The leaderboard at this weekend's British Open seems to change as much as the wind, and considering that play on Friday was suspended due to high winds, it changes a lot. At various points throughout the 150th Open Championship, names such as Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Paul Casey, and even John Daly have been moving around the leaderboard like ping pong balls. Even with the unpredictable winds making things tough on anyone atop the leaderboard, it will be hard for Tiger Woods, who sits ten shots back, to mount a comeback capable of pulling off the win. Assuming that there will be no ten stroke comeback by Tiger tomorrow, he will have one more shot at a Major championship this year when the PGA Championship takes place in mid-August. The championship will take place at Whistling Straits Golf Course, which last hosted the PGA Championship in 2004. At that tournament, Tiger Woods finished an unspectacular two-under par, six shots off of the lead. Is it crazy to think that this may be the first year since 2004 (coincidentally, the same year that the PGA Championship was played at Whistling Straits) that Tiger will finish the season without a Major championship victory? More importantly, how does this affect Woods' quest to best Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 career Major championships? A couple of years ago, it was almost a sure bet that Woods would eventually surpass Nicklaus on the all-time list. However, Woods cannot afford to have any more seasons like he has had this year. While he continues to get older, guys like McIlroy keep getting better and closer to their prime.
The possibility of the Big 10 having a championship game in football has become much more realistic ever since Nebraska declared for the conference last month. The question that remains to be answered is where the conference would play the game if they were to have one. I've heard everything from Ford Field in Detroit to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, and even historic sites such as Lambeau Field and Soldier Field. Isn't it obvious which venue is the best fit for a potential Big Ten title game? Indianapolis is a fairly centralized location considering the teams that make up the Big 10, and it's an indoor facility, which is almost a must unless the conference is located in the South like the ACC. With that being said, Lambeau Field is out, not only because it's outdoors, but because Wisconsin is about as un-centralized a location as possible. The same goes for Solider Field. As for Detroit, it meets the requirements of being indoors and being a central location, but scheduling would be an issue. With the MAC already hosting their title game at Ford Field, one of the conferences would have to play their championship game a week before or after every other conference has their game, which could upset the conference that doesn't play on Championship Week. Also, with Detroit being Detroit, chances are a game in Indianapolis would draw a much larger crowd. In addition to those reasons, the Big 10 already plays their conference tournament for basketball in Indianapolis as well.
Last post I asked my readers if the All-Star game winning streak for the American League was as great as other winning streaks since it is technically still an exhibition game. Well, since none of you responded, I can only assume that none of my regular readers actually watched the game (the game received its lowest rating in years, which is why I feel confident in assuming this). Since the National League won, there is no reason to debate the streak. However, it was an extremely entertaining game to watch, which is why I am perplexed as to why it got such a low rating. The MLB All-Star game is so much more entertaining than the NBA All-Star game or the Pro Bowl, and unlike the NBA or NFL, the MLB's game actually means something. I hope this trend doesn't continue, because you know what happens when the ratings aren't great; someone wants to change something. The only thing that should be changed about the MLB All-Star festivities is the Home Run Derby; other than that, it's great and people apparently are missing out.
I'm getting close to deciding on how I want the Around The Corn Sports Blog shirts to look. Keep checking the Facebook fan page for more information about that, which should be posted in the next week or so. Thanks everyone.
- K. Becks
Showing posts with label tiger woods. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tiger woods. Show all posts
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Okay, I Guess I Understand, But...
Utah leaving the Mountain West Conference on Thursday for the Pac-10 makes me scratch my head a little bit. They are leaving a conference where they and Boise State would have been the class of a very respectable football lineup, which also features TCU and BYU. I understand that the Pac-10 has the automatic bid to the Rose Bowl, but with all the conference swapping and uncertainty, things could change quickly. I still believe that this conference swapping will lead to the institution of a college football playoff, which would make having an automatic bid to a BCS bowl meaningless. Also, with the lineup that the Mountain West would have had, I think that they would have been given an automatic bid in a playoff. Also, the top of the Mountain West is much more stable and predictable year in and year out than the Pac-10. Every year, you can count on Boise State, TCU, and BYU to put together a competitive team. In the Pac-10, USC and Oregon are really the only teams that have been good most years during the past decade. In fact, here is a stat that backs up this claim: the Mountain West Conference's record against the Pac-10 in bowl games in the last ten years? Try 6-5. What I'm saying is that I understand why Utah moved to the Pac-10. The automatic bid is there, and the Pac-10 gets more respect from the media than the Mountain West. However, it's instant gratification, because in a few years, there won't be any more automatic bids to BCS bowl games. With Utah, the Mountain West would have been better than the Pac-10, and might have even secured an automatic bid to a BCS bowl game while automatic bids are still around. Now, all we have are two conferences that both need another good team to legitimize their claim as a true elite football conference.
