Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Feb 6, 2012, 12:23 am
Venus Williams                       Venus Williams returned to competition after being out of commission for six months due to illness. She teamed up with Liezel Huber to defeat Belarus 6-1, 6-2 in the Federation Cup doubles match. The United States swept Belarus (without V...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Feb 3, 2012, 1:34 am
There’s a war going on and no, I’m talking about the one in Afghanistan. I mean the one that’s being waged against a woman’s right to make her own reproductive choices. The latest battle pits the Susan G. Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer Research vs. Planned Parenthood. Earlier this week, ...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Feb 1, 2012, 12:04 am
Taylor Townsend Congratulations to American teenager Taylor Townsend who won the Australian Open Girl’s Singles Final last Saturday. Townsend is a Georgia native who is coached by a former teen phenom Kathy Rinaldi defeated her Russian opponent in three hard fought sets (6-1, 3-6, 6-3). It’s w...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Jan 29, 2012, 6:44 pm
Finalist It was the epic that most tennisheads expected. It was also the result that most tennis pundits predicted as well. This isn’t going to be some desultory post about the loss. For sure I’m disappointed. But knowing how hard Rafael Nadal fought for nearly 6 hours, and how well he handled ...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Jan 28, 2012, 5:17 pm
I’ll admit, I really don’t want to know what’s going on in Rafael Nadal’s mind right now. Is it just a jumble of bad memories and regret? Or is it an endless stream of fury and point scenarios? What does someone do when they are facing an opponent who has defeated him or her six straight tim...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Jan 28, 2012, 1:35 am
Sorry for the lack of posts, I had some problems getting into WordPress, but my brain is working again and here I am. On to tennis: Vika   Sharapova The Australian Open Ladies Final has been set. Victoria Azarenka, the third ranked player, will meet Maria Sharapova, the fourth ranked player for...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Jan 21, 2012, 3:43 pm
Mardy Fish, Andy Roddick, Ryan Sweeting, Michael Russel, John Isner, Dennis Kudla, Ryan Harrison, Alex Kusnetsov, Sam Querry, Donald Young. Christina McHale, Irina Falconi, Sloane Stephens, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Vania King, Jamie Hampton, Madison Keys, Vavara Lepchenko, and Alison Riske. All Ame...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Jan 19, 2012, 12:11 am
As the relentless heat continues down under, tempers rose in time with the temperature. There were upsets, yelling, screams and racket smashing. Let’s review: Frannie S. After Samantha Stosur’s shock exit the day before, Italy’s top ranked female and last year’s French Open finalist, Fran...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Jan 18, 2012, 12:37 am
There is no place like home, unless you’re Samantha Stosur. With eyes of the entire Australian Open continent upon her, Stosur crashed out of the Australian Open in the 1st round in straight sets to Romanian player, Sorana Cristea. You can’t help but feel for Stosur, the pressure had been mounti...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Jan 17, 2012, 12:24 am
The 2012 Australian Open is officially underway. The story for day one was the heat. After a week of mild and rainy weather, the Aussie summer arrived at full blast with temperatures reaching the high 90′s (Fahrenheit). The two top guys won. The two favorites on the ladies’ side came through co...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Jan 15, 2012, 4:06 pm
I woke up today to the buzz over Rafael Nadal’s pre-tournament press conference. In it, he criticizes Federer for basically keeping up that status quo and criticizing players who speak out for change. ”For him it’s good to say nothing. Everything positive. ‘It’s all well and good for me, ...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Jan 15, 2012, 1:11 am
Now that the brackets have been analyzed to death and the predictions have been made, let me show you what I would like to happen at the Australian Open 2012: REPEAT!!!
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Jan 13, 2012, 11:56 pm
In honor of the Australian Open starting this weekend, I wanted to post an old school clip of one of my favorite players, Gabriela Sabatini. A two-time Australian Open Semi-Finalist, Sabatini was a top 10 mainstay, a Grand Slam singles and doubles champion,  an Olympic Silver Medalist, and a Tennis...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Jan 12, 2012, 2:28 am
In an interview with CBS news today, First Lady Michelle Obama sought to straighten the record after excepts of Jodi Kantor’s just released book, “The Obamas” were leaked to the New York Times last week. In the article, Kantor characterized Mrs. Obama as an anxious yet fierce ally of her husba...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Jan 11, 2012, 12:11 am
Tonight was the Republican primary in New Hampshire and Willard “Mitt” Romney has clinched the win with an overwhelming 40% of the vote. A much better showing than in the Iowa primary where he nudged just ahead of Rick Santorum with 29%. You can look at these victories in two ways. One, Romney ...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Jan 10, 2012, 12:26 am
A new year means a new tennis season and already several top players are hobbled by injuries and illness. Roger Federer has a wonky back, Kim Clijsters’ hip is acting up, Serena Williams has sprained her ankle, Rafael Nadal has a sore shoulder and Sabine Lisciki has an injured tummy.  The Austra...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Jan 8, 2012, 9:36 pm
I’ve been such a bad blogger. I have all of these fancy fonts and pictures, but yet I never post. I promise myself I will do better and not ignore my beloved Red Boat. I partly blame Tumblr, which has unleashed the lazy in me. Don’t feel like writing anything? Hit the reblog button. I have no ex...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Aug 25, 2011, 9:45 pm
As any Rafael Nadal fanatic will know, his birthday is June 3rd, 1986 which makes him a Gemini. The sign of the twins, it connotes a duality of the spirit and mind. This particular Gemini is no exception. Tennis fans as aware of Nadal’s fierce persona on court as they are of his reserved one off t...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Apr 17, 2011, 2:39 pm
Rafael Nadal won his record setting 7th Monte Carlo title today beating compatriot David Ferrer in straight sets. No other player in the Open era has won 7 consecutive titles. They should just start calling it the, “Rafael Nadal Open”.
