Traditions

Now that we have turned the corner on the pandemic and things are (for the most part) back to normal, we can all resume following traditions. Maybe it’s going out to our favorite restaurant on Saturday night, or attending a professional sporting event, or taking our yearly summer vacation trip.

The most recent big return to normal was the celebration of the Fourth of July with the traditions of going to the beach, cooking hot dogs and hamburgers on the BBQ grill, fireworks, etc.

For me, one of the traditions I have always associated with sports and the Fourth of July is Wimbledon, also known as, “The Championships”, and if you are a tennis fan, there is nothing that represents tradition more than Wimbledon!

The players all wearing white, the referees, the lines judges and the ball boys all properly dressed in Ralph Lauren sponsored outfits. The fans sitting on Henman Hill, viewing matches on Center Court shown on the big screen and eating strawberries and cream and drinking Pimm’s. The “who’s who” of society and past champions sitting in the Royal Box.  

Just watching on television gives you a feel of the whole tradition and atmosphere of the tournament, not to mention having the privilege of attending in person.

By the time that you will be reading this column, Wimbledon will be entering the second weekend of its fortnight and I am hoping that we will be approaching a men’s singles final of epic and historical proportions, featuring Rodger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Federer is one of eight men to have won a career Grand Slam (winning all four Grand Slams at least once) and one of four players to have won a career Grand Slam on three different surfaces, (hard, grass and clay courts). Federer has won an all-time record eight Wimbledon titles.

Djokovic is also one of eight men to have won a career Grand Slam; he has won five Wimbledon titles and is second at 19 in total number of Grand Slam titles behind Federer and Nadal at 20.

Beyond the honor of once again being the Wimbledon champion and securing a place in the record books, you can only believe there is a bit of personal bragging rights up for grabs between these two legends of the game.

Coverage of this year’s Wimbledon will be on ESPN and can also be streamed through a variety of sources.

So Mate’s, take a little time this Sunday morning, have some strawberries and cream for breakfast at Wimbledon, maybe followed by a Pimm’s or two and (hopefully) witness some tradition and history in the making.