due appreciation and accolades only because we are so into wanting and mouth-frothing some frivolous crap – in comparison.

Just imagining a world without such narrow-minded BS opens up a whole new order with a much richer and infinitely more rewarding experience. But are we wired to never get to that state consciously? Maybe.

Most likely five-set thriller @ Wimbledon – other than Fedal?

Congratulations to Adrian for completing the Phd. Good job.

ADRIAN

hello from south africa!!!!!!

just wanted to send a brief message to all of you!! i have not forgotten you, but i haven’t been visiting the site much lately… first because i FINISHED MY PHD!!!! and i was entertaining family for graduation weekend and such… then because i had to pack and move… and now because i’m in south africa (supporting mexico, of course!!!)

the atmosphere has been ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! and the mexico matches have been just heavenly… ok, not the match against south africa… but it was a lot of fun nonetheless. the south africans are INCREDIBLY WONDERFUL people!! my friends and I are truly fascinated with the warmth, hospitality, and generosity of the people here, they are truly truly amazing!!

so, please please pleaaaase, let’s all root for mexico in their next match against uruguay!! we WILL go through — i know that much! — but i’m hoping we make it in first place, to avoid argentina in the 2nd round!!

will try and come often this next week just to keep you guys updated… it’s really unfortunate but i won’t have much time to follow what’s going on at wimby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

love from jozi,
adrian

Who is most motivated to win Wimbledon this year?

Considering what all has transpired leading up to this Slam, there appears ONE player who may be adding all that up to view this as his best opportunity to win Wimbledon this time. Federer’s focus is clouded with all sorts of screens, Nadal just lost to Lopez at his first match on grass and has a tremendously tough draw, Djokovic is just happy to be playing tennis, period, Murray is far from recovered from the ‘thrashed to the pulp’ beating Federer administered (mentally) at the AO, Delpo is lucky he has the use of his left hand instead of investing in mechanical devices to meet his ‘basic’ needs and Soderling cannot solve the Federer/Nadal cube at the same event. Did I miss anyone? If I did, they are there just as a prop to complete the movie.

So who is missing? Have a clue? No, you don’t!!!!!!!!!!

Could it be Roddick? This is the surface he feels most effective on to impose his one-dimensional game. OK one and a half. Here’s who Roddick is most likely to face:

Ram, Llodra, Kohlscreiber, Cilic, Djokovic, Federer, Nadal.

None of them are coming in with momentum and numbers so drastic that they can disproportionately sway the pendulum their way decisively – against Roddick. Conversely, Roddick has already won two titles this year, one more than Federer: Brisbane and Miami. Besides, he beat Nadal at Miami in the semis AND reached the finals at Indian Wells losing to some guy who SHOULD have passed away by now (Ljubicic). Roddick’s serve gains that much more traction on grass to befuddle even Federer. Not convinced? Roddick has reached three finals here and one semifinal – all four times losing to some guy with a long nose and fat wife. Last year he even beat local home boy Murray in the semis in close four sets – in three hours and seven minutes – before taking Federer to five sets clocking four hours and 16 minutes.

All that speaks volumes of Roddick’s ability and willingness to maintain his body AND game to be in position to take advantage of this mess at the top. Maybe he has finally found the prince after kissing so many toads in Stefanki.

“The fire, the drive, the internal flame is going to be there until he climbs the peak. But you’ve got to find a balance,” Stefanki said. “That’s the last thing you want to think about – winning a major when you’ve got seven rounds to win. Until you get to that seventh match, you’d better put that on the back burner. I mean, way on the back burner.”

The match making may not have clicked at the most ‘desired’ time but it may just come together at the most opportune time.

Additionally if you have not noticed yet, Roddick’s popularity in London is off the charts today bolstered largely due to his four-hour plus fight against Federer last year. Some claim that the crowd was cheering for Roddick MORE than Federer at that epic match. That intangible cannot be ignored as part of the package elevating Roddick high enough to see the opportunity with fewer obstacles than ever.

But all this also carries within it the potential to hit him harder than even last year’s exit – if he fails to cash it as the pace with which the window is closing is not slowing now. Roddick’s added motivation also stems from the fact that he wants Brooklyn to view him as a winner. That ‘getting up after being thrashed again and again’ gets to be old after a while. How wonderful would it be for him to beat Federer on his way up to dislodge two monkeys off his back with one stroke? Anonymously texting someone that someone’s wife is better than someone else’s can only take you so far specially when you are not fooling anyone.

“I’m always anxious going into Wimbledon. I don’t think that’s going to change,” said the 27-year-old Roddick, who lives in Austin, Texas. “I don’t go in with any sense of entitlement or any sense of anything like that. I’m excited to get onto a surface that I actually feel that I can impose my game on a little bit more.”

And while talking American, did you know William sisters have won eight of the last 10 Wimbledon titles? WOW freaking WOW!!!!!!!!!

Photos.