Jannik Sinner practicing at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Media Day, Friday, Aug. 25, before the start of the US Open. Right then I thought his solid if uninspiring play would enable him to win the tournament. *Photograph by Georgette Gouveia.*

Thoughts on the US Open

September 9, 2024

The US Open began on a brilliant August day (the 26th) that hinted at autumn and ended on a brilliant September day (the 8th) that delivered it.

In between, there were upsets — women’s No. 1 Iga Swiatek, last year’s women’s winner Coco Gauff, last year’s men’s winner Novak Djokovic and the No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz — and some insightful tennis as Taylor Fritz and Francis Tiafoe squared off in a semifinal that gave hope to American fans of a possible U.S. champion.

But only false hope. I saw men’s No. 1 Jannik Sinner practice with Paris bronze medalist Lorenzo Musetti on Media Day — Friday, Aug. 25 — and thought Sinner would win the men’s final, which he did, beating Fritz in straight sets 6-3. 6-4. 7-5.

New York Yankees centerfielder Aaron Judge up at bat against the Washington Nationals in Nationals Park, Washington, D.C., Aug. 26. *Photographs by Georgette Gouveia.*

Root, root, root for the visiting team -- and the American worker

September 1, 2024

A pre-Labor Day trip to see the good-but-not-great New York Yankees play the better-than-expected Nationals in Washington D.C. yielded some insights into the American worker, who these days always seems always to be on the visiting team — that is, in hostile territory.

At the Democratic Convention Thursday, Aug. 22, Vice President Kamala Harris made her case for why she should be president. *Courtesy the White House.*

The Dems go all in

August 23, 2024

Well, the Democratic Convention has me feeling a lot better about the Democrats’ chances in the November election and Kamala Harris’ chances to be the first woman — and woman of color — to become president of the United States. To says she has surprised me with her sheer focused magnificence is the understatement of the year.

Did the first couple of nights run long? Sure, but then it’s always prime time somewhere in the world. Do some politicians love the sounds of their own voices? Always.

At the convention, though, we got not only joy — in short supply in the “American carnage” years — but the sorrow of officers assaulted in the Jan. 6 insurrection, parents waiting for the American hostages of Hamas to be released and women whose health was risked by abortions denied. And we got the sobriety of what we’re up against — the autocracy of the Republicans’ Project 2025 and the lunacy of former President Donald J. Trump’s tariffs. As former President Bill Clinton — still as shrewd a pol as they come — said, we underestimate the opposition at our own peril.

Jordon Chiles, seen here at the 2024 U.S. Championships, finds herself in the middle of an Olympics controversy not of her making.

Gymnastics -- the figure skating of the Summer Olympics

August 17, 2024

You just knew that the Paris Olympics would not end without a judging controversy, didn’t you?

This one involves American gymnast Jordan Chiles, who won the bronze medal on the floor exercises until she didn’t. It seemed her routine had a higher degree of difficulty than that of the original bronze medalist, Romania’s Ana Barbosu, and the U.S. filed an immediate appeal, giving Chiles the medal and devastating Barbosu. But then Romania appealed and Chiles was stripped of the medal, because the U.S. appeal was four seconds too late, even though video reportedly shows that it wasn’t.

The U.S. and Romania agreed to share the bronze medal, but the International Federation of Gymnastics said nothing doing, and now it’s off to the Swiss Federal Tribunal for the ultimate decision. In the meantime, it didn’t take the press long to uncover that Hamid G. Gharavi, who headed the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) panel that ruled against the U.S., had represented Romania in some arbitration cases. So not the most unbiased of judges.

On Friday, Aug. 16, Barbosu got the bronze medal — different from the one awarded at the Paris Games — and Chiles, still in possession of the bronze from Paris, vowed to seek justice.

Like a little kid who just won his first event, Novak Djokovic can’t contain his pride and joy in holding Olympic gold at last.

NBC, the Olympics and American exceptionalism

August 6, 2024

The Olympics were just getting underway July 27 when the American swim team was reminded of how Australian swimmer Cate Campbell reveled in her country having had more gold medals than the United States (13 to seven) at the 2023 World Swimming Championships.

There has long been an intense rivalry between the swim teams that has spilled over into trash talk, but Campbell really went off on the cowbells in the stands that support Americans in the pool and even the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” If nothing succeeds like success, nothing irks like it either.

While the National Anthem comment seems petty, Campbell may have a point when you consider NBC’s cheerleading coverage of the Paris Games as we roll through the second week of competition….

The month that was -- from the Democrats' gambit to the Paris Games

July 30, 2024

It figures that my birthday break would bring big news: There’s just something about the second half of July.

On July 21, President Joe Biden went George Washington on everyone and announced that he would put patriotism and party before personhood and renounce the nomination for a second term, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.

Perhaps the most surprising thing in an announcement that was devoutly desired and yet still shocking was the way people rallied around Harris, who raised $200 million in her first week on the campaign trail.

Donald J. Trump and the nature of karma

July 14, 2024

Violence is never the answer, but it is often the question. The attempt on former President Donald J. Trump’s life is nothing to celebrate as the taking of a life in anything but self-defense is morally and legally wrong.

But after almost 10 years of vitriol on the campaign trail and in office, he has come to his encounter with karma.