The writing is on the wall. Roger Federer’s days of winning grand slams are finished. Yes, it has become very apparent that the sweet swinging Swiss Superstar will never win another major in his storied career. And as a result, the 16-time grand slam champion will retire after this year’s US open.
This is not official – this is pure conjecture on my part. But when it happens you can say you heard it here first! Unfortunately, the signs are there – Federer is just not good enough to beat his two main rivals in the same tournament in a best of five environment. He can’t win the ‘free’ points like he used to and that means too much slugging from the baseline which ultimately means defeat against the luminaries of today’s game.
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are too good – as they reach the pinnacle of their respective careers – and if both advance as they should in any tournament – Federer (ranked #3 in the world) would have to beat one of them in the semi-finals and then follow that up and beat the other one in the final – assuming they both take care of business. This is too much to ask for a man on the downside (way down) of his career.
He could scrape out a win – if the conditions are perfect – over one of the two giants. However, the key word is ‘could’ and the likeliness is remote. But it is inconceivable or nearly impossible (in my opinion) that he can beat both of them back-to-back in a major event. And for this reason the greatest player of our generation will call it quits after the final slam of the year in Flushing Meadows, New York.
So far, half way through 2011 he is a combined 0-5 against Djokovic and Nadal – winning just 2 of the 13 sets played. Numbers that suggest he might never beat these guys again. Coincidentally, Federer’s last win over one of these 2 big-shots came last November in London at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals when Fed beat Djokovic in straight sets– Djokovic’s last loss on the ATP tour! That loss (by Djokovic) has led to an undefeated mark halfway through the 2011 season – good enough to get “The Djoker” on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
And most would agree that you can throw Andy Murray into that mix. Federer just can’t handle the relentless power off the ground from these baseline bombers. Djokovic, Nadal and Murray are winning the majority of the baseline rallies against Fed and it is crystal clear that Roger needs a bigger serve if he is going to compete on even terms against these guys on a regular basis – and at this late stage of his brilliant career this is a long-shot at best. A serve that would be equal to a Milos Raonic – this kind of weapon would sure stem the tide!
The real problem is not Fed’s serve. And it’s also not the forehand – this shot is still regarded as one of the best in the game. It’s the backhand! The big 3 all have better backhands – Fed’s backhand has improved considerably in the last 3 years but it’s still a weak shot compared to the heavyweights in the game. Unfortunately for Federer – Rafa, Djoker and Murray are so confident in a baseline exchange – they know they’ll eventually ware out Federer because he just can’t generate the power or precision to put pressure on them. Federer usually succumbs with a weak backhand slice or an over-hit backhand drive because of the continuing, relentless pressure.
The patterns are similar week-in-and-week-out, the guys are doing the same thing continuously and Federer has no ammunition to counter-attack. Now lesser lights (players ranked outside the top-10) are catching on and following the same sequences – sooner or later Federer will find himself struggling to make the semi-finals of major events if things continue to spiral in a downward fashion.
Federer’s ranking can only go one way – and that is down. His good friend Tiger Woods has found his ranking outside of the top-10 for the first time in 14 years and if Roger isn’t careful he will be outside the top 5 before year’s end. These two have often been compared, and in certain aspects, their careers have mirrored one another. For Roger’s sake let’s hope the parallels come to an end!
Even Federer’s best attribute – his movement – has deserted him to some degree in the past 6 months. Other players are moving around the court with similar ease (Fed used to make other players look slow but that is no longer the case) and Federer seems to be a step slower than he was a few years back. Without his rabbit like speed the Swiss maestro is never going to beat a guy like Djokovic who is on top of the world with his sky high confidence.
Federer is not the kind of player who will stick around if he believes he can’t win. And even though he would’ve liked to get a few more majors on his resume – he is smart enough to know that NOW is the best time to exit the game that has made him famous. His legacy is set and he will be the grand slam wins leader for many years to come. With Djokovic firing on all cylinders – this has to be considered good news for Federer as it will be increasingly more difficult for Nadal to reach the lofty numbers set by Federer.
He has the numbers to be recognized as the greatest player of all time – he has won all 4 majors – something only 7 players have ever accomplished. Federer is the only male player in tennis history to win three Grand Slam tournaments in a calendar year three different times in his career. He had a streak of 23 consecutive grand slam semi-finals appearances (that ended at last year’s Australian Open) – a record that – in my opinion – will never be broken. He has more than enough cash for him and his family and I believe he feels it’s time to start enjoying the fruits of his hard work over the past 13 years.
Secretly, he would never admit to this, Federer wanted to win more grand slams (male or female) than anybody on the planet. So this meant he would have to catch Margaret Court (24), Steffi Graf (22), Helen Wills Moody (19), and Navratilova and Evert (both with 18) to be recognized as the world leader in Grand slam victories. And for a while there it seemed possible. But the emergence of Nadal and now Djokovic – and this is more a pipe dream than anything.
Roger was outstanding during his incredible 13-year run and may go down as the greatest player of all-time; but the once unbeatable tennis genius is not that anymore. Let’s hope he realizes this and exits the game on cue at the US Open – watching history for the past decade has been intriguing to say the least. It’s a shame it will soon come to an end – but as we know – all good things must come to an end. Let’s just hope Roger understands when the end has come!
Written by Michael Emmett
It’s time for the tennis world to recognize the best tennis player in the world is no longer Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer. That honor goes to Novak Djokovic.
The Serb has won 37 straight matches to start the 2011 campaign and will likely break John Mcenroe’s all time record of 42 matches (for Men) when the French Open begins in a week. A semi-final appearance is all it will take to tie this record that some thought would never be touched.
Also within grasp is the #1 ranking – Nadal is holding on by a thread and it’s just a matter of time before Djokovic adds this to his resume. With a 37- match winning streak in tow, 4 wins over Nadal in the last 8 weeks (all in Masters 1000 Finals) and an Australian Open to boot – how is this guy not ranked #1? At this point, the young Serb looks unbeatable even on Nadal’s favourite surface. Sunday’s 6-4, 6-4 demolition of Nadal – even after blowing 3 straight match points in the final game – looked routine. Djokovic has only lost 9 sets six months into the season. Can you say Mind-boggling?
