Roland Garros:
First I have to share a story that I read yesterday on the online WSJ about an American Tennis comeback(in lue of the French Open starting this weekend). Brian Baker was a promising young American tennis player who came up in the junior tennis circuit with players such as Novak Djokovic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gael Monfils...you get the picture. His career was ravaged by injuries as he had multiple hip, knee and even Tommy John surgery. He quit tennis and was a student assistant coach at Belmont University (shout out to Kelly and Jared Blumenburg) and just recently started playing tennis at the challenger and professional levels. He won a tournament a few weeks ago in Atlanta that qualified him as a wild card into the French open. In his warm up tournament this week in Nice, France, he is in the semifinals of the tournament after having beaten Sergiy Stakhovsky, Gael Monfils, and Mikhail Kukushkin and meets Nikolay Davydenko (who ever thought there'd be so many russians in France not during WWII?) in the semifinals. If you're having trouble figuring out who to root for because no Americans are going to do well, root for Brian Baker. The guy deserves it.
On a tennis side note what has happened to Andy Roddick? He lost yesterday to a guy who was named after an action verb (Go Soeda) and hasn't won a tour match in two months. Dont expect him to do well at the French Open.
Coverage of the French Open starts on Sunday, and I'd write more about it except I really don't think anyone other than Rafa(on another side note, when I have a son, which I hope isn't any time soon, I'm going to groom him to be exactly like Rafa) has a shot at winning the men's championship.
NBA Playoffs:
Now that Miami has gotten past the Pacers, it seems a formality that they will roll through whoever comes out of the Boston/Philadelphia series, and the real drama lies out west between the Spurs and the Thunder. That series starts on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. on TNT and should be one of the better series in the last 10 years. Both teams are playing well and the contrast of styles is great.Though I like the Thunder, I think they are a true point guard away from making it out of the west, and San Antonio prevails in 6 really tough, tightly contested games.
NBA trade rumors- Dwight Howard is on the trading block again according to Chris Sheridan at SheridanHoops.com. Dallas, New Jersey, and LA have to be the favorites, it should be interesting to see what happens as his trade soap opera keeps on going through the summer.
The Colonial(Crowne Plaza Invitational):
My man Jason Dufner has pulled even with Zach Johnson to start round two. After choking away his lead at the Players last year and allowing Keegan Bradley to win his first major in his first try, Dufner has played exceptional, consistent golf. I expect the weekend's final two pairs include he and Johnson as they prepare for the U.S. Open at Olympic Club in 3 weeks.
NHL Playoffs:
Game 6 between the Devils and Rangers is tonight, and should be a very entertaining game, but I gotta say I'm rooting for the Devils. Marty Brodeur is one of the greatest goaltenders ever, and what better way for him to go out than by winning a Stanley Cup. Nothing like going out on top, just ask Didier Drogba. A series between the 8 seeded Kings and 6 seeded Devils would make for great theater. Nothing like the NHL playoffs to remind you that its not what your seed is going it, but how hot your goaltender is going in to the playoffs that determines who gets the Stanley Cup (although I became disinterested after the Blackhawks were bounced in the first round for the second year in a row).
Its a great weekend for a weekend off and the weather will be beautiful. This will be the first time this season I will be going to a Cubs game, and the first time I will be experiencing it from Wrigley Rooftops all you can eat and drink at 1032 Waveland Ave. I will blog about my experience Monday night after the game, assuming I am coherent enough to write and not burnt to a crisp.
Happy Memorial Day weekend! Enjoy your sports!
To Greg:
ReplyDeleteI agree that the Heat should beat whoever comes out of the Boston/Philly matchup. But if Bosh is still out it could get interesting, especially with Boston.
I agree with your Spurs pick but not in the number of games. The Thunder are too good to allow the Spurs to close in their place. So it's either going to be 5 games or 7.
As to your tennis pick (Rafa), I agree he will win. But it isn't a given. Team Fed and the Joker could easily win also. But I LOVED the story on that Baker kid.
Lastly, your Cubs stink and will lose when you go watch them!
Andrew