Global View : CBSSports.com Blogs

Shorten the Night Session at the U.S. Open

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 23:20:29 EDT

The U.S. Open night session traditionally starts at 7 pm in New York with a woman's match, which is followed by a best-of-five-set men's match. To be short: this has to change.

First option would be to shorten the so-called night session to one man's match, starting at 8 pm. It's good for tennis, good for the audience who has more time to get to Flushing and good for TV.

Some people may argue that eliminating the woman's match from the program is not a good idea.

Then, second option: start the evening with the man's match and close it with the woman's match.

NBC Bob Costas Rips Usain Bolt, Live

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:13:40 EST

Bob Costas, of NBC, said that Jamaica's Usain Bolt showed no respect for his competitors, the Olympics and the entire audience for breaking the 100m dash world record, his own world record, by just 300th of a second in the final on Saturday.

I totally understand Mr. Costas. It is exactly how I felt Saturday morning when NBC refused to show the 100m dash final live in the USA. It was broadcast more than 12 hours later.

NBC showed no respect for the competitors, the Olympics and its entire audience.

At least Bolt had a very good reason to showboat. He is an Olympic champion, the fastest man on earth. I can only imagine how it feels to dominate the most important race of the Olympic Games in front of the entire world. Well almost the entire world...

Hey NBC, where is Mark Spitz?

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:18:34 EDT

You must all know by now that Michael Phelps won eight swimming gold medals in the Beijing Olympic Games. That’s an all-time record.

The previous record was seven golds, set by American Mark Spitz in Munich in 1972. Numbers don’t lie, Phelps broke Spitz’s record, by 1 medal.

On August 16, Phelps beat Serbia’s Milorad Cavic by 100th of a second in the 100-meter butterfly final to claim his 7th gold medal, which means that Phelps broke Spitz’s record by 100th of a second, the smallest margin possible in the pool.

I don’t mean to minimize Phelps’ record. The man won 16 Olympic medals in his life, including 14 golds. He is probably the greatest swimmer of all time. What he did in Beijing is one the greatest feats in sport history. No question. No discussion.

Nadal and Dementieva win Gold in Beijing

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 17:07:46 EDT

For the first time since February 2, 2004, Roger Federer is not at the top of the world rankings. Rafael Nadal, who won the French Open, Wimbledon and the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Beijing, is the new leader of the tennis world.

Federer’s streak of 237 weeks as world no.1 is the longest ever. Pete Sampras’ longest such streak was “only” 102 weeks.

Nadal is the 24th player, and third Spaniard after Juan Carlos and Carlos Moya, to reach the no.1 spot in the world rankings.

Russia’s Elena Dementieva, Dinara Safina and Vera Zvonareva swept the medals at the Olympics in Beijing. With five Russians in the top 10 of the WTA Tour rankings, this sweep is no surprise.

Thank You China

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:48:10 EDT

It has become quite popular, in the now much heralded blogosphere as well as in the old media of the Western world, to criticize, often harshly, the Chinese and the decision to grant them the rights to host the Olympic Games in Beijing.

Some of those critics are definitely legitimate. The Chinese government is not better than other governments across the world, and no one could be happier than me to see socialist regimes collapse, as they all do eventually. We could all use more freedom and respect for differences.

But, it is also legitimate to praise the Chinese will to please us, in the United States, when they do.

I guess that if you made it to this page, it is because you enjoy the Games and probably watch the swimming finals every night. And, you will agree, they have been pretty fantastic so far. Who would have thought that a swimming relay could generate so much excitement? Beating the French is always a source of great pride, that’s understandable.

Iran, Israel, Russia, Georgia

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 21:15:04 EDT

Iranian swimmer Mohammad Alirezaei has pulled out of the Olympic Games on Saturday because of illness.

The 100-meter breaststroke swimmer was carried to a hospital in Beijing, according to the Iranian Swimming Federation officials.

Alirezaei was the first Iranian swimmer to book a spot in the Olympics.

That’s the Iranian official story. You can read it at here.

Are you sure you don't like the Olympics?

