The Travelers Championship at River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut provided a similar scenario to the U. S. Open in San Francisco the week before. Only the main characters were different. Pudgy, long-haired blond Charley Hoffman (like gaunt, short-haired and balding Jim Furyk at the Open) was cruising along with a three-shot lead on the back nine Sunday, seemingly unstoppable and unflappable. Then, the nerves took over.
Hoffman bogeyed Number 13, reducing his lead to two shots. Other golfers challenged, but stumbled at crucial times. The biggest name in contention, Bubba Watson, whose first PGA tour victory occurred at this tournament in 2010, threatened until he hit water on 17. A missed putt on 18 left him at 267, 13 under par and one shot behind Marc Leishman, a 28-year-old Australian waiting in the clubhouse after shooting a sizzling 8-under 62 for the day. Leishman was the Travelers' version of the Open's Webb Simpson, an anticlimactic winner collecting dust in the clubhouse while considered a longshot until very late in the day when those ahead on the leaderboard fell apart.
Meanwhile, Hoffman's woes multiplied with a horribly flared tee shot on 17, which found water over 220 yards from the green. The pudgemeister, whose hairstyle resembles that of a younger Sammy Hagar, went on to double-bogey the hole. By that time, Leishman was at the practice range anticipating a playoff. Hoffman capped his meltdown with another bad tee shot on 18, and another bogey after finding sand with his second shot. Suddenly, Leishman was catapulted into the victory circle.
While the broadcast team at CBS was strong as usual, even without top analyst Nick Faldo, the network's production team made three glaring mistakes. First, like NBC with Webb Simpson the week before at the Open, they failed to give much screen time to Leishman. Although he shot an excellent round, Leishman had started the day six strokes behind co-leaders Brian Davis and Roland Thatcher. Plus, Leishman is not a household name. A camera crew finally found Leishman in the clubhouse, smiling, drinking water, and watching TV coverage of himself.
The second and worst CBS production error was failing to show Hoffman's critical tee shot on 17, live or tape-delayed, due to an alleged technical glitch with the cameras--unforgivable in this day and age. The third mistake was not as egregious, but it would have given the broadcast a more graceful coda. Although they landed a brief interview with Leishman after he was declared the winner, the network cut its coverage before the trophy presentation on the 18th hole. Network execs decided its prime time lineup could not be delayed.
The biggest winners were the local charities, including the late Paul Newman-founded Hole-in-the-Wall Camp, which received over one million dollars from tournament organizers and sponsors. Good job.
Euro Cup 2012 has provided several thrills and chills for soccer fans, both in and out of the stadiums. In the first quarterfinal, Portugal featured a smothering defense and a goal from its reigning superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo, in the 79th minute to knock off the upstart Czech Republic, 1-0. In the second quarterfinal, Germany crushed Greece (perhaps in a metaphor of respective economic power), 4-2, after leading at the break, 3-0. The German national team now has 15 straight wins in competition and is the only undefeated and untied team remaining in Euro 2012.
The third quarterfinal saw a great Spain team (champion of the 2010 World Cup) beat a quality France team, 2-0, thanks to two goals from Xabi Alonso at the 19th and 90th minute marks, the last on a penalty kick. Andros Iniesta is another Spanish superstar playing a strong tournament.
Speaking of superstars, nobody can blame Wayne Rooney for England's overtime loss to Italy in the fourth quarterfinal. Critics may blame the team for a predictable offense and dull game plan, but some credit belongs to the always tough Italians. After ending regulation and overtime in a scoreless tie, Italy won the penalty shootout, 4-2. While Rooney and Gerrard scored their tries, Young's kick hit the crossbar and Cole's kick was blocked. Meanwhile, Italians Diamanti, Balotelli, Montolivo, and Nocerino all made good on their attempts, thanks in large part to several stutter steps and misdirection kicks. Clever work.
Besides the mob fight between Polish and Russian fans outside the stadium where their teams would play, the big non-game story arising from Euro 2012 so far concerns the Russian soccer chief, Sergei Fursenko. He resigned after Russia's dismal showing in group play. However, he only resigned after meeting with President Vladimir Putin, a well-known sports fan. Perhaps Putin, the former KGB chief and most powerful man in Russia, made Fursenko an offer he couldn't refuse.
The Euro semifinals feature favored Spain against Portugal in a fight for Iberian bragging rights, and favored Germany against Italy. If Germany wins, the team would play the final in Kiev, Ukraine. Now it's unfair for young or middle-aged fans of historically oppressed countries to blame young or middle-aged fans of historically oppressor countries for the sins of their elders and long-gone regimes. Nonetheless, if you thought Polish fans were angry with Russian fans, just imagine how angry history-minded local Ukrainian soccer fans could be with German fans. Euro 2012 should have an exciting conclusion, both inside and outside of the stadium.
