Trade Deadline

Before we get into the mayhem of this trade and that trade, I wanted to share my experience at the ballpark yesterday.

It was getaway day for the Blue Jays and Rays. The matinee (so called 'Camp Day') was scheduled to begin at 12:37 PM. A few friends and I reached the Rogers Centre way before that, at around 10:20 AM. In downtown Toronto, like it has been for about 40 of the last 50 days, rain was sheeting down from the sky. Not only that, there were flashes of lightning and as we stood in line anticipating the gates to open at 11 AM, we got soaked.

Once we were inside the stadium, we saw that there was no BP, hence practically no chance to snag baseballs. But hey, what can you do? So, we decided to hang around the dugouts hoping some player or coach, anyone in uniform would wander over and sign some autographs. And soon enough, Shaun Marcum meandered from the outfield, took the pen and started signing.

From there, we navigated down to the Rays dugout, waited for about 15 minutes and got Al Reyes' autograph and the incredible pitching coach Jim Hickey's signature. It was then that the Canadian Olympic Baseball Team, who are setting out for Beijing in a few days, emerged from the visiting dugout. Looking all so fine in their matching red jackets and black track pants and of course, the Canada caps, the players chatted and occassionally came over to the stands and socialized with fans. Our fourth and final autograph of the day came at the hands of Mike Saunders, 22 year old outfielder for the Canadian team.

The game itself was quite dramatic, but it was painful to watch the Blue Jays strand runners in scoring position inning after inning. Scott Richmond was making his Major League debut for the Blue Jays, becoming just the 14th Canadian to put on a Jays uni. It's always exciting to see a hurler come up to pitch for the first time in the Show. Richmond was solid as a rock through 5 1/3 innings, fighting the jitters to surrender 3 mere runs which the Jays struggled to counter. In the end, it was Richmond's loss, but he deserved and received a cheering standing ovation as he straddled off the field in the 6th. And like any classy athlete would do, he tipped his cap to a sizeable crowd of 40 322.

The Jays lost 3-2, but I had lots of fun. Four autographs ain't bad for a day's worth and hey, you don't get to see the entire Olympic Baseball Team every day.

Now to the hyped up trade deadline in which the Blue Jays don't look poised to make any improvements (typical JP). Yankees acquired Ivan Rodriguez from the Tigers in exchange for Kyle Farnsworth. Two nights ago, Mark Teixeira moved out west again to the Los Angeles Angels for Casey Kotchman and others.

Today, rumours are afly with Manny possibly packing his bags for Florida. Griffey could be visiting ChiTown soon as that deal is very close to completion.

The deadline is 4 PM EDT today. Keep it here for any breaking updates!

-D

What a Week It Was!

For us Torontonians, it was a wild week in sports here.

From golf to tennis to baseball to soccer, the fans had ample trouble deciding which tickets to buy and which channel to turn to.

Add the rainy wrath of Mother Nature, it makes for a hell of a week in sports!

First to Oakville. The Canadian Open of golf at Glen Abbey had all kinds of delays as the grass was soaked in rainwater. Our homeboy Mike Weir gave it a good shot, but notched only a 5th place finish. Personally, I think Weir is very overrated. Just because he was crowned champion of the Masters in 2003, the media is in love with the guy. He's dipping in performance every tournament and it's incredibly hard to rebound now. But congrats to Chez Reavie for hauling home the hardware.

Rexall Centre, York University. Rafa=unbeatable. Having won 29 straight matches and 5 consecutive tournaments, Nadal is more and more looking like the Federer of 05 and 06. The tough Spaniard knocked out Nicolas Kiefer effortlessly yesterday and didn't have to deal with the storms that had been a frequent site at the Rogers Cup earlier in the week. Now onto Cincinnati where Nadal has a decent shot at ascending to World #1.

