There will be no weather delays for the finals this weekend at Wimbledon. The Williams sisters raise the roof on Saturday, and Andy Roddick tries to rain on Roger Federer's march toward slam win No. 15 Sunday.

Women's final: SportsNation gives Venus slight edge
Men's final: Two-thirds of SportsNation favors Federer
Vote: Wimbledon Finals

Adi (Toronto)

Hi, Greg. 16 of last 17 slams, 21 consecutive slam semis, 20 total slam finals, what is left for Roger to conquer? How does he stay motivated? Do any of the Andys really have a chance?

Greg Garber
Greg Garber

This is the question going forward, Adi. I think Fed's struggles last year, physically and mentally, actually motivated him to get better. That, and losing three Grand Slam finals to Rafael Nadal in a span of eight months. Pete Sampras admitted recently that he had a tough time getting up for the Cincinnatis of the world, but he was always fired up for the Slams. I think Roger will be like that, too.

Ray Gordon Reid (San Jose)
Who do you like tomorrow: Serena or Venus?

Greg Garber
Greg Garber

Ray: The sisters are 10-all in their WTA career matches and have split their four previous Wimbledon matches. I'll take Venus in this one. She's going for three straight at All England and her sixth overall. Full transcript.

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We've seen championship athletes come back with lackluster results in the past, but does anyone want to pick against Lance Armstrong?

In his favor: He won the Tour de France the last seven times he entered, seemingly shrugged off a crash and broken bone that interrupted training this spring, and is joking in commercials about the additional doping scrutiny he receives.

Against him: Teammate Alberto Contador is the favorite, the French have promised to closely watch Armstrong's doping tests, and more than half of SportsNation says it isn't interested in his return (we bet the fans change their minds if he's wearing yellow).

rfg56fd2

This Tour could be more like 1985 when LeMond was clearly the stronger rider, but was forced to help Hinault win his fifth. I don't see Lance riding really aggressive early. ... It would be really cool if Lance, Alberto and Levi were within 2 or 3 minutes of the lead going into Ventoux and it just became a shootout on top of that mountain.

-- tarheel91ken

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This patriotic photo landed in the ESPN profiles thanks to cliggs002. Enjoy the Fourth of July, whether you're working like some of us in Bristol or relaxing on a long weekend.

There's nothing tastier than food pulled fresh off the grill with a pair of tongs and served with potato salad and cold beverages on a hot day. We notice that there are some juicy bratwursts under the toasting buns to go with the saliva-inducing ribs on bigfansince59's grill.

A friendly reminder: Whether you're into the basic spread of hotdogs and burgers or you spend days mixing special sauces and marinating, it's not too early to start planning your menus and practicing your technique for fall football tailgates.

Summer's also a great time to hit the beach or pool. Ombak_Besar's gallery of waves and boarding pictures makes us want to skip out of the office early and head to the coast (although the Atlantic is pretty chilly even in July).

And we don't want to ignore other fun holiday options like slow pitch softball tournaments, the NASCAR race at Daytona, the Wimbledon finals, the multitude of baseball games, golf, fishing in the local lake, the start of the Tour de France, horseshoes and so much more.

These pictures were among our favorites uploaded this week to the ESPN profiles. If you saw a picture you liked or uploaded a picture you're proud of, drop a link the comments below and we'll take a look.

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Just hours after the celebrated arrival of Shaquille O'Neal to Cleveland (where the big man proclaimed he'd "win a ring for the King"), Ron Artest one-upped the Big Aristotle and announced he would be signing a three-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.

If his word is golden, it means that Artest and Kobe Bryant will be amicably (we think) sharing the same court. What does this mean to SportsNation? Well, before today, you had LeShaq and the Cleveland Cavaliers as your favorite to win the 2010 NBA finals. But perhaps things have changed? Cast your vote below.

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There was a time when no football game mattered more than Yale squaring off against Harvard. It was a time when there wasn't any penicillin to cure the infections that came from having your facemask-less mug slammed into the turf.

