Oh, not all that Wimbledon nonsense that’s going on at the moment.  Emma Raducanu in tears (again). Who’s wearing “what” bling, and how much does it cost?  Arguments about the electronic line-calling system, and the sad exit from the courts of the old style, beautifully dressed, “line judges” in favor of an electronic eye that already seems to have fallen foul (see what I did there) of its reputation far more often than the humans did in any given year.

And, big-footing them all, the figure of eighty-one year old Billie Jean King, who–when she can spare time away from her new BFF, Melinda French Gates–has been making the rounds and urging Wimbledon to get rid of its traditions, for it to allow for the shameless promotion of sports gear and merch, and–most importantly in her eyes–the elimination of the discreet, decent, all-white clothing requirement for the players.  She’d like to replace it with something more along the lines of NFL jerseys–different colors, with names and numbers on the back so that those viewers who are too stupid to distinguish one player from another, when there are, let’s be clear–two, or at most four people on the court at any given time–will have an explicit visual cue:

There’s a match that comes on, you sit down, and you look – let’s say it’s television – who’s who? Tennis people say: ‘Well, the mark is next to their name’ [to indicate who is serving]. I shouldn’t have to look at a mark, I shouldn’t have to look at anything. I should know [who’s who]. My sport drives me nuts,” she sighs, burying her head in her hands.

The above quote comes from a Telegraph article which swiftly and rather bizarrely ties King’s concern to her “lifelong [campaigning] for social justice and equality.”  And goes on from there.

I don’t really know what King’s beef is here.  After all, don’t the American stations who cover NFL games (where the players do have distinct uniforms, with numbers and names imprinted on the back), still indicate with some sort of “mark” at the bottom of the screen, who’s got the ball, how many more downs, and how much further they have to go to get the first down, and what the actual score is?

Beloved sister, who follows Wimbledon far more assiduously than I do these days, finds Billie Jean’s concern trolling to be laughable.  She has no trouble telling the players apart, and said as much:

I love that the players are all in white.  When my husband joins me partway through a match, I love explaining who is who.

“The chap winning is the one who keeps pulling his underpants out of his bottom.”  “The other one is the one who keeps pulling at his crotch.”  “No, that’s the one who wipes his nose on his sleeve.”  “She’s the one who grunts…”

LOL.  Such true little vignettes for those who’ve watched more than a few moments of Nadal, Alcaraz, and almost any woman over the last couple of decades.

Back in the day, things were different.  Players restrained themselves. And those (almost fanatically on my part) are the times I do remember.

Eighty-two years ago today, British tennis player Mark Cox was born.  He made an indelible name for himself among tennis fans everywhere in 1968, when–in the new “open” era of men’s tennis in which amateurs could compete against hardened professionals, he–a rank amateur–beat the American Pancho Gonzales in a tournament at Bournemouth.  He subsequently beat several other professional players, including #1 seed Rod Laver at the 1971 Australian Open, and Ken Rosewall the following year at the US Open.  I watched both of those on television.  Although he never won a grand slam title, he was highly ranked for quite some time, and played on the British Davis Cup team for many years. Dad and I went to Cleveland to see him play in 1969. (It was my 15th birthday.  In the best of British traditions, Cox lost.  I wouldn’t have had it any other way.)

Happy Birthday, Mark Cox.  I can’t believe you’re that old. (Oh, wait…looks in mirror…)

And fifty years ago today, on July 5, 1975, one of tennis’s most gracious and gentlemanly champions, Arthur Ashe, became the first (and so far only) Black man to win Wimbledon. He did so by beating that tiresome man-child and overwhelming favorite Jimmy Connors in a four-set extravaganza.  Four years later, and in the face of what seems to have been hereditary heart disease on both sides of his family, Ashe underwent a quadruple-bypass operation, followed by a second round of surgery a few months later.  Almost a decade after that, Ashe was diagnosed as HIV-positive, a state that was attributed to his numerous blood transfusions at the time of his second surgery.  (Ashe chose to go public with the information, rather than waiting for it to leak out via a prospective USA Today story.)

He died on February 6, 1993, at the age of just 49, from AIDS-related pneumonia.

His legacy is defined by his unique victories at Wimbledon, the US Open and the Australian Open.  And also by the fact that his acquisition of HIV through blood transfusions led to educational foundations begun in his name, and much closer scrutiny of the nation’s blood supplies going forward.

Arthur Robert Ashe Jr., Rest in Peace.

And Wimbledon:  Whatever you do, do not screw with the strawberries and cream.  That is a bridge too far and a hill to die on. Please let Billie Jean know, and suggest that it might be time for her to zip it.

**The photo at the top of this post is of Fred Perry.  The last Englishman to win Wimbledon.  In 1936. Truly a legacy of which to be proud. (The last English woman to win the title was Virginia Wade, in 1977, 48 years ago.  Ditto.)

After all, as those of us who are British-born understand, it just wouldn’t do to show off, year after year.  So we don’t.

Published in General

Rose Lavelle’s triumphant return to the United States Women’s National Team continues when the Americans host the Republic of Ireland in an international friendly on Sunday, June 29 (6/29/2025) at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Fans can watch the match via a free trial to DirecTV or a subscription to Sling.

Here’s what you need to know:

What: Women’s international friendly

Who: USA vs. Republic of Ireland

When: Sunday, June 29, 2025

Start time: 3 p.m. ET

Where: TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

TV: TNT, Universo (Spanish Language)

Live stream: DirecTV (free trial), Sling, Hulu + Live TV, Spanish language on fuboTV (free trial), Peacock

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Here’s a recent USA Women’s Soccer story, via The Associated Press:

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (AP) — Rose Lavelle scored in her first national team match of the year after ankle surgery and the United States defeated Ireland 4-0 on Thursday night.

