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KCshore wrote:This year's Olympics saw a number of Records and Personal Best broken in the track and field and swimming events

I heard about that.  And not really sure what to think.  

UK Sprinter in the relay team has tested positive to performance enhancing drugs

Found an article about it:

https://news.sky.com/story/cj-ujah-team-gb-4x100-metre-relay-sprinter-shocked-and-devastated-by-positive-doping-test-12381492

Team GB sprinter CJ Ujah has insisted he is "not a cheat" despite testing positive for two banned substances after winning silver in the 4x100m relay in Tokyo.

Ujah and his three teammates are facing the prospect of being stripped of their Olympic medals if the case against him is proven.

The 27-year-old said in a statement: "It's taken me a few days to process the information I received on Thursday shortly before it was made public.

"I am completely shocked and devastated by this news.

"To be absolutely clear, I am not a cheat and I have never and would never knowingly take a banned substance.

Sounds like he did it!  I mean, he tested positive for two banned substances?      If I were an athlete and tested positive but had never doped, I would just say something like this:  "I have never taken a banned substance.  This is obviously a false positive.  I'm confident that retesting will reveal the truth."  When you act like a drama queen, though, usually that means you're guilty.  

In other news, Federer is saying that he now has to get another surgery and will be out of the game for many months.  Do I believe him about the surgery?  Frankly, not really.      I mean, he didn't show a hint of an injury as he was getting blown away by Hurkacz.  And now all of a sudden he needs another major surgery??   Sorry, but that's a bit too, um, "convenient."      

I think he's just not playing that well and doesn't want to embarrass himself at the U.S. Open.  So, this so-called surgery not only gives him an excuse to withdraw, but also wins him plenty of sympathy for the coming months . . . before his likely retirement.  It probably also lets him off the hook concerning any responsibilities related to his endorsements.  I suspect this is all about money—finding a way to maximize his revenue even though his tennis just can't cut it anymore.      "Hey, everyone!!  I'll be back to normal someday, I promise.  Right now I'm just rehabbing!!!"  

Well, one thing seems pretty certain—his Grand Slam count will remain at 20.   

Why doesn't Federer retire ?  He is not going to win another Slam at 40 yrs especially after knee surgery

KCshore wrote:Why doesn't Federer retire ?  He is not going to win another Slam at 40 yrs especially after knee surgery

Money.  Ka-ching!!!!    If he retires, that could end a lot of the revenue from his sponsors.     Ego is probably another reason—he obviously can't accept the idea of being done winning Grand Slams.  

Here's something else to think about.  If Fed's knee was really hurting, then during his recent matches, why didn't he wear a) some tape over it or b) a compression sleeve on it?

The answer seems pretty obvious, doesn't it?  In fact, what he's really suffering from is a bruised ego.  

Maybe someone should give Federer a copy of Lying for Dummies.  

Let's see—Nadal's entering a golf tournament in Mallorca on August 21 and 22.     Now, does that sound to you like someone who's injured, and resting up for the U.S. Open??   

At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if he pulls out of New York . . . but he'll probably wait to see what the draw looks like first.  

https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/news-rafael-nadal-play-balearic-golf-championship-just-one-week-us-open

Rafael Nadal, who is currently dealing with a foot injury, is on the entry list for the 2021 Balearic Golf Championship for Mid-Amateurs. The golf tournament is scheduled to run from 21-22 August in Mallorca, which is just one week before the start of the US Open.

Nadal picked up a left foot injury during his Roland Garros semifinal loss to Novak Djokovic. He then pulled out of Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics, hoping to recover in time for the American hardcourt events leading up to the US Open.

Although Nadal did make his return to the tour in Washington, his movement was visibly affected by his foot injury. The Spaniard suffered a shock loss to Lloyd Harris in the second round of the Citi Open, before withdrawing from both the Toronto Masters and the Cincinnati Masters.

Nadal is out for the rest of the year!     It seems that his loss to Djokovic in the French Open really did break him mentally.    Yes, he may be having some minor physical issues too, but I think that's the root of all his troubles of late.

