Tuesday, June 5, 2012

MAN UP MORONS! by ST

I know in this age of screaming opinions on twitter, radio and TV about sports or politics, it's generally seen as sign of weakness to admit error.  I'll always insist it reveals character and strength.  In 1998 I was doing a version of this show twice a week on Monday and Friday nights from 5:30-7pm on local public radio.  I was astonished at the outcry over Casey Martin's pursuit of the right to ride a golf cart to pursue his dreams.  Really?  My take then was if you let members of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders carry me around like an Egyptian Pharaoh, perform sexual favors and feed me grapes, I ain't hitting those kinds of shots.  We heard the typical hysterical whining.  What's next?  Some guy is gonna sue for the right to pitch in the major leagues or play football.  How'd that turn out?  Better yet, how many on the PGA or any other pro tour on planet earth are using a golf cart in competition?  I tried to explain this was a unique case and not a door opener.  I was even more astonished that actual golfers took stances against Martin.  I felt they belittled their own mad skills by even insinuating mere mortals could approach their talent by riding a golf cart!  Congratulations to Casey on this magnificent accomplishment.  And happy riding!
Lot of talk about folks amazed the Spurs could reel off that kind of win streak then when it matters most, lost 3 in a row.  Pretty simple answer no??  They weren't playing the Thunder, in the NBA version of the Final 4.  This is not only a terrific team, but check the roster.  Top 4 players, Durant, Westbrook, Harden & Ibaka are 23, 23, 22 and 22.  Find me another match historically?  This team made the West Finals a year ago and followed up with a tremendous regular season.  Their graph is pointing severely north.  I'll call this a very mild surprise they've reeled off 3 straight, but logic pointed to a 50/50 prop to win this series.  This is not stop the presses stuff, just a natural progression from a team well constructed to grow and win.  For the record, because of that youth & the quality of San Antonio, this series is not yet in the bag.
Quick thought on Tiger's win a the Memorial over the weekend.  Forget the "he's back" nonsense.  As long as Woods is healthy, he's got a shot.  He's facing a ton of really, really good players.  A hundred guys capable of taking him down on a given weekend.  Beyond Phil, none would have what you could accurately refer to as Hall of Fame credentials.  None that are currently in their prime anyway.  See how he fares next week at the Olympic Club in Frisco when the US Open gets rolling.

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