BSR

Because tennis players spend decades under the sun, they often don't age well. Sun damage would hit a redhead like Becker particularly hard. But yeah, whatever hard living he's done certainly doesn't help matters. For contrast, look at the recent photo of clean-living Stefan Edberg, who's 1y10mo's older than Becker. Becker earned twice as much in prize money as John McEnroe ($25 million to $12.5 million), yet McEnroe has a net worth of $100 million whereas Becker is bankrupt and headed to prison. For so many get-rich-quick celebrities, managing money is a helluva lot harder than earning it.

I just finished Toy Boy Season 2. Oh gawd, it was awful. Oh yes, I will definitely watch Season 3. Now that Maxi Iglesias joined the cast, no way in heck am I missing out on this ...

LOL, the producers of "Sapere Aude" didn't waste any time. The opening sequence has Carlos Cuevas in the shower showing off his spectacular ass. Wow, CC sure ain't shy about showing off the goods, but with a body like that, who can blame him? The producers' shameless manipulation worked, of course. I had been on the fence about investing time into "Sapere Aude," but I got totally lured in now. Toyboy Season 2 was almost as awful as Season 1. The script makes no sense, the dialogue is just awful, and the acting, yikes. Some improvements, though. I read that Jesus Mosquera (Hugo) works his ass off in every aspect: his fitness, the dance numbers, and even his acting. While not exactly a Spanish Sir Laurence Olivier, Mosquera's acting has improved from the rock-bottom awfulness of Season 1. Damning with faint praise, I realize. I liked that they showed more of the beauty of Marbella this season, and they showed slightly more skin, although they def need to show a lot more. Best of all, Maxi Iglesias joined the cast, and for him alone, I'll definitely watch Season 3 if there is one. PS: for those who watched the original Merli, is there a reason Pol's father is Spanish-speaking?

??? How could Japanese and German players be banned from tournaments that didn't take place? The Australian Open was canceled from 1941-45. The French Open (called the Tournoi de France at the time) was canceled in 1940, was held from 1941-45 but limited to only French players. Wimbledon was canceled from 1940-45, and the US Open (the US Nationals at the time) was canceled from 1942-45.

Who knows why the AELTC made this decision, but the most credible theory I've come across is that Wimbledon did not want the PR fallout of a Russian or Belorusian champion. The AELTC knew how controversial this decision would be. My guess is that they'll stick to it no matter how much backlash. The ATP & WTA issued public statements opposing the ban and have hinted they will strip the tournament of ranking points. IMO, the ATP & WTA pretty much have to, according to their rules. A tournament must accept players into the draw based on ranking, no other criteria. That's why the Olympics, which factors in number of representatives per nation, got stripped of ranking points. Such a counter-move by the tours will reduce Wimbledon to a super-prestigious and highly lucrative exhibition. The crazy thing is that other tournaments (Masters1000s in Rome & Canada) are hinting of a ban on Russian & Belarusian players also. How many tournaments follow Wimbledon's lead? How many tournaments will the tours strip of ranking points?

Granted, he's missing the retractable claws, but aside from that he looks pretty good. I don't get the poses with the McD's French fries though. Is this a new fetish, or has it been around for a while & I'm just out of it?

Happy Easter to all Eastern Orthodox Christians! Despite growing up super-Catholic, we didn't really celebrate Easter, odd as that sounds. Of course we went to mass, but that was about it. Since my parents didn't like to go to mass on Sunday morning, we always went to Easter vigil mass on Saturday night. Vigil mass is 3+ hours but feels like 6. We didn't particularly dress up for mass. No Easter bunny or Easter egg hunt. No Easter decorations at school (I went to Catholic schools K-12). Since my mom wasn't much of a cook, we didn't have a special meal. I do remember always going to mass on Holy Thursday, even though it's not a holy day of obligation, and doing the stations of the cross on Good Friday. I'm guessing all the eggs & bunny stuff is more a Protestant thing. Easter eggs, chocolate bunnies, and Peeps are all secular celebrations of the holiday -- which is totally fine, just that I was never exposed to it. Anyway, happy Easter to those who celebrate it today, and a happy belated to all who celebrated last week. And happy first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox to those who don't celebrate Easter at all.

Yeah, Bush 43 sounds about right, yet he says in the ad he's only 25. Things that make you go hmmm ...

A tennis buddy back in Boston was a house flipper and made a very good living at it. Because he was well-known in the industry, aspiring flippers often asked him for advice on how to get started. His response was always the same, "DON'T!!"

YEEEEEEEESSSSSSS! My favorite quarter of the year -- Masterchef Spain finally started!! The season is short, only 13 weeks; but since each episode runs 3+ hours (no commercials because it's public television), watching just one episode qualifies as a binge. I already have a favorite, a handsome 35yo fireman. Here's a funny clip where he admits to buying women's jeans because they make his ass look good ("me hacen culito de caramelo"). Even if you don't understand a word of Spanish, it's worth watching for the visuals. Does anybody watch the US version of Masterchef? A friend says she hates it because she thinks Gordon Ramsay is too mean, to the point of abusive. But given the show's popularity, Ramsay must have his share of fans. PS: I can't get the pix to show up,, but here are links to pix of Season 5 winner Jorge and Season 7 winner Aleix. Both guys are great chefs, but come on. Only 16 finalists are selected out of 100,000 who audition. You're telling me looks have nothing to do with making the cut? Yeah, uh huh.

