A Pigeon Chasing Hawk, The Loudest Grunter And Pimm's - What You Need To Know About Wimbledon 2021
What you need to know and what you never expected.
Photo: Unsplash/shep979
The oldest tennis tournament in the world may be steeped in history, but that doesn’t stop the common folk like us from enjoying a match, traditional Pimm’s or donning our Wimbledon whites.
Like royalty,
The Last Night’s Game Team
1. There’s a strict dress code at the prestigious tournament, requiring players to wear all white. (Rumor has it was that it was because it didn’t show sweat like other colors). Now we all know that nothing ruins your summer whites like bird poop. Luckily you don’t have to worry about that at Wimbledon. Rufus is a specially trained hawk that keeps those pooping pigeons away from the grounds. Like a good predator, Rufus flies above the grounds for one hour (9.00 am) most mornings before the gates open to keep the birds away. EYES LIKE A HAWK
2. Did you know that Wimbledon is the largest single annual sporting event in Europe from a catering perspective? In previous years, spectators consumed over 276,000 glasses of Pimm’s to wash down 18,061 servings of fish and chips. Although this year, those numbers might be a little lower as fan capacity is limited to 50% occupancy until the men’s and women’s finals, when the stadium will be at 100% capacity. The tournament has served 4,242 servings of sushi and 6,147 of pasta to their racket-wielding athletes. WHO’S HUNGRY?
3. The tennis balls are replaced every seven to nine games to ensure they’re kept in perfect shape. It’s no wonder more than 54,000 tennis balls are used during the two-week tournament. But did you know that tennis balls used to be white or black, not yellow? They were changed to yellow to make it easier for the TV viewer to see the ball, but Wimbledon was a late adopter to the color change, waiting until the 80s. HOLY BALLS
4. Grunting is something no longer left to gremlins and grumpy old men. Even the classiest of tennis players vocalize their play. While you may think this is a new thing, Monica Seles and Jimmy Connors are known as the original creators of the tennis grunt. The loudest one on the court? Russia’s Maria Sharapova at 105 decibels – the equivalent of standing next to an accelerating motorcycle. THAT’S NOT AWKWARD AT ALL
5. The biggest news about Wimbledon is who isn’t going to be there. Naomi Osaka and Rafael Nadal have both dropped out of the tournament. But instead of looking at the glass half empty, let’s talk about how Serena Williams will be there to go for her record-tying 24 Grand Slam win. Or the two of the biggest names in men’s tennis, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, will take the court. Djokovic has won the first two Grand Slam tournaments (aka majors) this year. (Wimbledon is the third major of the year). BE THERE OR BE SQUARE
Bonus: Last year’s tournament was cancelled but don’t feel too bad. The All-England Lawn Tennis Club had been paying pandemic insurance for 17 years, and it finally paid off with a rumored payout of $141 million.
Life’s Too Short
The Paul-Mayweather fight ends how no one expected, 1.6 M reasons COVID stinks and Simone Biles does it again.
Life’s too short to be boring and talk about the weather. (No offense to our meteorologists out there).
The one where you’re the smartest person in the room,
The Last Night’s Game Team
Boxing
The Logan Paul and Floyd Mayweather boxing match ended in a way no one expected - with a draw. Mayweather, who is regarded as one of the best boxers of all time, complemented Paul, saying he was better than he thought. You might be wondering why the two agreed to fight anyway, and it seems the answer has a lot to do with money. Mayweather said, "I can fight a fighter right now, and I can guarantee myself $35 million, or me and Logan Paul, a YouTuber, we can go out and entertain and have fun and make nine figures. $100 million or more." SO THERE'S THAT
Overtime
Is there anything she can’t do? A few weeks ago, Simone Biles performed the most dangerous vault – the Yurchenko double pike vault – that no female gymnast has dared to try in competition. Yesterday she claimed her seventh U. S. Championship title – the most victories for a woman. Next up are the Olympic trials at the end of the month. Two top scorers at the trial will earn a spot on the Olympic team, and a selection committee will choose the remaining two. SUPER HUMAN
Sideline stat
Just as the world is opening up again, the doors closed for golfer Jon Rahm. Rahm had a significant lead heading into the final round at the Memorial Tournament (PGA – Professional Golfers Association) only to find out on live television that he had tested positive for COVID. He had to forgo the potential victory and the $1.6 million in prize money. OUCH
Coaches’ corner
Canada might change their mind after the last story, but they’re opening up their borders amidst the Stanley Cup playoffs (NHL – National Hockey League). Now they’re allowing teams to cross the border to play in the next round of the playoffs. This allows for Canadian teams in the playoffs to potentially host a home game. Teams must arrive via private plane and are subjected to extra testing. IN THE NICK OF TIME
What to watch
It’s been a wild week at the French Open (tennis). First, Naomi Osaka drops out, and now Serena Williams is out (lost in the fourth round), and so is Roger Federer (knee). The good news is that the excitement isn’t over. American Coco Gauff, 17, has moved onto the next round, and so has last year’s champion, Iga Swiatek. CAN’T WIN ‘EM ALL
The Proof Is In The Pudding
Why one football player is running with the bulls, this is it for Wimbledon and the NBA has the experts all confused.
No question, it’s Friday. Take your weekend to the next level with today’s wisdom.
Knowledge is power,
The Last Night’s Game Team
NBA (National Basketball Association)
In another blockbuster trade, the Oklahoma City Thunder traded away their star player, Russell Westbrook, to the Houston Rockets. Why is this a big deal? The tides keep shifting for next season with big moves from the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers (to name a few) and now the Rockets. There’s no telling what could happen next season. THE EXPERTS ALL AGREE…THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT’S GOING ON
Overtime
The off-season workout routine for Josh Norman of the Washington Redskins (NFL – National Football League) is a little more ballsy than most. Not sure how this doesn’t violate the “things you shouldn’t do so you don’t hurt yourself too badly” clause in his contract, but watch Norman run with (and hurdle) the bulls in Pamplona, Spain this week. AT LEAST THE PILATES MAT WON’T GORE YOU
Sideline Stat
Rufus the Hawk is going to be very busy protecting the skies over Wimbledon this weekend. First the “Big 3” - Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are playing in the semifinals today. Serena Williams will play Simona Halep in the women’s singles finals on Saturday. If Williams wins, she will tie the all-time record for the most Grand Slam titles at 24. (There are four major tournaments that qualify as “Grand Slams” in tennis. Wimbledon is one of them). WILL THERE BE ANOTHER ROYALS SIGHTING?
PS – Don’t know why Rufus the Hawk is such a big deal? Check out Five Things You Need To Know About Wimbledon.
Coaches’ Corner
Because why not? Robot umpires debuted at the Minor League Baseball All-Star Game this week. The robotic system is thought to speed up the game because there will be a consistent strike zone so players won’t waste time arguing balls and strikes. Imagine all of the carefully choreographed heckling that is now going to fall on deaf (or no) ears. WHAT’S NEXT? A ROBOT BEER VENDOR ROAMING THE STANDS?