NEW YORK -- When 55-year-old banking executive Vijay Parimoo told his friends he would be a rookie ball boy at this years U.S. Open, he expected, and got, a little teasing.They were like, `Isnt there an age limit? Shouldnt there be? he said.But the U.S. Open has indeed never put an upper limit on the age of its ball chasers, which tournament officials say sets Flushing Meadows apart from the other Grand Slams. Of the 275 ball people this year -- all of whom had to make it through grueling tryouts -- about 75 are 18 or older and more than 20 of those are over 30. Several are in their 50s. One who gave it up a couple of years ago was 63.Top players who make it their habit to thank the ball boys and ball girls in their victory speeches on tour have been seen giving double-takes when handed a ball or towel by grownups.I see many adults, says No. 1-ranked defending champion Novak Djokovic. I dont know if all of them are adults, but theyre doing their job very well.While the very idea of ball men and ball women has been lampooned over the years -- most notably on TVs Seinfeld when Kramer finds a way to bungle the great ball man experiment -- its a point of pride for the hardy few who have actually done one of the most coveted minimum-wage jobs in sports. And U.S. Open officials say there are plenty of wrinkles, so to speak, at this particular Grand Slam that make older ball people a sensible choice.For one, the two-week U.S. Open normally straddles the Labor Day weekend, when the school year kicks in and labor laws prevent kids from working extended hours, especially at night.The older ballpersons are gold in the night matches, says Cathie Delaney, a U.S. Tennis Association pro who manages the day-to-day court assignments for ball people who can be as young as 14. Some of these matches go until 2 a.m. We cant have a 14-year-old on the subway at 2 a.m.And then theres the U.S. Opens distinction of being the only major in which the ball persons move the balls around the court by throwing them rather than rolling them, which on changeovers can mean 80-foot, baseball-like guns from one end of the court to the other. Over the three weeks of work -- through the qualifying rounds, the main draws, junior, college and wheelchair events -- all that throwing can take a toll on young arms.Former college baseball player Yitz Liberman answered the call several years ago, not out of a particular devotion to tennis but because he knew he had a rocket arm. Now, the 34-year-old adjunct professor of Judaic studies at Yeshiva University has worked his way up to the position of crew chief in some of the top matches in Arthur Ashe Stadium.Theres a lot going on around you. Its my job to keep everyone focused and everyone in line, says Liberman, who high-fived his mostly teenage crew when they were assigned Venus Williams match in front of more than 23,000 fans.Dressed in identical blue uniforms, the six-person crew marches on and off the court like soldiers. In a choreographed flourish, they fan out onto the court to their assigned spots, the runners at the net who scamper for loose balls, and the throwers at the end who bounce the balls to the players and handle their sweaty towels.Tina Taps, who has been in charge of the ball persons since 1989, says she doesnt care about age, only a love of the tennis and the ability to make it through tryouts, which involve sprints, agility drills and throwing competitions. Each summer, about 400 people try out for just 80 rookie spots.Its a hard job, she said. More mature ball persons can deal with the heat and the various things that occur on the court and can teach the younger ones to persevere.One of those vets is Laray Fowler, a 32-year-old sales associate from Great Neck who has worked every U.S. Open since she was 14. She specializes in knowing and anticipating the on-court likes, dislikes and nuances of some of the games biggest stars, including Serena Williams.Its kind of like I know what she wants without her even having to ask, says Fowler, who, for reasons that have never been explained to her, ends up getting assigned to just about every Serena match.So will there ever come a day Fowler will give up being a ball person? No way, she says. Im going to do this until I cant walk anymore.For Parimoo, the 55-year-old rookie from Warren, New Jersey, taking his place on court is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. It began in his native India when he watched Jimmy Connors, Chris Evert and Bjorn Borg at the Open on television and noticed the youngsters chasing the balls across the court. What do these kids have to do to be in this tournament? he wondered. They must be super smart or special.When his 15-year-old son, Shray, tried out this summer, he took his dad with him. Amazingly, they both made it.In one of his first assignments, Parimoo handled the towel in a doubles match for one of his idols, Martina Hingis. But his biggest honor came this week when he was assigned to work as part of the same crew with his son.It reminded him once again of the biggest advantage he has over younger ball people: perspective.This is a privilege, he says. I enjoy every minute I am here. I may not be able to do it tomorrow. nfl jerseys for sale . "Theyve both been real good," said Babcock. "Havent changed our minds." A decision has seemingly been made - Sundays Group B-deciding tilt against Finland ahead - but it could not have been an easy one. Price opened the tournament with a sturdy 19-save performance against the Norwegians, yielding just one goal. wholesale nfl jerseys . -- Ty Montgomery had 290 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, and fifth-ranked Stanford held on to beat No. http://www.wholesalejerseysnflauthentic.com/ . Speaking Thursday on TSN 1050 Thursday, the Leafs GM also touched on the questions surrounding the teams leadership and the struggles of his big-name free-agent signing. “Its not from lack of effort from the coaching staff. wholesale jerseys cheap authentic . It says Pocklingtons lawyer filed the appeal Friday in a California court. CTV Edmonton also says Pocklington gave a $100,000 cash deposit as part of the conditions of his bail, and that he will be out on bail until his appeal is heard. official nfl jerseys cheap .com) - Richie Incognito has reportedly been admitted to a psychiatric care unit in Arizona. MOSCOW -- The Kontinental Hockey League, widely considered the worlds strongest hockey competition outside the NHL, is considering cutting teams because of financial pressure.A recession in Russia, where the KHL is based, and the low price of oil have hurt the fortunes of the Russian state-owned companies and regional governments that fund most teams, pushing several deeply into debt.League president Dmitry Chernyshenko said the KHL board is set to discuss an optimization of the number of clubs taking part, in comments Monday to state agency R-Sport.I think its possible that the league could contract if the board takes that decision, Chernyshenko said.The move occurs months after a significant expansion with the addition of a team in China, a maarket also being targeted by the NHL for future merchandising growth.dddddddddddd However, the Chinese team, split between Beijing and Shanghai, has struggled to attract fans, with attendance below 1,000 at some games at the Shanghai arena.The KHL features 29 teams across eight countries in Eastern Europe and Asia, though most are based in Russia and even the non-Russian teams tend to rely heavily on Russian state funds to meet their wage bills.Last week, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov accused Russian regional governments in financial difficulties of being irresponsible by continuing to sponsor sports teams. 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