But for me the most impressive thing is he has beaten Nadal – the greatest clay court player ever – in back-to-back weeks inMadridandRomewithout dropping a set. Djokovic has now become the first player to beat Nadal on clay twice in the same year, a feat that comes exactly a week before the French Open begins. A third victory in 3 weeks on Stade Roland Garros would be the icing on the cake for Djokovic – the significance would be gigantic – a first French open title, the number one ranking, and a win streak that may never be topped on the ATP tour. As a tennis fan, I can’t wait to see if history will be made.
Based on the last 2 weeks is it possible to make Nadal the favourite inParis? Does the fact that it is Nadal’s favourite court in the world play a factor? Does the fact that it is best of five make a difference? Or is Djokovic too good for even Nadal.
Based on what I’ve seen the last 2 Sunday’s I would be hard pressed to bet on Nadal inParisif the two were to meet up in the Final. Djokovic is hitting the ball so cleanly, so penetrating with pin-point accuracy. He is playing with supreme confidence and has no fear even in the most nerve wrecking moments. I’m not sure Nadal has the game to handle the onslaught – his heavy topspin groundstrokes are sitting up a bit and Djokovic is feasting on them like a hanging curve ball to Jose Bautista.
If Djokovic continues this trend the Grand Slam may be what we are talking about in a few weeks. Not surprisingly, Nadal has said, “the guy is on fire – he is playing too good for me at the moment.”
Groundstrokes that are travelling at 170km/hour within inches of the line on a consistent basis are the main recipe to his unbelievable success. Djokovic is hitting bullets into the corners that are crossing the net by mere inches – putting enormous pressure on his opponents. If he keeps this up for the majority of his matches he may not lose for quite some time. At times, he seems to be toying with his Spanish rival – and who could have ever imagined we’d be talking like this about the clay court maestro – Rafa Nadal?
How does Djokovic’s season compare to other men and women who have undefeated streaks at the start of the tennis season?
|
Year |
Player |
Streak |
| 1987 | Steffi Graf | 45 |
| 1984 | John McEnroe | 42 |
| 1997 | Martina Hingis | 37 |
| 1978 | Martina Navratilova | 37 |
| 2011 | Novak Djokovic | 37 |
| 1983 | Navratilova | 36 |
In 1984, John McEnroe made one memorable season as he accomplished the best single season record among men with an 82-3 (96.5%) mark. More than half of those wins came before a single but significant loss. He won eight titles in his first eight events that year. He was 42-0 before losing in the French Open final to Ivan Lendl. McEnroe was up two sets to love and a service break before he lost to Ivan Lendl in 5 dramatic sets. This was Lendl’s first Grand Slam after losing in the previous four finals he reached and McEnroes’s most crushing defeat. A loss that still haunts him today!
The third best season start belongs to Bjorn Borg, McEnroe’s rival. Borg won his first six tournaments in 1980 season, collecting 33 wins before he lost in the Nations Cup semifinals. It must be noted that these streaks of Borg and McEnroe came at a period when the Australian Open was staged at year-end in December and the first Grand Slam of the year was still the French Open in late May.
This makes Djokovic’s current run even more special as it is the longest season-opening streak to date that spans a Grand Slam. Keep in mind, Djokovic won inMelbournewithout dropping a set. Guillermo Vilas holds the Open era record for longest winning streak at 46 matches, established in 1977, however, this was not at the beginning of the season – and all of Vilas’ matches were won on clay.
This win in Rome for the 24-year-old Serb was extraordinary for so many reasons. I for one, counted him out after a lengthy semi-final win over Andy Murray (6-1, 3-6, 7-6) – a match that lasted just over 3 hours and ended after midnight local time. I felt that the exhaustion Djokovic was feeling was too much for the Serb to overcome in such a short time-frame. But a 2-hour rain delay before his match with the top seed was a blessing in disguise for the 7 time champion in 2011. Being back on sea-level was also a major factor in my eyes – but the slower courts inRomeseemed to favour Djokovic.
Djokovic attributed his win inMadridpartly to the altitude and faster conditions. The conditions at the Foro Italico are more similar to those inParis, perhaps making this victory more telling. Fast courts, slow courts, clay, grass, rain delays, altitude, 3-set marathons – none of this seems to matter – Djokovic has Nadal’s number and for that matter he has everybody’s number.
If there is a better story out there in the world of sports can somebody let me know. In my estimation this is the greatest achievement in sports in quite some time. And the story is just getting started. It should be a wild ride all-the-way toNew Yorkin September.
Written by Michael Emmett
My topic for the month of May is Nutrition, something I know interests many of you. I am going to share with you some information on the importance of a low GL diet. The Low Glycemic load diet primarily focuses on structuring your meals with carbohydrates, protein and EFA’s (good fats). There are many benefits. This diet makes it easier to lose weight and avoid diet plateaus. It helps to keep blood sugar levels more consistent. You will actually burn more calories. It will also help with insulin resistance in those who are type 1 or type 2 diabetics. Lastly, it helps decrease the risk of heart disease.
The problem that we are faced with is the accumulation of unwanted fat. Visceral fat is what collects around the vital organs and the mid-section. It’s the most harmful type of fat because it produces inflammation, which affects the rest of the body and leads to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease. It’s important to go on a diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, low-fat dairy and whole grains. Your fat intake should be mostly unsaturated, the kind found in olive and canola oils. Other sources of good fat to include in your diet are almonds, walnuts, avocados, flaxseed and fish oil (just to name a few)
To see positive results you must reduce your portion sizes and therefore decrease your caloric intake. The rule of thumb is 500 less calories per day multiplied by 7 days, equals 3500 calories. This equates to 1 pound of weight loss per day.
To lose visceral body fat, it’s also important to exercise — aerobically and with weights — 6 times per week for 30 to 60 minutes at a time. Make sure you incorporate cardiovascular exercise with resistance training. This will help you increase lean muscle and lose body fat.
Every food you eat affects your body differently, and not just in terms of your long-range health, but also in the way it is processed and the effect it has on your energy level and blood sugar. A great way to describe this effect is the Glycemic load. This is a classification of different carbohydrates that measures their impact on the body and blood sugar. The glycemic load details the amount of carbohydrates a food contains and its glycemic index, which is a measurement of its impact on blood sugar. The glycemic index ranks foods based on how quickly they’re digested and get into the bloodstream. The glycemic load takes into consideration every component of the food as a whole. Because the glycemic load of a food looks at both components, the same food can have a high glycemic index, but an overall low glycemic load, making it better for you than it originally might have appeared. Foods with a low glycemic load keep blood sugar levels consistent, meaning that you avoid experiencing the highs and lows that can be caused by blood sugar that jumps too high and quickly drops. This is known as the “candy bar effect “.