I think that Boston's Glen Davis needs to give up the nickname "Big Baby" so that the man who truly deserves the name can have it. That man would be Washington Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. Haynesworth, who signed the biggest contract ever by a defensive player last year, decided not to show up to the team's mandatory minicamp this week because he is unhappy with the Redskins instituting a 3-4 defense. His teammates are right; he is being completely selfish here. Not only has he decided not to show up to practice, but he has also reportedly demanded a trade out of Washington. Well, Albert, your ticket out of Washington would be giving back the one-hundred million dollar contract that you signed last year. Considering his selfishness, he won't do it, and will likely come back to the Redskins stomping his feet like a little kid whose mom didn't buy him a candy bar at the store. Albert, while you're making a stink about the defense you'll have to play in, consider this: Mike Shanahan has a Super Bowl Ring, and you don't. Maybe you should just do what he says, and you'll have a chance of getting one too.
Today at the U.S. Open, both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson failed to make even one birdie. That's not exactly a way to attract the attention of the casual golf fan, but on the bright side, Tiger is only five shots off the lead. Considering the difficulty of the course, and the fact that Tiger had a very mediocre first round, I wouldn't be surprised if Tiger is right in the thick of things as we head into the weekend. Maybe, just maybe, he can save the U.S. Open after all.
Tomorrow morning's soccer match between the United States and Slovenia will determine whether or not the majority of the United States will continue to follow the World Cup. A tie is not enough, and the U.S. already received their gift. Hopefully Clint Dempsey & Co. can pull through, because I don't want to be the only person left still wanting to talk about the World Cup.
- K. Becks
I think that Boston's Glen Davis needs to give up the nickname "Big Baby" so that the man who truly deserves the name can have it. That man would be Washington Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. Haynesworth, who signed the biggest contract ever by a defensive player last year, decided not to show up to the team's mandatory minicamp this week because he is unhappy with the Redskins instituting a 3-4 defense. His teammates are right; he is being completely selfish here. Not only has he decided not to show up to practice, but he has also reportedly demanded a trade out of Washington. Well, Albert, your ticket out of Washington would be giving back the one-hundred million dollar contract that you signed last year. Considering his selfishness, he won't do it, and will likely come back to the Redskins stomping his feet like a little kid whose mom didn't buy him a candy bar at the store. Albert, while you're making a stink about the defense you'll have to play in, consider this: Mike Shanahan has a Super Bowl Ring, and you don't. Maybe you should just do what he says, and you'll have a chance of getting one too.
Today at the U.S. Open, both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson failed to make even one birdie. That's not exactly a way to attract the attention of the casual golf fan, but on the bright side, Tiger is only five shots off the lead. Considering the difficulty of the course, and the fact that Tiger had a very mediocre first round, I wouldn't be surprised if Tiger is right in the thick of things as we head into the weekend. Maybe, just maybe, he can save the U.S. Open after all.
Tomorrow morning's soccer match between the United States and Slovenia will determine whether or not the majority of the United States will continue to follow the World Cup. A tie is not enough, and the U.S. already received their gift. Hopefully Clint Dempsey & Co. can pull through, because I don't want to be the only person left still wanting to talk about the World Cup.
- K. Becks
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Reign In Spain?
Every team in the World Cup now has one game under their belts, and unsurprisingly, some teams are pleased with where they currently stand, while others are scratching their heads wondering what they're going to have to do in order to move on. Let's take a look at the first set of group play games, and what we might be able to expect from this point forward.
Team That Should Be Most Pleased With Their Performance
South Africa
Not very many people were giving the South Africans a chance in this group, but after their 1-1 draw with Mexico in the World Cup opener, the Bafana Bafana are right in the thick of things. If they can manage to pull off a shocker against Uruguay (which is being played currently), then South Africa may be able to extend their stay in this tournament. At any rate, still being in the hunt has given the home fans something to cheer about, which is good for the country as a whole.
