It's been a long tough summer and I'm getting back into this blogging mode. Let's just jump right in and catch up:
NBA:
Los Angeles Lakers: There have just got to be Jedi in the Lakers front office to get the deals that they get. First Pau Gasol for a hearty dinner (I used to say a ham sandwich, but that other Gasol brother turned out pretty good) and a 2 liter of Mountain Dew, but now they get Dwight Howard for what amounts to a turkey sandwich that someone left in a hot car for a day and 3 Caprisuns (not cold, just straight out the box). The Lakers must grow Jedis in their organization because these deals just don't happen for other teams. With Dwight, the Lakers have kept Kobe's window of opportunity for #6 open for 2 years.
Miami Heat: Juwan Howard may finally call it quits as a basketball player, but he may end up as a coach for the Miami Heat come this fall. Juwan is a good guy, and I'm glad that things are working out for him. He got his rang too.
OKC Thunder: After showing the love to Serge Ibaka in the form of a 4yr/$49M deal, the Thunder gotta figure out what to do about Harden. They know they gonna be a tax paying team, so let's just say it's gonna come down to how much more they gonna pay. IF they can get Harden for the same deal as Ibaka, I think it'll all be great for the Thunder. If not, Harden plays out next year and becomes a free agent in 2013. I'm really interested if they can sell Harden on the team and what they've built when he's staring at all them $$$s.
NFL:
New York Jets: As I sat watching the Jets last night, all I could keep saying is, 'the Jets better have a great dayum defense this year, or they in trouble'. The other thing that kept going through my mind was that if Tebow would have been the person to score or throw for the touchdown that would have given the Jets their first (and only TD) in the preseason,...Mark Sanchez was going to be on his way out of town today. I like Tebow, he has something about him, but he's not a starter in the NFL. But I will say this, I think he will be the starter for the Jets by Week 4 if they get off to a slow start. NY fans will have Sanchez on a fastboat outta there.
Seattle Seahawks: Hey, all isn't bad with Matt Flynn, at least his pockets straight. He got a 3yr/$26M deal that averages about $6M per year. That's great money if you can get it, but it's not NFL starter money. With Russell Wilson being named starter for the opener, it gives the Seahawks a chance to play the rookie and if he's good, they didn't really invest BIG money in Flynn. to Mr. Russell Wilson, get your game on brother. We'll be rooting for you here.
New England Patriots: I guess the one person that has to be unhappy right now is Wes Welker. We know he's a team guy, but the Patriots have essentially let Welker know where he stands in their plans by re-upping both Gronk and Hernandez (5yr/$40M, $12.5M signing bonus, $16.4M guaranteed). The Patriots will be running two TE sets until the dogs come home. The beuaty of it all is that many teams can't matchup with them when they have both TEs, Welker and Lloyd running around. I expect Brady to throw for about 40 TDs this year. I guess the only difference is that Welker knows he won't be there next year.
Philadelphia Eagles: Vick already hurt? Vick has a rib injury that, trust me, will linger for a while. If this team starts off slow again, I'm not sure what they can do to turn it around. We know they won't fire Andy Reid and the Eagles don't really have a seasoned backup QB. I've wanted this team to win big since the Reggie White and Jerome Brown days, since Cunnigham, since Carmichael, and for some reason they can't get it done. I hope this is their year.
Chicago Bears: Everyone is concerned that the Bears are limping into the season. Urlacher had his knee recently scoped and isn't back to full strength yet. Peppers is battling 'continual soreness' (plantar faciitis) and this defense is already one injury to the linebacking core from being seasoned to being old. But, just like every other Bear year in recent memory, the Bears have a problem on their offensive line. I think I just saw Mike Tice on Michigan Ave taking applications for left tackle for anyone over 6'5" (if you're in Chicago, just walk down the street, someone will approach you with an offer). It'll help that Cutler won't be taking as many deep drops this year, but they gotta find a way to give him time for him and Brandon Marshall to cook this year.
Golf:
Where or where has the Tiger that I once knew gone? Yes he was in contention on Friday after tweaking his back, but he went to hell in a hand basket after that. Each week, I wait to see the Tiger that dominated golf on a weekly basis and sadly to say, I'm not sure if that guy is ever coming back. But, I will be waiting and watching and hoping.
