When Federer first burst onto the scene, I wasn't a fan. Why? Well, to be honest, I didn't like his hair. And, sure, that's trivial, but that's how sports work. I started liking Djokovic after seeing him do serve impressions of other famous players. I started liking Andy Murray because I saw that he was from Scotland. I like Dimitrov because he's hot. The reasons for liking players and teams can be pretty random. That's sports for ya!
For Federer's first Grand Slam title, he beat Mark Philippoussis in the final. I held a grudge against him for several years for that and then again for that epic final against Roddick at Wimbledon. Grudges are also normal in sports. As a Redskins fan, I automatically hate the Cowboys. And those first few years of his career (2004/5 especially) were boring. I hate to see the same player win everything. Even when I was a HUGE Pete Sampras fan, I still wanted some of the other guys to win some of those major tournaments.
It was fun when Nadal started having a great rivalry with Federer! I loved the talk about Federer not being able to beat Nadal on clay and it was even better when Nadal beat Federer at Wimbledon in 2008! He also owns a winning record against Federer. Nadal totally puts Federer in his place and I think he alone is why Federer keeps playing. Nadal has 14 Grand Slam titles and is about five years younger.
As the years went on, though, I definitely started to respect Roger Federer's playing. He's amazing. No one can deny that. And then, around 2010 maybe, I even started to like Federer a little bit. A little little bit. He wasn't winning everything and he was starting to get that over 30 Agassi aura about him. Honestly, it felt like he was going to retire soon and I think everyone had the feeling that we should enjoy his beautiful style while we could. (But not while winning more majors.)
But now it's 2014 and he's still around. And I get it, I do. He's still really good so why not keep playing? That's fine. BUT OH MY GOD SO MANY TENNIS FANS ARE COMPLETELY OBSESSED WITH HIM!!! It's weird. I've never been to a sporting event where it seems like people have been brainwashed to like someone. I often say that people have drank the Federer kool aid and that is exactly what it's like to sit in a stadium and hear 90% of the crowd cheer for him no matter who he is against. And it's different than just having a favorite player. I've asked some Federer fans about liking him, and they either never watch the early rounds of tournaments and aren't true fans or they seem to like him because they're seemingly told to by the TV.
Now, the over 30 Agassi aura that he used to have has morphed into this obnoxious GOAT* aura that he and most commentators encourage. Federer is always going to be a factor in a tournament. He's consistent and knows how to win, but after not even reaching a Major final in 2013, I feel like tennis experts should not be talking about him like it's still 2005.
It's time to move on from Federer. A Federer win is a boring win and I don't want my favorite sport to be boring.
XO,
SVR
*Greatest Of All Time
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Saturday, September 06, 2014
Friday, July 04, 2014
An Analogy
Remember when Death Cab For Cutie released their first big studio album "Plans" and a gazillion people thought it was the best thing they'd ever heard? And yeah, the songs were catchy and not bad, but they kinda felt a bit over-produced and mainstream. The band gained a lot of new followers who couldn't get enough of "Soul Meets Body" and "I Will Follow You Into The Dark" while a lot of people, myself included, who had known the band for years were left thinking, "But, but...their older stuff is incredible!" and "You new fans just don't know!"
The newly released songs weren't necessarily bad, but they were easy in a way. Where was the magic of hearing Ben Gibbard sing "Company Calls" at the Black Cat in DC? Or how about in the Millhiser gym at the University of Richmond in 2001. Where were the moments of exploration to truly be moved by something instead of getting the carefully chosen singles that were the most likely to appeal to a large audience?
Music can be easy and that's wonderful. Loving a radio hit is great, but so is putting in the time to find the smaller gems out there. And yeah, sometimes the lesser known songs become huge hits, but that's when it's fun for the original fans to sit back and smile while the rest of the world catches up.
So, stick with me here, but I think the same idea can be seen in tennis. I think that a lot of people are fans of Roger Federer's because he is the "radio friendly" hit they see in the finals.
The casual tennis watcher probably sees a handful of matches a year, right? And for quite awhile, Roger Federer was in most of them. He is an amazing player! No one can deny that. He is graceful on the court, rarely misses (at his prime), and saunters around the court like he owns the place. He is a force and I totally understand enjoying that.
But where was the casual viewer in the Quarterfinals when Federer played an up and comer full of heart who left everything on the court in an effort to win. Or in an earlier round when someone from your country played the match of his life and took Federer to five sets?
There is so much more to tennis than the final. In a Grand Slam it's two intense weeks of A LOT of matches. It's so much fun in the early rounds to see someone play in his first grand slam match or even, sometimes, to play his idol!
So, like in music, there is nothing wrong with liking the easy choice, but it's the depth where things are truly interesting. Pick a player outside of the Top 10 and really get behind him or her. Trust me, it's fun! And then, in a few years, when that player is competing for big titles, you can say you knew them when.
And, I just have to say that if the only tennis you see is on Sportscenter, just stay quiet.
XO,
The Biggest Tennis Fan On The Planet
And P.S., if you'd like some music suggestions, let me know in the comments...I'm kinda obsessed with finding new things.
