Archive for the ‘Golf’ Category

The King of Golf is Back!

Wednesday, April 17th, 2019

by Gus Griffin

gus

 

 

 

 

Apr 14, 2019; Augusta, GA, USA; Tiger Woods celebrates after making a putt on the 18th green to win The Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Apr 14, 2019; Augusta, GA, USA; Tiger Woods celebrates after making a putt on the 18th green to win The Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Perhaps it is only fitting that on the day the iconic and wildly popular Game of Thrones resumes for its eighth and final season, that another throne was recaptured. This throne is in Augusta, Georgia, home of the Masters Golf tournament, which is the sport’s most prestigious event. In as dramatic of fashion as fire-breathing dragons or frozen zombies could match, and after 11 years, Tiger Woods is once again a major champion.

GOT

Comeback stories are always appealing. What is unique about Tiger’s is how far and public his fall was from the top.

The man once held all four major titles at one time (The Tiger Slam). He was the highest-paid athlete in the world and considered by far the most dominant athlete over his sport in the world. The gap between Tiger Woods and say Phil Mickelson was far wider than Michael Jordan and Clyde Drexler or Muhammed Ali and Joe Fraizier. Speaking of Jordan and Ali, those two, in addition to the Williams sisters, are the only other athletes that compare over the past half century in terms of moving the needle of public interest, even beyond the die-hard and marginal fans of their respective sports.

But neither of them ever fell as far as Tiger had.  Ali’s fall was exclusively political and of conscious when he chose to refuse induction into the armed forces during the Vietnam War era. He was stripped of his title and license to box in his prime for 3 years. He would come back to win the heavyweight title, not once, but twice.

Jordan never had a fall but a self-imposed sabbatical in the wake of the murder of his father.  He would return to lead the Bulls to 3 additional titles, earning MVP in all three Finals series.

However, Tiger’s decline was as much due to his own self-destructive, non-golf-related behavior as it was due to injuries. How far had Tiger fallen?  In July of 2017, he was ranked number 1005th.

That was not a typo.

Less than two years ago, Tiger Woods was not even a top 1000 player. Announcers were openly saying that he should join them in the broadcast booth.

Today he is ranked number 6.

AAThe closest comparison that I can think of is the fall of Andre Agassi. He was ranked number 1 and had collected three major titles, only to fall to being ranked number 141 in 1997. Off the court, there was a disintegrating marriage to actress Brooke Shields and drug use. But in 1999 he would begin his climb back that would eventually lead to five additional major titles, to include completing a career Grand Slam…a feat his top rival Pete Sampras was never able to accomplish.  As popular and iconic within tennis as Agassi was, in terms of larger cultural impact, he was never on Tiger Woods’ level.

It is hard to put one’s finger on Tiger’s appeal. It certainly is more complex than the obvious, which is being Black (even if he is confused about such matters) in a lily-white sport.  Certainly, the power of his game and early historical dominating wins at the Masters and US Open helped. The confident and purposeful strut on Sunday in the trademark red shirt and black pants is as identifiable branding as there is in sports. His once reputation as the most mentally tough player on the tour was the stuff of mythical folklore. I also suspect his gallery appeal is a part of the formula.

By comparison, golf fans are tame and the polar opposite in every way of soccer fans. The exception to this is when Tiger is near or on top of the leader board on Sunday at a major. The roar for Tiger is unlike the roar for any other player and can be unnerving to other players. We saw an example of it Sunday with Brooks Koepka. Over the past 18 months, Koepka has been the best player in the world, winning three majors and ending 2018 ranked number 1. However, on the 18th hole, with a chance to cut into Tiger’s lead, he missed what should have been an easy putt. Just before he lined up to take the putt, he heard the roar of the crowd…the roar golfers only hear when Tiger is on the prowl. To his credit, Koepka was among the many fellow golfers to greet Tiger’s return to the clubhouse for the “Green Jacket” presentation after his win. This may be tradition, but I prefer to think of it as a generation of golfers, who grew up watching Tiger at his best, giving him his proper due. The case can be made that no single athlete in American history has increased the public interest and revenue in his/her sport more than one Eldrick Tiger Woods. In other words, they know who the hell has been buttering their bread.

