The U.S. Open

Because I'm not really a professional tennis buff, this post might lack the usual key takeaways that Caught Looking fans have come to expect.  In the recent past I've been to some professional tennis tournaments - the most memorable of which was the second-tier Bank of the West Classic at the Home Depot Center (home of MLS's Los Angeles Galaxy) in Carson, CA - but I hadn't been to the U.S. Open since I was a kid and had really no idea what to expect.  With little to compare my experience to, here are the random obsevations I took away from my first trip to a tennis Grand Slam event in well over a decade.

• I loved how the entire tennis complex is so much more than a tennis stadium (or even two).  The two main stadiums and all of the other courts surround a larger area that includes a bunch of decent food options, a number of fun sponsor activation areas and large video screens to watch the live action.  I've never been to the Olympics, but I kept thinking that the outdoor area was what I'd expect a mini version of an Olympic Village to look like.  We ate at a umbrella-covered table outside before heading into Arthur Ashe Stadium, and it was a really nice way to start the evening.

• When I go to a new baseball stadium, I never cease to be blown away by how perfect and large the playing field and the grass really is.  Similarly, I love stepping into an arena and taking that first look at the spotless NBA hardwood or perfectly smooth NHL ice.  I definitely didn't get that same feeling when I looked down at the Arthur Ashe court for the first time.  Sure, it's a beautiful court, but the difference between it and the one at my high school is way smaller than the difference between Madison Square Garden's hardwood and our school's gynmasium floor.

It's a nice court - it just didn't blow me away.

• I was admittedly predisposed to hate them going in, but I really didn't click with what I perceived as the average U.S. Open fan.  Not surprisingly, the stadium was filled with weathly socialites more concerned with people-watching than tennis-watching.  To me, going to the U.S. Open is something that weathly New York-area residents do during the summer because it's what "people do," much like going to the Hamptons for the Fourth of July.  I like my sports fans to be more concerned with seeing something cool than with being seen by someone cool.

• As soon as you enter Arthur Ashe stadium, you know it's a premium event.  Every sponsor, by design, is a luxury company - Mercedes-Benz, J.P. Morgan and Emirates Airlines, all of which you can see featured in the photo above, are just a few of the premium brands with prominant signage in and around the stadium.  What's more, all of the signage is in white writing on the same blue background, adding a classy feel that you definitely don't get in other sports, where billboards are often plastered all over the place.  I liked it. 

• I really enjoy how someone interviews the winner at the end of each match, and the interview is broadcast over the PA system.  I also loved how, after he won his match, Andy Murray hit autographed tennis balls into the stands.  There seems to be a very friendly relationship between the players and the fans that I'm not really used to, but which I really appreciated.  Perhaps it has something to do with tennis being an individual sport, so people are much more attached to specific players (as opposed to teams).  I would love to see more player / fan interaction in baseball, basketball or football.

I definitely enjoyed my trip to the U.S. Open, but to me it was less of a sporting event than it was a New York City cultural experience.  I'd almost compare it more to a Broadway show or a concert than to a Yankees or Knicks game.  While you're sure to enjoy the actual event, many people seem to go to the U.S. Open just to say that they went to the U.S. Open.  If you're interested in people-watching and feeling like part of the "in crowd," then Arthur Ashe stadium is the place for you.  For me, however, I'd prefer a good ole' fashioned baseball game in the cheap seats any day.