The newly released songs weren't necessarily bad, but they were easy in a way. Where was the magic of hearing Ben Gibbard sing "Company Calls" at the Black Cat in DC? Or how about in the Millhiser gym at the University of Richmond in 2001. Where were the moments of exploration to truly be moved by something instead of getting the carefully chosen singles that were the most likely to appeal to a large audience?
Music can be easy and that's wonderful. Loving a radio hit is great, but so is putting in the time to find the smaller gems out there. And yeah, sometimes the lesser known songs become huge hits, but that's when it's fun for the original fans to sit back and smile while the rest of the world catches up.
So, stick with me here, but I think the same idea can be seen in tennis. I think that a lot of people are fans of Roger Federer's because he is the "radio friendly" hit they see in the finals.
The casual tennis watcher probably sees a handful of matches a year, right? And for quite awhile, Roger Federer was in most of them. He is an amazing player! No one can deny that. He is graceful on the court, rarely misses (at his prime), and saunters around the court like he owns the place. He is a force and I totally understand enjoying that.
But where was the casual viewer in the Quarterfinals when Federer played an up and comer full of heart who left everything on the court in an effort to win. Or in an earlier round when someone from your country played the match of his life and took Federer to five sets?
There is so much more to tennis than the final. In a Grand Slam it's two intense weeks of A LOT of matches. It's so much fun in the early rounds to see someone play in his first grand slam match or even, sometimes, to play his idol!
So, like in music, there is nothing wrong with liking the easy choice, but it's the depth where things are truly interesting. Pick a player outside of the Top 10 and really get behind him or her. Trust me, it's fun! And then, in a few years, when that player is competing for big titles, you can say you knew them when.
And, I just have to say that if the only tennis you see is on Sportscenter, just stay quiet.
XO,
The Biggest Tennis Fan On The Planet
And P.S., if you'd like some music suggestions, let me know in the comments...I'm kinda obsessed with finding new things.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Middle Sunday
A lot of the magic with Wimbledon is the tradition. The strawberries and cream, the required white outfits, the Royal Box, and Middle Sunday, which we are about done with.
It's tough to be off work an entire day with no tennis because it feels like such a waste, but it was also kind of nice to have a day for some errands and catching up on other TV. Oh, and I watched the Murray match I missed the other day. So, I guess I cheated a little on Middle Sunday.
Starting tomorrow, the tourney really heats up with the 4th rounds (and, because of some rain on Friday, the conclusions of some 3rd round matches). So let's see where we're at:
The Gentlemen
Djokovic vs Tsonga- I picked Djokovic to get through this one, but Tsonga is a great player. Tsonga will probably be tired from his super long (and rain-delayed) match, but also, who knows if Djokovic's arm was affected by his fall the other day. Head to head Djokovic owns him so I'd put money on him.
Chardy vs Cilic- I had originally picked Gulbis to get through this round after his great French Open, oops! So, Chardy vs Cilic? They've only played once and it was years ago so not much to go on there. I'm gonna go with Cilic based on his winning over Berdych, a tough player, and he has that great serve.
Murray vs Anderson- I, of course, picked Murray to win the tourney so he better make it through this round! Anderson will be tough because he has a great serve, too, but Murray is one of the best returners and he has been looking super sharp so far in the tourney. They've played twice and split the wins, in 2010 and 2011. I can see Anderson getting a tie-breaker set, but I do think Murray will come through this one in 3 or 4 sets.
Dimitrov vs Mayer- Dimitrov is my other favorite player and I've picked him to get through, too. They've never played, but I think Dimitrov will get through in 4.
Note: Wawrinka/Istomin and Lopez/Isner, both in this part of the draw, have 3rd round matches to complete.
Robredo vs Federer- I'm not a big Federer fan so I'd love to see an upset, but Robredo just had a long 5-setter. He has beaten him once, at last year's US Open, but the 10 times prior, Federer won.
Raonic will await the 3rd round match of Botelli/Nishikori.
Kyrgios vs Nadal- Super excited for this match up between the rising and on-fire Kyrgios and Nadal who is a relentless competitor. I think Nadal will win, but I'd love to see Kyrgios get a set (or 2!) off him. I had originally picked Gasquet to be in this match and to actually beat Nadal so what do I know?
The Ladies
Cornet vs Bouchard- I picked Bouchard to win the tournament, but I definitely thought she'd have to beat S. Williams to do it. I think this match might go 3, but Bouchard will come through in the end. They've only played one time before (in 2013) and Cornet came through in 3, but Bouchard has been awesome lately. (Although...so had Cornet!)
Kerber vs Sharapova- Sharapova will probably lose the first set and then find some freakish way to come through and win the thing. That's her thing. Their head to head is 1-4 in Sharapova's favor.
Halep vs Diyas- Halep should get through this. She beat her in the Australian Open this year and has been cruising lately.
Ivanovic/Lisicki and Keys/Shvedova have 3rd round matches to complete from this section of the draw.
