A vacation tour goes off track
There were quite a few amazing sights during my recent vacation cruise that included a stop in Belize.
While in Belize, I hiked through a lush rain forest and took an innertube cruise down a spring-fed river that wound through a network of caves. I ate local fare and even caught a distant glimpse of one of the Belizian keys that inspired Madonna to write the song ''Isla Bonita.''
Great place, Belize. It's an up and coming tourist destination.
There are plenty of things I was told to expect in Belize: Around 60 different varieties of snakes (only six or so of which are poisonous), monkeys, Toucans and the fast-food presence of Subway (but not KFC, McDonald's or Burger King). I did not, however, expect to find a monument to a disgraced American sports celebrity.
But there it was on the side of the highway leading out of Belize City: The Marion Jones Sports Complex.
There's even a silhouette of Jones in motion on the billboard perched alongside the road.
Jones, the American sprinter who won five medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, possesses dual citizenship. Her mother is a native of Belize. After Jones went crazy winning medals in Sydney, she made a goodwill tour to Belize and local officials renamed the 7,500-seat National Stadium in her honor.
It's not much to look at, but the locals make the most of the site. There are bleachers on one side, facing a soccer pitch. The field is encircled by a track used for running and cycling events.
Having covered Jones at the 2000 Olympics, it didn't surprise me that there were artifacts of her career in one off the countries that claims her as a citizen. But with Jones serving a six-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to lying to federal agents in the BALCO investigation, I thought most would have been well-hidden.
Jones' legacy has acquired a coating of tarnish in the last year. She's been stripped of her world and Olympic medals for doping offenses and, earlier this week, confessed steroids dealer Angel Heredia testified in federal court that her former coach, Trevor Graham, told him he wanted to administer a banned substances cocktail to Jones before the 2000 Summer Games.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Heredia testified that Graham wanted to pump human growth hormone, insulin and the blood-doping drug EPO into Jones' system befor the Olympics.
When I took notice of the Marion Jones Sports Complex, I happened to be on a bus bound for the rain forest and innertube cave cruise. I asked our guide about the complex and whether Jones' recent troubles had changed the way she's viewed in Belize.
The country hasn't made any plans to re-name its national sports stadium, which sort of goes along with what the guide told me. Most Belizians don't mind counting Jones as one of their own, partly because of the visibility she brought the nation in 2000.
For a nation so small and so hungry to boost its tourist appeal, any level recognition can't hurt.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Return of the delinquent blogger
You may have noticed that Troy’s Noise was uncharacteristically quiet for the last week or so, but there was a good reason for it.
Or at least I found it to be a good reason anyway.
I've been on vacation.
Just got back from a weeklong cruise that took the wife and I to Cozumel, Mexico, Roatan Island, Honduras, Belize and the Bahamas. I'm a little short of opinions regarding the happenings of the sports world right now because I've been out of touch. It's hard to keep up with the Atlanta Braves or the Indy 500 when you're climbing Mayan ruins, innertubing down a river that runs through a rain forest and a network of caves in Belize or developing sunburn on a beach in Freeport.
While I feel like I've been out of the loop for the last two weeks, it was nice to cut the umbilical cord that so often keeps me tied to a cell phone and computer.
I highly recommend doing so, even if you don't have access to Mayan ruins, a Belizian rain forest or the beaches of the Bahamas.
You may have noticed that Troy’s Noise was uncharacteristically quiet for the last week or so, but there was a good reason for it.
Or at least I found it to be a good reason anyway.
I've been on vacation.
Just got back from a weeklong cruise that took the wife and I to Cozumel, Mexico, Roatan Island, Honduras, Belize and the Bahamas. I'm a little short of opinions regarding the happenings of the sports world right now because I've been out of touch. It's hard to keep up with the Atlanta Braves or the Indy 500 when you're climbing Mayan ruins, innertubing down a river that runs through a rain forest and a network of caves in Belize or developing sunburn on a beach in Freeport.
While I feel like I've been out of the loop for the last two weeks, it was nice to cut the umbilical cord that so often keeps me tied to a cell phone and computer.
I highly recommend doing so, even if you don't have access to Mayan ruins, a Belizian rain forest or the beaches of the Bahamas.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
No blockbuster here
Given the hype and hysteria on the NFL Network and ESPN earlier today, you'd have thought NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was reviewing the Zapruder film with the expectation of finding indisputable evidence of a second gunman.
The TV talking heads postulated on what, if any, competitive advantage the Patriots could have gained from illegally videotaping an opponent's walkthrough and what else Matt Walsh could possibly have left to show and tell the commish.
So after three months of waiting, wondering and anticipating, Goodell emerged from a meeting Tuesday with a relieved look on his face and a posture that conveyed the following message about Spygate:
Show's over. Nothing to see here. Move along, people.
