The America's Cup Races just concluded with a stirring 9-8 victory for the American team versus the Kiwis. What made it even more dramatic was the fact that the Oracle team bankrolled by billionaire Larry Ellison came from way behind, won eight races in a row to pull it off, especially after being docked a two-race penalty at the beginning.
But an American victory? Yes, the bankroll was American and one member of the crew. The tactician was the five-time Gold Medal Olympian, Brit Ben Ainslie; the skipper was Jimmy Spithill, an Aussie; the rest of the crew included four Aussies, two Kiwis and, beside the lone Yank, an Italian, a Brit, a Dutchman and an Antiguan. I'm sure Larry Ellison had several Americans in the creation of the boat, but the composition of the team was decidedly international.
The whole international competition---never noted for frugality---has turned into a money sweepstakes, and the millions poured into the candidate boats this year is astronomical. The biggest spender of all, Larry Ellison, won out. In today's monied world where so many championships are bought, the word "amateur" is obsolete,replaced by billionaire sports enthusiasts buying success. But we love a winner, at any cost.
Maybe we should change the name from America's Cup to International Money Cup.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Friday, September 13, 2013
A DILEMMA
As most of us are, I am conflicted by the dilemma in Syria. I do hope the “Russian Proposal” (originated in an offhand remark initially by John Kerry) generates a diplomatic solution to this problem. A lot of hard slogging and negotiation will be needed to get this baby to fly. Already Assad is laying down ground rules of no American aid to the rebels (or “Terrorists” as he refers to them). Already we are rejecting such a proposal. And the Russians: aye, there’s the rub.
I find it difficult to swallow the image of Vladimir Putin as a moral reformer, referencing God, disputing American “exceptionalism” and lecturing us on morality. The hypocrisy is overpowering. Here is this former K.G.B. chief telling us how to act, this same tyrant who punishes, imprisons and clamps down on any kind of dissident opinions within his country. The op-ed piece in the NY Times was a master stroke of presumption, smugness, arrogance and just plain bullshit. He wanted to strike while the iron was hot in an effort to stir the pot even more in this country. And can you believe the image of Mother Russia as the Great Negotiator and Statesman who, out of one side of her mouth, preaches morality and fairness to us, all the while she is supplying arms and all kinds of aid to special friend, Bashar al-Assad.? Will the Russians agree not to supply Syria aid if we do not supply such to the rebel forces?
Obviously, the weight of public opinion is heavily against Mr. Obama and any kind of U.S. military involvement. We are all fed to the teeth of fighting in regional wars, gaining nothing in terms of regional democratic success and only achieving loss of American and native blood. Our president is privately kicking himself for the famous “red line” remark, I’m sure, and is looking for an honorable way out. I pity the President who has ultimately to seek a solution. I’m glad I don’t have his job. It will not be easy to be extricated from this dismal swamp, but perhaps diplomatic work and world opinion can pull off a rescue. It certainly will not be due to the “morality” of Vladimir Putin.
I find it difficult to swallow the image of Vladimir Putin as a moral reformer, referencing God, disputing American “exceptionalism” and lecturing us on morality. The hypocrisy is overpowering. Here is this former K.G.B. chief telling us how to act, this same tyrant who punishes, imprisons and clamps down on any kind of dissident opinions within his country. The op-ed piece in the NY Times was a master stroke of presumption, smugness, arrogance and just plain bullshit. He wanted to strike while the iron was hot in an effort to stir the pot even more in this country. And can you believe the image of Mother Russia as the Great Negotiator and Statesman who, out of one side of her mouth, preaches morality and fairness to us, all the while she is supplying arms and all kinds of aid to special friend, Bashar al-Assad.? Will the Russians agree not to supply Syria aid if we do not supply such to the rebel forces?
Obviously, the weight of public opinion is heavily against Mr. Obama and any kind of U.S. military involvement. We are all fed to the teeth of fighting in regional wars, gaining nothing in terms of regional democratic success and only achieving loss of American and native blood. Our president is privately kicking himself for the famous “red line” remark, I’m sure, and is looking for an honorable way out. I pity the President who has ultimately to seek a solution. I’m glad I don’t have his job. It will not be easy to be extricated from this dismal swamp, but perhaps diplomatic work and world opinion can pull off a rescue. It certainly will not be due to the “morality” of Vladimir Putin.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
THE FORCE OF WILL
I am exhausted after fifteen days of watching the U.S. Open Tennis Championship held at Flushing Meadows NY, which ended Monday night. The tension of those fifteen days was palpable but especially in the last days as the cream of tennis talent rose to the top: numbers one and two, both men and women, vying for the crown. Both finals were gladiatorial in nature.