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 0:39:20 EDT

I hear that some people, who usually like sports and competition, don’t care much about the Olympics. To be honest, that doesn’t make sense to me. But I won’t attempt to change anybody’s mind. What would be the point of that? I can only tell you why I like the Olympic Games.

On Sunday, August 10, 2008, four of the greatest athletes of all time, Michael Phelps, Roger Federer, Ronaldinho and Kobe Bryant will all be in action on the world’s greatest stage.

American Michael Phelps may be the greatest swimmer off all time. He won eight medals in Athens four years ago, six gold and two bronze. On Sunday, he attempts to win the first of the eight races he’ll compete in, in Beijing, the 400-meter individual medley.

Zagunis, Jacobson and Ward Forever

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 15:43:00 EDT

Two weeks from now, when the Beijing Games are over and it is time to see if the US olympic team has managed to top the medal count for the 4th consecutive time, I hope no one will forget those names: Mariel Zagunis, Sada Jacobson and Becca Ward.

The three young women won the first U.S. medals of the Beijing Games, leading an American sweep in women's saber fencing. Zagunis took the gold over Jacobson, who won the silver. Ward took the bronze.

Fencing has been an Olympic sport since the Athens Games in 1896. And never before had one country put three fencers on one podium. For the first time ever, the same flag was raised for all three athletes on the medal platform. 26 Games, 0 sweeps. Zagunis, Jacobson and Ward will forever be the first athletes to accomplish that feat.

Media Black-Out in the U.S. not in China

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 5:05:56 EDT

The Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony is over. The media black-out in the U.S. is somewhat ironic. It will be hard for U.S. officials to complain about China withholding information when their own citizens are not allowed to watch the Ceremony before it’s edited and shown with a 12-hour delay on TV. I wish all those people who want to change China had asked NBC to show it live too. But for some reasons, it’s always easier to ask others to do things you're not willing to do yourself.

Also, the Youtube olympic channel is unavailable in the U.S. (and in several other countries where the rights have been sold). I feel like a journalist from the Olympic media centre in Beijing who cannot access the sites he wants to on the internet. This is trully frustrating.

Beijing is hosting the Olympics, like it or not

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 21:54:38 EDT

The Games of the XXIX Olympiad started today in China with six women’s soccer games, two days before the Opening Ceremony, set to take place Friday night in Beijing.

As much as I like soccer, I don’t know if it really belongs to the Olympics. If you can’t fit your schedule between the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, you don’t belong. If the top players in your sport can’t compete in the Games, you definitely don’t belong. The latter point is only true for the men, then maybe they should just remove the men’s competition from the Olympic program. The FIFA World Cup is much bigger anyway.

A few hours later, the US announced that Lopez Lomong, former Lost Boy of Sudan, will carry the U.S. flag during the Ceremony. Some have said that China backed the Sudanese government despite its involvement in the “Darfur genocide.” A genocide that Lomong survived. He will compete in the 1,500 meter race on the track.

Ten. Player Pos. Available, English Required

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 20:02:22 EDT

Elena Dementieva had to clarify a declaration she made after her semifinal loss to Venus Williams at Wimbledon about the possible up-coming family decision in the final. At the time of the press conference, Serena Williams was still playing in her semifinal. Dementieva blamed language difficulties for her initial comments being taken the wrong way.

What she said doesn’t matter. Whether she was right or wrong, meant it or not, is not the point here. The point is that Dementieva is fluent in Russian, her native tongue, French, which she learned in school in Moscow, and is capable of conducting post-match interviews in English, in all forms of English. English from the UK, from the US, from Argentina, China or Spain...

Marat Safin speaks Russian, Spanish and conducts his interviews in English. Roger Federer speaks French, English, German and Italian. Rafael Nadal has worked on his English as much as on his serve over the past few years but remains seemingly frustrated when he doesn’t understand a question.

The Slow Grass of Wimbledon

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:01:54 EDT

Tradition is not something the All England Tennis and Croquet Club, home of the Championships Wimbledon, is used to tampering with, you would think. Well, think again.

Things have changed at SW19 over the past few years. Major changes have been brought to the grass court event that did alter the game itself in a major way.