TW2

The King of Golf is back and the entire sports world is for the better.

 

Gus Griffin, for War Room Sports

Sports’ 4 Most Overhyped Rivalries

Friday, November 23rd, 2018

by Gus Griffin

gus

 

 

 

 

Image courtesy of The Purple Quill

Image courtesy of The Purple Quill

As college football goes, this is rivalry week. Alabama vs. Auburn is among many that rarely disappoint.

However, some of these matchups that folks have been convinced are rivalries are overhyped frauds. I am going to list the biggest four, but to get where I am coming from, you have to know what makes up a rivalry. There are six primary elements: history; familiarity; regional proximity; greatness of the players; fan passion; and competitive balance.  Now a good rivalry need not necessarily have all of these elements. For example, the Steelers and Raiders, 49ers and Cowboys have history, but familiarity has dropped because they do not necessarily play every year, as opposed to Dallas and Washington. Regional proximity makes them compelling, but USC and Notre Dame, as well as the Celtics and Lakers have proven that regional proximity is not a necessity. In fact, it can be overplayed, as was the case in Northern Cal when I was growing up. Cal-Berkeley vs. Stanford was considered “the big game”. I could never understand what was so big about a game between two teams with a combined record of 4-14.

The one of these six elements that is necessary for a full-fledge, hype-deserving rivalry is competitive balance.

That is the factor missing from the four biggest frauds on the rivalry Mt. Rushmore.

FRAUD RIVALRY 1) Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson:

Photo Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Photo Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

I know they have the $9 million match play on Friday and the $200K side bet that “Phil Appeal” would birdie the first hole. Far be it for me to deny an interest in an ill action, so I may tune in for that alone. However, to call it a rivalry is an insult to rivalries. It has been reasonably close when they have been paired, with Woods holding an 18-15-2 edge. That is the end of the statistical balance. Though they have both played in nearly all four majors since 1997, they have finished first and second in only one major (the 2002 U.S. Open, won by Woods, by three strokes over Michelson). Their careers for wins has Tiger with 14 majors to Phil’s 5, and 80 tour wins to Phil’s 43.

What rivalry?

When Tiger and Phil are paired together atop the leader board on a Sunday of a major, then give me a call.

 

FRAUD RIVALRY 2) Serena vs. Maria:

Photo courtesy of The Telegraph

Photo courtesy of The Telegraph

It should have been great. When 17-year-old Maria Sharapova took two of her first three matches from the undisputed number 1 Serena Williams in 2004, it included an absolute beat down of the Queen at the Wimbledon finals. There was every reason to believe that it would be a great rivalry for years to come. Since that year, Serena has beaten Maria like a drum, to the tune of 18 matches in a row, 15 of them in straight sets. The only reason Maria broke the streak is that Serena retired due to injury in this year’s French Open. Serena has twice as many tour wins (72-36) and over four times as many majors (23-5).  Rivalry? GTFOOHWTBS.

 

 

 

FRAUD RIVALRY 3) Patriots and the Steelers:

Photo courtesy of Inside the Pylon

Photo courtesy of Inside the Pylon

It pains me to point this out, and I may be risking sedition charges at the hands of the council of Steeler Nation. But the record is what the record is. During the Belichick/Brady era, my Steelers are 3-10 against the Patriots, including 0-3 in playoffs. Their only win in New England was when Brady was hurt. Five of the losses have been in Pittsburgh. Stevie Wonder could see that this is not much of a rivalry.

 

 

 

 

FRAUD RIVALRY 4) LeBron vs MJ:

Photo courtesy of Type One

Photo courtesy of Type One

I suppose if we include social media and/or a bar to be qualifiers, this would be a real rivalry. We cannot. Cyberspace is no more of a venue for a rivalry than porn is for one’s Walter Mitty sexual exploits; NEITHER IS REAL! How on Earth could there be a rivalry when the two never competed against one another? Their careers have literally never even overlapped. Jordan’s last year was the year before LeBron’s debut.  They do not even play the same position.