In brilliant news from Omaha for fans of western teams, the University of Arizona won the College World Series of baseball, with consecutive victories over two-time defending champion South Carolina. Now if college ball could just do away with the aluminum bats.
What was the best news about the NBA Championship series between the Heat and the Thunder? The league let it die a quick and merciful death after only five games. I'm not saying the NBA Finals were scripted like a WWE match, but who honestly believed LeBron James & Co. were going to be denied a title win on its home court? After all, isn't LeBron receiving major endorsement dollars from Nike, McDonalds, and Coca-Cola? Don't those three companies provide the basketball television and radio networks with heavy advertising dollars? Don't the networks provide the NBA with high broadcast licensing fees? You connect the dots.
It's shameful how the ESPN/ABC national and local affiliate broadcasters all bleated about the redemption, exoneration, and crowning of the new and rightful king of the NBA, LeBron James. They couldn't say enough about how LeBron had "matured" and "grown wiser" as a person. That same Mr. James was seen dancing the night away at an embarrassingly lavish party the team's owner threw that night. At least he avoided an eye injury, unlike Tony Parker at a New York nightclub. Good work.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
U. S. Open After Day Four: The Olympic Tradition Continues, With a Twist
The conclusion of the U. S. Open in San Francisco on Sunday saw the Olympic Club tradition of a lesser name/underdog overtaking a more favored star continue, but the overtaking was of a different variety. The "overtaking" consisted of two solid rounds (68's, 2-under par each) by a quality young tour pro and a meltdown by two stars, one a superstar and three-time U. S. Open champion and one the PGA player of the year in 2010 and the U. S. Open champion of 2003.
The Lake Course at Olympic was beautifully rugged, even without water hazards, only one fairway sandtrap, and a short overall length. It did, however, have huge trees that swallowed golf balls, small fast sloping greens that let most chip shots slide right off, and horrendously shin-deep jungle-style roughs. After the 2011 embarrassment, where Rory McIlroy lapped the field, winning by 8 strokes at 16-under par, the U.S.G.A. made sure the 2012 edition of their Open was back to basics, cruel character-building basics.
Webb Simpson, this year's champion, was a two-time winner on the tour, and at 26 a rising star. Still, he finished with a 281 total, one over par. His brief flurry of birdies midway through his Sunday round and terrific par save on 18 were his only highlights, mainly because the NBC producers didn't give him much camera time until the end. And why should they? Bigger names were hacking up the circuit or making infrequent great shots.
Viewers were fixated on the screen when cameras depicted Tiger Woods making a bogie. Let's face it. For many, watching Tiger pull another epic fail was fun. Do you think Mr. Nicklaus let the champagne flow back in Ohio after Tiger's brutal bogey-bogey-double bogey start on Sunday? His meltdown was complete, even though he was tied for the lead starting Saturday play. He actually played solid golf after the first seven holes on Sunday.
I thought Graeme McDowell was going to win it, but he couldn't sink the birdie putts he needed, and when his long game went erratic, he was finished. Jim Furyk was in the steady driver's seat until the 16th hole, when his duck hook tee shot let to a bogey. When his terrible second shot on 18 led to another bogey, the cameras finally focused on Webb and his pregnant wife in the clubhouse.
Somehow, it all seemed a bit anti-climactic, after big international names of the past like Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington made their own charges and Furyk and McDowell both collapsed in their epic duel.
Comic relief was provided by 17-year-old pudgy amateur Beau Hossler, who confidently stated after Saturday play that he was no longer shooting for low amateur, he was playing to win it all. Really? By the end of Sunday's round and a six-over 76, he had lost it all: no overall title and no low-am title. That belonged to Jordan Spieth, a current Texas Longhorn, who quietly finished 7-over, or two ahead of Hossler. Yet, Hossler has reason to brag. He qualified for his second consecutive U. S. Open and finished tied for 29th at age 17.
With Hossler, though only a high school junior, also wearing the burnt orange of Austin, Texas will have one terrific college team in 2014, if neither Hossler nor Spieth become pro before then. The amateur who finished worse than them both, Patrick Cantlay, did declare on Tuesday that he was going pro.
NBC did a great job on the coverage, and it wasn't just Johnny Miller. The interviews were solid and the special mini-doc features were insightful. It also didn't hurt to have Jack Fleck ('55 Open champion) and Billy Casper ('66 Open champion) on hand. Like baseball, golf's greatest strength is its tradition, not its stars. Fortunately, the networks haven't forgotten.
Is there a new trend in grand slam golf? Yes. Four of the last five majors have been won by young rising stars: Keegan Bradley, Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson, and Webb Simpson. It could be the dawn of a new era of superstars, with American and international youngsters supplanting Woods and Mickelson. As for handling career decline while still a remarkable athlete, perhaps Tiger can ask his old TV commercial partner Roger Federer how he copes with it. Or not.