First, Sunday afternoon, Serena Williams (1) faced Victoria Azarenka (2). Both these ladies had incredible records this year. Azarenka had lost only one hard court match this year and had beaten Serena twice on hard courts. She also won in January the Australian championship, the first of the grand slams. Serena had an equally amazing year, having won the French Open, beating Azarenka in this second grand slam event. She had a bad day at Wimbledon, the third grand slam, and dropped out early, as did Azarenka. Then the fun began. Serena won every event thereafter until in late August on a hard court in Cincinnati, she lost a close one to---you guessed it---Azarenka. So, there’s the scenario.
It was a windy day with sharp gusts disturbing the ladies’ dresses and the toss of the ball, which is a tennis player’s worst nightmare. Serena was more erratic and flustered by the wind than her opponent, yet they were even at 5-5. Then Serena bore down and won the next two games to take the set. In the second set she started fast, built up a big lead, 4-1---and then lightning struck as Victoria rallied to send the match into a tiebreaker with power ground strokes and serving. The tiebreaker went back and forth with Serena holding match point at 6-5, only to have Victoria rally and take the tiebreaker 8-6. So there we are, one set apiece, final set to be the decider. It is then that Serena Williams summoned up all her experience and power. She has the potency of a volcano ready to erupt, and erupt she did to blast Azarenka off the court, 6-1, and win the title. Serena was unstoppable, a force of nature sweeping everything before it. She willed that championship, her fifth U.S. title and seventeenth grand slam (only one behind Chris Evert and Martina Navritolova). She is almost thirty-two and playing better than she did ten years ago. How many more will she win?
Now the men. Novak Djokovic, number one, the reigning Australian Champion, had lost the French finals to Nadal in a five-set match that lasted almost six hours and then lost Wimbledon in the finals to Andy Murray, the inspired Brit, who brought that title back to England after seventy-seven years of drought. He had lost the final of the previous U.S. Open to Murray. A model of consistent play, the best returner of serves in the game, he seemed ready for another crown. But Rafael Nadal, seeded second, stood in the way. Nadal had started the year on the injured list with knee problems that kept him out of the Australian Open. He had not played tennis for seven months when he made his return in the spring in a tournament in South America, which he lost in the finals. He then proceeded to win nine titles in a row, including the French Open, before losing in the Canadian Open in early August. Nadal then won Cincinnati on hard courts prior to the U.S. Open.
The Open final was filled with the hardest hitting I have ever witnessed. Nadal was constantly on the defensive as the Djoker, as he is known, pushed him around the court, but somehow Nadal clung on. Then suddenly, in the middle of the first set at 3-3, Nadal caught fire and won the set 6-3 with a series of bullets down the line and increased serving power. In the second set, Djokovic returned to his bullying ways and punished Nadal. I didn’t think it was possible to hit harder than he did in the first set, but somehow he amped it up and took the set 6-4. The third set was incredible. The whole match was filled with rallies of twenty times or more across the net; in this set, Djokovic won a rally that lasted fifty-four strokes. Then the magic moment of the match came with the score tied 4-4. Djoker was serving with a 40-love leave to win the fifth game when Nadal, another force of nature, suddenly roared down the mountain, broke Djokovic’s serve, held his own serve and won the set 6-4. The final fourth set was pure unadulterated Nadal. He floated around the court, making impossible returns and winning shots. The air went out of Djokovic, and he collapsed and was beaten 6-2.
Nadal is twenty-seven. After suffering serious knee problems, he has learned the importance of taking time off, plus he has added power to his serve and volleying to make the points shorter to spare his knees (except against Djokovic, who is a human back board). Nadal has won thirteen grand slams; he has a winning record against any player of note today; he is the toughest competitor I have ever seen. I agree with John McEnroe: if he stays healthy, he will shatter Roger Federer’s record of seventeen grand slam titles and be rated the best tennis player of all times.
