Putting the 'Bad' in Badminton

You may remember the Olympic badminton controversy, in which players were deliberately tanking matches so they could enjoy an easier path to the medal game? That was bad.... So bad there was some concern that badminton might be the sport kicked out of the Olympics (instead it was wrestling, which was nonsense ...).

But this is pretty bad too. A little ass-kicking delivered from one Thai badminton Olympian to another:

Hey, can we all please get along? 

The Olympic Drugfest

The world has recently been treated to the horrifying news that rhythmic gymnastics is embroiled in a judging scandal. I'm shocked, shocked. And I thought all these "artistic sports" were on the up-and-up.

Well, you would at least think they would be better than all the doping that has been going on in several sports over the years. The obsessive-compulsives at Wikipedia have compiled an incomplete but extensive list of athletes who have been caught cheating using performance-enhancing drugs. And as the Olympic committee will sit soon to vote on whether to readmit wrestling, readmit baseball/softball, or admit squash, they might want to act in concert with their propaganda, and vote in a clean sport that does not have episode after episode of drug-fueled competition.

Check out the wiki list. You'll see plenty of wrestling and plenty of baseball, plus plenty of cycling and alarming amounts in swimming, a ton in weightlifting and other strength sports like shotput, and the world's favorite, futbol. On the comical side, there is a snooker player listed, wow.

And, in the long list of names, truth be told, there is one squash player. Karen Kronemeyer, of the Netherlands, got caught taking benzylpiperazine, a party drug that gives a bit of a euphoric high. Unlisted, but Stephane Galifi, former Italian #1, was also busted, for pot and possibly cocaine.

But these two busts don't make the sport corrupt, they only indicate there are a few partiers on the squash circuit who ought to tone it down a notch. They aren't bulking up on steroids or injecting hyper-oxygenated blood back in to their system.

Here's a run-down on the top 10 druggiest sports....

Yet you can bet that when it comes down to decision time at the Olympic committee meeting in September, will there be any hesitation in voting in wrestling or baseball/softball, based on their thoroughly corrupted past? I doubt it. The IOC talks the talk but they most definitely do not care about setting an example.

Ramy Ashour and the Egyptian Revolution

 The other day on Alan Thatcher’s blog (here) we saw a picture of Ramy Ashour out celebrating during the protests that are currently sweeping Egypt. There is a lot to say about these protests, but what I would like to start out with is simply a plea to Ramy, “Get outta da streets!”

Ramy, the best squash player on the planet, does not need to go out and get himself killed in what could be a bloody mess. I sympathize with his feelings, and I know it would be hard not to join in on the demonstrations for what must seem like a fight for independence akin to our 1776, but there is another argument, that Ramy is the leader of the sport and is an Egyptian recognized around the world. Could he do his country more of a favor by being an exemplar of the sport, perhaps even playing it in the Olympics in 2020, or should he be one of millions taking to the streets and clamoring for change? Could he use his celebrity status to articulate the wishes of freedom-loving Egyptians, perhaps even to rally like-minded Egyptians to the cause? It’s a tough call, of course, but I say Ramy, and indeed all the many top Egyptian squash players, should sit tight. Use their influence behind the scenes, definitely, but sit tight and represent the New Egypt when the time is right. 

The latest tumult in Egypt puts American sensitivities in a quandary. After all, the government of President Mohammed Morsi was elected in a democratic election that was judged to be fair by outside observers. If many Egyptians don’t happen to like what Morsi is doing, then in a democratic country they would be expected to organize, demonstrate peaceably, and throw the bums out in the next election. I was not a fan of George W. Bush, and when, amazingly, he was elected again, I was beside myself, but being a good democrat I just stayed back, licked my wounds, and planned for the next election. Likewise, those Republicans who consider Obama to be a socialist Kenyan from hell and the worst president ever are doing the same, but in reverse. That’s the American way….

So the American impulse is to root for the demonstrators, who want to expel the Islamists who now rule, but to do that they are really rooting for a military takeover of a democratically elected government. It’s a disconnect. What should happen is Morsi and his crew should listen to the demonstrators and make changes to their governance, but they are hard-liners convinced they have all the answers, and so the positions are locked in, and the military awaits. There will be blood.

