Sports For Breakfast

The US Open and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Fortnight

2011-09-12T20:14:00.000-05:00

In spite of an earthquake and Hurricane Irene, the US Open started with bright blue skies and non-stop sunshine. Ah, but that was just the first week!

You best read on before I have to retire due to finger cramps, or I get rained out.

The Good

Beautiful weather the first week! American tennis is not dead, Irina Falconi says so! The Williams Sisters are back! Sam Stosur. The 3rd set of the men's final.

We got to see some young, American women make it out of the first round. Sloan Stephens, Madison Keys, Christina McHale, and Irina Falconi, my personal favorite because of her enthusiasm for America and for her belief in American tennis. Though I enjoyed Keys' game the most. She's only 16, so there's hope for us! As for the US Men, it was nice to see Donald Young live up to his potential!

The Bad

15 retirements and 4 players withdraw, a Grand Slam record!

The worst of which (for me) was the news of Venus' withdraw and subsequent announcement that she had been diagnosed with Sjögren's Syndrome, an autoimmune disease. That was a dagger straight to my heart. Especially after Venus won her Rd 1 match in such glorious fashion! She moved well, returned well, served well...it was Venus on a mission! Not to mention Serena was on the other side of the draw... I know I'm not the only one who let their mind fast-forward to an all Williams final! So it goes, Venus had to pull out of the US Open...but she wasn't alone.

The Ugly

Week 2.

Do I even need to break it down? I had wondered why there were so many Chair Umpires I was unfamiliar with, then I saw this story on Twitter: Many Top Umpires Decide to Skip the Open. Well, that blows! Then the skies opened up...and for two days, havoc ensued. Did the USTA really send players out on wet courts? Top players in closed door meetings, whispers of player's union... Then there was bubble gate on Armstrong and Court 13 got more action than it ever has. They put the Stosur match on WHICH court?! Serena said WHAT?! Monday men's final...AGAIN.

WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?

Whatever it was, it has come to an end. This final Grand Slam of the year caused more discussion about NOT tennis than any other slam this year. Though I must say, even though my players didn't win, I'm very happy for Sam Stosur! She got screwed around this tournament, but came out on top. And what can anyone say about Novak Djokovic? See what happens when you're mentally tough?

I had my heart ripped out a few times...OK, a lot. I learned I like Roger Federer more than I thought I did. I learned that no one wins a Grand Slam final without a first serve. I threw my hands up in the air, both in triumphant squeals and WTF moments. I lost some friends and gained some followers. I laughed. I cried. I stressed. I cursed...a lot.

In all honesty, I didn't enjoy the 2011 US Open as much as I hoped I would. In conclusion,

My First Davis Cup Tie

2011-07-15T20:40:00.001-05:00

The Davis Cup Tie between the USA and Spain was the first time I attended a sporting event alone.

And it rocked my FACE OFF!

Let me clarify, thanks to fabulous new Twitter friends, I was not totally alone. But I was sitting in a section, upstairs, all by my lonesome. I was worried that I'd get bored, but boy was I wrong! Sitting on a one row seat with no one to talk to forced all of my attention on the court. And the atmosphere was electric!

I don't know about the rest of you, but I mumble, yell at the TV, run around the house screaming, and all sorts of other things while watching sports at home. During tense moments, I found myself sitting in the Frank Erwin Center mumbling and fist pumping quietly during points. To my surprise, this was happening all around me! There were fans, both cheering for the US and Spain, that were mumbling in two languages between points. How ever random that may seem, I found it totally comforting. I was not alone in my "talking to myself" craziness.

Thanks to Jen, who had TONS of luck on her side, by the time Sunday rolled around, I got to move down and sit in her seat on the lower level (because she had a better seat, 7 rows closer!). There I am, on the lower level, surrounded by 16,000 of my closest friends (NOT), cheering my voice out for the USA.

Alas, it did not work.

As you all know by now, we lost 3-1, and the 5th rubber was not played. Special thanks to the Bryan Brothers for giving us that glimmer of hope on Saturday!

Yes, this post is more about the experience than it is about the tennis. I wonder if Andy's shoulder injury was bothering him, and that's the reason he wasn't playing so well. Feliciano Lopez, who's been playin' like a man possessed, of late, played well. All credit to Mardy Fish, though. He took Feli 5 sets, and lost 6-8 in the 5th set, then took a set off Ferrer (something Andy couldn't do), only to lose 6-8 in the 4th set breaker. There were lots of moments where it could have swung in Mardy's favor. Instead, I've got a Spain vs France rematch to look forward to in September!

Many, many thanks to Jennifer Knapp for supplying me with my Davis Cup tickets! If she hadn't wanted a better seat, I might not have been able to make it.

So there it is, my second tennis tournament is on the books! Comparatively speaking, I felt like Davis Cup had more of a baseball game vibe (crowd wise), with all the families. It was really great to see so many people come out to support tennis! I was talking with one of my programmers before leaving, and he said he always assumed tennis was a sport for rich people. Happy to report there was a wide range of socioeconomic groups represented at Davis Cup! Though I feel rich people get better seats, no matter the sport. ;)

There are loads of great pics out there! Check out OnTheGoTennis for the Armada's victory dance. Racquet Required has some great stuff from the DC Draw Ceremony. For upclose Armada pics, check out @jusbjen's TwitPic stream.

Davis Cup + Austin (my college town) + new friends = One helluva weekend.

First Tennis Tournament is Done and Dusted

2011-04-10T21:46:00.003-05:00

5 days of live action from the River Oaks Country Club in Houston, TX for the US Men's Clay Court Championships has come to an end.