Here is a glycemic load reference list with many common foods to let you know which are low, medium, and high.
Foods with a low glycemic load: Kidney, garbanzo, pinto, soy, and black beans and lentils; Fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, like carrots, green peas, apples, grapefruit, and watermelon; Cereals made with 100 percent bran; Cashews and peanuts; Whole-grain breads like barley, pumpernickel, and whole wheat; Whole-wheat tortillas; Tomato juice and Milk.
Foods with a medium glycemic load : Oatmeal Rice cakes; Barley and bulgur; Fruit juices without extra sugar; brown rice, sweet potatoes, graham crackers
Foods with a high glycemic load to avoid : High-sugar beverages; Candy-sweetened fruit juices; White rice and pasta; French fries and baked potatoes Low-fiber cereals (high in added sugar), Macaroni and cheese, Pizza
My recommendation is to start by keeping a food log. This will help you stay on top of your successful meal plan. In the event that you do fall off, refer back to what has worked. Do not let the scale control you. The best strategy here is to let your clothes tell you how you’re really doing. Take a before and after picture, it works every time. We all need some inspiration.
Until then keep fit and never quit.
Written by Jason Ferreira, Fitness Manager at Mayfair East
The world of golf and tennis has always been dominated by Americans. But never before has it been so apparent that the rest of the world is taking over these two marquee sports.
Case in point, the highest ranked American male tennis player is Mardy Fish – currently #11 on the ledger – Fish had a great tournament in Miami a few weeks back making the Semi Finals before getting crushed by eventual champion and world number 2 Novak Djokovic. Fish is ranked outside of the top-10 and doesn’t have a big upside to his game. The chance of Fish moving up the rankings would be the same chance as Federer winning another French title.
On the other hand, Andy Roddick seems to be stagnating of late with his tennis and another Slam for the former US Open champion – let alone a rankings jump into the top 10 seems remote at best. Roddick is 13th in the latest ATP world rankings.
It is even more depressing on the Women’s side of things if you are an American Tennis fan. Serena Williams is the top ranked American tennis player at #10 – this is really no surprise to anybody. The shocking thing is Williams may not be involved in a competitive match for at least 6 months (or more) due to a string of injuries. Serena hasn’t played a match since last Wimbledon (early July) and may miss the entire year. Next is her big sister Venus – VW is ranked #15 and also is on the injured list. After these two future Hall of Famers – and who knows if they will ever be back on the courts again – and if they do return who knows for how long – it’s slim pickings. Bethanie Mattek-Sands is the next highest ranked American tennis player at #41. This is cause for concern if you are an American tennis enthusiast. Where are the Tracey Austin’s, Chris Evert’s, and Jennifer Capriati’s of the world? What is happening to American tennis? Never before has there been reason to panic – but now it seems to have hit rock bottom!! With Serena on the sidelines – her top-10 ranking will disappear in the coming weeks – and Americans will be shut out of the top 10 in both the men and women rankings. Something that would have seemed impossible a few years back!
On the Canadian docket – things are so much brighter with Milos Raonic and Rebecca Marino – both have the potential to be in the top 30 by year’s end!!
The American perspective is a little rosier in Women’s golf. 3 players ranked in the top 10 is not bad – but it’s not what it used to be. Back in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s we were used to seeing 8 out of the top10 being American. Now the sport is dominated by Koreans. Cristie kerr, Michelle Wie and Paula Creamer have great games and could be number 1 at any time, but the depth is gone, and most of the top 50 players in the world live in Asian speaking countries and train in the American South.
Men’s golf is really in trouble in my estimation. But you wouldn’t know it based on the latest rankings – it’s just not looking good down the road. Currently the Americans have 4 players ranked in the top 10. Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker and Matt Kuchar – except for Kuchar these guys are getting long in the tooth. The Americans seem to lose every Ryder Cup – a trophy they used to dominate. Let’s see what happens when they play the International field for the President’s Cup later this year in Australia. When we talk about up-and-comers there are no Americans in the discussions. Golf has never been more global and it’s obvious that the Americans have no super-stars on the horizon.
The first guy that is making people’s jaw drop is a 20 year Japanese player. Ryo Ishikawa first made people take notice because of his golf. He won his first Japan Golf Tour event as a 15-year-old amateur, won the money title at 17 and last year became the first player to shoot 58 on a major tour. Yes, a 58 in a tour event. The guy has a swing that resembles Sam Snead, Ben Hogan and Tom Watson all put together. It is poetry with a golf club.
His latest eye-opening feat brought attention to his heart. Wanting to do his part to help victims of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated his native Japan, Ishikawa decided to donate his entire tournament earnings this year – plus a bonus for every birdie he makes – toward relief efforts. I can’t imagine Tiger Woods in a similar light!
Then there is Rory McIlroy – forget his collapse last Sunday at Augusta. This guy is for real and he’s going to win double digit majors. On 2 May, 2010 McIlroy recorded his first PGA Tour win after shooting 62 in the final round of the Quail Hollow Championship. The round set a new course record, and concluded with six consecutive scores of three. He became the first player since Tiger Woods to win a PGA Tour event prior to his 21st birthday. Being able to conquer a course as tough as Quail Hollow suggests this guy is one of the best golfers on the planet and if he wins a few majors in the next 3 years nobody should be surprised.
So that covers Ishikawa and McIlroy – but what about Matteo Manassero?? They guy just won a European tour event Sunday in Malaysia – beating out McIlroy – and he’s not even 18 yet. This stuff is Hollywood material!! Kids this young aren’t supposed to win their club championship yet alone a star-studded European tour event. He collected $415,000.00 dollars in the process. He will move in to the top 35 with his second European tour victory and will now gain access to all top flighted events on the world tour.
His second victory makes him the third youngest player on the major world tours to record multiple victories. The youngest three are: Ryo Ishikawa (Japan Golf Tour, aged 17 years and 46 days); Chinnarat Phadungsil (Asian Tour, aged 17 years and 293 days) and Matteo Manassero (European Tour, aged 17 years and 363 days).
