Rubbin' is Racing

By Connor Buestad

In my 24 years as a sports fan, there yet remains a whole host of sporting events that I have yet to witness live and in person. The Super Bowl, World Cup, NBA Finals, the list goes on. These are the type of events that, until you witness them in person, you can’t fully predict what they are actually like to attend.

Last month, by hook or by crook, I found myself with tickets to a pair of classic events: The United States Tennis Open in Flushing, NY and NASCAR’s Chevy Rock n’ Roll 400 in Richmond, VA.

My goal from the onset of this sports odyssey was to experience each event to the fullest, absorbing all aspects from the fans, to the customs, to the sport itself. I had never been to a major tennis tournament before although I am relatively hip to the sport itself, having played as a youngster. NASCAR, however, would be a completely foreign animal to me. If you want to count the fact that I’ve driven go-carts at Scandia Family Fun Centers and Malibu Grand Prix go right ahead. But let me repeat, NASCAR is a whole different animal.

Let me start by taking you through the transportation to each event. For the US Open I decided to take the Subway. Having never been to this neck of the woods in New York, I was careful and alert as to not find myself getting lost on my way. Little did I know this would not be a problem. All I needed to do was simply follow Polo by Ralph Lauren and I’d be fine. Collard shirt, Khaki shorts, designer watch, and a tan colored hat was the uniform of choice this day. Following those wearing said outfit would assure me of my safe arrival to the tennis grounds. Easy enough I guess.

My transportation to the Rock n’ Roll 400 began with a trip to the local grocer in Charlottesville, VA. There, me and my crew, all 20 of us, spilled out of our party bus to go fetch 30 racks of various light domestics. Back into the bus we went, embarking on a 90 minute jaunt into the heart of Virginia’s racing country. This joyride was made complete with talk of Tom Cruise’s epic performance in “Days of Thunder” coupled with a tutorial on the difference between a green and yellow flag.

After exiting the Subway I made my way toward to the grounds of the Open. A well dressed crowd of tennis fans peacefully walked toward Arthur Ashe Stadium, smiling faces and all. I was greeted by a young lady offering me a free sample of Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt. Ahh, how appropriate. In addition to Oikos Organic Yogurt, you had brands like IBM, Heineken Light, IBM, Lexus, Citizen, American Express, etcetera. All well respected names among the elite, all clamoring for attention at the Open.

Approaching the grounds of the Rock n’ Roll 400, I almost felt intimidated. Did I belong here? Do I deserve the right to be here right now? It felt like these NASCAR fans had been tailgating since Wednesday for the Saturday night race. Some probably had been. Fans proudly waved the flags of their favorite driver over their gigantic RV’s. The ultimate trifecta of Jean shorts, Cutoff shits, and a fanny pack was all too common. The area outside the racetrack turned out to be a marketing bonanza. The Home Depot, Coke Zero, Skoal, Redman, Klondike Bar, US Army, Bud, Coors, Miller, you get the idea. 20 minutes in, I was proudly sporting a Home Depot hard hat and wearing a free T-Shirt that the Army gave me for doing 10 pull-ups. The cigarette tents were perhaps the best part. If you called yourself a “smoker”, you were awarded a buffet of whatever type of smokes you wanted to try. Call yourself a “non-smoker” and you’re left with nothing. Makes you wonder.

It struck me as strange when I sat down at my first US Open tennis match and realized the crowd would be whispering for the majority of the match. For the most part, fans are there to sit back, enjoy the sunshine and root for a good match. Outside of a player’s loyal group of friends and family, most fans are not there to root on anyone in particular. Exciting points are applauded by loud clapping and not much else. Many fans listen to the match on the radio while they watch live. Perhaps the most memorable concession I saw was a Mojito stand sponsored by Bacardi. No doubt a popular place to be for tennis fans on a hot, late-summer day.

Maybe the biggest misnomer surrounding the sport of NASCAR is how deafly loud the races are. Earplugs are an absolute must. The speed of the cars is mesmerizing. The boredom of watching cars go around in circles for 400 laps is…not as bad as it looks on television. At this particular race in Richmond, fans were welcome to bring in a 6 pack of canned beer. The only catch is that imported beers are not allowed; at least this is what I was told by a NASCAR lifer drinking a Bud Heavy. I never did see an imported beer, so what the hell, this could actually be a rule enforced by racing officials.