The weather was magnificent, the food was tasty, and the beer was cheap. But what won me over was how close everything, and everyone, was!

I spent 3 of those 5 days trolling the practice courts. Qualifying pics are in the previous post. For pics from days 2 and 3, check 'em out below.

But as I looked through them on my comp, I realized just how crappy they are. Oops! The next time I go to a tournament, hopefully I'll have a better camera!

Men's Clay Court Early Rounds

I got to see some good tennis! I got to meet some new people, like @RacquetRequired! I got to spend time with my Mom and later with my good friend @ConspiracySmile! I tried a new beer, enjoyed a new restaurant, picked up a new crush, added a guy's number to my phone, and met my Vitamin D quota for the month!

I've said it a bagillion times: I HAD SO MUCH FUN!

I don't have any insight into the matches that I saw. The only match I was totally bored with was Dimitrov vs Gabashvili. So we walked out, ate lunch, met some new people, and had a blast all the same!

Men's Doubles Final pics:

Doubles Final at US Men's Clay Court

Got some video of Sam Querrey, John Isner, and the Bryans talking after the match. Bad video quality, but the sounds is OK.

There had been a few 3 setters at the tourney, but I didn't get to see any! Was hoping for a knockdown, drag out final, but Ryan Sweeting supplied a nice, albeit tight, win in straight sets. Happy to see Americans winning titles!.

US Men's Clay Court Singles Final

Got some video of Kei and Ryan speaking after the final as well. It was really windy today, so, again, apologies for the quality of the video.

So glad there's a tournament in my backyard! I definitely look forward to a week of staycation tennis in 2012!

If you thought I was bad before...

2011-04-05T23:31:00.001-05:00

...Then I've got some bad news:

I JUST GOT WORSE.

My close friends know all too well about my OCD tendencies. Working from home coupled with Twitter sprinkled with more live tennis coverage on television, my little obsession has been able to blossom into a full blown entity.

Yes, entity. Other things get moved to make way for tennis. If you've seen my tweets, or been on the receiving end of a text moving plans, you know full well what I mean.

If I were merely a crackhead before, I'm effing mainlining tennis now.

OK, let's get some things out of the way first...

- Either lots of players lie about their height, or I'm taller than I realized. Last I checked, I'm 6'1".
- Tennis balls look way bigger in person. When was the last time I actually PLAYED tennis? (Ah, some really hot summer in LA a few years ago...)
- Do tennis players eat...ever? All these people are so thin!
- Why is everyone cuter in person than they are on tv? I'm still seeing them all sweaty and flustered live, but they look...better? I blame HD for ruining people but making everything else look amazing.

I'm like the worst "tennis blogger" ever. I don't have play by play stats on who was hitting forehands to backhands in the deuce court out wide against the wind in the rain. I leave that to the "professionals."

Here are some not so good pics from qualifying day 1. I know...I know! Not much too look at. I hope to get better. I'm still in the infatuation stage. I'm too busy cheesin' and taking it all in. I want to see all the people and all the matches. And OMG isn't that Brian Earley?!?!?!?!?! Yes. I did that. I'm awesome.

Qualifying - US Men's Clay Court

And so it goes...

2011-01-30T23:01:00.004-06:00

The 2011 Australian Open was a gut wrenching, surprising, heartbreaking, eye opening, forehead slapping, fun filled fortnight.

And in a flash, my favorite Grand Slam of the year has ended.

Gut wrenching
Venus Williams groin injury. She pulled in during the tiebreaker in the 1st set, but came back to bagel her opponent in the 2nd set and took the 3rd 6-4. Did I mention that she won in convincingly? I said it before, happy to say it again: Venus Williams is a BEAST.

Franchesca Schiavone's 3 set loss to "Sunshine" Wozniacki. Frankie was coming off that EPIC match against Kuzenetsova, which was the longest women's match in open era history, at 4:44. Having saved 6 match points, Francesca won and recovered enough in less than 48 hours to give Calorine Wozniacki a real fight. Forza Frankie.

Rafael Nadal's loss to David Ferrer in straight sets. Rafa got injured last year at this point in the tournament. It appeared to be a hamstring this time. And while you could tell his game was not his norm, he still gave Ferrer one hell of a fight. It also hurt to watch Rafa visibly fall to pieces on the sidelines.

Surprising
Alexandr Dolgopolov Jr's run to the quarter's. Eliminating Kukushkin, Becker, Tsonga, and Soderling before taking a set a set off of, yet ultimately falling to Andy Murray. @TruBlu and I started the Hair Bandwagon a while ago. If you hadn't heard of this kid before, he should definitely be on your radar now!

Heartbreaking
Svetlana Kuzenetsova's loss to Francesca Schiavone. As mentioned above, this was the longest women's match in open era! By the time the 3rd set rolled around, these two women had taken their level of tennis to unbelievable heights! Painting lines, running to hit droppers, no one could tell they'd been on court for over 4 hours. You knew someone had to win, but no one lost this match. Frankie pulled out the 3rd set 16-14.

Eye Opening
Li Na's honest charm. We all knew Serena would miss this slam. Everyone in the WTA draw knew Serena Williams would be absent. Commentators said the field was "wide open" and would ask projected winners what Serena's absence meant to them. Of all those women, Li Na was the only one to flat out say that Serena was out and that was the best chance she'd have to get a Grand Slam title. And you know what? She didn't win, but she did eliminate the current world #1 on her way to becoming runner up.

Forehead Slapping
Gael Monfils for squandering his talent. Just talk to @A_Gallivant about that.

Andy Roddick for not listening to anything anyone tells him. Ever.