The 2012 Ryder Cup is coming to the Chicagoland Area and I plan on being there. We'll see how many photos I can get and maybe an interview or two. Should be fun.
More to come,......
Showing posts with label Tiger Woods. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tiger Woods. Show all posts
Monday, August 27, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Catching Up on NBA, MLB and Golf
It's been a minute but let's take a look at what's going on across the sports landscape.
NBA:
New York Knicks - Yes, I gotta start here and more talk about Jeremy Lin. I've been watching him play and yesterday, if you weren't 'AlLin' you should be by now. Lin has 'it'. How can you describe 'it', I'm not sure, but it's easier to provide definitions of those guys that don't have 'it' as opposed to those that do. The kid is tough, he has a short memory (must have played corner for a football team at some point), and he's helping this team win. He's actually got Jared Jeffries facing the basket looking to score (damn near amazing). How long does this happen? I'm not sure, but I think the consensus is that you ride this out as long as you can. Jason Terry mouthed off that Lin is just a product of D'Antoni's system, but I would dare him to mention the last few point guards that have been in that system in NY and succeeded. Lin is real.
Los Angeles Lakers - I am not a Kobe hater, but I'm not always a fan. Kobe is arguably one of the best players in the league and his pedigree demands that you pay attention to him. With that said, it almost hurts me to see him play this year with the team he has, knowing that they really don't have a chance unless he goes off for 30+ a night. His knee is looking great and he's pretty healthy. I know the Lakers tried to get him some help with the trade for CP3, but they gotta pull another jedi mind trick on someone to get Kobe some help. Even I don't want to see him going out like this. (As a side note, the Pau for Boozer deal seems like a win win for both teams.)
Oklahoma City Thunder - It's always been an 'if' Westbrook and Durant get it together, this team is dangerous. I am slowly starting to think that they are close. Maybe it's because both of them got their money from the organization (Durant knew he was, Westbrook, I think wasn't so sure) or they are just playing well right now. They just need that third consistent scorer and this team can play enough defense to win it all. It's not a surprise to most, but it's been fun watching this team mature.
Chicago Bulls - Now that my main man Carlos Boozer has let go of the spray painting of his scalp to imitate hair, the Bulls have been winning their fair share of games without Derrick Rose. I've said this before and I'll say it again, let Rose get healthy and forget about the regular season. He's good enough to pick it all back up in a few games and put this team back on his shoulders. IF Rose is hurt going into the playoffs, I'm not liking their chances of beating the Heat (I may not like their chances even if he's healthy). But this organization has got to protect Rose from himself, because you can see when he's on the bench, that he 'wants' to play so badly. Long term thinking Bulls fans, long term.
San Antonio Spurs - This always happens, the Spurs are slept on and then they surprise everyone. Well, right now the Grizzlies that beat the Spurs last year aren't here and these Spurs are looking good behind the play of the young (maybe not so much anymore) Tony Parker. Parker has been just as good as anyone named Lin in the past month and he even limits hit turnovers. Tim Duncan has found the way back machine in a few games and he'll need to be able to do that in the playoffs for them to make some noise. Over the next few weeks Charles Barkley will be practicing his old schtick,.....'Ginobili!!!!'
Portland Trail Blazers - Tell me if you've heard this before, Greg Oden had surgery on Friday and will probably have another surgery on his knee to clean it out. I'm not even sure whether to laugh or cry, but I mean this guy can't catch a break. Send him to Phoenix so he can play since they seem to have the fountain of youth in bottles and cans in their training rooms.
Atlanta Hawks - Tell me if you didn't see this one coming: Tracy McGrady is pissed at his playing time and he let it be known to all (the media and his coach). We know that it's hard for good players to become less than good players (especially after injury) and sometimes they want to play more when they see the team struggling. I'm not sure that McGrady playing more is the answer to the Hawks woes, unless he morphs into a big man (center) who can rebound and score. T-Mac has been good in his 18 minutes per game this year, but there is a reason that the Hawks were the only team that gave him a chance.
MLB:
We don't normally do MLB updates because we are still looking for a contributor who follows MLB consistently. If you're interested, please reach out to us.