The Lake Course at Olympic was beautifully rugged, even without water hazards, only one fairway sandtrap, and a short overall length. It did, however, have huge trees that swallowed golf balls, small fast sloping greens that let most chip shots slide right off, and horrendously shin-deep jungle-style roughs. After the 2011 embarrassment, where Rory McIlroy lapped the field, winning by 8 strokes at 16-under par, the U.S.G.A. made sure the 2012 edition of their Open was back to basics, cruel character-building basics.
Webb Simpson, this year's champion, was a two-time winner on the tour, and at 26 a rising star. Still, he finished with a 281 total, one over par. His brief flurry of birdies midway through his Sunday round and terrific par save on 18 were his only highlights, mainly because the NBC producers didn't give him much camera time until the end. And why should they? Bigger names were hacking up the circuit or making infrequent great shots.
Viewers were fixated on the screen when cameras depicted Tiger Woods making a bogie. Let's face it. For many, watching Tiger pull another epic fail was fun. Do you think Mr. Nicklaus let the champagne flow back in Ohio after Tiger's brutal bogey-bogey-double bogey start on Sunday? His meltdown was complete, even though he was tied for the lead starting Saturday play. He actually played solid golf after the first seven holes on Sunday.
I thought Graeme McDowell was going to win it, but he couldn't sink the birdie putts he needed, and when his long game went erratic, he was finished. Jim Furyk was in the steady driver's seat until the 16th hole, when his duck hook tee shot let to a bogey. When his terrible second shot on 18 led to another bogey, the cameras finally focused on Webb and his pregnant wife in the clubhouse.
Somehow, it all seemed a bit anti-climactic, after big international names of the past like Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington made their own charges and Furyk and McDowell both collapsed in their epic duel.
Comic relief was provided by 17-year-old pudgy amateur Beau Hossler, who confidently stated after Saturday play that he was no longer shooting for low amateur, he was playing to win it all. Really? By the end of Sunday's round and a six-over 76, he had lost it all: no overall title and no low-am title. That belonged to Jordan Spieth, a current Texas Longhorn, who quietly finished 7-over, or two ahead of Hossler. Yet, Hossler has reason to brag. He qualified for his second consecutive U. S. Open and finished tied for 29th at age 17.
With Hossler, though only a high school junior, also wearing the burnt orange of Austin, Texas will have one terrific college team in 2014, if neither Hossler nor Spieth become pro before then. The amateur who finished worse than them both, Patrick Cantlay, did declare on Tuesday that he was going pro.
NBC did a great job on the coverage, and it wasn't just Johnny Miller. The interviews were solid and the special mini-doc features were insightful. It also didn't hurt to have Jack Fleck ('55 Open champion) and Billy Casper ('66 Open champion) on hand. Like baseball, golf's greatest strength is its tradition, not its stars. Fortunately, the networks haven't forgotten.
Is there a new trend in grand slam golf? Yes. Four of the last five majors have been won by young rising stars: Keegan Bradley, Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson, and Webb Simpson. It could be the dawn of a new era of superstars, with American and international youngsters supplanting Woods and Mickelson. As for handling career decline while still a remarkable athlete, perhaps Tiger can ask his old TV commercial partner Roger Federer how he copes with it. Or not.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
U. S. Open Report After Day Two: Surprises Pleasant and Unpleasant, and a Few Sure Things
The first two days of the U. S. Open at Olympic Club are history. Spectators learned or relearned a few things along the way. First, world ranking means very little on a twisty, undulating shorter course groomed to challenge even the very best. With ultra-difficult conditions, the par-70 Lake course presented psychological warfare to the field. Number one ranked world golfer Luke Donald missed the cut by 3 shots, and number three ranked Rory McIlroy missed by 2.
Other big names that crumpled under the pressure and conditions included Louis Oosthuizen, Bubba Watson, Carl Pettersson, Y.E. Yang, and Dustin Johnson (all at 149, one shot too many), Geoff Ogilvy and Ben Crane (150), Stewart Cink and D.A. Points (152), and Vijay Singh (153).
Second, surly curmudgeon Johnny Miller remains the best television analyst in golf. The special bonus this week is that he knows Olympic Club like the back of his hand, having been a junior member of the establishment back in the 1960's.
Third, a few cinderella stories were dashed on the rocks of the Pacific coastline. Casey Martin, the Oregon golf coach who made headlines 14 years ago in taking the tour to court to make riding a cart permissible due to his withered right leg, qualified and missed the cut by one shot. The 14-year-old phenom Andy Zhang had respectable scores in the 70's, but missed the cut by 8 shots. Club pro Dennis Miller, he of the magical last-hole delayed putt-drop in qualifying, whiffed with a 162, 14 shots above the cutoff.
Fourth, spectators learned that Tiger is almost all the way back. Even if he folds during weekend play, Mr. Woods proved his critics wrong by out-dueling Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson in Thursday and Friday's most popular threesome. At the halfway mark, Tiger is tied for the lead at one under par. While he missed a few drives, chips, and putts, he did nothing as horrible as Mickelson, who lost a ball in a tree on the very first hole he played Thursday.
