"Aedh Wishes For The Cloths Of Heaven"--WB Yeats
Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
"As Toilsome I Wander’d"--W. Whitman
AS toilsome I wander’d Virginia’s woods,
To the music of rustling leaves, kick’d by my feet, (for ’twas autumn,)
I mark’d at the foot of a tree the grave of a soldier,
Mortally wounded he, and buried on the retreat, (easily all could I understand;)
The halt of a mid-day hour, when up! no time to lose—yet this sign left,
On a tablet scrawl’d and nail’d on the tree by the grave,
Bold, cautious, true, and my loving comrade.
Long, long I muse, then on my way go wandering;
Many a changeful season to follow, and many a scene of life;
Yet at times through changeful season and scene, abrupt, alone, or in the crowded street,
Comes before me the unknown soldier’s grave—comes the inscription rude in Virginia’s woods,
Bold, cautious, true, and my loving comrade.
"Old General G"--J. Fertick
There once was a General Greene.
His backhand and dropshot are mean.
He has a serve that is hearty,
And represents the Whig Party,
Now he dominates the Wooden Racquet scene.
"ABSTRACT"--J. Fertick
Tennis.
Wood.
Greene.
Tennis again.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
RACQUETOLOGY
WEEK 2
Whit Altizer--Black Mountain, NC
A man for all seasons has a undefeated record on grass, able to hit the drop shot in a forward roll and a backhand in a dive from a dead sprint. Unfortunately Altizer has been terrible on the hard courts of Europe going 2-14 in the last year. Unable to connect with the crowds of Eastern Europe has left Altizer a misunderstood star with a quick temper. Will this be his first championship on the hard courts or will his no holds bar style of tennis leave his body broken and his dreams shattered.
Jeff Friedman--Sunnyvale, CA
Friedman moved east after conquering the the Southern California circuit. He prefers the soft touch of beech in his racquet and therefore is a finesse player. Friedman has been unable to capture the power game and can be manhandled under the right circumstances. His first serve has been compared to that of Billie Jean King.
Tara Lonnberg--Stockholm, Sweden
Lonnberg has a game as sweet as Lutefisk and Ostkaka. Usually paired with her older brother Carl, the two have dominated the doubles circuit. In her first foray in the singles world Lonnberg dislocated her opponent trachea with a half volley to the throat. She then proceeded to complain that her opponent's breathing was distracting. Lonnberg is on a 3 game winning streak.
Aaron Lawlor--Kilkarney, Ireland
You may not be real familiar with the Lawlor name, but you will be after this tournament. For the past 6 months Aaron Lawlor has been training for the Nathanael Greene Classic with the dedication and determination of a true champion. 10 hour days of practice are not uncommon. Some folks have been questioning Aaron's training methods however; with his decision to solely play Tennis on Nintendo Wii rather than actually ever stepping onto a real court. When asked about what Aaron thinks of those who doubt him, he responded confidently with "Dude...I made it to Level 4 on Expert Mode." Aaron's strengths include agility and quick reaction time. His biggest weakness is that he will most likely try and play with a wooden Wii Controller.
INJURY REPORT
Jay Heidbrink--Dallas, Texas
Heidbrink suffers from acute extensor carpi radialis brevis tendonitis. Heidbrink brought a sigh to every competitors' lips when he suffered this devastating blow at the hands of a Max Bergmann overhead smash. Heidbrink, unable to continue with his right hand was able to muster up the courage to beat Bergmann with 7 consecutive aces with his left hand. Heidbrink, a crowd favorite for his ability to question his opponents and yell at the chair umpire, would of brought a style of play that would of validated an already tough field of tennis players.
Michael Fuchs--Riverdale, NY
Fuchs suffered a mental breakdown after a tough match in Riga, Latvia. Fuchs after being convinced to play a Russian Oil Millionaire in Madagascar Rules Tennis cracked under the pressure of knowing if he lost he would have to chose between his left hand pinkie or his right foot big toe. Fuchs' came from behind to win 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 to keep his pinkie, but double faulted to the pressure. Fuchs is now recuperating in a undisclosed Istanbul Hospital.