Oakland Athletics - Fresh off of the attraction of Moneyball and the rebirth of this team through the movie a minor deal ($500K) with Manny Ramirez has put many eyes back on the A's. The A's signed Ramirez to this deal in part to please newly signed Yoenis Cespedes (4 yrs / $36M). Ramirez will have to sit the first 50 games of the season while serving a ban for violating the MLB drug policy, but this is a great deal for minimal money. If Ramirez can get Cespedes comfortable and hit in the high 200's this may go down as a great gamble. If not, they can release him and be done with it. I am actually going to root for Manny.
Golf:
Tiger Woods - Yes, I have to start here. If you read earlier I mentioned that Jeremy Lin had 'it', well Tiger used to have 'it', but now 'it' isn't there. For Tiger it might have been a fear that other golfers felt or his game just got better on Saturday and Sunday, but lately Tiger has been relatively......toothless. Yes, Lefty spanked him last week at Pebble Beach after being down 6 strokes, but I don't think that other people are in Tiger's head, I think it's all on him. Whatever Tiger needs to do, whether it's a few more visits to Perkins or the porn convention, he needs to go ahead and get it done. I miss the old Tiger that dominated the golf course and struck fear in most golfers when he arrived early and started practicing at tournaments. The guy that you watched to see where he would be on on the leader board on Saturday, knowing that he was going to win on Sunday. I want him back, the guy who had 'it'.
NBA:
New York Knicks - Yes, I gotta start here and more talk about Jeremy Lin. I've been watching him play and yesterday, if you weren't 'AlLin' you should be by now. Lin has 'it'. How can you describe 'it', I'm not sure, but it's easier to provide definitions of those guys that don't have 'it' as opposed to those that do. The kid is tough, he has a short memory (must have played corner for a football team at some point), and he's helping this team win. He's actually got Jared Jeffries facing the basket looking to score (damn near amazing). How long does this happen? I'm not sure, but I think the consensus is that you ride this out as long as you can. Jason Terry mouthed off that Lin is just a product of D'Antoni's system, but I would dare him to mention the last few point guards that have been in that system in NY and succeeded. Lin is real.
Los Angeles Lakers - I am not a Kobe hater, but I'm not always a fan. Kobe is arguably one of the best players in the league and his pedigree demands that you pay attention to him. With that said, it almost hurts me to see him play this year with the team he has, knowing that they really don't have a chance unless he goes off for 30+ a night. His knee is looking great and he's pretty healthy. I know the Lakers tried to get him some help with the trade for CP3, but they gotta pull another jedi mind trick on someone to get Kobe some help. Even I don't want to see him going out like this. (As a side note, the Pau for Boozer deal seems like a win win for both teams.)
Oklahoma City Thunder - It's always been an 'if' Westbrook and Durant get it together, this team is dangerous. I am slowly starting to think that they are close. Maybe it's because both of them got their money from the organization (Durant knew he was, Westbrook, I think wasn't so sure) or they are just playing well right now. They just need that third consistent scorer and this team can play enough defense to win it all. It's not a surprise to most, but it's been fun watching this team mature.
Chicago Bulls - Now that my main man Carlos Boozer has let go of the spray painting of his scalp to imitate hair, the Bulls have been winning their fair share of games without Derrick Rose. I've said this before and I'll say it again, let Rose get healthy and forget about the regular season. He's good enough to pick it all back up in a few games and put this team back on his shoulders. IF Rose is hurt going into the playoffs, I'm not liking their chances of beating the Heat (I may not like their chances even if he's healthy). But this organization has got to protect Rose from himself, because you can see when he's on the bench, that he 'wants' to play so badly. Long term thinking Bulls fans, long term.
San Antonio Spurs - This always happens, the Spurs are slept on and then they surprise everyone. Well, right now the Grizzlies that beat the Spurs last year aren't here and these Spurs are looking good behind the play of the young (maybe not so much anymore) Tony Parker. Parker has been just as good as anyone named Lin in the past month and he even limits hit turnovers. Tim Duncan has found the way back machine in a few games and he'll need to be able to do that in the playoffs for them to make some noise. Over the next few weeks Charles Barkley will be practicing his old schtick,.....'Ginobili!!!!'
Portland Trail Blazers - Tell me if you've heard this before, Greg Oden had surgery on Friday and will probably have another surgery on his knee to clean it out. I'm not even sure whether to laugh or cry, but I mean this guy can't catch a break. Send him to Phoenix so he can play since they seem to have the fountain of youth in bottles and cans in their training rooms.