Take the subway down to the Rogers Centre, you'd have found yourself cheering for the home team-our beloved Toronto Blue Jays-this weekend. The Jays played horribly on Friday night, but was lucky enough to squeak out a narrow, extra inning victory courtesy of Joe Inglett, no doubt a very underrated member of this team. On Saturday, it was a textbook pounding, as we defeated the Mariners with pride, 8-3. And yesterday, under sunny skies, the bats seemed deadened by the heat as John McDonald provided the only offense with his 9th career home run.

Go west on the Gardiner and drop by BMO field. On Thursday, it was the site of the MLS all star game. Well...it was the MLS All-Stars vs. West Ham, but a great match-up nonetheless. David Beckham didn't score...blah, blah... But kudos to Dwayne De Rosario, the pride of Scarborough, for netting (yet again) the eventual winning goal!

This Wednesday, I'm going to a Blue Jays game!

-D

Searching for the Olympic Spirit

Citius, Altius, Fortius!

It's the inspiring motto of the modern Olympic Games.

...and it has always been, ever since the formation of the International Olympic Committee in 1894.

But does it have any valuable meaning left in it?

Does anybody nowadays pay the solemn respect it deserves?

Those questions are probably not hard to answer, considering all the controversies that have grasped the spirit and choked it since the revival of the sacred Games back in 1896. Just imagine, what in the world would Pierre de Coubertin think or say if he saw the current status of the Games in which he so enthusiastically helped to reintroduce to the world?

With the Beijing Olympics slowly revealing its face behind the horizon, this writer can't help it but wonder where the spirit of the Olympics has gone?

Like a pot of shimmering water baking under the inescapable heat of the sun, the meaning of the Olympic Games is rapidly evaporating. It's daunting to think that it may never condense again, that's to say, the trend may be irreversible.

But metaphors aside, here are just some of the sweet-tooths that are crumbling away the once sizeable cookie of the Olympic spirit.

1. Let's Go Commercial!

NBC paid $5.7 BILLION for the Olympic broadcasting rights from the Games of Sydney to London. Pause for a moment and think about that. 5 700 000 000 dollars! This was just ONE of the many out-of-their-mind networks who were willing to write 9 digit cheques to cover the 16 day long event. Crazy! Is this what sports has turned into?? A bidding war??

And what about those sponsors then? Do you ever get annoyed when the networks bombast you with endless commercials when you could be watching your favourite sprinter hustle on the track? The truth is that everyone's hungry for the money, Olympic organizers included. But should the Olympics be an item of business? Some may argue yes. But take a step back and think. Aren't the Olympic Games supposed to promote peace, unity, passion and bring the best of the world's athletes together? Where has that ideal gone?

2. The Political Perspective

Beijing 2008 is a perfect example. From accusations concerning Tibet to issues about human rights, we heard all the politics we ever wanted to hear and more. Funny, 'cause Japan last hosted the Winter Olympics in 1998 and I don't remember anyone bringing up the notorious war crimes they had committed.

The accusations on China are getting ridiculous. Yes, it's true they took over Tibet in a not so nice fashion, and yes, they don't have a clean human rights record. But such social and political problems exist or have existed for nearly every country in the world. The United States was in the midst of a segregation and civil rights crisis in the 1960's, but by then, the Americans had already played host to the Olympics four times. China is a developing country and it's far from perfect. But progress is being made in nearly every corner of the blossoming country and picking the Communists' bones is not a way to help with that improvement.

Perhaps it doesn't come as a heart-wrenching surprise that the political needle has been deeply injected into the Olympic vein once again. Seventy-two years ago, during the controversial 1936 Games hosted by the terrifying Nazi regime, Germany only sent Aryan athletes to compete. While that was expected of the nasty Nazis, many nations spoke of a boycott in protest of fascism. Despite that, the good spirit of unity eventually came through and a boycott was yielded.

Current events have also taken their toll on the good spirit of competition. As Hungarians revolted against the mighty Soviets in the streets of Budapest in 1956, the two nations fought in a belligerent and bloody water polo match in Melbourne. A few countries also abstained from Melbourne in disappointment of the Soviets, as well as in response to the Suez Canal Crisis.

