Life: Under Construction

Questions about Caster Semenya's Gender are now Racially Motivated?!

via www.nytimes.com

I can see that the questions over Caster Semenya's gender have cast an unpleasant shadow over her win in the 800 meters at the track and field world championships. That said, I do not believe that this was a race issue. When Amelie Mauresmo first found success in the Women's Tennis Association, there were rumblings that some of her competitors thought that she was just a little bit too masculine, a little too muscular to be a natural woman (i.e. the suspicion was that she was either taking testosterone or steroids). Personally, I think Mauresmo proved she was all woman by bringing her emotions onto the court and turning into a nervous nellie under pressure...this trait is characteristic of the women's game. These suspicions against Mauresmo had nothing to do with race or even culture, they were created by her competitors who felt threatened by Mauresmo's strength and burly build. I feel sure that similar insecurities prompted competitors of officials to question Semenya's gender.

The fact that South Africa immediately held up the race card rather than just assuming that it was motivated by envy shows that the issue of race still looms large in their culture. This isn't surprising given their history however, I hope that they do notice their own tendencies as that is the only way to move past them.

Questions about Caster Semenya's gender raise issues for all of sports

via www.guardian.co.uk

It used to be that women were women, men were men and it wasn't easy to confuse one with the other. In recent years we have learned of boys being brought up as girls because of a botched circumcision, girls that decide to become boys as they get older, humans that have both female and male genitalia and women who have naturally high levels of testosterone. None of this matters in day to day life, at least, I think everyone is entitled to live as they choose to live in whatever gender form they fancy but when it comes to sports it does matter.

It is a simple fact that men tend to be taller, bigger and have more muscle mass naturally than women do. Therefore, a competitor who was formally a man, a hermaphrodite or just has unusually high levels of testosterone and other male hormones, will have an unfair advantage when competing against women. Most sports attempt to keep an even playing field, but that said, someone who is descended from the Masai probably has an advantage over someone like me when it comes to running: they are taller, more slender and built to move. I'm not running around crying foul.

This latest issue involving Caster Semenya shows that the governing body of sports will probably have to draw the line somewhere on the gender issue. Defining 'woman' vs. 'man' will no doubt offend some but it needs to be established so that athletes can be given the A-OK to compete and we don't end up with questions, suspicions and accusations after the fact. There can be no denying that this issue has marred Semenya's victory. I hope it can be resolved soon.

I'm Glad Tiger Didn't Win

via www.nypost.com

There, I said it. There have been years in the past when I rooted for Tiger. His position at the top of his sport seemed both inevitable and inspirational. But in the last few years that has changed. I think the final straw was at Turnberry this year when he acted like a complete Prima Donna when he didn't have the shots he wanted and was being bothered by the wind. I almost had to pinch myself to remind me that I was watching a golf champion, not a pissy, self-involved 3-year-old. I think the Tiger we have in front of us now goes in assuming that he will win or perhaps it's more that he seems to regard it as a well-established fact that he deserves to win.

Golf, like most sports, is won by the person or team that brings their best game on that day, that weekend or that season. Sure, it sometimes helps if someone else is off their game for whatever reason but it really does just come down to the present moment. It doesn't matter how many championships you have in your past or how many awards are sitting on your mantle. This seems to be a reality of sports that Tiger has forgotten. I have no doubt that wherever he is this morning he is probably throwing himself a little pity party. I am sure it is disappointing to be in the lead and then to lose it but this is something that happens in golf all the time (albeit not to Tiger until yesterday).

If you don't like the heat, get out of the kitchen.

A Men’s Tennis Era Defined by Power, Speed and Unmatched Depth - NYTimes.com

via www.nytimes.com

It warmed my heart to see a clip of Rafael Nadal jumping around before a game. He certainly adds some heat to the game. Even though he didn't make it to the semifinals of Montreal, it is encouraging to see how deep the men's game is currently. None more exemplify this than Andy Roddick. Even last year he was still trying to get by with just his fast serve. The problem facing Roddick was that the game had moved on. It was no longer about his incredibly fast served, that most of his opponents had already gotten their eye on. Instead it was more about the complete game. A great serve is necessary but it also needs to followed up with strong ground strokes, the ability to come in and the mental strength to outthink your opponent. Roddick showed in his final at Wimbledon that he has made great strides to improve his game. Unfortunately, Roddick didn't make it to the final this week but his comeback signifies the strength that this men's field currently has. The US Open should be wicked!