 

 

 

 

It is easy to understand how these four have come to be presented as something their records clearly show that they are not; ratings! All are marquee within their sports and even beyond, and all move the marketing meter. I get it. But let’s not get carried away, least we take away from real rivalries such as Duke and North Carolina, or my Giants and the Dodgers, etc. The good news is that an overhyped rivalry can get an upgrade. Until 1985, the Lakers and Celtics was overhyped. Then the mighty Purple and Gold put that work in on the lil green bas##@$&. Until 2004 the Yankees and Red Sox was overhyped, until the Red Sox gave the pin stripes the business and have been doing so ever since. Until last year, the Penguins and Capitals was overhyped. You know it is not a real rivalry when only one side of fans is obsessed with it, while the other side just takes winning for granted. That is how Penguins fans felt when they met the Caps in the playoffs……….until last year.  Now it is a good rivalry. Nothing gets the attention of an arrogant fan base more than when your team unexpectedly beats them. So none of the above is eternally locked into fraud rivalry purgatory. However, one must change the narrative and the only way to do that is to start winning.

So, here’s to hoping that the Michigan Wolverines read this and finally beats the Ohio State Buckeyes this weekend. Otherwise, that rivalry may be soon on this list.

 

Gus Griffin, for War Room Sports

Sergio Garcia Is Getting A Reality Check

Thursday, May 23rd, 2013

by LeRoy McConnell III

 

 

 

 

(Courtesy of BusinessInsider.com)

Sergio, EVERYBODY IN AMERICA EATS FRIED CHICKEN!  Though you are not from the U.S., you don’t get a pass for your racist remark made toward Tiger Woods.  In the last few weeks, the sports world has witnessed how much disdain you have for the world’s number one golfer.  If you want to exchange insults with him, then privately say it to his face!  Sergio, don’t be surprised if the African-Americans are offended by your choice of words.  Just ask Fuzzy Zoeller, who also made the same inappropriate comment about “fried chicken”.  Zoeller is a racist bigot who maliciously attacked Tiger Woods in front of the world back in 1997.  Tiger Woods left Zoeller out to dry and Fuzzy was crucified for it.

In my opinion, those words were 100% directed toward Tiger Woods.  I don’t think Sergio meant to offend me or other African-Americans.  I don’t know Sergio personally, but I haven’t heard anything to lead me to believe he is a racist bigot.  However, I have to hold him accountable.

The only reason Sergio Garcia apologized today was the $10-12 million in endorsements that he is probably trying to save.

Luckily for you Sergio, Tiger Woods was classy enough to rescue you by responding to your apology.  I believe you can make a racist comment without being a racist.  If I’ve made the same mistake, I would pray someone would forgive me.

Look Sergio, if you want to get even with Tiger Woods, then you beat him on the playing course.  Until then, shut up and play golf.

 

LeRoy McConnell III of “A Fan’s Point of View”, for War Room Sports

Who’s The Best, Who’s The Greatest, Who’s The # 1 (Vol. II)

Friday, April 13th, 2012

By LeRoy McConnell III

The phrase “who is the best, the greatest, and the number one” has been a term used throughout my childhood.  The original “KCMAC” used that phrase for years.  He would tickle me as a child until I would give in and tell him he was the best, the greatest, and occasionally saying that MOM was number one.  To find out who was the turkey back then, “KCMAC” would pin me down and if I wanted off my back then I guess I would be the turkey.  Well in sports we have athletes who have demonstrated greatness, and athletes who may not have been so great.  So I think some recognition is in order.

WHO’S THE BEST?

