Marcos Baghdatis

How often do you remember a runner-up over a champion?  If you aren't a Bear fan, can you tell me who the Bears beat in the 1985 Superbowl?  Me neither.  Out of the six NBA Championships the Bulls won with Michael Jordan, can you tell me who they beat?  I remember the Jazz one year...the TrailBlazers another year.  This years Australian Open will be remembered for the guy who didn't win the title over the guy who did. 

 Federer and Baghdatis before the match.

Marcos Baghdatis lost in four tough sets to Roger Federer last night in the final of the Australian Open.  We won't remember the final.  We'll remember the road Baghdatis had to get there.  We'll remember his infectious smile.  We'll remember after he beat number 2 seed Andy Roddick he was asked on court (for the entire Rod Laver Arena to hear) what he was going to do and he said 'Consult with my coach and then sleep with my girlfriend.' 

On his way to the final, Baghdatis beat four ranked players.  He beat Czech Radek Stepanek, the number 17 seed, in the second round.  In the fourth round, he beat Roddick, who looked very average, in four sets.  In the quarterfinals, Baghdatis (or Bags as ESPN commentator Brad Gilbert likes to call him) beat the number 7 seed Ivan Ljubicic in five sets.  In the semi's, Bags beat Argentinan and number 4 seed David Nalbandian in another five sets.  Talk about a tough road. 

The Australian Open is known for having some lower ranked players making it through to the quarters or semi's.  It's right after Christmas and halfway around the world.  Players with little nagging injuries (Agassi, Nadal, Safin, etc), don't want to play and jeopardize the rest of the year.  Baghdatis wouldn't be remembered if he beat unranked players on the way to the final, but because he ousted 4 of the top 20 ranked players in the world his name will be remembered for a long time to come. 

Coming into the tournament, the Cyprus-born Baghdatis (age 20) was ranked number 54 in the world.  He jumped to number 26 after making the final.  If he would have beaten Federer he would have jumped into the top 20.  I can honestly say I knew nothing about Baghdatis before the Australian Open, but as of now I know I won't forget this Australian Open just because of him.  He was absolutely spectacular and left everything on the court.  Unlike Justine Henin Hardenne who retired in the women's final, because she got a little sick. 

 Federer now has 7 slams; halfway to Sampras.

Congratulations Roger Federer.  You are an amazing tennis player, but we need more Marcos Baghdatis' on the tour.

My Most Hated Athlete

 Please kick me in the face.

Recently, GQ has come out with its '10 Most Hated Athletes' list.  Terrell Owens is at the top obviously.  Ron Artest is another.  Phil Mickelson?  Still trying to understand that one.  Eh, he's a golfer.  Who cares really?  The guy who sticks with me, being a tennis pro, is Lleyton Hewitt.  I utterly despise this puke.

If you know tennis at all, you know Lleyton has no problem showing emotion on the court.  We all love mocking his 'lawnmower.'  The lawnmower is Lleyton going down to one knee and pumping his first like he is starting a lawnmower.  Now to the good stuff.  I'm all for emotion on the court.  I know Pete Sampras was dry.  I know Roger Federer is dry and it's hard for people who aren't true tennis fans to watch these guys play. 

Let me explain why I have come to hate Lleyton Hewitt.  First was an incident at the 2001 U.S. Open.  In a close match vs American James Blake (who is an African American), Hewitt was called for multiple foot faults by a black linesman.  You know where I'm going with this.  On a change over, Hewitt went up to the chair umpire and said 'You look at him (pointing at the linesman) and you look at him (pointing at Blake) and you see the similarities.'  Just brilliant. 

Hewitt tries so hard to get under the skin of his opponents.  Some, like Juan Ignacio Chela, ignore him...but only for so long.  In last years Australian Open, Hewitt was barking at Chela trying to get his attention.  Chela blasted a serve right at Hewitt narrowly missing the fiery Australian.  On the change over, Chela let his emotions get to him spitting at Hewitt.  You know what makes all of this so great?  An Australian newspaper wrote 'Many regretted (the spit) did not find its target.' 

Not many athletes are hated around the world and at home.  Well done Lleyton.  Luckily he does have a great girl.  (Sarcasm).  A couple years ago, Hewitt was engaged to top woman's player, Kim Clijsters of Belgium.  All seemed happy until the two broke up.  Come to find out, Lleyton was with one Bec Cartwright, an Australian soap opera actress.  Cartwright and Hewitt are now married and the poem Cartwright wrote and read to Hewitt at their wedding reception is one for the ages. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She's dumb in the Dumb and Dumber that is Mr and Mrs Hewitt.

As much as I'd just like to put a link to this poem, I feel the need to put the poem right in here.  Enjoy.

