| Behind the scenes with Bob and Mike... |
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| October 7th, 2008 Hey Everyone! Bob here. A lot has happened since Mike last filled you in, so I'll do my best to bring you up to speed. After Wimbledon, Mike and I spent some time relaxing in Camarillo. We played a couple rounds of golf, had some much needed home cooked meals, unpacked and packed again, and saw another Coldplay concert. It had been the first time since late January that we had been back to our California house. Almost six months!! From there, we flew to Philly and spent a week traveling around playing WTT for the Kansas City Explorers. Mike and I were a little nervous when we heard that we were joining an undefeated team. The last thing we wanted to do was to come in and screw it up. Luckily, we played great and got some good momentum heading into the summer tourneys. During this time, it was nice to see a lot of our fans in cities that don't get to see pro tennis very often. It always feels good to see those lime green "Bryan Bunch" t-shirts in the crowd! After our last WTT match in St. Louis, we traveled North to Toronto to play at the impressive Rexall Center. Our coach, Macca, and our massage therapist, Glen, met us there. It was business as usual and we didn't do much besides knock the yellow ball around. But it was great to see our long time friends/fans, the Wongs and the Chows. And it was cool that Boyd Tinsley from the Dave Matthews Band came to support us during the finals. As most of you know, we've loved DMB since they first started out in the early 90's. When we left Toronto, we all flew South to Cincinatti and checked into the infamous Marriott that has housed the players for at least the 12 years that we've been playing there. Mike and I have quite a routine at this tournament. It's Waffle House for breakfast, Chipotle for lunch, and good 'ole Cracker Barrel for dinner. Throw in the Mercedes cars they give us, the free movie tickets, and King's Island across the street and it's no wonder this tournament is one of our favorites. And to top things off, we were able to catch a Dave Matthew's Band concert in Columbus which was an absolute blast. Mike and I have been to a million of these shows, have had backstage passes, have met the band, etc....but this show was even better! We were able to wear headsets on the side of the stage which broadcasted the band members' secret shirt microphones. We could hear all the smack talking, jokes, and laughs the band were having while performing....plus, I've always wondered how they were so tight with their endings and how they decided who's turn it was to solo...now I know! Some of the stuff was definitely "R" rated but it made us realize how much fun each guy is having on their tour. ATP Tour vs Touring as a Rock Star? Tough call! We've got it good, but these guys never lose!!! On the tennis court in Cincy, Mike and I battled back from some tight situations, had some luck go our way, and found ourselves on the way to San Jose with a new set of crystal Waterford plates. In San Jose, we met the whole Olympic team for one day of processing at San Jose State University. This entailed listening to speeches on how to represent the USA, taking team pictures, getting our Chinese visas, and collecting the insane amount of Olympic gear. Mike and I literally had to ship 100 pounds worth of Olympic clothing home so we weren't overloaded. Everyone was really pumped to be going to Beijing and the experience definitely did not disappoint. The Chinese hit a "homerun" with the organization and the beautiful venues that were built for the games. The Athlete Village was gorgeous with full landscaping, rivers, a non-alcoholic night club, and a concert ampitheater with around the clock music. Our rooms had hardwood floors, decent beds, and maid service. Unless you were actually there, you cannot believe the power of excitement that the Summer Games bring. They were presented on a monumental scale and executed with class and dignity. With the common bond of sacrafice, each athlete felt like a brother and a sister. And the friendly spirit that surrounds the Olympics is something to behold. Everyone is there to represent their country to the best of their ability, to have fun, meet new friends, and make a lifetime worth of memories. The Opening Ceremonies was definitely the most memorable time we spent in Beijing. During that night, we met President and Former President Bush, got to hang out with the Redeem Team, and marched into the beautiful "Bird's Nest" with team USA. I gave my camcorder to Jay Berger and he got some incredible footage. Most people don't realize that Opening Ceremonies is a 9 hour day...and keep in mind it was 90 degrees, with 95% humidity, and we were all wearing our Polo suits. We were completely drenched before we even got into the stadium! Because