Basically, Goodell said that the Patriots and their head coach, Bill Belichick, have been punished enough already for their covert camerawork and that there were no blockbuster films hidden in their screening room.
Walsh claims that he didn't film the St. Louis Rams' walkthrough before the 2002 Super Bowl and didn't have knowledge of anyone who did. At the same time, however, ESPN's Sal Paolantonio reported that Walsh told the coaching staff about some of what he personally observed at what was supposed to have been a closed walkthrough.
Goodell penalized the Patriots for illegal videotapes made during the end of the 2006 season and the early portion of the 2007 season, but you have to wonder whether the league wanted to start rummaging through New England's DVD collection. Supposedly, the Patriots' secretive video taping has been going on since 2000.
With that in mind, do you think the NFL really wanted to find more dirt on its most successful franchise?
Given the hype and hysteria on the NFL Network and ESPN earlier today, you'd have thought NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was reviewing the Zapruder film with the expectation of finding indisputable evidence of a second gunman.
The TV talking heads postulated on what, if any, competitive advantage the Patriots could have gained from illegally videotaping an opponent's walkthrough and what else Matt Walsh could possibly have left to show and tell the commish.
So after three months of waiting, wondering and anticipating, Goodell emerged from a meeting Tuesday with a relieved look on his face and a posture that conveyed the following message about Spygate:
Show's over. Nothing to see here. Move along, people.
Basically, Goodell said that the Patriots and their head coach, Bill Belichick, have been punished enough already for their covert camerawork and that there were no blockbuster films hidden in their screening room.
Walsh claims that he didn't film the St. Louis Rams' walkthrough before the 2002 Super Bowl and didn't have knowledge of anyone who did. At the same time, however, ESPN's Sal Paolantonio reported that Walsh told the coaching staff about some of what he personally observed at what was supposed to have been a closed walkthrough.
Goodell penalized the Patriots for illegal videotapes made during the end of the 2006 season and the early portion of the 2007 season, but you have to wonder whether the league wanted to start rummaging through New England's DVD collection. Supposedly, the Patriots' secretive video taping has been going on since 2000.
With that in mind, do you think the NFL really wanted to find more dirt on its most successful franchise?
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Crunching numbers
Some interesting facts and figures gleaned from the news wires and blogosphere:
* According to the Columbia (S.C.) State, one South Carolina football fan transacted a seriously sweet real estate deal with Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier.
The newspaper reported that Spurrier sold a two-bedroom, two-bath, 1,206-square foot condo at CarolinaWalk, located across the street from Williams-Brice Stadium, to a business run by South Carolina businessman Roger Huskey. The sale price was $275,000, but it seems Huskey received quite a break. Other condos of the same size in the complex have sold for around $425,000, the newspaper reported.
* Michael Vick owes the Royal Bank of Canada a cool $2.5 million, a district court ruled Thursday.
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia granted a motion for summary judgment against Vick for defaulting on a loan.
With Vick serving a 23-month federal prison sentence for dogfighting, it may be a while before the check is in the mail.
* Bill Hargrove, whom the United States Bowling Congress dubbed ''the oldest league bowler ever,'' died in Gainesville, Ga., Thursday a mere four days shy of his 107th birthday.
Hargrove received national attention last year after participating in a league after turning 106.
As for me, I bowled a 106 once.
Some interesting facts and figures gleaned from the news wires and blogosphere:
* According to the Columbia (S.C.) State, one South Carolina football fan transacted a seriously sweet real estate deal with Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier.
The newspaper reported that Spurrier sold a two-bedroom, two-bath, 1,206-square foot condo at CarolinaWalk, located across the street from Williams-Brice Stadium, to a business run by South Carolina businessman Roger Huskey. The sale price was $275,000, but it seems Huskey received quite a break. Other condos of the same size in the complex have sold for around $425,000, the newspaper reported.
* Michael Vick owes the Royal Bank of Canada a cool $2.5 million, a district court ruled Thursday.
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia granted a motion for summary judgment against Vick for defaulting on a loan.
With Vick serving a 23-month federal prison sentence for dogfighting, it may be a while before the check is in the mail.
* Bill Hargrove, whom the United States Bowling Congress dubbed ''the oldest league bowler ever,'' died in Gainesville, Ga., Thursday a mere four days shy of his 107th birthday.
Hargrove received national attention last year after participating in a league after turning 106.
As for me, I bowled a 106 once.
Stinging the Hornets
No wonder the NCAA needed five years to conclude its investigation of the Alabama State University athletic department.
Given the accusations leveled by the organization this week, the NCAA must have needed to field army of accountants and buy a battery of computers to calculate the grand total of alleged violations.
The NCAA sent ASU a notice of allegations that accused the school of -- get ready for this -- at least 668 violations in four different sports.
