Misc. Bull$h!t

A few days ago, I thought about him and wondered.  Thank you for keeping us informed and reaching out to DoMe, an original character with a great heart.  

Speaking of the streets of New York -- I remember a year or so ago Chi mentioning the dearth of recognizable names in US men's tennis. Lo and behold, for the first time since Andy Roddick lost to Roger Federer in 2006, there will be an American in the finals of the US Open since Americans Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz will play in the semi-finals, undoubtedly to face world number one Jannik Sinner in the finals.

The last American man to win the US Open -- or any major -- was Roddick in 2003. He was also the last American man to even play in a major final since he lost at Wimbledon in 2009. Not such a great record in my book.

This is also the first time since 2002 that none of the Big 3 of Djokovic, Federer and Nadal have won a major. What an amazing run.

I'm not certain that Frances Diafoe and Taylor Fritz qualify as generally recognizable names among average sports fans, but maybe this will help.

As The Assassin goes, so goes the tournament. What is the name of your team?

Once released the ball should disappear from view while the camera focuses on the ground until it comes back into view, at which time you can reverentially comment on the bowl...

, too funny rizz

I've put some thought on creating a drink to commemorate such an august occasion (although it could take place in July or September also.) Burlington if I recall has its share of craft breweries, and there are in fact cocktails on the books that incorporate beer, although I haven't tried them. For example, there is the Lagerita, which is a Margarita to which Modelo Especial has been added.

There is also the Bodega Dog, which combines two ounces of Gin and four ounces of Beer in a glass rimmed with Tajin Classico spice. My thought was to do a variation on this, using a Burlington-brewed beer and Vermont's honored Barr Hill Gin. To this I add maybe a quarter ounce of Maple liqueur to acknowledge Vermont's maple syrup industry and in a nod to the Portuguese ancestry of Matt's better half, just a dash of Ruby Port. Garnish with speared Luxardo cherries, representing bocce balls.

I propose to call this elixir The Pallino, which bocce enthusiasts will instantly recognize. If it doesn't work as a cocktail, it should do well as an all-purpose emetic.

I concur on Inger cooking up the well-done condiment-free hot dogs. No boiling or steaming, just some fried, burnt to a crisp store-brand wieners served on New England-style buns, which as near as I can tell are pretty much Wonder Bread sliced to hold the dogs.

Azbob clearly has the director's instinct and should be our Roone Arledge or Chet Forte or one of those guys.

Rizz has the appropriate gravitas to whisper from the sidelines repeatedly about Burlington Bocce being a tradition unlike any other, and also to interview the CEO of whatever Bocce Ball manufacturer is sponsoring this event.

People would come from as far away as Winooski and St. Alban's for such an extravaganza, I'm sure of it.