communication breakdown

End Of An Era

Well, I believe the worst of my website worries are behind us. As of now, I am officially hosting my website on my own computer. The downside is that if my machine goes down, the website goes down. But since that rarely happens, and when it does, I tend to have it back up pretty quickly, you should see that the amount of downtime will significantly decrease - and there should never be anymore of those long periods of days/weeks where the site is inaccessible. So, the bottom line is that those of you who need your regular fix of my witty banter, you should be able to get it without any more problems.

I want to dedicate the majority of this post to a very significant event which occurred in my life this week. After 21 years of professional tennis, Andre Agassi announced that he is retiring at the end of this year. He just finished playing in his final Wimbledon, and his last tournament will be the US Open. Now, you might laugh at this being considered a "significant event", but allow me to explain. I'm guessing that those folks who enjoy watching sports already understand me, but for the rest of you, I offer an example which might be relevant to you. First, answer this question: who is your professional role model? Whether in your field or not, someone who you have admired and possibly even emulated their example? OK, now that you've answered that question, try this one on for size: How would you feel when they finally retire from their profession, and it dawns on you that you are seeing them in action for the very last time?

Whether it is a teacher, parent, athlete, or whoever, the fact is that it can really be a crushing blow when you realize that someone you have watched, admired, and supported for the vast majority of your life will no longer be around. I'll be honest: I got very emotional and teary-eyed seeing Agassi walk off of Centre Court at Wimbledon, the grandest stage in all of tennis, for the very last time. Of all the athletes which I have cheered for and followed throughout my life - including Jerry Rice, David Robinson, and Mario Lemieux - Andre has been the most important influence and the most inspirational of all of them. He is without a doubt my favorite athlete of all time.

There are so many different reasons for this. I think, as a kid, I was attracted to his attitude and image. He was such a rebellious bad boy in his early days, with the flashy clothes, the perm mullet, and the earrings. For a kid like me who was just getting interested in the sport, he was by far the most fun of the bunch. His flashiness and reckless style of play (and personality) had a lot to do with me becoming interested in tennis.

Then, there are the memories. I remember being 12 years old and sitting on the floor watching the 1992 Wimbledon final when Agassi beat Ivanisevic for his first Grand Slam title. I remember him falling to his knees, tossing his racket into the air, and beginning to cry. That was probably the single moment that I would say made me fall in love with the sport. Then there was the 1994 US Open final, where, after winning, he again dropped to his knees, and you can see him tearfully mouth the words "I can't believe it!". There was the 1999 French Open, when I remember sitting in my freshman dorm room watching him about lose to Arnaud Clement in the second round. Down two sets to one, and in serious danger of losing, I remember hoping, wishing, praying that he would find a way to get through that match. When he did, I knew something special was going to happen - and it did, as he went on to win that title and complete the career Grand Slam, something only 4 other men have done (Sampras not among them).

Speaking of Sampras - their career battle was undoubtedly one of the best 1-on-1 rivalries we've seen in recent sport. Though Sampras held a slight edge in the head-to-head record and tended to get the better of Andre in Grand Slams, there is no doubt that they both brought out the best in one another. I remember countless times, sitting in front of a TV with others, and being the only one pulling for Agassi - Sampras was such a grand champion, he was always the trendy pick, but I never wavered for my support of Andre, even after bitter losses. I particularly remember the 2001 US Open quarterfinal against Sampras, when he lost in 4 tiebreakers. Despite the loss, it was the best match I ever saw him play, and it remains the best tennis match I've ever seen.

But most of all, I admire Andre for how he remade himself in 1999 after tumbling to #141 in the world, a position so low that he had to play minor-league tournaments to earn his way into the Grand Slams. His early career was marked by recklessness and bravado, and he did not respect the sport, its history, or the hard work it demands to win. But then something changed; he took a step back, reevaluated himself, and decided he wanted to make the commitment to do his best. And from that point, he has been a different man ever since. In one year, he jumped from #141 to inside the top 10 - the quickest rise to prominence ever. His fitness was unparallelled, and even at 36 years of age, he remains one of the fittest on tour. But most importantly, he loves the game and respects the good fortune he has to be able to play a game that he loves for a living. He has given back to the sport, and his community in Las Vegas, in countless ways. He is a fantastic humanitarian and a great ambassador for his sport - and to think what he has become, considering where he started, has been such a great role model and example for me and many others.

And yet, in a few months, he will play his final match and then I will never see him on a court again. No more tournaments in which to root him on; no more fairytale championship runs; no more smiles and bows after dismantling his opponent. It's really going to be a tough time for me. Hopefully I have given you a glimpse of why that is so. As a parting shot, I think Greg Garber summed up the matter very well in a recent ESPN article written shortly after Agassi's final Wimbledon match:

Why do we root for our aging athletes with such passion? Because it's about us, really. If they succeed, somehow we succeed. Anything is possible. If they are somehow younger, for even a moment, then maybe so are we.