Whit Altizer--Black Mountain, NC
A man for all seasons has a undefeated record on grass, able to hit the drop shot in a forward roll and a backhand in a dive from a dead sprint. Unfortunately Altizer has been terrible on the hard courts of Europe going 2-14 in the last year. Unable to connect with the crowds of Eastern Europe has left Altizer a misunderstood star with a quick temper. Will this be his first championship on the hard courts or will his no holds bar style of tennis leave his body broken and his dreams shattered.
Jeff Friedman--Sunnyvale, CA
Friedman moved east after conquering the the Southern California circuit. He prefers the soft touch of beech in his racquet and therefore is a finesse player. Friedman has been unable to capture the power game and can be manhandled under the right circumstances. His first serve has been compared to that of Billie Jean King.
Tara Lonnberg--Stockholm, Sweden
Lonnberg has a game as sweet as Lutefisk and Ostkaka. Usually paired with her older brother Carl, the two have dominated the doubles circuit. In her first foray in the singles world Lonnberg dislocated her opponent trachea with a half volley to the throat. She then proceeded to complain that her opponent's breathing was distracting. Lonnberg is on a 3 game winning streak.
Aaron Lawlor--Kilkarney, Ireland
You may not be real familiar with the Lawlor name, but you will be after this tournament. For the past 6 months Aaron Lawlor has been training for the Nathanael Greene Classic with the dedication and determination of a true champion. 10 hour days of practice are not uncommon. Some folks have been questioning Aaron's training methods however; with his decision to solely play Tennis on Nintendo Wii rather than actually ever stepping onto a real court. When asked about what Aaron thinks of those who doubt him, he responded confidently with "Dude...I made it to Level 4 on Expert Mode." Aaron's strengths include agility and quick reaction time. His biggest weakness is that he will most likely try and play with a wooden Wii Controller.
INJURY REPORT
Jay Heidbrink--Dallas, Texas
Heidbrink suffers from acute extensor carpi radialis brevis tendonitis. Heidbrink brought a sigh to every competitors' lips when he suffered this devastating blow at the hands of a Max Bergmann overhead smash. Heidbrink, unable to continue with his right hand was able to muster up the courage to beat Bergmann with 7 consecutive aces with his left hand. Heidbrink, a crowd favorite for his ability to question his opponents and yell at the chair umpire, would of brought a style of play that would of validated an already tough field of tennis players.
Michael Fuchs--Riverdale, NY
Fuchs suffered a mental breakdown after a tough match in Riga, Latvia. Fuchs after being convinced to play a Russian Oil Millionaire in Madagascar Rules Tennis cracked under the pressure of knowing if he lost he would have to chose between his left hand pinkie or his right foot big toe. Fuchs' came from behind to win 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 to keep his pinkie, but double faulted to the pressure. Fuchs is now recuperating in a undisclosed Istanbul Hospital.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
RACQUETOLOGY
Greetings,
Every week I will try and post a couple player profiles and player developments, we are going to call it Racquetology. Here is the Racquetology for the week of 21 May 2007.
Like asparagus pee she will offend you, but you'll come back for a second whiff and then stick around. A game classified as "Jackson Pollock with a racquet" she paints the corners, and then everything else. Her ability to outlast her opponent will come in handy in the June heat. Look for Kirby to go far in this tournament, with only her dog Bella a distraction.
Michael Richards--Des Moines, Iowa
Believed to be the best racquet maker above the tropic of cancer, Richards broke his elbow while cutting down a tree to make his new racket. Richards, nicknamed Roy Hobbs for his homerun swing would be a definite final four pick. He will miss 6 to 8 weeks and is questionable at this time for the Nathanael Greene Wooden Classic.