Serena and Rafa: two forces of nature, who will their ways to victory. We are privileged to see this kind of talent in our time. Enjoy it while we can.
First, Sunday afternoon, Serena Williams (1) faced Victoria Azarenka (2). Both these ladies had incredible records this year. Azarenka had lost only one hard court match this year and had beaten Serena twice on hard courts. She also won in January the Australian championship, the first of the grand slams. Serena had an equally amazing year, having won the French Open, beating Azarenka in this second grand slam event. She had a bad day at Wimbledon, the third grand slam, and dropped out early, as did Azarenka. Then the fun began. Serena won every event thereafter until in late August on a hard court in Cincinnati, she lost a close one to---you guessed it---Azarenka. So, there’s the scenario.
It was a windy day with sharp gusts disturbing the ladies’ dresses and the toss of the ball, which is a tennis player’s worst nightmare. Serena was more erratic and flustered by the wind than her opponent, yet they were even at 5-5. Then Serena bore down and won the next two games to take the set. In the second set she started fast, built up a big lead, 4-1---and then lightning struck as Victoria rallied to send the match into a tiebreaker with power ground strokes and serving. The tiebreaker went back and forth with Serena holding match point at 6-5, only to have Victoria rally and take the tiebreaker 8-6. So there we are, one set apiece, final set to be the decider. It is then that Serena Williams summoned up all her experience and power. She has the potency of a volcano ready to erupt, and erupt she did to blast Azarenka off the court, 6-1, and win the title. Serena was unstoppable, a force of nature sweeping everything before it. She willed that championship, her fifth U.S. title and seventeenth grand slam (only one behind Chris Evert and Martina Navritolova). She is almost thirty-two and playing better than she did ten years ago. How many more will she win?
Now the men. Novak Djokovic, number one, the reigning Australian Champion, had lost the French finals to Nadal in a five-set match that lasted almost six hours and then lost Wimbledon in the finals to Andy Murray, the inspired Brit, who brought that title back to England after seventy-seven years of drought. He had lost the final of the previous U.S. Open to Murray. A model of consistent play, the best returner of serves in the game, he seemed ready for another crown. But Rafael Nadal, seeded second, stood in the way. Nadal had started the year on the injured list with knee problems that kept him out of the Australian Open. He had not played tennis for seven months when he made his return in the spring in a tournament in South America, which he lost in the finals. He then proceeded to win nine titles in a row, including the French Open, before losing in the Canadian Open in early August. Nadal then won Cincinnati on hard courts prior to the U.S. Open.
The Open final was filled with the hardest hitting I have ever witnessed. Nadal was constantly on the defensive as the Djoker, as he is known, pushed him around the court, but somehow Nadal clung on. Then suddenly, in the middle of the first set at 3-3, Nadal caught fire and won the set 6-3 with a series of bullets down the line and increased serving power. In the second set, Djokovic returned to his bullying ways and punished Nadal. I didn’t think it was possible to hit harder than he did in the first set, but somehow he amped it up and took the set 6-4. The third set was incredible. The whole match was filled with rallies of twenty times or more across the net; in this set, Djokovic won a rally that lasted fifty-four strokes. Then the magic moment of the match came with the score tied 4-4. Djoker was serving with a 40-love leave to win the fifth game when Nadal, another force of nature, suddenly roared down the mountain, broke Djokovic’s serve, held his own serve and won the set 6-4. The final fourth set was pure unadulterated Nadal. He floated around the court, making impossible returns and winning shots. The air went out of Djokovic, and he collapsed and was beaten 6-2.
Nadal is twenty-seven. After suffering serious knee problems, he has learned the importance of taking time off, plus he has added power to his serve and volleying to make the points shorter to spare his knees (except against Djokovic, who is a human back board). Nadal has won thirteen grand slams; he has a winning record against any player of note today; he is the toughest competitor I have ever seen. I agree with John McEnroe: if he stays healthy, he will shatter Roger Federer’s record of seventeen grand slam titles and be rated the best tennis player of all times.
Serena and Rafa: two forces of nature, who will their ways to victory. We are privileged to see this kind of talent in our time. Enjoy it while we can.
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