Out of Bounds (Post # 3)

I've been watching a lot of the Australian Open the past 2 weeks. It is normal for me to watch much of a tennis grand slam event. But since I was without cable or satellite television service since last May, you could say I had a ton of tennis withdrawal. Missing Wimbledon and the US Open made me realize how much of a tennis fan I am. Simply watching the updated scores on the web just doesn't cut it. So I spent hours watching this event, including some of those matches that started at 3:30 am here on the east coast.

The men's final ended a little earlier today. Tsonga played very well but Djokovic was better. I thought it would be even closer than the final result. I am very impressed with both players, but Djokovic appears to be the next Federer. The announcers sure made it seem that we were seeing the changing of the guard in men's tennis. Somehow though, I don't think we have seen the last of Federer or Nadal in a grand slam final.

Random thoughts on the 2008 Australian Open:

1. Maria Sharapova was brilliant. I don't think any opponent could have beaten her.
2. I loved the Aussie fans. The network coverage showed how much they get into the event, whether it be the attire they wear or the energy and enthusiasm they show for the sport and players.
3. The best match of the tournament had to be the late night thriller between Lleyton Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis. It was a classic.
4. Speaking of that evening, I still think the Aussie Open officials blew it by allowing tennis players to take the court for a match at midnight. A line was crossed in making that decision - it was a certainty their match would last at least 3 hours. Are we saying matches will take place 24 hours a day at grand slam events? Granted, Hewitt and Baghdatis put on a show but both players were exhausted by the end of the third set. Their match ended around 4:30 in the morning! The sun was coming up! Give me a break!
5. Kudos to Venus Williams for sticking up for herself that same evening - to ensure her match was played at a reasonable time.
6. Kudos to James Blake for making it to the quarterfinals and playing exceedingly well against Federer.
7. Speaking of Federer, this was the first grand slam that we have seen some weaknesses. He barely made it out of the third round in his match with Tipsarevich. He struggled against Blake, and looked frail and tired in losing to Djokovic. But he is still Federer.
8. Andy Roddick would be better served to have John McEnroe as his advisor/coach than Jimmy Connors, given his impatience and lack of control during his match with Kohlschreiber. I don't know where he goes from here but he needs to pull it together and maintain his cool in tough matches. It was embarrassing to watch him......
9. There is something about Mary Carillo's voice that is both calming and intoxicating at the same time. She has the perfect announcing voice for tennis.
10. It was great to see Lindsay Davenport back. Despite her loss to Sharapova in the second round, you get the feeling she will be a force later in the year once she gets more playing time in and raises her ranking.

http://sportstwist.blogspot.com/

Out of Bounds (Post # 2)

I've been a Redskins fan for over 30 years. It started with a Pat Fischer football card from what I think was the very first pack of football cards I ever purchased - 1976 if I'm not mistaken. Still have that card to this day. I liked the uniform, the logo, the colors. Pat had a neat look on his face - and it appeared he was chasing down someone. I don't know - for some reason that lone football card grabbed my attention and I became an instant fan of the Redskins at the age of 8.

Enjoyed the 'Skins successful Joe Gibbs run through the 80's and early 90's. We all thought his return in 2004 signaled a return to greatness for this team - finally. We suffered through several lean years - Gus Frerotte as the starting QB? Please.

Somehow I knew upon hearing the news a couple weeks ago that Gibbs was retiring might lead to more problems for the 'Skins. I was right. If you haven't heard already, Gregg Williams and Al Saunders were let go earlier today. Williams had interviewed for the head coaching vacancy but did not get the position. So Dan Snyder, in his infinite wisdom, fires both Williams and Saunders. He promoted some guy I've never heard of to replace Williams as defensive coordinator, and hires former Seahawks QB Jim Zorn as the new offensive coordinator. I just beat my head on the table and made a fist. This is like replacing a Lincoln Continental with a Ford Escort. Don't get me wrong. I'm sure Zorn and Greg Blache (had to look up his name) will do fine - in fact I was a fan of Zorn's - way back when he was the QB for Seattle. But this looks like a step backward for the staff of the Redskins. Williams had the entire defense playing extremely well all year long, and that despite the death of Sean Taylor. The offense struggled a bit early on, but played much better during the end of season winning streak. Saunders deserves some credit for that. I fear Snyder has once again made a significant blunder by firing both of them.

