NCAA Women's Tennis Regionals at Georgia Tech

Four teams competing at Georgia Tech in the NCAA Women's Tennis Regionals today at Georgia Tech.  Good tennis and exciting matches.  The Arizona State/Ole Miss match went down to the wire as Jacqueline Cako of ASU defeated Connor Vogel of Miss. in a 3+ hour match when the teams were tied at 3-3.

Here are some pictures from today's early action.

Connor Vogel of Ole Miss

The Bill Moore Tennis Center at Georgia Tech

Jacqueline Cako of ASUOne one point in the first set, Cako ran to get a drop shot hit by her opponent and she slid into and through the net, somehow escaping injury.

The Long Beach State Cheerleading Scandal

These sure handle these college cheerleading scandal in a quick and efficient manner.

Cal State Long Beach, winner of the national cheerleading title last week, was already forced to forfeit the honor. LONG BEACH PRESS-TELEGRAM reports it was discovered that nonstudents competed on the team. The coach Eric Anderson was fired over the wrongdoing.

“It has come to the attention of the Associated Students, Inc. and the university that ineligible members participated in the competition as official members of the team,” CSULB’s Associated Students Inc. said in the statement. “After a conversation with the NCA, it was determined that since non-CSULB students performed in the competition, it would be unethical and against CSULB Campus Regulation, ASI standards and NCA rules to retain the title.”

I'm not sure who or what age the illegal cheerleaders were, but a spy that was at the championships supplied this telling photo.

Julianne Hough on the Cover of Womens Health

If Julianne Hough is on the cover of a magazine, we'll tell you about it.

This month she is on the cover of Women's Health.  I guess she'll tell you how you can get a dancer's body and more.

Julianne also has a line of dance and workout videos.

Here you can get her latest.

Did Mary Joe Fernandez Warn Me of Fed Cup Failure Back in December?

I don't know who, if anyone is getting the blame for the U.S. Fed Cup train wreck but at this point I really don't care.

Getting swept by a pedestrian German team and being sent to relegation play for the first time in the history of Fed Cup play is an embarassment for U.S. women's tennis, but this is where they deserve to be right now.

While the loss to Belgium earlier in 2011 was expected, the way this tie went down in Germany is troubling.

I think U.S. Fed Cup Captain and USTA apologist Mary Joe Fernandez saw this coming as far back as last year and while reviewing the tape of an interview I did with her back in December at the USTA Australian Open Wildcard Playoffs, she saw it coming.  Mary Joe's signed up as captain through 2012, so she has a chance to get us out of this mess.  If she doesn't, we need to go in another direction.  Any suggestions?

I asked Mary Joe what is lacking from the group of American women that are looking to break through and become top players? Here is her answer and some other interesting excerpts from the interview I did with her.

Mary Joe Fernandez: I think these girls lack confidence and a belief they need to have to make it to the top. That comes from hard work and beating the competition.

Rick Limpert: Have American players been too coddled and have they had it too easy in recent years.

Mary Joe Fernandez: I think that's been an issue. I've always said, attitude, how hard you work and how fit you get are under your control. I think we've just started instilling that in our players.

Rick Limpert: What's been the problem the last five years with the USTA developing players?

Mary Joe Fernandez: Well, the sport has become very global, when I started playing 60% of the top-100 were Americans. We played mostly in America, and there are more opportunities for girls here in the States now. I have a daughter and she loves soccer, and other sports do a good job at being there for kids. We've always had a champion on the men's and women's side and we got spoiled.

Rick Limpert:  Do you think the USTA sat on its hand for years waiting for the next great champion instead of being proactive and helping develop one or more than one?

Mary Joe Fernandez: I'm not sure, it's a combination of things.

Rick Limpert:  What about the Williams' Sisters?

_______________________________________

See the rest of this interview on The Daily Forehand...

Female Journalist Denied Access at Masters

Tara Sullivan, a sports columnist for the The Record of Bergen County, N.J., was denied access to a locker room where interviews were taking place at Augusta National after the completion of the Masters on Sunday.

Male reporters were allowed to speak with players but security stopped Sullivan at the entrance.

"Bad enough no women members at Augusta. But not allowing me to join writers in locker room interview is just wrong," Sullivan posted on her Twitter feed.  Following that tweet, the Twitter universe lit up with opinions and disbelief. 

It's more bad press for a tournament that has come under fire for not having women and enough monoritiy members.

The Record reported that officials later told Sullivan that, "It was a complete misunderstanding by the tournament week security and you should have rightfully been given access per the standard practices of major sporting events."

Augusta National spokesman Steve Ethun said the guard acted improperly in stopping Sullivan, since club policy is to provide equal access to all reporters. The club has no female members, but several female reporters at the tournament confirmed they had made numerous trips to the locker room for interviews in the past without incident.

Sullivan was among a crowd of reporters following third-round leader Rory McIlroy from the course into the clubhouse after his collapse in the final round.

"He just said women were not allowed and there was no official in sight," Sullivan said. By the time she located McIlroy's manager, the interview had been completed.

Ethun said the club hires a number of people to work the tournament and the guard was apparently unaware of the equal-access policy.

"It should not have happened," he said. "We will work as hard as we can to make sure it does not happen again."