And somebody posted this interesting comment on another board:

https://www.tennisnow.com/Blogs/NET-POSTS/June-2021-(1)/Toni-Nadal-Rafa-Will-Win-One-of-Next-Two-Majors.aspx

[Toni Nadal]
"The next two tournaments, Wimbledon and the US Open, will probably be decisive in unveiling it. I would not dare to venture conclusions, but I do dare to maintain the confidence that it is my nephew who raises one of the two."

This might prove Nadal isn't really injured. Why would Toni make such a prediction after RG if he knew his nephew was already injured?

Exactly, dude.  Why on earth would Uncle Toni have predicted such success for an "injured" Nadal??  

More shenanigans on the court.  First off, a few days ago, Zverev accused Tsitsipas of texting his dad for advice during a bathroom break.  But domestic abuse allegations aside—and for what it's worth, I tend to believe Olya Sharypova's account—it seems that Zverev is no choir boy either.    





Moral of the story:   If at first you don't succeed, pretend to vomit!  

A perceptive analysis from another board:

This was a mental battle. Zverev believed he was getting played by Tsitsipas being coached and leaving the court. So Zverev used his own mind games in the third.  He faked feeling sick and fake vomited when he left the court without permission.  Looked sick and groggy between points but then fine DURING the points, he came back from two breaks down in this suspect fake sick state. Then he did something I never saw before, suddenly he started timing his grunts BEFORE the ball contact! Just for that one or two points he did that trick and it worked, he won the key point with that mind game trick. In the end it was too much sophisticated mind games for Tsitsipas to cope with and Zverev prevailed. . . .

Pete [Sampras] did [something similar] on Armstrong stadium court on live tv.

(If you think Pete was really sick vs Corretja, you are very naive. He needed a distraction to throw off poor Corretja and it worked.)

Speaking of Olya, it seems that Ben Rothenberg has released a second part of her abuse account.  She's able to provide a lot of details, witnesses, etc., whereas all Zverev gives is weak, vague denials and other PR-type statements.  

https://slate.com/culture/2021/08/alexander-zverev-domestic-abuse-allegations-olga-sharypova.html






Yes, I think Rothenberg is a total slimeball, who cares nothing about Olya.       And she does appear rather unstable.  But that doesn't necessarily mean she isn't telling the truth.  Overall, her statements appear much more credible than his.

It's really sad (but not surprising) the way so many fans just want to dismiss her as a gold digger, tramp, etc.  One common complaint is this:  "If all this really happened, then why didn't she immediately report it to the police??"  

People who make statements like that have no understanding of what it's like to be a victim.  It all boils down to the myth of the "perfect victim."  As the thinking goes, the perfect victim always does certain things, and never does other things.  And if an alleged victim ever deviates from this pattern, then she (or he) is not to be believed.  

From https://thoughtcatalog.com/shahida-arabi/2018/01/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-perfect-rape-victim-and-why-it-shouldnt-matter-in-the-era-of-metoo/ :

Society has damaging expectations of what a ‘perfect’ victim should act like prior to, during and after an assault, feeding into this victim-blaming notion that had the survivor done all the ‘right’ things, he or she would have been able to somehow ‘prevent’ the assault. Underlying these expectations is the idea that a less than perfect victim is somehow culpable for the crime committed against him or her.

Perfect victims are depicted as people who always say no assertively (and is always magically respected by the predator in this decision, apparently). They never go home with strangers, never drink alcohol, always report the crime right away to the police (despite the fact that there is an incredible amount of victim-blaming in law enforcement, possibility of retraumatization if the case goes to trial and numerous factors that go into whether or not someone chooses to report).

Way back when she was 19, Madonna moved from Michigan to New York City.  Shortly after arriving, she says, she was raped at knifepoint.     But she never pressed charges against her rapist.  Well, why not?  Here's what she had to say about that:

Madonna:  Well, I was told that if I wanted to press charges, that, you know, a physical examination, I would have to go before the court, they are going to ask you all these personal questions. . . .  You've already been violated, so then, do you want to talk about it? Do you want to make it public? No, it's just not worth it. It's too humiliating.

More about Zverev.  Part of his latest statement:

"I have engaged my German and American lawyers in the matter."

