Quite a weekend in Augusta and reaction from all angles and perspectives followed today. A few observations:
I was rooting for Phil, but not because his wife was battling cancer. I felt like Phil was the guy I knew best in the field and I was not rooting for Tiger.
I wasn't necessarily rooting against Tiger, but I did not have my arms raised in exultation like he did on his Sunday eagle.
It was amusing seeing the middle-aged white women cheer Tiger on. I'm not a woman nor have I ever been (and I have the medical records to prove it) but it seems to me Tiger is the last person I would be cheering on to win eternal glory. Yet those women might say Tiger's harem had just as much blame in this whole mess and they don't divide their morals along gender lines.
Jim Nantz and Francesa had a spat today about the reason the fans gave Tiger a break. Francesa said it was because they were mostly rich white people who had been grandfathered their tickets and did not want to lose their spots. Nantz said it was because the people who attend are the salt of the earth kind of folks who respect the game. Either way, Tiger will catch worse when he ventures into the world of domestic can beer-toting galleries.
photo via our friend Walter Peck
Monday, April 12
Last Golf Post For Awhile
Thursday, April 8
The Non-Tiger Masters Pick
It's time to revive our time honored tradition of picking someone other than Tiger to win The Masters. Sure the blog has only been around long enough to do it once before, but it really has become a tradition unlike any other. It is fun to pick out a semi-unknown from the field and back him as the horse to surprise the field and dissapoint the viewing audience. Lucas Glover and Y.E. Yang did an admirable job in last year's majors at that. Our pick last year of Dustin Johnson was not too far out of the ballpark, but he finished tied for 30th.
This year our pick is none other than Thongchai Jaidee. His name is awesome and although ESPN has him 69th in their rankings, we have faith. Let's get to know more about Thongchai. He was born in Thailand, plays on the Asian and European tour. He was the first Thai to play in all four major championships. His first was the Masters in 2006 where he did not make the cut, but he finished 13th in the British Open last year. He holds the record on the Asian tour for victories and earnings. I assume he has achieved Manny Pacquiao status in Thailand. Maybe?
He was once a paratrooper in the Thai army and although he is only 138 pounds(!), it seems that the guy is unflappable. While everyone pays attention to and some root for the Cablanasian, the Asian tour master is going to bring it home. Go get em Thongchai!
As always, picks for entertainment purposes only.
Wednesday, March 17
Wednesday Links Returnith
Hey there, random internet link list. Haven't seen you in awhile. In between joinnig the regular American workforce and still finding quoting Dave Chappelle funny, things have been going on in what the Germans call "das interenet". Let's start things off with pure internet win(audio NSFW)...
via
Reggie Bush a Seahawk? It would give him the opportunity to cost Pete Carrol another title by pitching a dumb lateral. [Rumors and Rants]
Staying on the NFL topic, some underrated moves from Free Agency. [TBL]
It's trivia Wednesday! Honestly it kills me not to be able to play trivia at the grad every hump day. Can you name the cities that have hosted tournament games the most? [Sporcle]
Tiger returns for the Masters. Television execs at ESPN and CBS rejoice. Golf fans dance. White trash sluts pack suitcases and descend on Augusta. And some gambling site is picking him to win. [Sportress of Blogitude]
Say what you want about soccer players, they can get awfully creative when they score a goal. [Sportige]
Friday, February 19
Tiger Does Not Owe Me An Apology, But I Want One Anyway
In a little over an hour Tiger Woods will take the podium and face America. He will face the whole world. He will not face the media. That has the media upset, as if they should expect something more from a person who has up until now picked and chosen when he talks to the media and how much he gives them. Tiger has been prepped by his PR team and will deliver a carefully thought-out and written statement. It will be dissected and examined by all forms of media outlets: network and 24 hour news, blogs, major sports networks/websites, and certainly by the general public.
We have generally stayed away from all Tiger talk on our blog, even before the Thanksgiving incident up until now. We did do one post on how Tiger apparently thought tipping was for the birds, and referenced his skill on the golf course. Other than that, we left it up to others to make judgments about what drives Tiger, how good he really is, or what went on in his personal life. However, everyone and their mother has an opinion on this topic. Seriously, we all have thoughts on what Tiger did and what he should do.