I am not talking about the retractable roof over Centre Court to be operational next year, or about the new Court 2 to open next year as well. Those are mere improvements. And improvements and tradition can get along without changing the game.

But the alterations to the 131-year-old event I am talking about are the grass, and the balls.

Wimbledon: Borg bets on Nadal

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:07:28 EDT

"I pick Rafael Nadal as winner and my second choice is Novak Djokovic, my third is Roger.”

This is five-time Wimbledon champion Bjorn Borg’s prediction for the upcoming Championships at SW19 (the zipcode for the The All England Tennis and Croquet Club, in London, England).

Who’s going to argue with Borg?

“Roger” is Roger Federer. He has not lost on grass since 2002, when he was upset by Mario Ancic in the Wimbledon first round, and could break Borg’s record of five consecutive wins here this year.

Roger Federer: Best Player Ever

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:05:48 EDT

A few years ago, Tony Roche, then his coach, said that Roger Federer was one win away from being the greatest tennis player ever. That one missing win was at the French Open, on the red clay of Roland-Garros.

Now that Federer qualified for his third consecutive final in Paris –he lost the first two to Rafael Nadal and will meet him again in Sunday’s final— he does not need that elusive win to claim the unofficial and somewhat controversial title of “Best Player Ever”.

Federer has won 12 Grand Slam titles in his career, two short from Pete Sampras’s record. He has won three Australian Opens, one more than Sampras, five Wimbledon crowns, against Sampras’s seven and four U.S. Open titles, as many as Sampras.

Dinara Safina is Marat Safin's sister

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:34:23 EDT

Russia’s Dinara Safina is Marat Safin’s little sister. Women’s names end with an “a” in Russian. Yuri Sharapov is Maria Sharapova’s father. This may be quite obvious to most of you, but you’d be surprised at how many people didn’t know that Marat and Safina were related.

Sharapova is still the only Russian to have been ranked World No.1 on the women’s side. Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin have done it on the men’s side.

Ana Ivanovic will be the first player from Serbia to be ranked World No.1 when the WTA Tour releases the new rankings, on Monday. She has qualified for three of the last five Grand Slam finals.

Ivanovic will meet Safina in the final in Paris. Safina will attempt to win the third leg of the family slam. Her brother Marat won the U.S. Open in 2000 and the Australian Open in 2005.

World No. 1: Ana, Jelena or Svetlana?

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 13:50:50 EDT

When Belgium’s Justine Henin retired, she relinquished her spot atop the world rankings. Russia’s Maria Sharapova was handed the lead but is about to give it up as well after her 4th round exit at the French Open.

Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic (No. 2), Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic (No. 3) and Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova (No. 4) could be the next World No.1, when the new rankings are released next Monday.

Ana Ivanovic will become No. 1 if she:

• Reaches the final, Sharapova does not reach the semi-finals, Jankovic does not reach the final AND Kuznetsova does not win the title.

Roland Garros was a French Aviator

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 14:32:26 EDT

I have received dozens of emails asking me why I had yet to share my views of the French Open which started last Sunday, in Paris.

Seriously, I didn’t receive one single email but this is a blog. I could write pretty much anything I want to, no one would notice. Does anybody really care about the truth anyway? Just like no one would know that Russia’s Maria Sharapova played and won today in Roland-Garros if they were watching the Tennis Channel.

This is interesting. She is No.1 in the world. One of the most recognized female athletes on earth. And yet, not one single word about her performance. That must be 21st century journalism for you.

Maybe, and it’s just a guess, the Tennis Channel has decided to keep Maria’s win over Italy’s Karin Knapp a secret so that people will watch their match on NBC later. That is definitely 20th century television.

No Equality in the Eternal City

Wed, 07 May 2008 13:28:40 EDT

First off, last week I wrote : Nadal will win again in Barcelona next week, unless David Ferrer can play his best for two sets in the final.

Ferrer played well in the second set, Nadal won in three. Not bragging, just saying. He makes it so easy though. As long as he is healthy, he’ll keep winning on clay, in Rome this week, Hamburg next week and in Paris in June. He has never lost more than one set in a match at Roland-Garros.

