Written by Pat Davis | 12 July 2010

It happens sometimes, thankfully not often, when we have no real tennis during a particular stretch of time.  A big boohoo, but we try to find ways through it

Davis Cup took place this week but that somehow never feels like real tennis.  Rah rah rah and sis boom ba, but I happen to be one of those capitalist churls who appreciates tennis more when the selfish motives are at stake.  Like in the Grand Slams.  I like it when the boys and girls play for themselves.  Tennis is the most individual of sports, except when we all gang up and form teams and play Davis Cup/Fed Cup. 

So I find it funny that I ended up this week watching (and enjoying) the World Cup, where teamwork is essential and a man is nothing if not part of the team effort.   Mind you, the average American's love affair with soccer only lasts roughly a month every four years.   But it's been an entertaining affair.

Spain must feel like it died and went to heaven over the weekend.  They won the World Cup in soccer, beating a Holland team I favored personally, but they didn't deserve to win.  Too many penalties and they played too much of a holding pattern for my tastes.  I certainly wanted to see them play the way they played to get into the final.

You have to like soccer, if for nothing else than the way they really stick it to American advertisers.  Two 45-minute halves played without any commercial interruptions.  Hooray!  Maybe that's why in part the game still struggles for a foothold in this country.   The advertisers don't get enough shots at filling our heads with dreck.  Masses are playing it now, but not so many watch it.  It still provokes yawns from me though, even in the World Cup.  We're just too hooked on our massive attack-style of pro football, where there's lots and lots of scoring usually.  We like big tallies. 

Wouldn't it have been better if Spain could have squeezed out another goal just to keep that lone one company? 

Rafael Nadal was in attendance along with other notables.  He won Wimbledon, while another Spaniard - Alberto Contador - is the favorite to win the Tour de France under way also this week.  So Spain is really on a roll.  The place must be humming after this weekend.  Can we be charitable then and overlook the fact they lost 5 zip to France in Davis Cup? 

The Spanish economy may still tank, but they'll always have London.  And Johannesburg.  And probably, soon, Paris.

Speaking of Paris,  the last couple of days have not been good to Lance Armstrong.  He is the main reason Americans are following the Tour this year, such as Americans follow the Tour.  He had a horrible day over the weekend, getting caught up in three separate crashes.  A very unlucky run that pretty much screws his chances for any podium finish.  The uncharitable might say that this is karmic revenge on Armstrong for the doping charges Floyd Landis has levelled at him and a few other riders. 

Can an immoral man like Landis spin a moral tale?  I say he can, and he has.  Whether anything else falls out of the woodwork remains to be seen.  The powers that be in cycling are out there digging into it at this very moment.

I especially liked the little Landis gem about the team stopping by the road on a remote mountain to load up on fresh blood. 

One supposes this gives a whole new meaning to the term, "pit stop."

Pedal onward!

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