Sunday Sausage Links 1/31/10

If it's Sunday, it's time for another edition of our Sunday Sausage Links! We'll take you on a trip around the world wide web to share with you the news, analysis, and general craziness that caught our eye this week. And instead of being brought to you by the latest babe in no clothes, our links article is brought to you by an athlete from the past. Today, it's 1982 Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker. Unfortunately, anyone under the age of 30 only knows of Herschel the MMA fighter...

News

-In case you missed it last night, a recap of Herschel Walker's debut fight against a beanbag chair posing as a legitimate fighter. (ESPN/Sherdog)

-The Bears finally may be closing in on Mike Martz as their new offensive coordinator, that is if Jay Cutler doesn't throw a hissy fit. Is Martz visiting Cutler in Nashville a sign of Cutler's boorish control of the franchise, or Martz's level of desperation? (Chicago Tribune)

-Vikings OT Bryant McKinnie found a unique way to get out of the Pro Bowl this week. I mean, really, how much of a malcontent do you have to be to be asked to leave the Pro Bowl? (National Football Post)

-Amazing story from English soccer as national team captain John Terry was revealed to have had an affair with a former teammate's girlfriend. His sponsors and his captain status are in jeopardy heading to the World Cup...it's kind of like Tiger Woods, without the secret plastic surgery and sex addiction...at least so far. (The Guardian)

-More soccer, as somehow the Togo National Team was banned from the next two African Cup of Nations Tournament after their team was shot at by rebels...makes sense, right? (Sky Sports)

-You'd think the smart people at Nike would know better not to talk about guns in an ad with Kobe and LeBron? If you're ads are going to mention guns, you could at least use them to get rid of those stupid puppets! (NBC Sports)

-Allegations of cheating, threat of a lawsuit, no it's not the next high-profile Hollywood divorce, it's Phil Mickelson and his choice of sand wedge! (Golf.com)

-And lastly, Roger Federer continues to be, well, Roger Federer. (SI.com)

The Blogosphere/Opinion

-If you haven't gotten enough soccer so far already, Awful Announcing has released the entire tv schedule for the group stage of the World Cup. Start organizing your drunken European friends....now! (Awful Announcing)

-Hello, my name is Bryce Harper, and apparently (even though I've played less than a week of college baseball) I'm a really big deal. (The Nats Blog)

-A good argument from Midwest Sports Fans that February is really the worst month of the sports calendar...even with that whole Super Bowl thing. (Midwest Sports Fans)

-Could the answer to the Bears offensive woes actually be a member of their Super Bowl Shuffle champions...and no, the answer is not Coach Ditka! (Rumors & Rants)

-Why does the NFL have to control the world...not even cultural sayings or a once-ravaged community are safe from its neon claws! Who Dat! (NOLA.com)

-And finally, a smart look at the mercurial Reggie Bush...the man who might make the most impact on next Sunday's Super Bowl. (SI.com)

Just for Fun

-Apparently, Steve Jobs introduced an oversized ITouch and geeks everywhere wet their pants for the next 72 hours. (CNET)

-Lastly, for some reason, the movie about mutant smurfs is apparently about to be, financially, the best of all-time? Am I missing something? (MSNBC)

That does it for the week's links! Stay tuned this week for our comprehensive Super Bowl coverage, featuring RSS Top 10s, and Y1's increasingly insane ramblings as his Saints march to destiny! Until next time, it's bye for now!

Top 10 Games Of The Decade - Tennis: 2008 Wimbledon Final

Our next installment of the Top 10 Games of the Decade takes us to 2008 once more, but to Britain instead of Beijing. The rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal came to a climax at The Championships 2008 in what is universally recognized as the greatest tennis match ever played... so, logically, that would be our Game of the Decade for tennis, right?

