Best. Match. Ever.

The words "best ever" are overused, especially when dealing with athletic competition. But nothing from sport's modern era is more deserving of the label than Sunday's Wimbledon men's tennis final between clay-court master Rafael Nadal (left) and five-time defending champion Roger Federer.

The No. 2-ranked Spaniard Nadal, facing Switzerland's Federer in the Wimbledon final for the third consecutive year, beat the world's top-ranked player in five sets, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (8-10), 9-7, in a match that lasted 4 hours, 48 minutes.

After leading 2-sets-to-none, Nadal lost the next two sets in tiebreaks and still won. Who in the world loses two tiebreaks and still wins a match? It almost NEVER happens. Sometimes losing one tiebreak is enough to send a person into a downward spiral the rest of a match.

If this wasn't the best tennis match of all time, the sport would be far more popular than it is because the match to top this one would've been one hell of a spectacle. Last year's five-set thrill ride between these two at Wimbledon was great, but it doesn't come close to what took place Sunday. The comebacks, the rain delays, the knee-injury scare, John McEnroe awkwardly hugging a teary Federer during an NBC post-match interview. This match had it all.

This match will put an extra spotlight on tennis for a little while, but it won't last unless Federer and Nadal meet again in the next Grand Slam final -- the U.S. Open in August.

Federer hadn't lost on a grass court since 2002 until Sunday. And Nadal hadn't won a Grand Slam title on a surface other than clay -- until Sunday. The U.S. Open is played on a hard court, which is a faster surface than grass and clay.

If Federer and Nadal reach the final in Flushing, N.Y., we might be in for a real treat.

Photo by Anja Niedringhaus / Associated Press

Posted by: jimmy on 7.07.2008 at 9:03 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

When did Champs stop selling hats for normal people?

I like hats. I have a lot of them. And I certainly have no need to acquire any more.

But I also like when things match. My softball team wears green shirts, but I don't have a green hat.

A recent trip to the mall did little to fill the void in my collection. Lids, my go-to store -- customers can get 20 percent off all hats for a year for a one-time fee of $5 -- had little to offer other than a green Boston Red Sox hat, and a couple Notre Dame hats with shamrocks as logos. I almost bit on the Red Sox hat, but thought I'd give Champs Sports a try first. I figured since there was a GREEN RED Sox hat, there might be a green Minnesota Twins hat.

I wandered over to Champs, only to find atrocities like the one you see here. The photo shown is of a hat off the Lids Web site. But at least Lids has hats with preformed brims, too. Champs had nothing except hats with no fewer than 27 logos (an estimation) and brims flatter than the 2-liter bottle of Sierra Mist that has been on my desk for two months.

The hats at Champs SPORTS had nothing to do with SPORTS (aside from the team affiliation) and more to do with the latest Lil' Wayne video. Clearly there's a market for hats with cocked logos and graffiti-infested tops, because I often see them when I drive past the Holiday Center in downtown Duluth. But are they so popular that stores won't sell hats that one might actually be able to wear without looking like an idiot?

Posted by: jimmy on 6.26.2008 at 8:58 PM | Comments (4) | Permalink

These things are powerful

The time -- 2 hours, 13 minutes, 55 seconds -- wasn't stellar.
But the socks were. And so were the spectators.
For that 2:13:55 on Saturday morning during the Garry Bjorklund Half-Marathon, I wasn't Jimmy Bellamy, I was: "Orange Socks," "Nice orange socks," "Go, orange socks," "I like your orange socks!"
I'll admit, I'm not a runner. I'm a soccer player. I lack a passion for running, which makes it difficult to dedicate the time to properly train for runs like a half-marathon and Grandma's Marathon. That's why the socks played such a huge role.
I fed off the commentary from spectators who lined the 13.1-mile course from the North Shore Scenic Highway to Canal Park in Duluth. It gave me a much-needed boost each time those magical words -- orange socks -- were uttered. I thought, "I can't possibly slow down now" each time someone called attention to my bright-orange Adidas soccer socks.
I wore them in honor of my adult league soccer team, Joe Golcz State Farm Insurance Agency, and complemented them with a green Marvel superheroes T-shirt to show my Irish pride.
Ironically, I opted for blue socks in my soccer team's game later Saturday.
Thanks go out to all the people who noticed the orange socks.

Posted by: jimmy on 6.22.2008 at 11:53 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Big Brown's trainer is a big, sweaty baby

After running his mouth for six weeks, Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Big Brown's trainer, Rick Dutrow Jr. (perspiring at right), refused to be interviewed on ABC immediately after his horse failed in his bid for the Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes on Saturday in New York.
Da' Tara was the winning horse; Big Brown was ninth out of nine horses.
Dutrow finally spoke with reporters almost one hour after the defeat. He wasn't shy about finding his way in front of the camera at each of Brown's previous victories, so why now did he feel the need to tell reporters "Don't even think about it" when asked for an interview?
Big Brown has suffered from a cracked hoof and ran Saturday like there was a problem. But I'm not buying the idea that Dutrow was avoiding TV face time because he was worried about his ailing horse. I think he was trying to get the taste of humble pie out of his mouth.
You can't have it both ways, Rick. Don't hide when things don't go your way. Suck it up and give the post-race interview.