Smitkova vs Safarova- I think Safarova will get through this one on experience as the older player who is ranked 23. This is the section of the draw where I thought Cibulkova would have gotten through so these are all just guesses now.
Makarova vs Radwanska- This is really a toss up. Makarova won their last meeting on a hard court and has been playing really well, but Radwanska is the type of player who can get through tough matches. I'm gonna go with Radwanska.
Kvitova vs Peng- Kvitova has owned her in their past 4 meetings and I think this won will go the same way.
Wozniacki vs Zahlavova Strycova- Head to head this goes to Wozniacki and I think that will continue. Zahlavova Strycova just beat Li Na, but it was a tight match and Wozniacki is so consistent that I think she will pull through.
So, my initial picks for winning the tournament are still in play: Andy Murray and Eugenie Bouchard!
It's tough to be off work an entire day with no tennis because it feels like such a waste, but it was also kind of nice to have a day for some errands and catching up on other TV. Oh, and I watched the Murray match I missed the other day. So, I guess I cheated a little on Middle Sunday.
Starting tomorrow, the tourney really heats up with the 4th rounds (and, because of some rain on Friday, the conclusions of some 3rd round matches). So let's see where we're at:
The Gentlemen
Djokovic vs Tsonga- I picked Djokovic to get through this one, but Tsonga is a great player. Tsonga will probably be tired from his super long (and rain-delayed) match, but also, who knows if Djokovic's arm was affected by his fall the other day. Head to head Djokovic owns him so I'd put money on him.
Chardy vs Cilic- I had originally picked Gulbis to get through this round after his great French Open, oops! So, Chardy vs Cilic? They've only played once and it was years ago so not much to go on there. I'm gonna go with Cilic based on his winning over Berdych, a tough player, and he has that great serve.
Murray vs Anderson- I, of course, picked Murray to win the tourney so he better make it through this round! Anderson will be tough because he has a great serve, too, but Murray is one of the best returners and he has been looking super sharp so far in the tourney. They've played twice and split the wins, in 2010 and 2011. I can see Anderson getting a tie-breaker set, but I do think Murray will come through this one in 3 or 4 sets.
Dimitrov vs Mayer- Dimitrov is my other favorite player and I've picked him to get through, too. They've never played, but I think Dimitrov will get through in 4.
Note: Wawrinka/Istomin and Lopez/Isner, both in this part of the draw, have 3rd round matches to complete.
Robredo vs Federer- I'm not a big Federer fan so I'd love to see an upset, but Robredo just had a long 5-setter. He has beaten him once, at last year's US Open, but the 10 times prior, Federer won.
Raonic will await the 3rd round match of Botelli/Nishikori.
Kyrgios vs Nadal- Super excited for this match up between the rising and on-fire Kyrgios and Nadal who is a relentless competitor. I think Nadal will win, but I'd love to see Kyrgios get a set (or 2!) off him. I had originally picked Gasquet to be in this match and to actually beat Nadal so what do I know?
The Ladies
Cornet vs Bouchard- I picked Bouchard to win the tournament, but I definitely thought she'd have to beat S. Williams to do it. I think this match might go 3, but Bouchard will come through in the end. They've only played one time before (in 2013) and Cornet came through in 3, but Bouchard has been awesome lately. (Although...so had Cornet!)
Kerber vs Sharapova- Sharapova will probably lose the first set and then find some freakish way to come through and win the thing. That's her thing. Their head to head is 1-4 in Sharapova's favor.
Halep vs Diyas- Halep should get through this. She beat her in the Australian Open this year and has been cruising lately.
Ivanovic/Lisicki and Keys/Shvedova have 3rd round matches to complete from this section of the draw.
Smitkova vs Safarova- I think Safarova will get through this one on experience as the older player who is ranked 23. This is the section of the draw where I thought Cibulkova would have gotten through so these are all just guesses now.
Makarova vs Radwanska- This is really a toss up. Makarova won their last meeting on a hard court and has been playing really well, but Radwanska is the type of player who can get through tough matches. I'm gonna go with Radwanska.
Kvitova vs Peng- Kvitova has owned her in their past 4 meetings and I think this won will go the same way.
Wozniacki vs Zahlavova Strycova- Head to head this goes to Wozniacki and I think that will continue. Zahlavova Strycova just beat Li Na, but it was a tight match and Wozniacki is so consistent that I think she will pull through.
So, my initial picks for winning the tournament are still in play: Andy Murray and Eugenie Bouchard!
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Australian Open 2014
Hi, My name is Scarlet and I am addicted to tennis.
Now that we have that out of the way...
We are down to the semifinals of this year's Australian Open and WOW is it not what I would have predicted at all!
There was a lot of talk when the draws came about a stacked men's side with Nadal, Federer, and Murray on one side and Djokovic just chillin' on the other. I'm not sure why anyone was surprised since Nadal is 2 and Murray is 4 so of course they'd be on the same side and Federer is not a top 4 player anymore and was bound to match up with a big player in the quarterfinals. But none of that ended up mattering because our last four players are: Nadal, Federer, Berdych, and Wawrinka. NOT completing shocking, but I would have bet money that Djokovic would have made it to the semifinals.