Outlook: They still have a lot of work to do; a tie against Mexico was great for the morale of the team and country, but they will have to get a win against either Uruguay or France to feel good about their chances of moving on. Obviously, getting a win today against Uruguay seems like the easier route. I'd like to see it happen, but I wouldn't put money on it.
Team That Should Be Least Pleased With Their Performance
Spain
They didn't play a terrible game (nothing went their way today), but the co-favorites to win this tournament should be very disappointed with the result. Switzerland goalie Diego Benaglio played an excellent game, but Spain had a plethora of chances, and just didn't capitalize on them. Apparently, the pressure of being the favorites did affect Spain a little bit.
Outlook: This probably won't prevent Spain from moving on, but they no longer have the cushion that I'm sure they thought they'd have at this point. They should be able to take care of Honduras, so the game against Chile (who already has three points) will be the crucial game. The Spanish will definitely be rooting for a tie in the Switzerland vs. Chile game so that Spain will be able to gain some ground on the leaders. If Spain uses this as motivation, they should be fine.
Best Game So Far
Slovakia vs. New Zealand (ended in a 1-1 tie)
It's a shame that many people were not even awake in the U.S. to watch this game, because it definitely defined the term "last minute drama". Down 1-0 with two minutes in extra time already gone, New Zealand fullback (yes, fullback) Winston Reid saved the day for the Kiwis by heading in a goal in the 93rd minute. It's the first point ever scored by New Zealand in a World Cup, and it could very well be their last for awhile. Regardless, it's still great, and a must see if you haven't seen it yet.
While much of ESPN's (and this blog's) attention has been focused on the World Cup, there has been a lot of other worthy sports stories to talk about. The biggest non-soccer headline today is that Michigan State coach Tom Izzo has decided not to take the Cleveland Cavaliers head coaching job. I think that this was a good decision on Izzo's part. Sure, in the NBA he could have made more than twice the amount of money that he is currently making, but along with the extra money comes a whole new set of headaches that you don't have as a college coach. One of those headaches is dealing with the players. In college, the coaches actually coach. In the NBA, coaches essentially babysit and make sure everyone plays nice with each other. Even if Lebron were to stay and Izzo were to take the Cavaliers coaching job, Lebron would still be the de facto coach of the team. Izzo is the kind of guy who wants to actually coach kids make them better. The NBA is not that kind of game, so I think it was a wise decision by Izzo to stay in East Lansing.
Tomorrow is the start of the U.S. Open, and for the first time in a very long time, Tiger Woods isn't the overwhelming favorite to win. Golf needs Tiger back. I know that the World Cup is kind of overshadowing it, but the U.S. Open has been getting very little media attention. It's being played at Pebble Beach, possibly the most revered golf course in the United States other than Augusta National, and even that isn't getting as many people as usual excited. We've been through this before, and we're going through it again; golf needs Tiger Woods on his game to get the casual fan interested. It's not enough for Tiger to be in the tournament anymore; now he needs to be in the hunt for the win for people to tune in. For golf's sake, I hope he does well this weekend.
For whatever reason, the polls don't seem to be working. Maybe it's just my computer, so if it's also a problem for all you guys, please let me know so that I can try and get it fixed. Thanks everyone.
- K. Becks
Team That Should Be Most Pleased With Their Performance
South Africa
Not very many people were giving the South Africans a chance in this group, but after their 1-1 draw with Mexico in the World Cup opener, the Bafana Bafana are right in the thick of things. If they can manage to pull off a shocker against Uruguay (which is being played currently), then South Africa may be able to extend their stay in this tournament. At any rate, still being in the hunt has given the home fans something to cheer about, which is good for the country as a whole.
Outlook: They still have a lot of work to do; a tie against Mexico was great for the morale of the team and country, but they will have to get a win against either Uruguay or France to feel good about their chances of moving on. Obviously, getting a win today against Uruguay seems like the easier route. I'd like to see it happen, but I wouldn't put money on it.
Team That Should Be Least Pleased With Their Performance
Spain
They didn't play a terrible game (nothing went their way today), but the co-favorites to win this tournament should be very disappointed with the result. Switzerland goalie Diego Benaglio played an excellent game, but Spain had a plethora of chances, and just didn't capitalize on them. Apparently, the pressure of being the favorites did affect Spain a little bit.