That's not a misprint.
If that sounds like a lot, well, it is. It's believed to be the largest naughty list ever unfurled. Florida A&M was once charged with 196 violations. According to a story in the Montgomery Advertiser, nearly 500 violations stemmed from ineligible football players being allowed to work out in the offseason. The NCAA also cited 40 instances in which the grades of football players were changed without the knowledge of their instructors.
If that's the case, then ASU's Academic Percentage Rating should have ranked right up there with Brown and Yale this week.
It didn't.
ASU will have until June 27 to respond to the NCAA's allegations, the most serious of which is the always ominous ''lack of institutional control.''
No wonder the NCAA needed five years to conclude its investigation of the Alabama State University athletic department.
Given the accusations leveled by the organization this week, the NCAA must have needed to field army of accountants and buy a battery of computers to calculate the grand total of alleged violations.
The NCAA sent ASU a notice of allegations that accused the school of -- get ready for this -- at least 668 violations in four different sports.
That's not a misprint.
If that sounds like a lot, well, it is. It's believed to be the largest naughty list ever unfurled. Florida A&M was once charged with 196 violations. According to a story in the Montgomery Advertiser, nearly 500 violations stemmed from ineligible football players being allowed to work out in the offseason. The NCAA also cited 40 instances in which the grades of football players were changed without the knowledge of their instructors.
If that's the case, then ASU's Academic Percentage Rating should have ranked right up there with Brown and Yale this week.
It didn't.
ASU will have until June 27 to respond to the NCAA's allegations, the most serious of which is the always ominous ''lack of institutional control.''
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Nick Saban interview transcript
Before Monday, I'd only dealt with Alabama football coach Nick Saban in group settings. It's pretty much impossible to have anything resembling a one-on-one conversation with him in Tuscaloosa because people are absolutely loco about Alabama football around there. You show up for their weekly press conference and there are generally upwards of 100 TV and newspaper reporters seated in an auditorium.
It's a different culture.
At Georgia or Auburn, for instance, it’s easy to have a conversation with Mark Richt or Tommy Tuberville because there are fewer layers of insolation between the head coaches and the folks who cover their teams.
Saban has always been viewed as the sort of guy who doesn't enjoy dealing with the press or gladhanding his fans on the chicken dinner circuit. The funny part, of course, is that the writers I know who cover him on a daily basis say he’s not an ogre away from the practice field and press conference podium. The man can be side-splittingly funny, but he's more loose and accomodating when it’s not football season. The competitive tunnel vision kind of subsides for an instant and you see the regular guy in him.
So I showed up Monday to cover the SEC Celebrity Golf Classic at the Country Club of Columbus not really knowing which Nick Saban we'd get. Would he agree to an interview or try to run over me with his golf cart? The man was, understandably, in a bit of a hurry once he got done playing in the afternoon. This time of the year is hectic for college coaches even though practice doesn't resume until August. In addition to trying to make recruiting inroads during the spring evaluation period, they're traveling to various speaking engagements and such.
Anyway, as Saban walked off the 18th green, I caught up with him and asked him a few questions. My esteemed colleagues from the local TV stations -- Andrew Wittenberg from WTVM and Jack Rogers from WRBL -- also joined us. Saban seemed to enjoy the day in general and didn't have us on the stop watch when we interviewed him. Here's a transcript of my conversation with him:
Question: How often do you get to play in events like these and how did you hit it today?
Saban: ‘‘Not very many. ... It depends on what your definition (of success) is. To me, if I hit it airborne, that's a good shot. I'm not disappointed because I hit one ground ball all day.''
Q: You guys are obviously getting together for charitable causes (the foundations of former Alabama player Jeremiah Castille, former Auburn player Joe Cribbs and former Georgia player David Pollack), but does it feel strange at all partnering up with folks from your in-state rival?
Saban: ‘‘I think it's great. At Michigan State, we had a lot of these kinds of events. Bo (Schembechler) had a thing for adrenal cancer at Michigan. The cause we're out here for today is much greater than the competition. Just because you compete doesn't mean you can't do the right things when it comes to supporting great causes. I'm glad to be here to support it.
Q: With the NCAA banning coaches from visiting high school campuses in the spring, people are talking about your use of a webcam to communicate with prospects. How long have you used it and why is it advantageous?
Saban: ‘‘It came from our medical staff in Miami (with the Dolphins). We're kind of in an age where most of these guys don't read books. They watch videos. Any time you can be visual ... I feel like any time you're sitting there in a video conference talking to a coach or a player, it's almost like you're there. It's much better than a phone call. That's just something that we've used in the past that we've used a little bit this year in recruiting. Since we can't go out and visit the coaches and see the players practice, this has worked out good. I enjoy it. I don't know if they enjoy it. The biggest thing I struggle with, I guess it's the pro ball guy in me, you watch a guy on film, you go to the (NFL) combine and watch him work out, then you go work a player it. It's kind of a crosscheck. I never went out as much (recruiting in the spring) at Michigan State because they didn't have spring ball there, but the fact that all these guys are playing in most of the states that we recruit, I used to go see the best five or six players at every position. It was a great crosscheck.