of the hours and hours of standing, lining up, and waiting, by the end of the day my legs felt like jello! But it was all well worth it! Kobe Bryant really impressed me with how patient and kind he was during this time. Being an international celebrity, he was bombarded by his fellow Olympians, including Mike and I, who wanted autographs and pictures. Kobe took time for everyone and did it with a smile on his face. I watched him do this for 4 hours straight...I was already a big fan of the guy, but now I'm a fan for life. Bringing the bronze medal home for the USA ranks up there with Davis Cup as one of our greatest achievements. On the flight over, I was thinking that anything less than gold would be disappointing. But when we came back from a set down against Clement/Llodra to be able to stand on that podium , there were no happier twins in the world! Those medals didn't leave our side for one second on the trip home. Mike actually almost caused a riot when he flashed it around in the Beijing airport. A 100 Chinese people flocked to him like he was Yao Ming! It's weird, but people seem to be transfixed by an Olympic medal. Mike and I had a straight flight from Beijing to NYC where we were picked up and taken to the Hamptons for the Huggy Bears tournament. The Huggy Bears is a Pro-Am and is unlike any tourney we play all year. It's a mix of current ATP pros, past legends, and wealthy businessmen thrown into a draw with a lot of prize money and a handicap system that levels the field. This week is probably our favorite week on the calendar. We stay at the Koch families gorgeous mansion. It has a huge pool, tennis court, putting green, batting cages, private beach, the works! My car for the week is a dark blue 2 door Bentley with 550 horsepower, Mikey drives one of their 2 Maybachs, and Macca usually chooses the Mercedes SL500. The house has a staff of 10 and 2 chefs that make delicious meals. This is a week where we take advantage of some great food and relaxation to recharge the batteries before the US Open. Unfortunately, at this time, I had been struggling with shoulder pain for quite a few months. It had gotten to the point where I couldn't get a good night's sleep much less swing the racket around. I had an MRI done and most of the problems in my shoulder were from overuse. 10 years on the tour serving in the 130's with not much but a few weeks off will do that to ya! Skipping the US Open was not an option, so my only solution to was to get a cortisone shot. The Kochs flew me into Manhattan on their helicopter and I got the shot done on Friday. BTW- that was a big frickin' needle! I let the medicine settle for a couple days and I hit my first ball since Beijing on the Monday that the US Open started. With the cortisone and the celebrex I was taking, the shoulder felt decent enough to give it a run. We stayed at Ritz Carlton near Central Park and during the Open I made it to the top of the Empire State Building, saw the Broadway musical, Jersey Boys, and checked out the Museum of Modern Art. Each night we would go to our friend's restaurant, Les Halles. Les Halles is a french steakhouse and has the best french fries in the world...plus, it's free! The crowd support in New York was awesome. Mike and I got better and better with every match we played and found ourselves in the finals against Dlouhy-Paes. The final was hard fought and it was pure ecstasy when we won match point. I talked to Renee Stubbs after the match and she says we need to work on our celebration. She might be right. The last couple slams we've won, we've kind of freaked out, dropped our rackets, and Mike has jumped into my arms and crumpled my hat. It wasn't as graceful as the Federer flop or Nadal's snow angel but when emotion takes over, it's impossible to script a beautifully choreographed maneuver. Alright Stubbsy, we'll practice and if we win another slam, I'll give you your perfect celebration! Speaking of celebrations, that night we met a ton of our friends for a big dinner and then went to a party at the Crowne Plaza in Times Square. There, we met my Dad and our band members and jammed onstage for a couple hours. After that, we continued on to the night club, Upstairs, where we danced and partied until the early morning. Mike and I spent the rest of the weekend in Manhattan before heading to Austin, TX to relax at the beautiful Horseshoe Bay. Alright guys, I think I'll leave Davis Cup and our 1st annual foundation event for Mikey. Also, he'll tell you about the Counting Crows concert that we played at a couple nights ago. It was a pretty ridiculous time! I'll get him to post it soon. Until next time, Bob |
| mmm |
| Previous Blogs June 13th, 2008 July 24th, 2008 October 5th, 2008 October 7th, 2008 December 12th, 2008 December 22nd, 2008 April 22nd, 2009 May 18th, 2009 |
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