Mr Feeny
Hall of Fame
The first of his name:
Congratulations to all the good Nadal fans on this board:
@MichaelNadal @Tiki-Taka @Gary Duane @Nostradamus @Atherton2003 @marc45 @aldeayeah @Vamos Rafa Nadal @Mainad @Antonio Puente @SonicNirvana @Rickenbacker4003 @La Grande @Robin3381 @Sephiroth @Incognito @RaulRamirez @Raul_SJ and the many others on here.
I've always thought that if Federer can't go down as the greatest in tennis, I'd want Rafa to be that. We root for our favourites and statistics and dominance plays a huge role but we ultimately watch sports for the indelible moments. And Nadal has given me that. We might have a player overtake Nadal in total slams in the near or far future but he is a reference point in tennis (as Federer is, for me.)
His style of play. His grit. His determination. His passion. Are all things most of us will remember. If someone other than your hero were to end up as the greatest, who better than someone with as much class and grace as Rafa.
I think he's a role model and good example in sports. Gamesmanship is subjective, and I think that some little things that Nadal does that seem to irk others are relatively innocuous. When you're at the top level, you're trying to get a competitive advantage whenever possible. That's the mindset of someone in the top tier of his sport. But that has nothing to do with humility or class - two things he epitomizes.
In an era where trash talking and superciliousness are rampant, and are a major staple in major sports as athletes attempt to stand out on way or another to drive interest in their brand, this is a man who does things the right way. Respect was and always should be present in sports. And he's a paragon of respect, in my opinion.
When he isn't facing Federer, I'll be cheering for Nadal. And if he goes down as the greatest ever, I - as a Federer fan -will be happy for him.
Congratulations to all the good Nadal fans on this board:
@MichaelNadal @Tiki-Taka @Gary Duane @Nostradamus @Atherton2003 @marc45 @aldeayeah @Vamos Rafa Nadal @Mainad @Antonio Puente @SonicNirvana @Rickenbacker4003 @La Grande @Robin3381 @Sephiroth @Incognito @RaulRamirez @Raul_SJ and the many others on here.
I've always thought that if Federer can't go down as the greatest in tennis, I'd want Rafa to be that. We root for our favourites and statistics and dominance plays a huge role but we ultimately watch sports for the indelible moments. And Nadal has given me that. We might have a player overtake Nadal in total slams in the near or far future but he is a reference point in tennis (as Federer is, for me.)
His style of play. His grit. His determination. His passion. Are all things most of us will remember. If someone other than your hero were to end up as the greatest, who better than someone with as much class and grace as Rafa.
I think he's a role model and good example in sports. Gamesmanship is subjective, and I think that some little things that Nadal does that seem to irk others are relatively innocuous. When you're at the top level, you're trying to get a competitive advantage whenever possible. That's the mindset of someone in the top tier of his sport. But that has nothing to do with humility or class - two things he epitomizes.
In an era where trash talking and superciliousness are rampant, and are a major staple in major sports as athletes attempt to stand out on way or another to drive interest in their brand, this is a man who does things the right way. Respect was and always should be present in sports. And he's a paragon of respect, in my opinion.
When he isn't facing Federer, I'll be cheering for Nadal. And if he goes down as the greatest ever, I - as a Federer fan -will be happy for him.
I got interested in Nadal in 2013, when I thought Fed was done. I enjoyed his run that year. I thought he was the most interesting player left who could win big events. But once Fed got competitive again, I've always rooted for him. I was doing it again this tournament and was horribly disappointed at his Wimbledon loss, and I thought he had a good chance at the USO.