These guys all have one thing in common – they are off the charts good and not American!!
What about team England – Lee Westwood (2nd), Luke Donald (3rd) and Paul Casey (7th)? These guys just seem to be getting better and better and the likelihood is strong that one of these bombers will win a major – maybe as soon as the up-coming US Open at Congressional.
Then there are the young guns from South Africa – can Scharl Schwartzel or Louis Oosthuizen win another major before the season’s finished? They own 2 of the last 3 majors. What about other South Africans – Tim Clarke, Ernie Els or Retief Goosen? This country is oozing with talent and it’s just a matter of time before we see another rookie with a perfect swing stun the golfing community as Schwartzel did last week at Augusta.
And we haven’t even mentioned the trio of Australian golfers who will likely challenge for another major this coming season – Adam Scott (17th), Jason Day (24th) or Geoff Ogilvy (29th).
All this is bad news for Tiger Woods and co. There are too many great players for these guys to win on a consistent basis.
The days of American golfers and tennis players dominating their respective tours are finished. And in my opinion, we’ll never see that kind of domination again.
If I was the commissioner of the entire sports world I would implement some major rules changes that would make the games we love more enjoyable. There are so many ridiculous rules in so many sports – I’m really not sure where to start. But I don’t think anyone would argue with my first selection.
1. The Single Point in the CFL needs to go. How is it possible that a team can be rewarded for missing a field goal? The ‘rouge’ as it’s known amongst CFL aficionados might be the silliest rule in all of sports. You miss a kick wide right or wide left – and that’s it – the other team should instantly be awarded possession of the ball – there should be no scoring allowed – not even a single point!! But the CFL – trying to be different than all other football leagues world wide – stands by this wacky rule and says it makes there game unique. And if you agree with this one – check out the last one!
2. Time between pitches in a baseball game. Once the ball is returned to the pitcher, he has 15 seconds to make the next pitch or it is automatically ruled a ball. The batter cannot step out of the batter’s box at any time during the at bat.
3. Redefine offsides in soccer. In basketball there is nothing prettier than a backdoor cut that ends in a dunk or a layup. But when the same thing happens in soccer – like USA’s Clint Dempsey’s controversial disallowed goal in the recent World Cup last summer in South Africa against Algeria – its offsides. So here is my recommendation: once a team gains possession inside the 18-yard box, there is no offsides. Playmakers like Lionel Messi would become offensive dazzling magicians like Wayne Gretzky used to be with the puck and defenders would be forced to defend, rather than hold their line and pray that an assistant ref’s flag saves them from embarrassment!
4. NCAA Football Playoff. NCAA division 1 football will adopt a 16-team playoff that will feature 8 automatic qualifiers and 8 at-large teams with the championship game to be played at a pre-determined venue.
5. Golfers shouldn’t suffer because of the wind! Sometimes I think the powers that be in the world of golf had too many pints on the 19th hole veranda as they made up the rules of the hallowed game! Golf’s rule book is filled with nitpicking that outsiders find silly – a stroke penalty if you accidentally drop your ball and it moves your marker, for example – but that purists defend to their grave. However, even hardened purists have to concede the following: if the wind moves your ball after you’ve addressed it, you MOST DEFINITELY shouldn’t be penalized a stroke. But according to the Royal and Ancient rules of golf – it is a one stroke penalty. Upon further review – this might be the dumbest rule of all – time to bury this one in a sand trap!
6. Icing the kicker in football. If the defensive team calls a timeout with less than 10 seconds remaining on the play clock during a field goal attempt, that team will be assessed a five-yard penalty.
7. Hawkeye Challenge System in Tennis! Okay this is a double edged sword. It’s the best invention in my estimation this century – not only for tennis – but for the entire sports world. My issue is simple – it needs to be on every court at every tournament. Can you imagine an NFL game where the fans were told – “sorry – your team is out of playoff contention and we are not going to replay any controversial calls in this game?” This would never happen and it shouldn’t be happening on the ATP tour or the WTA tour. It is unacceptable that these tours only have it for the big name players who are constantly on the “show” courts.
8. Hockey needs to make 4 major improvements. First, ban all head shots. Despite the recent ban on blindside hits, there has been no decrease in NHL concussions. Sydney Crosby has been out far too long and the game is suffering as a result. Second, institute no-touch icing. Eliminating headlong races for the first touch curbs colossal, end-board collisions between full-bore defenseman and forwards. And thirdly, ditch the trapezoid. What were they thinking a few years back when they came up with this one? If goaltenders can play the puck anywhere and not just directly behind the net, the D-men have to do less back-to-the-action puck retrieval, and thus are targets of fewer blindside hits. And finally, expand the ice surface. Increasing the playing area to international dimensions (200 feet x 100 feet as opposed to 200 x 85) enhances the value of skilled players. But it also makes lumbering enforcers obsolete. Guys incapable of contributing with their gloves on will be soon out of the league.
9. Baseball field dimensions. All baseball fields in both the American and National league will have the same dimensions across the board.
10. Contraction in the NHL. There are too many teams in the current NHL. Winnipeg, Quebec City and Hamilton all are granted expansion franchises while most of the Southern teams in the NHL are let go.
11. Bring Replay to Soccer. It is shocking to me that this MAJOR sport world-wide is so far behind the times. There were multiple examples at the World Cup of officiating errors that could have been rectified with instant replay. The fact that this sport is so reluctant to modernize itself tells me they think they have a perfect game – and from all accounts the players, managers, owners and fans are outraged that a system has yet to be put in place. If all the other MAJOR sports have come to the realization that replay is needed – why are the suits that make these decisions in soccer so stubborn on such an obvious way to improve their game?
12. Hold the World Cup Every 3 Years. South Africa 2010 reminded us that the planet’s biggest sporting event gets bigger every four years. Which is exactly why it should happen every three?
13. Hitting a golf ball out of a divot in the middle of the fairway. Okay, let’s start by saying I’m definitely not a golf purist. If I whack a ball with pin-point accuracy straight down the middle of the fairway and end up in a divot – you can be damned sure I’m not hitting it from there. Unless of course I’m playing in a tournament and I don’t want to incur the one stroke penalty. Golf has more questionable rules than all sports put together – but this may take the cake. You can’t penalize somebody for a perfect shot! I can’t be that far off with this opinion – the greatest golfer of all time – Jack Nicklaus – agrees wholeheartedly with my take on this silly rule!