Who: Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer

What: Wimbledon Final

Where: Wimbledon... duh

When: July 6, 2008

How: The routine leading up to 2008 had been established: Nadal beats Federer in Paris, Federer beats Nadal in London. However, there was something different in the air at Wimbledon 2008. In 2006, Federer beat Nadal in 4 sets at Wimbledon, in 2007 it was in 5. The 2008 Final was the one everyone wanted to see because it was the year that Federer's Wimbledon dominance would end and Nadal would be crowned the new king of men's tennis.

After the first two sets, it looked like that would be the story. Nadal took Set 1 and 2 by a 6-4 score. However, Federer wouldn't just roll over and die now would he? But, maybe he would just win a set and then go riding off into the sunset. Federer won the 3rd set 7-6 in a tiebreak, which was around a rain delay of over an hour. The 4th set was where the drama really started to kick in as Nadal was ahead in the tiebreaker 5-2 with a gluttony of match points. But, Federer would not give in. Ultimately, he got it even, pulled ahead, and won 10-8 on the back of his amazing rally skills.

The 5th set saw the action go back and forth and after another rain delay, Federer looked likely to stage a remarkable comeback and remain in his throne as the best in the game. He was 2 points away from winning the match at 5-4 and, but that was when Nadal staged a comeback of his own. Nadal was able to come back and take the title out of Federer's grasp and take the match to 7-7 as the darkness rolled in. (Just typing it brings back memories of what an amazing match this was!) You know, this silly recap can't do the match justice; Nadal finally came out on top 9-7 in the 5th in the greatest tennis match ever played. Roll the highlights already for goodness sakes!

Why: Simply put, this was Da Vinci and Michelangelo trading brushstrokes, or Einstein and Hawking discussing relativity, or Pele and Maradona kicking the soccer ball around. This was the greatest display of pure tennis that the world may ever see. And I don't think that I'm over-exaggerating that point. At Wimbledon 2008, the two greatest players of a generation were at their very best, and pushed each other to even higher levels. So many times, the biggest games on the biggest stages disappoint, but this certainly did not. It was widely hailed as the best tennis match ever played. And if John McEnroe, involved in one of the contenders for that honor, says it's the greatest match ever, it's good enough for me.

Any good rivalry needs to have that signature moment, and this was it. Nadal and Federer will be forever linked in the history books like Ali and Frazier and Bird and Magic. The great thing about Wimbledon 2008 is that it wasn't the end of Federer. Rog showed what true champions are made of by bouncing back and winning Wimbledon in 2009 (albeit beating Andy Roddick while Nadal was hurt). Let's hope that 2010 brings another classic meeting between Nadal and Federer that could even approach their 2008 masterpiece and be the tennis match of the teens.

Others Considered:

2001 Wimbledon - Goran Ivanisevic d. Patrick Rafter

2001 US Open - Pete Sampras d. Andre Agassi

2008 Wimbledon - Serena Williams d. Venus Williams

2009 Wimbledon - Roger Federer d. Andy Roddick

Next up, we'll stay go from one individual sport to another. What was the most memorable golf tournament of the decade? Does it involve Phil Mickelson, Chris Dimarco, Bob May, or Rocco Mediate, hmmm. Oh yea, that Tiger Woods fella might play a role too.

Athletes of The Decade - #2 Roger Federer

Our #2 Athlete of the Decade is the most accomplished tennis player in history. This quiet Swiss ace was a man who had never advanced past the 4th round of a major from 2000-2002. Then, he broke onto the scene in 2003 with a win at Wimbledon. After that first Grand Slam title, he went on a nice little run of winning at least 2 Grand Slams in 6 of the next 7 years and would become one of the most dominant athletes of all-time. Our Silver Medal Athlete is Roger Federer.

Resume

-15 Grand Slam Singles Titles, #1 in tennis history

21 Grand Slam Finals, reached SF stage in 22 straight majors

-237 Consecutive Weeks at #1 from '04-'08

-2008 Olympic Doubles Champion

Facts

-Won Wimbledon and US Open every year from '04-'07

-Holds record winning streaks on grass and hard-court in Open Era

-One of 6 players to win Career Grand Slam.