Fifth, viewers learned that Tiger isn't the only arrogant golfer on the tour. The boneheaded overconfidence award belongs to Watson, who came to Olympic unprepared, claiming only golfers who couldn't hit it long needed a 3 wood. Have a nice trip home, Bubba.
Tiger kept his arrogance in check and his composure, as did co-leaders Jim Furyk and David Toms. Lee Westwood and Phil Mickelson regained their composure on Friday, making the cut and remaining in the hunt. As a matter of fact, all 72 golfers who made weekend play remain in the hunt, with the cut-off only 9 shots behind the leaders.
Other golfers with potential Sunday charges in reserve include Nicolas Colsaerts and Graeme McDowell at 141, two off the pace; Hunter Mahan, Matt Kuchar, Jason Dufner, and Charl Schwartzel at 143; Steve Stricker, Padraig Harrington, Ernie Els, and Justin Rose at 144; and Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood, and Ian Poulter at 145. Don't exclude Mickelson, Adam Scott, or Zach Johnson from the conversation, either, although they will really need spectacular Saturdays to make a viable run on Sunday.
A few cinderella stories remain. Seldom-considered 27-year-old pro Michael Thompson had a three-shot lead after Thursday, and is only two shots back as Saturday play begins. Seventeen-year-old amateur Beau Hossler, who briefly held the lead on Friday, hovers only 4 shots behind. Charlie Wi, a local favorite who played his college golf at Cal across the bay, is 5 shots back, as is the ever-popular Sergio Garcia, whose most popular shot on Friday was a strike at the television microphone left at ground level beside a tee box. Will Sergio remain one of the best golfers to never win a major?
Predictions? Four amateurs survived the cut, but Patrick Cantlay should emerge as the low amateur when the dust settles on Sunday. There will be more major blowups and more triple bogies for major names. If the course holds true (meaning hard and fast), the winning score will be over par. There will be more lead changes this weekend than there were lead changes at Indy last month. Finally, expect another big name to challenge Tiger in toe-to-toe competition on Sunday, and don't expect it to be an American.
Other big names that crumpled under the pressure and conditions included Louis Oosthuizen, Bubba Watson, Carl Pettersson, Y.E. Yang, and Dustin Johnson (all at 149, one shot too many), Geoff Ogilvy and Ben Crane (150), Stewart Cink and D.A. Points (152), and Vijay Singh (153).
Second, surly curmudgeon Johnny Miller remains the best television analyst in golf. The special bonus this week is that he knows Olympic Club like the back of his hand, having been a junior member of the establishment back in the 1960's.
Third, a few cinderella stories were dashed on the rocks of the Pacific coastline. Casey Martin, the Oregon golf coach who made headlines 14 years ago in taking the tour to court to make riding a cart permissible due to his withered right leg, qualified and missed the cut by one shot. The 14-year-old phenom Andy Zhang had respectable scores in the 70's, but missed the cut by 8 shots. Club pro Dennis Miller, he of the magical last-hole delayed putt-drop in qualifying, whiffed with a 162, 14 shots above the cutoff.
Fourth, spectators learned that Tiger is almost all the way back. Even if he folds during weekend play, Mr. Woods proved his critics wrong by out-dueling Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson in Thursday and Friday's most popular threesome. At the halfway mark, Tiger is tied for the lead at one under par. While he missed a few drives, chips, and putts, he did nothing as horrible as Mickelson, who lost a ball in a tree on the very first hole he played Thursday.
Fifth, viewers learned that Tiger isn't the only arrogant golfer on the tour. The boneheaded overconfidence award belongs to Watson, who came to Olympic unprepared, claiming only golfers who couldn't hit it long needed a 3 wood. Have a nice trip home, Bubba.
Tiger kept his arrogance in check and his composure, as did co-leaders Jim Furyk and David Toms. Lee Westwood and Phil Mickelson regained their composure on Friday, making the cut and remaining in the hunt. As a matter of fact, all 72 golfers who made weekend play remain in the hunt, with the cut-off only 9 shots behind the leaders.
Other golfers with potential Sunday charges in reserve include Nicolas Colsaerts and Graeme McDowell at 141, two off the pace; Hunter Mahan, Matt Kuchar, Jason Dufner, and Charl Schwartzel at 143; Steve Stricker, Padraig Harrington, Ernie Els, and Justin Rose at 144; and Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood, and Ian Poulter at 145. Don't exclude Mickelson, Adam Scott, or Zach Johnson from the conversation, either, although they will really need spectacular Saturdays to make a viable run on Sunday.
