Let’s Talk Sports

More specifically, let’s talk Olympics.

The talk around work seems to center around the 2008 Summer Games. I don’t know how many different sports you can watch in one day. Today, so far, it’s been volleyball, beach volleyball, weightlifting (the sport that includes the snatch and clean & jerk, Mel, there’s a blog post there for you I’m sure) and finally tennis. {edit: I wanted to include a theory by Chris H. He’s long asserted something isn’t a sport unless it involves balls. This is why I originally italicized the world sport.}

I’m watching Lleyton Hewitt (Go Aussie! A shout-out to brissiemum2) take on Rafael Nadal. By the way, the Spaniard will move up and replace my boy, Roger Federer, at the top of the ranks. {fast forward} I just got back from a bike ride to Steelyard Commons and now Roger Federer is struggling against Rafael Arevalo of El Salvador, ranked 447th in the world. I cheated and found out he won. By the way, if you’re watching the Olympics, you may not know that a lot of the commentators are not actually in Beijing but back in the NBC studios in New York. You have to listen carefully to the audio at the beginning.

The Olympics are addicting. At least to me, I know I’m not alone in this camp. I think Americans are losing a lot of sleep.

What A Match!

Four hours and 48 minutes of match play. It was a thriller at Centre Court that took a long time to end. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the match. I wasn’t happy with the outcome but it was still phenomenal.

Roger Federer did not want his five year reign at Wimbledon to end. Rafeal Nadal played tough throughout the match, trying to play spoilers to Federer’s chance to tie a record at the All England Club. He had the chance to become the first man since the 1880s’ to win a sixth consecutive championship. Today was not to be that day.

Federer looked like a champion and genius during some of his plays but was consistently inconsistent. He had 25 aces to Nadal’s 6. The tale of the match lies in the unforced errors. Federer had 52, almost twice of Nadal’s 27.

It was the most exciting match I’ve ever seen at Wimbledon. I think only Sampras/Agassi match-ups at Centre Court were close when it comes to excitement. The match consumed the better part of my Sunday due to all of the rain delays. Next year, a retractable roof that will be able to shelter the players and the crowd from England’s rains.

Here’s the final scoring – 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7

I can’t wait for the U.S. Open.