‘‘You always kind of knew the guy in Mississippi compared to the guy in Georgia compared to the guy in Alabama. That was a great evaluation tool for all of us.’’
Q: Since you can't go visit the campuses now, how are you using your time? What else can you focus on?
Saban: ‘‘Because there's no travel involved, we've tried to do a little bit more with relationship building. The first 16 months we were at Alabama, we worked hard at trying to get our program right and make inroads in recruiting.’’
Q: You guys have had 80,000 to 90,000 fans at the last two spring games and you're mobbed at Crimson Caravan events. Does that kind of underscore what fans expect from you?
Saban: ‘‘I think that positive energy is the most important thing in trying to accomplish any goal. I know our players appreciate what our fans have done in terms of supporting our program and what we're trying to do. That positive energy they've demonstrated helps us in recruiting and in a lot of ways. One thing our fans have done is be extremely supportive.’’
Q: (From Andrew Wittenberg of WTVM) Do you feel like the program is ahead of where it was at this time last year?
Saban: ‘‘I can't make comparisons. The two things we didn't do last year that we need to improve on -- we didn't play with enough consistency. We got ahead in games and let people come back. We played up to the good teams and didn't play as well in some of the other games. We didn't finish. We didn't finish the season. We didn't finish certain games. We didn't play to the standard of excellence we were capable of on a consistent basis. I think we made some progress in this offseason and in this spring practice. Hopefully we'll show some improvement next year.’’
Q: Were the Auburn fans cool to you out there?
Saban: ‘‘Everybody was nice to me. I appreciate that. Glad to do something like that.’’
Q: (as Saban is preparing to get his golf clubs and head out) Heard they were having trouble finding a plane to get you home ... (Alabama booster Paul Bryant Jr. wound up sending his to Columbus to pick up Saban)
Saban (smiling): ‘‘I don't know. I've got to call the office. If they don't have one, they won't answer the phone.’’
Before Monday, I'd only dealt with Alabama football coach Nick Saban in group settings. It's pretty much impossible to have anything resembling a one-on-one conversation with him in Tuscaloosa because people are absolutely loco about Alabama football around there. You show up for their weekly press conference and there are generally upwards of 100 TV and newspaper reporters seated in an auditorium.
It's a different culture.
At Georgia or Auburn, for instance, it’s easy to have a conversation with Mark Richt or Tommy Tuberville because there are fewer layers of insolation between the head coaches and the folks who cover their teams.
Saban has always been viewed as the sort of guy who doesn't enjoy dealing with the press or gladhanding his fans on the chicken dinner circuit. The funny part, of course, is that the writers I know who cover him on a daily basis say he’s not an ogre away from the practice field and press conference podium. The man can be side-splittingly funny, but he's more loose and accomodating when it’s not football season. The competitive tunnel vision kind of subsides for an instant and you see the regular guy in him.
So I showed up Monday to cover the SEC Celebrity Golf Classic at the Country Club of Columbus not really knowing which Nick Saban we'd get. Would he agree to an interview or try to run over me with his golf cart? The man was, understandably, in a bit of a hurry once he got done playing in the afternoon. This time of the year is hectic for college coaches even though practice doesn't resume until August. In addition to trying to make recruiting inroads during the spring evaluation period, they're traveling to various speaking engagements and such.
Anyway, as Saban walked off the 18th green, I caught up with him and asked him a few questions. My esteemed colleagues from the local TV stations -- Andrew Wittenberg from WTVM and Jack Rogers from WRBL -- also joined us. Saban seemed to enjoy the day in general and didn't have us on the stop watch when we interviewed him. Here's a transcript of my conversation with him:
Question: How often do you get to play in events like these and how did you hit it today?
Saban: ‘‘Not very many. ... It depends on what your definition (of success) is. To me, if I hit it airborne, that's a good shot. I'm not disappointed because I hit one ground ball all day.''
Q: You guys are obviously getting together for charitable causes (the foundations of former Alabama player Jeremiah Castille, former Auburn player Joe Cribbs and former Georgia player David Pollack), but does it feel strange at all partnering up with folks from your in-state rival?
Saban: ‘‘I think it's great. At Michigan State, we had a lot of these kinds of events. Bo (Schembechler) had a thing for adrenal cancer at Michigan. The cause we're out here for today is much greater than the competition. Just because you compete doesn't mean you can't do the right things when it comes to supporting great causes. I'm glad to be here to support it.