Atlanta Hawks - Tell me if you didn't see this one coming: Tracy McGrady is pissed at his playing time and he let it be known to all (the media and his coach). We know that it's hard for good players to become less than good players (especially after injury) and sometimes they want to play more when they see the team struggling. I'm not sure that McGrady playing more is the answer to the Hawks woes, unless he morphs into a big man (center) who can rebound and score. T-Mac has been good in his 18 minutes per game this year, but there is a reason that the Hawks were the only team that gave him a chance.
MLB:
We don't normally do MLB updates because we are still looking for a contributor who follows MLB consistently. If you're interested, please reach out to us.
Oakland Athletics - Fresh off of the attraction of Moneyball and the rebirth of this team through the movie a minor deal ($500K) with Manny Ramirez has put many eyes back on the A's. The A's signed Ramirez to this deal in part to please newly signed Yoenis Cespedes (4 yrs / $36M). Ramirez will have to sit the first 50 games of the season while serving a ban for violating the MLB drug policy, but this is a great deal for minimal money. If Ramirez can get Cespedes comfortable and hit in the high 200's this may go down as a great gamble. If not, they can release him and be done with it. I am actually going to root for Manny.
Golf:
Tiger Woods - Yes, I have to start here. If you read earlier I mentioned that Jeremy Lin had 'it', well Tiger used to have 'it', but now 'it' isn't there. For Tiger it might have been a fear that other golfers felt or his game just got better on Saturday and Sunday, but lately Tiger has been relatively......toothless. Yes, Lefty spanked him last week at Pebble Beach after being down 6 strokes, but I don't think that other people are in Tiger's head, I think it's all on him. Whatever Tiger needs to do, whether it's a few more visits to Perkins or the porn convention, he needs to go ahead and get it done. I miss the old Tiger that dominated the golf course and struck fear in most golfers when he arrived early and started practicing at tournaments. The guy that you watched to see where he would be on on the leader board on Saturday, knowing that he was going to win on Sunday. I want him back, the guy who had 'it'.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Catching Up - Bigtime!!!!!
Ok, it’s been a long while but here we go:
NCAA
My Duke Blue Devils won the NCAA tournament. It’s about time. No the program wasn’t going downhill, but they needed this win badly. I’m looking for a repeat. Yes, a repeat next year. Can anyone touch the ACC? I mean really?
NFL
Donovan McNabb – Traded to the Redskins. Redskin Nation should be VERY excited about this, BUT (and you know it’s bad when you throw a but in there) if the Redskins don’t get an offensive line, it ain’t gonna matter who they put back there. They have a trio of running backs and a good QB, let’s protect them, please!!!!!!
Carlos Rodgers – Sad story. Rogers was the 2nd pick in the 2003 NFL Draft and really didn’t pan out. He ended up getting hooked on drugs. He had a signing bonus of $9.1M but a US District Judge sided with the Detroit Lions and Rodgers has to repay $6.1M of that signing bonus. We know this is money they aren’t going to get (I’m assuming that Rodgers is broke), so it’s just another sad story.
NBA
LeBron – IS THE MAN. Bron has all but tied up his second MVP, and the Cavs are just waiting for the playoffs to start. I hope that the Cavs don’t get Boston in the 1st or 2nd round because I actually see a fight happening. Write it down, let it marinate. How many of you have LeBron and Kobe battling for the title? Still on track.
Chris Bosh – Wow, a broken face/nose with the playoffs in sight. You could have heard the cheering from Chicago when this happened. No, no one wanted to see him hurt, but this makes the Bulls chances of making the playoffs/getting slaughtered by the Cavs much more than just a dream. Bosh, take the rest of the year off and come to Chicago as a free agent next year.
Charlotte Bobcats – You know that this is a dangerous team, right? They seem to be clicking on all cylinders and they’re actually playing good basketball right now. I’m not sure that I want to see them in the 1st round if I’m any team in the East.
Milwaukee Bucks – Heart broken. Can you deal with this? You’ve been playing great ball and then your center (who’s actually played ball after signing that big extension last year) goes down for 6 weeks. The Bucks were going to be a tough out in the 1st round also, but maybe not so much with Bogut out.
NYSTOM – More stuff coming from him.