So, let's go through who is left in reverse order of who I want to win:
Roger Federer:
I go through phases where I am okay with Federer, but this is not one of those times. He beat my favorite player, Andy Murray this morning and, while it wasn't a huge shock since Murray is on the comeback from back surgery, I never like for Federer to go farther in a tournament than my guy. I tend to only like Federer when he is losing, to be honest. I don't like for anyone to dominate (except for Murray, of course), and Federer has enough Grand Slam titles and I do NOT want to see him get another! Federer fans are also really weird and act like they've been brainwashed in a cult. When I saw Federer play in Cincinatti, Ohio last summer, the crowd was obsessed with him. I know I am obsessed with Murray, but I've liked him since his first year on the pro tour. I have a theory about Federer where because most people just watch the finals on tv, they've seen him play a lot since he has won so much. Unless you're a die hard tennis fan like I am who wakes up at 4am to watch tennis, you probably don't often watch the early rounds of tennis where you get to see some great matches with some lesser known players. I think that if more people watched earlier rounds, they'd find more players to like and not all just obsessed over Federer. Anyway, that's a very long-winded way to say that I definitely do NOT want Roger Federer to win the Australian Open!
Rafael Nadal:
Nadal is such an intense, insane player that I have to like him sometimes. He is the type of player who literally never gives up and that deserves mad respect. However, like I said when discussing Federer, I don't like anyone but my guy to dominate, and Nadal has been doing that since coming back from knee surgery last year. I don't want him to win anymore majors either, but I kind of can't wait to see Federer fans squirm if Nadal gets closer to Federer's numbers.
Tomas Berdych:
I used to really like Berdych until he played Andy Murray in the extreme wind a couple of years ago at the US Open and complained after he lost that it wasn't fair. He made it seem like the wind was only on his side and it's taken me a couple of years to even consider cheering for him again. (I know. Way harsh, Tai.) One thing that has really made me like Berdych again is his tweeting! He is hilarious and one of the best tennis players on twitter. I would love to see him win over both Federer and Nadal.
Stanislas Wawrinka:
Wawrinka is one of those players who you just can not dislike. He plays so hard every time he steps onto the court and he has been around forever, just plugging away. He made his first Grand Slam semifinal at the 2013 US Open and this is his first Aussie Open semi. I would LOVE to see him win the title!
The semifinals are Nadal vs Federer and Berdych vs Wawrinka so I'm very torn about who I want to win between Nadal and Federer. I don't want Federer to make it to the final, but I also think he is the one that one of the other guys has a better chance of beating. So let's go: Federer vs Wawrinka in the final, which will be super awkward for them because they're friends and from the same country.
WAWRINKA FOR THE WIN!!!!!
Now, the women's side.
We have Eugenie Bouchard, Li Na, Dominika Cibulkova, and Agnieska Radwanska. My favorites (who had a shot), Sharapova and Azarenka both got knocked out already so here is my reverse order of who I want to win the title:
Li Na:
A lot of people really like Li Na, but I find her to be incredibly boring. She is good, but I never get excited to see her play. And, I'm not sure if it's just me, but her off court interviews come across like she is a 30 year old trying to sound like she is 15. Soooo yeah, that's my way of saying that I don't want her in the final.
Dominika Cibulkova:
A Slovak player, she has been around since 2004, and has had some good runs, but this is her first Grand Slam semifinal since 2009. I don't totally dislike her, but I've never seen much of her personality so she is kind of just there. Sure, it should just be about the tennis, but it's not. I want to cheer for someone I like! Let's hope that in her next match she really lets loose.
Eugenie Bouchard:
I actually saw Bouchard play briefly last summer in Ohio and she has really had a breakout tournament down in Australia! She's from Canada, loves Justin Bieber, and plays like she never gets nervous. It's incredible! I want her to make it to the final, but breakthrough wins are not always my favorite. It's kind of like the Oscars: I want her to be nominated (finals), but not win until another year.
Agnieska Radwanska:
Radwanska is awesome. I love how she is an unconventional, crafty player who doesn't always have success once up against the Williams and Azarenkas of the tour, but she competes so hard and seems to invent new ways to play. I also love that she has a sister on the tour and seems like she would be a lot of fun to be friends with, too. But in a bitchy way. Like, you better be cool if you think you're gonna hang with Aga.
I am really hoping for a Bouchard vs Radwanska final! Then I can just watch and enjoy and not care who wins. Perfect!
Who are you cheering for??
XO,
SVR
Now that we have that out of the way...
We are down to the semifinals of this year's Australian Open and WOW is it not what I would have predicted at all!
There was a lot of talk when the draws came about a stacked men's side with Nadal, Federer, and Murray on one side and Djokovic just chillin' on the other. I'm not sure why anyone was surprised since Nadal is 2 and Murray is 4 so of course they'd be on the same side and Federer is not a top 4 player anymore and was bound to match up with a big player in the quarterfinals. But none of that ended up mattering because our last four players are: Nadal, Federer, Berdych, and Wawrinka. NOT completing shocking, but I would have bet money that Djokovic would have made it to the semifinals.
