We made it.
The two days that Jack coined in yesterday’s blog as the “barren wasteland” have passed. The MLB has returned, finally giving sports fans something to watch when it comes to the four major leagues, but this gap didn’t give me much to write about when it comes to today’s blog. Because of this, I am going to give you a quick update on the Wimbledon tournaments, a summer schedule for the returning Slamball league, along with a recommendation for what to watch if you can’t find anything to fill that sports-sized void in your life.
WIMBLEDON FINALS ARE SET
On Saturday, the unseeded Marketa Vondrousova will take on the six seed Ons Jabeur to crown a first time victor for the women’s tournament. No matter what, history will be made with a championship win. Jabeur would become the first African woman to win a singles Grand Slam title in the Open era. Vondrousova would become the first unseeded woman to ever lift the Wimbledon trophy, and only the fifth unseeded woman to ever win a Grand Slam title (Serena Williams is on that list of four…I don’t know who seeded that Australian Open, but that shouldn’t be allowed). Tune in at 9 am EST to see history unfold!
On Sunday, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz face off in what’s looking like an instant classic. Alcaraz is making his first trip to the grass court’s finals, while Djokovic is looking to win his fifth straight title there. This would be the second Grand Slam for Alcaraz which pales in comparison to what would be Djokovic’s 24th. However, while the difference is majors is monstrous, the level of talent and ability are matched. Both manage to return impossible shot after impossible shot, until their opponents eventually make a mistake. But who will make that crucial mistake on Sunday? We’ll finally get an answer to what would’ve been at Roland Garros, when Alcaraz was crippled by calf cramps in the semifinals against Novak. Tune in at 9 am EST.
SLAMBALL IS BACK!
The sport that combines basketball, football, hockey, and trampolines is returning to national broadcasts starting on July 21st. I was too young to watch the inaugural seasons back in 2002-2008, but I am very familiar with the game through the hard hitting highlights that go viral year after year. If you have no idea what slamball is, these will get you excited:
Betting on these games will be so much fun, or so much hurt. It will be like the wild west at first with Vegas not knowing what to set the lines at, and I’m here for the chaos. Don’t worry, I’ll be tweeting some picks so you can join the squad ride.
F1: DRIVE TO SURVIVE, IS IN FACT VERY GOOD
With no NHL, NFL, and NBA to watch, I have looked to broaden my viewership to other sports, and I have found a phenomenal solution in F1. I had always heard that F1 is a thrill to follow once you get into it, and that the Netflix show was the perfect way to do it. I had held off on jumping into the series while other sports were mid-season or in their respective playoffs, but when the previously mentioned “barren wasteland ” fell on us, I resorted to beginning the first of the five seasons. Now, after three and a half seasons, I am hooked.
If you are unaware, the show covers a season of the sport per season of the series. The drama, the action, and the cast of drivers and staff are all top class, and the behind the scenes access is unprecedented. I barely knew anything about the sport before watching this show, and I now feel as if I could carry out a full conversation with Will Buxton (the unreal narrator and reporter for the show, who has a voice like none other).
Since I started watching the show, I have steered clear of any F1 news in hopes that I don’t spoil the season that’s currently in progress. So, if you are one of our loyal readers who are wondering where our F1 coverage is, don’t worry, it’s on the way. And if you are a sports fan who has decided to avoid the sport…what a poor, poor decision you have made. 10/10 would recommend the watch.