Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Brit Pop at Wimbledon

With the way Andy Murray is playing tennis, it hardly matters that England didn’t even qualify for the recently-ended Euro 2008 soccer championship.
Nothing galvanizes Great Britain like seeing one of its own challenging for the ultimate grass court title on home soil at Wimbledon.
“For the majority of the players in the field, winning Wimbledon is a grand slam, and that is big,” Radio Wimbledon host Terry Smith told The Examiner’s Jim Williams. “But Andy Murray is playing for one of the biggest prizes in British sport. To be an Englishman and to be a Wimbledon Champion, that is as good as it gets, and the country would be over the moon.”
Murray, a 21-year-old Scotsman, captured hearts with his never-say-die, 5-7, 3-6, 7-6, 6-2, 6-4 fourth-round victory over Richard Gasquet, a match that lasted nearly four hours on Centre Court in the late fading summer dusk Monday, finishing at 9:30 p.m. local time.
The 12th-seeded Murray will be back on the court today for his first-ever Wimbledon quarterfinal — he’s only the fourth British man in the Open era to advance that far — against French Open champion and No. 2 seed Rafael Nadal.
Outside Centre Court, on [Andy] Murray Mount, formerly known as [Greg] Rusdeski Ridge and [Tim] Henman Hill, patriotic British fans will hang on his every serve.
Even beyond Wimbledon’s hallowed grounds, rush hour all over greater London could be altered as commuters divert from their normal routines to stop in pubs and cafes to watch the match before they scurry for their train home.
“It’s crazy because tennis isn’t that big a sport in England,” said D.C. United’s English midfielder Dan Stratford. “But Wimbledon is such a great day out, and everyone follows it. Especially when there’s someone from Great Britain competing in it, and has a chance to win it, it certainly gets a little more interesting.”


Ninth innings just got a lot shakier

The Nationals officially lost their closer on Tuesday. Hopefully, the same thing isn’t happening to the Orioles.
Hours after the Nats announced pitcher Chad Cordero would miss the rest of the season with a torn labrum in his right shoulder, Orioles closer George Sherrill blew his second save in two days.
Sherrill (2-3, 3.68 ERA), who has converted 26-of-31 save opportunities, must keep his confidence high, as he exploded Monday night following the top of the ninth against Kansas City when he yielded a tying home run to pinch-hitter Miguel Olivio. On Sunday, he yielded a two-strike, two-out, walkoff two-run home run to Ronnie Belliard in a 3-2 loss.
“Same pitch, same spot,” Sherrill told reporters after the game. “I was just trying to bounce it and both of them rolled. Neither of them felt good. You hope that maybe it just doesn’t get to the plate. It’s a thin line. It just got there and hung.”
The left-hander’s career-high in innings pitched for a season is 45 2/3. Sherrill already has pitched 36 2/3 innings this season, and the All-Star Break isn’t until next week.
“I didn’t worry [about Sherrill] yesterday,” Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. “I don’t worry today.”


Turner will bank on four of a kind

Take former MLB stars Cal Ripken Jr., Dennis Eckersley and Harold Reynolds, mix in studio host Ernie Johnson and what do you have? Turner Sports is hoping a hit broadcast for this weekend’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game Selection Show.
With the popularity of Inside the NBA on TNT, the sports arm of the Turner networks is trying to bring similar success to Sunday’s 2 p.m. broadcast on TBS.
The key for ‘Inside’ has been the blending of former NBA players Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and another guest in a studio also hosted by Johnson.
“What’s worked on TNT’s basketball show is the fact the guys are honest,” Johnson said. “They aren’t afraid to speak, and it’s a pretty free-form, non-rehearsed, spontaneous show.”
Ripken, who worked with TBS on its broadcasts last year, says he is still developing his on-air persona.
“I don’t have a style,” Ripken said with a laugh. “Ernie made me raise my hand last year before I could speak. I enjoy watching the games, and watch it with a different eye. I had a chance to have a good background with my dad, who pointed things out to me, and I like to do that.”


IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

On Monday — just in time to remind us off all that’s wrong with cycling right before it’s biggest and most entertaining event, the Tour de France — the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld a previous panel’s decision that Floyd Landis’ positive doping test during the Tour two years ago was, indeed, valid. Looks like money poorly spent, as Landis won’t get his 2006 title back and is said to be hurting financially after a court case that cost more than $2 million. Oh yeah, don’t forget to watch the 2008 Tour, which starts Saturday.


BY THE NUMBERS

23 » Millions of euros that Euro 2008 champion Spain’s total prize money, a.k.a. $36.2 million. The 16 teams in the tournament expect to share in a total windfall of 172 million euros.

100,000 » Total prize money, in dollars, for the winning team in the U.S. Open Cup, the annual soccer tournament open to all amateur and pro soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer.


ON THE RECORD

“Matt Millen has changed 58 coaches already, and he’s now finally changing players.”

— NFL Network analyst, and former Detroit Lions head coach, Steve Mariucci, failing to resist the chance to take a shot at his former boss.


“Indiana University took a risk in hiring Coach Sampson and giving him a second chance following his problems at Oklahoma. It is now clear that this was a risk that should not have been taken.”

— Indiana University president — and 20-20 hindsight aficionado — Michael McRobbie.