MLB
Baseball season is upon us. We here at MeltingPotThoughts are trying earnestly to bring in an MLB correspondent. JL, if you read this, we need you man. Bring your knowledge to the table. We’re begging, well not begging, but we’re asking very nicely. I promise to stop bugging you when you agree to come on board.
Golf
Return of the Tiger – Well, he’s back. Tiger is teeing off tomorrow at Augusta at 1:47pm (EST). I’ll bet you every one of Tiger’s women and detractors are going to be watching him to see how he performs. I for one hope he destroys the field. Yes, destroys the field. Nothing like taking any confidence that anyone has developed since he’s been on his self induced hiatus. Go Tiger!!!!!
Boxing
Bernard Hopkins vs. Roy Jones Jr. – What year is this? When are these old men going to get it in their heads that they need to start doing something else besides box each other? This is akin to Grandpa fighting Col. Stinkmeaner from the Boondocks. I personally didn’t see the fight, but all reports say that the WINNER of the fight was really starting to look into retirement. That should tell you something.
NCAA
My Duke Blue Devils won the NCAA tournament. It’s about time. No the program wasn’t going downhill, but they needed this win badly. I’m looking for a repeat. Yes, a repeat next year. Can anyone touch the ACC? I mean really?
NFL
Donovan McNabb – Traded to the Redskins. Redskin Nation should be VERY excited about this, BUT (and you know it’s bad when you throw a but in there) if the Redskins don’t get an offensive line, it ain’t gonna matter who they put back there. They have a trio of running backs and a good QB, let’s protect them, please!!!!!!
Carlos Rodgers – Sad story. Rogers was the 2nd pick in the 2003 NFL Draft and really didn’t pan out. He ended up getting hooked on drugs. He had a signing bonus of $9.1M but a US District Judge sided with the Detroit Lions and Rodgers has to repay $6.1M of that signing bonus. We know this is money they aren’t going to get (I’m assuming that Rodgers is broke), so it’s just another sad story.
NBA
LeBron – IS THE MAN. Bron has all but tied up his second MVP, and the Cavs are just waiting for the playoffs to start. I hope that the Cavs don’t get Boston in the 1st or 2nd round because I actually see a fight happening. Write it down, let it marinate. How many of you have LeBron and Kobe battling for the title? Still on track.
Chris Bosh – Wow, a broken face/nose with the playoffs in sight. You could have heard the cheering from Chicago when this happened. No, no one wanted to see him hurt, but this makes the Bulls chances of making the playoffs/getting slaughtered by the Cavs much more than just a dream. Bosh, take the rest of the year off and come to Chicago as a free agent next year.
Charlotte Bobcats – You know that this is a dangerous team, right? They seem to be clicking on all cylinders and they’re actually playing good basketball right now. I’m not sure that I want to see them in the 1st round if I’m any team in the East.
Milwaukee Bucks – Heart broken. Can you deal with this? You’ve been playing great ball and then your center (who’s actually played ball after signing that big extension last year) goes down for 6 weeks. The Bucks were going to be a tough out in the 1st round also, but maybe not so much with Bogut out.
NYSTOM – More stuff coming from him.
MLB
Baseball season is upon us. We here at MeltingPotThoughts are trying earnestly to bring in an MLB correspondent. JL, if you read this, we need you man. Bring your knowledge to the table. We’re begging, well not begging, but we’re asking very nicely. I promise to stop bugging you when you agree to come on board.
Golf
Return of the Tiger – Well, he’s back. Tiger is teeing off tomorrow at Augusta at 1:47pm (EST). I’ll bet you every one of Tiger’s women and detractors are going to be watching him to see how he performs. I for one hope he destroys the field. Yes, destroys the field. Nothing like taking any confidence that anyone has developed since he’s been on his self induced hiatus. Go Tiger!!!!!
Boxing
Bernard Hopkins vs. Roy Jones Jr. – What year is this? When are these old men going to get it in their heads that they need to start doing something else besides box each other? This is akin to Grandpa fighting Col. Stinkmeaner from the Boondocks. I personally didn’t see the fight, but all reports say that the WINNER of the fight was really starting to look into retirement. That should tell you something.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Leave Tiger Alone
I thought for sure that with the NFL playoffs, Gilbert Arenas' gun charges, and Mark McGuire's revelation to the world that he used steroids would have silenced a lot of this Tiger talk. But nooooo!!! Someone has to write a blog about Tiger being at a center in Hattiesburg, Mississippi getting treated for sex addiction. Number 1, who knew that there was anything in Hattiesburg except Brett Favre? Number 2, aren't all men sex addicts (if you can get it)?
