A famous and cocky Gladiator once said ":What we do in life echoes in eternity" and the way Russell Crowe said it on that horse undoubtedly got me pumped and motivated, for what I ask? Ok, thats another story and right now Eternity is loud and clear, Roger Federer is almost done writing the history books as the greatest player to ever grace a tennis court...it is oh so close and we know he is almost there or is it 'their', shit I dont know anymore!
What i do know is that this was for me the most satisfying of his Grand Slams for many reasons the least being that 'his time was over' and the Fed Express was coming to an abrupt end...a defiance and statement to the naysayers...who the hell writes this shit anyway??? Lets forget about a Slam semi's in Australia, finals in the French and Wimbledon and the continuing pressure of being number 1 in the world-and mono-it was a successful year...right? But to hand the whipping to Djokovic and Murray in consecutive matches made up for the whole year in my opinion and restored the balance of power- Djokovic was the heir apparent, on the hard courts at least and in his own mind, and was supposed to dump Federer, but for the Fed to win in such convincing fashion begs the question "is he better than last year?? I expected a dismantling of Murray but Roger showed me that even the greatest can eventually change their games and tactics to keep the dominance running - he whipped Djokovic with a better gameplan then i have seen in ages...this was satisfying, very satisfying. Murray, well thanks for coming but this wasnt about the youngster, Britian, the world rankings or even a changing of the guard, this was about Destiny and that loud echo in Eternity. This was about Roger Federer, the ultimate Gladiator, the ultimate leader and the assurance that history will at least be exciting for a time longer in the world of tennis!
Friday, September 26, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
"YOU HAVE BEEN SERVED"
Ok, I really cant escape soccer at the moment and after a kind of thrilling Champions League final I feel somewhat relieved. Do I really like Manchester United? No? Do I really like Chelsea? Why would I? So who do I like? I like 'The Special One'. It was Jose Mourinho and his ability and entertainment value that actually got me into English soccer in the first place and to see the team he built with passion and determination fail in Europe's biggest stage was in my humble opinion, JUSTICE! No on else should get credit for the team he built. Avram Grant really looks like he needs a fucking good ass sleep and quite honestly I dont like the douche bag as you may have read before.
Nonetheless, the way everything happened to Chelsea was almost as exciting as the result! Lets be honest now, that goal they scored was a fluke and shouldnt of happened, it was in a way their 'luck' that got them into the game. But to see Mr. Bigshot John Terry cry when that same luck turned on them and to see Didier Drogba lose his cool while Joe Cole and Ashley Cole couldnt keep their mouths shut was priceless and only accentuated what i said all along: THIS IS NOT A TEAM! Any goofball can sit and watch this high powered roster make a run at all the trophies but to really manage all these egos and actually win medals requires a solid 'team' mentality. This strength must be built on a purposeful mission that is guided by a cool, calm and confident demeanour, sort of like a Roger Federer in the soccer world; unfortunately they looked more like Andy Murray.
Soccer is over for now and I rest confident that Avram Grant and Roman Abromavitch have finally been served.
Jose, yor time is now! See you in Italy!
Nonetheless, the way everything happened to Chelsea was almost as exciting as the result! Lets be honest now, that goal they scored was a fluke and shouldnt of happened, it was in a way their 'luck' that got them into the game. But to see Mr. Bigshot John Terry cry when that same luck turned on them and to see Didier Drogba lose his cool while Joe Cole and Ashley Cole couldnt keep their mouths shut was priceless and only accentuated what i said all along: THIS IS NOT A TEAM! Any goofball can sit and watch this high powered roster make a run at all the trophies but to really manage all these egos and actually win medals requires a solid 'team' mentality. This strength must be built on a purposeful mission that is guided by a cool, calm and confident demeanour, sort of like a Roger Federer in the soccer world; unfortunately they looked more like Andy Murray.
Soccer is over for now and I rest confident that Avram Grant and Roman Abromavitch have finally been served.
Jose, yor time is now! See you in Italy!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
"FROM RUSSIA WITH LUST"!!!
Tonight is the glory of European football, the Champions League final between Manchester United and Chelsea! This is the ultimate showpiece and as one of million fans from all over the world I can only hope that this will be a game 'of no regrets' rather than a 'chess match'. With so many sub-plots,and the strength of Manchester United over Chelsea, this is sure to be a game of actual real football with Man U's strategy of 'winning the match' outpowering Chelsea's powering 'do not lose' mentality!
