Required Reading

• If you haven't been reading Steve Tignor's dispatches from Melbourne, you should.  I keep swinging by his desk to see if I can catch him just do a "We're Not Worthy" bow but alas, our timing seems to be off.  Either that, or he knows I'm stalking him.
• A nice roundup by Pete Bodo (no, really!) of the Fab Five Froshies who will be impressing us for years to come.
• Rafa's Armani pics.  Thank you to the 23 people who have tweeted and emailed me them.  The reason for my shocking lack of commentary?  I find them completely underwhelming, and in the case of the spread eagle shot, totes grody.
• Some cool stats on the Fran/Sveta match from Busted Racquet.  Crazy to believe that a three setter almost eclipsed that Rafa/Fernando match.
• Sam is 34-0 at Slams when she wins the first set and 6-30 when she drops it.  That's a stat to keep in mind down the road.
• Matt Cronin doesn't think Venus should have come to Australia.  Neither does Oracene.  And neither do I.  But I have nothing but respect for her for trying.
• Man, I want to hear Martina's commentary on that Henin/Kuz match.
• Patrick Mouratoglou questions Gael's heart, to which I respond, "what heart?"  Rick's blogs from Melbourne have been great.
• Bodo on his boy A-Rod.  I go back and forth on the question of whether A-Rod's affirmative decision to become less offensive was gutsy or just plain stupid.  Lord knows the two are separated by a very thin line.
• It was a good Aussie Open for America's Hat.
• Bodo on Delpo.  Christopher Clarey, too.
• A great write-up on Carillo leaving ESPN.  She is certainly missed.
• In case you missed it, my heart jumped when my Google Reader lit up with new New Balls, Please posts from Gauloises.  That's right, one of my favorite tennis writers (yes, I'm calling you that, G) is back.  
• Sad face.  I still love you, Sammy.
• I pimped out some Petko.
• An interview with some dude who's been very very nice to me.
• David Rosenberg is writing for Tennis Channel from Melbourne.  He's great.  And a total cutie-patootie.
• Non-Required Reading:  Amy Poehler modeling pics.