Supposedly, Tiger (and Elin) will be involved in several therapy sessions and will have an opportunity to air their feelings towards each other, while working out this issue. Tiger supposedly would have to sign an agreement that he is not to have sex with anyone (while he's there) or relieve himself. WTF?!?!?!?
Who makes up this kind of treatment? I mean Tiger is a man, who is worth a BILLION dollars and you want him to get treated for sex addiction? Tiger has more opportunities to have sex more than some porn stars. Again, a man only has so many 'no's' in his vocabulary. Hey, at least Tiger is going through all of this BS to try and save his marriage so I give him points for that. But, I'm not sure it's really worth it. I mean if Elin is going to leave, let her go. She'll never trust him again anyway. If she stays, she's only doing it for more loot (changing the pre-nupt in mid marriage?). Good luck Tiger. Can't wait to see you back on the course whipping all of these guys on Tour who are trying to get their dibs in now.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
A Tiger By the Tail?
Well, it seems, according to ABC news, that Tiger and Elin are getting a divorce. Well, Elin is divorcing Tiger based on his indiscretions. Can we say that we didn't see this coming? I guarantee that she goes for the money. All I can hear is Jesper Parnevik saying 'Elin loved him and it wasn't about the money or fame'. Jesper essentially gave Elin the Megamillions numbers when he hooked her up with Tiger. Don't give me she was a model and all that, she was a nanny for Jesper. With that said, her being with Tiger or leaving him means she has access to the world, regardless. I just hope that Tiger had a good attorney to draw up that pre-nup. Cut her a check for her $20+ million and tell her to burn the road up is what I say. Tiger has made over a billion dollars. Cut her a check for $60 million and invite the boys over to the crib for the party.
Tiger will make it past this. It really wasn't a big deal from the beginning, but the media sunk their horns into it. Yes he made a mistake, but always remember, no one sin is bigger than the next. What's your take?
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Tiger Roars (well almost)
As we all know, Tiger Woods has been on the front page over the last few days for something not associated with golf (unless the rumor is true that his wife chased him with an iron in her hand and busted out the window in the Escalade). He posted the following comment on his website this morning:
I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone.
But no matter how intense curiosity about public figures can be, there is an important and deep principle at stake which is the right to some simple, human measure of privacy. I realize there are some who don't share my view on that. But for me, the virtue of privacy is one that must be protected in matters that are intimate and within one's own family. Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family shouldn't have to mean public confessions.
Whatever regrets I have about letting my family down have been shared with and felt by us alone. I have given this a lot of reflection and thought and I believe that there is a point at which I must stick to that principle even though it's difficult.
I will strive to be a better person and the husband and father that my family deserves. For all of those who have supported me over the years, I offer my profound apology.
Is this finally over? I mean, Tiger still has money and those people that are going to hate on him, probably already hated him. His car was tore up, but the fire hydrant and tree have been repaired/restored. His image is tarnished and he'll probably have to answer questions when he does come in front of the media during his next event, but in the end, this should all be done.
Two interesting things:
1) Supposedly Tiger called one of his boys afterwards and said he needed a 'Kobe Special'. His friend asked what that was and Tiger's reply was 'a ring with a house on it'. That's priceless.
2) Why did everyone lawyer up after this hit? Tiger lawyered up, Ms. Uchitel lawyered up, Tiger's neighbor lawyered up, the fire hydrant and the tree got lawyers, and I am wondering why?!?!?!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Catching the Tiger by the tail
The scene, that 91st PGA Championship in Chaska, MN. Going in to the final day, Tiger Woods had a 2 stroke lead and was 14 of 14 when leading on the third day. Everyone knew this would simply be a Tiger coronation and his 6th win of the year. Everyone except the 110th ranked played in the world. Y. E. Yang, came into the day tied with Pedraig Harrington but he ended up in the final twosome with Tiger. The course had gotten some rain the night and morning before and some thought this would be a great day for scoring with the greens a little wetter, thus allowing shots to stick a little better.