The story has unfortunately only gotten worse from there. In 1968, at the groundbreaking Mexico City Olympics, African-American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their arms in a powerful and infamous Black Power Salute during the national anthem of the United States at their medal ceremony. While this political statement is now viewed as an inspirational and even courageous gesture in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement, it cannot detach itself from intense scrutiny into the politicization of the Olympic movement.

Boycotts of varied magnitudes struck the Games of Montreal, Moscow, Los Angeles and Seoul. And while the celebrations in Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney and Athens were less politically contentious, the tragedy of political Olympics has already dawned on the upcoming Games and one can only hope the spirit of the eternal flame will prevail in the end.

3. The Needle in the Butt

Ahh...of course, did we really expect the most global sporting event in the world to be immune from the rampant steroid use that has clouded over countless athletes and sports in recent history?

It is an absolute shame, a shame beyond what words can describe. Why would anyone in their right mind commit such atrocities to their one and only body? Don't they know that doping is the equivalent of suicide? Don't they know that drugs destroy the virtuous best and the egregious worst of athletes? Is it just because of fame, money and glory that these bright young men and women consume steroids and drugs at a mind-boggling rate? If so, then we have found the textbook definition of "perversity" and we might as well abandon the whole ideal of the Olympic Movement.

At the Athens Games during the summer of 2004, a new record was set for the most competitors testing positive for banned substances. This is no record to be proud of! While many accredit this increase on stricter testing, it is, nonetheless, an unpleasant trend, one that prompts a plethora of debates. The only way to restore the purity and integrity of the Olympics is through promotion of the good spirit. The IOC, while seemingly in control of the doping situation, still lacks a truly committed group of good guys who are willing to reverse the worrisome pattern of chemical consumption.

Even a modest reduction in doping incidents in Beijing would signal a commendable success considering what has gone on with other sports in recent years, but until then, we can only search for the meaning of Citius, Altius, Fortius somewhere else.

4. If you can't beat 'em, Bribe 'em!

"Here's a gift...please vote for our city!"

If you think the IOC members are righteous and honest enough to reject those gifts, think again!

While this accusation doesn't apply to all, or most members of the voting council, there are the mischievous few who will do anything for personal benefit. And considering there are people who will go out of their way to get the votes of the mischievous few, you've got a perfect equation set up for bribery.

Think about it, does it make any sense that the IOC awarded the Winter Games of 2002 to Salt Lake City, Utah when Atlanta, Georgia hosted the Summer Games a mere 6 years prior? What happened to the tradition of rotating on different continents? What happened to giving as many countries a chance be the humbled host as possible? Was all that stomped down the sewers because of bribery?

Sadly, at the turn of 1999, the organizers of the Salt Lake City games admitted to influencing the IOC's vote via bribery. This resulted in numerous, high-profile resignations and revealed not only the shameful actions by the Salt Lake crew, but prompted investigations into other prospective bids that wounded up capturing the ultimate prize. These allegations involved the organizers of Atlanta 1996, Nagano 1998, Sydney 2000, and oh yes, even Toronto's unsuccessful bid for the 2008 Games.

So with such widespread corruption taking place within the IOC, what spirit is left of the Olympics when the group of bureaucrats holding the power of awarding the hallowed Games have proven that they don't even bother respecting the motto of Citius, Altius, Fortius?! What hope is there left for that motto to survive, when all its dignity has been ignored and the IOC is virtually trashing itself by giving the cold shoulder to the very same principles on which it was founded?

IOC bashing aside, who the hell decided it was a good idea to PAY the athletes who win medals??!! This thing is downright Preposterous with a capital P, not to mention, bribery-like. Why do athletes need the greenback as motivation? Why should medalists be awarded, when the most passionate of competitors are typically not the ones on the podium? The ridiculous mindset of some nations reinstates the undeniable fact that the world really does revolve around cash. Sad! Truly sad!

