A Tribute to Dads’ Everywhere

On Sunday, Eldrick “Tiger” Woods captured has second straight British Open Championship in commanding fashion. In the final round, he made the impossible look possible on a course where many other professionals from around the world were looking like armatures. But that wasn’t the story of the day…

Tiger Woods lost his father a few months ago. A man who had brought him in to this world, introduced him to his passion of golf, and taught him a love for life. Tiger, like many young children, was close to his father. As the years wore on, some would believe their bond would weaken – but it strengthened. Through it all, there was “Dad”.

His father took great pride in the skills of his son. Traveling with him whenever possible to offer moral support on the bad days and being a larger than life spirit to embrace in victory. “Dad” was always there. In fact, the father became a trademark of the son. When Tiger won a tournament, more often than not his father would be there at the 18th green watching on. When Tiger won, he’d go over to his Dad and give him a big old bear hug. On Sunday, his father wasn’t there.

As Tiger stood on the 18th green of Royal Liverpool, I told my wife Beverly that he’d break down remembering his father once he sunk his winning putt. For all the media hype and marketing bluster, Tiger Woods was only human. True to form, he broke down in tears while hugging his caddy after his victory.

After accepting the Claret Jug, Woods spoke eloquently about his father. He missed “Dad” and wished he could have been there to watch him win once more.

This is a picture of me and my father. My Dad has taught me a lot about life. He taught me the spirit of giving by tirelessly coaching my sports teams, he taught me patience by teaching me to golf (and I’m not that bad at it now…), and he’s taught me about love and dedication through his devotion to our family. He’s truly helped me through the happy times and the tough times. In some small way, I’d like to believe I helped him through much of the same.

So Tiger, thanks for the reminder of how lucky I am. Your win was truly a tribute to all Dads. This is, in part, a tribute to mine.

The British Open

Thursday saw round one of the British Open kick off at Royal Liverpool in Great Britain. The "Open Championship", as it is known in Europe, is full of history and folklore.

The British Open that stands out in my mind isn't one of conquest, or even brilliant shot making for that matter. The tournament that I remember vividly is the 1999 British Open when a Frenchman by the name of Jean Van de Velde stood in the final round on the 18th tee with a three stroke advantage.

Needing to make only a 6 on the par-4 18th hole at Carnoustie Golf Links, Van de Velde fell apart completely. Knocking one shot off the bleachers, dumping another into the water, placing yet one more into a bunker before finally making a triple-bogey 7. At one point after plunking it in the water, Van de Velde actually thought about hitting out of Barry Burn stream. To show you how "in the bag" this was for Van de Velde, Tournament organizers were already engraving his name on the Claret Jug (the Stanley Cup of European Golf) when he approached the 18th tee.

I remember watching, with my jaw dropped, as it went from bad to worse for poor Van de Velde. Soon thereafter, he lost the Championship in a playoff. It just goes to show, in golf anything can happen.

So given my World Cup prediction prowess (ha!), I thought I'd take a stab at the winner of the British Open. I'm picking Ernie Els, if only because he usually plays well in the Open, and he's due!

SPLASH!

I'm reminded of this almost every time I watch a soccer game. The diving on the pitch really needs to stop for the credibility of the game to truly remain strong.

Are penalty kicks the way to end it?

As a typical North American "once every four years" soccer fan, I found myself drawn in to the action of the recent World Cup in Germany. It certainly was an exciting tournament, marked by fierce play and stellar athleticism. So after a month of action, 147 goals, and unparalleled moments of drama, why does it have to come down to ten spot kicks?

Think about it. You play through the Round Robin, the Round of 16, the Quarters, the Semis, play 120 minutes in the Final and you stop to decide the winner by something completely unrepresentative of the rest of the tournament. Heck, why make the players take penalty kicks at all? Why not decide it over a nice game of checkers or Parcheesi instead?

There are those that say with out penalty kicks the game would go on forever, with neither team scoring. I disagree. If you leave players out on the field long enough, one of them will either make a mistake, or a dramatic play, that will lead to a winner being chosen.

Having such a well played tournament decided by penalty kicks is a travesty, and I have to believe the majority of fans would agree.

Oh yes, and congratulations to all the Italians out there. You were the best team in the tournament and were full value for your victory.

World Cup Final Prediction

I went 1 for 2 in the World Cup semi-finals, so now I have credibility. Okay, maybe that's a stretch, but I'm making my pick for the finals anyway.

As much as I am not a fan of the Italian squad, I have to admit they have looked more than solid in their recent games. Their defense first play has worked like a charm, and timely goals have led to well earned victories.

France is a team of elders, filled with experience and a number of 30-somethings. They have shown that they can use their heads to win games, although their bodies might not be able to provide a flashy run-and-gun offense of years ago.

My prediction:



Italy will be too much to handle for the French - they'll win it 2-0.

Trying again to predict the World Cup

As all my readers know, I had an abysmal record predicting the World Cup quarter-finals. 0 for 4 to be exact. It's time I either avenge or embarrass myself once more. My hope is for the former.

Germany vs. Italy: The home nation Germans have looked like a team of destiny though out the tournament. They've had dramatic goals, a bit of luck, and a lot of support from the fans in the stands. Italy has played their typical brand of soccer, living by the creed of defense first - and it's working. Italy is looking better and better. This time though, I believe Germany will edge them out. Speed will defeat stellar defense.

Prediction: Germany (Score: 2-1)


Portugal vs. France: Portugal is coming off a win over England, edging them out in penalty kicks. France are themselves coming off of a high, beating a favoured Brazilian team as they had done eight years ago. This will be a back and forth game, but in the end, experience will edge out a Portuguese team that always falls short.

Prediction: France (Score: 1-0)

0-4 - A blind monkey could do better...

Okay, so I was 0-4 in my picks for the World Cup quarter-finals. And admittedly, a blind monkey randomly picking would have invariably done better. And yes, I have watched a lot of the games so far and should have known better. Wait...what's my point??

I will endeavor to do better in the my predictions for the semi-finals. I couldn't do any worse!