Stanislas Wawrinka for being Roger Federer's bitch. Harsh? Did you see how well Stan played at the USO and throughout AO? Yes, Fed is Fed, but Gilles Simon took him 5.

Fun Filled
Twitter friends! I seriously wish I'd embraced Twitter sooner. I never had an outlet for my outrageous sport obsession. And with that 17 hour time difference, it certainly helped to have people to chat with at 3:30am when I could barely keep my eyes open. Great conversations and even an argument or two.

Lime green, honeysuckle (thanks @ConspiracySmile) and yellow. This year's Australian Open ran the gamut of color and emotions, and in the end delivered the men's final I wanted all along.

Now that January is over, we've got 3.5 months until the next Grand Slam. Thank God there are several tournaments to keep me busy until then. But for now, I plan to enjoy my first full night's sleep in two weeks.

I wish there was some sort of methadone clinic for tennis fans. The first few days after a Grand Slam are so depressing! Tennis withdrawals are almost as painful as caffeine withdrawals. Good thing there's this little ol' game called THE SUPER BOWL this weekend.

On to the next one, y'all!

Bring it ON, 2011!

2010-12-31T15:58:00.000-06:00

If ever a year of new beginnings was needed...

Here's what I'm looking forward to (sportwise) in 2011.

Chelsea FC - I'm expecting my Blues to rebound. Winning 2 out of their last 9 games is a pretty poor way to end the year. I guess I should have realized that it's ALWAYS a bad sign when your team peaks at the beginning of the season. With a season that runs as long as football, it's best to peak in late winter/early spring. Alas. Chelsea must work this out amongst themselves. I will say I'm sick of all this noise about Carlo needing to get the boot.

After their great season last year, Chelsea's still got all the talent to top the EPL once again. Their confidence took a huge blow the first half of the season, and now it's on their shoulders to let it roll off and keep on trucking. We need to stay aggressive and tune up the defense.

Am I worried? No. But I don't like that it'll come down to the wire again. CFC needs a win streak. Even 2 in a row would set us back on the right path. C'MON YOU BLUES!!!

Texas Longhorns - Where do I begin? We lost 5 coaches in a two week span? SCARY! Looks like our "rebuilding" year will carry into 2011. Mack's got to work on getting Garrett Gilbert's confidence back. Too many factors contributed to our fall from grace in 2010.

Now the hunt is on for a new OC and a new DC. Was VERY sad to see Muschamp leave, but how could he turn down a head coach position. And in the SEC, no less. GREAT competition over there. While I don't care much for the Gators, I'd still like to see Muschamp do well.

And while I understand we're supposed to look at these players as student athletes, I wouldn't be surprised if we saw some transfers into the program after an abysmal season. I'd hate to see UT lose a non-major sport...so TEXAS FOOTBALL needs to fix the moneymaker. Because when it's broken, everyone suffers!

Tennis - I've only got a couple of weeks left before I pick up ATP and WTA tennis again! I can't wait. ATP shortened the season by two weeks (whooptie-doo) effective in 2012. I've already gushed over Rafa and my new love for Alexandr Dolgopolov Jr.

I said I was taking a break from tennis, and I stuck to it! Though, everyone I see that is friends with me on FB comments on my tennis rants. I find it hilarious. We may not have spoken in a few months, but they'll be able to tell when I'm upset over a loss or ecstatic about a win. I find it absolutely hilarious, and I look forward to more of that in 2011.

And I have tennis to thank for me joining Twitter this summer. Needed a place to vent my tennis frustrations and keep up with the tourney's I was missing. Found that and a few unexpected "twiendships." Looking forward to actually getting to more than one tennis tourney in 2011! Will keep y'all updated on which they'll be. Houston in April (@mensclaycourt) for sure and hopefully the USO in Sept!

Houston Texans - In an effort to not set off on a tirade, I'll say this: I'm not getting my hopes up for the shakeups we need. Based on Bob McNair's track record, I might be watching the same insufferable team from this year. 9 seasons and still no play-off berth. It has to happen eventually, yes? Or will I find myself wearing paper bags to games like Saints fans years ago?

In Closing...
2010 brought incredible highs and almost unbearable lows. There were plenty of high-fives, chest bumps (yes, girls do it too!), hugs, and rounds of beer to celebrate. But we must also count the tears, the heartache, the begging and yelling, and the rounds of beer to drown away our sorrows. A roller coaster year if I've ever lived through one. Would be a liar if I said I was sad to see 2010 go. So out with the old! Exciting prospects lie ahead in 2011. I hope to see a few tennis careers take flight, two football franchises come back from the brink, a footy team realize it's their season to lose and no one else's to win, and LOTS AND LOTS of LIVE sports!!!

For those of you that took the journey with me here at Sports For Breakfast, thank you!!! I hope I haven't scared you off. Stick around for another sport filled year. =)

Body Issues: Tennis survey results

2010-12-21T09:49:00.005-06:00

What I learned from this survey:
- Roger Federer has both very loyal and very vocal fans. And they aren't afraid to yell at a survey for not having Fed as an option enough.

Firstly, thanks to all 64 respondents! This was lots of fun to put together, and was so fun brainstorming with @TruBlu and @A_Gallivant. Speaking of, check out their survey results for Twennis Awards and We Take Our Tennis Seriously!

My apologies in advance for lack of images. In an attempt to abide by copyright law, I've included links to images for your viewing pleasure! Just click the results bars below, and you can see why everyone that won, did. =)

Without further ado, and with no interference from an electoral college, the people have spoken!

1. Best Hair - perfectly coiffed or gel?

No surprise here. Though, I was hoping for an Armada win. Nando's hair was runner up.