Dan Snyder may be a fanastic business man, and I know he has millions of dollars, but he is NOT a good football owner and he is an even worse GM. He is the owner of my favorite team and I can live with that. But I am tired of his poor decisions and mistakes in running the organization. His ego is getting in the way of success and progression for this team. It's time for Dan to admit he needs help - and put money into a decent GM. And let the GM run the show. Imagine if he had hired Bill Parcells as the GM? I predict within 2 years the Dolphins will be a playoff contender thanks to Parcells. The Redskins? They will finish 3-13 and Snyder will fire both Zorn and Blache. And so the cycle will start all over again, no thanks to Snyder.

And my 1976 Pat Fischer card? I'll take it out of the box and examine it. It will make me smile. It will always make me smile no matter what the Redskins record is, and no matter what other bizarre and ridiculous moves Dan Snyder makes.

http://sportstwist.blogspot.com/

Out of Bounds (Post # 1)

So I've started this blog finally. It's a small project I've been thinking about for the past several months. Feel relieved to get it started - and hopefully I can put a great deal of time into it over the next few months and beyond.

A little about myself. Was born and raised in Maine and still live here. Nice place in the summer and fall. Winters are cold, snowy, icy, and honestly those are words I have grown to detest. Spring in Maine - two words - MUD SEASON. That and you have to deal with a ton of sand on the edges of the road from the winter snowplows. Makes a nice mess on your car, truck, or SUV.

I just turned 40 a couple of weeks ago. And I'm still crying. Turning 40 reminds me of all those awful stories I heard as a teenager. You know the ones - going bald, getting fat, and getting all kinds of medical problems that force you to take pills the rest of your life. Thankfully I still have a full head of hair, although it's rapidly turning white and I've resorted to dying it. Hate the white hair. I'm slightly pudgy now, was in decent shape throughout my 20's but once I turned 30 things went downhill fast. So I go through the weight battles like a lot of other people out there. And yes, pills. Have to take some everyday for high cholesterol and another one for acid reflux and yet another one for high triglycerides. It stinks, but I wish to live as long as I can and feel good everyday.

Back to the blog. I'm a sports nut. Wanted a funny, honest, and direct approach for talking about sports issues. I majored in journalism in college, and have 7 years experience with technology, so thought I would try blending everything together. And adding my unique sports views and a sense of humor. That's how I came up with the name of this blog. Sports Twist. It just kind of fit.

I'm fairly new to the blogging thing, but I have not seen any sports blogs so far that interested me much. Either the opinions were too strong, or the blog was devoted to one sport or team or person. Gets boring after awhile. That became my other reason for wanting to write a sports blog.

Hope that any of you that stumble across the blog - will stick around. It's intended for sports nuts, but without any harsh negative opinions or comments. I will be posting new stories at least once a week (more if time allows). The blog will have several sections eventually, each one has a sports-themed name. The intent is to discuss news or issues in all sports, sometimes seriously and other times not. That said, you may see from time to time that I have been influenced in some way about the topic. Some examples would include being a fan of the PTI program on ESPN. Kornheiser and Wilbon totally crack me up and I love the format of the show. Another influence would be listening to (or watching) Howard Stern's show. Say what you want about Stern, but he can be funny and sometimes I find myself talking like him. But without the naked models. (Apparently I don't quite have the same sex appeal that Stern has.)

So pull up a chair, grab your favorite beverage, and enjoy the ride. Cheers!