A common theme among the media yesterday was that Tiger does not owe us an apology, he owes his wife, his family, and his sponsors an apology. While what Tiger did affects those parties a lot more than any of us, it does not mean he has not dropped a bomb in the middle of the American sports landscape. He does not owe me an apology, but I want to hear him say it anyway.
Speaking of his wife, I cannot believe she is staying with him after all of this. I know there are those that disagree but in my mind the man repeatedly and willfully banged anything that would serve him pancakes while you gave him two children and stayed behind. At this point money should not be an issue, Elin will get paid either way, this is about recognizing that the person you married had no intention of being faithful. How do carry on an intimate realtionship with this man? The time for those two having any kind of romantic connection has come and gone, unless Elin can deprogram her brain and shove enough prescription drugs down her throat to be okay how with she has been treated. It seems that those who are trying to save the marriage have found a scapegoat in the form of sexual addiction and lay the a large part of the blame on that instead of Tiger. The sexual addiction excuse is beyond a joke. I am not saying sexual addiction does not exist, I am saying it was not the cause of Tiger's behavior. An addiction is something that cripples your life and prevents you from functioning. Ever watch the show Intervention? That, my friends, is addiction. Tiger was still able to play golf, and quite well mind you. He was able to do his charity work, keep himself in shape, grab a shave with Roger Federer, and keep his wife in the dark for years. He may have a problem, but not an addiction. I liken this tactic to the trend of coaches getting caught at on-campus parties and pulled over for DUIs suddenly coming out and saying they were alcoholics to soften the blow. For the most part it works, the public takes sympathy and accepts the apology; is it any wonder both Eustachy and Huggins are employed coaches right now?
The problem lies in many layers underneath the stoic face we know of Tiger's. It has to do with his past, the way he has been deified in sports culture, and the manner in which wealthy men/athletes conduct themselves. Basically it is the way business is done for the super rich, Tiger just had it blow up in his face. He may have been more blatant and less discreet about some of his choices of partners, but once he became a super athlete he had no reason to feel constrained by what the general masses consider proper social sexual etiquette.
You may ask why I post this right before the actual reading of the statement, and the answer is I don't care what Tiger says. I know he will apologize, act contrite, and make it clear that he wants to move on and get back to golf. In this case I accept Tiger's apology and I am glad he gave it. It is something he should have done long ago in my opinion. Sooner or later if you want to get back to where you one stood among the titans, you have to own up to your transgressions. The media will not be satisfied because once again Tiger will not entertain their pointed questions. Others will not be happy because they feel Tiger never needed to apologize to them and just want to see him play golf. I am perfectly fine with whatever Tiger says, because he will say he is sorry and that is all I needed to move on.
Monday, July 20
Craved Storylines Missing In Majors This Year
No golf player ranked higher than 33rd has won a major this year. In a game where beyond the devout followers final days must be headlined by the big name players, particularly the biggest name, this year has been less than cooperative. The Masters in April began the first of casual-follower disappointment when Angel Cabrera outlasted longtime good guy Kenny Perry to take the green jacket. The big focus that day was on the pairing of Tiger and Phil, both of whom made late charges. The announcers were praying for a Tiger-Phil dash to the end, but first Tiger faded and ended up behind a tree on 18, then Phil missed a crucial putt. The sportswriters must have been crushed.
At Beth Page Black in New York, Tiger was out of the picture but Phil stood as the crowd and emotional favorite. After recently receiving news that his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, Mickelson was trying to win one at her behest. The raucous Long Island crowd was behind Phil and he was more than humble and gracious to them. I can see now the keys being punched by the media as they wiped aside tears writing their column about Phil triumph. Unfortunately Phil would again miss critical puts and add another 2nd place finish at the U.S. Open to his record. Another prospect was that David Duval, a man that went from number 1 in the world to afterthought, was also in the running down the stretch. A story of redemption always plays nicely. Instead Lucas Glover, a virtual unknown outside the world of golf took home the trophy in an inconceivably quiet manner. Instead of the heart-wrenching Phil story, they got the "hey get a load of this guy you have never heard of" bit. He reads a lot, isn't that crazy folks!