So . . . he has a whole team of lawyers, in two different countries?  What kind of normal tennis player, who's not guilty of wrongdoing, ever does that?   And if her whole story is false, why did he wait over a year to take action?  

Next we have this:

"I categorically and unequivocally deny having abused Olya."

Well, here's what Mark McClish, an expert in the technique of "statement analysis," has to say about the matter:

I have been finding that when people use the phrase "I categorically deny" they are usually guilty of something.

Finally, Zverev said this:  "I will not address this matter any further."

Very interesting statement.  That is certainly a weird thing to say if you have nothing to hide.  People who are completely innocent are usually more than willing to talk, because they're eager to clear their name.  It's usually guilty individuals who seem to be defensive and reluctant to address questions.

Sorry, but it seems to me Zverev is looking like a man with something serious to hide.   

Now Olya has responded to Zverev.  Okay, folks, I can't detect any deception at all in this statement.  It sounds like she totally believes in her story and wants to be vindicated:  

One thing nobody's been mentioning about the U.S. Open is the weather.       We all know that Djokovic hates heat—and wind.  Over the next week, one forecast predicts the average wind speed each day to be about 5 mph, which is nothing to be concerned about.

And courtesy of Accuweather, here's a temperature forecast for the next week.  Of course, weather forecasts are typically unreliable beyond two days, so take this with a grain of salt.     Anyway, no heat waves are expected in the near future, and Djokovic can only be happy about that.  

9/1
73° /62°

9/2
73° /58°

9/3
74° /62°

9/4
76° /65°

9/5
77° /67°

9/6
80° /66°

9/7
78° /68°

Let's see—Reilly Opelka just got fined $10,000 for bringing an "unapproved" bag on court.     He called the fine a "joke."

https://www.tennisworldusa.org/tennis/news/ATP_Tennis/102024/rei


On another board, someone nailed the situation with this comment:

Some players can take their bag including phone and laptop to the toilet and not get fined. Others get fined for a logo. It shows what the authorities care about. The integrity of the sport? No. The bottom line. Yes.

Last night, Tiafoe slapped the leg of the chair umpire . . . and nothing happened.  In addition, aren't the folks in New York supposed to be practicing social distancing?  

If, say, Djokovic had done the very same thing, can you imagine the outrage we'd be hearing now from the media?? "He needs to be removed from the tournament!!!"

Can you say double standard??  

Now that we're down to the final four in the men's event in New York, and the final two in the women's, here's something to think about:  Are the most successful players really happier than the others?   

Well, not according to former pro Andrea Jaeger.  In an article from many years ago, she made this fascinating observation:

"I didn't enjoy locker-rooms. I got in trouble at Wimbledon because I'd hang out in the third players' locker-room when I was supposed to stay in the seeded players' locker-room but I didn't like it up there.

"Everyone seemed to be happier in the lower players' locker-room. They weren't thinking about the semis or the final and weren't focused just on tennis. They were just happy to be at Wimbledon.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-560743/Why-I-nun-tennis-star-Andrea-Jaeger.html

Could Melbourne lose the Australian Open because of their draconian proposal to make all players get the "vaccine"???  

Sure hope so!!!   


https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10055711/Victorias-vaccine-mandate-cost-Melbourne-Australian-Open-tennis.html

Victoria's tough Covid vaccination rules could see top players skip the Australian Open or the tournament moved to another city.

The grand slam is set to be held in Melbourne in January with defending champion Novak Djokovic chasing a record-breaking 21st title.

But the state government will likely insist all players are vaccinated, which could see the world men's No.1, women's No.2 and multiple other top ten players banned.

Well, well, well.  After the Australian government was talking so tough about refusing to allow "unvaccinated" players to enter the country, apparently now the word is that those players will be allowed to enter after all, but must do 14 days of quarantine in a hotel.   

Although that's ridiculous too, it's certainly a victory in the sense that the Australian dictators backed down!      So, it's looking like Djokovic may attend after all.  Did he get the miserable shot?  We still don't know.  But at least he's man enough not to simper and cower at the feet of those vile dictators and chirp, "Okay, if you want me to, I'll get the shot after all!!"  