Outlook: This probably won't prevent Spain from moving on, but they no longer have the cushion that I'm sure they thought they'd have at this point. They should be able to take care of Honduras, so the game against Chile (who already has three points) will be the crucial game. The Spanish will definitely be rooting for a tie in the Switzerland vs. Chile game so that Spain will be able to gain some ground on the leaders. If Spain uses this as motivation, they should be fine.
Best Game So Far
Slovakia vs. New Zealand (ended in a 1-1 tie)
It's a shame that many people were not even awake in the U.S. to watch this game, because it definitely defined the term "last minute drama". Down 1-0 with two minutes in extra time already gone, New Zealand fullback (yes, fullback) Winston Reid saved the day for the Kiwis by heading in a goal in the 93rd minute. It's the first point ever scored by New Zealand in a World Cup, and it could very well be their last for awhile. Regardless, it's still great, and a must see if you haven't seen it yet.
While much of ESPN's (and this blog's) attention has been focused on the World Cup, there has been a lot of other worthy sports stories to talk about. The biggest non-soccer headline today is that Michigan State coach Tom Izzo has decided not to take the Cleveland Cavaliers head coaching job. I think that this was a good decision on Izzo's part. Sure, in the NBA he could have made more than twice the amount of money that he is currently making, but along with the extra money comes a whole new set of headaches that you don't have as a college coach. One of those headaches is dealing with the players. In college, the coaches actually coach. In the NBA, coaches essentially babysit and make sure everyone plays nice with each other. Even if Lebron were to stay and Izzo were to take the Cavaliers coaching job, Lebron would still be the de facto coach of the team. Izzo is the kind of guy who wants to actually coach kids make them better. The NBA is not that kind of game, so I think it was a wise decision by Izzo to stay in East Lansing.
Tomorrow is the start of the U.S. Open, and for the first time in a very long time, Tiger Woods isn't the overwhelming favorite to win. Golf needs Tiger back. I know that the World Cup is kind of overshadowing it, but the U.S. Open has been getting very little media attention. It's being played at Pebble Beach, possibly the most revered golf course in the United States other than Augusta National, and even that isn't getting as many people as usual excited. We've been through this before, and we're going through it again; golf needs Tiger Woods on his game to get the casual fan interested. It's not enough for Tiger to be in the tournament anymore; now he needs to be in the hunt for the win for people to tune in. For golf's sake, I hope he does well this weekend.
For whatever reason, the polls don't seem to be working. Maybe it's just my computer, so if it's also a problem for all you guys, please let me know so that I can try and get it fixed. Thanks everyone.
- K. Becks
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Cleveland Is Excited Now
For the first time in a very long time, the city of Cleveland may finally have some luck and good fortune on their side. This is because their Favorite Son, Lebron James, actually has an allegiance to his hometown and said in an interview that will air Friday on "Larry King Live" that Cleveland "absoultely" has an edge over other cities looking to uproot James out of Ohio. I don't know why anyone would be surprised, as I've said before that Cleveland is still the best place for him to play if he wants to win a championship and create a legacy, but some people need to hear it before they believe it. James has said he hasn't made a decision yet, but I think that he's just biding his time. The chances of another team being able to afford James and either Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, or Joe Johnson are extremely low, and that is the only reason why I can see James possibly leaving his hometown. If any city were to have their heart ripped out by a player bolting for another team, then Cleveland would be it. However, I just don't see that happening.
I just got done watching the Rafael Nadal vs. Nicolas Almagro quarterfinal match at the French Open, which brings the count to: Number of French Open matches watched: 2, Number of NBA Playoff games watched: 1. Due to the number of upsets on both the men's and women's sides so far, this has been a pretty interesting Major to follow. Both Roger Federer and Serena Williams went down in the quarterfinals, and although that means the casual fan is less inclined to watch the finals, it just shows that the gap between the "best" and "the rest" isn't as far as many people would think. In fact, this is the first time since 2004 that Federer has not reached the semi-finals of a Grand Slam tournament. This means that Nadal is the favorite to win, but in the words of Lee Corso, "not so fast my friend!" The man who upset Federer, Roger Soderling, is an extremely talented player on clay, and played exceptionally well in last year's French Open Final against none other than Federer. If Soderling meets Nadal in this year's Final, then it is definitely a match worth watching.