5. Bombs away!

In the post 9/11 world, security everywhere is tighter than ever before. You name it, from the expected sites like airports and train stations and government buildings to the more subtle places such as folks' homes, candy factories and bicycle shops. It seems like wherever you step, there's some guard equipped in full uniform, baton by his side, bitter-faced, coldly ready to scramble through your bag. Needless to say, this has become a dark tradition during the Olympic traditions.

Two terrorist attacks have left their ugly dent in the Olympic spirit as well. Infamously, in 1972, the Palestinian terrorist organization "Black September" left a black mark in Munich, massacring 11 Israeli competitors. Cross the Atlantic and 24 years later, another significant violent incident struck as the Olympic festivities went on in Atlanta. This time, bombs were detonated in Centennial Olympic Park by Eric Robert Rudolph, who amazingly would escape arrest for the next 7 years.

Once again, the role of politics gets its chance to shine. Terrorist strikes can be considered a consequence of politicization and this should shake the nerves of the IOC as it is a grim signal of what could or may happen if more is not done to refill the well of the Olympic spirit.

With security measures at unimaginable heights for the upcoming Beijing Games, it makes one wonder whether the world can make an improbable return back to the days where only handfuls of cash was needed to purchase an Olympic ticket, not passport, driver's license, home address, email, fingerprint, and the names of your pets. Of course, September 11th changed all of that. The Olympics went from being a wild party to a lockdown after those attacks. If only we didn't need policemen carrying nuclear radiation detectors or AK47s around Olympic sites...if they just carried a warm, cordial smile, then the spirit and the party would be alive and well.

As with a spectrum of other things in life, many people have lost the compassionate ability to appreciate the beauty of sports and sportsmanship. Instead, just about everyone is crazy about money. Just about everyone blindly follows the evil ideals of commercialism while being influenced by the bigotry of the media.

The Olympic Movement has seen more than its share of nastiness, hatred and terror. That has reduced the spirit and meaning of the once great motto to a mere dot. But it is still a breathable and savable distance away from extinction. From time to time come a few athletes who express the highest of Olympic ideals and earn the utmost respect of others with their virtuous sportsmanship. The greedless athletes who persevere and struggle to the finish line despite injury or failure. The selfless athletes who don't whine or brag but instead congratulate others and are just happy to be in the competition. Those are the role models that will make the spirit resurrect to its full potential! Unfortunately, they don't get the attention they deserve.

When the ancient Greeks gathered for the celebration of the Olympic Games back when human civilization was only beginning to thrive, they did it in the spirit of unity, ebullience, harmony, respect, camaraderie, collaboration and inspiration. That was the original essence of the Olympic Games and that is what is missing from the Movement today.

What has this world come to?!

-Danny Zhang

Summer Fun

It's hot up here in TO!

But I haven't played baseball in a looooooong time, just been organizing my room as of late.

Anyhow, the Jays have dropped 2 straight to Tampa. This just goes to show that the All-Star Break is a monumental mark in the season. Say, Tampa lost 7 going into the break, but now they look extremely well rested (except for Kazmir maybe), and Toronto is experiencing the exact opposite fate. The Jays confidently took 5 of 6 before the Break and now seem to be lackadaisical on offence once again. Sigh, just keep on fightin', boys!

In less than 3 weeks, the Games of the XXIX Olympiad will get underway in Beijing, China. Right now, I'm busy working on a very lengthy article on the diminishing spirit of the Olympic Games and what factors are ruining the great celebration that once was. If all goes well, look for the entry sometime in the next 2-3 days.

Man, I just HAVE to pass this on: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html This brilliant and clever article was the winner of this year's highly touted Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing. In brief, it's a music experiment, but not just any music experiment, no no, this is what happens when you put Joshua Bell, an international virtuoso violinist in street clothes and have him perform in a bustling Washington subway station...yes, it's very long, but definitely worth the read!

Time for a hair cut!!

-D

A True Midsummer Classic

That's what last night's (and this morning's) MLB All-Star game was!

It was also a perfect send off for Yankee Stadium.

The Cathedral deserved it! The fans deserved it! The players deserved it! The managers deserved it! But above all, the legends on hand deserved a game like that!