14. Decide, once and for all, what is a catch in the NFL. Does anybody remember Lions wideout Calvin Johnson hauling in an apparent game-winning TD pass in week one of the NFL season? Here is a brief synopsis of what happened in case you forgot – Johnson made the catch, fell to the ground, and started to get up – but as he was getting up he flicked the ball away – he let go of the ball on purpose as he thought he had possession for more than enough time. The refs ruled it incomplete, saying Johnson failed to maintain possession through the entire process of the catch. Entire process??? Is this a joke?? As soon as a ball carrier breaks the plane of the goal line – even by one millimeter – his team gets six points. Can you say double standard? The same rules should apply to both the breaking of the goal-line play and a receiver making an acrobatic catch! This was a huge injustice that should be fixed immediately.
15. Get rid of the “let” in tennis. Most tennis people would think I’ve lost my marbles on this one – but I truly believe it would make the game more exciting. If the ball hits the net and dribbles over on shot 1 (the serve) or shot 10 (groundstroke, volley or overhead) the same rules should apply. So either play a “let” for all shots or zero shots but don’t do it just on the serve. This doesn’t make sense – singling out the serve seems to be nonsensical – purists believe this is right but they are steadfast on this rule because this is the way it’s always been done.
16. Adopt an NFL-like replay system in major league baseball. Managers will be granted two replays per game and one additional replay if the game goes extra innings.
17. Limit basketball teams to two timeouts a game. Some basketball games can take upward of 15 minutes with 45 seconds remaining on the clock. The game needs to be continuous, and with what seems like unlimited timeouts, the games length in the dying seconds of close games can be a major turnoff for the casual fan.
18. Length of the baseball season. The season will be reduced to 140 games and the playoffs will get started in early September.
19. Standardize the college games with their professional counterparts. For example, in college football the receiver needs to only have one foot in bounds to have possession of the ball – in the NFL it’s two feet. The uprights for a field goal attempt or extra point are 3 feet wider for college kickers. In college basketball the 3-point line is 20’9” in the NBA it’s 23’9”. The shot clock in college is 35 seconds and 24 seconds in the NBA. A backcourt violation in the NBA is called in 8 seconds, but in college they have 10 seconds. The fans and players alike would like these numbers to be the same – why make the rules complicated – some of these kids will go on to the next level – would it not make sense to standardize these rules across the board?
20. Don’t rely on the eye to judge field goals or extra points. It’s a fact that when a kick sails directly above one leg of a goalpost it’s a miss. But when a kick is as high as 20 feet over the uprights, it’s difficult for the ref standing below the post to tell for sure. So I hereby lobby for a motion detector or laser beams or some other newfangled 21st century technology – something that shoots straight up from each post. When a ball crosses its stream, a sound would ring out through the stadium or a light would flash on the scoreboard, indication a miss with surety.
21. Copy the NFL. The CFL should go to the NFL rules. That means 4 downs and a smaller field. The NFL game is much better – but the CFL rules makers will never let this happen. They are proud of their game – but in truth the NFL rules make more sense and their game is far superior to the lowly CFL!
Written By Michael Emmett
There was the eye-catching comeback of a Tiger.
The stirring revival from a crew from Down Under!
The excruciating collapse of a kid!
5 straight birdies on the back-nine by a former Major Champion!
And in the end, the championship crowning of a son of a South African chicken farmer named Charl Schwartzel!
Excuse my ignorance but who the heck is Charl Schwartzel? – and once again excuse my obtuseness – but how in God’s earth can a guy who looks like a shoe salesman win the most coveted golf event on the planet?
As the sun set on the luscious greenery at Augusta National Golf Club after the conclusion of the 75th Masters, amazed patrons struggled to take deep breaths. They had nothing left. It was a gut-wrenching day to be sure!
The world’s best golfers had just spent the afternoon delivering breathtaking shot after breathtaking shot. Nations united on a leader board – Antarctica was the only continent without a birdie-making ambassador in the chase – that was so jumbled and changed so often that it had a dizzying effect on its operators.
Fifty years to the day after South African Gary Player became the first international golfer to take home one of the famed green jackets, his similarly built countryman Charl Schwartzel (a super lightweight at 5-11, 140 pounds) out dueled the big hitters in what was one of the most exciting back nines in the tournament’s history. At different times throughout the proceedings 8 guys had their names atop the leaderboard for the 5 hour roller-coaster.
Days like Sunday are why the Masters is the best event in sports.
The Olympics come but every two years. Occasionally, a Super Bowl delivers last-minute drama. Every few years, a World Series is competitive. The NBA Finals sometimes has its moments. Every now and then, college football’s appointed finalists live up to the season-long debate. And the recent display at Reliant Stadium in Houston notwithstanding, teams in NCAA championship basketball games have been known to make a shot or two.
But time after time, year after year, the Masters delivers. It can’t get much better than this year’s edition. With so many players in and out and back in again, it had one of the more entertaining back nines Augusta has seen.
Sure, it was a Masters Sunday when you needed a defibrillator next to the couch, but in the end, what did we wind up with?
We got a green jacket being hung on the bony shoulders of 140-pound 26-year old and who knows if we’ll ever see HIM again. He seems like a work in progress. Even his first name is unfinished. Can you say “Louis Oosthuizen”??
This is the 10th different winner in the past 10 majors. It’s like golf is running some kind of contest. Hey, you. You just won the Masters. And I would bet on Congressional Country Club making it 11 for 11.
Tiger, please come back. The game misses you. Golf is so much better when Tiger is in contention – and he is so close to getting his game back – back to where it used to be!
When the final twosome reached the 12th hole, five players were tied at the top, and 10 were within two strokes of the lead. In all, eight players had at least a share of the lead at some point during the final round.
“Sometimes I would look at (the scoreboard) and not register what I saw,” the stunned winner said.
Schwartzel, a spell checker’s nightmare (Charl might be short a couple of letters, but it isn’t short for anything), earned the win with a magnificent final-round 66 – the best closing round in a victory since Nick Faldo’s 65 in 1989 – and a 14-under-par 274 total that beat Australians Jason Day and Adam Scott by two strokes.
