Word: ball
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...they showed against the Czechs, that's a handful. "You can never stop him for 90 minutes," German team manager Oliver Bierhoff said of Ronaldo. But you can run him over, and the Germans will use their size as much as possible to separate the Portuguese from the ball. The Germans need to limit the damage Ronaldo can do, and hope that their striker Mario Gomez can relocate his goal scoring touch...
...tennis' championship surfaces have a distinct character that shapes a certain style of play. The French Open's clay courts - which are actually pulverized brick - slow the ball and reward long, grinding rallies of attrition. The medium-paced hard courts of the Australia and U.S. Opens provide a neutral surface for a variety of styles. But grass has the most profound influence on style of play. In 2001, Goran Ivanisevic beat Pat Rafter in a Wimbledon final that featured 38 service aces; both players favored the fast-court tactic of heading to the net to volley. A year later, however...
...variety of groundcover. The new grass was 100% perennial rye; the old courts had been a mix of 70% rye and 30% creeping red fescue. The new lawn was more durable, and allowed Wimbledon's groundsmen to keep the soil underneath drier and firmer. A firmer surface causes the ball to bounce higher. A high bounce is anathema to the serve-and-volley player, who relies on approach shots skidding low through the court. What's more, rye, unlike fescue, grows in tufts that stand straight up; these tufts slow a tennis ball down as it lands...
...decades in the U.S., it has been called the "city game." All you need is a ball and a rim and some asphalt and you can play - all day and all night. You can practice by yourself or play with nine other players. The playgrounds in the inner cities of America are open to all comers. It doesn't matter where you're from or what you look like, whether you play for the L.A. Lakers or just got out of prison. If you can play, just show up and prove it. The rule on the playground is simple: winner...
...shall see. Meantime, the ball's in, folks. Let's play...