Dateline Charleston: Suddenly we are media darlings

When we hung a banner to support Patty Schnyder, we didn't think we were doing anything unique; we just thought it was a good idea to give Patty encouragement. But the banner has drawn quite a bit of attention. A picture of it appears on the Family Circle Cup's website (Thursday's "off the court" photo collection), and last night, the banner appeared on the 11:00 news in Charleston. We assume ESPN has either shown it or will show it today.

Schnyder has acknowledged the banner with a wave after each match. Yesterday, after she defeated Natalie Dechy in her quarterfinal match, Patty stuck around to do the Bell South Challenge, an annual charity event. But first, Luke Jensen interviewed her. He told her he knew she was very popular in Charleston and had a lot of fans, and that--in all the years he had attended the Family Circle Cup--this was the first time he had ever seen a sign hung for a player. So there was a lot of applause, and we cheered Patty on again.

Today, we hang the banner again; she needs encouragement now, more than ever.