Anyway, this image pretty much sums up all the lunacy:   🤪

Many people—even some fans of Djokovic—are so quick to believe he got the jab just because he attended that concert in New York that "required" it.     Well, not so fast—many similar concerts don't even bother to check:

J. saw the Rolling Stones in Minneapolis on Sunday in a big stadium downtown. When she bought the tickets she got a notice saying she would need proof of vax or negative test. So, she got tested, but when she got to the stadium no one was checking anyone’s vax status at all.

https://markcrispinmiller.com/2021/10/the-stones-pretend-to-play-at-segregated-venues/


Besides, is it really anybody's business if Djokovic—or anyone else, for that matter—has gotten jabbed?  I don't think so.  If they want to reveal it, that's their choice.  But if they don't, then I'm not assuming anything about someone's "vaccination" status.  It seems to me that the members of the "cult of vaccination" are the ones most eager to believe that Djokovic has gotten the jab.  

Apparently the Australian Open has now made it "official"—no jab, no play.   卐

Djokovic has still not revealed anything about his status.  Whether he's gotten the jab or not, I hope he boycotts this wretched tournament.   

Even though I don't live in Australia, I personally will be "boycotting" the event as much as possible.    In other words, I won't even be following the scores or discussing the matches, much less actually watching the tennis itself.

Good riddance, Australian "Open."  Maybe you-all should just change the name to "Australian Dungeon" instead.  

Djokovic made this statement recently.  It's a great one, but will he really put his money where his mouth is concerning the Australian Dungeon???  

Let's hope so!

Novak Djokovic:

"We are a conformist society, we always prefer to join the herd than to get out of it.  Instead of saying, 'This is wrong, it’s not fair, I will fight for this other one, who is less fortunate than me,' they choose the easier way.  I know that I am a thorn on the side of many, I am trying to expose the monopoly that has been in our sport for many years.

"I know who I am and what I am, and I know what is right. Barely 150 players make a living from tennis in the men's and women's game. Tell me any other sports where this is the case. We fight for exactly these guys and girls. They put in an effort, but they aren't listened to. The elite wants to rise while these players fight. That's why this little guy from Serbia is here to intervene and to show them how it should be done."

Here's a relevant article:

https://davidicke.com/2021/11/19/novak-djokovic-continues-to-support-freedom-of-choice-and-hide-his-fake-vaccination-status/


And speaking of tennis figures, Pat Cash's mother almost DIED after getting the jab!!  

https://tennisdoping.forumotion.com/t12p200-current-issues-and-events#633


Apparently Aussies themselves are getting fed up too!!  

https://davidicke.com/2021/11/21/tens-of-thousand-march-for-freedom-in-australian-cities/

Protesters thronged the streets of Australian cities on Saturday, demanding an end to what they called the “tyranny” and “oppression” of lockdowns, vaccine mandates, and the proposed expansion of the government’s pandemic powers.. In Melbourne, Sky News reporter Sophie Elsworth described “tens of thousands of people streaming through the streets."

A perceptive comment from another board:  

Finally, as I've said numerous times, regardless of how you feel about anything, there is still absolutely no reason why Australia, or any other country, couldn't allow a testing regimen for entry, as is the case in Croatia. Especially for a tennis tournament, where bubbles and quarantine can be arranged. I would still consider this to be an absurd imposition, but at least it would give people the choice of not being vaccinated, while also, as I've mentioned previously, being more effective at reducing the spread of cases than vaccination!

There is simply no argument against this. That's why no-one has come back with any argument against it on any of the several times that I suggested it! There can only be two possible explanations why the authorities are insisting on vaccination. Either they are inordinately stupid. Or they're corrupt and the vaccination program is part of an underlying agenda.


I'll leave it to you to work out which one it is.

Well, it may be partly reason #1, but I think it's mostly reason #2.  

Here's another comment I saw recently, this one from a Djokovic fan.  

He’d be an idiot to skip the AO since other slams will most likely follow suit and he’d be forced to retire. Not to mention he’d be giving his haters and Fedal a huge present that they’ll cherish forever.