Photo by Rob Carr / Associated Press

Posted by: jimmy on 6.07.2008 at 5:40 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Playoff beard update

It's no coincidence that Pittsburgh's Maxime Talbot (left) scored the game-tying goal with 36.2 seconds left in the Peguins' season in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals Monday night in Detroit.

Pittsburgh went on to beat the Red Wings 4-3 in triple overtime, cutting Detroit's series lead to 3-2 and setting up a Game 6 matchup Wednesday night in Pittsburgh. That's the power of the playoff beard.

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (see little-boy beard at right), except for his two-goal outing in Game 3, has been quiet in the series. He's young; I'll let it slide.

Detroit's Kris Draper (left) is one victory from his fourth Stanley Cup title. With a playoff beard like that there's no wonder why he has been successful.

Associated Press photos

Posted by: jimmy on 6.03.2008 at 8:50 PM | Comments (2) | Permalink

Why is this guy stuck in my head?

Partaking in grueling athletic activity isn't the time to have Bob Carlisle's "Butterfly Kisses" floating through your head, but that's the song I couldn't shake from my skull Saturday night during my bike ride home from work.
The Kevin Gorg lookalike's 1996 hit single about a father's love for his daughter in no way makes the dark ride home into a headwind any easier.
But still, it's nowhere near as bad as Friday night, when I had Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body" stuck in my head the entire 90 minutes of a soccer game I played in.
That was par for the course after being on the losing end of a 1-0 score on May 17 in my Duluth Amateur Soccer League team's match with this little number tucked inside my gourd.
Why can't I run around to Linkin Park's "Given Up" more often?

Posted by: jimmy on 5.25.2008 at 11:23 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink

Leave Gloria's baby alone

LeBron James' mom, Gloria James, took exception to a foul by Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce against her son during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series Monday between the Celtics and Cavaliers in Cleveland.

Gloria James had to be restrained by Celtics forward Kevin Garnett while Brad Pitt's stunt double held the ball.

The Cavs won the game to tie the series 2-all.

I hope LeBron got her something really cool for Mother's Day.

Photo by Mark Duncan / Associated Press

Posted by: jimmy on 5.12.2008 at 11:29 PM | Comments (2) | Permalink

Better late than Nevre

In the words of the Spice Girls, "Goodbye, my friend." That's what John Madden was rumored to be singing on the morning of March 4, the day Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre announced his retirement.
Since then, NFL "experts" and fans have discounted the Green Bay Packers' playoff chances for next season. The thought of Aaron Rodgers, Brian Brohm, Matt Flynn, Craig Nall or anyone else taking snaps for the green and gold, combined with the offseason moves by the Minnesota Vikings, has people picking the purple to take the NFC North Division title.
Not so fast.
While I'd love to believe that the Vikings' acquisition of guys like wide receiver Bernard Berrian (Chicago) and defensive end Jared Allen (Kansas City) will lead to a date at Super Bowl XLIII on Feb. 1, 2009, in Tampa, Fla., against the New England Patriots and wide receiver Randy "Straight Cash, Homey" Moss, I think the Packers have to remain the favorites in the NFC's Black & Blue Division.
Rodgers, who isn't nearly as bad or as fragile as people say, should wind up the starter on a team with great receivers, a decent running back and offensive line and a young and talented defense.
The Vikings, while making significant improvements since last season, need to remember Brad Childress still is their coach. They'll win less games than they should as long as he's running the show.
NFC North prediction: 1st place -- Green Bay, 2nd -- Minnesota, 3rd -- Chicago, 4th -- Detroit
As for Favre, he's the coverboy for Madden NFL '09. I hope for his sake the game's cover curse won't be in effect now that his playing days are done.
Associated Press photo

Posted by: jimmy on 5.09.2008 at 8:35 PM | Comments (2) | Permalink

Darrion Scott is not a good father

Darrion Scott, a former Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman, was charged with assault Tuesday.

An athlete charged with assault? Big deal; happens all the time, right?

Not like this.

Scott, a free agent after spending his first four seasons with Minnesota, is accused of choking his 2-year-old son by putting a plastic dry cleaning bag over his head and holding it on. Scott also was charged with endangerment of a child after leaving a loaded gun in an unlocked drawer where his kid had access.

Good luck finding a job for next season, Darrion.

2007 file photo / Associated Press

Posted by: jimmy on 5.06.2008 at 7:17 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Purple Police Beater

Someone take away Carl Eller's keys.

For the second time since 2006, the Pro Football Hall of Famer was picked up for driving under the influence (allegedly).

Early Wednesday, Minneapolis police arrested the 66-year-old, who spent 15 seasons as a member of the Minnesota Vikings' vaunted "Purple People Eaters" defensive line.

According to police, Eller refused to pull over and drove at speeds up to 60 mph on residential roads and didn't stop until pulling his Mercedes SUV into his garage. After getting out of his vehicle, Eller punched one officer and threw the other onto the hood of his Mercedes. The cherry on top was the Taser shot Eller absorbed with no effect.

Maybe he's just trying to be reunited with former linemate Alan Page, the Minnesota Supreme Court Justice.

Photo by Hennepin County Sheriff's Office

Posted by: jimmy on 4.09.2008 at 9:01 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink