Serena vs. Venus simply lacks rooting interest

September 4, 2008

After the flurry of forehands, big rallies, blistering backhands . . . after 2 1/2 hours of the kind of entertaining tennis that few other women on Earth can muster, who really felt victorious last night?

Recent columns

• Serena vs. Venus simply lacks rooting interest

  September 4, 2008

  After the flurry of forehands, big rallies, blistering backhands ... after 21/2 hours of some of the best tennis that few other women on Earth can muster, who really felt victorious Wednesday night?

• It's an Open and shut case for unknowns

  September 2, 2008

  She is Sybille Bammer, who has a great name for a tennis player but in every other way is all wrong for this tennis tournament. She's in the quarterfinals, where she'll play Jelena Jankovic tonight, and most likely will be done in time to catch the next red-eye back to Austria, if she so chooses.

• Tennis needs 1 vs. 2, part III

  August 31, 2008

  Sure, it's understandable why Uncle Sam wants Sam Querrey, an up-and-coming American, to win his next match, but at the risk of sounding unpatriotic in this election year, he won't get my vote.

• Praying for Federer-Nadal III

  August 31, 2008

  Sure, it's understandable why Uncle Sam wants Sam Querrey, an up-and-coming American, to win his next match, but at the risk of sounding unpatriotic in this election year, he won't get my vote.

• Give father credit for Venus' Serena's longevity

  August 28, 2008

  He will go down in tennis-dad history as an absolutely insane madman, which is to say Richard Williams always will be remembered as a genius.

• Give father credit for Venus' Serena's longevity

  August 28, 2008

  He will go down in tennis-dad history as an absolutely insane madman, which is to say Richard Williams always will be remembered as a genius.

• America facing drought in men's tennis

  August 26, 2008

  Arthur Ashe Stadium was poised for another epic pairing of native-born men, the kind of matchup that riveted the U.S. Open for so many years and made it the captivating tournament it is today, except for one little problem: Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras, invited to appear for last night's celebration of past champions, didn't show up.

• America facing drought in men's tennis

  August 26, 2008

  Arthur Ashe Stadium was poised for another epic pairing of native-born men, the kind of matchup that riveted the U.S. Open for so many years and made it the captivating tournament it is today, except for one little problem: Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras, invited to appear for last night's celebration of past champions, didn't show up.

• Favre must connect with Coles

  August 17, 2008

  The commotion started during pregame warm-ups. There was instant applause as people raised their voices just a bit higher than their clicking cell phone cameras, and it was the kind of reception that was anticipated and expected of someone capable of creating a buzz just by walking on a football field.

• Favre's charisma will help Jets sell PSLs

  August 14, 2008

  The crowd will be larger than usual for a preseason football game this Saturday because there will be something to see. The first glimpse of Brett Favre in a Jets uniform will be enough to convince folks to pay good money for a game that will lose all significance once Favre sits for good in the second quarter.

• Favre's charisma will help Jets sell PSLs

  August 13, 2008

  The crowd will be larger than usual for a .preseason football game this Saturday because there will be something to see. The first glimpse of Brett Favre in a Jets uniform will be enough to convince folks to pay good money for a game that will lose all significance once Favre sits for good in the second quarter.

• Faneca must help build Jets' wall around Favre

  August 12, 2008

  He wasn't bear-hugged at the airport by a raucous welcoming committee. There was no scenic helicopter tour over Manhattan or the Jets' new training facility in New Jersey, or a handshake or hello from the mayor, and nobody planted a tree in his honor.

• Faneca must help build Jets' wall around Favre

  August 12, 2008

  He wasn't bear-hugged at the airport by a raucous welcoming committee. There was no scenic helicopter tour over Manhattan or the Jets' new training facility in New Jersey, or a handshake or hello from the mayor, and nobody planted a tree in his honor.

• Might be a stretch that Favre, Jets will be great

  August 10, 2008

  He jogged onto the practice field yesterday while Springsteen's "Glory Days" pumped through the speakers, and that was the first uh-oh sign on this historic afternoon, because that song is a wail about a once-great player opining about the long-gone good old days. Therefore, does this mean Brett Favre left his 350-yard, five-TD, gunslinging games in Green Bay?

• Might be a stretch that Favre, Jets will be great

  August 9, 2008

  He jogged onto the practice field Saturday while Springsteen's "Glory Days" pumped through the speakers, and that was the first uh-oh sign on this historic afternoon, because that song is a wail about a once-great player opining about the long-gone good old days. Therefore, does this mean Brett Favre left his 350-yard, five-TD, gunslinging games in Green Bay?

• No way long-suffering Jets can lose on Favre deal

  August 8, 2008

  The man is 38, interception-prone, coming to a 4-12 team that wasn't his first choice, and dealing with a totally new environment. And if you think the drama surrounding him was thick this offseason, wait 'til next.

• Favre's earned right to be Green Bay diva

  August 5, 2008

  There's a good reason why superstars and high performers in companies are, for the most part, high maintenance: because they can be.