In the end it came clear to me. The sport of tennis and stock car racing couldn’t be more different. From the rules, to the culture that surrounds the two sports, there is truly only one thing that they share in common. The love of competition.  

Service

Awesome news! United States African American tennis star Serena Williams inks a huge deal to appear in ads for Tampax. Procter and Gamble is the corporation behind the ad and they are featuring Serena Williams in a number of video and print ads where Serena will be depicting beating Mother Nature in a game of tennis.

Business mogul Serena Williams

I’m so glad Serena’s sponsors still believe in her and did not judge her over this U.S. Open debacle and argument with the line judge. Everyone makes mistakes. Maybe the judge didn’t see something and maybe Serena had a bad day. There’s a lot of tension playing in high level tournaments such as the U.S. Open and emotions are on fire. Back in the day, John McEnroe was on fire and used to routinely yell at judges like he owned them. He rarely got penalized especially when match point and the game was on the line.

Serena has not lost any endorsement deals from her other sponsors that include Nike and Kraft and they publicly supported her position on the line judge matter. We all know people get mad and say things in anger that they didn’t mean. In no way would Serena shove a ball down the line judge’s throat. I’m glad to see she can put this behind her and move on. She’s great for Tampax and Procter and Gamble is an excellent sponsor to have. It also helps that Ms. Williams is also on the home shopping channel selling product and is visible not only in tennis but in business as well. Serena has captured the essence of what this blog is all about: passive income. Black business enterprises and black athletes must continue to harness passive income and not be reduced to being broke and losing all monies after the playing days are done.

I have bought another vintage camera, a Mamiyaflex. It is a real beauty so I will be taking her out this week to run a test for leaks and such. Too busy this week to prep a photo for this blog, but I have been invested in culture.

TV: All two weeks: The US Open Tennis Championship.
This may be the first time I was drained by the end of the two weeks. Much
great competition and unexpected drama. Loved it! Just sorry the season is
now over. And kind of glad this Open is done.

DVD: A so-called friend (she knows who she is) turned me on to the series
Battlestar Galactica. So, when tennis was not on I was deeply involved in
deep space with many great actors. I am finally at Season 4.5 and into first disc. It’s been a fun and very long ride with the series, and of course it is now gone.

DVD: State of Play. Not so good. Spend the time watching the original British mini-series, an outstanding thriller that does satisfy.

Re-Music: Jesus of Cool – Nick Lowe. Electric Dirt – Levon Helm
New Music: Riot – Paramore;
and the new Kings of Leon. I like them.

I have been organizing many years of black and white negatives, all sizes and determining a new series of prints related to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Like a good artist, I visit frequently and took many images over the years inside and out, some with large format, so nice stuff.

Juan Martin del Potro , the up and coming Argentine , beat the five-time defending champion Roger Federer on the Hard Court at the 2009 US Open Mens Tennis Finals in New York.

The Deserving Winner , del Potro , beat both Rafael Nadal and Federer back to back at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadow. No Small Accomplishment.

del Potro seized the Momentum with the 4th set Tie-Break Win

and Juan Martin del Potro , the Skyscraper from Buenos Aires ,

carried it on to Victory in 5 Sets , in front of countryman and 1977 US Open Winner Guillermo Vilas.

Game – Set – Match , Juan Martin del Potro. Tennis has a New Champion.

The 2009 US Open came to a close yesterday.  Arguably the most dramatic and unpredictable event in tournament history.  The feel good story of Kim Clijsters was nearly eclipsed by the stunning upset of Roger Federer by Juan Martin Del Potro.  We will fondly remember the run of the upstart American, Melanie Oudin as well as the shocking win of the US Mixed Doubles pairing of Carly Gullickson and Travis Parrott.

However, our crack research staff has uncovered several riveting stories that have gone unreported.  Today we plan to blow the lid off the top untold stories of the US Open.

#1 Juan Martin Del Potro powered by secret crush on Kim Clijsters.  After the stunning upset of the world’s number one, Juan Martin confessed that he drew extra focus and motivation by visualizing himself dancing with the woman’s champion at the US Open Champion’s Ball.  “I just kept thinking how fabulous it would be to perform the Argentine Tango with Kim.  That vision was the power behind my forehand today.” When told that the US Open does not have a Champion’s Ball like Wimbledon, Del Potro lost it.  He threatened to stuff a bleeping tennis ball down the bleeping throat of whoever canceled the ball.

