She Sliced and Diced and Mentally Overpowered A Champion

Novak and Roger may play tonight, but the real story at this year's US Open is Roberta Vinci and her defeat of Serena Williams. Williams lost in the semi-final to Vinci, known more as an Italian doubles player, and fell short of a calendar grand slam.


Roberta Vinci. Unseeded. Ranked outside the top 40 in the world. Vinci may have lost in the final, but she showed how you beat a champion and a bully. She held her hand up and asked the champion to wait. She turned her back to the vocal shouting. She didn't break down when Serena yelled across the net. The Italian doubles specialist was first to her chair on the changeovers covering her head with her towel. And she hits a slice, one-handed backhand with very little pace and proved that slicing and dicing takes no prisoners.

Rarely in her career have we seen Serena hit a slice backhand, or a forehand for that matter, but this world number one doubles player from Italy forced one of the greatest players of all time to change her game. There wasn't much pace coming from Vinci's side of the court. Brad Gilbert calls her "DaVinci" and she lived up to that name as she sliced, diced, angled and artistically stroked her way to a victory ending a Grand Slam run - a feat only completed by three women previously and just one in the Open Era.

But Vinci changed the mental game as well for the first time ever on this American champion. She won over the New York crowd. Vinci stayed the course. As the match hit two hours, Serena tired but grew vocally louder. Every winner with punctuated with a screaming exclamation point. Vinci took no notice. She's 32 years old - no intimidation here. She's seen it all before. Vinci tossed and served and didn't take note of Serena showing her Nike's dress back straps as she tried to hold up Vinci's march to dominance. Vinci held her hand up when the Champion was ready to serve saying: "Just wait a moment - you make me wait on my serve? I'm gonna make you wait on yours." This Italian was not going to cower. She owned the court. She owned the crowd. And, she won.

The tennis was not stellar. Vinci took Williams out of her comfort zone, with drop shots, sliced backhands and approach shots, volleys and dozens upon dozens of lobs. Serena rarely sees a one-handed backhand - there are only 2 one-handed backhands in the top 100 women in the world. But what we forget is that a one-handed backhand hits the ball much earlier than a two-handed backhand. Serena wasn't prepared for the earlier contact of the ball - the Champion was on her back foot continually even on her masterful forehand. Serena hasn't seen slice like this in years. And she hasn't seen an opponent mentally as strong as Vinci was on this day since Sam Stosur defeated her on the same court in 2011.

Roberta Vinci may have ended a Grand Slam run, but she probably brought tennis back to a reality with a win reminiscent of a McEnroe, Edberg or even a Nastase. Let's see if Roger moves up to the service line on Novak's serve and plays more like a doubles player, reminiscent  of a Bob Lutz or a Stan Smith... or even an Italian doubles player named Roberta Vinci.

Coach K Hits 1,000 Wins

Dear All Who Aspire To Be The Best:

Dressed in a suit with sneakers replacing his loafers of 35 years on the floor, a man today reached a milestone at Madison Square Garden that has never been reached before. With grit and wit, class, finesse and grace, a giant of his sport, if not an icon of sports, surpassed 1,000 wins as a Division I coach.

Maybe Duke's Athletic Director Tom Butters knew what he was getting when he hired this coach from Army back in 1980. But, I don't think Butters ever envisioned this. Three poor seasons at Duke at the beginning - Butters had the fortitude to stand fast and it paid off.

This coach now defines college basketball in every way. He has coached the best of the best in college basketball and all those players are a part of this phenomenal record. Congratulations to you all.

He's been through it all. He's been through the NCAA wringer and the wrath of the media while heading a team and program that is loathed by most of America. A small private school in the heart of tobacco country full of "trust fund kids with BMW's". Duke wasn't known for its basketball - well that was until he showed up.

He has coached through "Lacrosse-Gate" where Duke hung three lacrosse players out to dry and the reverberations cost the District Attorney his job and the lacrosse team a chance at a national title. All through this, basketball has remained at the top of the national polls.

Not many people surpass their idols. He passed Bob Knight a while back.

He has recruited through the Iraq war, 911, player injuries, NCAA inquiries, ACC reorganizations, personal back pain, and today's "one and done."He's won Olympic Gold while managing Team USA through the professional era. Who says you can't coach college and professional at the same time?

The legacy he leaves behind is already bright. So many of his players are a part of the sport from playing to coaching through to sportscasting and scouting. His career is unrivaled. He has appeared in 19 consecutive NCAA tournaments. 12 ACC regular season championships. 11 Final Fours. You name it, he has done it.

And now he has done this. 1,000 wins. Well done Michael Williams Kryzewski. I liked you way back in the late 90s when you won your first championship in Indianapolis.
I revere you now.