A few cinderella stories remain. Seldom-considered 27-year-old pro Michael Thompson had a three-shot lead after Thursday, and is only two shots back as Saturday play begins. Seventeen-year-old amateur Beau Hossler, who briefly held the lead on Friday, hovers only 4 shots behind. Charlie Wi, a local favorite who played his college golf at Cal across the bay, is 5 shots back, as is the ever-popular Sergio Garcia, whose most popular shot on Friday was a strike at the television microphone left at ground level beside a tee box. Will Sergio remain one of the best golfers to never win a major?
Predictions? Four amateurs survived the cut, but Patrick Cantlay should emerge as the low amateur when the dust settles on Sunday. There will be more major blowups and more triple bogies for major names. If the course holds true (meaning hard and fast), the winning score will be over par. There will be more lead changes this weekend than there were lead changes at Indy last month. Finally, expect another big name to challenge Tiger in toe-to-toe competition on Sunday, and don't expect it to be an American.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Tennis and Hockey Win the Week in Sports
In a perfect America-centric world, the NHL championship playoff series would be the big story, where the L.A. Kings ended its mini-tailspin with a blowout 6-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils, giving them the league title, 4-2. It was Los Angeles' first NHL title since the team was born 45 years ago. Even better, the abbreviated best-of-seven series proved that hockey doesn't milk its product to maximize revenue. The series was done in six games. The sixth game, like many before it, was not close. It was real and exciting.
However, there was a bigger sporting event happening on the world stage last week, the conclusion of the French Open in tennis. In the women's singles title match, endorsement queen Maria Sharapova throttled her average-sized foe from Italy, Sara Errani, 2-0 (6-3, 6-2). It completed a career grand slam for her and a personal comeback from major shoulder surgery four years before. Perseverance, focus, and tenacity are three of Sharapova's most admirable attributes, separating her from another tennis glamour queen and her predecessor from Russia, Anna Kournikova. Unfortunately, she still considers herself Russian, and the Russian national anthem played during the trophy presentation. She has been in the United States since age six, yet she will play for the Russian national team during this summer's Olympics.
In the men's singles, Rafael Nadal smashed Novak Djokovic in a rain-delayed match, 3-1 (6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5). It was nice to see a nice guy win, and Nadal now has surpassed legendary Bjorn Borg for the most French Open titles with 7. That is 7 titles in 8 years. It was also his eleventh overall Grand Slam title. With the reeling economy in Spain, a grateful Nadal give his grateful country something to cheer about.
In soccer, the EUFA EuroCup tournament, another major world sporting event, is heating up, with fans from Russia and Poland getting into brawls in Warsaw, the site of their team's match. The game saw Poland achieve a 1-1 upset tie. Other strong teams include France, Spain, Germany, and England. Italy, Croatia, and Czech Republic are longer shots to advance.
Meanwhile, the predictable NBA saw the host Miami Heat defeat the visiting Boston Celtics in the seventh game of their series. It was close until the last 8 minutes, when the Heat pulled away from a suddenly cold Boston. It looked more like a team flop rather than a referee conspiracy, although the zebras did nail Kevin Garnett with three quick fouls for screens he has always set without whistles before. Garnett's absence later in the first half and inability to get in the offensive flow in the second half was a decisive factor in the Celtics' loss, flop or no flop.
Now the officials are up to their usual antics in the NBA championship series, giving LeBron James a generous no-call on Kevin Durant in Game 2 on a decisive play, a play in which the Thunder failed to score. The Heat won, giving the teams a split in Oklahoma City. Will the league office allow the Thunder to win a game in Miami, or will the series end with 3 consecutive Heat victories? Does anybody care?
However, there was a bigger sporting event happening on the world stage last week, the conclusion of the French Open in tennis. In the women's singles title match, endorsement queen Maria Sharapova throttled her average-sized foe from Italy, Sara Errani, 2-0 (6-3, 6-2). It completed a career grand slam for her and a personal comeback from major shoulder surgery four years before. Perseverance, focus, and tenacity are three of Sharapova's most admirable attributes, separating her from another tennis glamour queen and her predecessor from Russia, Anna Kournikova. Unfortunately, she still considers herself Russian, and the Russian national anthem played during the trophy presentation. She has been in the United States since age six, yet she will play for the Russian national team during this summer's Olympics.
In the men's singles, Rafael Nadal smashed Novak Djokovic in a rain-delayed match, 3-1 (6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5). It was nice to see a nice guy win, and Nadal now has surpassed legendary Bjorn Borg for the most French Open titles with 7. That is 7 titles in 8 years. It was also his eleventh overall Grand Slam title. With the reeling economy in Spain, a grateful Nadal give his grateful country something to cheer about.
In soccer, the EUFA EuroCup tournament, another major world sporting event, is heating up, with fans from Russia and Poland getting into brawls in Warsaw, the site of their team's match. The game saw Poland achieve a 1-1 upset tie. Other strong teams include France, Spain, Germany, and England. Italy, Croatia, and Czech Republic are longer shots to advance.