Q: With the NCAA banning coaches from visiting high school campuses in the spring, people are talking about your use of a webcam to communicate with prospects. How long have you used it and why is it advantageous?
Saban: ‘‘It came from our medical staff in Miami (with the Dolphins). We're kind of in an age where most of these guys don't read books. They watch videos. Any time you can be visual ... I feel like any time you're sitting there in a video conference talking to a coach or a player, it's almost like you're there. It's much better than a phone call. That's just something that we've used in the past that we've used a little bit this year in recruiting. Since we can't go out and visit the coaches and see the players practice, this has worked out good. I enjoy it. I don't know if they enjoy it. The biggest thing I struggle with, I guess it's the pro ball guy in me, you watch a guy on film, you go to the (NFL) combine and watch him work out, then you go work a player it. It's kind of a crosscheck. I never went out as much (recruiting in the spring) at Michigan State because they didn't have spring ball there, but the fact that all these guys are playing in most of the states that we recruit, I used to go see the best five or six players at every position. It was a great crosscheck.
‘‘You always kind of knew the guy in Mississippi compared to the guy in Georgia compared to the guy in Alabama. That was a great evaluation tool for all of us.’’
Q: Since you can't go visit the campuses now, how are you using your time? What else can you focus on?
Saban: ‘‘Because there's no travel involved, we've tried to do a little bit more with relationship building. The first 16 months we were at Alabama, we worked hard at trying to get our program right and make inroads in recruiting.’’
Q: You guys have had 80,000 to 90,000 fans at the last two spring games and you're mobbed at Crimson Caravan events. Does that kind of underscore what fans expect from you?
Saban: ‘‘I think that positive energy is the most important thing in trying to accomplish any goal. I know our players appreciate what our fans have done in terms of supporting our program and what we're trying to do. That positive energy they've demonstrated helps us in recruiting and in a lot of ways. One thing our fans have done is be extremely supportive.’’
Q: (From Andrew Wittenberg of WTVM) Do you feel like the program is ahead of where it was at this time last year?
Saban: ‘‘I can't make comparisons. The two things we didn't do last year that we need to improve on -- we didn't play with enough consistency. We got ahead in games and let people come back. We played up to the good teams and didn't play as well in some of the other games. We didn't finish. We didn't finish the season. We didn't finish certain games. We didn't play to the standard of excellence we were capable of on a consistent basis. I think we made some progress in this offseason and in this spring practice. Hopefully we'll show some improvement next year.’’
Q: Were the Auburn fans cool to you out there?
Saban: ‘‘Everybody was nice to me. I appreciate that. Glad to do something like that.’’
Q: (as Saban is preparing to get his golf clubs and head out) Heard they were having trouble finding a plane to get you home ... (Alabama booster Paul Bryant Jr. wound up sending his to Columbus to pick up Saban)
Saban (smiling): ‘‘I don't know. I've got to call the office. If they don't have one, they won't answer the phone.’’
Friday, May 02, 2008
Ryan's Hope extinguished
Defending national champion LSU may have trouble getting out of the starting blocks in the race for the 2008 Southeastern Conference championship.
LSU coach Les Miles announced Friday that quarterback Ryan Perrilloux has been kicked off the team for failing to ''fulfill his obligation as an LSU student-athlete.''
Frankly, this development is about as shocking as reports that Mardi Gras revelers are known to drink large quantities of alcohol. Perrilloux, who served as the backup to Matt Flynn last season, had repeated disciplinary run-ins throughout his college career. He was suspended last summer after being caught trying to enter a Baton Rouge casino with fake ID and was suspended again for skipping classes, missing a team meeting and being tardy to offseason workouts.
It took a fair amount of courage for Miles to make the move he did. Perrilloux can play. He completed 51 of 75 passes last season, including eight touchdowns and two interceptions. Had he not run afoul of Miles' rules, he would have had the inside track to being the starter for a sure-thing top-five team.
Defending national champion LSU may have trouble getting out of the starting blocks in the race for the 2008 Southeastern Conference championship.
LSU coach Les Miles announced Friday that quarterback Ryan Perrilloux has been kicked off the team for failing to ''fulfill his obligation as an LSU student-athlete.''
Frankly, this development is about as shocking as reports that Mardi Gras revelers are known to drink large quantities of alcohol. Perrilloux, who served as the backup to Matt Flynn last season, had repeated disciplinary run-ins throughout his college career. He was suspended last summer after being caught trying to enter a Baton Rouge casino with fake ID and was suspended again for skipping classes, missing a team meeting and being tardy to offseason workouts.