Swimsuit Scuffle

The world of competitive swimming is currently embroiled in the debate of whether so-called 'supersuits' should be banned from competition. Fina, swimming's governing body, previously had a rule that stated that 'No swimmer was permitted to use a device that may aid his speed, buoyancy or endurance during a competition.' The fact that this rule omitted a swimsuit that could aid performance meant that manufacturers could make suits that increased speed and buoyancy. The first bionic suits that we saw in 2008 were part-textile and semi-permeable. The more recent suits that have come out are made out of polyurethane and are completely impermeable. The result is that the material traps air inside the suit, making the swimmer's body more buoyant. Experts in the field argue that these suits are the reason that records have been dropping like flies over the past 18 months. Swimmers like Michael Phelps are saying that the supersuits provide an unfair advantage. Phelps even went so far as to say that he will not race until the offending technology is banned.

I find it interesting and a bit perplexing that so many seem to be upset about the falling of old records. Isn't this what happens in sport? When tennis players replaced their wooden racquets with metal ones, serves got faster, ground strokes got heavier and the wingspan of players lengthened. In track, the clothes became more aerodynamic and the shoes were specially designed for their wearer's feet allowing them to run faster. In sports like cycling, the technology of a rider's bike plays a role in how he performs. Each time a technology in one of these sports is improved or re-invented, it aids the person wearing or using it and records will fall. This is, afterall, the point of records, to show that we have advanced beyond a previous achievement.

The problem currently in the swimming world is that some swimmers have these suits and some don't. Whether it is determined by their sponsorships or the success of their team, the field is uneven. It is as if two identical tennis players are facing each other, only one has one hand tied behind his back. There are two ways to level the playing field: either tie one hand behind the other players back or untie the first player's hand. Each approach is equally good. Swimmers should stop villifying the suits and instead leave it up to their governing body to decide what to do.
It's time to step down from the soapbox!

The Hanuman in Federer

The Mahabarata is THE great Indian epic. In it the lovely Sita is abducted by a demon. Her heart-broken husband, Rama, enlists the help of supernatural monkeys to search the land for her. One band of monkeys heads south to the coast and they learn from a wise old bird that Sita is being held on an island so far from the mainland that it is barely visible from the shore. The monkeys hang their heads in their hands...they know where Sita is and yet they have no way of getting to her. They have failed in their mission and cannot face returning home in defeat. They will stay on this beach until they starve to death, that is their pennance for failing Rama.

But not all have lost hope, one monkey declares that he can jump 1 mile, another monkey yells that he can jump 2, still another announces that he can jump 5 miles, then their leader tops them all by saying that he can jump 10 miles...but still this is barely half the distance one of them will have to leap in order to rescue Sita. Through all these lofty pronouncements there is one monkey who remains silent, humble Hanuman. Jambavan, the king of bears (he joined along for the ride) walks over to Hanuman and asks why he does not volunteer to jump over the ocean. Jambavan reminds Hanuman that he is no ordinary monkey...he is the son of the god of the wind, vayu. Jambavan recalls how Hanuman as a little tyke jumped towards the sun thinking it was a sweet mango. Jambavan's words stir a fire in Hanuman, a memory of how great he can be. His father blows a sweet breeze around his son to encourage him. As Hanuman's confidence rises, his size increases. Soon he is as big as a mountain and the ocean is barely more than a puddle to his great mass.

The earth shudders as he bends his knees and then he is off!

Hindu myths may seem a world away from the U.S. Open but last night as I screamed at the TV, I found myself wishing that Federer had a Jambavan, to remind him of how great he is. Not that I am saying Roger Federer is divine, although his movement around the court could be described as angelic, but I do feel that somehow Roger has become disconnected from that glorious player he was even 12 months ago...the player that could seamlessly control the court and turn on his super-powers to out-play even the most talented players. When he is on form, it is hard to believe he is a mere mortal, hitting ridiculously amazing shots that somehow find the line.

This was not the Federer we saw last night...the Federer that showed up to play Igor Andreev last night was a player that would be in complete control of the point, strategically setting up the winner and then he would hit that final shot and it would sail long or catch in the net. I do have to admit that I was not present for the first four sets of the match last night...dinner at Bar Pitti beckoned, but the mere fact that it went to 5 sets tells you something about the level of play that Federer brought to the match. It is to Roger's credit that he closed it out even without his best stuff but I long to see the titan of old return to rule the court.

Roger needs to remember who he is, not in the labored sense of 'I've won so many championships, why can't a play better' but in a visceral way that will imbibe him with confidence that cannot be shaken.

As I told my TV many times last night....

'COME ON ROGER!!'

Tennis Schedule Pushes Stars Out

The tennis world was shocked this week when the women's world ranking number one, Justine Henin, announced her retirement. She is only 25 (holy cow, she's my age) and the last two years have seem her at the top of here game. She reached the finals of all four Grand Slams in 2006 and then she won the French and U.S. Open in 2007. She is the second top-ranked Belgian player to retire recently. Last year Kim Clijsters retired at 23. Both women shared a common cause for retirement in that they both seemed to tire of competition.

