tooooo late !
g' night all...
jbrad don't get a crush on hot sauce, i think someone owns him here at the tribe ;)

marieJ- he's much too young for me... wait, I really shouldn't be so picky
hee hee

Wow...Disco looks the hottest one in that pic. Who'da thunk it?

Is disco the Alex Corretja of this era?

jbrad - Missie took quite a few photos of Hott Sauce last year at IW that showed off his fab physique
He has always been pretty buff -
but you are right, that particular shot looks more like Rafa's arms

snoo - funny - that does look like the McD uniform
sorry , Spain and spanish friends

Tari - yep that is one pretty yummy line up
let's super size it - ok ?

good post at 4.51, marieJ. you always find the right tone (i hope that´s the way one says it in english, looks strange).

Snoo,
belatedly, but what is *peluche*?

"let's super size it - ok ?"

Well done, Beth. :)

Right on the money, Bismarck. :)

I tried to google peluche
all I come up with is "fluff"

could it be a pillow ?

Is it a stuffed animal?

Hey jbrad *waving* and to everyone else

Maybe he superimposed Rafa's arms onto the photo. I don't think I would call him skinny.

You know what drew me to Roger Federer besides his beautiful game? The vulnerability and sensitivity that I saw in him, and his show of emotion after his matches. Have you ever seen any player cry the way he did after he won his first Wimbledon? Or stutter and sob like he did after AO '06?

Roger may not jump up and down and shadow box, and race to the baseline like a boxer just before his match begins. He may not yell "Vamos" and pump his fists in an aggressive display of too much testosterone. He may not have an intimidating physique with bulging biceps and six-pack abs.

Yet, there is a quiet determination about him, at times displayed more outwardly by a big "C'MON!" and accompanied by little fist pumps. At other times, when he is not confident and his game is not quite on, then his frustration and disappointment are evident in his body language, and in his face. I can always tell how he is feeling because his eyes give him away. This is why I am still perplexed when people refer to him as "robotic". To me, this man reads like an open book.

In fact, a part of me wishes that Roger were "robotic", I wish he had nerves of steel and the ability to block out all his emotions and play with rational thinking and no emotion whatsoever. If he did, then I am convinced he would have won the French in '06 or '07, and maybe even both. Roger used to be outwardly emotional when he was younger, and it's not like he just turned off his emotions - they are still very much a part of his character ... the only difference is that he is able to keep it in check most of the time, and not show it too much outwardly. As for his mental toughness - he had to grow into it, it didn't come to him naturally. That is why, he still exhibits some vulnerability in this aspect when under pressure, when he is not playing well.

But to each one his own. Some of you don't see what I see in Federer, and so he seems "passionless" and "unemotional" to you. I see quite the opposite, and that is why I feel such a connection to him as a person.

Nice Davis Cup pictures. Very nice picture of Marat, nice to see him smiling again.

I do not like the spanish team shirts either. As far as I recall, Verdasco has always been pretty buff, but he usually doesn't play with sleeveless shirts, so we do not notice it as much.

I don't believe Marat is smiling anymore--he pulled out of DC with a toe injury.

Oh, dang. Thank you anonymous poster.

thanks, Sherlock.

i´m relieved that i´m not the only one in clueless-valley but errh is no one around who is in the know? peluche..? anyone..? anyone..? ;)

Crazy-for-Rog,
why not the FO 05 for "RoboRog" too?
*I wish he had nerves of steel and the ability to block out all his emotions and play with rational thinking and no emotion whatsoever. If he did, then I am convinced he would have won the French in '06 or '07, and maybe even both.*

peluche, yes, is stuffed animal, although maybe in mallorqui it means something like pubic wig which would, uh, really turn the tables.

"an aggressive display of too much testosterone"

8-O

that is disappointing for Marat
I was looking forward to seeing how he fared against Nole
the Russians are playing Serbia , right?

