We are officially at the dead point of Summer. Nothing to look forward to, football seems like it's years away, and the only things in sight are NBA Summer League and NBA Free Agency. Let's be honest, baseball, MLS, and WNBA (with all due respect) just don't do it for us. 

But then, suddenly, you turn on your TV on Monday morning ,and Wimbledon is on. Obviously, it's not football or basketball, but hell, it'll do. These two weeks of tennis are here to save the day and get us through these challenging times. Certain events throughout the year have this particular feeling that you can't quite put your finger on, but you feel how special it is, like The Masters, World Cup, or the Rose Bowl. They have this extraordinarily special feeling and tradition about them that are intangible ,but you know it when you see it.

Alright, let's talk Wimbledon. I'm not going to pretend that I have been keeping up with the ATP or WTA tours, but I watch every Grand Slam closely and try to keep up with most news. I will not be boring and pick Djokovic to win the men's tournament. For the men, he's been a trendy pick which scares me but give me Felix Auger-Aliassime at 16/1 to win the men's side. Auger-Aliassime has been playing some of his best tennis this year and finished in the quarterfinals last year at Wimbledon. He has not been the best on grass, but if I'm not picking someone between Nadal, Djokovic, or Medvedev, it must be Auger-Aliassime. I love me some Carlos Alcaraz, but he has a brutal draw in the same bracket as Djokovic, and Alcaraz is only +1300, which is not enough value for me if he has to run through Djokovic early on. The Canadian would have to face Nadal in the quarterfinals, but I like his chances on grass more than Alcaraz on Djokovic.

Pick: Felix Auger-Aliassime +1600

Obviously, the easy pick would be Iga Swiatek at +155, but there's no fun in that, and I'm not sure that she should be favored by that much. Anything can happen in women's tennis now that Serena is not at the top of her game. Swiatek has been an unstoppable force recently, but I'll take my chances that comes to a stop in England. If I were to bet on it, my pick to win Wimbledon would be Bianca Andreescu at 30/1. She's so aggressive and can make life difficult for any of her opponents, and she is finally getting back to her stride. If she has momentum, there's no stopping Andreescu, and it's worth the play at a price like 30/1.

Pick: Bianca Andreescu +3000

So, I write this as a thank you to Wimbledon for getting us through these unbearable summers we have not had to deal with since COVID times. Use times like this to never take an Akron vs. Miami OH Tuesday night MAC kickoff for granted. Also, take the lady out on all the dates now; you'll get oblo'd (obligation days) to death until Labor Day. So, just take it on the chin and go to the park, go to brunch, hang with the in-laws, and do what you must do to make sure you're free for this upcoming fall which should be the greatest time in the history of sports with NFL, College Football, College Basketball, NBA, and the World Cup.

*Odds Courtesy of Barstool Sportsbook