Meanwhile, the predictable NBA saw the host Miami Heat defeat the visiting Boston Celtics in the seventh game of their series. It was close until the last 8 minutes, when the Heat pulled away from a suddenly cold Boston. It looked more like a team flop rather than a referee conspiracy, although the zebras did nail Kevin Garnett with three quick fouls for screens he has always set without whistles before. Garnett's absence later in the first half and inability to get in the offensive flow in the second half was a decisive factor in the Celtics' loss, flop or no flop.
Now the officials are up to their usual antics in the NBA championship series, giving LeBron James a generous no-call on Kevin Durant in Game 2 on a decisive play, a play in which the Thunder failed to score. The Heat won, giving the teams a split in Oklahoma City. Will the league office allow the Thunder to win a game in Miami, or will the series end with 3 consecutive Heat victories? Does anybody care?
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
The U. S. Open: Favorites, Fan Favorites, Longshots, and Villains
This week marks one of golf's biggest tournaments, the U. S. Open. It also marks the fifth time the tournament will take place at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. In 1955, semi-unknown golfer Jack Fleck upset legendary champion Ben Hogan in an 18-hole playoff on Monday. In 1966, excellent golfer Billy Casper came from behind to mildly upset legendary champion Arnold Palmer in another 18-hole Monday playoff. In 1987, quality golfer Scott Simpson came from behind to defeat legendary champion Tom Watson in regulation. In 1998, capable pro golfer Lee Janzen came from behind to defeat by one shot legendary champion Payne Stewart, who had led the previous three days. See a pattern?
Who are the legendary champions and who are the likeliest quality golfers to overcome them on Sunday? Among the legends, count Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, and Tiger Woods. Who are the likeliest to overtake them? Try this undirty dozen: Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen, Justin Rose, Bubba Watson, Matt Kuchar, Jim Furyk, Jason Dufner, Zach Johnson, and Dustin Johnson.
Who will be the fan favorites? From the popular Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, and Bubba Watson to locals Charlie Wi and Spencer Levin to longshot qualifiers Dennis Miller and physically-impaired Casey Martin to longshot amateurs Patrick Cantlay, Beau Hossler, Nick Sherwood, Alberto Sanchez, and Brooks Koepka, fans will be cheering on these individuals.
Other longshots? Try any of these international names, and you may be watching the top of the leaderboard by Sunday: Martin Kaymer, Charl Schwartzel, Graeme McDowell, Alvaro Quiros, Angel Cabrera, Padraig Harrington, and Carl Pettersson. Other American longshots with the ability to win at Olympic include Steve Stricker, Mark Wilson, Hunter Mahan, Keegan Bradley, and Ben Crane.
Are there any villains in the field this week? Many will say Tiger Woods remains a focal point of hate, but he has done everything right since his win at the Memorial two weeks ago. He must have hired some new public relations people, for he even was generous in his praise of the groundskeepers and Casey Martin at his press conference Tuesday.
The real villain could be the difficulty of the course, which might result in a boring runaway for one hot golfer. Perhaps that golfer will be Tiger. Here's hoping we have another upset playoff winner at Olympic Club.
Who are the legendary champions and who are the likeliest quality golfers to overcome them on Sunday? Among the legends, count Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, and Tiger Woods. Who are the likeliest to overtake them? Try this undirty dozen: Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen, Justin Rose, Bubba Watson, Matt Kuchar, Jim Furyk, Jason Dufner, Zach Johnson, and Dustin Johnson.
Who will be the fan favorites? From the popular Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, and Bubba Watson to locals Charlie Wi and Spencer Levin to longshot qualifiers Dennis Miller and physically-impaired Casey Martin to longshot amateurs Patrick Cantlay, Beau Hossler, Nick Sherwood, Alberto Sanchez, and Brooks Koepka, fans will be cheering on these individuals.
Other longshots? Try any of these international names, and you may be watching the top of the leaderboard by Sunday: Martin Kaymer, Charl Schwartzel, Graeme McDowell, Alvaro Quiros, Angel Cabrera, Padraig Harrington, and Carl Pettersson. Other American longshots with the ability to win at Olympic include Steve Stricker, Mark Wilson, Hunter Mahan, Keegan Bradley, and Ben Crane.
Are there any villains in the field this week? Many will say Tiger Woods remains a focal point of hate, but he has done everything right since his win at the Memorial two weeks ago. He must have hired some new public relations people, for he even was generous in his praise of the groundskeepers and Casey Martin at his press conference Tuesday.
The real villain could be the difficulty of the course, which might result in a boring runaway for one hot golfer. Perhaps that golfer will be Tiger. Here's hoping we have another upset playoff winner at Olympic Club.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Tennis, Golf, the NHL, and IndyCar: These Are the Big Four of Sports This Week
Who cares about basketball and baseball these days? One sport is just a third into its season of overlong guaranteed contracts. The other sport is entering its last two weeks of controversial officiating and aura of executive office predestination. On a brighter note, many sports continue to shine.
