Tiger Is From Another Planet

OPENING DRIVE: 
I don’t get a chance to watch many rounds of golf these days. Nor play them, either. My children are 4 1/2 and 2 1/2…and they are actually hollering for me…right now, as I write this. But after the swimming and the early dinner on Saturday, I can say I saw most of the 3rd round of the US Open. I’ve come to this conclusion. If you cut Tiger, he’ll bleed green. It will probably glow, too, and be toxic to the rest of us. The guys is from outer space. There is no other real explanation. We all can take heart, because fifty years from now, we can say, we watched him in his prime. I’ve interviewed him a couple of times, and followed him for most of his first major win, the 1997 Masters when he obliterated the old course record. I was the Sports Director at the NBC in Augusta at the time.  I say “old course” because the track in Augusta is far different now. Thanks to him. None the less, I found him a lot like I found Jack Nicklaus with the press. Tolerant of us, but not exactly loving. Aching for intelligent golf questions. Pained by the lack of them. In retrospect, I shouldn’t have been shocked. They don’t have press where he is from. Everyone is “all-knowing” already. And they bleed green stuff. Green, glowing stuff.
THE FAIRWAY.
  I’ve always said the NBA was one big conspiracy. Ask anybody who knows me. They’ll tell you, I’ve been preaching conspiracy theory forever. Who knew….I was right! I was just kidding—guys. Actually I don’t think Tim Donaghy is telling the truth about the whole series fix situation. Just one guys opinion. I think he just wants to gather up as many of his fellow refs as he can in this swirling mess. That said, I do believe NBA refs are more affected by crowd and environment than any others in major sports. For reasons of proximity, personal relationships—all the players know the names of all the refs—that is rarely the case in other sports—with the possible exception of baseball. And I also believe the intimate atmosphere which has the fans right on top of the court in most NBA arenas has to sway the refs some. They are…after all—unlike Tiger—only human.
THE GREEN
  We lost a couple of Giants in the broadcasting industry on Friday. Tim Russert is being properly honored for his contributions to the political world, and rightfully so. But in doing so, Charlie Jones passing was—not overlooked..but clearly overshadowed.The veteran sportscaster passed away Friday as well, of a heart attack.  His voice is forever burned into my memory from his work on NFL and Olympic coverage. He had an awesome voice, and chose his words with the utmost care. I met Charlie in Tampa in the late 1980’s…and a diving competition he was broadcasting for NBC sports.Losing both him, and Jim McKay is like losing a piece of sportscasting history we can’t get back. There was something more pure about what these men did, something more honorable about the business back then. I hold there accomplishments in higher asteem. Just my opinion.
THE JAR
  Back to golf, and I stand in awe of what locals like Chip Sullivan and Courtney Ellenbogen are doing. Chip is the pro at Ashley Plantation who finds a way to compete against guys who do nothing but play and practice golf, all day, every day. His stint on the PGA tour in six events was a real treat for me to watch. He’ll try to defend his PGA club pro title this week in Georgia and I have no doubt he’ll be in the hunt. He could be a PGA touring pro if he chose to, but is doing something I think is even tougher—-raising a family. Courtney is still in high school and playing her second straight women’s US Open. Last year she missed the cut by a stroke. I know everything is trending younger, but it is really hard for me to fathom competing against adults in anything before I was..say…18 at least. I was a competitive distance runner in my glory days but I didn’t go up against the big guns in the sport until I was running in college. I can’t imagine finishing up my trig homework and then going to play against Annika Sorenstam. That’s just nuts…and awesome at the same time. Best of luck to both of them. In the meantime, I have a splinter in my finger, courtesy of some wood I was cutting in the yard. I bled red….unlike somebody else we know.