• Favre's earned right to be Green Bay diva

  August 5, 2008

  There's a good reason why superstars and high performers in companies are, for the most part, high maintenance: because they can be.

• New Yorkers spoiled with baseball success

  August 3, 2008

  Here we are, first weekend in August, and it feels like April around here.

• Yankees scrambling to remain relevant

  July 31, 2008

  In a bold attempt to turn back the clock to the year 2000, when they last won a World Series, the Yankees went and got Pudge Rodriguez, who hasn't been the top catcher in the game since, um, right around the year 2000.

• Will Favre's comeback earn thumbs up or down?

  July 30, 2008

  Brett Favre doesn't have anything better to do besides disrupt the Packers and possibly help some other team win a Super Bowl.

• Another team gets off the Island

  July 20, 2008

  This is nothing like the Baltimore Colts, who sneaked out of town in the middle of the night, but the moving vans are coming this way, anyway. They'll line up outside Weeb Ewbank Hall and form a caravan that will snake its way over the George Washington Bridge, into New Jersey to a place called Florham Park, not to be confused with Floral Park.

• Mets are winning now because they were due

  July 17, 2008

  The hottest team in baseball obviously started hitting in the clutch, getting big innings from the starting pitching, played smarter baseball and showed a killer instinct once the new manager came along and made a profound request:

• The perfect starry starry night in the Bronx

  July 15, 2008

  Everyone has their own dream of what The Perfect Night in the Bronx would be like.

• Murcer a good guy bigger than his baseball skills

  July 13, 2008

  He was a nice man, seemed like a loyal and devoted husband, father and friend. If you left out the other part, about how he was a very good baseball player in his day, Bobby Murcer probably wouldn't have minded much.

• Stadium true Midsummer Classic star

  July 13, 2008

  The biggest All-Star in town is over the hill, can't move in either direction, is heavy maintenance, soon will be replaced by a newer and younger version and, just between me and you, smells pretty foul when the weather turns humid and sticky.

• Door suddenly open for Mets to redeem themselves

  July 10, 2008

  Their one and only All-Star Game participant was handed to them on the electoral vote, and today they might sneak another player in on the popular vote. Yet it really doesn't matter all that much that the Mets won't be well represented Tuesday in the Midsummer Classic.

• No longer losers, Boston is city of champions

  July 3, 2008

  We had a hearty knee-slapping laugh at their expense way back in 1986, when the ball squirted through Bill Buckner's legs, and then again five years ago, when Grady Little left Pedro Martinez in a Game 7 won on Aaron Boone's epic home run. Those were giddy times, dominant times, downright satisfying times for everyone around here who loved to poke a finger in the eye of the less-fortunate city to the north.

• Hey Manuel, no team can own Big Apple

  July 1, 2008

  According to my exhaustive and complex study, the highest percentage of Yankees-haters live in Boston, for reasons you may understand.

• Getting younger in Yanks' rotation high priority

  June 22, 2008

  The Yankees don't havewhat it takes to win big this year. What they're doing is seeing if they'll have what it takes to win big next year.

• Thanks to Mets, Yankees are king in NY once again

  June 19, 2008

  Joe Girardi was not fired last night after the ballgame. Andy Pettitte did not admit to taking another jab of human growth hormone. Joba Chamberlain's overly pampered right arm remains in its socket and ready for use today. Sidney Ponson, the newly arrived and somewhat tainted pitcher, was not arrested and charged with being a career knucklehead.

• At the least, Randolph deserved a dignified exit

  June 18, 2008

  You can certainly find folks who thought Willie Randolph was a lousy manager, and folks who thought Randolph was dealt a bad hand as a manager. But you can't find anyone around here who didn't want Randolph to work out as a manager.

• Mighty Woods should be healed for Open at the Black

  June 17, 2008

  All the tourists and their 20-handicaps have just 11 more months to chop up Long Island's favorite public course before yielding to the only human who doesn't need to sneak past the famous sign by the first tee.

• Mighty Woods should be healed for Open at the Black

  June 17, 2008

  All the tourists and their 20-handicaps have just 11 more months to chop up Long Island's favorite public course before yielding to the only human who doesn't need to sneak past the famous sign by the first tee.

• Minaya's full autonomy more like fool autonomy

  June 15, 2008

  He took the job for the money, obviously, and the title, because not many kids from Queens get the chance to become general manager of a big-league ballclub in New York.

• Without Pettitte, hearings proved nothing

  February 13, 2008

  In a place polluted with agenda-driven politicians, spin-doctor lawyers, one admitted liar and one strongly suspected liar, the most credible person in the room wasn't even there.

• Eli and Peyton: Ultimate brothers in arms

  February 7, 2008

  Given their success at raising champions, if Archie and Olivia Manning had produced girls, they probably would've named them Venus and Serena.

• Show the Giants there's no place like home

  February 5, 2008

  There's no worst place to be when you lose, no better place to be when you win. If the old saying about New York still rings true, then New York owes the Giants much love today.