So, let's go through who is left in reverse order of who I want to win:
Roger Federer:
I go through phases where I am okay with Federer, but this is not one of those times. He beat my favorite player, Andy Murray this morning and, while it wasn't a huge shock since Murray is on the comeback from back surgery, I never like for Federer to go farther in a tournament than my guy. I tend to only like Federer when he is losing, to be honest. I don't like for anyone to dominate (except for Murray, of course), and Federer has enough Grand Slam titles and I do NOT want to see him get another! Federer fans are also really weird and act like they've been brainwashed in a cult. When I saw Federer play in Cincinatti, Ohio last summer, the crowd was obsessed with him. I know I am obsessed with Murray, but I've liked him since his first year on the pro tour. I have a theory about Federer where because most people just watch the finals on tv, they've seen him play a lot since he has won so much. Unless you're a die hard tennis fan like I am who wakes up at 4am to watch tennis, you probably don't often watch the early rounds of tennis where you get to see some great matches with some lesser known players. I think that if more people watched earlier rounds, they'd find more players to like and not all just obsessed over Federer. Anyway, that's a very long-winded way to say that I definitely do NOT want Roger Federer to win the Australian Open!
Rafael Nadal:
Nadal is such an intense, insane player that I have to like him sometimes. He is the type of player who literally never gives up and that deserves mad respect. However, like I said when discussing Federer, I don't like anyone but my guy to dominate, and Nadal has been doing that since coming back from knee surgery last year. I don't want him to win anymore majors either, but I kind of can't wait to see Federer fans squirm if Nadal gets closer to Federer's numbers.
Tomas Berdych:
I used to really like Berdych until he played Andy Murray in the extreme wind a couple of years ago at the US Open and complained after he lost that it wasn't fair. He made it seem like the wind was only on his side and it's taken me a couple of years to even consider cheering for him again. (I know. Way harsh, Tai.) One thing that has really made me like Berdych again is his tweeting! He is hilarious and one of the best tennis players on twitter. I would love to see him win over both Federer and Nadal.
Stanislas Wawrinka:
Wawrinka is one of those players who you just can not dislike. He plays so hard every time he steps onto the court and he has been around forever, just plugging away. He made his first Grand Slam semifinal at the 2013 US Open and this is his first Aussie Open semi. I would LOVE to see him win the title!
The semifinals are Nadal vs Federer and Berdych vs Wawrinka so I'm very torn about who I want to win between Nadal and Federer. I don't want Federer to make it to the final, but I also think he is the one that one of the other guys has a better chance of beating. So let's go: Federer vs Wawrinka in the final, which will be super awkward for them because they're friends and from the same country.
WAWRINKA FOR THE WIN!!!!!
Now, the women's side.
We have Eugenie Bouchard, Li Na, Dominika Cibulkova, and Agnieska Radwanska. My favorites (who had a shot), Sharapova and Azarenka both got knocked out already so here is my reverse order of who I want to win the title:
Li Na:
A lot of people really like Li Na, but I find her to be incredibly boring. She is good, but I never get excited to see her play. And, I'm not sure if it's just me, but her off court interviews come across like she is a 30 year old trying to sound like she is 15. Soooo yeah, that's my way of saying that I don't want her in the final.
Dominika Cibulkova:
Eugenie Bouchard:
Agnieska Radwanska:
Radwanska is awesome. I love how she is an unconventional, crafty player who doesn't always have success once up against the Williams and Azarenkas of the tour, but she competes so hard and seems to invent new ways to play. I also love that she has a sister on the tour and seems like she would be a lot of fun to be friends with, too. But in a bitchy way. Like, you better be cool if you think you're gonna hang with Aga.
I am really hoping for a Bouchard vs Radwanska final! Then I can just watch and enjoy and not care who wins. Perfect!
Who are you cheering for??
XO,
SVR
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
We Don't Care
Why I Dislike College Football:
I think its weird when someone cheers for a college team of where they did not attend. I went to a school with no football team (on purpose) so I have never had an allegiance to a team. Even my sister's school didn't have a team and neither of my parents went to college so there are no teams I would get excited about. I guess the closest I could get for a connection to a team is that my brother and my brother-in-law were/are in the Navy. Even then, it's not like they went to the academy.
My cousin and her husband went to VA Tech and even though they're almost 40, they really get into the team still. I don't understand it, though. It's not like they know any of the players still. At least when I cheer for the Redskins I can get excited every year about seeing Chris Cooley play. In college football you only see a player for four, maybe five years.
I also don't see the same excitement in college football that I do in professional football. The season just started and already its all about the same teams who won last year. Sure, the NFL always has the better teams, but if the Redskins have a good year, they can still make the playoffs and then the Superbowl. That rarely, if ever, happens in college.
