My daughter, Lizzie, and I taking in the quarterfinals of the 2014 US Open
There is one signature event of New York City that remains indelible in my mind, and that’s the US Open. Ordinarily, we enjoy going – some or parts of my family and friends – to the early matches so we can watch up close and personal on the field courts. However this year, knowing the benefits of American Express Platinum, since many years ago I was involved in the launch of this harbinger product of great things, I splurged.
My daughter and I met, anticipating the quarterfinals, and we were not disappointed. While Warwinka championed ahead, our eyes were also on the crowd, searching for celebs and just folks who cheer on the players. We really lucked out, with seats just above the boxes. And my concierge at Am Ex surely did not lead me astray.
It’s often hard to tell what kind of sight lines you will have in the stadium there, but ours were excellent. Luckily, the hot weather had broken a bit, and the night was sizzling in just the right way as the two players took to the court. What a spectacle! To see the evening sky brilliant behind the stands, and the colorful outfits and smiles of the fans – well, nothing beats it.
Sponsors Get Attention: Front and Center
Since we often highlight events in NYC as a luxury PR firm, another one not to miss coverage of this week is Fashion Week. Now Fashion Week extends to ten days, and once again, Mercedes Benz is the sponsor. (Their logo was on either side of the net at the Open.) Mercedes recently published a story saying that it takes twenty years to cultivate a customer. While that may be hard to fathom, considering they’ve dropped the opening sticker price to under $40,000, the company is definitely trying to cultivate a younger market, competing now with BMW.
Back to the Open…the crowd was a mixture of died-in-the-wool New Yorkers (who bring their cushions from year’s passed), to financial types to young jocks. There are many fans that have obviously never missed a match – in person or on TV or streaming — in their entire lives. I belong to the latter category, as my parents started taking me to the Open when it was in Forest Hills, and grass was the surface. Those were amazing matches, and to see them replayed on CBS, one is struck by the aggressive serve and volley game of such seminal players as Arthur Ashe and Tony Trabert, who was awarded what is tennis’s answer to the Oscars Lifetime Achievement Award this year. Lots of great memories come to mind, when it was a very small, intimate venue.
CBS-TV’s coverage will end after this year, and all of the Open will be broadcast on ESPN, but thank goodness John McEnroe will still be commentating. Without John’s insightful, and surprisingly compassionate discussion of the players and their games, where would we be? While Mary Carillo is considered the esteemed commentator, my heart is with McEnroe. I watched a hilarious exhibition tennis match as well, where John and James Blake (a heartthrob of mine whom I saw in our local Bagel Joint), were playing Mats Wilander and Jim Courier. John invited the ball boy to play a point with him, and the young man was adorable. Typical John, funny and warm. To remember his comments all those years ago to umpires at Wimbledon and the Open, the man has matured into a real champion of the sport, with the right attitude!
All in all, late summer New York City events herald the end of a season in an exciting and memorable way. Not to be missed!