Schwartzel began the day with a chip-in for birdie on the first hole and then holed out from 114 yards for eagle on No. 3 to move into a tie with third-round leader Rory McIlroy, who started the final 18 holes with a four-shot advantage.
Tiger Woods joined Schwartzel in challenging conventional wisdom that the tournament doesn’t really begin until the back nine Sunday by posting a brilliant 5-under-par 31 on the front, highlighted by an eagle at No. 8. It was the first time in a long time we had seen the Woods of old making noise on the leader board in the fourth round of a tournament.
There was a buzz that was so apparent I could feel it through my television – I felt the need to tell someone I was about the witness history. Tiger was down by 7 shots and he erased that deficit in fewer than 9 holes. Surely he would shoot 4 under on the “easy” back nine and win this tournament going away. Tiger had never won a major when he trailed by even ONE shot – but yesterday he was going to win while overcoming a 7-shot deficit. Or so I thought!
But then something weird, and normal, happened. The tournament really began. As you knew it would.
The winning story is typically the most compelling, and Schwartzel wowed with a birdie-birdie-birdie-birdie finish.
Schwartzel was first to ever finish with 4 straight birdies on the final day to win the trophy.
Not Rory’s day
But on this day, the sustained drama of the final round and even the roars accompanying a roaring Tiger were dimmed by the lack of roars for Rors.
Poor Rory McIlroy. The precocious 21-year-old Irishman teed off Sunday for what many expected to be his coronation as the game’s brightest young star. But instead of becoming the tournament’s second-youngest winner (behind Woods), he suffered through a difficult day, enduring a humiliation that this lovely but occasionally cruel game has bestowed upon golfers of all ages and skill.
McIlroy’s drive at the 10th found bark and didn’t bite, banging off a tree and settling between cottages that were not in Bobby Jones’ imagination as a possible launch spot for a second shot on that hole. It became almost unbearable to watch.
McIlroy, who led after each of the first three rounds, posted a triple bogey on the hole, a bogey on the 11th and a four-putt double bogey on the 12th. He finished with an 8-over-par 80, 10 shots off the pace.
“I was leading this golf tournament with nine holes to go, and I just unraveled,” McIlroy said.
Many will describe McIlroy’s experience as a teachable moment. But does anybody really need to go through what he went through – matching the highest final-round score of any 54-hole leader in tournament history – to learn something?
We witness the best in sport when accomplishment matches skill. The experts say McIlroy has the best swing in the game. He has the makings of a star player, a star personality. In this day, not all stars are champions. On this day, the young star didn’t take the championship.
But though he stumbled off the course with his shirt ruffled and his black mop of hair strewn about, he took his defeat like a champion.
It is a good bet that soon on some extraordinary day at Augusta National, at this tournament that doesn’t began until the back nine Sunday; McIlroy will have his championship day.
And it probably will be the best sporting event that year. Again.
We brush our hair, we brush our teeth we should brush our skin too!
The skin is the largest organ of the body, it is also one of the most important elimination organs, responsible for ¼ of the body’s detoxification each day and can eliminate up to two pounds of waste daily, when functioning efficiently.
When I was in Aesthetics College, my instructor would say “the skin is a mirror image to what is happening internally”. Meaning, the skin is the last to receive the body’s nutrients, and the first to show signs of imbalance or deficiency. When the blood is full of toxic materials the skin will reflect this with conditions like acne, boils or dermatitis even dark circles around the eyes and a sallow completion can be attributed to poorly functioning skin and other internal issues.
Variations of Skin Brushing have been practiced for centuries. Japanese used loofah in their traditional hot baths. Some tribes of First Nations skin brushed with corn cobs to enhance skin durability. Greek athletes and Roman gladiators would use a tool call a Strigil to remove sweat and dirt and promote circulation. Nature also shows us the importance of skin brushing like many wild animals, my puppy instinctually rubs himself against a tree, the earth or anything really!
The benefits of this ancient practice, that take less than 5 minutes, are plentiful. Here’s why and how:
The Benefits of Dry Skin Brushing
– Assists in Exfoliation. Helps to shed dead skin cells, revealing a livelier more youthful skin texture and complexion
– Assists in cell renewal, this process slows down as we mature
– Stimulates the circulatory system
– Tightening the skin due to the increase of blood flow which also helps lessen the appearance of cellulite
– Helps with muscle tone and disperses fat deposits
– Boosts the immune system
– Stimulates the lymphatic system. Encouraging your body’s discharge of metabolic wastes, when the body rids itself of toxins, it is able to run more efficiently in all areas
– Rejuvenates the nervous system by stimulating nerve endings in the skin. This explains the remarkable relaxing effect, including decreased muscular tension which affords better lung capacity, digestion, bowel movements, blood circulation, lymph drainage as well as clearer thinking
How to Get Started With Your Skin Brushing Regimen
1. Purchase a natural, NOT a synthetic, bristle brush. (Mine is unbleached cactus bristle)
2. Be sure to get a brush with a long handle, so that you are able to reach all areas of your body
3. Skin brushing should be performed once a day, preferably first thing in the morning. This kick starts the body’s systems.
4. Skin brushing should be done prior to your bath or shower and your body should be dry. The skin is too soft to brush after a bath or shower.
5. Begin brushing your skin in long sweeping strokes starting from the bottom of your feet upwards, and from the hands towards the shoulders, and on the torso in an upward direction. Always brush towards the heart. Try to brush several times in each area, over-lapping as you go.
6. Avoid sensitive areas such as the face and neck or anywhere the skin is broken
7. After brushing your skin, rinse off in the shower.
8. Do not share your skin brush. Keep it dry and clean, I clean mine once a week using a tea tree oil mist. Tea tree oil is a natural antiseptic that will not destroy the bristles. After cleaning, keep your skin brush in an open, sunny spot to prevent mildew.
Dry skin brushing should be an important part of your daily wellness and beauty regime; it only takes a few minutes and is a great way to detoxify, balance, stimulate and boost all the body’s systems whilst leaving you with radiant healthy skin.
Skin brushing is very stimulating, never skin brush during an active metastatic cancer state. Those diagnosed with cancer should consult an oncologist, if considering a skin brushing regimen.
