Sports Archives
Page 1 of 16 »Yes! - The Red Sox are playing Tampa Bay in the ALCS. Rock!
Maybe? Hey, The Future Mrs. Leaf and I are going to be in Florida next week! Maybe we can scalp tickets and go to one of the games! YaWooooo! Nomah!
Crap. They're in Boston when we are down there. Oh well. But after attending Game One of the NBA Finals in which the MIGHTY Boston Celtics bitch-slapped the pathetic LA Lakers (and all the "experts") to win their 17th NBA title, perhaps I should not push my luck.
Besides, We'll be down there for Honeymoon, Part One.
That's right, we are getting married this weekend. The site won't be updated for a while, but I hope you'll still be here when we get back.
Rock.
PS - Celtics v Sixers tonight in preseason action. It's On!
Basketball, I missed you.
Last night was the second time I have taken in a championship soccer match at RFK stadium. D.C. United beat the Charleston Battery 2-1 to win the 2008 U.S. Open Cup and I got another shot of me in the reflection of a trophy. DCist has the full story and the celebration photos.
Other than the seven hour trip north (stupid Delaware), The Future Mrs. Leaf and I had a blast in NYC last weekend. We arrived in Brooklyn around 6 p.m. or so on Saturday and quickly made our way to our friend's apartment in Fort Greene. After decompressing a bit, we headed across Flatbush Ave. to 5th Avenue in Park Slope where I bored the crap out of everyone by pointing at all the shiny, new boutiques and saying "That used to be a laundromat, that used to be a bodega," on and on. Man, 5th Ave. is totally different than when I lived there. But it felt good to be back. Hanging out in The Slope made me realize I miss my old neighborhood more than I thought I did. It's so nice to be able to walk everywhere and have everything you need within a few blocks.
We had a short wait for a table at Bonnie's, but it wasn't long before I was tearing into my favorite cheeseburger on the planet. It's nice to know that some things haven't changed at all. That same can't be said for the beer list at The Gate, however. It was all crappy microbrews so we went up the street to Lighthouse Tavern, which had just opened around the time that I moved away. We had a few there and eventually headed home to catch the end of the Mardy Fish v. James Blake match on TV.
Sunday was our big day at the US Open. We watched about 8 hours of tennis and got to see Jelena Jankovic, Roger Federer and Andy Roddick play on Arthur Ashe Stadium. It was really hot in our seats though, so we ended up walking around and moving from court to court all day. We saw a few matches in Louis Armstrong Stadium as well as a few junior matches on the outside courts. Around 7 o'clock, our stomach's starting grumbling, so we headed out to the 7 train after a very full day. Oh, and I took the G train for the first time ever. I was probably more excited about that than I should be. We ended the night with a yummy sushi dinner. On Monday we got on the road early in an effort to beat the traffic and made it home in time to see the last two sets of the Nadal v. Querrey match. Bonus!
I brought my camera with me on Sunday and took a few pics. I decided just to take my wide lens and sit back and enjoy the day, which turned out to be a wise decision. But I still got a bunch of great photos from the day.
[Photo Gallery]
US Open Trip / Labor Day Weekend 2008
McEnroe served and volleyed as Borg stood stoic at the base line contesting points so complex and involved they felt like short stories. The best moments came at the end, a 34-point fourth set tiebreaker, won by McEnroe, followed by a 8-6 fifth-set loss so thrillingly close that Borg's fifth consecutive Wimbledon victory spoke to the brutal, bright-size-life way that singles tennis has of revealing a man and displaying what he is made of. It is a martial game: eliminate or be eliminated.
In other tennis news, the U.S. Open starts today! The Future Ms. Leaf and I will be there on Sunday! Can't wait. I bet Roddick doesn't make it past the quarters. He looked horrible at the Legg Mason. I also predict I am going to eat at Bonnie's at least once during my stay in NYC.
Do yourself a favor and click through. I've said it once, but I'll say it again, if you're not reading Newsweek's photoblogger's Olympic coverage, you are missing out.
So long Manny. From what everyone says, it was time for you to go. But I have nothing but love for you. Thanks for 2004 and 2007.
Johnny Mac is in town with his World Team tennis crew. I will be there with camera in hand. It will be the first time I've ever gotten to see him play in person and the first time I've come face to face with him since this.
I need four day weekends more often. Yes, unlike most people, I got Thursday off too. I spent most of my weekend playing and watching tennis, with some dinner and drinks with friends thrown in for good measure.
Without a doubt, my favorite July 4th tradition is watching Wimbledon. Oh how I wish I still had my VCR tape of the 1989 semi-final between John McEnroe and Stefan Edberg. A total classic. Thank the lord for Youtube. The 2000 semi between Agassi and Pat Rafter was also an epic.
How about this year's Men's final, eh? Johnny Mac says it was the best evah(here are ESPN's top five). He would know. He was so excited he gave Roger Federer a hug after the match even though he lost.
I was totally pumped to watch the final on Sunday, but I didn't expect it to last until 4 p.m. The Future Mrs. Leaf and I went to go play tennis ourselves during the third and fourth sets and got home in time to watch the fifth. Bonus.
I found an indoor tennis club out in Fairfax and joined so now I can play whenever I want. I rented a ball machine on Saturday and spent an hour or so taking my hacks, which I hadn't done since I was in high school. Good times. I'm demoing racquets right now and am going to buy one in the next week or so. Time to retire my old Dunlop Max 200G. I bought it used somewhere in Vermont about eight years ago for $20. It has served me well, but it's time for an upgrade.
We did try and see some fireworks on the Fourth, but the Waterfront in Old Town is not the spot to go. Too far away and too many trees. So we left early and headed to the bar. We also saw Wall-E and had nothing but good things to say about it.
Got a few shows and sporting events coming up this week. The City Veins are at Fort Reno tonight (weather permitting), Julie Ocean at the RnR Hotel on Friday and SuperLiga action on Saturday as D.C. United hosts Mexico's CD Guadalajara.
Apropos of absolutely nothing, here are some My Morning Jacket covers from their recent Bonnarroo set.
[mp3] My Morning Jacket | Hot Fun In The Summertime
[mp3] My Morning jacket | Get Down On It
Go get the entire set over at You Ain't No Picasso.
David Beckham and the LA Galaxy were in town yesterday, but D.C. United dispatched them 4-1 at RFK Stadium. I'm going to watch the TV broadcast tonight or tomorrow to see if I made it on TV. I actually hope I didn't, I had towels and all sort of shit draped on my head because of the heat. Not exactly the cutting edge of fashion if you know what I mean.
Best part of the game, hands down, was the return of Ben Olsen! More shots of him kicking the ball with his tongue out! It's about time.
Taking photos in the mid-day sun is unbelievably difficult. There are different lighting conditions all over the field and the shadows are really tough to deal with. I did OK, but it's not something I want to do again any time soon. Give me a game under the lights any time.
More photos of Beckham (including a topless one for all of you ladies) after the jump.
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