Lot of hearts in dogs throats

Hope you watched Wimbledon today. It was out of control. It was absolutely insane. And highlights will do it no justice. If you missed it, you missed out.

I'd call myself a neutral with a Federer crush, but it really didn't matter if you cared one way or the other today. Other sports can be exciting for the pageantry or the format, but tennis is just so much more exposed: there are no gimmicks. I think that leads to a lot of matches that maybe aren't worth watching, but it also leads to classics like today. Two guys who know each other's strengths and weaknesses so precisely that it takes 5 hours to separate them by a single point. So many important points that required perfect execution, nowhere to hide and no excuses. Somewhere Andy Murray and Andy Roddick were watching and wishing they were on the same planet.

Congratulations Rafa. Well deserved. And congratulations Federer for playing your part in a match so good that John McEnroe cried and tried to hug you in the post match interview (awkward!).

Other congrats and awards go to:

Nike -- most logos in a final with 25. 2+2+2+2 swooshes on shoes. 2+2+2+2 on socks. 1+1 on shorts. 1+1 on shirts. 1+1 on giant headbands. 1+2 on wristbands. Internal Nike marketing memo for Monday morning: encourage Federer to start wearing an additional wristband.

Boris Johnson -- worst hair. 8 millionth day running.

BBC -- for being better at broadcasting sports than NBC (or any other US network -- see below).

It wouldn't be a proper post without some criticism, so I'll apply that to the production. I started watching the match on BBC and ended it on NBC via Slingbox. The most obvious difference was that in the US we stuff a commercial between every game. The more annoying difference was the commentary. The Brits are subtle. They commentate on the match. They tell you the score and have interesting insights into the strategies of the players. The Americans are sensationalists, in search of the perfect soundbyte. Any commentary is secondary to banter intended to illicit an emotional response to the players and to the match of the day. If BBC calls it the greatest final ever played it carries a bit of gravitas. If an American network says the same thing it's because ... that's the match they're showing that day.

Again, I only watched the last set from 2-2 onwards on NBC but plenty of things were said that annoyed me. 

Nothing's impossible with these two! (this soundbyte sponsored by Adidas)

They don't bring out the best in each other, they bring out superman in each other.

I think we're gonna see a grown man cry.

This is the first Wimbledon final EVER to go past 9pm. (helpful. would've been more compelling with a complementary on-screen graphic.)

First Euro Cup 208 [Euro CUP? 208?!] and now this. The sangria is going to be flowing in Spain tonight!

Center court rising as one, as if this is one giant thank you.

Roger Federer: his grace never ends.

Rafael Nada: his humility never ceases.

No... no... there can't be a loser!! (yes, yes there can be. if you spoke these words with conviction, you are a loser.)