Smackie the Frog

When I was in 4th grade, my favorite sport in the world was tennis, and Andre Agassi was my favorite player. I was 9.

I’m now 24, and even though tennis is no longer my favorite sport, I still like it quite a bit, and by far my favorite player is Andre Agassi. That’s 15 years where I have been rooting for the same player. That is almost as old as my sister, and we’re talking about a professional athlete. And someone that has been good enough to root for this entire time. It is incredible.

Last year when I was in New York I stayed up late throughout much of the US Open, watching him play. His incredible comeback in the semis. And then how it looked like he might just pull it off again in the finals. It was great, great stuff.

And last night I went to bed with him losing 4-0 in the 3rd set of the first round of his last tournament. I was convinced it was over, and I went to bed sad. So when I woke up this morning and found out he won, I was pretty excited. He still has a chance to win one more time. It is a little surreal watching him playing, knowing that it is almost over. But I’m glad that it isn’t over yet, and for a little bit longer I can root for the same person I’ve been rooting for for most of my life.