Baylor Lady Bears

“The Best” so far goes to the Baylor Lady Bears basketball program who went an NCAA record 40-0.  Baylor started and finished the season ranked #1 in the country with the help of All-American Brittney Griner, who is the most dominant center women’s basketball has ever witnessed.  Oh, by the way, their starting five will be back to defend their title next year.  Congratulations to Coach Kim Mulkey and the Lady Bears for a magical season.

WHO’S THE GREATEST?

 

“The Greatest” goes to San Antonio Spurs, who for the second time this year has gone on a eleven game winning streak that suddenly ended Monday night against the Utah Jazz.  Their streak ended because coach Greg Popovich arrogantly gives Tim Duncan, Manu Ginoboli, and Tony Parker the day off.  I’m not sure if it was a wise thing to do considering they have the opportunity to get the number one seed in the Western Conference.  The loss placed the Spurs one game out of first behind the Oklahoma City Thunder with 11 games to go.  No one can really question the mind of Greg Popovich, who has been pushing the right buttons since 1999.  We must remember the last time there was a shortened season the Spurs were holding the Larry O’Brien trophy!

WHO IS THE #1

As if you really have to ask.  Who would of thought that a man named Bubba would be wearing the prestigious Masters’ green jacket!  Bubba Watson is his name, a man who last month squandered a 3-shot lead in the final round of the Doral by losing to Justin Rose by a shot.   This is a man that is self taught, never been coached, and was bold enough to go out there with a pink driver (dad died of throat cancer) to shoot a final round 68 to beat the likes of Mickelson, Westwood, and overcame Louis Oosthuizen in a sudden death playoff.  Bubba Watson has overcome ADHD to win his first major tournament.

Gobble, Gobble! 

Who does the Turkey of the Week go too?

I would have said the mouth of the Ozzie Guillen for his ill-advised comments he made about his admiration of Fidel Castro.  Of course he was  misinterpreted when he said “I love Fidel Castro.”  He basically said he admires Castro for staying alive/in power this long with everyone out to get him.  He must have forgotten he was in Miami where there is a strong Latin community.  Ozzie is the most defiant person in sports towards authority I have ever seen.  He makes Charles Barkley sound like a role model.  Ozzie being Ozzie, I guess that’s what Manny Ramirez would say.  I thought he was finished as a coach on that remark.  However he only got a 5-game suspension, which seems kind of light, especially when people were calling for his firing.  Either way this is probably far from being over with and if his comments affect butts in the seats, he’s a dead man walking anyway.

The true “Turkey” this time around has to be former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino!  Unfortunately he and his mistress was involved in a motorcycle accident on April 1, 2012.  That motorcycle was coach Petrino’s skeleton in the closet.  Yikes, Petrino is a married man and his mistress is engaged.  He was fired “with cause” because of misleading University of Arkansas about his accident.  His relationship with this woman, for whom he used athletic department funds to hire, was granted an unfair advantage, bypassing 159 other qualified applicants which was a conflict of interest.  He never informs his athletic director that he gave his mistress $20,000 in cash prior to hiring her.  Petrino’s April Fools joke is on him, as he will lose his multi-million dollar buy-out.  Now that’s a REAL TURKEY!

LeRoy McConnell III of “A Fan’s Point of View”, for War Room Sports

Rory McIlroy: Ready To Be “The One”?

Friday, June 24th, 2011

By Devin McMillan

Ready to take the reigns?

The sports world is at it again.  As a result of the impressive wire to wire, 8-stroke win last weekend at the U.S. Open by the 22 year-old kid from Northern Ireland, reporters, writers, fans, and even several fellow golfers seem to have quickly forgotten that the game of golf had been played for many years prior to Rory McIlroy’s dominating performance last weekend at Congressional. 