#2  Dolce files for emancipation from Maria Sharapova.  According to his PR reps, he senses the decline of Maria’s career and has begun negotiating to join the Wozniacki team.

#3  Serena’s outburst was a carefully orchestrated PR move to help her gain easier access to talk shows for promoting her new book, “On the Line.”  Her PR firm, Uncouth-R-Us, was also busy this weekend with another high profile client, Kanye West.

#4  Melanie Oudin inks a huge endorsement deal with a Florida based web development company based on advise of her 16 year old boyfriend and business manager.  Neither of them realize until it is too late the name of the company that will appear on her shirt sleeves for the next 2 years is “Flash-in-the-Panhandle.”

#5  Project Runway mentor  Timothy Gunn rushed to Mount Sinai Medical Center with a sudden onset heart arrhythmia after seeing what Clijsters was wearing in the finals.

#6 Disheartened by state of American Men’s Tennis, tennis fan George Steinbrenner issues memo to USTA urging them to  loosen purse strings and acquire a star free-agent.

#7  ESPN used stimulous money to hire the bevy of sideline and studio reporters to cover the US Open.

#8  Novak Djokavic considers changing name to “Rudy Jeeter” so NY crowds will get behind him next year.

#9  In spite of Clijsters success, Justin Henin decides to stay retired after realizing a comeback would severely curtail her access to jelly donuts.

#10.  US Open officials openly wonder if the money they save by switching to Geico might be enough to build a roof to cover Ashe Stadium?

Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina hold his trophy after defeating Roger Federer of Switzerland in the Men’s Final US Open match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center September 14, 2009 in New York. Del Potro played an epic five setter against the number one player in the world, beating Federer by score of 3-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 6-2. De Potro is the second South American to win the US Open, The first is Guillermo Vilas, who beat Jimmy Connors in 1977 on the clay courts of Forrest Hills. (Photo TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 14: (L-R) USTA president Lucy S. Garvin, Roger Federer of Switzerland and Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina pose with the trophies after the Men’s Singles final on day fifteen of the 2009 U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 14, 2009 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Del Potro defeated Federer 3-6, 7-6 (7), 4-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Kim Clijsters (Belgium) won the US Open for the second time on Sunday.

Clijsters beat Caroline Wozniacki with  7-5, 6-3 just five weeks after returning to action after more than 2 years absence. .

picture from Nieuwsblad.be

Full Dutch release on http://www.nieuwsblad.be/Extra/static/sportwereld/Kim_Clijsters_wint_US_Open.html#

Tennis player Roger Federer from Switzerland serves against Novak Djokovic from Serbia during their semifinals match of the 2009 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, in New York, September 13, 2009. Federer won the match 7-6, 7-5, 7-5 breaking through Djokovic’s best tennis to earn the right to defend his US Open Title for the sixth time against Juan Martin del Potro, in an unsual Monday Final for the greatest tennis title on earth. (Photo EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images)

Tennis player Novak Djokovic from Serbia reacts against Roger Federer from Switzerland during their semifinals match of the 2009 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, in New York, September 13, 2009. (Photo EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images)

Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina returns to Spaniard Rafael Nadal during the US Open semifinals at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on September 13, 2009. Del Potro played impeccable tennis to eliminate the number two player in the world 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 earning a spot in the finals of the greatest tennis tournament in the world. (Photo EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images

Rafael Nadal reacts after losing the semi final match to Juan Martin del Potro at Flushing Meadows on Super Sunday at the US Open. (Photo: Consultingworks, Inc)

Juan Martin del Porto looks confident towards a disoriented Rafael Nadal in the semis of the US Open. He took the first two sets 6-2, 6-2 to back the Spaniard star into a corner from where it’ll be difficult to escape. (Photos: Consutingworks, Inc ©)

Jack Kramer, a world-renowned tennis player in the 1940s and early ’50s and a well-known businessman and tennis promoter in Southern California for more 60 years, died late Saturday night at his home in Los Angeles. He was 88.

The last tennis match he saw was on July 27, when he went to UCLA for the tournament now run by his son. He said he wanted to see Pete Sampras play an exhibition match against Marat Safin.

We just can’t.

Last night, Serena Williams had an ugly outburst over a controversial foot fault penalty, an outburst that eventually cost her the match. On the Twitternets, those who felt Serena was given a raw deal kept invoking the name of McEnroe, tennis’ favorite bad boy son. Wrought within those invocations: that white boy got away with worse.