I'm a big believer in honesty too, even when it's awkward or uncomfortable. Better to pay now (suffer a bit of discomfort or awkwardness) than to pay later (the fallout from any dishonesty, even "little white lies"). Specific to the Gucci bumbag, there's a difference between being honest and too much honesty. The $1000 bumbag is indeed nice, so you are being honest about that. But I don't think it's appropriate to tell an acquaintance that he's an idiot for spending that kind of money. Your brother, cousin, or best friend, on the other hand, go ahead and tell him he's crazy to spend so much money on a status symbol if that's what you really feel. Back to the OP, we often handle situations less than perfectly when put on the spot. But @FreshFluff gained a bit of wisdom from reading this thread, as did I, and will be better prepared should the situation come up again. PS: when a woman asks you if X (these jeans, this dress, whatever) makes her look fat, the correct answer is an immediate and unambivalent NO. Lie through your teeth if you have to.

For those wondering what "perrear" means, this brief video shows you. Even if you don't understand Spanish, it's worth watching just for the visuals. MasterChef on Twitter

"A better, more equal place" says the guy born into royalty who inherited tens of $millions ...

That video got 11 million views. Wow, Sean Murphy now has a very famous ass, if it weren't already.

Apparently other countries (Portugal, Latin America) have nonlethal bullfights, but in Spain, the bull always dies. I saw a documentary about bullfighting which said that the crowd can call for the bull to be spared if it has put up an exceptional fight, but the president of the bullring can overrule and usually does. In any case, a critical part of any bullfight is bleeding of the bull because a full-strength bull is too strong for even the best matador. Before the matador enters the ring, a man on horseback drives a lance into the bull's back hump. It's not painful because the bull has few nerve endings in that area, but it is bloody. So no, doesn't sound like it's for you. I've only been to the bullring 6 times (so 36 separate bullfights) -- 2x in Madrid, 3x in Salamanca, and 1x in a small town (can't remember the name). The only time I was really scared was the small-town one. Instead of a real bullfight with a skilled matador, it was a "capea" with teenagers in training. The boys looked 14-16. One kid got knocked down twice and managed to scramble away from the charging bull by just a split-second. As if that weren't scary enough, another kid got gored yet stayed in the ring to keep fighting. The crew was about to jump in to save him, but he kept holding his hand up telling them to back off. Mind you, this was a skinny little 9th grader bleeding and obviously outmatched. The capea went on for a few more terrifying minutes until the kid got knocked down (just fell, not gored again). This time the crew sprang into action, half of them to drag the boy away and the other half to distract the bull. We later learned the kid was fine, thank goodness. This kid got gored because he lacked training & experience. But even skilled matadors occasionally get gored because they want to be as daring as possible. Either way, bullfighting is not for the faint of heart. You might want to stick to your steaks.

Ah, another bullfighting fan in this forum! Something I've found helpful in getting people to accept bullfighting is to correct the notion so many have that a bullfight is a contest in which the odds are stacked horribly against the bull. Fans of la tauromaquia see it as an art in which the matador displays great skill and courage. Even with that explanation, some people will still hate it, but others come into it with a more open mind. If you're open to seeing a bullfight, look for a rejoneo (bullfight on horseback). They're much less common, but in my opinion, so graceful and elegant. The whole spectacle of a bullfight, whether on horseback or on foot, is an experience rich in Spanish culture and tradition. I get goosebumps when I hear the trumpets before a bullfight, but I realize not everyone will feel the same way.

Sorry, I couldn't find any shirtless shots, but here is a video of my latest crush, 20yo Lorenzo Musetti. This is a clip from his presser, after his match against Novak where Musetti was able to win the first 2 sets. The eyes, the olive skin, the silky wavy hair ... Musetti is your classic Italian beauty.

Not attending the Oscars for 10 years is more reward than punishment.

Hermès Birkin bags sell from $40,000 to $500,000. Millions of Americans, especially in the ever expanding service sector, don't even make $40K, forget $500K.

This guy swings a beautiful bat (photo shows up cropped, click open to see uncropped)

I don't know if tattoos are considered "traditionally unattractive," but a number of forum members hate them with a passion. Well-done tatts on the right physique are sexy as hell, imo. This is Diogo Piçarra, winner of Portugal's 2012 season of "Pop Idol." The left pic is after a 4-month training program. As much as I prefer beefier guys, I actually find the skinny version sexier. Either/or is so much sexier, to me, than no tatts.

Anyone who doesn't want to discuss or hear about Novak at #1 always has the option of avoiding this thread.

I found the 2021 version of the iconic "America" number last night on YouTube. Gotta say, I much prefer the 1961 original. Every dancer in the 2021 cast is superbly well-trained whereas the 1961 cast has one notable exception. Rita Moreno was not a trained dancer before auditioning for the part. As much as I love her, you can kinda tell. What Moreno lacked in formal training, however, she more than made up for with her fire and passion. While as a dancer Moreno falls an eensy bit short, as an actress she delivers perfection. David Álvarez (Bernardo) is a helluva dancer, but the 2021 choreography (granted, I saw only the one scene) doesn't showcase him enough. Plus, as good as he is, he lacks George Chakiris' panache and elegance. Chakiris hits lines and positions like no other dancer I've ever seen. Overall, I thought the 1961 version captured the humor of the song better. Even though I've seen the 1961 "America" 100+ times on YouTube, the corny sense of humor still makes me smile every time. Of course, I'll keep an open mind about the remake, but I can't say I'll be rushing to see it. One thing I gotta do is stop comparing the remake to the original and just appreciate the 2021 version on its own merits. Anyway, here are both the 1961 and 2021 "America" numbers ...

Singer Diogo Piçarra, winner of Portugal's "Pop Idol" in 2012.