Fast forward half a century and there was a time when the hottest ticket in Big Ten basketball was Nick Anderson's Illini battling Glen Rice's Wolverines. Now, well, let's just say Demetri McCamey and Manny Harris aren't fueling quite the same anticipatory fires.

The point is rivalries change. So rather than roll out Duke-North Carolina and Michigan-Ohio State and call it a summer, Pat Forde ranks the hottest rivalries in college football and college basketball at this moment (and talks to Ivan Maisel and Andy Katz, left). Plus, who doesn't like seeing Wolverines fans getting scarlet in the face with rage?

jec332

Washington vs. Washington State over Penn State vs. Ohio State. Seriously? What a joke. A rivalry that is completely irrelevant can't be heated. Washington won, what, no games last year. Washington State won one. It's called a pillow fight, not a rivalry. The Penn State-Ohio State game should easily be in the top 10.

-- jec332
omagus

For everyone complaining about which rivalries are not included, did you read the intro? He said which rivalries are most heated NOW. As in *right* now. As in today. If the Clemson and South Carolina fight had happened last season, I bet that rivalry would be included. And if Miami ever becomes more than an average team again and can give Florida a real challenge, I bet that one would be included too.

-- omagus
schave33

This is stupid. Everyone knows that Duke/UNC is the biggest rivalry in basketball and probably top 5 in all of sports in general. Forde needs a serious reality check if he thinks otherwise. Exactly what has Kentucky done the last 5 years? Oh that's right, they were losing in the NIT. Other than Michigan State, what has any of the teams done in that span. Nothing!!!

-- schave33

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We are less than a week from the launch of the new "SportsNation" TV show, which will debut on ESPN2 on July 6 at 4 p.m. ET!

We just got out of our production meeting, and below we've listed the items we'd open with if the show were on today. Check 'em out, cast your votes and don't forget to circle July 6 on your calendar!

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Blogging The Nation

July 2, 2009
Jul
2

Sometimes we all need a little extra space to vent. ESPN profiles give fans space to post their own blog entries and go toe-to-toe with commenters.

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The long and the short of semifinal Thursday for the women at Wimbledon is another final between Serena and Venus Williams, their second in a row and fourth overall.

More specifically, the short was Venus' 51-minute demolition job against No. 1 Dinara Safina. The long was the epic clash between Serena and Elena Dementieva. The Russian had a match point and momentum proved constantly fickle, but Serena got the breaks.

Greg Garber was on hand in London, savoring the action and trying not to catch the Andy Murray bug that's infecting the nation.

Zach (Harrisonburg, Virginia)

Judging from Serena's escape I don't see Venus having any problems handling her in the final...did Dementieva just play spectacular today or was Serena a little off? I'm not that surprised by a third set but at the same time the fact that it was so close as opposed to lopsided surprised me.

Greg Garber
Greg Garber

Dementieva played the best match I've ever seen her play. Her groundstrokes were more solid than Serena's and her serve held up pretty well. Key to the match was two points, both break points that would have put Dementieva in better position to win. Both points were replayed -- one a Serena shot that was IN by a millimeter and the second a ball from Dementieva that was OUT by a millimeter. Crazy, crazy close match. Dementieva will get a lot of credit, even in losing.

Ben (Cincinnati)

This might have been asked already but if Murray was to win this, just how big of a celebration would that set off in London and throughout the UK? I imagine it wouldn't be as big as England winning the World Cup but I'd like to think that it would be a big party. No?

Greg Garber
Greg Garber

Ben: See the story we posted today. The local writers say it would be Britain's biggest sporting victory since 1966 -- when England won its only World Cup, against Germany. That's pretty huge. The TV rankings are going through the roof and one Internet site s offering finals tickets for 20,000 pounds! Full transcript.

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How would you feel if you lined up against your brother or sister on the athletic field with thousands looking on from the stands and millions more watching on television?

Would natural sibling rivalry make it easier to go all out? Would you want to take it easy on a family member? Or for however long the event lasted, would the other person cease to be anyone but an opponent?

As it turns out, SportsNation is almost evenly divided on the question.