2. Best Legs - WTA and ATP

No surprise about Venus there. Though Masha was hot on her heels..only lost out by 1 vote. I like Nole's legs, but would have expected an Armada member to top this one as well. Rafa and Feli tied for second...so I'm not the only one on the Armada train!

3. Best Arms - Or just serving arm

Not surprising! Although, I do feel Gael deserves an honorable mention. Apparently, so did the 21 folks who voted in favor of Le Monf. Gael Monfils

4. Best Bum - WTA and ATP

No contest. In either category! Except Feli...oh my, Feli's ass...

5. Best transformation from day to evening wear - WTA and ATP

No surprises here either! Of the 64 ATP votes, Fed got 52.

6. Best (well, worst really) injury (real or phantom) - WTA and ATP

Let's hope 2011 brings better luck for these two! Serena's already missing AO...not a good sign!

7. Which ATP player looked best with his shirt off?

I AM SHOCKED!!! Fed...over an ARMADA member?!?! They practically live with no shirts on!!! So, the only conclusion I can draw from this result...there are more Fed fans on Twitter. I wholeheartedly disagree with this one. The voters got this one WRONG!!! *Armada love*

8. Best kit - WTA and ATP

Looks like folks love those Wimby whites!

9. WTA vs ATP - Who would you like to see duke it out

Oh yes. A knockdown, drag out, blow for blow, pound for pound true heavyweight match. Rafa wins on clay, Serena on hard, but that Wimbledon showdown would be one for the ages!!!

End of 2010 survey

2010-12-12T21:42:00.000-06:00

A collab effort with some lovey Tweeps, @A_Gallivant and @TruBlu, I give you 3 end of the 2010 season tennis surveys!

A_Gallivant - We take our tennis seriously! : http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NHLYLWC
TruBlu - Twennis Awards : http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Z59FSMY
Jasmin (me!) - The Body Issue : http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/R6HQP9V

Take all 3! They each have a different tone. Voting ends on Friday, December 17th! Results will be announced on Twitter next weekend, so keep an eye out, tennis fans.

This has been an interesting season, to say the least! Lots of ups, plenty of downs, but no one can deny that great tennis was played in 2010. We saw Rafa rise to dominance, lots of pomp and circumstance, and been exposed to far too many future of women's tennis and Federer **GOAT discussions.

I laughed, I cried, I got chest pains, and I got a little too rowdy. I enjoyed the Spanish Armada's insistence on practicing shirtless. I watched the Serbians take their first DC title. There lots of blown leads, crazy comebacks, and unbelievable shot making. I've pulled my hair, traded shifts, lost my voice, skipped events, transcended sleep and made new friends.

Tennis in 2010 was a full on roller coaster. Sad to see it end, but I can't wait for it to start again!

BRING IT ON, AUSTRALIA!!!

**That's "Greatest of All Time" for you newbies.

The end is here

2010-11-30T02:41:00.000-06:00

And it couldn't have come any sooner. Undoubtedly the worst season Texas has seen since 1997 has mercifully come to a close. While 5-7 isn't the worst record a team could have, it's abysmal by Longhorn standards.

While 5-7 is mediocre, we finished at the bottom of the Big XII South for the first time in...I don't even know how long! We had a worse conference season than BAYLOR. I don't mean to always pick on the Bears, but we acknowledge their b-ball superiority, but to lose to them on the gridiron is just pitiful.

The season looked disappointing before it even started. Remember the National Title Game debacle last year? Colt got hurt IMMEDIATELY, and Garrett Gilbert crying on the sidelines? Not our best moment, but I'd still rather watch that game over and over than re-watch this season.

Unorganized is one word that comes to mind when describing the team dynamic in 2010. Confused, no chemistry, discombobulated, inexperienced, and poorly coached (this video about sums it up) overall are a few other words that come to mind.

I predicted 8-5, and I thought that was being pessimistic. HA! Can you believe I had us in a bowl game?!

There have always been eyebrow raising moments in the Longhorn playbook in the decade that I've been keeping up. I'm not calling for Greg Davis' head on a platter...but if we got a new Offensive Coordinator, I wouldn't be upset.

We ALL expected a transition team, and more losses than we'd become accustomed to, but none of us were expecting the season we suffered through.

Texas Football has got a mountain to climb this offseason.

And it all starts with rebuilding this team's confidence. We were sitting on top of the world, and then we fell from grace and got trampled by Bevo.

Coaches need to make these kids believe they can win, and win big. There's a lot on their shoulders, and sometimes we as fans expect the world. It's not our job to teach players to overcome that. If the team doesn't believe it can win, why should we?

While I still bleed Burnt Orange, I've learned from this season that I cry Burnt Orange too.

Blog FAIL

2010-10-25T22:52:00.000-05:00

Big time fail.

My apologies for the lack of updates! Was out of town the first weekend in Oct, then I was doing a photoshoot the second, my main computer died after that - along with all my pics and programs!

It's been a long month. But that is to be expected with 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays, and 5 Sundays. Won't happen again for another 823 years.

To you Arsenal and Man U fans, hold your breath.

0 for 3 - My weekend round-up

2010-09-26T21:23:00.000-05:00

Lots of unhappy endings this weekend. Chelsea lost to Manchester City. UT lost to UCLA. And the Texans go down to the Cowboys.

Click the links in this post, or check them out below.

Next week, I'm going to take y'all on a tour of my favorite bar: The Biergarden.

Stay tuned!

Fairweather Texan? Not on your life!

2010-09-26T21:21:00.000-05:00

We don't even have fair weather in Texas...especially this time of year! But not pull for the Texans? Do you know our history? To be a Texan fan is to suffer!
And don't believe anyone that tells you otherwise.