While the living legends watched on, the future legends battled. They battled in an all out turf war for 4 hours and 50 minutes before the American League finally hailed victory in front of a thinning crowd in the bottom of the 15th inning. It was 1:37 AM when Morneau slid across the plate with the winning run everyone was frantic to see.

It could've went to either league as seen by the incredible action on the field. We witnessed the NL strike first, only to see Yankee-foe JD Drew get an unbelievable ovation after his game tying home run. Then, Adrian Gonzalez plated Miguel Tejada to retake the NL lead. But after a Grady Sizemore stolen base and an Evan Longoria ground-rule two bagger, the AL evened it at 3.

And it remained that way until the 15th, tying the 1967 All-Star record of 15 innings as well as shattering the longest ASG in terms of clock. There were countless chances for both sides, but neither could cash in. The marathon had both managers on the brink of pulling their hairs out. Terry Francona resorted to using the "unavailable" Scott Kazmir after depleting his bullpen. An equally nervous Clint Hurdle called on Brandon Webb even though he shouldn't have. But as Justin Morneau came dusting in with the winning run, it was Francona who breathed a gargantuan sigh of relief, yelling "YES! YES! YES!" and bear hugging Jim Leyland on the side.

Then there was poor Dan Uggla, going 0-4 with 3 nasty strikeouts and a double play grounder that helped Marian Rivera escape a heart-pumping jam. Mere minutes after grounding into the twin killing, Uggla committed back to back errors to begin AL half of the 10th. Later, he bobbled another grounder, tapping a not so pretty 3 into his errors column.

And finally, guess who was the MVP?! A man who calls Fenway his home park...JD Drew! That's right, at the final All-Star Game ever at Yankee Stadium, a Boston Red Sox was presented with the MVP. Talk about a classic!

After all Yankee Stadium has seen...July 15th/16th will go down as one of those unforgettable, classic moments at the House that Ruth Built. The home run derby might of made the Bambino proud, but last night, he might of woken up from his grave.

-D

The Night That Would've Made Babe Ruth Proud

How do you go from being a suicidal heroin addict to hitting 35 prodigious home runs at the most hallowed stadium of all? Just ask JOSH HAMILTON!

How do you win the silvery Home Run Derby trophy despite hitting 13 less bombs than the runner up? Just ask JUSTIN MORNEAU!

Whomever you ask, it was an unforgettable night at Yankee Stadium as 8 of the game's brightest and finest sluggers brought down the House that Ruth Built with some breathtaking long balls. And god forbid, these guys are squeaky clean.

This Home Run Derby marked a changing of the guard in baseball. Young guns like Evan Longoria, Grady Sizemore and Ryan Braun got to show off their mighty muscles. For once, the days of McGwire, Sosa and Bonds seemed like a distant memory.

However, the brightest star of the night was not Longoria, Sizemore nor Braun, heck, it wasn’t even the humbled champion himself, instead, a man named Josh Hamilton stole the show in the Bronx.

It was a feel-good story in every aspect. Hamilton, who two short years ago was addicted to heroin, smashed 28 big flies in the first round alone. Earlier in the day, he had revealed to the media that he once had a peculiar dream, an almost surreal one where Hamilton was at Yankee Stadium participating in the very same Derby he came within three hacks of winning tonight.

Oh and out of all the quality pitching coaches available in the Major Leagues, Josh Hamilton waived all of them and selected 71 year old Claybon Council, who used to toss BP for Josh in North Carolina. Did I mention that the last time Council was in Yankee Stadium, Don Larsen crafted a perfect game?

Perhaps it could've been a perfect night had Hamilton been the one lifting the trophy, but hey, getting the Yankee faithful to chant your name is pretty good! So is blasting 3 homers over 500 feet!

In some ways, it was already too legendarily perfect. After all, in Babe Ruth's own backyard, it was a night that would've made the Sultan of Swat very, very proud.

-D

ASG

Ahh...it's that time of the year again! A perennial favourite...the Major League Baseball All-Star Game is coming to Yankee Stadium one last time! Stars will gather for the 79th time in the House that Ruth Built.

