Spoilers: Random Thoughts (Sports)

If there will ever be a question about the otherwise faultless and record-breaking career of Roger Federer, it's that even though he managed what Pete Sampras didn't in a French Open title, he could not win one against his great rival Rafael Nadal. It's of course still not beyond possibility, but at 29 now it seems like his chance may have gone. Well played, Rafa.
 
Well played to you too Sir :p
 
Just found the full match of the 1971 New Zealand All Blacks tourists vs the Barbarians on ESPN Classic.

V+'ed the same.

:smile:
 
Anyone got a link to a site where I might be able to watch the Haye v Klitschko fight instead of forking over money to Rupert Murdoch?
 
Here's a bit of news from our local minor league baseball team that's worth mentioning here:

Dragons set consecutive sellout record

DAYTON -- Eight hundred and fifteen balloons meandered toward the azure sky, green and orange streamers swayed from the backstop fencing, and 8,688 sons and daughters of Southwest Ohio stood cheering an accomplishment 12 seasons in the making.

The fifth inning? Finished. The game? Official. The record? It's here, in Dayton.

The Dayton Dragons, a Class A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, sold out their 815th consecutive game at an over-capacity Fifth Third Field on July 9 to set a North American professional sports record, eclipsing the previous mark of 814 held by the Portland Trail Blazers (1977-95).

"There's definitely a lot of emotions," team GM Gary Mayse said. "I go back to when we opened the gates in April of 2000, and at that point, you're just trying to get one game under your belt. But to know that 12 years later we've got the all-time sellout streak, it's not only good for the Dayton Dragons -- it's good for the Dayton community."

The Dragons moved to Dayton from Rockford, Ill., in 2000 and sold out their entire first season before the first pitch had been thrown. Attendance has been perfect ever since.

"If it has the word, 'Dayton,' on the front of the jersey," team president Robert Murphy said, "this community is going to support it."

The team's viability, however, wasn't always so certain. Some wondered whether Dayton could support a team that played its home games just 57 miles from Great American Ball Park. But Murphy's motto of "unsurpassed customer service" has had Dayton hooked since day one. Fans come to see baseball, sure. But they come first and foremost for entertainment -- and the Dragons supply plenty of that.

The 90-second gaps between innings feature contests and dance routines, including a toddler race.

"For as scripted as we are with our entertainment, that's one of the best unscripted moments you can possibly have," Murphy said of the tike trot.

The Dragons also offer numerous promotions, including Hometown Hero Night, which honors local military personnel serving overseas, and Home Run for Life, which allows children recovering from injury or illness to run the bases and touch 'em all.

"People are so prideful of this," said Dragons vice president Eric Deutsch. "The Midwest has not had a lot of great things to get rallied around in many years, so this has been a really great thing for our community. This is something they did."

As for the actual game, the Dragons defeated the South Bend Silver Hawks, 4-1, to improve to 47-39, inching closer to their first winning season since 2007. But tonight wasn't about winning or losing. It was about a town and its team.

"I can't imagine Dayton baseball not being a sold-out situation," Murphy said. "The energy here -- whether it's a Friday night, a Saturday night, a Monday or a Tuesday; whether it's April or August -- is the one thing that I think really separates us. The fans are enjoying themselves in that love affair, coming out on a beautiful summer night. It doesn't get any better than that."

Years ago when it was first announced that Dayton would be getting a baseball team I distinctly remember my mom saying "Nobody's going to downtown Dayton to watch baseball!". So much for that eh mom? :lol:
 
there is no thread for the world championship athletics???

whatever, here's a samoan shot-putter (?) that failed to qualify, and hence decided to participate in the 100m sprint :lmao:
 
finalgear to the rescue.. please
i'd like to pick up some form of team sports again, mainly because i've been incredibly lazy since i started studying and also because i'd really like to meet some new people.

now, for background, what i've played before:
- tennis
- rugby
- squash
- soccer
- badminton

anyway, this shouldn't limit choices in any way.
i've done quick browse of the university offerings, which are quite nice and a few things i picked out:
- ultimate frisbee (mostly running around, but should me immensely fun)
- softball (can anyone describe the difference to 'real' baseball?)
- mountainbiking (not a team sport, but they seem to do tours every week and i have acces to a bikercross track nearby)
- rollerhockey (you know indoors on inline-skates that sort of thing...)

the last two would involve me spending a fair amount of money on equipment, which i'm not too happy to do when jumping into cold water so to say... (i ride my bike regularly, but it's not an MTB).

i have thought about picking up rugby again, actually a friend of mine does it so it'd be easy to get into. on the other hand, all those guys there and that friend in particular, they all don't seem like the sort of people i had hoped to meet. they're not 'my' kind of people... soccer i really only played because i had nothing else to do at the time (my time in NZ that was) and it was nice enough with the right kind of people, but i dont actually like the sport here in germany... in NZ It wasnt all that popular while over here its basically the no1 sport. squash, tennis and badminton are mostly out because they don't involve that social component i'm looking for... i'd end up playing with the people i already know.

so shoot away, ANYTHING you think i might enjoy which sort of allows me to get to know people and have some excercise and fun on a regular basis, just post it all :)
 
Something needs to be done to nerf those damned RB7s. They're making F1 incredibly booooooring. I don't want to see 23 cars single file chasing after Vettel, god damnit!

It's bloody annoying. I can tell you how the rest of the races will end: Vettel wins, Alonso, Button, Hammy and Massa duke it out for the next couple spots, and THEN we have the race itself.
 
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Bears vs. Packers...gee, I wonder what will be talked about tomorrow at work.

It's not easy being the lone soccer fan.
 
Bears vs. Packers...gee, I wonder what will be talked about tomorrow at work.

It's not easy being the lone soccer fan.

sometimes i feel like i am the only that DOESN'T follow soccer over here...
 
Thread from the grave although it was still on the first page...
We (second to last in the championship) just won our table tennis match against the championship leader 9:2... :mouse:

My single game (after I won the double with my teammate 3:0) was pretty good: I lost the first two sets, in the third set I was 9:10 behind, and since the opponent was counting he said 10:9 and matchpoint. I think that was his fault since I won that set 12:10, in the fourth set I was 7:10 behind and won 12:10 while the fifth set was pretty easy since I won that 11:7 including two faulty services from me. :cool:
 
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That's the old method of counting (service changed after 5 points, now the service changes after 2 points) which has been replaced in 2001/2002 for official championships. Since then in normal championships it's best of 5, in the higher leagues and championships best of 7.
 
so, time to stop living in the past then, i guess? :lol:
 
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