The latest installment of the great golf story landing short took place yesterday at Turnberry. Tom Watson was attempting the unthinkable, a 6th British Open championship at 59 years-old and on a replaced hip. This improbable notion gave the writers ample fodder to erase the pain they must have felt along with ABC at Tiger having missed the cut. But as we have seen before on 18 at the British, fortunes can change. Watson overshot his approach which left him with an 8 foot put for the win. His failure to close out was Stewart Cink's opportunity and he took advantage.
The debate about Watson's win would have been incredible and would have had golf people talking for weeks. Now instead the story will only be how Watson let it get away that will last only a few days. The debate I mentioned would have centered around how golf should be noted in the sporting world if a man who is 59 and has an artificial hip winning one of the major tournaments disqualifies golf as a sport. To me this is nonsense, because I disqualified golf as a sport years ago. That statement usually draws some ire from people that consider golf a sacred artform. To me saying golf is not a sport is not a negative, it is simply reality. Golf is a game, an activity, that is in the sporting spirit of competition. It is extremely difficult and takes an incredible amount of skill, mental toughness, and the ability to walk a good distance. This should not diminish what golf was,is,and will be in the consciousness of the American sports fan. To say Watson's falling short discredit's the notion that a man of his age can win is quite absurd and protects some convoluted integrity of the game is absurd. He fell one putt short.
The final Major, the PGA Championship next month is the final major of the year and the old hats will be begging for a big name to win and at the very least, Tiger to be there at the end. For my money, I give Bob Estes (ranked 183 currently) the best shot.
Monday, June 22
Weekend Recap
No need to recap the U.S. Open. It's not over yet. This morning Ricky Barnes will attempt to hold off the other players charging toward him including Tiger and Phil. [Update: He didn't, but the guy he was playing with did.]
You can follow the coverage live on your computer though thanks to the genius of the internets. [NBC Sports]
Former QB at the U and Miami-area steakhouse owner Bernie Kosar has filed for bankruptcy. He blames the economy, others his foolish spreadthrift ways. All I'm wondering is why the hell his ex-wife Babette deserves $3 million. [Miami Herald]
The U.S. Soccer team pulled one completely out of their backside by advancing to the semifinals of the Confederations Cup. [Rumors and Rants]
The Wimbledon preview this year begins and ends with Roger Federer. It is extremely dissapointing that Nadal had to withdraw because of injury which really only leaves two compelling stories on the men's side: Federer going for the record 15th Grand Slam title and Andy Murray becoming the latest hope for the Brits. [SI.com]
Hope everyone enjoyed their Father's Day, unless you hate your father or can't stand your kids. [HHR]
Warren Sapp says the youngins don't listen to the old folk nowadays. Insert lawn joke here. [PFT]
Sabathia hurts his bicep as the Yanks fall to the Marlins 6-5. The Fish took the series from the Yanks at Landshark Stadium. It was like 2003 all over again. [Sporting News]
Jason Campbell speaks with dolphins. We have to get him and Darren Dalton together. [DC Sports Bog]
Monday, June 8
Weekend Recap
I have decided job searching is only as stressful as you allow it to be. Therefore I welcome my oncoming unemplyoment in a little over 3 weeks, it will give me a chance to do some figurative and literal housecleaning. I hope your weekend out there was enjoyable. I can't decide what the highlight for me was, witnessing cookie-tossing at Waffle House at 2:30am, or the girl being carried out An Officer and A Gentleman style from the bar and the EMTs flowing in soon after.