For me the 2 most important figures in this match are Cristiano Ronaldo and Avram Grant. Although Ronaldo has been near perfect this season and has led Man U to the title, he must put in a game-changing performance tonight to shut the critics up who rightly say he doesnt have 'big match' temperament. Holding that thought most of you know I dont think much of Avram Grant and quite frankly I hope he loses his job tomorrow; anyway, his acquisition of the brilliant team Mourinho built and simply keeping the train together with his 'lets try not to lose' mentality has actually spiralled backward from the entertaining football Abromavitch has called for - yes in my opinion he has killed the game and he will undoubtedly try to do the same tonight. He will be undoubtedly influential with his inability to match Ferguson in a swift game of tactics and substitution.
In any case, Ronaldo and company will simply outpower Chelsea and give us the final we deserve - with their unmatched team spirit and flair we are in for a treat of passion, magic and history. "From Russia With Lust" is the icing on the cake for United, 3-1 will be your score.
For me the 2 most important figures in this match are Cristiano Ronaldo and Avram Grant. Although Ronaldo has been near perfect this season and has led Man U to the title, he must put in a game-changing performance tonight to shut the critics up who rightly say he doesnt have 'big match' temperament. Holding that thought most of you know I dont think much of Avram Grant and quite frankly I hope he loses his job tomorrow; anyway, his acquisition of the brilliant team Mourinho built and simply keeping the train together with his 'lets try not to lose' mentality has actually spiralled backward from the entertaining football Abromavitch has called for - yes in my opinion he has killed the game and he will undoubtedly try to do the same tonight. He will be undoubtedly influential with his inability to match Ferguson in a swift game of tactics and substitution.
In any case, Ronaldo and company will simply outpower Chelsea and give us the final we deserve - with their unmatched team spirit and flair we are in for a treat of passion, magic and history. "From Russia With Lust" is the icing on the cake for United, 3-1 will be your score.
Monday, May 19, 2008
"FINALLY, I CAN SPEAK GERMAN"!!!
It took me a while to warm up to Rafael Nadal and although I am a Federer fan right to the core Rafa has really highlighted his tenacity this week. Facing the prospect of losing his number 2 ranking in the world to Novak Djokovic, and more importantly not 'flying' into the French Open, Nadal dug deep and finally won the Hamburg Open over Roger Federer.
Watching him play against Djokovic and Federer leaves me with a smile for many reasons. Yes, i watched great tennis but for the first time I have been convinced that Nadal's time as the 'King of Clay' is coming to an end. Sure, he won, but Djokovic pushed him hard and for my money is guilty of letting it slip away in the semi-finals especially when he was up 4-0 in the first set; Federer is also guilty being up 5-2 in the first set yesterday with only needing to hold his serve. This leaves me with only one thought: Federer has the talent and is more than capable of beating Nadal on clay but his biggest opponent is his own mind. On more than one occasion he has been up on Nadal and looked like he would run away with it and than 'bang', he collapses. Also having won in Hamburg 4 times means he certainly can win with the best of them on clay. In the end Federer is losing the 'mental' game with Nadal taking full advantage, but once he can beat this demon in his mind then he will win the French - and boy he is so very close!
I often hear about Nadal's record vs Federer but that is a bit of a double-edged sword because Federer can make all the clay finals and then lose to Nadal; if Rafa were to live up to his end of the bargain and make more hard court and grass finals believe me that record would be different. Nonetheless, Roland Garros is 2 weeks away and although Nadal will go in as the favorite I think Federer will be facing someone else in the final!
Could this be the greatest rivalry in the history of the sport? I think so.
We are witnessing the greatest player in the history of the game - Nifty hey!
Watching him play against Djokovic and Federer leaves me with a smile for many reasons. Yes, i watched great tennis but for the first time I have been convinced that Nadal's time as the 'King of Clay' is coming to an end. Sure, he won, but Djokovic pushed him hard and for my money is guilty of letting it slip away in the semi-finals especially when he was up 4-0 in the first set; Federer is also guilty being up 5-2 in the first set yesterday with only needing to hold his serve. This leaves me with only one thought: Federer has the talent and is more than capable of beating Nadal on clay but his biggest opponent is his own mind. On more than one occasion he has been up on Nadal and looked like he would run away with it and than 'bang', he collapses. Also having won in Hamburg 4 times means he certainly can win with the best of them on clay. In the end Federer is losing the 'mental' game with Nadal taking full advantage, but once he can beat this demon in his mind then he will win the French - and boy he is so very close!
