"McIlroy-Woods"-Potential Game Changing Rivalry Brewing Up?

Article first published as "McIlroy-Woods"-Potential Game Changing Rivalry Brewing Up? on Technorati.

Flashback - 1997 - Second week of April:
A 21-year-old golfer by the name of Tiger Woods had stormed into the Golf Arena capturing his first Major in record setting fashion (18 under par).
Come - 2011 - Third Week of June:
A 22-year-old golfer Rory McIlroy wins his First Golf "Major" - US open 2011 by breaking 12 records in his 16 under par victory-lowest score in the 111-year history of the US Open by four strokes (The previous record was held by Tiger Woods with a -12 back in 2000).
The manner in which this feat was accomplished by this young kid from Northern Island, has already elicited comparisons with Tiger Woods all across the globe.
So Is he the next Golden Boy of Golf after Tiger Woods?
The reality is that he has been in the eyes of few from quite sometime.He has finished in the top 3 in four of the last seven golf Majors he has played.
Few people will ever forget Rory McIlroy famous Masters Meltdown when he gave his four shot lead heading into the final round and under pressure carded an 80 which resulted into him finishing jointly at 15th place.But with this record breaking victory, he showed that he has matured into a better player and has won hearts of many with his steely resolve.
It might be too early to announce him as the NEXT Tiger Woods as he has a long way to go before equaling Tiger Woods Stats- 71PGA tour wins and 14 Majors. But with the talent he has, he surely has the potential to take Golf to
new heights.And with the US Open win, he showed to the world that he is and will be a force to reckon with.
With Tiger Woods on the sidelines due to injury, Rory McIlroy emergence is exactly what Golf needed. He has a likeable, humble and cheerful personality which the media and people have already started to admire.And to back up all this with amazing display of poise and shot making, he is certainly in all likelihood to become the face of Golf just like Federer became for tennis.
And who knows, when Tiger Woods is back after his injury, putting aside his health problems and personal problems,ready to achieve his old form, we might see a potential game changing rivalry in the making:
McIlroy-Woods or McWOODS. Could very well be the turning point in the history of GOLF! (To compare- think of emergence of FEDAL and its impact on tennis).

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Wimbledon 2011 Preview: Williams/Fedal Showdown or Sharapova/Nole Dominance


This Monday (20th June) will see the start of one of the most awaited Grand Slam of the year-Wimbledon. Last Year Winners (Rafael Nadal/Serena Williams) are back in action this time and looks formidable again 
this year.

Amongst men, the top 3 seeds are the likely contenders. Nadal seems to be back at his best. He might have been fatigued after clinching his record-equaling sixth French Open trophy and an incredible seven successive finals on the ATP Tour. After his exit in the warm up tournament recently by Tsonga, he is still pretty much confident to play well and possibly add another jewel in his crown.

Another player equally hungry to prove his critics wrong once again will be Roger Federer. For him, the stakes on line will not only be to equal Pete Sampras’ record of seven Wimbledon titles, but also to end his Grand Slam drought since 2010 Australian Open. For him, it will be tough physically also as he recently pulled out of the warm up tournament citing soreness in the groin. Also the big question looming around him is whether he will be able to get past the fortress of Nadal this year?

Another top favorite will be second seed Novak Djokovic who after his amazing run this season lost his first match in the semifinals of French Open. He was invincible before French Open and seems to be physically prepared to take a winning shot. In my opinion, all will depend on his mental toughness and how ready he is to handle pressure at key moments. If he can overcome this barrier, he will be someone difficult to stop even by FEDAL.

There are other players too particularly Andy Murray who might have the highest chance after the top three, but it seems unlikely with the form of the above three that he will have a chance to win his first major Grand Slam. It is a bit unfortunate, as a player with his caliber truly deserves a grand slam title. He will have to build upon his game physically and mentally to break into the Fedal and Djokovich Zone. (Probably something like what Djokovich did in the past year to enter in the Fedal Zone)

In the Women’s section, the good news seems to be the return of the Williams sisters. But with Clijsters pulling out of Wimbledon, the only closest threat seems to come from the French Open Champion Li Na and Maria Sharapova.

Although the Williams sisters will be out of match practice, it will still be interesting to see their form and fitness. Serena in the past has always been a main event player and has had very less match practice even when she was fit. Still she has been able to win 13 Grand Slams ranking herself fourth in Grand Slam women's singles titles won during the open era. Venus will be close on heels of her sister on her favorite surface where she has won 5 times already with Serena close behind at 4. This goes on to show the extraordinary dominance of these two players over the past decade on this surface.

World Number 1, Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki and Maria Sharapova could be in the list. But I would tend more towards Sharapova who seems to be in striking form reaching to the semifinals of French Open. If only she can control her service and unforced errors, she will be a force to reckon with.

All in All, Women’s Draw will be wide open this year. In men’s draw, it would be intriguing to see who emerges out on top. Watching top 4 seeds, if they reach to the semifinals just as in French open, will be a mouthwatering prospect in Wimbledon and it would be fascinating to see them battle it out. All in all, it will all be dependent on who is mentally and physically tough enough to take it to the next level and clinch the coveted Wimbledon trophy.

