The worlds of tennis and international football (or soccer in America) are two of the most captivating sports on the entire planet. The global affection for both of these sports is apparent in how many participants from almost every continent take part in them, and the fans’ fervor in competitions between countries such as the World Cup and Davis Cup bring is something that isn't restricted to one region or country in the world.
However, in America, despite a rise in television time for both of their big events as well as new channels dedicated solely to their fields, let’s be real here: they no where near get the love that football, basketball, and baseball receive. In the big sporting magazines such as Sports Illustrated, ESPN the Magazine, and the Sporting News to name a few, you will only see good attention given (if any) on the big events that no magazine, regardless on how low they view these sports, can’t ignore. The same can definitely be said of nationally renowned newspapers in big city markets.
With that, sometimes the coverage of these two athletic fields here in the United States isn’t necessarily as good or closely analyzed, scrutinized, and debated as it should be. The obvious or basic stories are written for just the casual sports fan who don’t have a consistent interest in even massive (but not the number one event by far in the sport) contest like the UEFA Champions League Final or the Italian Open. They only deliver devout attention to these sports whenever the World Cup comes or whenever the four Grand Slams are in play (and it can be both argued that both the Australian and French Opens don’t get the love equal to Wimbledon and the U.S. Open from the mainstream American media).
Even ESPN, in their pursuit of truly representing the mantra “Worldwide Leader in Sports”, has been criticized heavily by regular fans of both tennis and soccer for their intensive, but questionable coverage of these sports. Whether it through impartial commentating, dubious hours of taped-delayed action or mediocre in depth discussion on the topics that are near and dear to the fans of the sports, ESPN has also played a part in alienating the core followers of “the beautiful game” and the “green ball extravaganza.” Not only that, but it has also placed even some feelings of anger towards both the specific soccer and tennis communities on who is going to get the most attention of being ESPN’s dubbed “niche” sport.
“Why are they showing so much tennis on here” or “Why is soccer cutting into tennis time” are the questions that may arise on some soccer or tennis forums, especially the one that raises up either question doesn’t care about the other sport in the least bit.
I, on the other hand, clearly have affection for both of these sports, as well as a myriad of others. Through the NBA, MLB, the NFL, and the NCAA’s in the sports of basketball and football will always be among my favorites (and there are several others like track and field that I enjoy), tennis and soccer are two of the sports that are near and dear to my Brooklyn soul. And with that, the idea of bringing them together was formed.
There needed to be a blog that brings both of these two terrific sports together in a spectacular way. Through one is a team game and the other either presents itself as an individual or duo sport (singles and doubles of course), one usually has a set time limit while the other can go as long as it wants to, and one allows you to use your hands while the other bans everyone except one player for using their upper appendages, both soccer and tennis share close similarities as well as sharp differences. They are extreme running sports where going side to side is common, they are globally accepted but in America semi-disrespected, and they both contain their share of, there I say, deft volleys.
Yes, deft volleys.
“The Deft Volleys” is the name of the blog and it’s something that I am happy to create for not only the fans of both the tennis and soccer world, but even the casual fan who may need a perspective or update on these great sports and realize that there’s nothing “third-rate” about them. Just as important, however, is that it could bring both soccer and tennis fans together (if they aren’t already unified) in a way to officially end any discourse with each other. I don’t mean to get all United Nations cheesy here, but the blog will simply be dedicated none other to tennis and soccer (or soccer and tennis if you want to put it that way).
Because Swiss clinical combo Roger Federer and Alexander Frei certainly have “deft volleys.” Spanish sensations Rafael Nadal and Cesc Fabregas have “deft volleys.” And (only tennis fans will get this one) Roman Pavluchenko and yes, even Maria Sharapova, have “deft volleys.”
About one of the few things bring these two sports together.
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