Doubles Strategy - Thirds Of The Court - Play Hockey Goalie at the "T"

Everything in life seems to be able to be broken down into statistics or rules or a theory. While grinding out my Sea Captain's license I learned the rule of sixths - there are 6 hours in each tide, with the most water running in and out of the tidal basins during hours two, three and four. In music, you have the circle of 5ths... a geometric relationship between the chord structures and harmonies in Western music. We all know the law of diminishing returns, and let's hope that does not pertain to our tennis games!

The Rule Of Thirds

In doubles, there is a rule which every player, from beginner to advanced, should know. The Rule of Thirds. When playing doubles, one should divide the court into thirds and cover the court in accordance with these thirds. Basically leave uncovered the third of the rectangle on your side farthest away from the ball being played by your opponents.

The red lines above delineate the court into thirds essentially. For an example, let's just say you are returning the serve and hitting the return from the "A" position and that you hit cross court back to the space where the "Player" is now hitting the ball. In effect, how would you shift to cover this wide ball? Well your partner who had been at the hotseat would hopefully close toward the net and follow the ball into the third of the court to the left and take a position close to where it is marked "C". But here's where most of us make our error.

From position "A" the returner should really move into position "B", slightly staggered in order to cover the lob. But also, really straddling the center service line. Why? Because the center service line marks the center of the middle third of the court. So, you and your partner are clearly covering the 2 thirds of the court closest to the ball being played. You cannot cover the entire rectangle that is your half of the court, so you leave the third farthest from the ball -('A') effectively uncovered - it is the hardest shot to hit for your opponent.

Where we make our mistake is not covering the alley when we are moving to the far third to position "C" - we usually do get there. Where we make out mistake is not straddling the center line and covering the "T" - where the center and service lines meet - like a goal keeper as most balls returned are going to cross that area. We have to move from "A" to "B" quickly and decisively.

By covering the two closest thirds of the court to the ball, we are in essence taking the easiest shot away from our opponents but also moving the "center" of the court to the left. The seam between us as a pair has shifted left and that is why it is essential to really straddle the center line to cover a shot that actually follows the red line through the court which is the seam between positions B and C at this point.

"But Coach, what about the uncovered third?" Well, in reality, you have most of it covered. A cross court lob deep to that third is the longest path for the ball to travel and the player in Position "B" can easily cover it given all that time. And... if the player at the "B" Position moves forward and cuts off an angled return headed toward the alley, only the alley closest to the net is completely uncovered. If your opponent makes the shot, give them a hand. It will be a rare occurrence. Good Luck!

A Changing of the Guard at the US Open

Mark it down in your history calendar in our wonderful sport of tennis. Saturday, September 6th, 2014. The day the reign of the Big 4 ended.

The Big 4 alludes to men's tennis and to Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, and lastly, Roger Federer with his 17 Grand Slam single titles. These four players have won 36 of the 38 most recent Grand Slam titles. On Monday, that stat will be 36 of the last 39. None of the above is in the US Open final.

And yesterday, two of the Big 4 were just plain beaten. Djokovic was simply outplayed on a day where he may have not been at his best wilting in the heat of 90 degrees plus on Arthur Ashe stadium court. Kei Nishikori, the first Japanese player to ever reach a Grand Slam final, with an added day of rest wore Djokovic down over four sets.

Federer couldn't deal with Marin Cilic's serve. In fact, the last game provided the epitaph to the grave: Three aces and a backhand winner down the line. Done.We are left wondering how long Roger will stave off the desire to retire.

So we are left with a final in which CBS Sports loses its coverage of the US Open after 40 plus years and in which, I am sure, ratings will falter without one of the Big 4 playing. But, this is the Open Era, and anything can happen. ESPN takes over coverage of both Wimbledon and the US Open in a tumultuous time in Men's Tennis in which are there are no clear rivalries to market to the public or elder statesmen to revere. It could hinder the growth and popularity of the sport.

That being said, it will be great to see new faces in the final and to see how Nishikori deals with Marin Cilic's serve will be interesting. Nishikori has won his last three matches against top 6 rated players in the world. He is the real deal. Coached by one of the greatest returners of all time, Michael Chang, Nishikori will undoubtedly find a way through the Cilic serve.

Cilic, at 25, is coached by the big server Goran Ivanisevic, himself a Wimbledon champion who also won on a Monday in front of a raucous crowd against a confident Patrick Rafter in the final. Cilic, suspended from the tour last year for a positive test to a banned substance, has returned mentally stronger and playing some of his best tennis.

Back to regularly scheduled programming with Serena Williams today in the women's final. And, Monday night should be a wonderful match between two upstarts who have been waiting a few years on the bench.

The Greatest Player Of All Time... In My Book

So, over the past three months since I put this question out there, I have had people stop me, Facebook me, and write to me with their nominations. I list a few below and the validity of these nominations are truly excellent.