• Magical Giants can't be stopped

  February 4, 2008

  Grown men ran around the field like kids scampering at recess. Inside an enclosed stadium, it rained heavily, with brightly colored confetti falling. Yes, when Super Bowl XLII ended last night, there was chaos, as expected, and history. That, too.

• Magical Giants couldn't be stopped

  February 4, 2008

  Grown men ran around the field like kids scampering at recess. Inside an enclosed stadium, it rained heavily, with brightly colored confetti falling. Yes, when Super Bowl XLII ended Sunday night, there was chaos, as expected, and history. That, too.

• Giants believed in themselves

  January 21, 2008

  Football logic says the Giants don't belong in the Super Bowl, and at times during a chilly night at Lambeau Field, even they seemed to agree.

• Will we ever know the truth about Clemens?

  January 8, 2008

  He's lying about the Hall of Fame part.

• Will '60 Minutes' veteran bring heat against Clemens?

  December 30, 2007

  Roger Clemens recently scheduled a sit-down with tough-guy interviewer Mike Wallace, who made a career out of making politicians sweat profusely, but because Wallace has a man-crush on Clemens, we fear the taped "interrogation" went something like this:

• Homers a drug for fans

  December 4, 2004

  In a few days, all the fuss will fade. In a few months, the crack of the bat will pierce the air. A few months after that, another baseball season will open, and fans across the country finally will express their feelings about this steroid stuff.

• This time, no sympathy in Mudville

  December 3, 2004

  The not-so-big revelation about Jason Giambi admitting he pumped himself with muscle juice begs only two questions, really: When did the Yankees know? And why did they sign him anyway? All that remains to the mystery of the sad and sudden decline of a former baseball slugger and MVP are those two nagging, curious, and in retrospect, costly questions: When ... and why?

• Why not allow mulligans and gimmes?

  June 21, 2004

  It's a darn shame what they did. They took a beautiful course and our national championship and they did something that just isn't seen very often: They made golf funny.

• His game's under water

  June 20, 2004

  The more you watch Tiger Woods sift through the weeds for his tee shot, beg for birdies, groan in frustration, pound his club, remove himself from serious contention, then sip from a glass he considers half full, maybe Butch Harmon is right.

• Open needs a wind that's called pariah

  June 19, 2004

  After 113 years, she still has her curves and stays perfectly manicured and looks good for her age. So many folks have complimented her for holding up so well for so long.

• That Haas, he's a moose

  June 18, 2004

  Isn't it strange how the U.S. Open's early round suddenly belongs to guys who are, shall we respectfully say, getting late? This time last year, folks were pulling out their hankies on a course that didn't have a dry eye. Tom Watson at age 53 was enjoying a throwback moment. He found fairways, he found birdies, he found himself tied for the lead on the first day at the U.S. Open. He did everything except re-create his miracle shot in 1982 at Pebble Beach with a birdie chip on 17.

• Tough place to get going

  June 17, 2004

  The beauty of Shinnecock Hills, the power of the U.S. Open and the fantasy of the unexpected is what seduced them. Jim Furyk and David Duval will walk the golf course today with an arrow sticking out of their hearts. They left their comfortable homes, dropped their troubles behind and rushed here in search of what else? Love.

• It's not about one player, and that's a good thing

  June 16, 2004

  He has millions of dollars, legions of worshippers, eight major titles, the prettiest blonde on the course and a trash-talking puppet in his golf bag. Good for him. But good for golf, Tiger Woods finally has something else: company.

• Father's course of action

  June 15, 2004

  It's been two years since we last saw a fist pump from Tiger Woods in a major tournament, and after close inspection and much analytical thought, his very first coach has discovered what's wrong.

• Golf pioneer whited out

  June 14, 2004

  This week at Shinnecock Hills, a person of color will approach the first tee, pull a driver out of his bag, begin playing in the U.S. Open and will understandably make some of his competitors in the mostly white tournament feel uncomfortable.

• The hole story, tee to green

  June 13, 2004

  Has it really been two years and four days since the U.S. Open last teed off on Long Island? Yes, and before we go any further, please thank Tiger Woods for donating that precise calculation.

• Taking pass on college makes dollars & sense

  May 5, 2003

  He walked into a noisy, crowded room at the ESPN sports bar in midtown Manhattan that was dressed up specifically for him. He wore a white jacket, a shirt with an open collar, and an oversized white baseball cap. The TV cameras snapped to attention when he appeared. He stood next to the microphone, cleared his throat, began his speech with a nervous "um" and after thanking everyone, including God, he made his announcement: "I'm going to attend college at Louisville and stay all four years," he said, "or five, if that's what it takes to get my degree."

• Little Brother, You're MVP In Our Hearts

  September 14, 2001

  DAMN. This was one instance where I wished he had the instincts of Emmitt Smith, the peripheral vision of Gale Sayers, Spud Webb's ability to soar three times his own height, and a sudden burst at the finish, like Carl Lewis.