I didn't buy into the "OMG Dallas sucks and they'll will lose sooooooo much this season" hype. What idiot would? Have you heard of Jerry Jones? This man spends MILLIONS upon MILLIONS. To call anything he endorses useless is just in poor form.

That aside, I was really...and I mean REALLY hoping the Texans could keep the momentum rolling. We started our season 2-0, for only the second time in franchise history. As fans, that's a lot to be proud of! As a player, you hope it doesn't go to their heads.

I don't think the latter was the case. It just looked like we still aren't comfortable with our new "run game." Which is understandable because...have you SEEN Matt Schaub's numbers? To put it mildly, they're ridiculous. This guy's toting a cannon around, and we've decided we want to run the ball this year.

Fine. We'll adjust...won't we?

Steve Slaton went on every fan's shit list last year. This year, A Foster opened up our season to rush for over 230 yards against the Colts. HUZZAH!!! We have a run game!.................. Not quite.

Looks to me like we're still trying to be decisive. None of the Texan numbers were impressive today, least of which the 13-27 scoreline in Dallas' favor. When you've got a 1st and goal, and can't convert...there are definitely some problems that need to be addressed.

Troy Aikman and Joe Buck made note that the Texans center has an abnormally low stance, which causes trouble for Schaub. If that's the case, shouldn't someone look into replacing the center?

Football should be about singing kumbiya and holding hands around a campfire. I really wish the Texans coaching staff would stop being so gentle and yell at a player when he messes up. Kick over a water color, hell, throw a clipboard! Something!

Anything to show that we have some emotions and we care that we just got our asses handed to us by a team with ZERO confidence!

We'll face the Raiders next week. They aren't anything to write home about, but that doesn't mean they aren't dangerous. As we saw with Dallas today: When teams are playing with desperation in their eyes, they are formidable opponents.

Meanwhile, I'll take the 2-1 start. Because, for now, we're tied for first in our division.

I still bleed Burnt Orange

2010-09-26T21:04:00.001-05:00

Let's face it... If you've spent as much time and money as I have on the University of Texas at Austin, you'd damn well support them too. For better or worse!

Well, This must be one of those "worse" times.

Talk about ugly play...I mean, I haven't seen us play this sloppy at home since we lost to Ohio State in 2006.

UCLA was playing better than us, but they weren't unbeatable. When I tell you we lost that game, boy did we lose. We took that game and tossed it right out of DK Royal. I don't know who showed up to play against the Bruins this past weekend, but they certainly didn't resemble my Longhorns.

Our offense has been touch and go all season. Thank God we'd had our defense to save us!

Oh, wait...not this week. Nothing was turned on. There was no cohesiveness, no excitement, no fire...I mean this was the DEFINITION of a lackluster performance. Even the sidelines looked a bit...confounded by what they were witnessing.

Muschamp, the defensive coordinator (and future head coach), who chest bumps his players when they've done well, and yells at them when they didn't...even HE looked deflated. And this was throughout the entire circus act.

Next week, we've got the Red River Rivalry. UT and OU. We're talking 110 years worth of animosity. A showdown so fierce, it's played in a neutral city...Dallas. Half way between the two universities.

While Mack tries to downplay the importance of this game, it's huge. He tells us before halftime that UT is 10-2 the past 12 years before OU weekend. (Yes. It has it's own weekend. Professors were encouraged not to make things due the Friday before.) C'mon, Mack. That's a moot point. Both of those losses were handed to us by K State, btw.

Here's what I see... Unless the horns just played the biggest mindgame ever, we're going down to OU this year, unless we can regroup IN A HURRY. This team needs to move onto the same floor of Jester together. Have all their meals together, share bathrooms, walk each other to class... Whatever it takes to get them playing like ONE!

We're in for a long season, that's for sure. We are better than our performance against UCLA. How much better? That remains to be seen...

Oh, and if you're keeping score, UT leads that 110 year rivalry 59-40. It's 9:04pm, AND OU STILL SUCKS!!!!!!!!

Blues fall 0-1 to Manchester City

2010-09-26T20:34:00.000-05:00

Missed this match, decided to sleep in. Oops!

Not much to say here since I didn't get to see what went wrong. But, I'm going to guess that we really need to amp up our midfield while Super Franky is out. Likely that he'll still be out for the Arsenal match next Sunday too. What a bummer!!!

Cesc Fabregas (of Arsenal, for those who don't keep up) hopes he'll be pitch ready by the 3rd. I'm really hoping he won't be. Either way, Chelsea has GOT to amp up their game. Even more importantly than that, they need to play their game. Attack. Attack. Attack.

We'll have the whole Bridge behind us, so that's a definite plus, especially if we'll be playing without Lampard and Terry.

I'm still ridiculously pissed that I'm going to miss this game. I'll be driving...in the middle of nowhere. Firstly, I'm in the US, so there won't be any radio coverage. Secondly, I likely won't have reception on the highway, so I won't be able to stare at scores.

The only thing I can do it blurt out Chelsea cheers every now and again. My dad's a huge Gunners supporter, so I'm sure I'll hear from him. But I hope not. If he's callin', it means my Blues are in trouble.

$&#* Kubiak Does

2010-09-19T20:23:00.001-05:00

Someone pinch me. The Texans start their 2010 season 2-0! Who do we have to thank? Foster, Schaub, Johnson, and Rackers.

When I watch Texan games, I'm always...ALWAYS questioning Gary Kubiak's coaching abilities.

WHAT IS HE THINKING?!

