How 'Bout THAT Dawg.........

It is a well-known fact that I am a sports junkie. I will rabidly follow any contest, particularly if I feel that I have a representative in the match.

I tried to watch the U.S.-England soccer match, but those damn horns made it impossible. I don't understand soccer AT ALL, except for the "SCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE!!!!!!!!" part. But I felt obligated to pull for my country. I will try to follow the U.S.-whoever match this Saturday from the family reunion. No, I will NOT simply use it as an excuse to retreat to my room. Maybe.

Wimbledon is something I have been in love with for years. I especially like that it comes on at 7:00 AM. Hubby came home the other day while I was watching a match, and he heard them say something about the two weeks of Wimbledon. He said, "This crap stays on for TWO WEEKS!!!!!"

"Yeah," I said dreamily.

I didn't get to follow yesterday's action because I was at school interviewing prospective students for next year. I didn't know about the epic match between Isner of the U.S. and Mahut of France.

It's not just that Isner is from the U.S.

He played his college tennis at UGA. If you've read this blog more than once, you are more than likely well aware of how I feel about all things UGA. Especially all sports things UGA.

I couldn't believe the match had gone to 59-59 in the fifth set and play would continue for the THIRD day. I couldn't wait for it to come on.

When I discovered they wouldn't play until 10:30 AM Eastern, I called and canceled my hair appointment. Saved that eighty bucks, by golly.

And when Isner prevailed 70-68, I got teary-eyed. I was so proud when he showed up for his press conference wearing a UGA Bulldogs t-shirt.

I hope tomorrow's match doesn't go that long. It starts at 7:00 AM, and we've got to hit the road by about 1:00 to go to the annual family reunion. More on THAT later.

I love sports in England. The Open (which used to be called the BRITISH Open, until they got all uppity about it) is in three weeks.

Heaven.

Sports in England.....

I just love it when major sports events take place in England. In the United Kingdom. Which of those is correct? I don't want to offend anyone.....

Lakeland Jo wrote a couple of weeks ago about what a pain it is when Wimbledon is going on. I guess if I lived there and had to contend with the crowds and the hype and all that I would feel differently, but I loooooooooooooooooooooooove Wimbledon.

I love it that it happens in the summer, when I'm home from school. And I love it that it comes on at 7:00 AM, because when else can I watch sports at that hour of the morning?

I have strict rules for deciding which players to pull for.

Generally, I pull for the Americans. That's sometimes a futile exercise when it comes to Wimbledon. I think 16 or 18 Americans started, and there were 6 left at one point this morning. And the one I was pulling for went down, so then there were 5.

I look at the seedings and pull for the underdog. Unless the underdog is playing Roger Federer. And anyone playing against Roger Federer is an underdog. He's just so darned cute. He even makes cute commercials. Last year I struggled with whether to pull for the cute Federer or the cute Nadal. This year I don't have that conflict, since Nadal had to pull out with an injury.

I pull against one of the Williams sisters, because it's so boooooooooooooooooorrrrrriiiiingggggg when it comes to a final between the two of them. I mean come on, how much of each other's game can they NOT know at this point? This year I'm pulling for Venus, which sort of goes against my own rule, because she's won more times than Serena has. But Serena grunts.

I pull against any women players who grunt. I find the grunting very distracting, and if I were playing against a grunter, I would send a line drive right toward her larynx. Game, set, match. It's not just me, either. The commentators did a whole segment about the grunters one day this week. One of the guilty ones was interviewed and she basically said, "No one's gonna make me stop grunting and I'll do it if I want to, and if anyone doesn't like it, they can just leave." I think she's up for the Miss Congeniality award.

I pull for anyone who has made it further than he/she should have had. Someone considered too old to play tennis, someone who has had a baby, someone fresh out of rehab....... oh wait, that's not tennis.

The only thing I don't get is the whole strawberries and cream thing.

One more week of Wimbledon, then it'll be time for the British Open two weeks after that. Sigh. Life is good.