Sports Thoughts from Fourth of July Weekend

I’ve been a Green Bay Packer fan my entire life, knowing the good times from the glory days of Bart Starr, the decades of incompetence and Brett Favre and Reggie White resurrecting the Pack. I’ve always been a huge Favre fan, though not drinking the green and gold kool-aid to believe that he wasn’t calculating and often stubborn in his beliefs. Years ago, this wise old-country boy played the “aw shucks” enough to understand he craved attention, but would never directly ask for it. His brilliance and toughness outweighed a few character intricacies.

Like most I was shocked by his retirement, since he still was a top 10 quarterback in the NFL, but understood he would rather be Roger Clemons and in his case report a week before the first game and be handed the game plan for upcoming contest. Like most athletes, letting go is the hardest thing to do, since as a child, you have mentally and physically prepared yourself a certain way. Favre having “those urges” this time of year would be natural, since for almost 30 years, it’s been the same feeling when the Fourth of July sets off internal fireworks.

But this is football, not baseball, especially at the quarterback position. Aaron Rodgers has been waiting for this day since signing a contract with Green Bay. Though I have serious doubts he can play a half a season based on a few shorts stints and immediately getting injured, he deserves his turn, as Brett decided to leave. As usual, the dust kicks up and the ol’ Southern Miss QB does nothing to dispel or substantiate the rumors and instead just seems to love the attention. Would I love number four back under center, sure I would. Do I realistically know I’ll see the same gunslinger that led Green Bay 13-3 season in 2007, or does the one who played against the Bears or Giants in the NFC title game show up? Brett, my first ever Packer game at Lambeau Field was when you came in for an injured Don Majkowski and made my daughter a Packer fan for life. It has been a great ride, don’t sink to the level of so many others, stayed retired, stay in shape and when Rodgers likely gets hurt, you can ride in on your favorite tractor, wearing your jeans and at least try to be the hero one more time.

In the past 30 years the numbers of tennis players and golfers have done an about face. It actually happen about seven or eight years ago with Tiger Woods leading the charge for golf and people found out that you actually had to have some amount of athleticism to play tennis and dropped out faster than your can say Agnieszka Radwanska. (She’s ranked 10th on the women’s tour) I’ve always liked banging a tennis ball with somebody, just not people to do it with. Though typically an outdoor guy in the summer on the weekends, was absolutely drawn in by the Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal Wimbledon final. The lefty Nadal from Spain, just a few short years ago was strictly clay court player and no match for the world’s best player in Federer. However, Nadal kept working and working and has found a few chinks in Federer to attack the last 18 months.

The Spaniard was sensational in the first two sets, as Federer made uncharacteristic miscues and missed on several opportunities to break through. Down two sets, possibly the finest tennis player ever, or at least the last 50-60 years, just kept banging away and in the tennis sense,and this became as good as any prize fight you would watch. Bombs, improbable shot-making and speed, this match had it all. Nadal had to use every ounce of skill and determination to finally defeat Federer in the fifth set. Watching the five-time champion’s body language after the match, it was clear he was disbelieving he actually failed to defeat Nadal. Though he showed grace in speaking after the event, his steely determination was on display for those playing attention.

I thought John McEnroe did a good job, though a little over the top in the interviews afterward, with the praise and man-hugs, but I give him a pass, considering his level of expertise and how much he did appreciate the level of play. My guess is for those that watched, they probably went searching for dusty tennis racket to go smack a few. If it wasn’t 110 degrees here, I would have also, waited till today when it was a much cooler 106.