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MONTREAL -- Theyve composed chants just for Canadian tennis player Eugenie Bouchard, roared for her until they went hoarse, and toasted her wins by fudging their way through "O Canada. Bernard Pollard Tennessee Titans ." Meet the "Genie Army" -- a dozen boisterous Aussies who, despite boasting zero connection to Canada, have become Bouchards unofficial cheerleaders at the Australian Open. Members of the weeks-old squad have jumped, danced and serenaded their way into an unmistakable grandstand presence during the Montreal teens impressive run at the event, where she has earned a semifinal spot Thursday. The devotees, mostly men in their 20s, have also fashioned red-and-white T-shirts that spell out Bouchards name, flapped banners for her during matches, and lobbed plush animals -- each of them native to Australia -- to her on the court following each of her victories. Though they have had little face-to-face interaction with Bouchard, they have certainly commanded her attention in Melbourne. "The crowd here has been amazing, especially the Genie Army," Bouchard, 19, said Tuesday during an on-court interview after beating Ana Ivanovic. She then pointed up to her noisy, personal cheering section. "Ive had so much fun. Thank you guys." The inspiration behind a brigade dedicated to Bouchard came after a bunch of Australian buddies watched her upset Ivanovic last year at Wimbledon, said one of the Army members. In December, as the Australian Open approached, Jacob Wright said the crew decided to become her own booster club, so they started making shirts and penning Bouchard chants. The Genie Army was born. "Shes just a great tennis player," Wright, 20, told The Canadian Press in a Skype interview from Melbourne. "Obviously, shes a good-looking girl as well, and were young guys, but she is a really good tennis player. Its really, really good fun to watch." Their movement has had nothing to do with patriotism, either. When asked whether any of them had a connection to Canada, he replied: "None of us." Wright said they caught Bouchards attention during her first-round match, which was held on a more-intimate court that brings fans closer to the players. Six of them showed up for the event and were lucky enough to have their photos taken with Bouchard, get her autograph, and exchange a few words with their favourite player after the victory. The Genie Army nation was thrilled, Wright added, when Bouchard later told an interviewer she hoped they would show up for her next match. They havent missed one since -- and their ranks have doubled to about 12. Wright said it has been a bit of a give-and-take relationship, with Bouchard thanking her believers in interviews and by making gestures, such as posting a couple of photos of them on her Twitter feed. The connection likely hit its only bumpy patch on Tuesday when she was asked in a post-match interview about who she would like to date, if she could choose anyone in the world. An embarrassed Bouchard, who appeared to be taken off guard by the question, blurted out the name of Canadian pop star Justin Bieber. In TV footage, members of the Genie Army were shown waving off her choice. They remain committed, however, to backing Bouchard for the long haul, even if they initially didnt expect it to last. Wright admitted they never predicted Bouchard, the tournaments 30th seed, would advance to the semifinal, but theyve enjoyed the longer-than-expected ride. Bouchard, in fact, became the first Canadian to reach a Grand Slam semifinal in 30 years. "My voice doesnt usually sound like this, Im pretty husky from a week of just full-on yelling as loud as I can," said Wright, who was wearing a white T-shirt with a red Maple Leaf and a Bouchard autograph. "But yeah, weve just been yelling, chanting -- and overall the response from the crowds been really good." He said group members have also been surprised by the notoriety theyve amassed throughout the tournament, growing so big that they have been interviewed by media outlets and have frequently been asked to pose for photos with other fans. "Well be standing there for 20 minutes or something (after matches)," said Wright, whose group has an online presence on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, where .GenieArmy was trending after Tuesdays win. "Its getting really full of fun." But their primary mission has not changed since Day 1: support Bouchard. During her matches, the crew can be heard belting out custom chants from the bleachers, including a fight song usually reserved for when she first steps onto the hardcourt. "We are the Army, the Genie Army, and we are mental, and we are mad," a clapping Wright chanted as he began a demonstration of the mantra. The gang has even sung the Canadian national anthem, though Wright admits only a couple of them know the words. The first time they attempted "O Canada," he said they received some welcome help from Canadian fans in the crowd. "We started it off, but then we had a lot of Canadians around us, so they sort of finished it off for us," Wright said. "It wasnt a very good rendition."Authentic DaQuan Jones Jersey . During the morning loop on TSN, SportsCentre presents Purple Hearts, a TSN Original feature on Daron Richardson, daughter of former NHL defenceman Luke Richardson, who took her own life at the age of 14. Blidi Wreh-Wilson Tennessee Titans . More than a month after signing the free agent centre, Bynum is expected to make his debut with Indiana on Tuesday night against Boston.FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots have released safety Steve Gregory. The 31-year-old Gregory has played eight seasons, including the past two with the Patriots. The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder joined the Patriots as an unrestricted free agent on March 16, 2012, after six seasons with the San Diego Chargers. Gregory played in 26 games with the Patriots over the past two seasons with 23 starts and had 145 tackles, three interceptions, two forced fumbless and two fumble recoveries. Authentic Michael Oher Jersey. Last season, he played in 14 games with 11 starts and finished with a career-high 90 tackles. He entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with San Diego out of Syracuse on May 8, 2006. During his eight NFL seasons, Gregory has played in 111 games with 54 starts and has 386 tackles, seven interceptions and 27 special teams tackles. He has also played in 11 post-season games with five starts and has 32 tackles. ' ' ' |
