U.S. Open: Double known number of Bryan Brothers spotted at NYC party not result of too much alcohol

"We got sloppy," said one brother. "We got damn sloppy," added another brother.

New York--Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan are the twin brothers that make up the famous Bryan Brothers men's doubles tennis dynamic duo. The brothers have captured more doubles titles than any other pair before them and took home all the precious metal hardware from the four major titles over the past year. 

This after just over two years ago, the United States Tennis Association closed an investigation that looked to uncover the "actual number of Bryan brothers." The two-month, intense investigation did not yield the result the USTA had clearly expected. 

"For several years, it was believed that there were actually three or four brothers, that they were triplets or quadruplets, and, during breaks in long or short matches, would substitute for each other in order to keep fresh and systematically wear down opponents," said USTA official, Margaret Hargrove. 

However, the USTA was "generally satisfied" that the Bryan Brothers were only twins after the in-house inquiry turned up nothing. On Saturday, at a party celebrating the start of this week's U.S. Open at a posh Manhattan penthouse, two more brothers than usual were spotted preparing to pull a "party switch." 

"We are fairly certain that the brothers blew their cover while trying for a substitution at a Park Avenue gathering," said Hargrove. "Bill and Mack, now officially the other half of the Bryan quadruplets, were frustrated that Bob and Mike were not only getting all the tennis glory, but were also reveling in all the partying as well. Bob and Mike agreed to let Bill and Mack mingle among the guests for 'about thirty minutes.'" 

It was during this switch that one intoxicated partygoer stumbled upon the group and took a quick snapshot. The brothers were caught off guard but posed for the camera, then tried to convince the swaying, slurring photographer that the "extra two brothers were a result of all the wine." Immediate efforts by the Bryans to obtain the camera were unsuccessful. 

"We got 'em," said Hargrove.  

Cabinet bursting with snack foods sad reminder of ArenaBowl party no-shows

Philadelphia--Over a week and a half later, a local man who hosted one of the nation's only six ArenaBowl parties cannot escape the constant reminder of the absolute flop that it was. "I invited, like, 40-some people and only two people showed up. One neighbor came before the game to 'see what's up,' he didn't even know a game was on. Then, another neighbor stopped in afterwards to borrow a patio chair. He didn't even ask who had won the game. So, really, I was the only one at the party while there was actual awesome indoor football being played. Not surprisingly, there was so much leftover food. What do you do with fourteen tomato pies? Every time I open the kitchen cabinet I am reminded of all those who who bailed. What am I going to do with all these snacks?" said Allen Shoemaker, proudly wearing an autographed Tony Graziani jersey. After some breathing exercises and some deep thinking--which included an audible self question and answer session--Shoemaker was almost certain that some of the snacks could be used for his inaugural U.S. Open women's final/men's doubles final party on September 8th. "The Oreos, goldfish and Cheez-its were never opened, thank God, so they should be good for my tennis extravaganza. It's gonna be a blast...er, an ace."

Andy Murray waiting for right time to tell Great Britain that he was born, raised in Cleveland

Above: Wimbledon Champion Andy Murray hoists the cup after his victory in the finals over Novak Djokovic on Sunday, the first for a "Brit" in 77 years. "I'll probably tell Britain about the whole not being from here thing the same day that the Royal baby is born," said Murray about his plans to announce to the world that he is not actually British. "Yeah, that sounds like a good plan."

Number experiment: French Open first major tennis tournament with numbers on shirts

Paris--In February, the World Tennis Association (WTA) unanimously passed a new rule requiring players to wear numbers on the back and front of their shirts. Based on seniority, the racket toting athletes were asked to choose a number they would like to be associated with before March 15.  The clay courts at Roland Garros will be the first major tournament--or any tournament for that matter--to see the numbers in action firsthand. "The French Open is a testing ground. We feel that the numbers will help fans better identify the players on the courts," said Claude Montreax, special adviser to the WTA and to the world's largest professional clay court tournament. The new numbers are also expected to sell millions of jerseys worldwide, which means hundreds of millions of dollars for the WTA. Many critics of the new rule feel this money is the only reason behind approving such a "preposterous" regulation. "Tennis has a rich tradition and having numbers on shirts insults and contaminates the integrity of the game. There's only two or four players on the court at one time, I think I can figure out who is who without help from numbers. This rule is a total sham," said former tennis star and current tv analyst John McEnroe.  

U.S. Open: Was Skycam too low during matches?

Above: Juan Martin Del Potro does his best to return a shot without hitting the low-hanging Skycam.

Above: Roberta Vinci is forced to serve the ball between the support cables of Skycam during an early-round match.

Queens, N.Y.C.--The U.S. Open ended on Monday; however, the controversy surrounding the tournament has yet to subside. This year, the U.S.T.A. decided to use Skycam--the cable-suspended, remotely-controlled overhead, zigging and zagging camera--for the first time in history in order to provide home viewers with "unprecedented views" of the association's premier event. The N.F.L. uses the same technology during their television broadcasts. So eager was the group to give these views that the camera often hovered inches above players heads or, much to the confusion and frustration of everyone, centimeters above the net. In the first three days alone, the camera was struck 376 times by the ball. "I have to say that the angles were spectacular," said former player and current tv commentator John McEnroe. "But it really has interfered with the game. I think we have to ask who tennis is catering to: the home viewers or the players?" Two were struck in the head by the fast-moving, unmanned camera and forced to withdraw. Because of the egregious mismanagement of the device, nearly half of the players that competed in the 2012 U.S. Open have filed a class action to play the entire competition over.

U.S. Open Men's Triples Final: Champs capitalize on second-set power play