Good-bye Justine...
I have to admit, I was a bit bummed yesterday when Justine Henin retired from tennis. She's an amazing player, and has been a shining light of hope for those of us who are not Williams/Sharapova-sized 6-2 Amazons. Justine is a tiny, tiny girl, at 5-5 and probably 120 pounds. She overcame that disadvantage with perfect strokes (esp. her backhand - a text book shot), speed, and her determination/fitness. She was tough, every inch of her.
But she may not be emotionally tough enough anymore to keep taking the stress of life. She's only 25, but has already had her mom die, been married and divorced, nearly lost her brother in a car accident, and fought and reconciled with her father. Add on to that the constrant travel, training and stress of being a tennis player. That is a lot for one person to take for nearly 10 years.
Female players start young, and by the time they turn pro, they've played a ton of junior tennis. Then comes the grind of going around the world to play in enough tournaments to get ranking points and money. If you don't win, you don't get paid. Simple as that. Justine's won enough and made enough money to earn the right to say she's done.
Perhaps she will come back someday, after she's taken some time to be a normal person. Who knows? The main thing is, I hope she will take the time to be happy and find whatever she wants to do for the next 60 years of her life.
Sorry DWade, Go girl go!, and this ain't no D-jok-ovic....
1) Wanna bet there is no "I" in team? Wrong. Texas high schooler Bonnie Richardson won the state title for track, despite being the only one on her team in the meet. She won the 200 and placed high enough in other events to score enough points to win. Good for her.
2) Bad news on the Miami culinary scene: Dwyane Wade's resturant is no more. "D Wade's Sports Grill" was only open for two months in Boca Raton, getting tepid reviews. It also apparently was not DWade's choice hangout, as he only visited the place once. But he's undeterred from having more eateries, as there are two more DWade's in Miami and a Chinese-cuisine place with Alonzo Mourning in the works.
3) Top tennis player Novak Djokovic ain't holding back: he's ripping the ATP for various sins. He got to this week's Rome Masters thanks to two injury walkovers. Djovovic correctly surmises that players are breaking down to due to too much play and travel. He's not the first one to question things, as Rafael Nadal - a player who is breaking down due to injury - was openly critical a few weeks ago. Is anybody listening?
White Sox part II, Vans down the by the river, the Swirsk
1) A follow-up on the stupidity in the White Sox clubhouse. MLB is still looking into things. But all sides, save for Ozzie Guillen, know blow-up dolls probably wasn't the best way to beat a slump. (Which is still on-going, ahem.)
2) A museum special exhibit we all want to see: A Wisconsin museum is doing a showing of artifacts from the storied career of favorite son - Chris Farley. Matt Foley's jacket is in there, but sadly, not the van down by the river. Or the Chippendales outfit.
3) Former U-M hoops broadcasters Chuck Swirsky is on the move - again. He was the radio voice of the Toronto Raptors, but is leaving them for the Bulls. Question is, Swirsky just became a Canadian citizen. Is he now going to switch back? :)
Grow up White Sox....
The Chicago White Sox, under the approving eye of their manager Ozzie Guillen, have done it again - another moronic move. Seems the Sox are in a hitting slump, and their brilliant thought as to getting out of it was to buy some blow-up dolls, violate them with baseball bats, make some borderline obscene signs and make that into a shrine in their locker room.
Sun-Times sports columnist Carol Slezak has a brilliant column on the situation. I too would like to know a few things from Guillen and the Sox:
- I am sure they all have some women in their lives, such as wives, mothers, sisters, daughters, etc. Is this the kind of conduct they would like done to their loved ones? Women work in many capacities (sports writers, TV, for the teams, etc.) and that would take them into the locker room. C'mon, this kind of stuff would not be funny if it was about race or sexual orientation. So it's funny when it's done to women?
- How does this vulgar display exactly improve hitting?
- Even if a few morons on the team thought this was cool, where is the team's leadership and common sense? Having this on display for all to see in the locker room was stupid, sexist, and disgusting. And at least one player, or coach or team official should have played grown-up and put the shrine away.
Guillen's response to all of this was curious. He said somebody "paid a lot of money" to buy all this stuff, therefore the effort was worthy. And he said only adults are in the locker room, so again, it's an OK thing.
Sorry, Ozzie and the Sox, the lame "boys will be boys" excuse will not be bought by anybody. And hopefully, the White Sox management, Major League Baseball and the White Sox nation will teach the team and Guillen the lessons they obviously need to learn.
If these guys were working in corporate America, their butts would be at the very least in some training, if not suspended. But because they're athletes, we're supposed to think this is harmless frat-boy stuff. Wrong is wrong.
Bravery, Curiosity, and Stupidity
1) Pretty amazing story: Tennessee star shooter Chris Lofton beat cancer this season without the world knowing.
2) Hmmm. Dwyane Wade didn't exactly seize the opportunity to distance himself from all these Star Jones rumors. Smoke and fire?
3) Stop me if you've heard this one before...Dennis Rodman has been arrested.
Get well Sean Avery, Go away Roger Clemens and American Idol...
1) Former Wing Sean Avery may act like a kid, but we're not wishing any harm to him. A lacerated spleen is scary stuff. Get well, Sean.
2)Roger, Roger, Roger. Looks like Clemens had other women in his life besides his life. Classy.
3)Lord Almighty, Paul Adbul is one loopy lady. And I think American Idol, perhaps, is rigged.
Golfing celebs, times two, and oddities gone DC...
1) As if Cowboys QB Tony Romo didn't have enough stress in his life with Jessica Simpson and her overbearing dad...he's now entered the U.S. Open golf tourney qualie... Don't quit your day job...
2) Seriously, is there a bigger one-day freak show than that annual correspondent's dinner in DC?
3) Now here's somebody who can play golf: former Tigers slugger Mickey Tettleton. He just won his first celeb tourney.
Maradona = not cool, Star Wars > Deal or No Deal, Sean Avery < the real world
1) Edition No. 10293 of something stupid said or done by Argentinean soccer god Diego Maradona. He got into a scuffle on the courthouse steps in Buenos Aires. Seems Maradona and his former manager are having some disputes. It's always something with him...
2) This is so stupid, but sadly true: NBC's bright-idea machine has decided to do a Star Wars-themed version of "Deal or No Deal". Seriously. Darth Vader as the banker. I am hoping for Mace Windu (aka Samuel L. Jackson) to just go in there and chop the place up with a lightsaber. But remember, don't touch Howie. He doesn't like the germs.
3) Attention former Red Wings pretty boy Sean Avery: don't go away mad, just go away.
Deja vu, don't mess with angry bears, new economics....
1) Stop me if you're heard this one before...Guns n' Roses is trying release that "Chinese Democracy" album. Sure, Axl, sure. What happens first? Lions win the Super Bowl or Axl's album comes out? Discuss...
2) Don't mess with Mother Nature: the bear that tussled with Will Ferrell in the Flint/hoops movie "Semi-Pro" killed its trainer yesterday. And no, Michigan/Flint/Detroit can't be blamed for this one.
3) Interesting equation... spend less money advertising your team = winning a championship.
Oh Montreal...chill out...
Somebody needs to tell the city of Montreal that their Habs only won the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Apparently, Montreal went a little bit bonkers last night. Look out, next thing you know, Jimmy Kimmel will be making stupid jokes about your city rioting...