"My son couldn't be separated from his pubic wig when he was little" gee, it just doesn't sound right.

well , Snoo, if peluche did mean pubic wig in Mallorqui it would give more credence to my bad boy theory on Rafa

but , I think stuffed animal is probably correct
wasn't he looking for a gift for a younger cousin maybe
I am trying to remember that blog

"wasn't he looking for a gift for a younger cousin maybe"

oh beth I have bad news for you about your bad boy.

Snoo - yeah the bad news is .. he only looks like a rebel without a cause
he is a pretty good kid from all reports

aaah. thanks, Snoo.
tell the story, i don´t remember. was he looking for a peluche for himself?

Speaking of pubic wig, I was looking forward to Marat playing in DC, too.

ok - am I the only one with typepad issues today
I am so tired of reopening the tennis .com web site
because my stupid computer won't refresh today
pfff

I was hoping he was buying the stuffed animal for his girlfriend, but he never did clarify in his blog.

"why not the FO 05 for "RoboRog" too?"
Well, Bismarck ... because Roger played simply too badly in that SF against Rafa to win it. At that time, it didn't seem like a mental problem - he just didn't seem like a great clay-court player then.

FO '06 was different - this is where you could see the mental stranglehold Nadal had over him. I think losing the Rome final against Rafa (after being up 2 breaks in the fifth set) was a huge psychological blow for Roger, and I think it drained any confidence he had. FO '07 --- well, I keep thinking about all those breakpoints in the first set that he did not convert - if he had, could he have won the match? Perhaps. Then again, I guess we'll never know ...

MarieJ that sounds like a great Valentine Day thing to do. I have to babysit.

beth stick with c-word, that boy has bad all over his face.

bizzer I don't remember it all, just him out in the rain at night, roaming the streets of some tantalizing locale, searching frantically for a STUFFED ANIMAL. I could even be inventing the rain for stylistic purposes. I just had this blade runner scenario, nanner in some futuristic place, alone in the crowds, a man on a mission... to buy a beanie baby.

Bissy: here is the blog entry where Rafa mentions the peluche.

http://timesonline.typepad.com/rafael_nadal/

Um. I think some of us who could not be counted among Federer's fan, or who are just indifferent, discern the passion, emotion or whatever in the man perfectly well. It just doesn't elicit any feelings of particular connection in everyone who sees it. That's just a fact - no criticism implied.

I didn't see anyone in this thread say that he was passionless or unemotional. In fact, I don't think I've seen anyone in TW say this as such - only have seen his fans "defend" him against the supposed charge.

Maybe someone can point me towards the place where this was said or implied.

Peluche is stuffed anymal... Makes me remember of some very funny comercials in Venezuela with some guy saying "Cuidado con el Peluche!" (Beware of the stuffed animal) and some random human-sized stuffed animal went and attacked him...

Ok. On the "Stereotype" thingy, I want to say that its about tastes when it comes to descriptions. Let me elaborate.
Pete style (if I read him correctly) goes for something I like to call "Layering". You add the first most obvious layer to then add other layers that give depth to the character. The problem with this kind of descriptions are that sometimes they might evoke the wrong thoughts. Something to do with clichés, culture and points of view.

Let me try something to see if I can make myself understood (gonna describe myself to do so):

Layering:

-I like to use the computer, play chess and I have great grades (Nerd)
-I like to play tennis, play soccer, read about sports (Sports Junke)
-I am quiet, reserved and thoughtful.(Introverted)
-I like to laugh and make people laugh. (Extroverted)

The problem with "layering" is that sometimes It doesnt add up too easily. I mean, according to what I wrote, I am an "introverted-extroverted nerdy, sports junke"... I mean, who the hail knows what that means?

On the other hand, the descriptions I like are the ones that "name" the facts, and leave the readers to interpret what they want. It makes up for more universal, yet specific, descriptions.

PS: Marta, Barca 6 points away... there is still hope for a Liga title.