-And to get the broad scope of the records that Federer has held and set, here's a link to his career achievements page on Wikipedia, it's pretty long.

Why He's Here

-Well, Federer is on this list because he is the greatest tennis player of all-time. Being at the top for so long in an individual sport is a testament of greatness. If you are or aren't a tennis fan, you've seen Federer play in a Grand Slam final. Remember his epic win over Andy Roddick? Sure, a lot of folks in the States were rooting for Roddick, but after the game the respect shown to Federer was surreal. "Yea, Roddick played great, but you knew Federer would win." "Wow, Roddick played the match of his life, and still lost to Federer." That's not normal in sports to see that kind of respect for an athlete. He surpasses the rest of the athletes on our list because in truth there are only two men in contention for #1, and Federer is one of them. He comes up just short in the countdown, but only because of the awesomeness of our #1 Athlete. Here are some highlights from the '09 Wimby Final

Lasting Impact

It's hard to know just what lasting impact Federer will have. He's been so good this decade that perhaps he's under-appreciated, and will probably continue to be under-appreciated when the history books look back on his career. Federer's legacy has taken a slight hit recently with the rise of Rafa Nadal and his loss in the '09 US Open final against an underdog in Juan Martin Del Potro. However, being able to consistently contend and win majors in his late 20's might mean Federer will extend his record and could possibly win up to 20 majors in his career, demolishing Pete Sampras' old record.

What we'll remember about Federer is that he was perhaps the most dominant athlete in any sport in his prime. He won every Wimbledon and US Open for 4 years in a row! That likely will never be seen again. But, moreso than the numbers, is the grace and sheer technical ability that Federer has shown over the years. He is the Tiger Woods of tennis (cough, hint, cough) and has shown some transcendent ability into the mainstream world. He has that European dry wit and smoothness about him which might not hit home with middle America, but gives him a certain aura of brilliance on and off the court.

Join us next time as we reveal the #1 Athlete of the Decade. I'll give you one hint, it's not Kwame Brown.

The Best Ever

Is there now any doubt as to who the greatest men's tennis player of all-time is now? Roger Federer's marathon win over Andy Roddick Sunday at Wimbledon was Federer's 15th Grand Slam Title, breaking his tie with Pete Sampras for most Grand Slam wins. Federer has been so dominant for so long, that he is taken for granted by the sporting public. Some of the numbers and records that Federer holds:

-15 Grand Slam Singles Titles

-He's needed just 41 Grand Slams to win 15 (better than a 1 in 3 success rate)

-20 Grand Slam Finals, reached SF stage in 21 straight majors

-237 Consecutive Weeks at #1 from '04-'08

-Won Wimbledon and US Open every year from '04-'07

-Holds record winning streaks on grass and hard-court in Open Era

-6th Player to win Career Grand Slam, something Borg & Sampras never accomplished

This is only the beginning of the list of records and accolades that Federer has earned throughout his illustrious career. Yesterday's final only adds to Federer's allure as he won the longest final in Wimbledon history beating Andy Roddick 16-14 in the 5th Set. Spare a thought for Roddick as he played the greatest match of his life, and still lost. Much like golfers that play in the Tiger Woods Era, Roddick will be a mere footnote to history because he was unlucky enough to play in the Federer Era.

With the greatest tennis players of all-time watching (Sampras, Borg, Laver, McEnroe) Federer would simply not lose, regardless of his inability to break Roddick's serve before the ultimate game of the match. It's rare that so much history can happen in one place, but Wimbledon 2009 was the perfect storm. Federer broke the all-time grand slam record in front of the man he passed and other greats in one of the best Wimbledon finals ever. Wimbledon 2009 will always be remembered for Roger Federer not only sealing his status as the greatest tennis player of all-time, but one of the greatest athletes of all-time.