I was lucky enough last week to have visited Yankee Stadium, but not lucky enough to snag stadium tour tickets before they were sold out. But even walking around the famous and storied building, it was a breathtaking feeling. Though the New York streets were not the cleanest by any means, Yankee Stadium still stood dignified as it had done for the past 85 years.

Before the Stars align themselves in the Bronx, The Home Run Derby is just sleep away. After some short painless research, I found the 8 men who will be hacking away tomorrow night:

• Lance Berkman (HOU)
• Ryan Braun (MIL)
• Josh Hamilton (TEX)
• Grady Sizemore (CLE)
• Justin Morneau (MIN)
• Evan Longoria (TB)
• Dan Uggla (FLA)
• Chase Utley (PHI)

I'd love to see our Canadian boy Justin Morneau capture the trophy, but all 8 of these men have tremendous talent and are not only awesome players, but fine gentlemen as well. So instead of picking a prospective winner, I'll just sit back and admire the big flies!

As for the actually Battle of the Leagues itself, I will be on the American League bandwagon again. They've prevailed 10 of the last 11 times (that 1 was a tie) and it doesn't look like this year will be the streak halter. And heck, if Roy Halladay starts for the AL, this game will be an incredible one to watch!

It was 7 years ago today that Beijing was awarded the Games of the 29th Olympiad. And it will be 26 days from now that the Games get underway with a grand Opening Ceremony. Personally, I love watching the Olympics but you gotta wonder whether the Olympic spirit is actually living on...you know, with all the politics and steroids and commercials...look for my insight on this topic in the coming week!

-D

Never Give Up

...but apparently the Blue Jays front office doesn't think so.

Fresh off the press, the Toronto Star reporting that JP Ricciardi has counted out the Blue Jays this season. Well, the situation is certainly not good, but to say something like that is not the trait of a GM. I've never like JP; to be completely candid, he should've been gone a long time ago. This team needs to get back to the days of quality internal development.

In other baseball news, CC Sabathia has garnered his first victory in the NL. Coming off the trade to the Brewers, he contributed a quality start and looks fine in a Brewers uni. You can mark my words, he'll be super successful in the NL Central. The guy is a veteran now and has nasty stuff.

Final Man Vote for the All Star Game. Who you supporting?? For me, it's JD of the Sox and Carlos Lee of the Astros. Get on MLB.com to cast your ballots NOW!!!

Rich Harden to the Cubs...not your typical headline. Frankly, I was caught off guard, but you know what, the A's really haven't benefitted from the highly touted Rich Harden. So it makes sense for Billy Beane to get some potent prospects in exchange. Plus, the Cubs are the audacious ones this year and you gotta admire Jim Hendry's willingness to take risks.

I'm still in awe of Sunday's Wimbledon final. Definitely the greatest match we've ever seen on grass, perhaps in tennis history. So will Roger regain his godly form for Flushing Meadows?

The weather's gorgeous up here in TO, so I'm gonna play a little tennis of my own!

-D

Third Time's the Charm

6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7...

Four hours and forty-eight remarkable minutes...

Three slippery rain delays...

The man destined to halt Roger Federer on grass has finally done his feat!

In what was an unprecedentedly theatrical and epic Wimbledon final, the 5 time champion world #1 couldn't make it 6 and lost at the All England's for the first time since 2002.

The drama had been mounting even before the match began...it was for the 18th time that Rafa and Roger were going to go head to head. People wondered what Roger would do after that humiliating defeat at the Roland Garros. People scrutinized. They praised Nadal for working beyond his limits. But could he possibly overcome the seemingly insurmountable challenge awaiting in Centre Court?

Nadal answered that last question with profound eloquence today.

The match was scheduled to begin promptly at 2 PM local time, but Mother Nature had other ideas. It had happened at Wimbledon many times before. A rain delay. When the tarp was finally pulled off Centre Court, it was 2:35 PM.