Andy Roddick made his 2008 debut on clay this morning in Rome, with an easy win over his friend Mardy Fish. Roger Federer and Nadal have already played two tournaments on the red dirt. The French Open has never been Roddick’s priority. He is 4-7 lifetime there.

Federer could face David Ferrer in the quarterfinals, Novak Djokovic or David Nalbandian in the semis and Nadal in the final. That’s one heavy bracket.

Clay Facts

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 19:49:26 EDT

The first Masters Series, on clay, of the season takes place this week at the Monte Carlo Country Club, in Monaco.

The last seven winners in Monte Carlo have all gone on to the final of the French Open that year. Nadal is the three-time defending champion in Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Rome and Roland Garros. Since 1991 only Marcelo Rios of Chile, in 1997, and Cedric Pioline of France, in 2000, have won in the Principality and failed to reach the final in Paris once.

Rafael Nadal is 24-1 lifetime in Monte Carlo and tied New Zealand's Anthony Wilding record of four consecutive wins here. Wilding won between 1911 and 1914. Nadal lost to Argentina's Guillermo Coria in the third round in 2003 and is a perfect 22-0 since. Coria won the title in 2004, served for the match in Paris but lost in five sets to fellow-Argentine Gaston Gaudio. He never recovered and is attempting a come-back, playing challenger events.

Nadal can't stand the Madness

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:24:42 EDT

Rafael Nadal, who qualified for the final of the Sony Ericsson on Friday afternoon, does respect college basketball but can’t stand the Madness.

“I respect 100% college basketball. I think it’s very important,” he said. He is also somewhat aware of the significance of the event. “I know it’s very important, the college basketball, because I see always the American players and the men in the locker room watching it.”

The reason behind his dislike of this American institution is simply based on a scheduling conflict.

“But, well, we can’t have the calendar thinking about the college basketball, no? So we are 100% disappointed about this decision of the ATP.”

Observations from the Sony Ericsson Open

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:53:46 EDT

I don't know who relies more on the "Hawk Eye" review system: the players or the chair umpire.

Don't ask the British media what happened in the first two sets of the Rafael Nadal - James Blake quarterfinal match. The first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal game between Liverpool and Arsenal was on tv. Nadal defeated Blake in three sets. Liverpool and Arsenal tied 1-1.

Andy Roddick’s serve is protected by the second amendment. Now you know why he can’t win the French.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are the only true international superstars of men’s tennis. Maria Sharapova can claim the same title on the women’s side.

Andy Roddick is engaged

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:25:02 EDT

Richard Williams is relieved. Andy Roddick, who qualified for the 4th round of the Sony Ericsson Open tonight, stole the spotlight with the announcement of his engagement to Brooklyn Decker, a 20-year-old American model.

Miss Decker was seen courtside in Key Biscayne, but not much else will be revealed about the upcoming nuptials. All we know is that Roddick went down on one knee when he proposed. That’s all he said about the event.

He jokingly added that he lost half of his fan base today, but categorically refused to talk to People magazine which has suddenly found an interest in tennis.

Pictures of Brooklyn Decker are easily available on the www.

Fashion Faux Pas

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 21:49:13 EDT

It’s Sunday night. The day has been extremely hot. Play is currently suspended because of the rain, here, at the Sony Ericsson Open, in Key Biscayne, Florida.

I’ll take advantage of the break in an otherwise hectic schedule to share an observation that many will consider shallow. Some may even wonder why I care about it. But I do care and since the CBS corporation kindly gives me the opportunity to express myself here, I will use it.

Ladies, a tennis outfit shall never be worn off a tennis court. It is more than an opinion, it is a rule. To function properly a society needs rules. So I am told. Well, you can add the tennis outfit rule to your book of rules. The only acceptable exception is of course on the way to and back from the tennis court.

Depth and Perspective

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 13:55:57 EDT

Following his win at the Pacific Life Open, in Indian Wells, California, I wrote that Novak Djokovic was the best player in the world this year. And despite his early exit from the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, Florida, --he lost his first match to South African qualifier Kevin Anderson-- I haven’t changed my mind.

