Tennis...and more tennis...
I feel a little left out today. Apparently, the greatest tennis match of all time occurred yesterday, and I was too busy flipping through CNN, Benny Hill Ministries, and a showing of "Zoolander" on TNT. I checked in on Federer-Nadal a few times, but then went about my day. Stupid me.
Of course, I could have tuned in after my day had been gone about. At 4 hours, 48 minutes long, the match was still going on. And I think this would have been my only realistic chance of experiencing this monumental event.
Because there's no way I'm watching 5 hours of tennis.
I've pondered this long and hard, and at this point in my life, I don't think there's anything I'd enjoy doing for 5 hours straight. And this includes all the experiences from my college years. Pub crawls, double features, poker tournaments, Tantra- not for me.
Those I've talked to who watched the Wimbledon final say it flew by, and as an avid sports fan, I can understand this. Sometimes when you're in the moment of a live sporting event (especially one as captivating and historically significant as this one supposedly was), you're not in your right mind. During the Knicks-Bulls Playoff matchups of the 90's, I'd sit through 6 hours of NBA doubleheaders.
But I was 13.
Now I'm a grown man, with grown up responsibilities, and my conscience simply won't allow that. I can't imagine if I somehow got sucked into 5 hours of tennis. I'd have slash marks on my back from the self-flagellation! (though I must admit, tennis is probably very low on my "Sports That Could Suck Me In For 5 Straight Hours" list).
Believe me, I'm regretting that I didn't have a strategic plan to maximize my Wimbledon viewing yesterday. I missed out terribly. But I'm not like my friends who watched that entire match. They're a different breed, the kind that likes marathons and chess.
And part-time employment.
*Thankfully, for those like me who didn't watch the entire match, there was plenty of coverage. Champion Rafael Nadal faced reporters, and answered their questions . . . at least the ones that made sense: