US Open: Nadal Rips His Way to Another Championship

If MLB Commish Rob Manfred is hell-bent on shortening baseball's game times, he might want to hang out around Arthur Ashe Stadium more often.

First, Sloane Stephens went from first serve to hoisting the hardware in the time it takes to grill baby back ribs.

Then, Rafael Nadal does his straight-set sweep -- 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 -- of Kevin Anderson in the time it takes to grill side ribs.

Well, that would entail a rather ambitious pre-function if you were gonna take in the title match.

Nadal was allegedly told that no one had ever won a US Open championship while wearing pink.

To be on the safe side, then, dude made a wardrobe change.

Hints of pink, apparently, didn't carry the same superstitious risk.

On the business side of things, it's not just the women who draw attention for what they're wearing.

For his 16th Grand Slam title, Nadal made certain the $725,000 Richard Mille 27-03 timepiece, continuing a sponsorship with that independent French/Swiss watchmaker.

It's impressive that he wears it during a match. Roger Federer, who endorses Rolex, will only slip into his for trophy presentations.

Definitely a far cry from the early days of television when live commercials were par for the course and good ol' Timex watches sold for $9.95:

As quick on his feet with that ad lib as newsman John Cameron Swayze was, you've gotta wonder what he could've done with a racquet, himself.

Then again, he'd probably have preferred to throw a few back and grill ribs while watching Nadal stage his own personal blitzkrieg.