Snoo
Unless as you say, peluche is euphemism for something else. In which case the whole rainy, futuristic foreign place might be just the thing.

Sorry Snoo, your story was a lot more colorful than the blog entry. I think I like yours better. Actually, I kind of recall that it was Ferru walking in the rain in Shanghai, a man on a mission..

Crazy-for-Rog:

Very nice post - and very astute.

no dude that cannot be the same peluche story, I don't know which is scarier, that the nanner wrote two totally different blogs about shopping for peluches, or that I think THE CITY I LIVE IN is some tantalizing futuristic locale...

Rosangle

Let it go for once - let a fan just express their feelings without commentary - as you so often request when you express your feelings or reactions to the players who float your boat.

Ros - I think I borrowed your analogy of the boy your mother wanted you to date - for Roger
anyway , that was the whole jist of the controversial discussion

snoo - nope - there is no bad boy there , either
in fact , he was down right"aw shucks" awkward around the girl at my table :)
and was thoroughly dressed down by his coach for attempting to make contact
not exactly the stuff of bad boy dreams

and well - it's not like I would really leave my husband for any of these guys
or that they would be even remotely interested in me at this point in time

However, were I in my 20's and still single - I can assure you - they would notice

Just returned, i should have gotten wireless instead this c**p...

marieJ, great piece back there...

gee, I'm hooked... and its good for my englAish to...

Just took couple of beers on the way - God, I feel like I could write so much...

I have never yet seen the need to express my feelings anonymously, and again - I have no idea who was suggesting that Fed is passionless.

Nor do I take any exception to what some Nadal fans might term insulting from the same poster ("too much testosterone").

oh no this is just getting worser and worser, now it's ferru who was searching for the peluche in the rain? those hot blooded spaniards and their plush toys.

beth something about the c-word 08 makes me think he's... baddened. and who knows what happens when deblicker calls it a night. jejejeje.

pfft I take exception to it whatever that means exactly, but hey tells me more about her than him, sez I.

colts2008 - your 10:16 AM post is dead-on !
I too think we aren't giving Nadal enough credit - the guy keeps on improving, and he's only 21 ! His results last year on hardcourt were better than the year before, and it's very possible that this year he may do even better. He doesn't lose to just anybody ... his losses have been to players running a hot streak - Tsonga at AO this year, Ferrer at USO last year, Gonzo at AO last year. Losing Wimbledon last year was a huge disappointment to him, but I think mostly because he knew he had chances to win it, and he came so so close. I think he's going to use that experience positively, and he'll be even more motivated to win it this year. Unfortunately for him, he now has Djokovic to contend with as well. No, we don't need to worry about Nadal - he has plenty of reserves left, and I just don't see him as another Lleyton Hewitt - not even close !

Snoo - I am getting a laugh out of the hot blooded spanish peluche
maybe it is a blow up doll
like the kind that Roddick said Spadea had as his "date"

and maybe Richard has gotten an edge -
I will let you know if he is at our hotel again and if he remembers Missie
I will know if I need to watch him more closely around her
He seemed fairly harmless and sweet last year
course, now that he is 21 that may have changed

as for my daughter - I watch her pretty closely - it is hard for her to sneak too much past me - having been the teen I once was - I am not exactly clueless to the tricks girls use to get away from their mothers :)

Beth: the boys my mother wanted me to date (well, more than one) was/were basically really nice guys, and I always acknowledged that. But, personal chemistry and/or a fan attraction are often mysterious.

yeah beth maybe it's just the new atp mugshot but he looks like he should be selling bootleg pall malls out of the back of an el camino in the parking lot at the county fair.

Ros - mine too - my mother tried really hard
and the minute she said "what a nice boy"
I found a reason not to like them - just for spite
My analogy here is that for me - I react in that same way to Federer
In spite of being told how great he is ( which I can see )
I find myself being turned off
That is all
now , this is becoming another dead horse
and I wish I had not said anything about it !