Wow, this is exactly what's wrong with society these days.  🤮  The motto is that you don't stand up for what you believe in, or stand up for the rights of anybody else.  Just follow the crowd, like a bunch of lemmings, and "principles" be damned.  Well, it seems that this guy is projecting his own idiocy onto Djokovic.  

I'm sure if this poster had lived back in Nazi Germany, he would've had no problem escorting his Jewish neighbors to the gas chamber, wearing a smile the whole time.    

It seems that so many tennis fans fail to ask this important question:  Aren't there things far more important than GOAThood and #21??     Sports can be exciting, but in life's big picture, they're almost meaningless.

I hope that Djokovic will find the courage to stand up for his beliefs, and also the welfare of other players.  Whether he gets the dangerous jab or not, other players should have the right not to get it if they want to participate in a big tournament too.

Thankfully, a more rational poster replied to the comment above with these intelligent remarks:

He would never stoop that low to get a fake certificate. I (and many other's) would lose all respect for him.

The issue about forced this or forced that mainly boils down to money in my opinion. Djokovic has plenty of money. This will be about principles at the end of the day and Djokovic standing firmly for his own.

Do I think he's vaccinated? Probably not. But if he is, I wouldn't want him to reveal it to anyone. Why would he?

I agree that New York, Paris etc etc could follow suit with mandates but they haven't yet. So I don't want to speculate on those tournaments. Let's just stick with AO as that's the only one that has implemented it.

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sportsbugz wrote:Kids who play sports foster more grounded bones and muscles, prompting a more modest possibility of actual injury.

That's cool and all, but what exactly does this have to do with tennis, doping, or the Australian Dungeon?   

Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce to you the man of the hour:  Pierre-Hugues Herbert.  He's the first player to boycott the Australian Open because of its jab mandate.  Before his announcement, I'd never even heard of the guy.     He's mostly a doubles player apparently.  

Très épatant, Pierre-Hugues!!    Hopefully he won't back down—and other players will follow suit.  






https://www.tennisworldusa.org/tennis/news/ATP_Tennis/106215/pierrehugues-herbert-out-of-australian-open-due-to-vaccination-mandate/

World No. 110 Pierre-Hugues Herbert is the first player to announce his withdrawal from the Australian Open due to their vaccination mandate. Only fully vaccinated will be allowed to play at Melbourne Park and Herbert decided it's the best for him to skip the opening Grand Slam of the season.

"Personally, I am not vaccinated and the trip to Australia was not an option for me,” Herbert said, in comments published in French media outlet L’Alsace. “I do what I can. But because of my singles ranking, it may have been a bad thing (to go to Australia) for a good start”.

However, Herbert didn't close the door on taking the vaccine. “For my part, it is a personal choice not to be vaccinated,” Herbert said. “I don’t know how long it will last. I don’t know if it’s feasible today to be a tennis player without being vaccinated.

Okay, folks, we have another brave player to salute!!    We've all heard of Olivia Newton-John.  Well, here's another Olivia from Down Under—teen phenom Olivia Gadecki.  

Unlike so many other players, she had the courage to say to her own country's totalitarian tournament:  No, losers, I'm not taking your shot!!!    

Frankly, I hope they cancel the whole stupid "tournament."     But if not, I won't be following it at all.  For me, that means staying away from all mainstream tennis forums for those two weeks.  But hey, I'll probably get a lot more productive stuff done!  

Nineteen-year-old Australian Olivia Gadecki stands firm by the conviction not to get the COVID-19 vaccine and is hence not eligible to play the 2022 Australian Open. The teenage sensation is thus leaving on the table at least $100,000 in prize money.

The 2021 tennis season made Gadecki a national star. From an unranked player at the start of the year, the Queenslander reached a WTA career-high of No.230. The stellar rise in the rankings was a result of two titles and four finals on the ITF circuit. . . .

Supposedly, Tennis Australia tried to convince Gadecki to get vaccinated and use the Australian Open wildcard that she would definitely receive, but the rising star decided to pass on the opportunity. Just by playing the first round of the Grand Slam, players are guaranteed approx. $100,000 in prize money. Naturally, if they progress further, the award gets higher.

https://womenstennisblog.com/2021/12/16/olivia-gadecki-refuses-vaccine/#comment-433592