Like gladiators playing chess

Posted by Matt

Part of my morning routine at work is to scour the opinion pages and letters to the editor of various newspapers in Illinois for those who are friendly to the ideas of the organization that employs me. Those who have spent much time reading letters to the editor or local editorials in your average American paper will note how depressing this task can get. Let's just say that much of it is not the greatest reading material.

But if you read enough of them, you stumble upon some humorous bits (like complaints about men in chicken suits dispensing beer or tirades against the expensive cereals that are killing our children), a touching anecdote here and there, or even a reasonable commentary on Sex and the City written by somebody other than Helen. Today, mistaking a Kathleen Parker column printed in the Southern Illinoisan for a local piece, I had my confidence in the average American restored and then, alas, deflated when I realized my mistake.

But the Parker column, which is a commentary on the Nadal vs. Federer tennis match that I unfortunately missed, is good enough to bring to your attention nonetheless.

Some rare days, the performances of others inspire and uplift. Sunday was one of those days. The match also provided a welcome reprieve from the coarseness of our culture, the pile-driving pace of our perpetual politics, and offered a glimpse at what sportsmanship - on and off the court - ought to look like.

To those who don't care whether the little ball gets over the net, as a friend of mine once described her lack of interest in tennis, Wimbledon may not have made the radar screen. But Sunday's contest transcended a single sport and entered the realm of surpassing spectacle. It was a gripping contest of will and spirit.

And to add to the debate on conservative attire and drag:

Throughout, both men were mesmerizingly fierce and yet imperturbably calm. At crucial points they were like gladiators playing chess. Notably missing were the tantrums, histrionics, profane outbursts and end-zone antics we so often witness in sports these days. At a time when adults bemoan the paucity of role models, Wimbledon provided a banquet of riches.

Tennis has always been a gentleman's (and lady's) game, though in recent years standards have sagged. Manners aren't as fashionable or as rigorously enforced as once upon a time. Attire has evolved from traditional whites to duds of one's choosing. Yet Wimbledon still requires players to dress in white.

Nadal wore knee-length "shorts" and a sleeveless shirt, while Federer was dressed more conservatively. We moderns like to pretend clothes don't matter, that personal style is simply another function of freedom of expression. Yet we still judge others by how they present themselves, and Federer's presentation on the court bespoke a higher level of respect for the game.

As for the purpose of bow-ties on conservatives, I think "respect for the game" might be a good way to put it.