Cheering for someone that I could essential sit next to in a class is not fun to me. I don't care about the BMOC I care about the professional athlete who is making millions of dollars and needs to prove his worth. I know most would disagree with that, but also, its not like those college kids don't get perks and gifts. *cough* Reggie Bush *cough* Actually, Reggie Bush is a great example: I don't even know what college he went to, but now that he plays for the Saints, he matters to me.
When I was deciding where to go to college, my back up school ended up being the University of VA and while on my tour there, the guide took us by the stadium. We couldn't go in because there was a game later or something, but I remember her telling us about game days and how everyone got dressed up and drank all day. It sounded like a lot of fun at the time, but I had also just come from four years of being in Marching Band and while I liked parts of that experience, I wanted to be far far away from it. College football=Marching Band to me and I want to be far far away from it.
XO,
SVR
P.S. Go, Redskins!
+Title from Kanye West
I think its weird when someone cheers for a college team of where they did not attend. I went to a school with no football team (on purpose) so I have never had an allegiance to a team. Even my sister's school didn't have a team and neither of my parents went to college so there are no teams I would get excited about. I guess the closest I could get for a connection to a team is that my brother and my brother-in-law were/are in the Navy. Even then, it's not like they went to the academy.
My cousin and her husband went to VA Tech and even though they're almost 40, they really get into the team still. I don't understand it, though. It's not like they know any of the players still. At least when I cheer for the Redskins I can get excited every year about seeing Chris Cooley play. In college football you only see a player for four, maybe five years.
I also don't see the same excitement in college football that I do in professional football. The season just started and already its all about the same teams who won last year. Sure, the NFL always has the better teams, but if the Redskins have a good year, they can still make the playoffs and then the Superbowl. That rarely, if ever, happens in college.
Cheering for someone that I could essential sit next to in a class is not fun to me. I don't care about the BMOC I care about the professional athlete who is making millions of dollars and needs to prove his worth. I know most would disagree with that, but also, its not like those college kids don't get perks and gifts. *cough* Reggie Bush *cough* Actually, Reggie Bush is a great example: I don't even know what college he went to, but now that he plays for the Saints, he matters to me.
When I was deciding where to go to college, my back up school ended up being the University of VA and while on my tour there, the guide took us by the stadium. We couldn't go in because there was a game later or something, but I remember her telling us about game days and how everyone got dressed up and drank all day. It sounded like a lot of fun at the time, but I had also just come from four years of being in Marching Band and while I liked parts of that experience, I wanted to be far far away from it. College football=Marching Band to me and I want to be far far away from it.
XO,
SVR
P.S. Go, Redskins!
+Title from Kanye West
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Rival
Sports are competitive by definition.
Whenever a major sport comes to its major competition of the year, be it the Superbowl, the US Open, the Stanley Cup, March Madness, etc. a lot of casual fans come out of the woodwork to cheer for one team or another. On Superbowl Sunday it is not uncommon to overhear someone yelling for "The Red Team" or "The Blue Team" to win the game. A lot of people root for the hometown team, or the team their dad likes, or maybe the team their ex-boyfriend hated. There are a ton of reasons to pick one team over the other.
Currently, we are in the middle on the World Series in baseball. For those who have not been following it, it's three games for the Yankees and two for the Phillies. I usually don't watch the World Series since any of my teams (Orioles, Nationals) don't exactly make it that far. However, I work with two big Yankees fans and that, combined with growing up with this area's sentiment of hating that team, I am all about the Phillies winning.
One day at work, on a daily note sheet, I wrote, "Go Phillies." When I came back the next day it had been marked out with black, permanent marker* and on the next day was written "GO YANKEES!" Instead of marking it out, I wrote "um, gross" and other people added to it things like, "Yes, I agree!" and "Phillies will come back...!" and "I'm dressing up as A-Rod's steroid dealer for Halloween" (that one made me laugh). Also in there was the delightful message, "F YOU ALL!" Wow!
Now, a day or two later, and to be honest I can't remember the details now, I came in to work and noticed that part of a note page had been cut out. Thinking that odd, I did a little investigating and found the crumpled up paper in the garbage**. I could see why it had been thrown out as it said something along the idea of, "PEOPLE WHO DON'T EVEN LIKE BASEBALL CAN SHUT THE FUCK UP!!"
Now, does that seem a little much to you? Because it does to me! How can you say I don't like baseball when I've been watching the entire series so far?
Let me tell you my thinking on sports: I love sports. I also like to have a life. Therefore, I don't allow myself to get obsessed with a lot of teams and sports. I limit it to tennis, exciting games, Redskins when I'm not working, and season-ending series. If I kept up with every sport it would be a job within itself.
I just find it so ridiculous and frustrating that people are getting angry that I want the Phillies to win. What if it was the Red Sox against the Phillies-would you Yankees fans be singing a different tune? So why is it so weird that I am against the Yankees after having grown up around Orioles fans. One time, when I was younger, I told my dad I liked the pinstripes uniform and he jokingly yelled at me. Another aside from my childhood-I did all of my projects on baseball for awhile because I wanted to have something in common with my dad and brother who were both very into baseball. I grew up with the game. Back when there was one TV in the house it was watch with dad or go find something else to do.
