That was fantastic. Last night I was watching the Mets-Rockies game on ESPN 2, my guys weren’t doing well so I did a little channel surfing during a commercial break. I don’t know, maybe I thought they would sense I was surfing and the idea of me finding something else to watch would inspire them to a win. Well, they didn’t get inspired. And I did find something. It wasn’t that I wanted to stop watching the game, not at all. But I didn’t have a choice. I hit the USA Network and there was excitement in Flushing that had nothing to do with the Mets or baseball.
Andre Agassi was at Center Court of the US Open, his swan song. His last tournament before walking, most likely hunched over, into the Vegas sunset. And the crowd was electric. I had missed most of the match, and he was tied with Marcos Baghadatis, the 8th ranked player in the world, at one game a piece in the 5th set. And I don’t think I’ve really watched any tennis since Jimmy Connors and his 1991 US Open run but, I wasn’t changing the channel. Growing up I watched quite a bit of tennis with my father, he was a big fan and so it was just on a lot. I became interested in the game, learned to play but never very well, and had a few guys I enjoyed watching. Together, he and I loved Jimmy Connors and his run in ’91 was some of the most captivating sports television I’ve ever seen.
Last night, minus some hair, acne and homework, I was 14 again. Here was this 36 year old with no hair, going up against some 21 year old who had long hair and a scruffy face that was eerily similar to the first Agassi-look. And the points, god the points were awesome. There were 27 strokes for this point followed by an ace, then later back-to-back double faults. Agassi some how finding a way to get to balls he had no business getting near with his bad back. Then the young guy begins to cramp up. Un-able to get any help because, he had already had someone work on a thigh strain earlier in the set this kid played amazing tennis on two bad legs. Agassi ran him side to side and Baghadatis could only smile and point to his heart after some how returning the ball. The kid’s got tons of heart.
Tied at four games apiece, and on deuce number eight it began to look more like Ali-Frazier then a gentlemen’s game. They had been playing for over three hours’ and the crowd was simply electric and going no where. Never mind it was midnight on a Thursday and just the second round, it felt more like a Championship match. From what I’ve heard commentators say, there’s been nothing watchable about men’s tennis for some time now. They said the game had some great players but, no great rivalries, too much technology and zero personality. And well, I had no interest so I haven’t watched in a good 10-12 years. But, it’s always fun to watch someone give their farewell performance.
And I always like Agassi. He had a swagger and a style. I never had Air Jordans but I did have a pair of Andre’s Nikes. I wore the spandex shorts under acid wash shorts. And it wasn’t that I liked tennis more then basketball but Andre was cool. And last night, the greatest sport fans in the world, helped inspire him to look like a younger version of himself mixed with a bit of Jimmy Connors. I hope he gets as far as Connors did, so I can be 14 for a few more nights. I might even grow some hair back.
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