Last week saw tremendous NHL action. The New Jersey Devils finished off the more talented New York Rangers and the Los Angeles Kings crushed the more talented Phoenix Coyotes. Playoff action in the NHL is nonstop, and rabid fans, unlike their NBA counterparts, have no need to raise an eyebrow over lopsided, biased officiating. Why? There is none. Are a few calls blown from time to time? Yes. However, there are no disturbing trends or patterns of inconsistency favoring the more popular teams, or teams with endorsement kings like LeBron James.
Last week saw the return of another king, Tiger Woods. He humbled the competition at the Jack Nicklaus-chaired Memorial in Ohio. On Sunday, Woods' playing partner, Rickie Fowler, couldn't even break 80. And Fowler's a top 20 golfer. The mystique may not be all the way back, but it's back at least in part. Tiger's spending 10 days preparing for the U. S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, a course he knows very well.
Last week also saw the Chip Ganassi team rolling on in IZOD Indycar competition. The Detroit Grand Prix saw a switch of the top two at Indy a week before, with Scott Dixon taking the checkered flag and his teammate Dario Franchitti nailing second.
The French Open saw the Williams sisters both lose in the first week. It also saw the normally stoic Roger Federer lose his temper as he advanced to the quarterfinals and the methodical Maria Sharapova overcome some slow starts as she advanced to the semifinals.
This weekend has some great sports viewing on tap, even with the premier event drained of drama due to injury. I'll Have Another will not compete in the Belmont Stakes Saturday because of swelling in a front left leg tendon. Thus, there will be no Triple Crown winner for at least another year. Was the favored horse overtrained? Did the banning of his nasal strip for the Belmont have anything to do with his leg injury, with less effective breathing causing a misstep? Who knows? The race will still be great, but it will not be epic. The horse racing industry loses another potential shot in the arm.
With the Devils finally winning a game, the NHL championship series returns to Jersey with the Kings still up, 3-1. It's unlikely the Kings will lose the series, but they could lose another game.
The St. Jude's Classic PGA event in Memphis has its own drama, even with Mickelson and Woods abstaining. Will Rory McIlroy set the stage for an epic U.S. Open showdown with Woods by winning his own American tune-up event? McIlroy missed three consecutive cuts on the European tour, but he has displayed good form so far in Memphis.
Who will win the French Open? Will older war horses Federer and Sharapova prevail in a triumph of patience and tenacity over the youth and quickness of Djokovic and Errani on the red clay of Roland Garros? Set your DVR's and find out.
Oh, there's an Eastern Conference final game seven between the Celtics and the Heat in the NBA, but only a fool would doubt its outcome and actually watch all two hours of action. Just fast forward to the trophy ceremony, where a carefully cultivated new and improved good-guy-imaged LeBron James will thank the city of Cleveland for his professional start.
Last week saw tremendous NHL action. The New Jersey Devils finished off the more talented New York Rangers and the Los Angeles Kings crushed the more talented Phoenix Coyotes. Playoff action in the NHL is nonstop, and rabid fans, unlike their NBA counterparts, have no need to raise an eyebrow over lopsided, biased officiating. Why? There is none. Are a few calls blown from time to time? Yes. However, there are no disturbing trends or patterns of inconsistency favoring the more popular teams, or teams with endorsement kings like LeBron James.
Last week saw the return of another king, Tiger Woods. He humbled the competition at the Jack Nicklaus-chaired Memorial in Ohio. On Sunday, Woods' playing partner, Rickie Fowler, couldn't even break 80. And Fowler's a top 20 golfer. The mystique may not be all the way back, but it's back at least in part. Tiger's spending 10 days preparing for the U. S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, a course he knows very well.
Last week also saw the Chip Ganassi team rolling on in IZOD Indycar competition. The Detroit Grand Prix saw a switch of the top two at Indy a week before, with Scott Dixon taking the checkered flag and his teammate Dario Franchitti nailing second.
The French Open saw the Williams sisters both lose in the first week. It also saw the normally stoic Roger Federer lose his temper as he advanced to the quarterfinals and the methodical Maria Sharapova overcome some slow starts as she advanced to the semifinals.
This weekend has some great sports viewing on tap, even with the premier event drained of drama due to injury. I'll Have Another will not compete in the Belmont Stakes Saturday because of swelling in a front left leg tendon. Thus, there will be no Triple Crown winner for at least another year. Was the favored horse overtrained? Did the banning of his nasal strip for the Belmont have anything to do with his leg injury, with less effective breathing causing a misstep? Who knows? The race will still be great, but it will not be epic. The horse racing industry loses another potential shot in the arm.
With the Devils finally winning a game, the NHL championship series returns to Jersey with the Kings still up, 3-1. It's unlikely the Kings will lose the series, but they could lose another game.