Ramy! Let none of that blood be yours….

US Squash Wants a Big Final Push

There has been much commentary lately about the chances for squash to finally get into the Olympics, and the commentary seems to boil down to this: Wrestling stands in the way.

But there is no doubt that this time the squash bid to the IOC is a good one, and that getting the sport into the Olympics would make a great difference in terms of worldwide funding for the sport. It means a lot on multiple levels, including for the fans, the elite players themselves, the squash associations around the world, and the Olympic experience. Although wrestling does indeed stand in the way, squash still might be able to pull it off.

Kevin Klipstein, CEO of US Squash, released this video in which he explains the current situation and asks for personal and club involvement to raise the additional funds necessary to make one final big push. I agree with everything he says, and have been impressed during this campaign with US Squash's dedication to pursuing the Olympic dream:



I plan on shelling something out for the cause, and I hope you do too.

I do notice that Kevin looks like such a nice guy in this video, but I actually played squash with this very same man a week or so ago and I can assure you he is not a very nice fellow on the court. He showed not a bit of mercy, which is a fundamental quality of an advanced soul.

As it so happens, I also played squash recently with Bill "Buck-Wild" Buckingham, US Squash's Director of Member Services, who much like his boss Kevin appears to be a nice sort, but give him a racket and all bets are off. He played very well though, upping his game to the point where your reporter was forced to resort to spasmodic lurchings about the court to squeeze out a win. Buckingham seemed to have it out for me.... I have to watch that guy....

And one more member of US Squash I'd like to mention.... Peter Lasusa. Peter and I go way back, back to Columbia, where we both attended college, and even further, as we both knew one another through intersecting personal friendships back in high school. Peter is a very successful businessman who became Board Chair of US Squash. That type of volunteerism is nothing new to Peter, who has been active in a range of causes over the years, including doing work in support of squash at Columbia as well as the University Club of New York. Peter proved so adept at his position at US Squash that they kept him on for a few additional years. His tenure has been an active one, and his counsel has been wise indeed, and is something that Kevin Klipstein and the rest of the US Squash crew will without doubt miss.

Peter and I used to have an active singles squash rivalry, and to this day Peter claims he bested me by at least a few percentage points over the full span of the years. I of course think he is delusional. The important thing is, he can't prove it! Peter then became obsessed with the doubles game, becoming a very good left-wall player, and on that score he did indeed prove too much for the Squashist.

Peter will be leaving US Squash as his tenure, extended though it was, is now up. I can only say to Peter, thanks, from the US Squash community, for an exceptional job. And if you'd like me to beat you in singles, give me a ring.

Squash Wrestles With the Past

The recent decision by the IOC to remove wrestling from the Olympic games could spell trouble for squash. 

The decision-making at the IOC is famously obtuse. (For a good peek behind the Olympic curtain, check out Brett Erasmus' blog on the subject, here.) We know they have made some very strange decisions through the years, like allowing into the games some very odd and made-up sports, such as synchronized diving, and like refusing entree for some sports that clearly deserve their ticket into the games, like squash.

Most recently we have been treated to the mystifying decision to remove wrestling from the games, which is perfectly ludicrous. Wrestling is a core sport of the Olympics, it is foundational, it is an original Olympic game, it is iconic and now, at least temporarily, it has been shunned. 

Why? Only God knows, but I smell the acrid stench of politics at work. Internal politics, the kind where one fat-cat weasel slaps the back of another during a closed meeting at some posh resort, and asks, Hey, can you do me a favor? 

Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge.

That wrestling was kicked out means that some other sport was left in. Look to the weaker sports in the Olympics to find your culprit, the sport that made the backroom deal. Some sports have been mentioned, but lacking any proof I will venture no public guesses.

But for squash lovers I see trouble. Wrestling, now relegated to the same uncomfortable spot where squash, karate, and a handful of other supplicant sports wait in exile, has begun to work a mighty, far-flung PR effort to get the sport readmitted. The sport has declared it is willing to make all necessary tweaks to their program to set aright some of the problems mentioned by the IOC. The sport is important in the US and very big in Russia, Iran, and several of the "Stan" countries, and is truly international (unlike synchro diving!), so the PR effort carries tremendous clout. If wrestling makes some quick changes it may well be very difficult to stop. 