He lost us the pre-season Cardinal game because of a ridiculous call. But, pre-season is pre-season, and really doesn't count. Perhaps Kubiak has changed his ways?

Fat chance.

We went down early to the Redskins today. And by halftime, we were down 10-20. They scored again, and now we're down 10-27. For Texan fans, that seems like an impossible feat. We've blown plenty of 17 point leads...but have we ever dug ourselves out of one?

Today we did. And I couldn't be happier. Did I give up? No. Did I question everything? YES.

More specifically, we come back...we tie the game...HUZZAH! There's 2min left and we're at 27 all. Herm Edwards comes to mind when he, quite animatedly, said during a post game presser, "YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!" Sounds simple enough. We had time, and timeouts to spare. Instead of going for something...anything...we waste all but 3 seconds, and let the game roll into overtime.

OK. I can get past that, because at least we're in overtime. We win the OT toss...YES! We elect to receive...DOUBLE YES! We take the ball all the way to Washington's 41 yard line. We waste two downs. We're looking at a 4th down. Do we attempt a field goal? No. Kubiak punts.

ARE F-ING KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW???

Fine. What's done is done. I have to "trust" the defense that hasn't really shown me they're top notch this game. OK. Fine. I'm pissed, but miracles happen...to Texan fans.........right?

It's not looking good. Their kicker, Gano, and the FG unit come out onto the field. The Redskins are lookin' at a 52 yard FG. Can he make it? We hope not. There's confusion, he kicks, IT GOES IN, wait...it doesn't count because Kubiak iced him before the snap.

Kudos, Kub. But we never should have let it get that far.

On the kid's next attempt, he misses, the Biergarden goes nuts.

Texans have the ball. They drive, drive, drive, down to the Redskins 25. We try twice more, and can't get anything else. Were those two tries really necessary, Kubiak?!

FINALLY!!! Rackers and our FG unit roll out onto the field. No drama, no icing from Shanahan, he makes it. Neil Rackers makes a 35 yard field goal, and the Texans beat the Redskins in overtime.

Wanna know what ecstatic Texans fans sound like? Click here, at your own risk! (NSFW because of general loudness)

Dear Longhorns,

2010-09-19T20:02:00.001-05:00

What?

I truly hate when people say, "Stop whining, a win's a win." That is NOT always the case! And if you people thought in terms of big picture, you'd already know that!

Case and point: the 2009 Texas Longhorn

Oh yea, I went there. I spent most of my Saturdays last fall complaining about an incomplete team. Our defense outplayed the offense last year. My dis was that it was always one side or the other than won our games. My friends can attest to my key sentence: "We can't win a National Title playing this way."

I said it week one, I said it mid-season, I said it when we eked by Nebraska.

Did anyone listen? No. And the result? I don't wanna talk about it.

THIS YEAR...

I understand that this current Longhorn football team is a transition team. I get that.

It doesn't make it any easier to swallow.

Have you watched our last 3 games? Lackluster is really the only word I can use to describe what I've seen on the field. Gilbert is young, and fairly inexperienced. He's got a lot of mental aging to do in order to lead us to the top. Can he do it? Yes. Will I have to wait three years to see it? No. Will it happen this year? Not likely.

By no means am I abandoning my Horns. A National Title? Forget it. I've even taken the 4 major BCS bowls out of my sights. Will we get to a bowl game this year? ABSOLUTELY.

But we have got a lot of work to do.

Mardy Fish Saves the World!

2010-09-19T19:51:00.001-05:00

Or...just the US' Davis Cup hopes.

Why has it taken Fish so long to get his act together? I don't have an answer, but I tell you what...I'm SO glad he's finally come to his senses. His epic run started this summer, with Olympus US Open Series. He won in Atlanta and made the final in Cincy. Then he made a run at the US Open, but eventually ran into Novak Djokovic.

Fast Forward to this weekend, and a MUST win situation for the USA against Colombia in a Davis Cup tie to stay in the World Group. On Friday, the line-up was as follows:
Fish v Falla - Rubber 1
Querrey v Giraldo - Rubber 2
Isner/Harrison v Salmanca/Farah
Fish v Giraldo
Querrey v Falla

However, after a long 5 set win for Fish over Falla, and an uninspired straight set loss by Querrey, outgoing captain Patrick McEnroe pulled Harrison and the "Fishner" duo was born. After playing Friday, Mardy Fish steps up and plays dubs with Isner on Saturday. The result, a W.

The US is now holding a 2-1 lead over Colombia. Mardy Fish is up first on Sunday morning. He pulls out a 5 set win (again), this time over Giraldo. WHAT?! Mardy Fish just saved the US' ass...and what else can we do but thank him for it?

Ryan Harrison was slated to play the last match, because it didn't mean anything at this point. But, the skies opened up in Bogota, and the last rubber was cancelled.

USA def Colombia 3-1

By the way... Can someone please explain to me why they call DC matches rubbers?

4-Nil, Go Blues!

2010-09-19T19:45:00.000-05:00

Off to another swimming start for my Chelsea Blues!

They played EXCELLENT in the first half. Everyone seemed to be in sync, and it didn't look like anyone really missed Terry or Lampard.

A quick start, as usual, Chelsea scored their first goal in the first 4 minutes of play. With Drogba taking on Captain duties in Terry's absence, the Blues were an impenetrable force in the first half.

After the half...not so much. They looked pretty content with their 4-0 lead, and played as such. Blackpool (doesn't that just make you think of Marvel's Deadpool???) came out for the second half firing on all cylinders!

But, to no avail. Chelsea went on to win it 4-0. They're now at the top of the EPL, by 4 points and 10 goals. But they've only played smaller teams so far. Let's hope the boys in Blue can keep this momentum going when the real threats show up.