But believe it or not, my friends (who else is reading this blog?) are now sending me emails to question my reasoning and poke fun at my assertion.

“You said he was the best player in the world and he loses to an unknown qualifier. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I cut out the expletives and other personal comments. They are my friends and shall remain so, despite those nasty emails.

From Regular Girls to Coco Channel

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:23:35 EDT

“Nothing is so common as the wish to be remarkable.” William Shakespeare

“I am just a regular girl. I do what regular girls do.” A tennis player. All tennis players.

You can’t go wrong, they all are “regular girls,” when they’re not playing tennis that is. They never forget that part. Off the court, they are just like any other girl. Or so they think. They repeat it often, as though they’d been trained to. Maybe it’s compulsory when you join the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.

That could be their next slogan. “We’re just regular girls.” Only, we play tennis better than you, we make loads of money doing it and we stay in nice hotels because we’re constently on the road, living off suitcases. But we swear, “we’re regular girls.”

Grand Slam of the Americas

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 10:41:55 EDT

A few years ago, the Australian Open became the “Grand Slam of Asia/Pacific.”

It is now time for the tournament known as the Sony Ericsson Open, in Key Biscayne, Florida, to become the “Grand Slam of the Americas.”

The fact that it is not a grand slam event is mere technicality.

To remedy this issue, it could become one. It is already a masters series on the men’s side and tier 1 event on the women’s side. It would just require a small upgrade. And it would fit perfectly into the calendar, halfway between the Australian Open and Roland Garros.

Indian Wells, War and Racism

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:28:29 EDT

Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic claimed the WTA and ATP titles at the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California on Sunday. Both of them were born in Belgrade, Serbia, in 1987.

Djokovic is the best tennis player in the world today. He won the Australian Open and the first masters series of the season. Enough said

Ivanovic was the No.1 seed in the Coachella Valley – that’s how people who live there like to call Palm Springs where the Indian Wells Tennis Garden is located. She lost in the Australian Open final earlier this year. She is not the best on the women’s side, but she is very close to the top.

Djokovic and Ivanovic were eleven when NATO forces launched a three-month long offensive against their city, destroying downtown buildings, airports and bridges. My Serbian friends still refer to it as the “NATO Aggression.”

King Roger to keep his Throne through '08

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:37:40 EDT

Even though I hate making predictions for the simple reason that, unlike most of the pundits, all the fans and several of my colleagues, I am completely unable to foresee the unraveling of future events and can only study the outcome of past events, I will write here and now, that Roger Federer will remain atop the ATP world rankings until the end of the year.

Players hold their ATP Ranking points for 52 weeks before they drop off the following year.

He’s been at the top of the tennis world since February 2, 2004. I’ll spare you the maths, that’s a record 215 consecutive weeks. Ivan Lendl (168), Jimmy Connors (160) and Pete Sampras (102) are the only other players with 100+ consecutive weeks as World No. 1.

Roddick and Connors finally split up

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 22:45:42 EDT

Andy Roddick and Jimmy Connors finally split up. It's about time.

It’s blunt and maybe harsh. But there is no other way to put it.

Ever since Roddick and the legendary Connors joined forces in the summer of 06, following a disappointing 3rd round loss to Andy Murray at Wimbledon, I have questionned the association.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not here to give Roddick any type of advice. No one, but Roddick himself, knows what’s best for him and his career. He is in charge and is doing pretty well. But still, why Connors?

Andy Roddick � An American Hero

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 22:44:46 EDT

Andy Roddick is a true American hero, at least in the tennis world.

The Merriam-Webster Online dictionary gives several definitions to the word hero. It can be “an illustrious warrior” or “one that shows great courage” or “the central figure in an event, period, or movement.”

If you want a more comprehensive definition you can go to m-w.com … later.

I’ll give you that Roddick may not be an illustrious warrior. Tennis is no war. But he has always defended the colors of his country with pride and courage in numerous Davis Cup ties, in a time when most tennis superstars would rather focus on their individual results.