Pay No Attention to that Man Behind the Curtain

by Savannah

I love the New York Times. My sixth grade teacher Mrs. Waples told us that as the cream of the educational heap at our local public school it was time to learn to read that paper instead of the New York Daily News, the pre Murdoch NY Post which was at that time a good paper, and the Herald Tribune.

Over the years I have always thanked that African American woman for turning her charges to that paper for getting our news fix. They don't scream and shout and save banner headlines for real news, not the goings on of the latest Hollywood slut queens.

She also taught us how to fold the paper for reading in public something that every subway and bus rider in New York knows seems to have become a lost art.

The Times also has a very good sports section as anyone who takes the time to look at it would find out. So it is today that an article appears that discusses just how that "open to the fans" draw really takes place. I think this will put an end to the "draw can't be rigged" argument some fans are clinging to in the wake of what has to be the worst US Open draw ever.

But today’s draw, which started at about 11 a.m. and was over about an hour later, was a relatively tame, polite affair because only 30 seeded players — not the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds and the other 96 — are drawn out of an Open trophy. Placed near the door were two already printed draw sheets for the men and the women, with those selections having been made the night before with representatives of the International Tennis Association and the men’s and women’s tours...

Before the ceremony, Federer’s drawsheet read like this:

1. Federer, Roger (1)
2. Qualifier
3. Qualifier
4. Qualifier
5. Qualifier
6. Qualifier
7. WC: Isner, John
8. —————

Do I have to draw you a map kiddies? Do we even need to discuss how those folks the night before created the women's draw?

For Kathleen McElroy's article go here:
Sausage Making US Open Style

Now can we discuss the draw that Larry Scott and ET have given us without the smokescreen of things being open and above board? I'm sure there are fans who will still insist that the draw is not rigged. We all have illusions we want to cling to.

And a special shout out goes to the NY Times sports editors and writers for being our Toto's and pulling the curtain back to reveal the truth about the "fair and open" US Open draw.