Ok, I take back the "too much testosterone" remark. I didn't realize it was insulting when I wrote it, but in hindsight, I should have been more mindful. I really don't have anything against Rafa's displays of exuberance, honestly. It's just not what draws me. It's a matter of personal taste, I guess. The players I have adored before Fed were Edberg and Rafter. So that gives you an idea of my taste.

But yes, I am growing increasingly tired of people using Rafa as an example of why Roger is so "boring". Hence my post. My feelings are best described by Pete Sampras himself. I quote:
"What he's doing, and how he's doing it, I respect. Every fan, every media person, has a different sort of athlete (they respect) and he's my sort of guy. He's not brash, he's not abrasive. He lets his racket do the talking. I don't think that's a negative. To hear someone say he's boring, I'm tired of hearing that (stuff). It's nauseating. Just respect what he's doing."

thanks for the heads up , snoo
I will have to check out this mugshot
and keep him away from my little princess

although I am quite sure that will make him all the more appealing to her :)

ok - I looked at the Gasquet mugshot
he does look older and more edgy in that photo
I see what you mean, Snoo

Gee - now you guys made me go look at gasquet's mug. We need a link.

Hmmm, may he does look like a carny. I'll have to think about this.

My mom had GREAT taste. My dad was a prince. Married my mom with a ready-made family - three kids already, and had four more! I would have listened to anything my mom said about men. Smart woman. :))

Tari, wow! 7 kids?

Yeah, Sher! I'm very blessed with my brothers and sisters. I'm really proud of Mom and Dad for that. They're gone, but we're all really close...our kids are close.

What's the french word for rohypnol?

http://tinyurl.com/2m8dn7

In terms of hotness, I don't think the modern players can compete with the players of the past. I mean Federer really doesn't have girls chasing him down like Borg did. Also, look at Edberg, he was gorgeous. And then of course there is Cliffie, I mean like wow! But what appeal to one person, mayn't be appealing to another. So beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. I here that alot.

CfR - well, I was a big fan of Rafter and Edberg too. An entertaining (?!) experience of my recent life - literally crushed against Edberg in a crowd after his match with Henman at the BlackRock Masters, staring at the back of the guy's neck, listening to him having very polite little chats with various fans who were asking for his autograph. And I was there with my massive camera, weighed down, trying to get out without hitting Edberg with my lens, and blocked by the fans there. And he patiently kept on signing autographs.

I finally get *that* close to Stefan Edberg, and I'm there in an "official" capacity for TW and weighed down with camera equipment:) Oh well. He was very charming to his fans, as I saw at first hand. And, I have to admit, that being there with a press pass gives you a different perspective - it was more like my "real" career, where the people I would typically meet or interview aren't tennis players.

I actually don't think that Federer is boring. On an intellectual level, I find him pretty interesting, and certainly worthy of respect - just don't react to him on what you might call an elemental level.

Tari: I'm guessing you're one of the oldest?

5th avenue sounds like a tantalizing futuristic locale to me.
but now i´m intrigued that there might be a second peluche story with ferru...

thanks for the link, zonie.

Ah Crazy-for-Roger...thanks for the great posts. No one was more stoic than Borg oncourt and yet I adored him. Roger is way more expressive than that! But is quiet compared to Nadal. I hate in-your-face oncourt behavior like J-Mac and Connors. But I don't see Nadal like that. I have never had a problem with a 'come on' or a 'fist pump' from any player.

And thanks for reprinting the quote from Sampras. He's dead right. And he should know...he was labeled with the boring moniker probably more than anyone.