Um, so what?

John McEnroe was no more right then than Serena was last night. His assholery is a flimsy precedent for acceptable codes of conduct and to support Serena’s behavior because a white guy had done it before her is puzzling.

Black folks–and people of color to a larger degree–are often quick to detail the shenanigans that white folks get away with with impunity; decrying it as unjust and contemptible. We turn our noses up at their childish outbursts; thanking the lord for our hometraining.

We’ve learned to take the moral high ground because, for better or ill, we’ve had little choice.

Yet we’re quick to go to the low lands when one of our own acts up in a similar fashion that we deem outrageous from our white counterparts. We invoke the name of McEnroe as if that makes him and his actions righteous.

We want equality to mean we get away with the same pettiness as petulant white boys. Is that what we aspire to, to be able to throw tantrums? To tell presidents they’re liars?

To be “better than that”, you have to be better than that and accept what comes what will when you are not.

Serena was wrong like McEnroe was wrong; like Joe Wilson was wrong and, if we’re to progress–or at least maintain the moral high ground–we can’t make adjustments based on racket throwers who look like us.

Righteousness never qualifies itself.

After two weeks of tennis play filled with shock, awe, and its fair share of upsets, 2005 US Open Champion Kim Clijsters is set to face impressive 9th-seeded teenager Caroline Wozniacki for the US Open women’s singles title. Due to an unfortunately-timed rain storm, Wozniacki’s semifinal against fellow teenager Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium was scheduled to be played at the same time as Clijsters’ match against America’s New Rod Blagojevich, Serena Williams, but despite the lack of publicity, Wozniacki cruised through 6-3, 6-3 against her opponent.

Clijsters and Wozniacki will meet tomorrow night to play for the final, after the two men’s semifinal matches featuring Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Juan Martín del Potro.

NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 12: Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark waves to the crowd after defeating Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium during the Women’s Singles Semifinal match on day thirteen of the 2009 U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 12, 2009 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Wozniacki defeated Wickmayer 6-3, 6-3. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

“I swear to God, I will take this fucking ball and shove it down your fucking throat.” – Serena Williams, addressing a US Open line judge.

“If you care about the integrity of our sport, you throw out a player after that.” – Mary Carillo, on the S. Williams verbal attack.

Does anyone remember the quaint term “Grace under pressure?”

Does anyone remember when “Sportsmanship” was part of Sports?

The Williams Family of tennis is constantly on a rage of how America never appreciates them.

Saturday, Serena Williams gave America ANOTHER reason not to appreciate them.

In another outrageous example of poor behavior – on a tennis court or otherwise – Serena Williams bashed rackets and abused officials to the point where she lost her match against Kim Clijsters.

Like father, like daughter.

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How is it, America, that John McEnroe can be outrageous and obnoxious and STILL be lovable and honorable.

This is how: It is all about the intentions behind the actions.

McEnroe wanted to win.

Serena Williams violently abuses others because of her own mistakes.

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Watch the video as Serena goes towards the line judge, shaking her racket, and threatens to shove the “fucking” ball down her throat.  And yes, the judge was a 4 foot 90 pound Asian girl.

This is the Serena who is supposed to be the  “Queen” of American tennis?

I remember a queen who shoved cake down poor peasants’ throats.

That queen justly found herself dethroned, and her head delineated by a guillotine.

Court workers dry center court as rain delays the start of the women’s semifinals US Open match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center September 11, 2009 in New York as millions of tennis fans around the world seat it out for today’s matches to resume. (Photo TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 10: Travis Parrott and Carly Gullickson pose with the championship trophy after winning the Mixed Doubles Finals championship against Leander Paes of India and Cara Black of Zimbabwe on day eleven of the 2009 U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 10, 2009 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Gullickson/Parrott defeated Paes/Black 6-2, 6-4. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

OK first, this superior young lady is only 17, so there will be no inappropriate comments here!! We’re proud of our Atlanta girl making such a huge run in the US Open, finally falling in the quarters last night to MAJOR HOTTIE Caroline Wozniacki.

BY THE WAY, CLICK HERE FOR A NICE GALLERY OF HOT CAROLINE WOZNIACKI PICTURES………………

Anyways, as always happens when somebody new comes along, the media is digging up dirt on our little ATL princess tennis player, specifically her parents…………

READ THE STORY HERE FROM SI…..