Who says? : A Sports News Rebuttal

Recently I've come across some serious statements from sports analysts who think their opinions are set in stone... so clearly I have to make a statement of my own. Pardon the rhyme.

Tennis and Soccer. Here's what I have to say.

WORLD CUP 2010 - Holland's "success."
SoccerNet says: The Dutch have no chance at taking the glory.

Lies.

Whether you call them the Oranje, the Dutch, the Netherlands or Holland, this team is globally known to be "the greatest soccer team who has never won the World Cup." That shouldn't suggest, however, that they won't be a force at this summer's competition in South Africa.

Leander Schaerlaeckens of ESPN.com published an article dedicated to listing the many reasons why this Cup's orange-adorned squad will falter on center stage, but as a clearly biased Dutch fan, I can't help but disagree completely. Disagree. Completely.

Sure. Holland has to cope with some dramatic behind the scenes complications (yes... we all know Wesley Sneijder's ego has gotten out of control) but that does not diminish their raw talent and superb game tactics.

After qualifying for the World Cup in dominating fashion, the Dutch are looking physically strong and capable. Their latest friendly match against the US ended in a 2-1 win, but the scoreline does little to depict the true flow of the match. US fans will admit that the Oranje danced around the American players with fluid passes and pristine ball control.

The Netherlands' only difficulty seemed to be putting the ball into the net as often as they probably should have, but that will change with the return of all-star Robin Van Persie who has been taking time off to recover from injury. Pair his skills with the ever-improving striker Dirk Kuyt, and a personal favorite of mine, midfielder Rafael Van der Vaart, and the Dutch offense can be just as venomous as that of teams like Spain.

The #3-in-the-world Dutch team is by no means a favorite to win the World Cup, but to count them out completely is an absolute fallacy. It's true that they have lost their top ranked goalkeeper Van der Saar to retirement, but with the experience of seasoned defensemen like Giovanni Van Bronckhorst, the team should still have confidence in their back lines.

It's time to put aside the politics of the present and the haunting memories of the past (ugh, the Dutch's loss to Portugal in the 2006 World Cup). In soccer, just as in any sport, no match is a certainty. Anyone can beat the best at any time.

I think American sports journalists covering soccer should stop doubting other teams until the United States actually accomplishes something.


PROFESSIONAL TENNIS - The rise and fall of the Serbians.
Tennis.com says: Ivanovic, Jankovic and Djokovic aren't as good as they once were.

I'll start with the world #2 Novak Djokovic first because, well, it's a quick and easy statement.

The guy rocks out on a tennis court. Having a rough time at a few tournaments is natural in a sport that has virtually no off-season. The crowd may have booed his poor performance at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami after his early-round loss, but might I remind them: he's a Grand Slam Champion and world class baseliner.

Now on to the women...

There was once a time when Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic shared the #1 and #2 world ranking positions together. In fact, both of them have been #1.

Jelena is the easier of the two to defend after her recent championship title at the BNP Paribas Open.

One of the most athletic players on the women's tour, JJ is an overly dramatic, high-emotion court princess with enough attitude to fill the stadiums she plays in. But man do I love it. It would be one thing if she acted this way without having skill, but her rock-solid backhand down the line is by far the best in the game, and her court coverage is ridiculously good.

All in all, she is on her way back into full swing. Sure, she had a rough 2009 season, but I have a feeling that 2010 will have some Jankovic highlights.

Then there's Ana Ivanovic...

...sigh...

Ana has had some difficulty of late, losing in the early rounds of nearly every tournament she has played in. Let's just say it hasn't been impressive for the former world #1; the tears have been flowing.

But who wouldn't cry when you've had poor results and the media has doomed you to a quick fall from glory, writing you off as a has-been?

Tennis.com went so far as to publish an article claiming that Ivanovic is becoming the new Anna Kournikova-- a pretty face with less than average talent.

Might I remind those who believe such statements of a few things, beginning with this picture:

Ivanovic is a former French Open champion. Kournikova never did anything worth noting, really (other than making tennis one of the sexiest sports on the scene).

Ivanovic, with the ability to grind out long rallies and slap electrifying forehands, was on the top of her game when she won her first slam, and it's only human of her to have fallen back after the weight of expectation was placed upon her shoulders.

Okay... dropping out of the top 50 is a little sad, but who is to say that she won't have a big return to grandeur?

I'm hoping for a big run for Ivanovic at this year's French. I'm not going to hold my breath, but I can still be hopeful, even if I do have to close my eyes when she tosses the ball for a serve...

* * *

I guess I'm just tired of opinion pieces on sports being portrayed as fact... especially when it's negative coverage of my favorite teams and players.

Who says we have to take these sports journalists' words as the end-all be-all truth? Who says we can't write our own responses in hopes of finding more who agree?

Who says?

Not me.