Other notables this match: Essien.

Keep it up, boys!!!

I don't understand the Querrey appeal

2010-09-18T17:25:00.001-05:00

Why are we supposed to like Sam Querrey? Perhaps this question is ill-timed since he just cost the USA a point in Davis Cup against Colombia. DC aside, have you every watched him play? Aside from a big serve, what else has he got? All I see when I watch Querrey play is big, flat hitting from the baseline.

Sounds a like lot John Isner, but that's a whole other post.

It's not fair to judge Sam based on his Bogota performance. After all, they're playing at an altitude of over 8,600 ft...on clay. It's bad enough you've got a bunch of Americans playing on clay...but they're also playing a mile and half above sea level. Yikes.

I'm not saying he sucks. But he's just not exciting to watch. No one likes boring matches...in any sport. For me, SQ is just a big yawn-fest.

If PMac keeps Querrey in the singles line-up, he'll face Alejandro Falla tomorrow. Falla's good on clay, especially in his hometown, he's a lefty, and he moves well. But when he goes off, he can stay there for a while. Which is great news for Querrey, because he's going to need to take advantage of every mental break and effort slip that Falla throws at him.

As if there weren't enough pressure on these guys, the USA is playing to stay in the world group. Should we go down 3-2, we'll be playing second tier DC matches until qualifying begins for 2012. Right now, we're up 2-1, thanks to Fish/Isner (melded they, become "Fishner") dubs win in 4 sets today. Last minute change by captain Patrick McEnroe pulled Harrison out and put Fish in. Good call, unfortunately. Would loved to have seen Harrison play more, but there was A LOT riding on that dubs win today.

GO USA!

Updates already!

2010-09-17T14:33:00.001-05:00

Well, I took some of y'alls ideas and ran with them.
What do you think of the new layout? I'm diggin it. Still not COMPLETELY satisfied, but this is much better than before.

This pic was taken when I biked across the Golden Gate Bridge. I love San Francisco. I'd considering moving back to California if I could live there.

At any rate, there are now tabs for easy navigation, I've shortened the posts on the main page so it'll load faster, and taken away some of the sidebar distractions.

Keep those suggestions coming!

Have passport, will travel

2010-09-15T21:46:00.000-05:00

Since I'm still trying to roll this blog up a hill, wanted to give a heads up that I'm in the hunt for new graphics. Going to commission my sister, who's a photographer. Check out her work, Ruby Spring Photography, she's great! Finishing up her MFA in Photography.

So tell me, what kind of tennis tournaments am I missing out on in the US? I know about Indian Wells, Miami, and all the ones that in the US Open Olympus Series. There's one in my hometown I'm attending in April. But what else is within a short plane ride away?

Gettin' it where I can

2010-09-14T22:06:00.001-05:00

I've picked up on lots of random chatter this week. I'll start with VY.

Vince Young - OK, VY. All us Texas folks, random fans and UT students alike, wanted you to get the Heisman in 2005. But you didn't...Reggie Bush did. As far as I'm concerned, that was the best thing that happened to our team that you. Had you won the Heisman, would we have won the National Championship in 2005? At any rate...Bush was voted the best player that year. The fact that he's been stripped of the Heisman doesn't negate that. Vince, you don't get to go around saying you deserve the trophy. What's done is done. And the fact that it's taken this long for all the usc BS to come to light, is just ridiculous. But that's a whole 'nother post.
Arian Foster - If you haven't heard his name this week, you must not watch ESPN. This dude ran for over 230 yards in the Texans season opening win over the Peyton and his Colts! It was quite a sight! While I shouldn't get too excited as it was only the first week, I can't help it. I've got high expectations from him now for the rest of the season. Will the Texans finally be worth a deep emotional investment? We are talking about Peyton Manning here. He could have a losing season and STILL be voted league MVP. And it's no secret that Indy can't stop the run game. Though credit must still be given where credit is due. And the Texans put a whoopin on the Colts this time. Our next time on the field with them will be a Monday Night Football showdown at Lucas Oil Field. Bring it!

Tennis on Twitter - What would I do without tennis bloggers? I'd be clueless, that's for sure. Thanks to all the random tweets, I know that a Canadian knocked Bartoli out of a tournament somewhere in Canadialand! It's not that I don't like Bartoli (well, I don't), but her weird technique is just off putting. It's hard to pull for someone that plays that way. Elena D has tweaked her service motion a bit, and no longer looks as much like the hands of a ticking clock. ESPN decided to televise the US Open draw this year. Brian Early sat in a room and pulled chips out of the trophy. That's nice. In Australia, for a Davis Cup draw, they used bungee jumpers to put the draw together. How do you say AWESOME in Australian?! Can't wait for the Aussie Open in a mere 17 and a half weeks!

Chelsea - Love my boys in Blue! Started off well in Champions League play today. Thank you DirecTV for offering a soccer package! And it was GREAT that ESPN2 was actually showing the Chelsea match last Saturday! It's gonna be a good year for them. Let's just hope they can keep their egos and personal lives in check. I'm lookin at you, John Terry!

Garrett Gilbert - Please don't revoke my Texas card, but I'm not impressed with our new QB. I know we're coming off the high that was the Colt McCoy/Jordan Shipley reign... I just really hate that first year with a new leader. It means you have to lower your expectations a bit, and hope to get a bowl game instead of demanding another National Title appearance. The kid's full of potential, and at 6'4" he's going to be a formidable QB. I'll have to think of this year as a momentum builder for next year, and by 2012...LOOK OUT, BCS!