Tari-your family sounds terrific . that is very special
my dad is pretty terrific - too - so my mom did something right
but her choices for me -no way
1) her dear friend's son - who lived on a bona fide cotton plantation complete with bloodhounds - who at 17 was balding and incredibly dull
2) a young med student - who sweet talked her - but who I had to beat away before he tried to perform some "labwork " on me in his car
3)a young engineering student - who showed up and was eager to "help her out " around the house - but spent an inordinate amount of his free time stoned out of his mind

After those 3 suggestions- I figured she really did not know what she was talking about

Mr. and Mrs. D: Nope! Second to youngest. :)

***Crazy-for-Roger wrote: ...(Nadal) losing Wimbledon last year was a huge disappointment to him, but I think mostly because he knew he had chances to win it, and he came so so close...***
______

Yes, it is totally understandable that a loss like that can stick with you. I'm sure that loss could have affected Nadal mentally for a while. I have no doubt that Roger felt the exact same way after the Rome final loss; and I truly believe it affected his belief in himself when he played Nadal again at RG.

hmmm...that whole birth order theory just flew out the window

Actually, Beth...my mom only fixed me up with a date once. She really wasn't one to do that. And I think it was a hasty decision (I had just broken up with my bf and was inconsolable), so I would give her a pass there. But she was soooo sharp about all of the significant others of my siblings, etc., over the years.

I was just sort of teasing you, anyway... ;-)

What's the birth order theory? Do tell. :)

***In terms of hotness, I don't think the modern players can compete with the players of the past. I mean Federer really doesn't have girls chasing him down like Borg did. Also, look at Edberg, he was gorgeous.***
___________

Let's face it - it was the 70s, Borg was a teen, and he had long blonde hair...as a young girl, there was no one sexier in my book. And he had the best legs on tour, especially with those short shorts.

I don't remember specifics but the gist is that one's personality is based on their birth order (oldest, youngest ,etc). Older siblings supposedly make good marital matches with younger ones. Older siblings nurture while younger ones tend to respond to being taken care of.

apparently , my mom was easily sweet talked
of course, that worked out for me fairly well

I'm guessing that you get the feeling that I'm a nurturer then, Mr. and Mrs. D? Is that it? Interesting. :)

Tari- I would guess that as well
just based on most of your posts
you were also the peacemaker in your family
would be my guess

Ptenis where are you? That essay is going a long way towards erasing the horror of that Verdasco pic. Dont EVER do that again Jbrad.

My favorite bit so far. Aoplogies to any Jacob Hlasek fans.

"Jacob Hlasek is 6'2' and built like a halfback. His blond hair in a short square cut with icy blue eyes and cheekbones out to there. He looks like a either a nazi male model or a lifeguard in hell and generally seems way too scary to talk to. "

I didn't need to know about Joyce's virginity though.

My mom, absolutely HATES my taste in guys, but she recognizes and respect that it really is my choice. Parents should never fixs their kids up on date because they are picking the person based upon what they like and it maybe the opposite of what the kid like.

Gosh, you nailed it, Beth. That's me. My family would probably not fit into the birth order theory at all. I wonder why now...must look into this. :)

Not a nurturer so much. You definitely state your opinions here, but you're quick to smooth any feathers you may have ruffled. You keep the peace. You're also very quick to welcome new posters. Not too much self-centeredness(sp?) there -- surely signs of an older sibling in an earlier life, maybe.

Right here santa. That was quick. I didn't think it was that easy to find that book.

I am just trying to remember Hlasek- he did kind of look like a lifeguard
if I remember right

My mother meant well - when she tried to fix me up . I was always glad that I did not live in a society that was built on arranged marriages . I cannot imagine who my parents would have chosen

"just don't react to him on what you might call an elemental level."

In other words, he's not hott. ;-)

Ooo I've just come across the first instance of Agassi hateration tucked away nicely in a footnote about tennis pros' copious perspiration.

"Sampras always wears light blue shorts that sweat through every place but his jockstrap, which looks funny and endearing like he's an incontinet child..Sampras is surprisingly cute and childlike on the court, in person, in contrast to Agassi who's about as cute as a Port Authority whore"

I think I just choked on my tongue due to laughing too hard.

