GOAT

Writing by shivdev on Sunday, 12 of June , 2011 at 12:17 am

The Greatest-Of-All-Time debate will never end.

The only argument that disbelievers can come up with:
“How come the Greatest of All Time can’t beat the Greatest of His Own Time?”

This is but a fact! A Math professor once told me, all it takes to disprove a theorem is one example and Rafael Nadal has given several. In tennis however, I think it’s different! Look – I’ve been following tennis from the Ivan Lendl era and I have to say that modern tennis is at a level it has never been. The best of this era with all the racket/string technology and athletic fitness will simply breeze through the best of past. So that’s not even a discussion. It is between Sampras, Nadal and Federer.

Nadal’s mental determination to go after every ball has just changed what it takes to be #1. The domination of the top spot by Pete Sampras and Roger Federer definitely called for players like Rafa and Djoker who were mentally prepared to attack anything sent at them anywhere on the court, any time of the day and on any surface thereby raising the bar extremely high. This takes a lot of preparation off the court. Long painful hours in the gym and a strict regimen coupled with countless hours of practice. It is no surprise that these two have gone past the mighty Fed who continues to play beautiful tennis, consistently gets to the business end of all tournaments and is still the most loved player in the world.

The GOAT prerogative, however calls for a tenure of records, extreme consistency on all surfaces, total commitment and sportsmanship and for that I think at this point Roger Federer is the GOAT.

I have no doubt in my mind that Rafa can be the next GOAT if he continues his form not just on Clay and Grass, but also on Hard Courts. Rafa is definitely the Clay GOAT and clay is a really long season which is why he has accumulated and maintained top spot for so long.

Grand Slam Summary:

Roger Federer has 7 Wimbledon titles, 5 US Opens, 4 Australian Opens, and 1 French Open (7 Runner Ups, 10 Semi-Finals, 5 Quarter-Final)
Rafael Nadal has 2 Wimbledon titles, 9 French Opens, 1 Australian Open, 2 US Open (6 Runner Ups, 3 Semi-Finals, 4 Quarter-Final)

Consistent stats in ATP tournaments as well.
Head to Head Rafa is up 23-10 (that’s more than double and is the main reason for the GOAT debate)

If you only look at these numbers, it is evident that Roger Federer is undoubtedly the best of the best, but given their head to head record – you can’t discount Rafa.

Rafa is way younger than Roger and has a long career ahead of him if he continues his form and stays out of injury. He could possibly win more Grand Slams than Roger Federer and earn GOAT respect, but as of now Roger Federer owns GOAT status.

Some players are great on Clay
Some players are great on Grass
Some players are great on Hard
And then there’s Roger Federer!

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All new 2012 Subaru Impreza coming this fall

Writing by shivdev on Saturday, 11 of June , 2011 at 6:10 am

And, finally we have reasonably good Car Tech! For an additional US $2000 you can get the Tech Package (Nav, Bluetooth, iPod and some extras). Subaru was so far behind in the game, but I’m glad that they have it all covered now!

Of course you can research detailed specs on the Subaru website, but here’s why someone would get the 2012 Subaru Impreza Wagon.

• Looks great inside and out
• 36 MPG highway
• Known for its symmetrical All Wheel Drive
• More interior room, still keeping it compact
• Good car tech
• It’s a Subaru!

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Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer vs. Pete Sampras

Writing by shivdev on Monday, 13 of September , 2010 at 12:56 pm

Here’s a summary of the Greatest Tennis Players at the Grand Slams. Roger Federer now has 18, and passed Pete Sampras’ 14. Rafael Nadal also has 14, though he has a much better record against Federer. Will he beat it?

Peter Sampras was born on 08/12/1971 in Washington, D.C., USA
Roger Federer was born on 08/08/1981 in Basel, Switzerland
Rafael Nadal was born on 06/03/1986 in Manacor, Majorca, Spain

Pete Sampras Grand Slam Summary

Roger Federer Grand Slam Summary

Rafael Nadal Grand Slam Summary

Note:
1R = Round of 128;
2R = Round of 64;
3R = Round of 32;
4R = Round of 16;
Quarter Final = Round of 8;
Semi Final = Round of 4;

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Ski Resorts in Lake Tahoe

Writing by shivdev on Saturday, 6 of February , 2010 at 1:04 am

I’ve been skiing at Lake Tahoe Resorts since 2002 and have developed some favorites. I’m an intermediate to advanced skier and stay pretty much on groomed runs and far away from powder. Based on my experience, I’m writing reviews on the resorts I’ve been to.

• Northstar

My new favorite – I’ve been here 3 times now and enjoyed every time I was here. Excellent conditions and relatively easy runs for intermediate skiers throughout the mountain. If you’re an expert, you will probably find this way too easy. But for me, Northstar is perfect! Only thing is that after park, you have to take the shuttle to the village and if you’re with beginners might have to take the Gondola instead of the Chair Lift to the School area. Nice village for non-skiing buddies to hang out.

• Sugarbowl

Another fantastic resort for intermediate and advanced skiers. I’ve been here 12 times and enjoyed every time I was here. This has a wider variety of nice groomed blue and black runs that’ll never disappoint. Driving from the SF Bay Area, it’s one of the closest “real” ski resorts in the North Lake Tahoe area.

• Kirkwood

What can I say? I had season passes for 3 years. Another great resort for beginners to expert skiers. Also, Costco sells Kirkwood 2 pack tickets which is good. It’s in the South Tahoe area and probably the closes to SF Bay Area. Season passes used to be sold for $299 – unbeatable! I have the map of Kirkwood memorized so always love coming here.

• Heavenly

HUGE Resort, Excellent runs for all types of skiers. Awesome Night Life since it’s close to the casinos in the South Lake Tahoe area. A little pricey but then if you’re staying at the Casinos its very close. I’ve been here couple of times.

• Squaw Valley

Another HUGE Resort and has proudly hosted the Winter Olympics. I’ve been here 5 times but that’s because I was with Bay Area Ski Bus and got a good deal. Pricey but lot of good ski terrain.

• Diamond Peak

Close to Reno, Costco sells Tickets and Good for Beginners to Intermediate. Relatively small and cheaper than the “real” resorts.

• Boreal

Closest to Bay Area, Small resort but offers Night skiing. Good for Beginners.

• Alpine Meadows

I don’t know but I had a bad experience the one time I was here – Crowded, long lines. Snow was powdery and had bumps all over. I had a bad day, but given that it’s a “real” ski resort its probably worth the price.

OnTheSnow.Com also has a poll based comparison.

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