Yahoo Odd News with Greg Proops

Odd news with Greg Proops this week looks at a purple cow in Serbia, a Ferrari limo and a collapsed bridge that you can still cross.

Here's the link:

http://news.yahoo.com/video/oddnews-22772304/purple-calf-ferrari-limo-indonesian-students-cross-collapsed-bridge-27976766.html

Australian Open Day 11: Match of the Day

Impossible to pick just one match today, so there are three picks that need to be made.

The first women's semi is Kim Clijsters and Victoria Azarenka.

The second women's semi will feature Maria Sharapova and Petra Kvitova.

I'll go against my first instincts and take Azarenka in the first match and then hve to go with Kvitova in the second.  Both matches could be classics.

The men's match is a classic before it is even played.

What more can you say about Federer vs Nadal?

Even though Nadal leads the career series 17-9, it's hard not to like the way Federer is playing.  Let's go with Fed in 4 great sets even though it's hard to not pick Nadal.

Should be a great night of tennis.

Solar Storm Lights Up the Sky. Makes Planes Change Routes

Starwatchers were out in force in northern Europe on Tuesday, hoping to see a spectacular showing of northern lights after the most powerful solar storm in six years.

They weren't disappointed.

"The lights appear as green and red mist. It's been mostly green the past few nights. I don't know if that's just special for Ireland," said Gerard O'Kane, a 41-year-old taxi driver and vice chairman of the Buncrana Camera Club in County Donegal in Ireland's northwest corner.
An aurora appears when a magnetic solar wind slams into the Earth's magnetic field, exciting electrons of oxygen and nitrogen.

The northern lights are sometimes seen from northern Scotland, but they were also visible Monday night from northeast England and Ireland, where such sightings are a rarity.

On Monday and Tuesday, the proton radiation from the eruption reached strong levels, the most powerful since October 2003. That mostly affects astronauts and satellites, but NASA said the crew on the International Space Station was not harmed and only a few minor problems with satellites were reported, Biesecker said.

Scientists have been expecting solar eruptions to become more intense as the sun enters a more active phase of its 11-year cycle, with an expected peak in 2013.

Delta Airlines had to reroute a handful of flights that were scheduled to fly over the North Pole today.
A Delta spokesman said the flights were shifted to fly further south in an effort to ensure consistent communications. The affected routes were between Detroit and the Asian cities of Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong and Inchon. United had to re-route one flight Monday and American reported no impact, but said the airline continues to monitor the situation.

The FAA said it was keeping close watch on the situation today but did not issue an alert.

Australian Open Day 10: Match of the Day

Novak Djokovic vs. David Ferrer

The number one player in the world against the number one fighter on tour.

Ferrer posses all sorts of problems for most players.  Novak Djokovic hopes he doesn't have that many problems in this quarter-final match.

Djokovic holds a 6-5 carrer edge over the Spaniard, and won the last meeting at the World Tour Finals in November.  This court is playing slow, but I have to give the edge to Djokovic.

It won't be easy, it never is against a player like Ferrer.

Djokovic wins in 4 sets.

USTA Executive Disappointed with Serena Williams' Comments and Actions

A panel discussion at the USTA Southern Tennis Association's annual meeting convened Satuday in Atlanta to discuss the state of American professional tennis and other topics related to the sport and the publicity it receives.

While topics included the fall of Andy Roddick out of the top-10 in 2011, Mardy Fish's rise into the upper echelon of the game and the number of young kids across the country now playing tennis, some comments made by the USTA's Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Gordon Smith caught me a bit off guard.

Reacting to Serena Williams' comments earlier this month that she doesn't love the sport of tennis, Smith seemed disappointed and upset that one of the greatest players in the history of the sports would make such remarks. It's not often you hear the USTA speaking candidly about current players.

"You may have seen the comments Serena made saying she doesn't love tennis, I'm disappointed and concerned how younger players who look up to Serena will take those remarks," Smith told a panel and a room of atendees. "What does that say about our sport? and those who play it?"

What Serena said should be looked at closely. "I mean, I don't love tennis today, but I'm here, and I can't live without it ... so I'm still here and I don't want to go anywhere any time soon," Williams said after her first match at the Brisbane event in Australia.

I don't believe her and apparently either does Smith. Smith says that Serena isn't a full-time tennis player anymore, she's a celebrity. Celebrities sometimes just say things.  Look at the Kardashians, they say things all the time.

I served on this panel with Smith and brought up to him what was written in the USA Today website last weekend by Doug Robson. Robson wrote about the disconnect between the Williams' Sisters, especially Serena and some young American professional female players. Robson was told by Christina McHale, who is ranked No. 42 in the world and Jamie Hamption, another young American that lost in the second round in Australia that they have never had a conversation with Serena. For some reason, it didn't surprise me.

This is a complete 180 from what happens on the men's tour when the likes of Andy Roddick, and before him, Pete Sampras and Todd Martin helped mentor younger players, even inviting them to their home to train.

"One of the problems, is Serena hasn't played Fed Cup in over four years," stated Smith. "There is a tradition of mentoring and being a hitting partner on the Davis Cup team, but Serena hasn't been there on the Fed Cup side." Smith hadn't heard of this recent article until I mentioned it to him during the discussion. he seemed saddened, but not surprised by these further developments. He also added that the only reason the Williams' Sisters have made themselves available for Fed Cup in 2012 is they have to play to compete in the Olympics.  I'm sure the USTA also was not pleased when Serena was defaulted at the U.S. Open because of threatening a lineswoman.

Smith then gave a half-hearted smile when I told him what the last sentence in the USA Today piece said. It was the most telling statement to me, as Jamie Hampton said that maybe the men would take them under their wings. I'm sure if the girls asked, the guys would help out.