For anyone that has not watched professional tennis, this is not your grandmother's game. It is one of the most grueling sports out there, tennis players run more than soccer players and they are at bat constantly. The match can be as short as 1 hour but they can also run more than 7 hours long and they play is all kinds of heat. The game has changed in the last 20 years in that players now start younger than ever. It is usual for players to start in the junior circuit while they still have braces. The move to the professional tour can be made as young as 14. Given this, while both Clijsters and Henin are still young by all standards, they have dedicated over 10 years of their short lives to this intense journey.

Requiring a serious commitment from a young age is nothing new in the sports world. What does make tennis unusual is the length of the season...it is year round. True there are a few weeks off in December, but other than that break, there are constant tournaments. While in sports like baseball, soccer, hockey, football, if one player is not feeling so well, they can be replaced...not so in tennis. You're either in the tournament or you are sitting at home and missing out on potential points. Rafael Nadal, at just 21 years old, is one of the fittest and strongest tennis players out there and yet last summer he was having trouble with his knees because of the amount of pounding that they were forced to take.

Whether it's the emotional toll, or the physical, the schedule facing professional tennis players is clearly too much. Because of it we are losing talented and interesting players far too early. The obviously solution is the cut down on the number of tournaments but of course no tournament organizer is going to voluntarily give up their opportunity to make money. It then falls to the tennis organizations (the ATP for men, the WTA for women) to put their foot down and protect their players.

The Battle Between Brain and Brawn

In 1997, the world of tennis was in a state of amazement and shock. Martina Hingis, only 17 years old and 5'7'', was beating opponents that were more experienced and stronger. Up until that point the decade had been seen power hitters dominate: Seles, Capriati, Pierce, Chang, Agassi, and Courier. That made Hingis' ascension to the top even more surprising...she didn't have that much power. What she did have was guile. She was like a puppeteer drawing her opponent this way and that, always perfectly predicting where her opponent's shot would land and always looking for that opening to put away the winner. She was a thinker and she made the power hitters she faced look like fools.

Her supremacy, however, didn't last. Her downfall came with the Williams sisters. Both Venus and Serena had incredibly power and speed. It did not matter how wily Hingis was, how well she predicted her opponents movements, Venus and Serena could still hit winners from any part of the court. The tide had turned once again and it was power, not intelligence that ruled the court. From then on it seemed that champions would be determined by their strength alone. Roddick came along with his fierce serve, Hewitt had his speed and Safin had is temper. No one seemed to be using their brain to out-wit their opponent, they just hoped to have more power.

It seemed like tennis was going to the dogs and then He came along. In 2001, Roger Federer achieved his first ATP tour win in Milan. Later that year he went on to make it to the Quarterfinals of Wimbledon taking down the desperate Pete Sampras. In those first few matches, a glimmer of greatness could be seen. Yes, he did have a fantastic forehand and his movement around the court was like that of a gazelle, but he was also thinking. The match was like a chess game with Federer anticipating his opponent's next move and going for the win.

In 2003 Federer had taken his throne as the king of Wimbledon and by 2004 he had signaled his supremacy by winning three of the four grand slam titles. The other players were getting increasingly flustered with their inability to beat Federer. He could beat you so many different ways: he could play just a solid game and let his opponent make the mistakes, he could mix up his shots in a way that got under his opponent's skin, preventing them from getting a rhythm or he could go 'Federer' on them and just out-shine them in strategy, in strength, in placement, in everything.

The first sign of an achilles heel came at the 2005 French Open when Federer was playing his (self-proclaimed) best clay court tennis. Yet it was not enough to stop Rafael Nadal from taking the title. With the exception of Rafa, Federer continued to dominate his befuddled opponents. Until earlier this year. He had a stomach virus that caused him to withdraw from a warm-up tournament for the Australian Open. He went into the Open not at top form, no doubt he was a little weak from his illness. He failed to defend his title, losing in the semi-final to Novak Djovokic who went on to take the championship.

While Federer's poor performance at the Australian is easily explained, he has continued to have trouble winning. Back in March it was revealed that Federer had had mono, going back to December, possibly. But since then he claims to be fit enough to compete and yet we haven't seen Federer be 'Federer'. Just yesterday Federer made it to the finals of Monte Carlo against Rafael Nadal. Federer blew a 4-3 lead in the first set and then he was up by 4 games in the second set and yet he allowed Rafa to rally and fight back. Of course some might say that this is what Rafa does...He is a fighter and he seems to have a cosmic connection with clay that makes him unstoppable.

I feel I have to beg Federer to find himself before the French Open and, especially, before the grass season starts... otherwise we will not have that classic battle of titans between the strength and instinct of players like Rafa and the intelligence and skill of Federer. Please let us not fall back into those dire days of stupidity that still linger in the women's game. Come back to us Roger and be the pinnacle of elegance, grace, class that we have come to love you for!! COME ON ROGER!!!

