Fanning The Fire More (Trilogy): The Joker Burns the Brightest

I was a bit torn, on how to develop the plot line for this piece.

The Trilogy: Fanning The Fire More: "The Joker" Burns Brighter by Himself

More often than not, highly successful people are defined by their "predominant" essence. An artisan of Federer against the the warrior of Nadal - but in reality Federer is as much as a warrior as Nadal (London 2008 and 2009 final), and Nadal is as much as an artisan as Federer, only his artisanship is not to create a symphony in A minor, but to construct n towering cathedral with asetic meticulous commitment and discipline.

But we do visualize artisan ship and being an innate warrior with Federer and Nadal, because thats the innate essence that is displayed more than other characteristics when they play the game.

Its funny, am writing this with Bethoven's Adagio's resonating in its consummate regale'ness in my stereo. People identify with players because they see traces of themselves or traces of how they like other people to be, in how a player plays the game.

Very few artists dont - not like Federer. He reminds them of a mercury fluidity in how an activity must not only be constructed, but be practiced and presented. Seriously, I can see the Federer collage of you tube videos being picture perfect when played at the background of "Fur Elise" "Moonlight Sonata" or "Ode to Joy". Make no mistake, he is by far the most elegant player I have ever watched through fifteen years.

Very few intellectual minds don't - not like Rafael, because he reminds of how much one can improve my venturing into dark territories where you have not been before. Its require courage and the ability to risk failure - along with experiencing the sowed seeds of success eventually. He embodies continuous improvement through learning with a humility that's alien to the best player of any kind on planet Earth. Make no mistake, he is by far the most invigorating player I've watched for a long time, those long flowing locks, pirate clam-diggers, popeye biceps, boxer running back to the baseline, and the pirate tee (Thanks Nike), he gets the blood flow goin.

But to the artisan of Beethoven, and the field marshal warrior of Muhammed Ali ... the world also finds a unique purpose for ...

"Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson, Jules in "Pulp Fiction", Colonel Hans Landa in "Basterds", Mick Jagger in Rolling Stones, Robin Williams, Conan O'Brien and Jonathan Ross, and perhaps one of my most favorite characters on screen until now, the Heath Ledger inspired "JOKER in Gotham"

The Entertainers

The pencil make-disappear act and the wet wispy hair flip with head stickin outside a NY cab at midnight. "You know what I found out, people freak out if somethin goes against their plan, if I tell today that tomorrow someone's gonna get shot, and if it happens tomm, then no one will freak out because 'its all according to plan'. On the other hand if I do somethin tomm much less evil without telling anyone, people freak out because 'its wasn't in the plan'. Introduce a little anarchy, and disrupt formations ...."

The Joker is the character you know is wrong, but not all what he says is wrong, in fact a fraction of it is true about humanity. He is the character who makes Batman, who he is ... and he is the one whom you try very hard not to fall in love with by the time the credits come on screen ... but when you come out, you inevitably go, "WOW - The JOKER". Characters such as these, are a shoe in for Oscars. No doubts: The Joker and Hans Landa were as confirmed as the sun rising tomorrow.

Nole is an entertainer trapped in a tennis player's exterior. It comes easy for him that he does not even need to try. An unabashed extrovert, the soccer inspired shirt swappin, shirt rippin, cheast beatin Jokester is a "The Dark Knight" on a tennis court. Besides the impeccable impersonations (he did Rafael, in front of Rafael in Rome last year - at the insistence of the organizers), the imploring plead to the heavens if a Federer backhand down the line burns the outside of the far line after a twenty five shot rally, the resigned wane of a smile in front of the net when a Nadal simply refuses to miss after a high octane baseline exchange when he eventually wins the point with that outside the doubles ally hook .... the delirious look towards his mum and dad when Ashe was on its feet as he sent the Swiss packing on the second Saturday - take a seat, for this train is just up and runnin' ... its Mick Jagger'esque on the theater of a tennis court.

Like we said at the beginning, he plays to win as much as Federer and Nadal, he isnt a purpose-less entertainer (Le'Monf ?) who prefers to entertain, rather than win. Nole can buckle down and win ugly when he needs to, and can trade power groundies with the best of 'em as he showed us a couple of weeks before. Perhaps what draws me to Nole more than the artisan and the warrior is the spontaneous self deprecating humor (No, I have somethin else between my legs), the unconventional disdain to authority, the visceral craving to win and most of all ... that down the line backhand on the dead run where he arrests his slide and imparts torque on power in a split second - Steve Jobs would be proud of its construction and mechanics.

Federer the artisan, Nadal the Warrior, Nole the Entertainer - but they all can hit a tennis ball around ....

Tuxedo, Sgt Pepper Jacket, Pirate Clamdiggers, Sleveless tee  ... and Electric Prussian Blue Shoes and Acid washed blue fade torn jeans.

Beethoven ... Muhammed Ali ... Mick Jagger ...

Jagger burns alright, he burns the Brightest ... Just ask a 'Stones fan 

--- Keep Rockin, Long John Silver