No, I wasn’t born by 1968 (not even close), but I can, with certainty, tell you two things about the comings and goings in Queens that year: 1) “The Mets were terrible”:http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/NYM/1968.shtml. 2) The first full-fledged U.S. Open wasn’t a football game disguised as a tennis tournament. “Maybe professional wrestling”:http://bmarcore.club.fr/tennis/a-open/forest-68.jpg but not football.

To tell the truth, I love it. Early in James Blake’s ongoing match, fans united in a wave that made James smile. Then, they serenaded him with a “Let’s go James” chant. In the top row of one deck, four shirtless men had painted their chests to read: “G.O.J.B.”

Pretty cool stuff. But the best of all was the end of the second set. It dragged on into a tiebreaker and Blake and his opponent, Carlos Moya, combined to call on the instant replay system three separate times. Moya, because he had three challenges to spare, asked for replay on two consecutive points. He went 1 for 2.

A few points later, as Blake rallied from a 6-2 deficit to a 7-6 lead, he challenged a forehand shot he thought Moya had hit wide. What happened? A brief delay, then a raucous uproar from the crowd when the call had been overturned. Blake then went bounded across the court pumping his fists. You half-expected the official to say the receiver didn’t get both feet in bounds.

(He then went to the bathroom between sets, a move John McEnroe questioned just now on the USA telecast as Blake played a lackluster third set. John, what was he supposed to do?)

Anyway, the replay game is an interesting one, especially as these sets reach the tiebreaker, where each player gets an extra challenge.

You hope a challenge doesn’t effect either the men’s or women’s final next weekend. You do, however, hope Ashe keeps it’s rowdy atmosphere intact.

Silence and sports just do not mix.