Avery Patterson, Sam Coffey and Alyssa Thompson also scored for the United States. Lavelle last played for the national team in December against the Netherlands.

Patterson, making her third start for the national team, scored on a header off a short corner from Lavelle in the 18th minute. It was her first international goal.

“It’s surreal. I think at halftime someone asked me what was going through my head, and I don’t think I fully came down and realized what had happened until two water breaks afterward,” Patterson laughed. “I need to watch it again because I kind of blacked out.”

Coffey added a goal before halftime, with a shot that cut across to the far post. It was her third national team goal and second in the last three games.

Lavelle made it 3-0 in the 53rd , scoring handily off a well-placed pass from Ally Sentnor. Thompson ran the ball from the center line, danced around a defender and finished with a blast from atop the box in the 63rd.

“I felt that pressure was coming so I took a touch around her, I’ve been in that situation a lot of times in this game, and I was like `I need to score this one,’” Thompson said. “So I did my usual move and then hit it to the far side.”

Coach Emma Hayes gave her Europe-based players — including Lindsey Heaps, Catarina Macario, Crystal Dunn and Emily Fox — time off after their seasons. The exception was defender Naomi Girma, who is working her way back from a calf injury.

Goalkeeper Claudia Dickey, who plays for the Seattle Reign, and Lilly Reale, a defender for Gotham, started for the United States in their national team debuts. The youngest player on the squad, 18-year-old Jordyn Bugg, made her debut as a second-half substitute. Six of the 11 starters had less than 10 appearances with the national team.

Lavelle, with 111 appearances on the team, was one of the veterans in the lineup, along with defender Emily Sonnett.

The United States has faced Ireland 16 times and never dropped a match. The Irish have scored just one goal against the United States.

The United States plays Ireland again on Sunday in Cincinnati, Lavelle’s hometown. The team plays Canada on July 2 in Washington, D.C.

What is DirecTV?

DirecTV is a subscription streaming service that lets you watch live TV from major broadcast and popular cable networks. Enjoy local and national live sports, breaking news, and must-see shows the moment they air. Included: unlimited cloud DVR storage space so you can record as many shows as you want and stream them from wherever you go. DTV starts at $34.99 per month after a 5-day free trial when you shop their customizable genre packs.

DALLAS, Texas — This is what athletes dream of taking part in: The Dallas Stars host the Colorado Avalanche in a decisive Game 7 of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs today. Puck drop for the first round marquee matchup is at 8 p.m. Eastern on ABC and ESPN+.

Several streaming services will broadcast the game live and you can watch on Fubo (free trial), DirecTV Stream (free trial), ESPN+ (free trial) and Sling (promotional offers).

How did we get here?

Colorado had their backs to the wall and responded with a 7-4 win in Game 6. Six players scored, but it was Valeri Nichushkin who led all with two scores.

Dallas couldn’t close it out when it mattered, and enter Game 7 with an 8-9 all-time record in Game 7 matchups. Though, their most recent Game 7 occurrence was last season in the first round, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights.

Colorado on the other hand is 6-10 all-time in Game 7, having lost the last six Game 7 contests.

Whoever wins will play the winner of the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues series in the next round.

Here’s how you can watch:

What: Dallas Stars vs Colorado Avalanche: Game 7 of first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoffs

When: Saturday, May 3, 2025

Time: 8 p.m. Eastern

Where: American Airlines Center | Dallas, Texas

Channel: ABC/ESPN Plus

Best Streaming Options: Fubo (free trial), ESPN Plus (free trial), DirecTV Stream (free trial), Sling (promotional offers)

Channel finder if you have cable: You can access the channel by using the channel finders online: Verizon Fios, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV and Dish.

The Minnesota Wild host the Vegas Golden Knights in game 4 of the first round of the NHL Playoffs on Saturday, April 26 with a 2-1 lead in the series.

The game is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. EDT on TBS, TruTV or MAX. Fans looking to watch this NHL game can do so for free by using DirecTV Stream, which offers a free trial or with SlingTV, which doesn’t offer a free trial but has promotional offers available. Max has plans starting at just $9.99/month and includes movies, original series and more.

• WATCH THE GAME FOR FREE HERE

The teams meet on Saturday for the seventh time this season. The Wild won the previous matchup 5-2. Kirill Kaprizov scored two goals in the win.

Minnesota is 45-30-7 overall and 23-17-2 in home games. The Wild have gone 42-3-3 in games they score three or more goals.

Vegas has a 50-22-10 record overall and a 21-14-7 record on the road. The Golden Knights have gone 22-10-1 in games they have fewer penalties than their opponent.

Who: Minnesota Wild vs. Vegas Golden Knights

When: Saturday, April 26 at 4 p.m. EDT

Where: Saint Paul, Minnesota

Stream:Sling; DirecTV Stream; MAX

Betting: Check out our MA sports betting guide, where you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts.

What is DirecTV Stream?

DirecTV Stream is an internet TV service that offers your favorite entertainment, news and sports channels, as well as local TV stations and regional sports networks. DirecTV Stream can be purchased for $79.98/month for your first two months when you sign up for the ENTERTAINMENT package and add DIRECTV Sports Pack.

What is SlingTV?

Here’s what you can watch on Sling TV, with plans starting at $40: Baseball (MLB), Basketball (NBA, NCAAB), Combat Sports (Boxing, UFC, MMA), Football (NCAAF, NFL), Golf, Hockey, Motorsports, Olympics, Soccer, Tennis and Wrestling.

What is MAX?

MAX offers a wide variety of content from Warner Bros. Discovery, including movies, shows, documentaries, and live sports. Plans start at $9.99 a month.

The Associated Press contributed to this article

This is poetry in motion.

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