Yang battled Tiger, who for some reason forgot how to putt today, the entire 18 holes. Yang chipped in an eagle on the 14th to take the lead. That lead would prove to be enough for Yang to become the first Asian born player to win a major championship. Tiger battled back to within 1 shot and should have been out of it at the 17th. If Yang would have sunk his putt for par it would have been all but over. However, Yang and Tiger both got bogeys on 17 and set up a dual on 18. Tiger's putter let him down and Yang ended up winning by 3 strokes at -8.
Congrats to Y. E. Yang on winning the PGA Championship. He didn't lose to Tiger, he beat him. Now, the question is, is Tiger a mortal now? Can this be the day that all golfer have been rooting for, or is this a blip on the radar screen?
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Tiger Does it Again
The World Golf Championship-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron this weekend started slowly for Tiger. He started the week at -1 and came into today 3 shots off the lead. Pedraig Harrington was going into Sunday with a 3 shot lead and looked strong as he had been pouring birdies in on Saturday to get to his lead.
All day today, Tiger and Pedraig battled back and forth. Both were grinding on the golf course. Tiger jumped out of the gate today and tied (-10) Pedraig after 4 holes with a birdie and an eagle. Tiger even took a 2 shot lead, but then followed that up with two back to back bogeys. Pedraig had a 1 shot lead going into the 16 hole. At the tee box, both Tiger and Pedraig were put 'on the clock' (a term meaning that they were falling behind the group in front of them and they needed to hurry up to get back on pace). Both of them made some wayward tee shots and Pedraig's second shot was quick and ended up on the edge of the sand trap. Tiger was able to get back into the fairway from his second shot. Then, the moment happened. Tiger, from 182 yards, hits an 8 iron over the pond within inches. Pedraig hits his shot over the green and into the rough. To make that worse, he then hits his next shot across the green into the water. Game Over.
Tiger wins by 4 strokes and gets his 70th career victory. He becomes the first golfer to win on the same course 7 times (actually he's won 7 out of 10 on this course) and it's just amazing to watch it all happen.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Catching Up
'Once again, back, it's the incredible!' - Public Enemy
Thanks for those that were worried about me, but everything is ok. Just got a lot of life going on and it's been a lot of fun. So let me take a few moments to catch up on the world of sports.
NBA Finals: Congrats to the Lakers for making this interesting. I like the Orlando team on paper, but the Lakers have showed up and are willing themselves to their 2-0 lead in the Finals. I expect them to beat the Magic 4-2, but Kobe should be celebrating another Championship this year. I just can't stand thinking about what it would look like to see Stan Van Gundy celebrate a NBA Finals Championship.
Congrats to Tiger: Tiger showed us that he is in fact back. 14 of 14 is all I have to say. If you hit that many fairways, you are going to score low. I wonder how many people give anyone a chance at the US Open now since the Memorial ended the way it did. I know I'll be watching to see how dominate Tiger will be.
Congrats to Federer: It's about time you won on clay. Nadal had already lost and if Federer would have lost, this would have been the biggest upset in tennis, EVER!!!! Both Federer and Tiger have 14 championship wins and they both won on the same day. Is this strange or what?
Congrats to the Penguins: For at least making this a series. After going down 2-0, everything seemed bleak in Pittsburgh, but Malkin woke up and Crosby woke up, at least for 2 games, to bring the series to a 2-2 tie. The Redwings destroyed them in Game 5 and the close out game is tonight, Game 6. I'm looking for the Pens to win tonight on their home ice and make a Game 7 back in Detroit. It should be exciting.
NFL: Training camp is starting soon. More Favre drama, more holdouts, and I can't wait for the pre-season to be over already. I will say this though, Fantasy Football is already started on some sites. Go Cold Ones!!!!!!
MLB: Best pitcher in the game is Halladay. Yes, he's in Canada, but give the man his due. The Yankees and the Red Sox start a 3 game series which is always fun. Yankees need these wins. Big Papi, please find your swing, we miss it.
NBA: The Raptors traded Jason Kapano to the Sixers for Reggie Evans. A head scratcher to say the least. I know the Sixers need a shooter, but why do the Raptors need Reggie Evans?!?!?
What have I missed that you want to discuss?