Tiger Woods won a golf tournament yesterday, consider yourself warned. [Rumors and Rants]
I thought this girl winning the Texas state title in Track and Field was impressive, but Catfish was quick to point out, "It's only class A, isn't that the worst division?" [Deadspin]
I get the feeling the Stanley Cup Finals may be over tomorrow night after the way the Wings looked with Datsyuk back. [Yahoo]
Where was the security at Roland Garros on Sunday? [TBL]
Now I just think the Nationals are doing this stuff on purpose. [DC Sports Bog]
Ian Kinsler gets my vote for best player on a good team no one is talking about. [Dallas Morning News]
Southern Miss defeated Florida to advance to the College World Series. The Noles lost too so a win-win this weekend as far as I'm concerned. [CBSSports]
I have a feeling that the Courtney Lee missed lay-up is going to be the most memorable moment from the finals this year. Now where did I put my broom? [Ball Don't Lie]
Monday, May 4
The Week Ahead
This picture is going to be me this week at work, we are very busy here at the office so I am going to be slightly incognito from the blog this week. Below are some links from one crazy weekend all around.
The Nuggets looking more and more formidable. [CBSSports]
Tiger was here in Charlotte for Quail Hollow, but failed to win the title. The tournament has had 7 different winners in each year of its existence with O'Hair taking it this year. [Observer]
The Cowboys' facility collapse is just an odd story and not in any way humorous after finding out one person is now paralyzed. [LA Times]
Have no clue what MJ was thinking with this jacket choice for the Derby. [TBL]
The Ducks took out the Wings an classic 3 OT thriller to even the series at 1. Marchant played the role of Uwe Krupp. [Rumors and Rants]
Remebering the great moments from the Bulls-Celtics series, and of course that means not including game 7 which did not live up to the previous games. [The Love of Sports]
Carl Crawford became Stealy McStealerson yesterday. [CBSSports]
Time have changed, athletes cannot even expose themselves to women anymore without getting hassled. [Deadspin]
Wednesday, April 15
Shackleford Files 013: The Minimalist Masters Edition
Recorded Sunday night, we present the Shackleford Files with no interruption in honor of the Masters (sadly, we have no tinkerers). We discuss The Duck, Kenny Perry and two guys named Eldrick and Phil. We also take a look at the college basketball coaching carousel, with Catfish asking a serious question about Kentucky's hire. Quick hit on the NFL and Cleet has one of the NBA Finals teams out in the first round. While the walk off is important, we'd also think you should take a minute to read this post for another perspective. The kid from Washington State whose name we couldn't recall is Taylor Rochestie. Enjoy and feel free to leave us your comments.
Thursday, April 9
The Non-Tiger Masters Pick
The Masters begins today and you can watch live! The smart money is on Tiger Woods to win. Well I am going to abandon intelligence mainly because there will be no money on it and pick another, slightly more obscure golfer to win. Of course everyone is rooting for Tiger to at least be in the hunt on Sunday, especially CBS. After the clunker that was the national championship in college basketball, the network is certainly praying/hoping/sacrificing small goats in order that El Tigre is wearing that red shirt with pride on Sunday. I have to think the odds are with them.
Yet, sometimes there is a Trevor Immelman, Zach Johnson, Mike Weir or even a Gay Brewer (no making that up he won in '67) who comes along and takes the focus away from the favorites. So with that in mind I am picking Dustin Johnson. Dustin is a young golfer with two career wins including Pebble Beach this year. He is not an incredible long shot since he is ranked 9th in the FedEx Cup and 40th in the world. Johnson is 24, has had a few brushes with the law including a recent DUI so hopefully golf will be an espcape for him.
Johnson attended Coastal Carolina University where the mascot is the Chanticleer. What is a Chanticleer (pronounced shaun-tuh-clear) you ask? It is the name of the rooster character from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales which came from fables surrounding Reynard the Fox. Oh that Reynard. Anyway, Coastal used to be a sister school of the University of South Carolina so in a way to have a link back to their siblings they created a similar mascot. South Carolina is of course the Gamecocks, so Coastal chose the wise, cunning Chanticleer from the fables. There is a tremendous opportunity for inuendo with the mentioning of two roosters, but I will let you imagination do the walking on that one.
In the mean time, I am rooting for Johnson to represent the Chants and the Big South and spoil everyone's hopes that this is going to be a Tiger cake walk.