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Feb 20, 2011, 8:05 pm
No explanation needed.
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Jan 30, 2011, 4:33 pm
The Aussie Open is over and two new champions have been crowned. Kim Clijsters won the women’s title over Li Na of China and Novak Djovokic won the men’s over Andy Murray. For the women, it was a chance to see two first time finalists battle it out. Serena Williams, the five time champion was ou...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Jan 28, 2011, 12:53 am
The quest is over. It was derailed by injury. So for now, history will remain as it is. Some things did change though. Many more people became admirers of Rafael Nadal because of his classy and graceful post match press conference. Although he struggled to compose himself, he gave no excuses nor did...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Jan 23, 2011, 7:52 pm
The first week of the Australian Open is over and there are several words/ terms that come to mind when describing how it went: 16-14 -The score in the third set of the most epic battle in women’s tennis in quite some time. Svetlana Kuznetsova and Francesca Schiavone fought for over 3 hours in th...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Jan 8, 2011, 9:40 pm
This morning, United States Representative Gabrielle Giffords was shot today at an event in Tuscon, Arizona.  She survived the shooting, but 6 others were killed including a federal judge, one of Gifford’s staffers, and a 9-year-old girl. The suspect was tackled by onlookers and taken into custod...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Jan 6, 2011, 12:40 am
So much tennis going on, I’m feeling dizzy but I wouldn’t have it any other way. After serving a bagel yesterday, Rafa Nadal was fed one by Lukas Lacko. Nadal managed to pull out the win and keep a lung, although he tried he darndest to cough it up in the 3rd set. Surprisingly, he went out a fe...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Jan 5, 2011, 1:09 am
The first real full day of tennis brought the following: A feverish Rafael Nadal made himself feel better by serving a bagel to Karol Beck in his first round match at Doha Earlier,  Roger Federer performed another tweener to delighted audiences who pretended that he hadn’t done it before. It’s...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Jan 3, 2011, 10:48 pm
I know I write about Michael Steele a lot but he’s just so damn funny I can’t help it. It could also be that my black encrusted heart is thumping with glee over his monumental struggle to lead the RNC. If there was any example I could pull out of my hat to illustrate the unwavering cluelessness ...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Jan 2, 2011, 8:34 pm
It’s two days into the new year and the tennis season is about to kick off. There’s Brisbane, Chennai, Qatar, The ASB in Auckland, and The Hopman Cup in Sydney. I’m so excited I could skip. I won’t but you tennis freaks know what I’m saying. Let the speculation and predictions begin. Can ...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Nov 3, 2010, 2:17 am
From the firebomb set off by the Republicans tonight, the Democrats can take solace in the fact that it wasn’t a total massacre. They did manage to maintain control of the Senate. They can also be a bit happy that the more high profile Tea Party candidates were defeated. Then again,  I’m sure a...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Nov 2, 2010, 1:09 am

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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Sep 26, 2010, 4:42 pm
The story hit the media like a sonic boom. Four young men filed suit against Bishop Eddie Long, pastor of the twenty-five thousand member New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Georgia. The men claimed that Long coerced them into sexual relationships after showering them with clothing, free trips, a...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Sep 14, 2010, 10:55 pm
As twilight fades, I’m still remembering the previous night when Rafael Nadal won the U.S Open for the first time. It was a sweet victory shared by so many of us who have followed his career and seem to live and die by each match. People tweeted through tears and blogged with huge grins on their f...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Sep 2, 2010, 2:20 am
It’s day 3 of the U.S Open and I’m already awed by the high quality tennis. Andy Murray looked invincible in his 1st round match. Venus looked very strong even after being tested by a girl who was playing in her first ever Grand Slam tournament. Isner did his thing. Jamaican player Dustin Brown ...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Sep 1, 2010, 2:12 am
World number 1, and this blogger’s favorite male player played his first round match tonight at the US Open.  He had a tougher time than anyone expected defeating Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili 7-6, 7-6, 6-3. His backhand was shaky and his return game was M.I.A until the third set. But I don’t wan...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Aug 1, 2010, 6:43 pm
A tragic story out of San Diego this weekend, a month old infant has died from whooping cough. You read right, whooping cough. A disease that was supposedly eradicated in the U.S decades ago. Now, health officials in San Diego county are reporting an alarming increase in cases of whooping cough in t...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Jul 26, 2010, 11:49 pm
Go over the whole Shirley Sherrod fiasco. It was probably the most ridiculous and shameful political display this year. I was hoping that the media would find some more foolishness to latch onto, but nooooo. They have to wring out the last bit of crap like water from a dirty ass rag. Just stop alrea...
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Jul 18, 2010, 4:24 pm
Poor Mark Williams. In his attempt to defend the Tea Party Movement against charges of racism from the NAACP, he writes what he claims is a satirical letter on his blog that is nothing short of racist. As a result, the Tea Party Federation expelled Williams today calling the letter, “offensive”....
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Brooke W. posted an article on The Red Boat - Jul 17, 2010, 6:16 pm
I know I should be incredibly offended by the faux New Black Panther Party Scandal trumped-up by The Right and Fox News. I just can’t though. It’s so utterly ridiculous to think that videotape of a cuckoo-ball at a polling station wielding a club and screaming cuckoo-ball stuff was going to topp...
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