"I really don’t know where to start,
but I definitely know you’ve captured my heart,
It started that night you called me up,
to see if I'd play in the Starlight Cup
Way back then, little did we know,
That our love for one another could grow and grow,
A text message or two is what kept us in touch
And I want you to know that I love you so much
It wasn’t ’til late in 2004
That I received another phone call
When we decided to meet,
we went up the street for something to eat,
From that day on I’ve been by your side
And look at me now,
I am here as your bride!
I used to wish upon a star
that I’d meet the perfect husband
- and here you are!
You’re an inspiration to so many including me,
Anyone whose ever met you can count themselves lucky,
I’m so lucky I’ve found the one,
Being with you I have nothing but fun,
You are my best friend and my dream come true
And I’m so glad to be sharing all this with you
This is only the start of our dream together,
But I promise to love you until forever
I can’t wait to start my life with you,
Just being together, our dreams will come true
I have no doubt I’m glad to be your wife,
And being with me is now a part of your life
I admire you for so many reasons,
I mean look at what happened at the Four Seasons!
We’re about to experience the miracle of life,
but always remember I’m so proud to be your wife,
Having a family with you makes me so glad,
I know I’ll never get sad,
Thanks so much for choosing me,
By sticking together we’ll make a great family
Engaged and then married and now one on the way,
I’ll take such good care of you every day,
It’s safe to say I’ll love you more and more
And marrying you today, I couldn’t be more sure.
Rebecca Hewitt! I’m your wife!
I promise you one thing, stick with me and you’ll have a bloody good life!"

Sure brings a tear to my eye.  Where are the tissues?  When I get married if my wife reads me something like that, I'm eating and living that wedding and never looking back. 

Univerity of Negative Broadcasting

Growing up I thought Bill Walton went to UCLA and won a few national titles.  I also thought Billy Packer went to Wake Forest and played point guard for the Deacons.  I am obviously wrong.  These two, and a few others, went to the University of Negative Broadcasting.  I am sure of it.  Let me add a couple more names to the list.  Skip Bayless and Phil Simms.  They all came out on the wrong side of the womb. 

 One word:  Wow.  The Trailblazers didn't draft him for his looks, that's for sure.

First of all, you'd think Bill Walton would be a happy guy.  He's won titles at every level, played with Larry Bird and has four son's that are good basketball players (Luke plays for the Lakers).  Yet he has nothing nice to say during his broadcasting games for the NBA on ABC.  Let me say this though:  the NBA stinks.  I hate it.  It's no fun.  Everybody knows it, but if you are trying to make pro basketball fun for all who watch why in god's green earth are you ripping everything about it?  (Need a good laugh.  Check this out.)

 

 

 

 

 

Hello, I'm Billy Packer.  I'm a prick and proud of it.

Billy Packer is another one I could live without.  It's harder with Packer though.  He does college basketball for CBS and come March and the NCAA Tournament guess who we have to watch and listen to?  That's right.  Billy Packer.  Yippee!!!  I wonder what is wrong with this guy.  He has the dream job of all dream jobs (as do all sports broadcasters) and he continuously rips the game, the players, the NCAA and all that is great about college basketball.  Cheer up already.  Here is a website dedicated to getting Billy Packer taking off the air.  Please sign it.

Phil Simms.  Another Hall of Famer who acts like life is a total craphole and nothing is good about it.  He can't take criticism, he dishes it out to every player and team EXCEPT his old team, the Giants, and when one person says something negative about his own son, Chris (a QB for the Tampa Bay Bucs), he goes ballistic. 

Skip Bayless.  Ah yes, Skippy boy.  Luckily enough this guy doesn't do any national sports commentating.  He has sunk to the lowest of low...doing ESPN2's Cold Pizza show.  (Mornings for all of you who have nothing else to do).  I don't know where this guy started as a writer but I do know he worked in Dallas for the Morning News and practically got kicked out of town for ripping on the Cowboys.  He moved onto Chicago and the Tribune.  What happened?  Same thing.  He ripped on the Bears and the Cubs once too often and he was shipped out.  Next, he moved to the sports mecca of San Jose.  Home to the NHL's Sharks and....nothing else.  How he ended up getting his ugly mug on tv is beyond me.  Bayless needs to be beat writing for the Mosquito Dragons in South Dakota...population 137.  Get out of my face nutjob.  (Check out this journal on sportsblog.com titled 'Skip Bayless is an idiot!'  Written two years ago it still rings true today.

Realize Mr Walton, Mr Packer, Mr Bayless and Mr Simms, you are covering sports that people enjoy watching, except the NBA.  We don't like listening to your bashing of everything involved with the sports you are representing.  Life is short.  Smile every once in a while.

Week (or so) in Review

The last ten days or so have seen some remarkable sporting events.  Let's go over some of them, shall we?

 The do-it-all QB will not be back in Austin next fall...'Thank God' says one OU fan....