It took a fair amount of courage for Miles to make the move he did. Perrilloux can play. He completed 51 of 75 passes last season, including eight touchdowns and two interceptions. Had he not run afoul of Miles' rules, he would have had the inside track to being the starter for a sure-thing top-five team.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Playoff fever in Atlanta
Hey, the Atlanta Hawks are still alive in the NBA playoffs.
Enjoy it while it lasts. That may no longer be the case in, oh, about 24 hours from now.
Give the Hawks credit for pushing the 66-win, star-laden Boston Celtics to a sixth game. It's a wonder the Hawks avoided a sweep, quite frankly, and it will be equally eyebrow-jacking if they force a seventh game. It's true that Kevin Garnett and Co. should have a prohibitive advantage in terms of talent heading into Friday night's game at Philips Arena, but Atlanta forwards Josh Smith and Al Horford have been impressive and who knows what Joe Johnson could do if he gets hot early in the game?
No, the problem might be the man on the bench, head coach Mike Woodson. He seems more than a little distracted right now and that can't be good for his team.
After Atlanta's last victory in the series, he spoke of his job situation almost in the past tense, as if he expected to get canned at the conclusion of his team's playoff joyride. These last few days, he's been answering and then doing his best to avoid questions of his job security. After all, the guy owns a record of 106-222 in four seasons. I've hung with him in his office before and he seems like a nice guy, but you have to wonder if the the members of the Atlanta Spirit ownership group (who can name all of them given the legal infighting) have grown impatient waiting for him to turn Marvin Williams' potential into production, etc.
In a recent radio interview, Woodson seemed to be making a belated effort at damage control.
"Personally, I think I've done an unbelievable job,'' he said.
Sounds a little like Dubya's endorsement of a certain former FEMA director.
Oh well.
For Atlanta to extend this series, it needs to arrive at Philips Arena with the same sort of energy as last Friday's occupant of the arena floor. The wife and I took in Bruce Springsteen's epic concert in Atlanta last week.
While I've long appreciated The Boss' music, I'd never before seen him live and am in no way represented of the uber-fan/borderline stalkers who bused and flew in from places like Hackensack, Perth Amboy and Paramus with their acid wash jeans and teased hair (in the case of the ladies) to see a Jersey guy who made good.
The Mrs. and I managed to score tickets that got us into the 500-person bullpen right in front of the stage. We were no more than 25-feet away from Bruce, Lil' Stevie and Clarence Clemons at various points during the show. As wonderful as the music was, I spent a fair portion of the show simply gawping at Bruce on stage and wondering how he could maintain his hyperkinetic stage presence as he closes in on his 58th birthday.
You have to figure that this guy has played most of his standards -- ''Born to Run,'' ''Brilliant Disguise,'' "Glory Days,'' etc. -- night after night on the road, probably upwards of 10,000 times apiece over the years. And yet, in Atlanta, he wore a smile on his face, engaged the crowd throughout, sponged gallons of sweat off his face, drank gallons of blue sports drink in between songs and sang every one of his songs with the sort of fervor and passion you would have expected to see during his first tour.
The Hawks need whatever Bruce brought to the stage last weekend, but I'm not sure that ingredient exists in mass quantities.
Hey, the Atlanta Hawks are still alive in the NBA playoffs.
Enjoy it while it lasts. That may no longer be the case in, oh, about 24 hours from now.
Give the Hawks credit for pushing the 66-win, star-laden Boston Celtics to a sixth game. It's a wonder the Hawks avoided a sweep, quite frankly, and it will be equally eyebrow-jacking if they force a seventh game. It's true that Kevin Garnett and Co. should have a prohibitive advantage in terms of talent heading into Friday night's game at Philips Arena, but Atlanta forwards Josh Smith and Al Horford have been impressive and who knows what Joe Johnson could do if he gets hot early in the game?
No, the problem might be the man on the bench, head coach Mike Woodson. He seems more than a little distracted right now and that can't be good for his team.
After Atlanta's last victory in the series, he spoke of his job situation almost in the past tense, as if he expected to get canned at the conclusion of his team's playoff joyride. These last few days, he's been answering and then doing his best to avoid questions of his job security. After all, the guy owns a record of 106-222 in four seasons. I've hung with him in his office before and he seems like a nice guy, but you have to wonder if the the members of the Atlanta Spirit ownership group (who can name all of them given the legal infighting) have grown impatient waiting for him to turn Marvin Williams' potential into production, etc.
In a recent radio interview, Woodson seemed to be making a belated effort at damage control.
"Personally, I think I've done an unbelievable job,'' he said.
Sounds a little like Dubya's endorsement of a certain former FEMA director.
Oh well.
For Atlanta to extend this series, it needs to arrive at Philips Arena with the same sort of energy as last Friday's occupant of the arena floor. The wife and I took in Bruce Springsteen's epic concert in Atlanta last week.