Wouldn't it be horrible for squash to lose out for a third time because the IOC decided to readmit a sport it had just cast out!

We in squash feel like our chances should be good. Our own PR effort has been excellent, and we have professionals managing the campaign. I definitely still feel squash has a shot, but that shot would be much much better if the IOC hadn't decided to expel wrestling. The casting out of wrestling by the IOC may well have been a very dark day indeed for the sport of squash. I hope I'm wrong.
 

       

PST Short On Sizzle

I'm on record as saying that the sport of squash needs to do something about the arguing, cajoling, ranting, raving, bickering and jaw-boning that occurs when lets and strokes are called in pro action, and the PST's attempt to do away with, or at least severely limit, these calls was I felt a welcome change. (That being said, the problem could also be addressed by encouraging refs to make it a rule to always adamantly squelch any dialogue and get the combatants to play the game or suffer the loss of points.)

The PST has set up their own tour, but because of on-going disputes with the PSA the players in the latter organization are not allowed to play in the former's events. Animosity developed over PST's marketing approach, which could be cheeky, to say the least, such as their referring to the winner of the annual show-down of the PST's 'elite eight' as the sports 'World Champion.' I don't know much about the politics of this situation and so won't comment on it, but I do know that the two groups are not ready to coexist.

However, this situation has led to a sizzle shortage in the PST.

Because of the PSA lockout there is a tendency in PST tournaments to rely on good local talent to fill out the card, so that good college players show up at the tournaments to get beaten by more established pro players. These are interesting matches as far as they go, but I could see a good match with some 5.5 players at my local club pretty much any day of the week -- what makes these matches tournament-worthy?

There is also a question of desire. I actually tuned into the web-streamed third-place match during the World Champion tournament and watched Mohamed El Sherbini take on Stefano Galifi. The match was not of particularly high quality and included two games where each player opted to hand the other the game. The worst was game two when Galifi, for reasons unbeknownst to this reporter, apparently gave up midway through the game and let Sherbini rattle off 7 or 8 uncontested winners. The next game, that situation was reversed. Sherbini won the match in 5, but those two games were some of the worst 'pro' games I have ever witnessed. 

So there is a question of desire, and that may have something to do with the purse, I don't know. But there's also one more factor you have to remember. His name is David Palmer. Palmer is still playing at world-class level, he could easily go back to the PSA and be top 15 without a problem, and better still with time. The fact is if he joins the draw in a PST match, and cares at all about the outcome, he's going to win. 

And that sucks the life out of the match, because it is like watching a story whose ending you know all too well. Great for Palmer; not so good for PST.

New York Squash All Abuzz

Here's a development that has gotten the New York City squash community to take notice: A proposed 16-court squash complex in downtown Manhattan, which has recently graduated from 'pipe dream' to 'quite possible.' And the idea is founded on a different model than similar concepts from the past. This club would be a non-profit, in essence a 'Squash YMCA." 

Check out their website for more info.

This could be something big.  16 courts big...., with 14 singles and 2 hardball doubles courts, plus an all-glass show court. Sweet.

 

Squash Differentiators

I've noticed a few things about squash players that I wonder about. 

One is what players do with the squash racket in between games. A lot of players will leave their racket on the court as they go outside for a quick drink in between games. But quite a few will take the racket with them when they go get the drink or sit briefly down to regain their composure. In fact, the difference, as far as I can estimate, between these two camps is pretty much 50-50, although I think the percentage who leave the racket on the court is a bit higher. Personally, I leave the racket on the court, often dropping it unceremoniously at the moment the game has concluded and heading straight for the door. I don't know what this means: Are those who take their racket out with them more focused? Are those who leave the racket on court more driven? Not sure... I do know that if you watch matches on PSA TV you will discover many instances where one player leaves the racket, the other player doesn't, as if leaving two rackets on the court may initiate an unseemly squabble between the two rackets. Don't leave them alone, it might get ugly!

