Roger - part 1

Roger Federer was nowhere near his best when he beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets (7-6, 7-6, 6-4) Sunday to collect his fourth straight U.S. Open title. But when you're the best player in the world you don't always have to be. That makes 12 Grand Slam titles for Federer (Grand Slams refer to the four major tournaments in pro tennis - Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open). This places him behind only Pete Sampras (14) for most career Grand Slam titles.

So how good is he? Well, during the quarterfinals of this tournament, Federer had to face Andy Roddick. He's America's best player and would have at least three more Grand Slam titles if not for Federer. He has defeated Federer only once in his career, thwarted at every turn to beat his Swiss master when it matters. This time, Roddick came out firing, playing perhaps the best tennis of his career. Federer had to be perfect to win. And he was, beating America's best in straight sets 7-6, 7-6, 6-2.

Federer's accomplishments have placed him squarely among tennis' all-time best. But the question being asked more and more as Federer continues to dominate - Is he the best ever?

Not an easy question to answer, given the many great players in the history of men's tennis. Bill Tilden, Roy Emerson, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Mats Vilander, Ivan Lendl, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, and Andre Agassi were all-time greats, but usually not considered as the best ever.

Currently, four names are in the argument as best all-time.

Rod Laver

The last men's player to achieve the tennis holy grail - to complete a Grand Slam (win all four major tournaments in calender year). And he did it twice. From 1962 to 1979, the Australian amassed 181 singles titles including 11 Grand Slam titles (tied with Borg for 3rd all-time). Laver was a technically superior player who had an excellent serve and volley game, combined with aggressive groundstrokes utilizing topspin, an innovation in the sixties. His backhand is among the all-time best shots. Despite his somewhat short stature (5'8"), Laver had both speed and strength. He was quick on the court and generated tremendous groundstrokes from a powerful left arm. He played against greats like Roy Emerson, John Newcombe, Ken Rosewall, and Arthur Ashe.

Bjorn Borg
This Swede was nearly unbeatable from 1976 to 1980. He won 11 Grand Slam titles in his career. Perhaps more impressive is that he achieved what is considered to be the most difficult feat in tennis, winning both Wimbledon and the French Open in the same year. Borg did it four times!

Note: Wimbledon is played on grass, a "fast" surface because the ball bounces fast and low, making for shorter points that favor serve-and volley players. The French Open is played on clay, a "slow" surface because the ball bounces slower and higher with less forward motion, making it more difficult to hit an unreturnable shot. Points tend to be longer on clay, favoring baseline players who are generally more defensive and consistent.

To put this in perspective, only one other player (Andre Agassi) has since won both Wimbledon and the French Open in his entire career.

Borg played from the baseline, utilizing powerful groundstrokes and tremendous topspin to dominate his opponents. Borg rarely made mistakes and was famous for his unflinching focus and steely reserve on the court. This earned him the nickname "Iceman." Combined with his exceptional physical fitness, Borg appeared more robot than human.

Borg dominated tennis during one of the most competative eras of men's tennis which included such greats as Guillermo Vilas, Ilie Nastase, Jimmy Connors, and John McEnroe, however, he retired suddenly at the age of 26.

To be continued...

Good Luck Joey

The National Football League is a tough business. Just ask Joey Harrington. Despite leading the Oregon Ducks to the best season in school history, a Fiesta Bowl win, a #2 ranking in the national polls, and finishing as a heisman finalist with a 10-story billboard in New York City, most people remember him as a bum; a journeyman quarterback who doesn't have what it takes to succeed in the NFL.

To go from "Joe College", the #3 player taken in the 2002 NFL draft with your face on the cover of a video game, to a bust whose only future in this leauge is as a backup. To go from loved and adored, to hated and written off.

But that's what the NFL can do to even great college players. If you just look at other quarterbacks from the Pac-10 conference who have been drafted into the NFL over the last several years, there is mixed success. Carson Palmer is an all-pro, but Ryan Leaf (Washington State), Akili Smith (Oregon), and Cade McNown (UCLA) were busts. Marques Tuiasosopo (Washington), Andrew Walter (Arizona State), Kyle Boller (Cal), and Aaron Rodgers (Cal) have barely seen playing time.

These guys were all outstanding college quarterbacks and yet they can't cut it in the pros. It makes me wonder what might have been, if guys like Joey or Akili Smith had not been drafted by two of the worst franchises (Detroit and Cincinatti, respectively) in the NFL at the time, where their confidence was destroyed.

After four miserable years in Detroit, and a somewhat better year in Miami, Harrington was all but written off; his confidence shot. After being traded to the Atlanta Falcons in the offseason as a backup to Michael Vick, Harrington realized "I could spend the next six years as a backup and never have the chance to play another game. But I was determined I'd be ready if the chance did come."

After Vick was indicted on federal dog-fighting charges, Joey got his chance.

"I've spent the last two years trying to get my confidence back as a quarterback,'' Harrington told Sports Illustrated writer Don Banks earlier this month at Falcons training camp. "So much of what a quarterback does is about confidence. That's what I lost in Detroit. But I'm much more of a quarterback today than what I was with the Lions, or even last year in Miami. Now it's time to show that."

As a Duck fan who had the good fortune to watch his career in person on Saturday afternoons at Autzen Stadium, I hope he does. To me, Joey represents everything good about sports. By all accounts he's an honest, down-to-earth guy who doesn't get into trouble. I once heard him say that he never cared about being a NFL quarterback. His dream was to be a college quarterback. And that's how he played - like a guy living his dream, having fun and playing his guts out. I never saw a player who wanted to win more than Joey. And now, with the opportunity to play on the most talented team in his career, he may get a chance to prove it.

"I've learned a ton the last two years in this league. About myself and about how this league operates. I became so much more comfortable with who I am as a person and who I am as a player. That's what has enabled me to be ready to take advantage of this opportunity.''