For the first two sets, the gritty Spaniard made it look effortlessly easy and threatened to put on a déjà vu performance of his convincing French Open victory. But this was Wimbledon...and it was Roger Federer on the other side of the net.

The real Fed-on-grass began to reveal itself in the dramatic third set, but before long, rain drops came splattering down on London once again...hard.

And so it kept on pouring. The players remained hidden in the locker rooms, the grounds crew was on stand by, the vendors sold lots of strawberry and cream to bypassing fans, and the tv commentators busted their brains finding ways to keep busy.

Then, after an hour and 20 minutes, crispy blue sky replaced the shadows of gloomy clouds. Roger and Rafa reappeared from the tunnel. They warmed up and played on.

Leading 5-4, Federer desperately wanted and needed to capture this set. He didn’t want to go down in history as a 5 time champion who lost in straight sets. He fought. He
slammed unreturnable forehands at preposterous angles and bolted backhands down the line. But Nadal fought back. The two warriors went to a tiebreak.

Serve after serve, the crowd held its breath for the Fed Express and like a true champion, he prevailed when he needed to, winning the narrow tiebreak 7-5.

Reenergized by the excruciatingly long third set, Roger Federer came out in full force in the fourth. Nadal looked a little fazed but he would not crack. He had done it too many times in Wimbledon before. Not this time. Not this year. He was on a mission to hoist the historical championship trophy.

The forecast was not promising. Ominous clouds loomed in the distance. Meteorologists and fans alike tried not to worry too much about the sky but the action in Centre Court.

With each man in control of their emotion-driven serves, the fourth set too, was forced to a tiebreak. Pundits thought last year's final was epic...psh...think again!

The first point of the tiebreak featured an acrobatic duel injecting a dose of adrenalin into everyone's blood. The players, the fans, the commentators, the folks gathered around the television…

After a few costly mishaps, Nadal found himself on the brink of victory, leading the tiebreak 5-2 and serving for two. The crowd is on the edge of their seats.

Rafa wipes his sweat. The match has gone on for longer than 3 grueling hours. He could end it right here. But he fails. Federer pulls himself back from the edge of the cliff, denying Nadal of two championship opportunities. And the tiebreak teeter-totters back and forth, back and forth, before Nadal miscues a backhand long that brings the match to 2 sets all.

We go to a fifth set.

The two Wimbledon hopefuls are determined to go on. It seems forever ago that this thrilling marathon began.

While the distinguished guests and tennis gurus are feeling incredible emotions, Mother Nature lets everyone know that she has emotions too. The skies begin weeping once again and the grounds crew sprint out on to the court.

Play resumes after 24 minutes. You would never know this was the middle of 5th set in the midst of a Wimbledon final. The candidates don't look tired at all. They continue smashing forehands and backhands and the occasional ace.

Room for error shrank with every stroke. Neither of them falters. We go 2-2, 3-2, 3-3, 4-3, 4-4, 5-4, 5-5...on and on and on. Slowly, evening settles to night in London.

At this pace, we could keep on smashing shots 'til tomorrow morning. In some places, you could. And for sure, everyone wanted it to. But this was Centre Court; the Wrigley Field of tennis.

As Centre Court continues to darken, the two stars refuse to do the same. Finally, Nadal breaks Federer's serve. The 5-time champion is in grave trouble, down 8-7.

After throwing away another championship point, Nadal attempted for a fourth time to take home the title.

A serve and a couple returns later, Federer nets an unforced error. Nadal falls to the ground. Tennis' greatest grass king has been dethroned. We have a new Wimbledon champion!

It was 9:18 PM, the latest finish ever for a Wimbledon final. It was also the longest match ever in Wimbledon final history. Fittingly, it came at the tail end of an amazing tournament.

So Bjorn Borg was right. It was Rafa's year on grass.

Though some things have been tempestuously changed, others remain the same. Roger Federer, though inconsolable, remains an athlete with class. Nadal, though French and Wimbledon champion, is still his shy self.

What a match! What a tournament! What will next year behold?

-D