thependulumswings

Great.  Greater.  Greatest.

It’s what we do as sports fans.  We have an insatiable desire to see greatness taken to yet another level.  We drink cold beers and debate who, what, when, and why he or she did this or that.  And because of that, whatever that is, they are great, or greater, or greatest.  At BBR we hesitate to instantly call a moment, game, or season, or athlete the greatest of all.  It’s hyperbole mostly.  And, it’s what ESPN incessantly drones on about.  Heck, they even have a show called ESPN Instant Classics.  Meh.

Well,  this AM we stick our toe into the conversation.  Did you see Novak Djokovic defeat Roger Federer to capture the Wimbledon Championship yesterday?  If you didn’t, you might have missed the greatest Grand Slam tennis finals match ever.  Don’t believe us?  That’s ok.  Former two time winner and now long time announcer John McEnroe asked that very question during yesterday’s broadcast.  It sounded like he sure thought so.

Consider these facts as we build a case.  It went five sets with three tiebreakers including the last set (forced by the new rules into a tiebreaker) when they reached 12-12 in games.  It was the longest final ever, lasting over five hours.  If you tuned in for breakfast at Wimbledon we hope you packed a lunch too.  Many rallies extended to 20 or more strokes.  The championship level of play started in game one and never relented.   The crowd was stoked by every stroke making the atmosphere all the more intense.

But most of all it was two titans of their sport giving it their all on the biggest stage that their sport provides-Wimbledon.  Roger Federer, at an amazing 37 years of age finished as the runner up.  Is he the “greatest” Wimbledon player ever?  He has more wins than anyone with eight.  He has finished second four times.  He has more Grand Slam titles than anyone with 20.

With the win Djokovic secured his fifth Wimbledon title.  That’s tied for third in Wimbledon wins with Bjorn Borg.  Only Pete Sampras stands between Djokovic and second all time.  Sampras won seven in an incredible eight year run.  Djokovic has a few years left.  Djokovic has 16 Grand Slam titles, good for third best ever.

If Nicklaus and Palmer started in the last group at Augusta and battled for 18 holes on Sunday to win the coveted green jacket would that compare?  Or, if you wish, Tiger and Phil.  What if they were never separated by more than a stroke and tied after 18?  What if they played the equivalent of an additional seven holes and remain tied all the while making clutch shot after clutch putt?

And who did Federer beat to get to the finals?  Rafael Nadal is who.  And he counts 18 Grand Slam trophies (second historically) in his case including an insane 12 French Opens.

And, when the match concluded yesterday both opponents spoke quite highly of their opponent.   Humbly, and privately, they may think what John McEnroe said publicly.

So does this make the case too that tennis, with three of the all time greats playing at the same time, is in an era heretofore never seen prior?  Perhaps.  And, perhaps “perhaps” is too weak of a word to describe the moment yesterday and the era in general.

It’s fifty or so days till the final Grand Slam final of the year, the US Open.   Our guess is two of the three will be in it.  That match may not be able to match yesterday though.

Yesterday was indeed an instant classic.