So let's get back to the point of all of this. It's about competition. One team will come out the winner and inevitably there will be people cheering on either side. That. Is. Completely. Normal. There is going to be a loser and I'm sorry if it's your team, but it will not be the end of the world. Does anyone remember how badly I wanted Andy Murray to win the US Open? Badly. And he didn't. He didn't even come close, but did I freak out? No, I kept watching and picked someone else I wanted to win.
So come on Phillies, bring it to the Yankees these next two games and shut up all of those annoying fans. And if hell freezes over and the Nats make it to the World Series next year against you, I'm sorry, but I'll want you to then lose. That's how it works. I'd also like to see the Cowboys lose the rest of the year and the Lakers to make it to the finals. And Caps? Just keep on.
Hi, I'm normal.
XO,
SVR
*To be honest, I can't remember the exact number of times, but for the sake of the story, I'm saying this many times.
**There was ONLY paper in there and the day had just started. It was not gross.
Whenever a major sport comes to its major competition of the year, be it the Superbowl, the US Open, the Stanley Cup, March Madness, etc. a lot of casual fans come out of the woodwork to cheer for one team or another. On Superbowl Sunday it is not uncommon to overhear someone yelling for "The Red Team" or "The Blue Team" to win the game. A lot of people root for the hometown team, or the team their dad likes, or maybe the team their ex-boyfriend hated. There are a ton of reasons to pick one team over the other.
Currently, we are in the middle on the World Series in baseball. For those who have not been following it, it's three games for the Yankees and two for the Phillies. I usually don't watch the World Series since any of my teams (Orioles, Nationals) don't exactly make it that far. However, I work with two big Yankees fans and that, combined with growing up with this area's sentiment of hating that team, I am all about the Phillies winning.
One day at work, on a daily note sheet, I wrote, "Go Phillies." When I came back the next day it had been marked out with black, permanent marker* and on the next day was written "GO YANKEES!" Instead of marking it out, I wrote "um, gross" and other people added to it things like, "Yes, I agree!" and "Phillies will come back...!" and "I'm dressing up as A-Rod's steroid dealer for Halloween" (that one made me laugh). Also in there was the delightful message, "F YOU ALL!" Wow!
Now, a day or two later, and to be honest I can't remember the details now, I came in to work and noticed that part of a note page had been cut out. Thinking that odd, I did a little investigating and found the crumpled up paper in the garbage**. I could see why it had been thrown out as it said something along the idea of, "PEOPLE WHO DON'T EVEN LIKE BASEBALL CAN SHUT THE FUCK UP!!"
Now, does that seem a little much to you? Because it does to me! How can you say I don't like baseball when I've been watching the entire series so far?
Let me tell you my thinking on sports: I love sports. I also like to have a life. Therefore, I don't allow myself to get obsessed with a lot of teams and sports. I limit it to tennis, exciting games, Redskins when I'm not working, and season-ending series. If I kept up with every sport it would be a job within itself.
I just find it so ridiculous and frustrating that people are getting angry that I want the Phillies to win. What if it was the Red Sox against the Phillies-would you Yankees fans be singing a different tune? So why is it so weird that I am against the Yankees after having grown up around Orioles fans. One time, when I was younger, I told my dad I liked the pinstripes uniform and he jokingly yelled at me. Another aside from my childhood-I did all of my projects on baseball for awhile because I wanted to have something in common with my dad and brother who were both very into baseball. I grew up with the game. Back when there was one TV in the house it was watch with dad or go find something else to do.
So let's get back to the point of all of this. It's about competition. One team will come out the winner and inevitably there will be people cheering on either side. That. Is. Completely. Normal. There is going to be a loser and I'm sorry if it's your team, but it will not be the end of the world. Does anyone remember how badly I wanted Andy Murray to win the US Open? Badly. And he didn't. He didn't even come close, but did I freak out? No, I kept watching and picked someone else I wanted to win.
So come on Phillies, bring it to the Yankees these next two games and shut up all of those annoying fans. And if hell freezes over and the Nats make it to the World Series next year against you, I'm sorry, but I'll want you to then lose. That's how it works. I'd also like to see the Cowboys lose the rest of the year and the Lakers to make it to the finals. And Caps? Just keep on.
Hi, I'm normal.
XO,
SVR
*To be honest, I can't remember the exact number of times, but for the sake of the story, I'm saying this many times.
**There was ONLY paper in there and the day had just started. It was not gross.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Hold Up
Why are the following Olympic sports? (or sports at all?):
women's basketball
field hockey
softball
They all kinda suck.
XO,
SVR
women's basketball
field hockey
softball
They all kinda suck.
XO,
SVR
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Seconds
I am a huge tennis fan. HUGE. I border on mildly obsessed at times. Back in the day I was known to be watching it whenever it was on tv. Nowadays I am often not home to watch all of those matches, but I try to at least TiVo the finals and I general know what is going on. I used to read Tennis Magazine religiously and could have spouted off information about any player like a seasoned commentator.
