A hole in one you have to see to believe

I've had a hole in one in my life, but it really doesn't compare it to this one...



Thanks to Woosang (and his almost hole in one) for drawing this to my attention.

Someone, please stop the Yankees

If there is one thing you need to know about me and baseball it’s simply that I cannot stand the New York Yankees.

Firstly, they spend money like it’s going out of style. Baseball has a luxury tax that was instituted to penalize teams whose player payrolls exceeded a defined threshold (that was much too high to begin with, but that’s another story). For the 2006 season, the Yankees, with a payroll of about $200 million, will pay a tax calculated at 40% of their total player salaries that exceed $136.5 million. It won't even make the Yankees blink an eye.

Secondly, despite the fact they’ve lost more than they’ve won over the past decade, they still hold a constant aura of “we’re better than you”. I have no problem with confidence, in fact, I believe it helps. The Yankees go beyond that – well beyond it.

Lastly, I want to make it perfectly clear that I respect what the Yankees have done in the past. The tradition of the Yankee pinstripes from players such as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, is what legends are made of. I very well could have cheered for those Yankees of days past, when players wanted to play for the team, not for dollar signs.

I always have a soft spot for the Boston Red Sox as they usually give the Yankees a run for their money, but they’ve had the worst record in baseball since the All-Star break. I hope some team will arise to slay this giant before it’s all said and done. If not, it will be a long, long, off-season.

NFL Season is Fast Approaching!

Those who know me well know I'm a big NFL football fan. In fact, I've run a friendly pool with friends for over a decade.

As football season fast approaches, my excitement has been hightened by the pre-season matches that have been appearing on television more and more frequently. This is surprising given that NFL pre-season matches consist of the "stars" playing half the first quarter, then the backups come in, then those on the bubble to make the team hit the field, and by the fourth quarter you'd swear they've got people out there that they picked up out from a local recreational team.

I'll have much more to say about the gridiron as the season approaches in September. Stay tuned football fans!

Tiger is Awsome - Better by the Dozen

Regardless of my last post, I do have to admit Tiger Woods is just awesome. His five shot victory today at the PGA Championship at Medinah Golf Club just outside of Chicago just proved it again. It's his 12th major championship, and he's getting better by the dozen.

He came in to the final round tied for the lead, and a number of players were just a shot or two behind. Looking at the results, you never would have known.

He's fun to watch, deserving all his accolades and more. When Tiger's on his game, he's a man among boys. What that makes an amateur golfer like me I don't know. Perhaps I don't really want to know!

An age old discussion, new names...

No matter what the sport, no matter what the record, sports fans have the inane ability to try and compare athletes across the ages. Was Wayne Gretzky a better hockey player than Gordie Howe? Was Joe Montana a better quarterback than Terry Bradshaw? Was Pete Rose a purer hitter than Ty Cobb?

Today, the age old question has been arising again in the golf world. Is Tiger Woods better than Jack Nicklaus? Personally, I don’t think either this, or the previous questions, are truly a fair comparrison. Each player’s career spanned a different era.

Looking at Nickalus and Woods – decades separate their respective periods of dominence. Golf clubs, golf courses, training, even golf balls have all evolved. A direct comparrison simply cannot be made.

What can be done some argue, is to look at how the player compared to their peers. In other words, who was more dominent in their era?

With Tiger’s recent win at the Buick Open, he’s won his 50th PGA tournament. These days, PGA tour professionals are lucky enough to win half that many titles in their lifetime. Tiger is only 30 years of age.

When it comes to the big tournamnets, the “Major Championships”, Woods has won 11 thus far. In his career, Nicklaus won 18.

Will Woods eclipse that mark? If I were a betting man I’d say “yes”. Let’s not forget though, Nickalus finished 2nd in Majors a whopping 19 times.

The point I’m trying to make is that a TRUE comparrison can never truly be made. Both players will have impressive statistics at the end of the day. Both will show unparalled skill and remarkable poise to get there and both will be remembered as the domninent players of their day.

So instead of trying to compare them across the ages, let’s just look at what they have done yesterday, and are doing today. Their talent, and the history of the sport, demands no less.