Jimmy's matches were always something special!

Jimmy Connors - Did you see the ESPN movie about the 1991 US Open in which Connors at the age of 39 defied the experts and beat Aaron Krickstein in probably the best remembered match ever in US Open history? Someone asked me this just recently. It changed Krickstein's career forever and was perhaps the greatest match of all time. I was outside the stadium in Flushing Meadows and hearing the electricity in the crowd was unreal. But one match and a comeback at 39 does not make Jimmy the greatest player of all time.

Martina Navratilova some of you have said. She's right there. What a player - going for broke and changing the way women played our lovely game by approaching and coming to net. One of the matches I remember most as a young player was the US Open final in which Martina lost - to Hana Mandlikova. Probably the greatest women's match ever played. But Martina's story behind her tennis is simply amazing. Leaving her communist heritage, moving to the States, breaking the homosexuality border in our sport. We have her to thank for a lot in our sport and in our world. Her persona is one of the biggest in sport. All this while winning 59 Grand Slam titles. Are you kidding me? Oh yes, and 18 singles grand slam titles - that's one more than Big Rog folks.

Oh but wait, Chris Evert has 18 Grand Slam titles as well. Can we include her in the conversation. You sure can. But, for me, she's not the greatest to ever pick up a racquet. She was a grinder from the baseline who outlasted opponents rather than beat them. But, she was a fierce competitor and a truly great champion.

Pistol Pete Sampras - Perhaps the most efficient player ever to play tennis and having just been surpassed by Roger Federer regarding Grand Slam singles titles ever, he is up there in my book too. His rivalry with Andre Agassi was one of the greatest in the history of all of sport. I can remember watching Pete win Wimbledon during my college years and just amazed at how he changed his entire game to win that coveted title.

This is a never-ending debate and I have thought long and hard about it as naming the greatest person to ever hit a ball in your sport is actually quite terrifying in a way!

So who's left?

You've probably guessed it. Serena Williams.

Best Player Ever...In My Book.

Serena has, like Martina before her, simply changed the game of women's tennis. Singlehandedly. We had all heard back in 1996 and 1997 that the younger Williams sister was going to be the better player but, rightfully, many questioned her stamina and desire to win at that young age. Would she live up to the hype and the reputation she was assuming? A big assumption.

She did and she continues to do so. Ok, so she's only 7th on the all-time Grand Slam honor roll with 32 titles to her credit. She's tied with "Fed" at 17 singles titles. I do think she has a few more singles wins in her. But, in this era of open tennis with massive qualifying events, the growth of the WTA over the past 20 years, and tennis rising once again to be one of the most popular sports in the USA and the world, Serena has been at the top of her profession since she turned professional at 14. And honestly, I don't see her grip of the "racket" sliding much. In fact, 2013 was probably her best year ever.

But in reality, her grip should be sliding. Let's put it this way. She won her first professional title in 1998, five years before Roger won his first. She's 32, same as Roger. He's spent more time at the number one spot, true. So has Steffi, Martina Navratilova, Evert, and Martina Hingis. But none of them took years off to fight injury or depression after the murder of a sister. In fact, after her break from tennis and restarting in 2011 after a pulmonary scare, she is 158 wins with 11 losses.

But Serena, and partly her sister Venus, have changed the face of tennis. One-third of all new junior players are either African-American or Hispanic. Television ratings for Serena are some of the highest ratings any sport has ever seen, including American football.

Serena, like Navratilova, had her own demons to overcome. Fighting racial hatred among the predominantly white juniors on the USTA junior tour while living in California and Florida, Serena also fought with her emotions. Personally, I am not a big fan of her personality, but how can you deny she's one of the fiercest competitors to ever take the stage on a stadium court - male or female.

But the main reason for Serena being the best that ever played? Well it's just that. When she is at the top of her game, she simply is untouchable and unbeatable. No one comes close. There is no one who can even come close. Her serve is up there with most male players at 125 miles per hour. Sharapova, Clisters, Henin, Capariati - all of her rivals pale in comparison. Sharapova, for all the love we have of her and how we think she is great, has just won one set since 2008 against Serena. Since 2004 Sharapova has this hallowed record against Serena. 1 win, 14 losses. Hello?

For Serena to be this dominant in a sport (even with her loss yesterday at The French Open) and with all that she has gone through... to accomplish her goals and be the highest paid sports woman in history... in all of sport...it just makes her the greatest all round player of all time.

This week in Paris will be interesting in that if both Venus and Serena win another round, they will have to play each other on the red clay of Roland Garros. Well, my pick will be Serena. But, Venus might have something to say. She has the best record against Serena although it's not a winning record. But I think little sis is just too good.

Racism, Donald Sterling and a Zero Sum Game

It's been a bad week for race relations in the NBA. With the country focussed on a recording of LA Clipper owner Donald Sterling, the NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver, came down hard on the owner meting out a $2.5 million fine along with a ban for life for Donald Sterling.

