When I briefly worked for The Tennis Channel, I learned that, all else being equal, men’s tennis tended to be more popular than women’s matches, and the success of American men all the more ideal. The year before I worked there, 2009, was the last time an American male (Andy Roddick) reached the semifinals of … Read more
The Australian Open began its fortnight last night with a full slate of matches and, for the first time in three years, the permission to fill the stands with as many sun worshippers and tennis enthusiasts from all over the globe that they can squeeze in. Considering that the 2020 tournament, held just before the … Read more
If the first week of the Flushing Fortnight that was the 2022 U.S. Open was about celebrating one last hurrah, the second was all about discovering and thrilling to the new generation that is taking a sport all too in need for an infusion of young talent by storm. No more evident of that was … Read more
It was fun while it lasted. After Wednesday’s conquering of #2 seed Anett Kontaveit. the sports world, and I’ll admit even me, began to believe that in what was likely to be Serena Williams’ final tournament she might just win the whole damn thing, Hey, look at Albert Pujols lately. Remember Willie Mays made a … Read more
One of the first TV shows I saw in person while growing up in New York was the classic children’s variety show WONDERAMA. A three-hour wraparound show filled with stunts, games and occasional performances by singers and dancers, often from Broadway shows of the day (hey, they were in town anyway, and kids can nudge … Read more
–“What do you think of Flushing, New York?” — “Good Idea”. When your hometown is a punchline, one can be a tad reticent to have civic pride. The Mets and The Nanny notwithstanding, Flushing has seen better days overall. Unless you’re seeking some really great Asian food, there’s not a lot else to brag about, … Read more
Before last summer, the last time I was fortunate enough to attend the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadow was in the summer of 1997, when I got to spend a humid August afternoon during the earlier rounds wandering the outer courts. A young African-American teenager was getting some attention, and I was curious about what … Read more
Since the first-round ouster of Serena Williams for the second straight year, Wimbledon 2022 has been somewhat meh. A few surprises, some intriguing storylines emerging. But until the second week, those storylines are best emerging. Yesterday, top men’s seed Novak Djokovic took matters into his own hands to accelerate the newsworthiness of the tournament as … Read more
NOTE: This was originally posted in yesterday’s edition of our sister blog, www.Leblanguage.com. Serena Williams makes her 2022 debut today, which has my anticipation as a sports fan today a notch higher. I think yio might be able to identify. he world is beginning to slow down as we head toward Independence Day weekend, and … Read more
One of the briefer stops along my professional journey was the Tennis Channel. I was brought in briefly by its superb chairman Ken Solomon to help out with a complicated legal issue they were engaged in, and then given an opportunity to stay on for several additional weeks when I badly needed a place to … Read more