Written by Vanessa Tierney, Spa, Salon & Wellness Coordinator
Primary:
Protein is the greek word for “primary” or “ holding first place”. This shows the importance of protein in our daily food plans. Every cell and enzyme in the body needs protein. The immune system is reliant on adequate protein to stay strong. The bare minimum requirement is 25-30 grams a day, and the RDA doubles the bare minimum (50 grams for a 150 lb person). Studies have shown endurance athletes, like marathoners require even more, over half their lean body weight in grams of protein (i.e. 150 lb runner needs between .55 and .8 grams of protein per lb of body weight ; 83-120 grams). Body builders have consistently made claims that in order to maintain muscle mass and tissue repair a pro bodybuilder needs at least their body weight in protein grams, and most likely more. The amount of protein required is a huge controversy with questions of stress to the kidneys and liver, and loss of bone density if over consumed.
Pure:
A pure protein contains 8 essential amino acids responsible for building and repairing red blood cells, enzymes, and other tissues in the body. Pure protein is easily found in eggs, beef, fish, and poultry. Vegetarians will find it a bit trickier to get all 8 amino acids but can succeed by combining grains and legumes (e.g. natural peanut butter and whole grain bread or brown rice and black beans). The only grain containing all 8 aminos is quinoa.
Preparation:
Broil, bake, stir fry, or boil your proteins without added extra fats or sugars to help in fat loss goals. Rotate protein choices daily to create variety and provide a full spectrum of nutrition to the body. Stick to portion sizes (size and thickness of palm), eating small quantities more often if possible.
Best choices: organic free run omega 3 eggs and egg whites, organic beef, and wild pacific salmon.
Stay tuned for: Facts about Fats…….
Written by Rachel Nir, Mayfair Parkway’s Personal Trainer & Nutritionist
Novak is No Djoke!!
Let’s play a little True and False!
1. Novak Djokovic has not lost a match in 2011 and is 18-0 in ATP events. (True or False)
2. Novak Djokovic is now ranked #2 in the world overtaking 16-time Grand Slam Champion Roger Federer. (True or False)
3. Novak Djokovic became the third player to beat Rafa and Fed in the same tournament twice. (True or False)
4. Novak Djokovic has beaten Roger Federer 3 straight times in 2011 and dropped only 1 set in those matches. (True or False)
5. Novak Djokovic won the Australian Open in January without dropping a set. Winning 7 straight matches in convincing fashion. (True or False)
6. The Serbian last suffered a defeat last November when he was beaten by Roger Federer in the semi-finals of the ATP World Tour Finals. (True or False)
7. It was the Serb’s second triumph in the elite ATP Masters 1000 event at Indian Wells, having first won the title here as a 20-year-old in 2008. (True or False)
8. Djokovic had never beaten Nadal in a tour-level final (0-5 mark), including a loss in the 2010 US Open final and in 2007 at Indian Wells, before Sunday’s win. (True or False)
9. Including Davis Cup matches in 2011 – Djokovic is actually 20-0 in his won-loss record. (True or False)
10. Djokovic became the sixth active player to win 21 tour-level titles (21-13 finals record) and joined four-time former champion Federer as the only players to have won three successive titles in Dubai. (True or False)
10 questions – and 10 true statements! Remarkable considering a few months ago we were talking about Rafa winning the Rafa Slam! This guy is oozing with confidence and the players, who we once thought of as unbeatable, are feeling the heat – BIG TIME!
It’s one thing when the media members and tennis commentators are predicting greatness, but when the current number 1 is tooting your horn you know good things are on the horizon.
Following his defeat to Novak Djokovic in the BNP Paribas Open final on Sunday, Rafael Nadal declared that the Serbian is “in the best position” to finish as the year-end World No. 1 in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings.
Djokovic, who displaced Federer at No. 2 in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings on Monday, has opened the season with an 18-0 match record, taking in titles at the Australian Open (d. Murray), Dubai (d. Federer) and Indian Wells.
In an interview with Reuters, Serbia’s Davis Cup captain Bogdan Obradovic said that this is only the beginning for Djokovic.
He thinks that Djokovic could become the best tennis player in the world, the world number one, by the end of the year. And here is why:
“He has become mentally and physically stronger; he is even more accurate with his passing shots than in 2008 and can win points quickly when he needs to. With all that in mind, it will be very difficult to stop him from becoming the world number one this year, if he keeps playing at this level throughout the season.”
We know how important it is for players to get stronger mentally and physically – especially when you see what happened to Spain’s Rafael Nadal in this tournament. But is this to be believed?
Djokovic ahead of Nadal? This can’t be right??
I mean it is a Serb talking about a Serb right? How objective could a countryman be?
But he is the Davis Cup coach – he has a great handle on the top players in the world and their game styles. Maybe we should take his statements at full value. You would think – if he wasn’t purely speaking from emotion – that he would have the best perspective to evaluate the long-term success of his student.
Wasn’t it just days ago that we were talking about a “Rafa Slam” and anointing Nadal as perhaps the best player of all time? Some prognosticators had already figured out how the Spaniard would get to 20 slams.
And now a Serb is saying a Serb is going to be the world’s number one tennis player by year’s end?
Based on what I’ve witnessed in this short season – I think Obradovic is bang on!
Sport is amazing that way. Things can change in an instant. Anything is possible. And that’s why we watch. Watching on Sunday – it was unbelievable how confident this guy is. His ground-strokes are so solid – so penetrating. The angles he can create are brilliant. His new and improved serve makes him unbreakable.
If he stays healthy it will be hard to imagine how he won’t win multiple slams in 2011. You’d have to make him the favourite in New York. He is no question about it, the best hard courter in the world right now. Grass and clay may be a different story – but only time will give us those answers.
One day you’ve got a picture in your head of a Spaniard drinking eternally from the sweet cup of victory, the next day you’re watching a Serb quench his thirst, while the people around him talk about ruling the world. Are we all too eager to jump off the Rafa bandwagon?
Right now, there is no question that Djokovic is the best player in the world. He is making mince meat out of Federer and he now has proven he can beat Nadal in a big match. This game is about confidence. And without a doubt, the most confident player on the planet at this particular juncture of the season is a young Serb who looks unbeatable.
