I walked into the kitchen because I could hear John ranting. I took one look and choked on my coffee.

Who thought it was a good idea to open an international competition with Liza Minnelli belting “God Bless America” from a red carpet on the tennis court? I think fondly of Liza. She’s not the most centered woman on the planet, but whatever can have possessed her to participate in this?

I gagged when I saw men in uniform rolling out an obscenely huge American flag over the whole court while she roared - so totally vulgar and inappropriate. I’ll bet they weren’t entirely happy about it either.

So how was the choice made to open one of the few truly international events that American hosts with such a nationalistic ritual?

What next? Do we all goose-step into our seats? Everybody hails the flag?

This country is whacked. We deserve every word in any overseas editorials that might be written about this - or maybe they’ve just given up on us. How is it that when we see this kind of thing in North Korea everybody gets it, but not when we see it here?

The top players aren’t even American! (What, we can’t take not being the winners?)

Arrogant. Self-centered. Unwelcoming. Boorish. Rude. Disgusting. Stupid.

You can email the United States Tennis Association to register your opinion with them. You can email Liza too.