Since I tried to get a press pass to this event (although for whatever reason I found it impossible to attain one), I'll comment on the news at the Memorial Tournament. I've seen a lot on SportsCenter about Tiger Woods' neck, and how it might affect him during the tournament. Um, correct me if I'm wrong, but is it really that big of a deal? It's not the U.S. Open; it's the Memorial Tournament. I'm sure I'm going to get a lot of angry comments from my readers that live near the Muirfield Golf Village, but it's the truth. I understand that he's trying to defend his title, but does that automatically make it a bigger deal? Those are just my thoughts, so if you disagree, let me know in the comments section.
Yesterday I said that I would give my thoughts concerning the last two polls that I have put up for my readers to vote on. The first poll was "do you think that MMA style fighting should be a club/sport in high school". I was very pleased with this poll, as it was the most voted on poll the blog has ever had. The results were close, as "No" edged out "Yes" by just one vote. I'm going to have to agree with those who said no. One of the arguments for having MMA style fighting in high school is that it has proven to be safer than both football and boxing, with fewer injuries sustained during MMA style fighting than in the aforementioned sports. However, one of the reasons this may be so is that the number of individuals that participate in MMA style fighting is small compared to the number of football players in high school and college. Also, high school athletes normally do not have the body control that professional MMA fighters have, which means that the number of injuries would likely skyrocket if the sport were offered to high school students. A club that teaches high school athletes the basics of MMA style fighting would not be a bad idea, but having sanctioned tournaments for high school students would be.
As for the "who is currently the worst franchise in pro sports" poll, the results show a tie between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Detroit Lions. It's tough to choose between which franchise has been better at being bad, but I think that the Pirates have a slight edge over the Lions in that department. Although the Lions defined futility two years ago with their 0-16 season, they have at least shown a desire to get better and improve their franchise. I honestly don't think that the Pirates have. Outfielder Andrew McCutchen is one of the few bright spots on the team, but chances are he will be traded for a slew of young players that won't demand as much money. It's the nature of the beast for a small market team, but it's still frustrating to see. Of course, it has to be ten times as frustrating for fans of the team. Then again, how many Pirates fans are there?
Check out the newest poll I have up for you guys, and if you know someone who still hasn't seen the blog, let them know about it. I plan to continue posting more frequently, so let them know they'll actually have something current to read if they decide to check out the blog. Thanks guys.
- K. Becks
I just got done watching the Rafael Nadal vs. Nicolas Almagro quarterfinal match at the French Open, which brings the count to: Number of French Open matches watched: 2, Number of NBA Playoff games watched: 1. Due to the number of upsets on both the men's and women's sides so far, this has been a pretty interesting Major to follow. Both Roger Federer and Serena Williams went down in the quarterfinals, and although that means the casual fan is less inclined to watch the finals, it just shows that the gap between the "best" and "the rest" isn't as far as many people would think. In fact, this is the first time since 2004 that Federer has not reached the semi-finals of a Grand Slam tournament. This means that Nadal is the favorite to win, but in the words of Lee Corso, "not so fast my friend!" The man who upset Federer, Roger Soderling, is an extremely talented player on clay, and played exceptionally well in last year's French Open Final against none other than Federer. If Soderling meets Nadal in this year's Final, then it is definitely a match worth watching.
Since I tried to get a press pass to this event (although for whatever reason I found it impossible to attain one), I'll comment on the news at the Memorial Tournament. I've seen a lot on SportsCenter about Tiger Woods' neck, and how it might affect him during the tournament. Um, correct me if I'm wrong, but is it really that big of a deal? It's not the U.S. Open; it's the Memorial Tournament. I'm sure I'm going to get a lot of angry comments from my readers that live near the Muirfield Golf Village, but it's the truth. I understand that he's trying to defend his title, but does that automatically make it a bigger deal? Those are just my thoughts, so if you disagree, let me know in the comments section.