Well, thank you. That's a great compliment, Mr. and Mrs. D. :) But part of that is because I really do love the people here, and we all have our days, I guess. So it's the crowd here that inspires me to make that effort, I think. Geez, that reads really cheesy...but true. :)

Older sibling in an earlier life, eh? :)

Yep. He says all this stuff about agassi and you think - dude, that's a bit unkind. And then towards the end he tells you exactly how he feels.

I'm the oldest though I do have some qualities of an only child because I was 7 when my brother was born

Tari- 7 kids OMG how fun!

And my Mother hated the girls I picked- she thought they were- well... what's the most polite word? Madonna-(Ciccone)-esque-

she tried to fix me up once with a really sweet- too sweet- girl though

Re peluche: it is indeed a stuffed animal, but might be a special kind of stuffed animal (resembling a sock-puppet) that serves a specific purpose, to protect the head of a golf club while in bag. Rafa is an avid amateur golfer, not only while away on tour, but also in Mallorca and I remember seeing several of his photos while golfing, his picturesque golf bag in the background and those cute fluffy club covers shaped as heads of a hippo, a donkey, a camel... He might be buying one of these each time he's in NY.

One of the conveniences of working right across from borders.

Connors is described as having " the serve of an ectomorphic girl". He also apparently used "the single shittiest tennis racquet ever made and is regarded by most serious players as useful only for prying large rocks out of your backyard".

I think I have to stop now.

MrsSanta- where are getting these snarky quotes?

That's so cute, malimeda! I love those fun club covers. I think it really shows a lot of personality to be traipsing around with a golf bag full of animals. Hee. My son has a club cover that is a black labrador, like our dog. I wish I could find another one for my bag. :)

ooh- this TV show "Moment of Truth" is wonderful and horrible

speaking of borders: the borders near my house closed without warning. i am devastated. i am being subjected to a single bookstore chain monopoly now.

errr, that's an ambitious hypothesis malimeda but I'm not falling for it.

Jbrad its from an essay by David Foster Wallace on Michael Joyce of all people. Ptenis recommended it.

Ptenis how much do you think he hates Djokovic's game?

*and those cute fluffy club covers shaped as heads of a hippo, a donkey, a camel... He might be buying one of these each time he's in NY.*

it gets more and more interesting. i´m so glad i asked about peluche.
thanks malimeda.

I dont think he has a problem with agassi's game do you?

Older siblings are supposed to be competitive and to have the desire to succeed beyond that of the younger ones.

Being the eldest myself, I can relate.

The Nanner said he was buying his peluche at a store next to the Apple Store on Fifth Ave. I hate to break it to you but that store is not a golf store. By any stretch of the imagination.

http://tinyurl.com/yqvv2g

Where I am so far it seems so. He appreciates the skill but given that he compares watching Agassi's style of play to a "a film of the old Soviet Union putting down a rebellion" I would say he doesn't like it. Maybe I haven't read far enough.

Remind me to take a trip to FAO Schwartz when I'm in NY next- I have got to see all the cool stuff

I'm very competitive and growing up was deliriously jealous of my 2 younger siblings- LOL

I like this sentence completely devoid of context

"Agassi's balls look more like Borg's balls would have looked if Borg had been on a year long regimen of both steroids and methamphetamines...."

Reading about how shockingly hard Agassi hit seems quaint.

now it's just moments of delirious jealousy :)

We'll go to FAO Schwartz before the cupcake shop, jbrad. :) (No, I'm not giving up my cupcake dream!)

By virtue of being older, the older siblings are seen as more successful by younger siblings. Most younger siblings, in trying to keep up, become more competitive and eventually outshine their older siblings.

Tari- at this rate, we may have to set aside a complete day to enjoy the city

and I have not forgotten the cupcakes either :D

there IS some shopping I could do too
hehehe