The Sports Informant

The Sacramento Capitals’ World TeamTennis season came and went recently, swooping through the area like a traveling circus. Performers put on a good show, packed their bags and went home all over the course of one month, going back to their lives, while leaving fans hungry for more.

With only a month to catch the show, though, it felt more like a series than a season. Like a prolonged and extended playoff run, the Capitals’ season whisked by with every match determining the team’s survival. With a revamped roster and a new home at the Galleria mall, the Capitals lost in the semifinals of the WTT playoffs on July 25. Last year’s defending champs couldn’t repeat, ending the run a game short of ultimate glory.

When it was over, fans went back to their lives in search of something else to follow. But believe it or not, the month-long showcase is exactly what a league like this needs to flourish. Ironically, it’s the short season that makes following the Caps so intriguing. While most professional teams’ seasons last months or nearly half a year, fans of the Caps don’t get worn down and lose interest. With tennis being mostly an individual sport, fans get to see something a bit different, but in a short enough amount of time to stay intrigued throughout.

That’s not the only reason the league succeeds. Where else can you see some of the game’s top current and former pros battle one another in live competition? Fans get to see dream matchups live and at very low cost in their hometown, showdowns they wish for in other sports, but never really get to see. While Dmitry Tursunov and Andy Roddick sharpen their skills on the courts in the WTT, legends the likes of Lindsey Davenport and Pete Sampras join the fun, coming out to shake off the rust and buckle down one more time.

Anyone want to see Michael Jordan play LeBron James? Watch Muhammed Ali fight Mike Tyson? Catch a glimpse of Joe Montana versus Tom Brady? Sorry, they’ll never happen, unless they pick up tennis and join the WTT. There, it’s about the fans, and a good time overrides the pride of players and million dollar contractual obligations.

That’s what makes the WTT so great. Sure, current stars will be more athletic, in better shape and much more on top of their game than former greats; it’s simple human nature. Fans know the score and can account for the difference. But when a guy like Sampras can swoop in and dazzle the crowd, beating a guy half his age much to his opponent’s dismay, a thing of beauty ensues, one that can’t be found anywhere else. And that’s something worth witnessing for anyone a fan of the sport.

So regardless of how the Capitals did this year (8-6 in the regular season, 9-7 overall), we’ve gotta appreciate what they’ve done for us. Like every other year, the local tennis team wrangled up some of the greatest players to play the game, put them on a tennis court in our back yard and battled for a month to win our hearts. The Capitals didn’t repeat as champions, but as long as they give us someone to cheer for every summer, we’ll keep showing up to watch.