Another thing I've noticed is the headband-bandanna divide. Older players tend towards the headband, which explains why I wear one. Younger guys have gravitated towards the bandanna. There is definitely an age quotient in the calculus of whether or not to wear a bandanna. I have graciously accepted my elder status and am at peace with my headband. What I definitely am not at peace with is those occasional players who walk on the court with NEITHER a headband nor a bandanna. These people are one of two things: stupid, in that they apparently haven't thought ahead enough to realize it can get sweaty while playing squash, or extremely good, in that they are confident they will so quickly kick my ass that sweating will not be a part of their squash experience. 

I worry about those guys.... 

Private Huddling to Dodge Public Scrutiny

As the cardinals of the Catholic church huddle in secret at the Vatican, prayerfully choosing who among them will be elevated to be the next pope, I can't help but note the parallels with the International Olympic Committee, who will soon huddle in private as well, away from the scrutiny that public decisions invite, to choose the next Olympic sport. 

May god have mercy on their souls! 

Oh yeah, and good luck to the cardinals too....

Chris Gordon Rocks the NA Open

Chris "Flash" Gordon played a monumental match tonight at the North American Open, succumbing in 5 games to Tarek Momen, PSA world #11, a talented front-court player who seems destined for top-10 status. The key game was the 4th, which went well into overtime, with Gordon forcing a 5th decider with a final score of 21-19. But Gordon, who had battled through tough qualifying matches to get into the main draw, finally ran out of steam in the 5th.

Gordon happens to play at Cityview, where I play, and which might well be the best squash club in New York City. As I've noted before, I often play very early. One day earlier this month, there I was, ready to go at 6:30 AM, hopping on court to play Bill Buckingham, the dashing bon vivant who has become the sine qua non over at US Squash. 

Bill, ever observant, despite the hour, noticed that the other court was active, and discovered that on the court was Chris Gordon, already a half hour into an intense solo drill routine. 

That's right, he'd been there since 6 am, working his ass off, alternating between court drills and stepping outside to stretch and do workout routines. 

Kids, that's what it takes to take the world #11 to the very edge. There is a lot of dedication in that guy, no mistake.

I was so energized by Gordon's example of athleticism that I smoked old Bill Buckingham, not giving him a game. It was very unkind of me. Sorry Bill.

Chris Gordon played a great match tonight. He proved he does indeed deserve to play on the all-glass court. 

The IOC Is Like Your Crazy Uncle

I don't think too many people would have predicted that wrestling would be yanked from the Olympics program, but there it was, an announcement that the esteemed International Olympics Committee had met and, bucking all educated guesses on the subject, kicked out wrestling from the family. 

When they meet are they all drinking heavily, smoking pot, high on acid?!

It's decisions like these that make guessing whether squash has a good chance to be voted in come September pretty much an exercise in futility. 

No one knows what those crazy cats are going to do. And any decision that they might make will come as no big surprise to me. 

Unfortunately.

They're crazy. My advice: Don't look them in the eye, or they'll get really crazy. 

The International Sophisticate Known as the Squashist

My last, incomprehensible-to-all-but-a-few blog reminded me of a funny event that actually happened last November. 

As part of my job I was attending a rheumatology conference, and about half the attendees at this particular meeting tend to be international. We had a booth set up and were handing out free copies of our rheumatology publication, and at the time I was manning the booth, engaging in small talk as people came by to grab a copy. In the booth with me was one of the owners of the company where I work. 

A crowd of rheumatologists makes its way to our booth. First up were three animated French physicians, which I knew right away because the nametags showed both names and hometowns. We exchanged a few pleasantries in French. At one point I had lived in France for about 4 months, though I was told more than once at the time that I sounded like I was from Quebec, which I took as mild criticism. But it made the visiting rheumatologists happy to hear their own language, however inelegantly expressed.

A few Americans wandered by, and then, lo and behold, visitors from Lund, Sweden approach. I couldn't let an opportunity like this go by, so spoke to them in their native tongue, trying my best to get the 'sju' sound correct, which is very hard to do for English speakers. But they were happy at my attempt, and walked away all smiles. 