Written by Michael Emmett
If you are reading this blog I’m guessing you’ve seen tennis on television. The best part of televised tennis today, without a doubt, is the drama involved when a player questions a call and the Hawkeye system is put into action. The anticipation while the imaginary ball travels to its ultimate destination is electric. Fans in the stadium and viewers on television are glued to the screen to find out if the ball was “in or if the ball was “out” – there is no doubt, there is no more debate, it is black and white because everybody trusts the system.
With the advent of technology, its integration into sports has come at an astonishing pace. We have seen technology used to aid in sports training (heart rate monitors, wattmeters, training programs etc), improve the field of play (artificial playing surfaces, covered/indoor stadiums, etc), enhance sporting equipment (tennis racquets, synthetic material for basketballs, hockey sticks, etc) and expand media coverage (newspaper, radio, television, internet etc).
One other area where technology has played a large role is that of officiating. Different sports have embraced technology at various levels. This difference can be seen between sports like baseball or soccer, where there is minimal technology used to aid in officiating, to sports like football and hockey, where video replay can be used to aid officials.
Earlier in this decade, tennis officials faced pressure from the public to adopt technological aid to assist in line calling. This pressure had been growing as a result of the increasing speed in the game, along with the increasing number of controversial line calls by officials. It was getting ridiculous for the players; the number of bad calls was escalating as rapidly as the speed of play was increasing. There was a definite correlation between the two.
Perhaps the breaking point in this came in the form of the 2004 women’s U.S. Open quarterfinals match between Serena Williams and Jennifer Capriati. In the third set of that match, there was an incorrect chair reversal of a call made by the linesperson which eventually cost Williams the match against Capriati. The mistake was acknowledged when the tournament’s head of officiating removed that official from further matches and personally called Serena Williams to apologize for the bad call.
I would argue that there is more drama in the Tennis Challenge System than we see in other Professional sports because the challenges happen frequently and the results of the challenges are determined more quickly. Deciding if a goal is scored in hockey, or a receiver has both feet in bounds for an NFL touchdown or a shot was released before the buzzer goes off in basketball can take up to 3 minutes.
For those that are not familiar with the relatively new invention – here is a quick synopsis: Hawk-Eye uses six or more computer-linked television cameras situated around the court. The computer reads in the video in real time, and tracks the path of the tennis ball on each camera. These six separate views are then combined together to produce an accurate 3D representation of the path of the ball.
Anyone who has watched a match on TV where they have used this system may have noticed that the ball seems to be elongated when projected on the court surface. This may be explained by imagining the ball hitting the ground with a lot of topspin, that it actually spun forward on the ground and deformed so much as to flatten on the ground. The mark doesn’t have to have the exact surface area of the cross-section of the ball to accurately represent the impact point of the ball.
The time it takes for this process is about 10-15 seconds. The overall flow of the match remains intact and the players, fans and television audience are rewarded with a decisive decision which seems to end any arguing by the players.
The Hawkeye system was invented by a young British computer expert Paul Hawkins, and was launched in 2001. It was first used in television coverage of sporting events such as Test cricket, and has now reached the stage of being used by officials in tennis to assist in adjudicating close line calls.
The Nasdaq-100 Open in Miami was the first tour event to officially use the technology. The 2006 US Open was the first Grand Slam event to feature the system, followed by the 2007 Australian Open. At the Australian Open, only centre court matches utilize the technology.
Unfortunately, for tennis fans everywhere, this great technology is not at all ATP or WTA events world-wide. For tennis to get back to “appointment TV” – I believe Hawkeye must be present at all Tier 1 events on both tours – and on multiple courts.
Although prior to the use of Hawkeye, players have maintained that they instinctively knew when a ball is in or out, the evidence so far has not been conclusive. Of the player challenges that have been made, subsequent rulings by Hawkeye have shown that they are only correct about 46% of the time. This data is only available through to the end of 2009.
Officials of the French Open have so far refused to take up the technology, saying that the unique characteristics of the clay court do not warrant it. As the ball makes a mark on the clay surface, it is possible for the chair umpire to get out and have a look at the mark to determine if the ball was in or out, thus avoiding the need for Hawkeye.
Players are not allowed to challenge call whenever they want – like other sports, the players have been granted a certain amount of challenges and can use them when they deem it necessary.
The current rules under which Hawk-Eye is used:
- Each player receives three challenges per set to review line calls.
- If the player is correct with a challenge, then the player retains the same number of challenges. Effectively they have an unlimited number of correct challenges to make.
- If the player is incorrect with a challenge, then one of the challenges is lost.
- During a tie-break, each player will receive an additional challenge.
- Challenges may not be carried over from one set to another.
The beauty of this system is that is does not allow a player to simply challenge a call as a momentum breaker. The system makes the players strategize about not only their opponent but the correct time to question a call.
Players are so good today that the balls are being hit faster and closer to the lines than ever before. Linesman and umpires make mistakes and this system gives everybody a conclusive result. And so far, the players seem to be enjoying the results.
As much as we all loved John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors, the time spent arguing with umpires today is almost nil.
A few weeks ago, when Canadian superstar Milos Raonic lost to Andy Roddick in Memphis, we all saw how desperately tennis needs this system in place for all ATP tournaments – and not just on the stadium courts.
The Hawk-Eye Officiating System is the first and only ball-tracking system to have passed stringent ITF testing measures. It is accurate, reliable and practical. It is the best invention ever according to the Tennis Channel’s Vice President David Egdes.
“That looked ‘out’ to me.” Television audiences now expect Hawkeye’s verdict on a close line calling decision. Ardent tennis fans are fascinated by Hawkeye’s graphical representation of statistics, which have brought a whole new dimension to television coverage.
And with the recent news that Hawkeye was taken over by SONY we can expect things to just get better and better. This week’s event in Indian Wells will have Hawkeye on all 8 courts – the most ever for an ATP event.
The BNP Paribas Open continually tries to raise the bar in the tennis world, and adding Hawk-Eye to all eight of its match courts might put it out of reach with every other tournament this year. No other tournament in 2011 has plans for such expansive coverage.
“It’s only a positive thing,” said Ivan Ljubicic, the defending men’s singles champion at Indian Wells and ranked No. 16 in the world. “Less you depend on the umpires, the better. You want to be the one who decides who is better and who is not.”
Written by Michael Emmett
A Fitness, Tennis, Squash & Sports Blog by Mayfair Clubs 