While I've long appreciated The Boss' music, I'd never before seen him live and am in no way represented of the uber-fan/borderline stalkers who bused and flew in from places like Hackensack, Perth Amboy and Paramus with their acid wash jeans and teased hair (in the case of the ladies) to see a Jersey guy who made good.
The Mrs. and I managed to score tickets that got us into the 500-person bullpen right in front of the stage. We were no more than 25-feet away from Bruce, Lil' Stevie and Clarence Clemons at various points during the show. As wonderful as the music was, I spent a fair portion of the show simply gawping at Bruce on stage and wondering how he could maintain his hyperkinetic stage presence as he closes in on his 58th birthday.
You have to figure that this guy has played most of his standards -- ''Born to Run,'' ''Brilliant Disguise,'' "Glory Days,'' etc. -- night after night on the road, probably upwards of 10,000 times apiece over the years. And yet, in Atlanta, he wore a smile on his face, engaged the crowd throughout, sponged gallons of sweat off his face, drank gallons of blue sports drink in between songs and sang every one of his songs with the sort of fervor and passion you would have expected to see during his first tour.
The Hawks need whatever Bruce brought to the stage last weekend, but I'm not sure that ingredient exists in mass quantities.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
What should they do?
The Miami Dolphins took some of the mystery out of the NFL Draft by anointing mammoth Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long as their No. 1 pick and signing him to a five-year, $57.75 million contract.
I guess that means we can do without NFL commissioner Roger Goodell coming to the podium on Saturday and announcing that the Dolphins are ''on the clock.''
Before Miami's pre-emptive strike, I was convinced that Long represented the best option for the Atlanta Falcons if he remained available when it came time for them to pick at No. 3. I know a left tackle doesn't represent a dynamic promotional vehicle. People don't buy tickets to watch offensive linemen block, but the Falcons need a guy who can put defenders on their butts more than they do a first pick who can put butts in seats. Ticket-buyers want to watch a good product and it's obvious the Falcons need to follow new general manager Thomas Dimitroff's directive to build from the inside and out if at all possible.
With Long gone, the logical pick for the Falcons would be either LSU's Glenn Dorsey or USC's Sedrick Ellis. Having seen Dorsey in person several times over the last couple seasons, I'm enamored with his ability to beat double-teams and the relentlessness with which he plays. He's a load to handle in the middle.
Who would you choose with the third overall pick? The Falcons obviously need help at quarterback and cornerback, but are those positions enough of a priority to receive attention with the third overall pick.
While Boston College's Matt Ryan represents the best of a so-so quarterback class, keep in mind that he won't necessarily represent an immediate cure-all. If Atlanta was able to sign him before the season, there's still the likelihood that he would be limited to a backup role until he learns the offense. Plus, would you risk his health behind that offensive line?
The Miami Dolphins took some of the mystery out of the NFL Draft by anointing mammoth Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long as their No. 1 pick and signing him to a five-year, $57.75 million contract.
I guess that means we can do without NFL commissioner Roger Goodell coming to the podium on Saturday and announcing that the Dolphins are ''on the clock.''
Before Miami's pre-emptive strike, I was convinced that Long represented the best option for the Atlanta Falcons if he remained available when it came time for them to pick at No. 3. I know a left tackle doesn't represent a dynamic promotional vehicle. People don't buy tickets to watch offensive linemen block, but the Falcons need a guy who can put defenders on their butts more than they do a first pick who can put butts in seats. Ticket-buyers want to watch a good product and it's obvious the Falcons need to follow new general manager Thomas Dimitroff's directive to build from the inside and out if at all possible.
With Long gone, the logical pick for the Falcons would be either LSU's Glenn Dorsey or USC's Sedrick Ellis. Having seen Dorsey in person several times over the last couple seasons, I'm enamored with his ability to beat double-teams and the relentlessness with which he plays. He's a load to handle in the middle.
Who would you choose with the third overall pick? The Falcons obviously need help at quarterback and cornerback, but are those positions enough of a priority to receive attention with the third overall pick.
While Boston College's Matt Ryan represents the best of a so-so quarterback class, keep in mind that he won't necessarily represent an immediate cure-all. If Atlanta was able to sign him before the season, there's still the likelihood that he would be limited to a backup role until he learns the offense. Plus, would you risk his health behind that offensive line?
Savage not sore about NFL experience
The scene former Jordan High School running back Dantrell Savage described to me the other day sounded comparable to the treatment afforded to subjects of alien abductions.
At February's NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Savage stood in a long line of league hopefuls wearing nothing but a number and exercise shorts. When his turn arrived, he went into a medical examination room so a series of doctors could take X-rays and MRIs and generally twist and contort every limb on his body in an effort to grade his overall health.
Savage, a tailback at Oklahoma State, got the repeat some of the same procedures with representatives of most of the league's teams.
