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publisher’s letter BY JON HASTINGS Underappreciated in any era EING GREAT CAN HAVE A DOWNSIDE. How heavy do you think the crown is that says Byou’re the most talented player of all time, but stops short there? Only Phil Dalhausser knows that hat size. If you were tasked with making the mold for a dominant beach volleyball player, you could save some time by using Dalhausser’s Wikipedia page as your blueprint. Even though he is the most legit, five-tool (hitter, blocker, setter, passer, jump server) player of all time, the 6-9 Dalhausser has plenty of non-believers when the discussion of best of the last 70 years surfaces. It’s how easy Dalhausser, 38, makes the game look that creates a conundrum. His generational talent rais- es his own bar to an unrealistic height. Anything less than a convincing victory each time he takes the court is categorized as a colossal bust. Some legends’ mon- umental wins seem to live forever, but by comparison Dalhausser’s have the lifespan of a Snapchat photo. Dalhausser, who is in his 16th professional season, should eternally remain in the conversation as the best there’s ever been. His dominating FIVB win with Nick PHOTO: FIVB Lucena in Ft. Lauderdale in February reminded rivals and fans alike just how good he can be. Six wins against the world’s both players who most feel could transcend eras. best in straight sets, all featuring suffocating blocks by Dalhausser, It’s fair to say that the mental intensity of Kiraly and Smith remain established the Americans as the No. 1-ranked team on the FIVB incomparable. But to suggest that Dalhausser is not an elite competitor Tour. That run was part of a 17-match winning streak that started is not only unfair, but inaccurate. There are lots of factors that get bur- after a quarterfinal loss at ied during the construction of the Mount Rushmore of greats. Kiraly, the FIVB Beach Volleyball who has plenty of justified support as the best ever, might not have an If he has a flaw, World Championship in Olympic beach gold medal if his partner, Kent Steffes, had not taken Vienna last August. over a quarterfinal match against Smith and his partner Carl Henkel at it’s simply that Phil If he has a flaw, it’s sim- the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996. Dalhausser might have two if winds ply that Phil is too nice of a would not have reached 40-plus miles per hour in his elimination is too nice of a guy. guy. Self-promotion is not match in Rio in 2016, effectively neutralizing his hand setting. one of his skill sets. Dalhausser, whose humility meter is always in check, says he doesn’t Even Dalhausser down plays his own accomplishments. He has 92 think about being remembered as the best when his career ends. “For total victories, including an Olympic gold (Beijing, 2008) and FIVB that to happen I would have to win about 50 more tournaments and World Championship (Gstaad, 2007), as well as six Manhattan Open another Olympics and at least another world championship,” he says. titles with three different partners. He has won at least one FIVB event He considers Brazil’s Emanuel Rego (five Olympics) and Kiraly (148 in 13 straight seasons on a tour that is vastly different than the domes- total wins) as unapproachable icons in the historical race. tic draws of the 1960s and 1970s. Those years created a colorful cast There is still some sushi in that roll, however, especially since Dal- of beach legends, but the inequitable separation of physical talents be- hausser is now committed to playing through the Olympics in Tokyo in tween that era and today is undeniable. Unless you fall in the delusional 2020. Kiraly may be the Michael Jordan of beach volleyball and Rego camp that thinks Gail Goodrich could guard Russell Westbrook. the Kobe Bryant, but Phil is the LeBron James – a physical freak that Sinjin Smith, who never lacked confidence on the court or fell falls short only in championship banners. shy of offering an opinion, revealed in a recent DiG interview that And there’s still time for both Phil and LeBron. Let’s put it this way, Dalhausser would be his partner of choice if he could pick from the if Kiraly or Rego were still playing and in their primes today, they most historical pool of beach partners. That’s a bold and powerful statement assuredly would be making a phone call to the best partner available. from Sinjin, who played both with Karch Kiraly and Randy Stoklos – That’s a hat that comfortably fits Phil Dalhausser in any era.DiG PUBLISHER | JON HASTINGS [email protected] CREATIVE DIRECTOR | DENNIS STEERS [email protected] ASSOCIATE EDITOR | CONNOR HASTINGS [email protected] EDITOR | DON PATTERSON [email protected] PHOTO EDITOR | PETER BROUILLET COPY EDITOR | ERIC HAMMOND AD SALES | PAUL GABRIEL [email protected] CONTRIBUTING EDITORS | CASEY PATTERSON, TOM FEUER PHOTOGRAPHERS | RICK ATWOOD, DON LIEBIG, WALLY NELL DiG is published by JDP Publishing Group, P.O. Box 13052, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93406. For advertising or editorial information, call 1-805-541-9800 or e-mail [email protected]. For subscriptions and address changes call 1-866-368-5652 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST. On the Net: digbeachvolleyball.com or jdppublishing.com.