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LeBron-Wade – Probable Sinus Effects Of Their Gimmick On Game 6


One would expect humility and perfect gentleman behavior from the stars of the game. And that’s what makes them so popular amongst fans. Be it Roger Federer or Messi, people like them for their down to earth attitude.

The recent headlines off late going around seems to be focused on the future 2 Hall of Famers D-Wade and “King” LeBron James. Their recent gimmick of mocking Dirk Nowitzki illness (although they didn’t mention his name)is something not expected out of the biggest stars of Miami Heat. The last time I remember similar thing was done by Novak Djokovic and he became an instant figure of dislike amongst the fans in US Open.

I don’t know the result but after watching this gimmick, the fans of Miami Heat will feel a bit let down. As embarrassing as it was to see Andrew Bynum pull of the cheap stunt on JJ Barea, this act again somehow depicts the uncharacteristic behavior of star players on and off field. They have a following of millions of fan and with this kind of display; they are not going to win hearts. As it is, the King has become Public Enemy No. 1 after his famous words, “In this Fall, I'm going to take my talents to South Beach”. This is like adding more fuel to already the biggest fire in his career.

After suffering a loss in Game 5, the focus from Dallas’ victory has moved to this gimmick. I just wonder what impact it will have on the teams’ performances and fans support. Will Dallas Maverick (the kind of toughness and unity that they have shown) will be fueled more to close out the championship or lose their focus and fall in the trap of these two superstars (as claimed that they wanted this to be blown up.

In Game 2, It was both these players who had supposedly celebrated in front of the Dallas bench which fueled the Mavericks so much that they overcome a deficit of 15 points in 4th quarter since Chicago Bulls in 1992. So it would be interesting to see the outcome of Game 6 on Sunday.

Personally I would like to see Dallas win to set an example to every sports lover that you win by playing together and not by mocking other players.

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Its Better Late Than Never

Article first published as It's Better Late Than Never on Technorati.
He pointed out to his entourage followed by a big shout after a big semifinal win.
She lay down on the court followed by looking at her husband and coach after her first grand slam victory.
He won the second match with his team 15 points down and got high fives by his teammates after getting the NBA final series tied 1-1.
Roger Federer, Li Na, and Dirk Nowitzki- the three current hot players on the circuit right now. You look at them and wonder in awe. How can they make everything look so tangible?
All three have one thing in common- Resolve to bounce back against extreme odds and critics. As Human beings grow old and grey, our risk taking ability and belief in ourselves also takes a down slide. And top that with our earlier failures, we start to loose belief in ourselves..
One question keeps popping out of my mind? Can I make it? People who have achieved the same goal that i long for/crave for(people who are living my dream) were so young or maybe they were just lucky that they got the opportunity right at their doorsteps . I wish to be one of them or to be young again (yeah I know we all are the same). Will I be able to do this?
These thoughts continued to haunt me at every stage of my life when I used to compare myself with people who had done better than me, or who were younger than me and were aspiring for the same goal. Be It MBA exams or job interview, it never left me until one day I realized is it too late for me to start up a new thing in my life?
You look at Li NA- a player who quit tennis to study journalism and came back and was virtually unknown till the age of 28. Roger Federer-who people had thought was downright underdog in front of Djokovic- 4 years younger than him/fresh legs. Dirk Nowitzki who had lost the opportunity in 2006 to win the NBA finals and now at the age of 32 is trying to compete with a team of stars 4-6 years younger than him. Going by the natural thoughts, one would think that they should have given it up and said that No we cannot do this? How lucky was Martina Hingis to have won her first title so young, how can i beat Djokovic when he is so young and is the best player currently, how can i even think of competing with a star studded team with the best players when i am 32, old enough to retire maybe?
But they didn’t and they never will. What makes these players so unique is their will to fight back and give their best no matter how tough the circumstances are. It doesn't matter whether they are too old enough by the books, or they have stiff competition from younger people, for them It’s never too late.
The sheer grit and determination is what sets these players apart. And I have strongly believed that god has given every human being two hands, two legs, two eyes, and one brain for a reason. So if these people can come up with such sheer resolve, is it hard enough for me to become strong willed in my pursuit of goal. So what if people think that i m not capable to do it, it is me who has to decide whether i can do it or not? Whether i can give my 100 percent and not lose hope.
There are so many examples to substantiate that ITS BETTER LATE THAN NEVER. Be it Andre Agassi or Winston Churchill (age of 62) or Abraham Lincoln, we all have it in ourselves to come back and achieve our goals. If one man can do it, so can you. Imagine all these people, if they would have given up and not tried what they would have missed? Do you really want to quit and not have that one thing in your life which you so dearly want? Because you think that you are too old enough, or right time has gone or there are more talented young people than you?
Just believe in yourself and never ever give up. Because if you do, it won’t be that god has made these people any different, it will be just that we are lazy enough to put in hard work in our fields. Always remember It’s better late than never.

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