DramatistDreamer

I'm not sure how much ESPN is really willing to invest in tennis. Tennis Channel is no better, their produced pieces before matches still look low budget to me-- they need to zhuzh up their production values and they also seem to be doing their TC Plus as a kind of money grab. Tennis needs some new entity that can finance good seamless streaming of all matches. What the Challengers do, except for the major tournaments, like a Tennis-centric Netflix, of sorts, but focused on live as well as replay tennis matches. It's been decades since TC first aired and tennis viewing is still a jumble when it concerns the simple basics of where to watch a match. I wish they'd get it together. That's the way a lot of people do it nowadays. Subscribe, cancel, repeat down the road with the next major.

I never had any intention of subscribing to ESPN+, I always believed it to be a bad idea and an obvious money grab. On any matches not covered on ESPN3 (which is most), I just use a VPN.

This, coupled with the discovery of an elite school cartel engaging in price-fixing and it's a bad look for higher education.

For those who may venture into this thread, curious as to what this ruckus is about, a primer.

And the tournament begins...

Boy, you weren't kidding! I don't have Amazon Prime, so I managed to see it through an invite via virtual screening and I literally dozed off! Linda Lavin as an older Madelyn Pugh was one of the highlights. She managed a wry wit, despite that Sorkinese dialogue jumble. J.K. Simmons and Nina Arianda were really good as William Crawley and Vivian Vance. The way the actors were able to display Vance and Frawley's dislike of each other, hidden under the guise of humor during that Table Read sequence was very clear and very good. After that, I literally struggled to stay awake. I'm not sure whether it was script, direction or actor's choice but Kidman's portrayal of Lucille Ball seemed wizened to the point of coldness. We get it, she was not just a comedienne but a businesswoman, but this Lucy lacked humor and warmth. Perhaps I missed it after he drifted off to sleep but I only saw one side to the passion between Ball and Arnaz, and that was the volatility. Sex scenes devoid of tenderness. Arguments. I kept contrasting those images in the home movies displayed in the documentary about Lucille Ball, of tender exchanges between Ball and Arnaz, as they played in the swimming pool with one of their grandchildren toward the end of Arnaz' life. Both had been long divorced to the other, married to others and the love between Ball and Arnaz was so still so apparent. I didn't see any of that in Being The Ricardos.

It's more like NYC/NY state government that makes the determination, since different states have different protocols and rules- we see this in how mask mandates and vaccination rules for indoor dining, etc. are issued. Hey, good for Thanasi.

The majors pretty much decide their own standards, practices and policies. Tennis has never really had that type of cohesion, from prize money to fines, etc. it all seems to depend on the individual tournament. Even during the pandemic, the first year, Wimbledon, which had taken out pandemic insurance a few years prior, elected not to have a tournament, while the U.S Open decided to stage a tournament without spectators, and Roland Garros moved the dates of their tournament that year from spring to autumn, after the US Open. The last time the 4 majors decided to coordinate judgement, was when they decided they were going to levy penalties against Naomi Osaka for declaring that, for mental health reasons, she would skip the post-match press conference during the Roland Garros tournament and accept the fines. Collectively, and within short order they decided to issue a joint statement stating that they would penalize her for any missed press conference, which could ultimately have resulted in her expulsion from their tournaments, Osaka withdrew from Roland Garros after she won her second round match. The four major tournaments really haven't been in accord in any other matters since. In other words, whatever seems to work for each individual tournament is what they decide to do. Every tennis association for themselves.

Has Nadal seen what Novak's lawyers said in their argument? According to them, the Australian Open can't survive without him. The legal documents have been posted online for all to see.

Maybe so, but NYC is not Melbourne, they will send his a$s back on a plane out of there. This is the city of September 11th, 2001, they don't play. NYC was also the first epicenter of the COVID pandemic in the United States, so they won't give him leeway in that regard either. I'd be interested in watching him try though.

Another weekend, another crisis for Boris Johnson. Does he survive again, or?

Apparently, the hearing that just occurred was procedural. The actual hearing (sigh) is Sunday morning local time-- 5:30 pm EST Saturday.

Something about Due Process, yadda yadda yadda... Would that those refugees got this level of "due process" and in such a timely manner. In short though, it's the appeals process for Djokovic's lawyers. I guess they're determined to exhaust all possible options. 🤷🏾‍♀️

TBH, Rafa and Roger would have just gotten vaccinated and be done with it. There would be no situation. I can't think of anyone else who would have tried these shenanigans. As much as I dislike Tennys Sandgren, even he elected not to play, rather than risk running afoul of Australian laws and protocols. Even he doesn't have that level of chutzpah. This is a situation very much of Novak's own making, don't forget that. Like when Maria got busted for her unsanctioned use of Meldonium, Djokovic is the architect of his own demise in this situation.

Djokovic got a hearing (unusual to get one so speedily, according to Australian immigration experts). Also unusual, is the fact that he has, so far, managed to avoid detention after his visa has been declared cancelled, but some have said once his interview takes place, he will be detained then. The hearing, which is being transferred to the Federal Court of Australia is on Sunday. Looks like Djokovic will be detained tomorrow at 8 am, Australian time.

Apparently, Del Potro's dad stole like $30 million dollars from him.

Cartoon Network as an 'also ran'?

Not unexpected, nevertheless, not good, mostly, with the exception of the healthcare workers aspect.

At least Harry volunteered to give up his military titles, of course, it was reluctantly but he did it out of commitment to his wife and child, not because he molested a child.

^^Well over a decade ago, I read a couple of his sunnyside optimistic books, but over the past few years, since his near constant gushing about Mohammed bin Salman, I have blithely taken to ignoring him.

Why does tennis media still waste time reporting on Bernard Tomic? His behavior is just abhorrent at this point.

It was a plea more than anything. Feel free to simply ignore. And I wasn't claiming that people weren't elevated, I said the level of discussion wasn't. There is a big difference.

I'm not staying up to watch this shite.

Wut the faaack?!