Yesterday I said that I would give my thoughts concerning the last two polls that I have put up for my readers to vote on. The first poll was "do you think that MMA style fighting should be a club/sport in high school". I was very pleased with this poll, as it was the most voted on poll the blog has ever had. The results were close, as "No" edged out "Yes" by just one vote. I'm going to have to agree with those who said no. One of the arguments for having MMA style fighting in high school is that it has proven to be safer than both football and boxing, with fewer injuries sustained during MMA style fighting than in the aforementioned sports. However, one of the reasons this may be so is that the number of individuals that participate in MMA style fighting is small compared to the number of football players in high school and college. Also, high school athletes normally do not have the body control that professional MMA fighters have, which means that the number of injuries would likely skyrocket if the sport were offered to high school students. A club that teaches high school athletes the basics of MMA style fighting would not be a bad idea, but having sanctioned tournaments for high school students would be.
As for the "who is currently the worst franchise in pro sports" poll, the results show a tie between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Detroit Lions. It's tough to choose between which franchise has been better at being bad, but I think that the Pirates have a slight edge over the Lions in that department. Although the Lions defined futility two years ago with their 0-16 season, they have at least shown a desire to get better and improve their franchise. I honestly don't think that the Pirates have. Outfielder Andrew McCutchen is one of the few bright spots on the team, but chances are he will be traded for a slew of young players that won't demand as much money. It's the nature of the beast for a small market team, but it's still frustrating to see. Of course, it has to be ten times as frustrating for fans of the team. Then again, how many Pirates fans are there?
Check out the newest poll I have up for you guys, and if you know someone who still hasn't seen the blog, let them know about it. I plan to continue posting more frequently, so let them know they'll actually have something current to read if they decide to check out the blog. Thanks guys.
- K. Becks
Friday, April 9, 2010
Someone Teach Me How To Play The Piano...
...So that I could play that little piece that they play when they're about to go to a commercial break during the Masters. I personally prefer the CBS Sports College Basketball theme song, but I'm not really up for learning about four different instruments.
Big week in sports so far, and I haven't posted very many entries to talk about all the events that have taken place. Why? Honestly, because all the events bundled into one post looks a lot longer and therefore a lot more professional. Also, I feel that people like to play the percentages game when deciding whether or not to read something. For example, if the piece of writing is long, people may say "I can probably skim this and find something that I think is interesting". But if the piece of writing looks a lot like an article in People Magazine, they are probably more inclined to say "I'll look at the pictures....Oh, there are no pictures? Well then this isn't really worth my time". I learned this from Mark Titus, who feels it is necessary to write a book every time he posts a new entry. Also, yes, to answer the question you're probably asking yourself right now, I am promoting his blog in hopes that maybe he'll read mine and send some of his readers my way. Did you read that Mark? Something like that is what Axe would've preferred you write.
Speaking of college basketball players, how about the National Championship? I know it's been a few days, but that game was probably one of the better ones that I have ever seen. I heard a lot of people complaining that the tournament wasn't as interesting once the big boys like Kansas and Kentucky went down, but as far as I'm concerned, these people were still bitter about losing five dollars in bracket pools. The national championship came down to the last shot, which is fitting considering the way the entire tournament played out. Butler making it to the championship game was not a fluke, either. It really comes down to two things: Butler was a terrific team all year, and was overlooked largely because of the conference they play in. When was the last time that a preseason Top 10 team was considered an underdog if they reached the National Championship? Never, as far as I know. Secondly, no team was that much better than any other team this season. In past years, we've had the North Carolina's and Florida's who have seemingly dominated from November until April. Coming into this year's tournament however, there were probably eight to ten teams who had a legitimate shot of cutting down the nets in Indianapolis.
With everything else going on in sports this week, Major League Baseball beginning play has kind of taken a back seat in importance. Those who did pay attention to Opening Day however, likely saw one of the better plays that will be made all season. Add in a budding star hitting a home run in his first at-bat, and it looks like this season will be full of action. At least to some, apparently. Umpire Joe West thinks it's "pathetic and embarrasing" that the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox games take so long. Most baseball insiders are shrugging this off as a comment made by a loudmouth (basically, West is the T.O. of umpiring), but he does bring up a valid point. Causal fans often use the "baseball is so boring to watch on TV" excuse as to why they are not avid fans of the game. It's not hard to stay interested in a three hour game if you're at the stadium, but it's a whole different matter if you're watching the game on TV. West may not just be blowing hot air here.
