Tennis Talk

I don't profess expertise nor even deep knowledge of the sport of tennis. I just watch the game; years ago, I took some lessons and played some tennis because it seemed everybody around me was playing tennis.

In the small city in Ohio where I lived briefly, the people in my midst played tennis rabidly. My three nephews played tennis regularly and had a coach; their friends played seriously, too.

The children of my sister's friends all played tennis; the mothers who accompanied their kids to lessons and competitions took fancy to also learning the game.

But then, most of these parents played golf, too.

I remember driving a nephew and his friend to their tennis lessons on Friday evenings to Pittsburgh, a-45 minute drive from our house.

In terms of sports, I love watching boxing, baseball, basketball, some football, golf and tennis.

Now that I have a dog, Spike, I am learning how to play ball with him. Inside the house, I throw it and he learns to catch. During one of our two-times a day walk, I might just bring the ball for him to play around with.

Back to tennis. Wimbledon has started and my favorite player, Rafael Nadal is not even in the game. But have to watch it even without the guy in there.

Athletes and sports players today enjoy tremendous popularity and adulation. That's why they're paid top dollars; their merchandise (t-shirts, caps, and endorsed products) sell briskly.

There was a time when tennis players were just confined to endorsing a few products. I remember Michael Chang, the only Asian-American who reached the grand slam circuit in the mid 80's and early 90's, endorsing a product for back pain called Tiger Balm.

Today, tennis stars just like mainstream athletes of other sports, sell all types of merchandise.

And like other athletes, tennis biggies like Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Safin are swooned over, especially by females fans. ' Wonder what the spouses and boyfriends are thinking.