My mini-vacation is in the books. I am relaxed and ready to go.
It was obviously a busy week, between The Masters, the NCAA Championship Game, and the opening of the 2009 Major League Baseball Season. And, in case you haven't seen the commercials (and if you haven't I commend you since it was almost impossible to do), a certain sports highlight show most of us watch every single day made a move to Los Angeles.
So, as you see there's plenty to get to, so I won't waste any of your time.
Nice Jacket, Angel: There was plenty of fireworks at Augusta National yesterday. Tiger and Phil put a charge into the crowd, but, after both came up short, it was up to Angel Cabrera, Kenny Perry, and Chad Campbell to give the fans a show. And they did not disappoint.
Perry seemed to have things going his way with a two shot lead with a couple of holes to go. But he couldn't hold the lead, and both Cabrera (who looked like he was toast midway through yesterday's round) and Campbell both managed to catch Perry and force the sudden death playoff.
It seemed as if Cabrera was going to be the odd man out after his tee shot on the first playoff hole found the trees. But he was able to save par (I have no idea how) and go to a second playoff hole with Perry (Campbell bogeyed and was eliminated).
Most forty-somethings wanted to see Perry win - he would have been the oldest player to ever win a major. But it wasn't meant to be. Perry ran out of gas and Cabrera was fitted for his first Green Jacket (his second career major).
I like that Cabrera was able to come back from the dead and win, but part of me feels for Perry. This is a guy who didn't get to the top until he was in his late forties. He also is the kind of guy that's easy to like.
A year ago, Perry was in the middle of putting together the best season of his career. He played so well he earned an invitation to the British Open. Most players (okay 99.99% would have jumped at the chance to play in one of golf's most prestigious tournaments. But Perry declined because he already told the U.S. Bank Championships (held in Milwaukee) that he was going to play their tournament that same weekend.
No one would have blamed Perry if he dumped the minor tournament for the chance to play the major. But Perry is the kind of guy whose word is bond. He told the Milwaukee officials he was coming and he wasn't going to back out.
Perry's the kind of stand-up guy those of us in the media respect. He's the kind of guy you want good things for. Something tells me he'll get his major championship sooner than you think.
Tiger Runs Out of Gas: Tiger Woods started yesterday seven shots in back of the lead. But he put on a show and made a run before back to back bogeys at 17 and 18 took him out of the running. Tiger may be disappointed in his finish. I have one friend who hosts a nationally syndicated sports talk show that was thrilled Woods came up short because it gave him a chance to sling a little mud. I, as a Tiger fan (admitting my bias), am not disappointed, and I won't take any shots at him either.
The fact that Tiger was in contention after missing eight months rehabbing from knee surgery is incredible. Most players wouldn't have been able to return from surgery and make a run at Augusta. But, Woods isn't most players, is he?
It only took Tiger a couple of tournaments to get his game into gear. Winning Arnie's tournament at Bay Hill with that putt on eighteen was a signature moment. So was that birdie on sixteen yesterday (a hole he has had his share of big moments at, I might add). I'm not sure there is another golfer on the PGA Tour that could have returned and played at a high level as quickly as Woods has.
And I'm not sure I'd bet against Tiger when the next major rolls around. That would be the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black in June. Mark your calenders.
Phil Comes Up Short: When Phil Mickelson put up a 30 on the front nine (while being paired with Mr. Woods), I thought he had a great chance to win the whole thing. But they play eighteen, not nine.
And the back nine was where Lefty got into some trouble. A double bogey on twelve. A birdie that should have been an eagle on fifteen. A blown chance for birdie at seventeen. And a bogey on the par-five eighteenth. At the end of the day, Mickelson had a nice round, but it could have been so much better.
That, actually, is what I've always thought of Lefty's career. He's had a great one - there's no doubt about that. But whenever I reflect on his career I think about all the missed opportunities instead of the wins and Majors that he's rolled up. That's the difference between Tiger and Phil (at least to me). Phil always left me wanting more. Tiger never did. That's why I've always been a Tiger guy.
ESPN Goes West: When 'The Worldwide Leader in Sports' announced its plans to move their late night Sportscenter to L.A., I thought it was an interesting move. Considering the fact that most outside the Eastern time zone accuse ESPN of having an East Coast bias, I thought it was a good way to quiet the critics. Then the shows actually started airing, and it took me all of about five minutes to figure out that it was going to be just a tad over the top.
Look, I get the fact they moved to L.A., but after the first day, the novelty wore off (at least for me). I don't need the eight-thousand commercials every day telling me that Neil, Stan and Stu moved west. I don't need to know that the show is being done in Los Angeles every six seconds.
ESPN is making a mistake if they think that people care where Sportscenter originates from. I don't know anyone that cares all that much. I certainly don't. Do the show in Terre Haute, Indiana for all I care. All I want to see are the highlights, scores, and news. That's it.
What I want is for ESPN to go back to the way 'SC' used to be (in the mid to late 1990's). More news, scores, and highlights. Less of all the other stuff that isn't designed for the average Sportscenter viewer anyway.
But I also realize that going back will to what used to be will never happen. I can dream, though...
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