Playing each other on the biggest of stages is nothing new for Serena and Venus Williams, and they will add another chapter when they meet in the women's final at Wimbledon for the fourth time (Serena's semifinal against Elena Dementieva re-airs on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET).

wmarcello

I'm not a huge fan of the women's game, but I gotta say the Serena/Dementieva match was some high-class stuff. When the matches are this good, what they lack in shot variety, they make up in drama.

-- wmarcello
bondsbay

You have to have crafted your skill along with the mental toughness ala (Tiger Woods). That is why if Serena plays the way she did today on Saturday, she will lose to her sister Venus. ... Venus has mastered her craft on grass a little better than Serena. I am going with Venus winning her 3 straight Wimbeldon. But if Serena comes with that game not making as many mistakes like she did againts Azeranka, then she might win.

-- bondsbay

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Two things we know for sure about Albert Pujols. First, Calvin Borel will play no part in the pursuit of this Triple Crown. Second, SportsNation considers him the greatest hitter in Cardinals history (although it's worth noting Missouri gives Stan Musial a little more love than most states).

But as good as Pujols has been since his first season in the majors, leading one SportsNation blogger to say he's the kind of player to tell your kids about in 25 years, he's on the verge of exploring new statistical territory. Not only is Pujols on pace to hit at least 61 home runs, a mark a majority of SportsNation still considers the single-season record, but he could become the first player since Carl Yastrzemski to win a Triple Crown.

Check where Pujols stands: Average | Home Runs | RBI

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CHAT IN PROGRESS

Andrew Feldman on WSOP
  • Andrew FeldmanYes, but if you're caught with that second acct, they might ban your IP. I'd email customer service with these questions and tell them your situation. Maybe they'll help you out.
  • Matt (Pasco, WA)Do you think "The Mouth" can make another strong run two years in a row?
  • Andrew FeldmanNo reason to believe why not. He knows how to play against these amateur fields better than almost anyone I know. He avoids the landmines and always picks great spots. I'd love to see him make the N9 just to hear what crazy things he'd say. On a side note, I just met the author of his book which I found really interesting. Go read it if you can...
  • Andrew FeldmanI gotta run, time to get a pro for an interview. Check out all our content on ESPN.com, listen to the podcasts, watch the videos, etc! Of course, twitter too @ESPN_Poker. I'll be back Monday! See you then!

FEATURED CHAT TRANSCRIPTS

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    Joey Chestnut and Crazy Legs Conti share their food eating stories.
  • Rubio/Flynn
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    Along with everyone else, Chad Ford questions the Wolves drafting two PGs.
  • Alex Smith
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    Our NFL writer says there's still a chance that Alex Smith turns into a franchise QB.

OVERHEARD

 

Who is a better sport sibling duo: Eli and Peyton or Venus and Serena? Jay Harris said he would take the Williams sisters.

-- Clay (Charlotte)
Scott Van Pelt

So would I and it's not real close. They have 18 slams between them, soon to be 19. Venus played the No. 1 player in the world and beat her 1 and love ... in 51 minutes. Not even close.

--Scott Van Pelt, SportsCenter and ESPN Radio

GREATEST HITS ALBUM

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    Wednesday, July 1
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  • Bo Jackson
    Tuesday, June 30
    Yao Ming may be about to join an illustrious list of "what-if" athletes.
  • Mariano Rivera
    Monday, June 29
    Mariano Rivera has 500 saves and an RBI, but is he the best closer ever?
  • Greg Maddux
    Monday, June 29
    ESPN's 20 Years of Baseball: Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux or Nolan Ryan?

SN DEBATE: ARIZA MAY LEAVE LAKERS

 

If Denver could somehow pick up Ariza, they would leap-frog the Lakers this year. He was the second most important player in that series, and without Ariza, they would have no one to cover Melo, and Denver would get a great 3 point shooter. They should do everything in their power to make that deal.

-- anmcdonald

While I would love to see Ariza stay with the Lakers, paying a player who cant create his own shot, who really is either a spot up shooter or a finisher, 8 million dollars is a bit much. I love how everyone loved his play against Orlando, yet fails to remember how awful he was again Houston and Denver.

-- smifdawg23