Monday, June 16, 2008
History in the making
Do you realize the era that we're living in? We have one athlete who is dominating his sport and destroying the competition's will at the same time. This guy is affable, most people like him, and he's doing things that we haven't seen anyone do since, maybe MJ. Now with that reference you may think that I'm talking about another basketball player, but the athlete in question (who is decent at hoops as I understand) is Tiger Woods.
I think that we've all run out of words to describe what he's done. You have the Roger Federers of tennis (as long as he isn't playing on clay), you have the,....well that's about it. The only other athlete that you can throw in to this discussion is Lorena Ochoa. She is dominating women's golf like only Tiger has done. Nevertheless, Tiger has not only won over the masses (did you see the number of people that follow this guy at every tournament), but he has brought golf to the mainstream. When you have guys (white, black, brown, pink, gray, whatever) picking up golf clubs and heading out to the driving range or out for a round, that's a phenomenon. Every where I go, I see guys with their newly minted Nike golf shirts, TW hats, etc.
But back to the game, the US Open. Tiger started off on Thursday not playing at his best but he ended the day 4 shots off. Over the weekend, Tiger made his run. It's a run that everyone in the tournament knows is going to happen and probably some of them watch the leader board to see where he is each day. He has scattered his driver all over the place, but by Saturday he puts himself into contention with 2 amazing eagle putts. So, on Sunday he plays about as bad as he played on Thursday but he ends up in a playoff on Monday for the US Open title. Sidenote: Lee Westwood is kicking himself for leaving that putt (on 17, I think) short. Tiger has done all of this on a surgically repaired knee (8 weeks after surgery). Tiger has shown that his knee is a problem from the wincing that he does after he hits the ball. You have to understand that knee surgery is not the best thing for Tiger's (or any golfer's) game. The amount of pressure that is put on his left knee during his swing is what makes his swing one of, if not the most, powerful swings in the game. Then add to that, having to walk that course, or having to hit from an uneven lie. If he wins the US Open on Monday (like many predict) this adds another trophy to an already stocked full trophy room for Tiger, another step in his quest to win more majors than any other golfer in history, and to top it all of he's killing his competition. It's really sad when you know that you are playing for 2nd place when he tees it up.
Let the domination continue, and don't be afraid to watch. If you don't, you'll be missing out on sports history. Enjoy it while it lasts.
I think that we've all run out of words to describe what he's done. You have the Roger Federers of tennis (as long as he isn't playing on clay), you have the,....well that's about it. The only other athlete that you can throw in to this discussion is Lorena Ochoa. She is dominating women's golf like only Tiger has done. Nevertheless, Tiger has not only won over the masses (did you see the number of people that follow this guy at every tournament), but he has brought golf to the mainstream. When you have guys (white, black, brown, pink, gray, whatever) picking up golf clubs and heading out to the driving range or out for a round, that's a phenomenon. Every where I go, I see guys with their newly minted Nike golf shirts, TW hats, etc.
But back to the game, the US Open. Tiger started off on Thursday not playing at his best but he ended the day 4 shots off. Over the weekend, Tiger made his run. It's a run that everyone in the tournament knows is going to happen and probably some of them watch the leader board to see where he is each day. He has scattered his driver all over the place, but by Saturday he puts himself into contention with 2 amazing eagle putts. So, on Sunday he plays about as bad as he played on Thursday but he ends up in a playoff on Monday for the US Open title. Sidenote: Lee Westwood is kicking himself for leaving that putt (on 17, I think) short. Tiger has done all of this on a surgically repaired knee (8 weeks after surgery). Tiger has shown that his knee is a problem from the wincing that he does after he hits the ball. You have to understand that knee surgery is not the best thing for Tiger's (or any golfer's) game. The amount of pressure that is put on his left knee during his swing is what makes his swing one of, if not the most, powerful swings in the game. Then add to that, having to walk that course, or having to hit from an uneven lie. If he wins the US Open on Monday (like many predict) this adds another trophy to an already stocked full trophy room for Tiger, another step in his quest to win more majors than any other golfer in history, and to top it all of he's killing his competition. It's really sad when you know that you are playing for 2nd place when he tees it up.
Let the domination continue, and don't be afraid to watch. If you don't, you'll be missing out on sports history. Enjoy it while it lasts.
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