Clinton Portis - Get over yourself. Not all women with a press pass are looking to hook up with players. You should try pulling your head out of your own ass, and maybe you and "Sanchize" can't win a few games this season. I'm sure I could think of a few other people like you that could use some hard knocks.

Argentina v France and USA vs Columbia - Benneteau lost his spot on the DC team for the upcoming stint vs Argentina. Guess that wrist injury is pretty serious. Can't say that I'm sad, because I want Argentina to go all the way! VIVA ARGENTINA!!! I'm definitely ready to pull out my baby blue gear and start yelling in Spanish. God Bless the Tennis Channel for showing live DC action this weekend. It's a taste to hold me over until the ATP Asian leg begins. I'm also really excited to Ryan Harrison again. I'm not familiar with Columbian tennis, but that Alejandro Falla can be difficult! I also know that altitude will be a problem for the US men because they're playing in the mts of Columbia. Should be good stuff this weekend!

MLB - Apparently lots of things happen in October in Baseball. People still watch this? Weird...

Tweeners, Foot Faults, Historic Feats, and everything in between: 2010 US Open

2010-09-13T23:05:00.002-05:00

"It must be love." That was US Open's slogan, and what a lovely display it was. Tweeners, over the shoulders, impossible angles, body dives on concrete, drama, violations, ranking changes, upsets, charities, country pride, dreadlocks, broken frames, popped strings, concussions, Cinderella runs, retirements, Spain vs. France, wind, rain, bad calls, 5 set marathons, unbearable heat, double faults, and comebacks. This year ending Slam had it all.

I make no secret of where my loyalties lie. South America, Spain, and the USA...in that order, if you must know. Yet somehow, I found myself pulling for people I'd never heard of out of sheer enjoyment. Starting with Dustin Brown of Jamaica. He had dreadlocks that were almost as long as he was tall, and a wicked serve. He gave Andy Murray a run for his money in the first set, but the other two were far less competitive. Would be one hell of a match to watch Dustin Brown play Gael Monfils.

Ryan Harrison was another surprise. This 18-year-old American has got a pretty lofty tennis IQ already. I hope he doesn't fall victim to all the hype. He's on the Davis Cup team that'll face off in Columbia this week. Can't wait to see him in a pressure situation.

In addition to the new faces, I'm sure I yelled, "He's still playing?!" a few times during the first week.

Moving on to the second week, I'd like to point out the difference between winning a match, and losing a match.

Stanislas Wawrinka (25) def Andy Murray (4) 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-3
Andy Murry just got outplayed in this match. That's all there is to it. He didn't have an answer to Wawrinka. He threw everything he had, including his box full of Mickey Rourke look-a-likes, and Murray couldn't do a thing to stop him. Stan WON that match. Andy didn't lose it.

Kim Clijsters (4) def Venus Williams (3) 4-6, 7-6, 6-4
Venus was in control of the match until the second set tiebreak. She'd outserved Kim, and had managed to pull herself out of a 2-5 hole to take the set to a tiebreak. Low and behold, Venus doesn't get a single point from her serve during the tiebreak. She didn't even look like the same player from the first set. Kim didn't do anything to up her game. She even got a little streaky at the beginning of the 3rd set, but Venus' focus was already shot. Venus LOST that match, no two ways about it. What Ms. Williams said at the net: "Good Match." What she should have told Clijsters: "You're welcome."

Those two matches stick out most in my mind. But credit must be given to a few others:
Caroline Wozniacki (1) def Maria Sharapova (14) 6-3, 6-4 - Clearly, this was the biggest match of the tourney for Caro. It was great to watch her come through in that one.
Sergiy Stakhovsky def Ryan Harrison 6-3, 5-7, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 - The Grandstand really did showcase some of the BEST matches of the Open! Stakhovsky is someone to watch out for. And it sure was exciting to see an American kid show some gumption! Frankly, Isner and Querrey do not impress me. Harrison, on the other hand, I'm excited about.
Fernando Verdasco (8) def David Ferrer (10) 6-7, 6-7, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 - There's no doubt in my mind that the best winner of the entire US Open came on match point in the 5th set here. If you missed it, YouTube it. This was the BEST match.
Novak Djokovic (3) def Roger Federer (2) 5-7, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 - I'm proud of Nole for finally getting over that Fed hump! The 4th and 5th sets were so good that they made up for the rest of this 5 setter.

This post is already longer than I'd intended, but one more round of thank yous...

Rafa was my pick to win this since he said he wanted it at Roland Garros. When filling out my bracket, I had one objective: Rafa wins. I'd like to personally thank, first and foremost, Stan Wawrinka for getting rid of Andy Murray. We all know he gives Nadal hell on hard courts. Thanks to Llodra for ousting Berdych. Thanks Youzhny for taking out Isner AND Wawrinka. Thanks Nando for excusing Nalbandian. And a very special thanks to Nole for taking out Fed and being the ONLY person to take a set off Nadal all tournament. That final was competitive until 4-1 in the 4th set.

For the record, I miss Juan Martin del Potro, but I cannot express in words how happy I am that Rafa got this US Open title while DelPo is out due to his wrist surgery. I can't wait for him to rejoin the tour. He's dropped way downin the ATP rankings, and I want to see how quickly he can get back into the top 10.

Met some great folks on Twitter, and certainly have enjoyed all the banter from Wimby on. I'm pretty sure I developed a Twitter crush or two as well.

A few hours ago, Rafael Nadal got his Career Grand Slam, at just 24, and is now one of only 6 other men to have done so. Tomorrow I'll wake up with the worse case of tennis withdrawals I've ever had, I'm sure of it. T-minus 18 weeks until the Australian Open. Vamos!