The St. Jude's Classic PGA event in Memphis has its own drama, even with Mickelson and Woods abstaining. Will Rory McIlroy set the stage for an epic U.S. Open showdown with Woods by winning his own American tune-up event? McIlroy missed three consecutive cuts on the European tour, but he has displayed good form so far in Memphis.
Who will win the French Open? Will older war horses Federer and Sharapova prevail in a triumph of patience and tenacity over the youth and quickness of Djokovic and Errani on the red clay of Roland Garros? Set your DVR's and find out.
Oh, there's an Eastern Conference final game seven between the Celtics and the Heat in the NBA, but only a fool would doubt its outcome and actually watch all two hours of action. Just fast forward to the trophy ceremony, where a carefully cultivated new and improved good-guy-imaged LeBron James will thank the city of Cleveland for his professional start.
Friday, June 1, 2012
2012 Indianapolis 500: A Win-Win For Most, But Not All
With the winds of NBA wars grabbing headlines, last weekend was refreshing in presenting an event that has recouped much of it lost prestige. Even the ratings that came out Tuesday showed a 4.38 share, up .32 from last year and the most-watched race since 2008. That's a huge victory for IZOD Indycar.
The race could not have been more successful as a sports spectacular. First, there were crashes. Clean crashes with no serious injuries. Dramatic crashes as in the last lap of the race. Second, there was drama, with an all-time record of lead changes due to the equality of the cars and the advantages of drafting from behind. Third, there was class, with a gracious international winner and his movie-star wife saying all the right things at the right time. Fourth, there were legends, with the presence of Mario Andretti and A. J. Foyt (see last week's post on their incredible status) in the pit area.
However, there were a few losers. Takumo Sato tried to pass Dario Franchitti on the last lap. That's not so bad, but he tried to do it on turn one, not a straightaway. Even though it was his third race at Indy, it was a rookie move. Later, he whined that Franchitti squeezed him down to the apron, where his car got loose and he spun out. Franchitti did what any driver who wanted to win would do: he kept his position, his line, in the turn and wouldn't give way. The only person I felt bad about there was David Letterman, who is a co-owner of Sato's driving team.
Another loser was Roger Penske. His cars may have been faster in the time trials, but they were not tuned as well for the long haul. Chip Ganassi's team finished one-two, with Franchitti and Scott Dixon.
It's hard to say Lotus was a loser, even though both Lotus cars were black-flagged in the first ten laps for failing to have a competitive speed. Why? The Indy 500 was far richer for having three manufacturers of engines (Honda/Chevy/Lotus) rather than the Honda monopoly. With its illustrious history, Lotus will only get better if it wants to.
While the viewer was a winner, he was also a loser for being inundated with scores of commercials, most with a 30/70 "split-screen" where the ad dominated, but some that were full ads, and driving time was missed. Please, bring back the closed circuit theatres or pay-per-view option so the race can be watched without interruption.
As usual, the ABC/ESPN broadcasting team was exceptional. A little more Brent Musberger would have been okay in my book.
Still, the Indy 500 is back, and that's good news for racing fans everywhere.
The race could not have been more successful as a sports spectacular. First, there were crashes. Clean crashes with no serious injuries. Dramatic crashes as in the last lap of the race. Second, there was drama, with an all-time record of lead changes due to the equality of the cars and the advantages of drafting from behind. Third, there was class, with a gracious international winner and his movie-star wife saying all the right things at the right time. Fourth, there were legends, with the presence of Mario Andretti and A. J. Foyt (see last week's post on their incredible status) in the pit area.
However, there were a few losers. Takumo Sato tried to pass Dario Franchitti on the last lap. That's not so bad, but he tried to do it on turn one, not a straightaway. Even though it was his third race at Indy, it was a rookie move. Later, he whined that Franchitti squeezed him down to the apron, where his car got loose and he spun out. Franchitti did what any driver who wanted to win would do: he kept his position, his line, in the turn and wouldn't give way. The only person I felt bad about there was David Letterman, who is a co-owner of Sato's driving team.
Another loser was Roger Penske. His cars may have been faster in the time trials, but they were not tuned as well for the long haul. Chip Ganassi's team finished one-two, with Franchitti and Scott Dixon.
It's hard to say Lotus was a loser, even though both Lotus cars were black-flagged in the first ten laps for failing to have a competitive speed. Why? The Indy 500 was far richer for having three manufacturers of engines (Honda/Chevy/Lotus) rather than the Honda monopoly. With its illustrious history, Lotus will only get better if it wants to.
While the viewer was a winner, he was also a loser for being inundated with scores of commercials, most with a 30/70 "split-screen" where the ad dominated, but some that were full ads, and driving time was missed. Please, bring back the closed circuit theatres or pay-per-view option so the race can be watched without interruption.
As usual, the ABC/ESPN broadcasting team was exceptional. A little more Brent Musberger would have been okay in my book.
Still, the Indy 500 is back, and that's good news for racing fans everywhere.
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