For more on yesterday's match click here.

The Moose Call Sounds!

I have not avidly watched a Yankee game since I moved back to the States. The reason for my defection was expressed here if you missed it. That being said my ears pricked up when I heard that Mike Mussina pitched well yesterday and earned a win last night along with some breathing room. Moose, as he is affectionately known, has been having a tough time of late. Before last night Mussina was 2-2 on the season (which admittedly is still young) with an ERA over 5...not the best numbers to put up. Being 37 doesn't help either. Moose's slow start had the critics talking about whether this was to be his last season. Things in the Yankee camp weren't much better with Hank Steinbrenner (the Boss Jr.) talking about moving Joba Chamberlain into the starting rotation as well as advising Moose to pitch more like Jaime Moyer (for those baseball novices out there, Moyer is a knuckle-ball pitcher, which is an usual pitching style that would be hard to pick up after 17 years in the bigs).

But last night Moose put all those doubting whispers to bed. It's good to see him back to his old form. In the world of baseball there are really two kinds of pitchers: those that really on their arm alone and those that combine the strength and skill of their arm with the smarts upstairs. Moose belongs to the latter group. And his brains don't just apply to baseball...he attended Stanford university to study economics and continues to play those impossible word games of the sort devised by Will Short on NPR every Sunday.

But getting back to baseball, Moose isn't content to just walk into a game and try over-power the hitters like Roger Clemens would. For Moose it is a game of cat and mouse. And his preparations begin before the first pitch is thrown...he studies the hitters he is going to face. He learns which pitches they eat up and which pitches are their achilles heel. With that information he steps onto the mound already trying to formulate how he is going to wrong-foot his opponent: will he throw in on their hands first and toss it away to get them reaching or will he throw a fastball for a strike and throw a curve to catch them swinging? You can see the wheels turning before every pitch as he considers every possible move and every possible counter move...like a game of chess. When Mike Mussina plays, he raises the game from a garish display of spitting and groin-grouping to a match of wits and it's good to see that he is sharp as ever!

Where is the 'I' in Yankee?!!

Anyone who glanced at the sports section of a New York daily paper this morning probably has one name running through their head and that name is Joba Chamberlain. After only 30 innings in the major leagues, Joba is being hailed by fans and owner alike as 'the answer' to the Yanks' pitching woes (20 games into the season the only thing worse than the starting rotation's high ERA is the bullpen's win-to-loss ratio). What I don't understand is why Yankee management and fans do this to themselves...why do they always think in terms of discovering or acquiring one STAR that is going to single-handedly turn the dwindling fortunes of the team around?!

Many a coach has said that there is no 'I' in team and this was certainly true for the Championship Yankee team the existed in the late 90's. Not to say that there wasn't amazing talent: Andy Petitte, David Wells, Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Paul O'Neill, Scott Brosius, Jorge Posada...they were all good at what they did but no one player was expected to carry the team, consequently no one player was put under undue pressure. They all supported one another and because of that they could each play to their own highest potential.

Things started to change when they brought Roger Clemens in for the 1999 season. At the time Clemens was already 37 so you had to assume that his best pitching years lay behind him and the years that lay ahead were likely to be full of injuries. By the time the Yankees went after Jason Giambi in the 2001/2 off-season they seemed to have lost that magic that had been the team's trademark in those memorable championships. Giambi was signed on the basis of his past performance with little notice being given to some nagging injuries. He stepped onto the field carrying the weight of Yankee stardom:he had to prove he was worth the big bucks they had shelled out to acquire him. The pressure proved to be too much. Giambi's career with the Yankees has been plagued by troubled hitting and sloth-like fielding. Giambi was not to be the last of the Yankee's over-priced acquisitions...A-Rod, Matsui, Clemens (again), Petitte (again), David Wells (what a piece of work), Contreras (that was emotional), Alfonso Soriano, Johnny Damon...the list goes on and on.

Each player at one time or another was slated as being the missing link that would sure up the starting rotation or would ignite the offense. And in each case, the headlines had more fire-power than the pitches, the crowd's jeers were louder than the bats. It wasn't just that these players were put under tremendous pressure...they were the wrong answer to the wrong question. Instead of looking for simple answers (i.e. this player will provide enough heat that it doesn't matter who he's playing with) to a short-term question (how can we get back into the Championship race this year), the Yankee organization should look for something that seems to be lacking in the Steinbrenner gene pool...patience. Maybe if the Yankees stopped worrying about getting the guy that hit 40 HRs last season they could focus on bringing up young farm talent that not only has individual skills but also brings together players that complement one another.

I have a feeling it is going to be a very long season for Yankee fans.