Anyway, the reason I bring this up is because I think tennis is one of the best sports there are. I was prompted to blog about it because I just watched Game 3 on the NBA finals and I was reminded again about a total pet peeve of mine:
I hate the last 20 seconds or so of most sporting events.
The Lakers had the ball with about 21 seconds to go and the commentators were freaking out that the Celtics were not fouling them. It happened the other night, too. The Lakers made a come back and they were saying how they just needed to keep fouling to make them shoot, stop the clock, etc. Ok...how often does that actually work? And I don't mean that in a "you should ever stop trying to win" way, but really-the fouling at the end of the game play is so annoying. Props to Boston for not pulling that shitty play tonight.
And the reason I brought up tennis is because the game is roughly the same until the end of the match. Sure, things will change depending on how tired the players are or the weather or something, but it's not like Andy Murray gets to 6-4 6-3 5-2 and then plays an entirely different game where his tactic is to get penalties called on his opponent. The closest likeness to the Fouling play in basketball is either 1) like when Martina Hingis served underhand in the French (?) Open years ago or 2) playing all drop shots in the last game. But in scenario 1 she was booed like whoa because it's super lame to do that! (just like fouling is super lame in the last few seconds of the game) and 2 at least the drop shot is an often-utilized shot.
I also hate it in football when, in the last few moments of the game, the QB downs the ball each time to run out the clock. But even that makes more sense to me than the bball play since they run the risk of an interception if they try to run or pass the football. In bball though, if you foul them, they get to take 2 shots* and they're usually going to make it! So yeah, then you either try to get the rebound or get the ball, but the defense is gonna be hella crazy. It just irks me. Can we make a rule that the fouling play can only be used if a team is 3 points or fewer behind?
Thank you.
*I do know the rules...usually in the last moments of the game they're going to be shooting for the called fouls.
Anyway, the reason I bring this up is because I think tennis is one of the best sports there are. I was prompted to blog about it because I just watched Game 3 on the NBA finals and I was reminded again about a total pet peeve of mine:
I hate the last 20 seconds or so of most sporting events.
The Lakers had the ball with about 21 seconds to go and the commentators were freaking out that the Celtics were not fouling them. It happened the other night, too. The Lakers made a come back and they were saying how they just needed to keep fouling to make them shoot, stop the clock, etc. Ok...how often does that actually work? And I don't mean that in a "you should ever stop trying to win" way, but really-the fouling at the end of the game play is so annoying. Props to Boston for not pulling that shitty play tonight.
And the reason I brought up tennis is because the game is roughly the same until the end of the match. Sure, things will change depending on how tired the players are or the weather or something, but it's not like Andy Murray gets to 6-4 6-3 5-2 and then plays an entirely different game where his tactic is to get penalties called on his opponent. The closest likeness to the Fouling play in basketball is either 1) like when Martina Hingis served underhand in the French (?) Open years ago or 2) playing all drop shots in the last game. But in scenario 1 she was booed like whoa because it's super lame to do that! (just like fouling is super lame in the last few seconds of the game) and 2 at least the drop shot is an often-utilized shot.
I also hate it in football when, in the last few moments of the game, the QB downs the ball each time to run out the clock. But even that makes more sense to me than the bball play since they run the risk of an interception if they try to run or pass the football. In bball though, if you foul them, they get to take 2 shots* and they're usually going to make it! So yeah, then you either try to get the rebound or get the ball, but the defense is gonna be hella crazy. It just irks me. Can we make a rule that the fouling play can only be used if a team is 3 points or fewer behind?
Thank you.
*I do know the rules...usually in the last moments of the game they're going to be shooting for the called fouls.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Decent Days And Nights
As always, in bullet form:
XO,
SVR
- Go Lakers! I have $1 (payable in happy hour beer) riding on the series.
- I had awesome cards when playing Texas Hold 'Em last night. One day I'll play with real money and I hope I have the same "luck".
- Randi read Tarot cards for us. I think Tarot cards are like horoscopes where it can be fun to read into what you're told, but you can make pretty much anything make sense. I asked two questions and the answers kinda freaked me out. Except for when I got The Goddess card and she asked if I wanted to get pregnant...HELL TO THE N-O!!!! Whoa.
- Although I did tell my parents again that I want to go to Vegas, but that I have my rule about getting married if/when I go. I think they're cool with it.
- Except they took that minuscule opening to ask if I have a boyfriend. Grrr!
- Ali and I are going to Kings Dominion on Thursday. EXCITING!
- I am excited about a job contact I made.
- Did anyone see the French Open finals? Nadal is on FIRE. Federer looked stunned.
- I saw a buzzard (?) eating a cat earlier today. I sorta wanted to vomit.
XO,
SVR
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Cheer
My official picks for Wimbledon 2007 are:
Tim Henman
Maria Sharapova
Now, these are who I want to win and not to be confused with who I think will win.
Tim Henman
Maria Sharapova
Now, these are who I want to win and not to be confused with who I think will win.
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