I often hear about Nadal's record vs Federer but that is a bit of a double-edged sword because Federer can make all the clay finals and then lose to Nadal; if Rafa were to live up to his end of the bargain and make more hard court and grass finals believe me that record would be different. Nonetheless, Roland Garros is 2 weeks away and although Nadal will go in as the favorite I think Federer will be facing someone else in the final!
Could this be the greatest rivalry in the history of the sport? I think so.
We are witnessing the greatest player in the history of the game - Nifty hey!
Friday, May 16, 2008
WILL THE REAL SLIM SHADY PLEASE STAND UP??
Lets talk hoops people. In watching these NBA playoffs many interesting things have sprung to mind and left me pondering with great intensity: is this actually a competitive second round in the NBA? Will anyone win on the road? Could the NBA actually be as exciting as hockey? And most intriguing, is anyone going to stand up and take over these playoffs? Who is this year's Mac Daddy?
We have heard about the 'King' in Lebron and are aware of Kobe's MVP season and Paul's rookie heroics, but after many years of waiting I am still left wondering if I will ever see another player like Michael Jordan play and own the playoffs like he was so accustomed to doing? Yes I have seen some great performances but nothing consistent and dramatic as that I was accustomed to when MJ was gracing us in the not so distant past. Although I love the NBA and buy into "teams and defence still win championships", I only ask one more thing: "Will the real slim shady please stand up"???
MJ, you are still the greatest and your legacy is safe and intact!
We have heard about the 'King' in Lebron and are aware of Kobe's MVP season and Paul's rookie heroics, but after many years of waiting I am still left wondering if I will ever see another player like Michael Jordan play and own the playoffs like he was so accustomed to doing? Yes I have seen some great performances but nothing consistent and dramatic as that I was accustomed to when MJ was gracing us in the not so distant past. Although I love the NBA and buy into "teams and defence still win championships", I only ask one more thing: "Will the real slim shady please stand up"???
MJ, you are still the greatest and your legacy is safe and intact!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
WHERE IS THE 'SPECIAL ONE'???
What can I say, Day 2 of our blog and all I can think about is Chelsea and Manchester United and the justice that was done with Manchester United's victory. To be quite honest I really like neither team (although I loved Chelsea under Mourinho)and think a salary cap will sort out the men from the boys.
In any case what really f***in irks me is how the hell Avram Grant can get any credit for Chelsea's performance this year??? He often talks about how he saved a 'sinking ship blah blah blah..." and how 'he turned it around blah blah blah....' but the truth is HE created the scenario that saw Mourinho leave in the first place. I mean this was the reason guys who were making 100,000 pounds a week started crying when they knew the coach they loved got stabbed in the back by Mr. Grant- so my argument is simple, you Mr. Grant created a situation so you better do something with this star-studded team that could probably do the same without a coach. In the end YOU DO NOT deserve credit for winning under the team Jose Mourinho built!
This is the team 'The Special One' built and once again justice was served with their 'non-win' in the Premier Leagus. Next year we will se what Mr. Avram can do when it really is his team. Personally, I think he is rubbish - nifty hey??
In any case what really f***in irks me is how the hell Avram Grant can get any credit for Chelsea's performance this year??? He often talks about how he saved a 'sinking ship blah blah blah..." and how 'he turned it around blah blah blah....' but the truth is HE created the scenario that saw Mourinho leave in the first place. I mean this was the reason guys who were making 100,000 pounds a week started crying when they knew the coach they loved got stabbed in the back by Mr. Grant- so my argument is simple, you Mr. Grant created a situation so you better do something with this star-studded team that could probably do the same without a coach. In the end YOU DO NOT deserve credit for winning under the team Jose Mourinho built!
This is the team 'The Special One' built and once again justice was served with their 'non-win' in the Premier Leagus. Next year we will se what Mr. Avram can do when it really is his team. Personally, I think he is rubbish - nifty hey??