Much has been said about this iconic, yet racist, tactless, and repugnant owner. Sterling, in fact, is the longest tenured owner within the NBA. Sports writer Bomani Jones eloquently went on the record asking why the NBA hadn't looked into his past racist behavior prior to this recording? He had been continuously fingered for racist behavior, business practices, and speech. Why only now should the NBA act? Jones is right in his thoughts and words.

The additional idea put forth at the news conference was that the Board Of Governors of the NBA, which is comprised of the 30 team owners, is that Sterling be forced to sell his team under the authority of the Board of Governors. This is where the sentiment of "doing the right thing" in terms of rebuilding race relations and interfering with business and property start to cross lines and make issues quite messy. Owner of the Dallas Maverick's Mark Cuban has put it that interfering with such business by the NBA is the beginning of "a very slippery slope." And he might be right.

Granted that in this day and age of phones, Twitter and Facebook, the world can literally hang on any syllable of any given individual, we are left wondering how we as a society can make better our environment as a business person or, even as a citizen of this world, with so many obstacles. Once an association we are a part of comes down against us and forces us to part with property that is our business, where do we draw the line? A home owner's association putting a lien on a home for example if not adhering to code comes to mind. Does the association force a sale? Does the National Basketball Association force an involuntary sale of one of the most profitable franchises now?

We as a society want to punish those who hurt race relations or the advancement of our country at its core. But in so doing, we might be hurting others that we do not realize. For within California's tax code 1033, there is a provision that says if property is taken away by force (eminent domain and involuntary conversion, for example) there are no taxes payable. As Nick Lum of the Daily Beast writes, the NBA forcing Sterling to sell will create a $200 million shortfall in tax revenue to the US Treasury and $123 in tax revenues for California - a state that sorely needs it. Basically, if the NBA forces a sale of the LA Clippers, they could be saving Sterling $323 million.

Life seems to be a zero sum game and it's no different in sports or business. The question that is out there is where do we, as a society, draw the line between condemnation and punishment. It will forever be a question without a black and white answer.

The NFL Comes To Grips With Human Resources and Not Being Incognito

Last year, The NFL and Roger Goodell had their hands full with the pay dispute over the referees. We, as viewers and players, were happy to see the referees return to the field and bring the season back to normality. Big business always has labor disputes - it's part of the territory. Big business also has Human Resource issues and none bigger than what is transpiring in Miami.

I sit in bewilderment when I hear people and pundits on radio and television say - along with fellow NFL players - that there is an attitude one has to bring to the game of football. I heard something akin to this: To play football professionally, you really have to have an attitude that other people or athletes just don't have or understand. Well quite frankly, I couldn't disagree more on two separate fronts.

On the sport front, it really is a ridiculous statement. Football players are no grittier than rugby or ice hockey players or race car drivers who dash from death weekly on the Nascar or Grand Prix tours. Having played both rugby and football myself, I found rugby ten times more grueling without having any stoppage in play, having to play offense and defense, and hitting just as hard all without any padding or head protection. Rugby players rarely question the referee - they play a mean game with tact, sportsmanship and brutality. I am sure hockey players would say their game is brutal too. To sail around the world solo is grittier than I can imagine.To play 162 games in one season, as major league baseball professionals do, is unrivaled. Night after night, traveling and playing and then traveling again. Brutal on the mind and body. The NFL, folks, is just another game and sport.

But more importantly, we are all football players. We, as Americans, work to provide for our family and maintain an economy in a moral-based environment and country. And there is never an excuse to racially slur or humiliate a fellow worker. It's a sad day to see a team effort debased by offensive behavior.

Football is one of America's biggest exports in reality with games now watched across the globe. It's big business. And this "attitude" that one has to bring is brought into a significant workplace - the locker room and on the field. NFL players are employees and are paid to perform. They cannot make the workplace hostile to fellow colleagues, players or coaches. If they do, they should be dismissed like any other employee. NFL players are just like the rest of us workers: working hard in a stressful environment. No different. No one should ever use the "N" word, as a person or an employee. Nor should any football player at any time for any reason. Neither can Richard Incognito. To even start defending him is callous and wrong.

This is a human resources issue which could lead to criminal charges, and the NFL needs to get on board and stamp on this harder than they are stamping down on helmet to helmet hits. How can we improve our own workplaces here in our cubicles or are classrooms when our "idols" in the NFL are using the "N" word? We can't. We have to show the world how wrong this is and in order to do that Incognito must become incognito - terminated by the Dolphins and banned from the NFL without severance or benefits and without a glowing reference. Anyone in any other office environment or workplace would be treated, hopefully, in the same way. The NFL is no different and they had better understand that point sooner rather than later.