Finally, the Masters. Even if you're not a golf fan, you've undoubtedly heard about the tournament in Augusta, or more specifically, how Tiger is doing. After a strong first and second round, Tiger looks like he is in contention for the win at this point. This is probably the best thing that the PGA could have asked for. Casual fans were drawn in because of the Tiger saga, and now that he's doing well, they'll probably tune in to the final two days as well to see if he can win. Eat your own words, Billy Payne, because contrary to what you say, if Tiger wins this weekend, he hasn't disappointed me at all. To us, Tiger Woods is a golfer. Mickey Mantle wasn't exactly a role model, and neither is Kobe Bryant. Hell, even Tiki Barber just left his wife for some hot intern. The point in naming all those athletes is that even though they have had their darker moments on display for the public, we still love them because of their contributions to their respective sport. Besides, Mr. Payne, who are you to talk? You don't even let women join your country club.
Notice to the left of the writing I have replaced the NCAA Tournament tracker with a Masters leaderboard. That way you can spend your whole afternoon on the blog!
- K. Becks
Big week in sports so far, and I haven't posted very many entries to talk about all the events that have taken place. Why? Honestly, because all the events bundled into one post looks a lot longer and therefore a lot more professional. Also, I feel that people like to play the percentages game when deciding whether or not to read something. For example, if the piece of writing is long, people may say "I can probably skim this and find something that I think is interesting". But if the piece of writing looks a lot like an article in People Magazine, they are probably more inclined to say "I'll look at the pictures....Oh, there are no pictures? Well then this isn't really worth my time". I learned this from Mark Titus, who feels it is necessary to write a book every time he posts a new entry. Also, yes, to answer the question you're probably asking yourself right now, I am promoting his blog in hopes that maybe he'll read mine and send some of his readers my way. Did you read that Mark? Something like that is what Axe would've preferred you write.
Speaking of college basketball players, how about the National Championship? I know it's been a few days, but that game was probably one of the better ones that I have ever seen. I heard a lot of people complaining that the tournament wasn't as interesting once the big boys like Kansas and Kentucky went down, but as far as I'm concerned, these people were still bitter about losing five dollars in bracket pools. The national championship came down to the last shot, which is fitting considering the way the entire tournament played out. Butler making it to the championship game was not a fluke, either. It really comes down to two things: Butler was a terrific team all year, and was overlooked largely because of the conference they play in. When was the last time that a preseason Top 10 team was considered an underdog if they reached the National Championship? Never, as far as I know. Secondly, no team was that much better than any other team this season. In past years, we've had the North Carolina's and Florida's who have seemingly dominated from November until April. Coming into this year's tournament however, there were probably eight to ten teams who had a legitimate shot of cutting down the nets in Indianapolis.
With everything else going on in sports this week, Major League Baseball beginning play has kind of taken a back seat in importance. Those who did pay attention to Opening Day however, likely saw one of the better plays that will be made all season. Add in a budding star hitting a home run in his first at-bat, and it looks like this season will be full of action. At least to some, apparently. Umpire Joe West thinks it's "pathetic and embarrasing" that the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox games take so long. Most baseball insiders are shrugging this off as a comment made by a loudmouth (basically, West is the T.O. of umpiring), but he does bring up a valid point. Causal fans often use the "baseball is so boring to watch on TV" excuse as to why they are not avid fans of the game. It's not hard to stay interested in a three hour game if you're at the stadium, but it's a whole different matter if you're watching the game on TV. West may not just be blowing hot air here.
Finally, the Masters. Even if you're not a golf fan, you've undoubtedly heard about the tournament in Augusta, or more specifically, how Tiger is doing. After a strong first and second round, Tiger looks like he is in contention for the win at this point. This is probably the best thing that the PGA could have asked for. Casual fans were drawn in because of the Tiger saga, and now that he's doing well, they'll probably tune in to the final two days as well to see if he can win. Eat your own words, Billy Payne, because contrary to what you say, if Tiger wins this weekend, he hasn't disappointed me at all. To us, Tiger Woods is a golfer. Mickey Mantle wasn't exactly a role model, and neither is Kobe Bryant. Hell, even Tiki Barber just left his wife for some hot intern. The point in naming all those athletes is that even though they have had their darker moments on display for the public, we still love them because of their contributions to their respective sport. Besides, Mr. Payne, who are you to talk? You don't even let women join your country club.
Notice to the left of the writing I have replaced the NCAA Tournament tracker with a Masters leaderboard. That way you can spend your whole afternoon on the blog!
- K. Becks
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