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
WHO OWNS THE FUZZY GREEN BALLS?
Me being Faramarz Khaze and being not only true to myself and to the nature of this blog, I write my first of many interesting and 'say-it-as-it-is' blogs in the world of professional sports. I wont hide my feelings or ever worry what I say and when I say it but i will remain as topical as possible and as unbiased as is humanly possible in my very passionate and biased persona!
Today I tackle tennis and the age old question of who is the greatest of all time and who should quite frankly shut their mouth and show a little respect!!! That brings me to 3 interesting and talented characters: Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and the up and coming big mouth from Serbia, Novak Djokovic!
No doubt when discussing the greatest tennis players of all time the 2 names in the mens game that come right to mind are Pete Sampras and Roger Federer! For me personally this is a no-brainer, Roger Federer is the greatest player of all time without a question. Besides the fact that he is widely acknowledged as the most complete and elegant player the game has ever seen, his numbers speak for themselves. Pete Sampras armed with an amazing serve amassed 14 grand slams over a 14 year period whereas the Fed Express has 12 Grand Slams in only 4 years and can beat you from anywhere in the court - you do the math! If your math is as shit as mine then let Rafeal Nadal sum it up perfectly, after losing at Wimbledon last year he said "Roger is the best player ever, whether he has 12 or 16 grand slams, his level is by far the highest". Well said Rafa. So for me their is no doubt about who the king is, would you agree?
The thing with kings though is they never stay on their throne forever and someone always wants to knock them off their perch, some 'prince ass mo-fo' or 'jackass'. In 2008 this man is Novak Djokovic. A talented and up and coming talent for sure, but a mouth faster then Mariah Carey. Does this man really believe he will be Number 1 this year? The thought of losing to Federer is again unbearable for the world number 3 as evidenced by his bullshit 'sore throat' withdrawal in Monte Carlo when he was down a set and a break. Personally I always predicted he would pass Nadal this year but for him to be talking about number 1, show some damn respect. One can never get lucky in winning an Australian Open but his poor showing in Shanghai last year and Federer's early year illness for me has tainted his achievements thus far - winning in Rome this week against a poor field that was created through all the other player's efforts hardly impresses me. I will leave it at this but say for now, Novak show some damn respect and cut that hair, Federer is number one until Proven Guilty!
This is Faf K!
Stay Classy San Diego!
Today I tackle tennis and the age old question of who is the greatest of all time and who should quite frankly shut their mouth and show a little respect!!! That brings me to 3 interesting and talented characters: Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and the up and coming big mouth from Serbia, Novak Djokovic!
No doubt when discussing the greatest tennis players of all time the 2 names in the mens game that come right to mind are Pete Sampras and Roger Federer! For me personally this is a no-brainer, Roger Federer is the greatest player of all time without a question. Besides the fact that he is widely acknowledged as the most complete and elegant player the game has ever seen, his numbers speak for themselves. Pete Sampras armed with an amazing serve amassed 14 grand slams over a 14 year period whereas the Fed Express has 12 Grand Slams in only 4 years and can beat you from anywhere in the court - you do the math! If your math is as shit as mine then let Rafeal Nadal sum it up perfectly, after losing at Wimbledon last year he said "Roger is the best player ever, whether he has 12 or 16 grand slams, his level is by far the highest". Well said Rafa. So for me their is no doubt about who the king is, would you agree?
The thing with kings though is they never stay on their throne forever and someone always wants to knock them off their perch, some 'prince ass mo-fo' or 'jackass'. In 2008 this man is Novak Djokovic. A talented and up and coming talent for sure, but a mouth faster then Mariah Carey. Does this man really believe he will be Number 1 this year? The thought of losing to Federer is again unbearable for the world number 3 as evidenced by his bullshit 'sore throat' withdrawal in Monte Carlo when he was down a set and a break. Personally I always predicted he would pass Nadal this year but for him to be talking about number 1, show some damn respect. One can never get lucky in winning an Australian Open but his poor showing in Shanghai last year and Federer's early year illness for me has tainted his achievements thus far - winning in Rome this week against a poor field that was created through all the other player's efforts hardly impresses me. I will leave it at this but say for now, Novak show some damn respect and cut that hair, Federer is number one until Proven Guilty!
This is Faf K!
Stay Classy San Diego!
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