* Anybody who missed the USC / Texas National title game missed out on an amazing display by one Vince Young of Texas.  He was unstoppable.  Praise the lord a national title game lived up to it's billing...unlike the USC / OU game of last year (Let's just leave that one alone).  A couple things bugged me about this game.  Young having his knee on the ground before he tossed the ball back for the Longhorn's first touchdown.  Where is replay?  (Actually I read in the USA Today the MONITOR WASN'T WORKING in the booth so the replay officials couldn't look at it before the next play)  You can not be serious. 

Second, I love Keith Jackson but it's time for him to stop calling games.  In the second quarter, with the score tied, the camera's showed Pete Carroll talking to John David Booty (Leinart's backup).  Jackson say's 'Well, it looks like Booty was just told to go warmup.'  Right.  They are going to take out Leinart.  On Texas' two-point conversion, Jackson also blurted out 'THE CLOCK DIDN'T RUN ON THAT PLAY!'  Hello, it's a two-point conversion; the clock doesn't run.  Dan Fouts had to mention that to him.  Lord, even I know the clock doesn't run on a two-point conversion.  It was then the Trojans D used up it's last timeout.  Quick thinking fella's.  Longhorns ended up scoring anyways and you gave your offense exactly no chance of winning the game. 

* How about the officiating in the Iowa / Florida game (Brian)?  First of all, the officiating crew from Conference USA made some bonehead calls to completely ruin any chance the Hawkeyes had of a major comeback.  Down 31-7, Iowa put on an incredible display of offense, defense and special teams (i.e. Abdul Hodge) only to have a last chance onside kick ruled offsides by an idiotic official.  The Hawkeyes' Scott Chandler had recovered a perfect onside kick but the play was flagged offsides by officials who said the Hawks Chad Greenway was past the 35 yard line before the kick.  Um, no he wasn't.  Two days after the game Conference USA officials said 'referees made a mistake when they flagged Iowa's Chad Greenway for being offside late in the fourth quarter of the Hawkeyes' 31-24 loss to Florida in Monday's Outback Bowl.'  Isn't college football using replay?  Hello.  Use it already.

*  Can somebody please explain to me what is going on with Manny Ramirez and Miguel Tajada?  Manny for the past nine months has wanted out of Boston.  You read and see on Sportscenter he's 'on his way out.'  Then he wants to stay.  Then he's going.  Same with Tajada.  What is wrong with these people?  I understand with Tejada and the O's.  The team stinks.  They aren't upgrading at all.  He wants out.  So be it, life goes on.  But just yesterday, he's saying he wants to stay.  STAY OR GO!  Who cares, just pick one already.

 Is that Chris Rock in a Badger's uniform?  Nope, thats Kammron Taylor who matched a career high with 27 points in a win over Michigan State on Sunday afternoon.

*  Yet another year the Wisconsin Badger men's basketball team was picked to finish in the bottom tier of the Big Ten standings this year.  As of right now they are 13-2, with the two losses coming only to two Top 25 teams, Wake Forest and Pittsburgh (both losses were on the road and both were by a total of 12 points) and on top of the Big Ten at 3-0 after Tuesday's win over Minnesota.  Not bad for a team that lost 4 starters (Chambliss, Hanson, Morley and Wilkinson) and went to the Elite Eight, losing to eventual champion North Carolina by 6.  Who has stepped up you ask?  Alando Tucker was the fifth starter on the team last year.  Tucker is averaging 19/ppg and 5 rebounds, but the big lift is coming from point guard Kammron Taylor.  The 6-2 junior is averaging 15/ppg, 3.2 assts and 2.4 rebounds.  Solid effort's have also come from Greg Steimsma and Brian Butch.  Steimsma, the 6-11 sophomore center, came up huge vs Iowa last week.  He didn't score but he had 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 5 blocks.  Butch, a former McDonald's All-American and another 6-11 sophomore center, is averaging 11.7 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists per game.  Not bad for someone who had to redshirt for being too gangly and who I was told (BY ONE HAWKEYE FAN) would 'never amount to anything.'  You know who you are and I know you are reading this. 

 Oh Marcus, sex with 15 year old girls...so smart.

*  Marcus Vick.  What is wrong with this idiot?  We know all about his stupidity in the past year but on Monday he was arrested in a McDonald's parking lot for threatening some high school kids with a gun.  This kid really has some problems, but when I think about it the problem lies with his brother, Michael.  'Michael, your brother has been permanently kicked off the Virginia Tech football team and is still getting arrested every other day for being a complete dumba...  You of all people should be setting him straight instead of buying him Escalade's and diamond earrings.'   Anybody who would like to read Vick's 'Timeline of Trouble' can go here.

 Stomping on an opponents leg...the straw that broke the Quarterback's collegiate career.