During the tournament, but especially the day after, the Rory love showered from the heavens in the form of boundless verbal adulation from peers and media alike, once reserved in the sport for the likes of legendary players such as Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Bobby Jones, Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Gary Player, etc.  As a matter of fact, comparisons to the aforementioned “legends of the links” repeatedly surfaced on the lips and fingertips (for those who write) of all who cover the PGA Tour.  Due to the redemption factor that most likely inundated the frontal and temporal lobes of the Northern Irish phenom as a result of his “Meltdown at the Masters”, I even found myself rooting for the kid to finish this one, after his record-setting 65 in the first round put him yet in another early lead.  You’d have to be heartless to feel absolutely no compassion for such a seemingly good kid trying to erase the demons that haunted him at Augusta National two months ago.  And you’d have to be a blind man to fail to realize the dominance and impressive nature of his performance last week. 

However, this is where I draw my line.  Much of the praise amassed on Rory this week is reminiscent of the “prisoner of the moment” ideology that seems to dictate mass opinion in our society as a whole, let alone in the world of sports.  Though impressive, the swing of Rory McIlroy became the subject of awe last week as he earned the nickname “BMW” (for the company’s slogan, “The Ultimate Driving Machine) from his peers in the clubhouse.  Fellow Irishman Graeme McDowell said, “you have to drive the ball very well and he is probably one of the best drivers to hit a ball that I’ve ever seen”.  Others have already placed him on the level of Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus after only his first win in a “Major” tournament. 

For some reason, it appears that proponents of the sport have been waiting patiently (or impatiently) for the next youngster to show signs of greatness so they could thrust the burden of soon-to-be icon upon his shoulders.  Joe LaCava, longtime caddie of Fred Couples said, “He’s [Rory] by far the best player I’ve seen who is in his 20’s…by far”.  Comments like that lead me to believe that much of the Rory sentiment is being exaggerated in order to push Tiger Woods to the side.  Tiger aka “the reason golfers make the kind of money they do now”, was by all accounts (and probably still is), “bigger than the game”.  So it seems as if certain people are willing to go out of their way to create and endorse the next “great” player in order to somehow diminish Tiger’s greatness.

Now, I am by no means a Tiger apologist, because I certainly realize that the man has made mistakes in his life that may or may not be affecting his performance on the golf course, but has definitely soured the opinions of him by many of his peers.  However, comments like the ones made by Joe “LaCaddie” force me to quote the once great, current punching bag, Roy Jones Jr…”Y’all Musta Forgot!”

The current bar is still set on Tiger's shoulders

Tiger Woods holds the record for most PGA Tour wins by a player prior to his 25th birthday with 25.  The closest to him was Horton Smith with 17.  Tiger also holds the record for most tour wins by a player from ages 20 through 29 with 34.  The great Jack Nicklaus is second with 30.  After 100 starts, Rory McIlroy has 3 tour victories.  After the same amount of starts, Tiger Woods had 28 tour victories and almost double the number of top 10 finishes than his “successor”.  Woods also holds the tour records for wins after 25 and 75 starts, with Jack holding the record for wins after 50 starts.  At 21 years and 24 weeks, young Eldrick was also the youngest player in history to hold the ranking of #1 Golfer in the World. 

Considering the fact that Tiger owns close to 30 PGA Tour records (many of which were set in his 20’s), as well as several amateur records, this list (If I chose to finish) could be the making of my first New York Times Best-Selling sports novel.  But the point has been made and the production, achievements, awards, and iconic status of Tiger Woods speaks for itself.  He changed the culture of the sport and has brought it to a level of popularity never before seen in the world of golf.  He is also the richest athlete in the world and none of his riches have accumulated as a result of a well-played gimmick.  The man can simply play the game.  So as great as Rory is and as great as he may become, 1 “major” does not a legend make.  He is roughly 13-17 “major” wins short of sitting at the Tiger/Jack table at Thanksgiving dinner.  In my opinion, the expectations now being piled upon young Mr. McIlroy after only 1 “major” win (3 wins altogether) are extremely unfair to him.  The public would do Rory a huge favor by doing their best “Shawshank” imitation and escaping the “penitentiaries of the moment”, and by simply remembering that the PGA Tour did not just start last week in Bethesda, Maryland.

Devin McMillan of The War Room, for War Room Sports