Every week I will try and post a couple player profiles and player developments, we are going to call it Racquetology. Here is the Racquetology for the week of 21 May 2007.
RACQUETOLOGY
Tom Mackey--Potomac, MD
A left-hander with a solid net game. Mackey has an uncanny ability to get under his opponents skin with a technique referred to some as "Crazy Tom". USTF has fined Mackey for laughing during his backhand and playing while intoxicated. First round matches him up with a similar opponent Adam Osterholz This will be the 1st round match to see. Mackey is seeded 8th in the North Bracket.
Jina Kang--New York, NY
Her Tourrette Syndrome may make for immature snickers from the crowd, but her game is nothing to laugh over. She'll send back soup in a deli as easily as your serve. Kang is seeded 10th in the North Bracket.
Max Bergmann--Unknown
The Michael Chang of the 21st Century. His court coverage is amazing, prefers baseline to baseline and relies on his opponents unforced errors. Bergmann, a streaky player, is on a 14-0 winning streak and won last week's PT Beauregard Invitational in Charleston, SC. Seeded 4th in the West Bracket due to his rotten 0-11 month of February.
Like asparagus pee she will offend you, but you'll come back for a second whiff and then stick around. A game classified as "Jackson Pollock with a racquet" she paints the corners, and then everything else. Her ability to outlast her opponent will come in handy in the June heat. Look for Kirby to go far in this tournament, with only her dog Bella a distraction.
Justin Fertick--Constantinople, Turkey
To predict Justin's performance in this tournament would be quite the task. After coming off of a three year Russian Stratego Round Robin tourney, some question whether he has had enough time to re-energize. One thing you cannot overlook when factoring in Fertick's abilities, is the recent addition of three extra fingers on his right hand from an underground "experimental" surgery. Look for a mean top spin that will keep oponents glued to the base line, and a serve that has been described as "hallucinogenic". His biggest weakness is his inability to accept the role of the net.
INJURY REPORT
Michael Richards--Des Moines, Iowa
Believed to be the best racquet maker above the tropic of cancer, Richards broke his elbow while cutting down a tree to make his new racket. Richards, nicknamed Roy Hobbs for his homerun swing would be a definite final four pick. He will miss 6 to 8 weeks and is questionable at this time for the Nathanael Greene Wooden Classic.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Top Ten Reasons to Play in the Nathanael Greene Wooden Classic
10) It's a great way to connect with your wood.
9) Get in touch with your American Heritage as General Greene dropshots a Red Coat.
8) Where else is it acceptable to wear headbands?
7) The Pearl American Standard Trophy--Ever hear of the War of Jenkin's Ear...actually started because of the Pearl Trophy
9) Get in touch with your American Heritage as General Greene dropshots a Red Coat.
8) Where else is it acceptable to wear headbands?
7) The Pearl American Standard Trophy--Ever hear of the War of Jenkin's Ear...actually started because of the Pearl Trophy
6) The keg party afterwards will be off the hook, and quite possibly off the chain.
5) The courts have already been paid for.
4) Everything else going on that weekend is stupid. We checked.
3) Good possibility Pete Sampras will make a celebrity appearance.
(Note: Pete Sampras will most likely not be there.)
2) This tournament is the beginning of an annual legacy.
1) All proceeds will go to savethechildren.org.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Nathanael Geene Tournament Announced For June 23rd 2007
Ladies and gentlemen,
The 1st annual Nathanael Greene All Wooden Tennis Racquet Invitation Cup Memorial Classic will be held on June 23th 2007. Please go to http://www.nathanaelgreenewoodenclassic.com/ for the latest news and updates. Thank you.
The 1st annual Nathanael Greene All Wooden Tennis Racquet Invitation Cup Memorial Classic will be held on June 23th 2007. Please go to http://www.nathanaelgreenewoodenclassic.com/ for the latest news and updates. Thank you.
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