The owner, watching in the booth, said, "Wow, that's impressive. Who knew you had all these hidden talents!", and then got back to what he was doing, which was going over financial numbers.

Then, lo and behold, two Egyptian physicians come by, both women. Well, I can't speak their language, but I thought we could certainly talk squash! "Hello, doctors, I see you are from Cairo, home of the greatest squash players on the planet!"

"Ah yes, squash," one of the women said. There was something about her face that looked upset, like she had just tasted something that was surprisingly bitter. "You know, squash was played and supported by Mubarak, and it would be difficult indeed to find anyone in Cairo who loves that man." Her friend nodded enthusiastically. "And so we hate squash!" She kind of half-smiled, grabbed a copy of our publication, and moved off. 

"Oh great, nice going," said the owner in the booth. "Now you went and pissed them off!"

Finalen i Sverige

Jag tittade idag finalen av tävlingen Case Asset Management Swedish Open, mellan engelsman Nick Matthew and fransman Gregory Gaultier. Jag tittade 'live' på Squash TV.


I det första spelet började Gaultier snabbt och Matthew verkade nervös. Men de nästa två spelen var fantastisk. Båda spelarna är kända för att vara i fin form, och båda sprang runt squashbana mycket snabbt. Det fanns två bra spelen, men Gaultier lyckades vinna båda.... 

Mycket bra squash.  Bättre än min svenska....

 

Sadly, the TOC is over...

Another year, and another great tournament. Many memorable points, and to my mind the semifinals night had two of the best matches I've ever seen, one after the other. I wasn't there live, so, lacking tickets, hurried home to watch the games on Squash TV, which I must say again is a marvelous accomplishment by the PSA.For about $100 you get very clear visuals in a broadcast of the highest standard for a full year. It is worth the money, by far. 

The final was also terrific, with Ramy demonstrating once again his tendency for slow starts, and Gaultier displaying the reverse. Ramy came within a hair's breadth of losing the match ignominiously in a shutout, but then the Egyptian superstar emerged, and Gaultier, who had some tough matches earlier in the TOC, suddenly found his tank empty, and Ramy pretty much cruised to a win. The best point, which you've no doubt seen before, is here at the 5:10 mark. But the best moment is Ramy's stare at the wildly appreciative crowd, and his air guitar, which is at the 5:25 mark. 

The great thing about this is the fact that Ramy is clearly having a little fun, but Gaultier is too -- watch his reaction as he lightly pushes Ramy away. I for one think it is great that these top athletes can occasionally pull out of competition mode and have some fun. By so doing, they're also celebrating the sport.

I also had the opportunity to talk to Peter Nicol and Jethro Binns at the SquashSkills.com booth. They asked me how I liked it and I spent a couple of minutes telling them how transformative I thought the site has been. Its appearance on the scene has shown everyone what a well-executed squash site can accomplish, and personally I love it. Indeed, I told Jethro that the site may in fact have too much information on it. I told him that more than once I have gotten on the court, trying to put in practice some of the advice I had seen on the site, only to have so much information going through my head that brain freeze developed and I became more or less paralyzed. I told him that they might want to start a special thread for idiots like myself who can't handle all the information.

Jethro very politely said he would take that suggestion under advisement.

The Greatest Terminal in the World

Grand Central Terminal is the epicenter of the squash world right now, and so far the 'TOC' has been predictably fantastic. John Nimick and his Event Engine crew always do a great job, and this year is no different. 

But it might be worth pulling back a second and thinking a bit about the venue in which this tournament is taking place. 

Every morning I have the pleasure of commuting into this wonderful terminal, whose main hall includes a ceiling upon which is depicted the stars fully 13 stories above the Terminal's floor. (The stars, by the way, were placed in reverse, by accident. Few notice this, and no one seems to care.) 

Grand Central Terminal is the world's busiest and biggest terminal, but it is also a work of art in a city that more often than not doesn't necessarily slow down long enough to appreciate such things. On any given day you can go into the Terminal and see hardened New Yorkers, staring up at that magnificent ceiling, high enough to almost be part of the heavens itself. 

Here's a great piece on Grand Central, whose centennial birthday approaches.