"The thing I found out about me is that the more you sit there and think nothing is wrong with you, they'll figure out something is wrong with you,'' Savage, a projected third- to fifth-round draft pick, told me on the phone the other day. ''You'll find you're sore. There are 32 teams. They just pick at you and poke you and mess with the same different spots you've had X-rays on. You're going to become sore. They end up hurting you.''
Savage said it will all have been worth it if he gets drafted and lands a roster spot, however.
Read more about Savage in Thursday morning's Ledger-Enquirer.
The scene former Jordan High School running back Dantrell Savage described to me the other day sounded comparable to the treatment afforded to subjects of alien abductions.
At February's NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Savage stood in a long line of league hopefuls wearing nothing but a number and exercise shorts. When his turn arrived, he went into a medical examination room so a series of doctors could take X-rays and MRIs and generally twist and contort every limb on his body in an effort to grade his overall health.
Savage, a tailback at Oklahoma State, got the repeat some of the same procedures with representatives of most of the league's teams.
"The thing I found out about me is that the more you sit there and think nothing is wrong with you, they'll figure out something is wrong with you,'' Savage, a projected third- to fifth-round draft pick, told me on the phone the other day. ''You'll find you're sore. There are 32 teams. They just pick at you and poke you and mess with the same different spots you've had X-rays on. You're going to become sore. They end up hurting you.''
Savage said it will all have been worth it if he gets drafted and lands a roster spot, however.
Read more about Savage in Thursday morning's Ledger-Enquirer.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Mock draft madness
This is a shameless plug for yet another wonderful thing we're doing at the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.
We're holding a mock NFL Draft on Friday, the day before the league begins its real two-part event.
I can't take credit for brainstorming this thing. Our sports editor, Kevin Price, put this deal together, but he's looking for more participants. Here's how it works:
If you're the fan of a particular NFL team and want to act as its ''general manager'' for the mock draft, then shoot Kevin an e-mail at kprice@ledger-enquirer.com as soon as possible. All you'll need on Friday is access to a computer and the willingness to log on to our web site -- www.ledger-enquirer.com -- for a short period of time. The draft starts at 9 a.m. and continues with picks every 10 minutes.
If multiple folks want to draft for the same team, the Ledger-Enquirer will choose one lucky person at random.
Here are the teams that are still available:
Arizona Cardinals
Buffalo Bills
Carolina Panthers
Cincinnati Bengals
Denver Broncos
Houston Texans
Detroit Lions
Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins
Minnesota Vikings
New England Patriots
New Orleans Saints
New York Giants
New York Jets
Philadelphia Eagles
San Diego Chargers
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks
Tampa Bay Bucs
Tennessee Titans
Washington Redskins
This is a shameless plug for yet another wonderful thing we're doing at the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.
We're holding a mock NFL Draft on Friday, the day before the league begins its real two-part event.
I can't take credit for brainstorming this thing. Our sports editor, Kevin Price, put this deal together, but he's looking for more participants. Here's how it works:
If you're the fan of a particular NFL team and want to act as its ''general manager'' for the mock draft, then shoot Kevin an e-mail at kprice@ledger-enquirer.com as soon as possible. All you'll need on Friday is access to a computer and the willingness to log on to our web site -- www.ledger-enquirer.com -- for a short period of time. The draft starts at 9 a.m. and continues with picks every 10 minutes.
If multiple folks want to draft for the same team, the Ledger-Enquirer will choose one lucky person at random.
Here are the teams that are still available:
Arizona Cardinals
Buffalo Bills
Carolina Panthers
Cincinnati Bengals
Denver Broncos
Houston Texans
Detroit Lions
Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins
Minnesota Vikings
New England Patriots
New Orleans Saints
New York Giants
New York Jets
Philadelphia Eagles
San Diego Chargers
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks
Tampa Bay Bucs
Tennessee Titans
Washington Redskins
Friday, April 18, 2008
Forgotten again
No flowers, no cards, no phone calls. Not even so much as a fruit basket.
You're disappointing me again, people.
Today is National Columnists Day (seriously, look it up) and once again I'm left to wonder: Where is the love? I mean, my wife even failed to remember this special occasion. Then again, it's not as if Hallmark sells cards for National Columnists Day. If they did, I suppose they could offer them in the form of a letter to the editor.
There's still another 14 1/2-odd hours left in the day, offering all of you ample chance for redemption. Tributes and gifts are welcome, just as they have been for the last five years.
In case you're wondering, National Columnists Day was started in 1995 -- on the 50th anniversary of Ernie Pyle's death -- as the result of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. According to the organization, "The anniversary of the April 18, 1945 death of the great Ernie Pyle is a time to reflect on the way newspaper columnists connect, educate, comfort, encourage, celebrate, outrage and occasionally even amuse readers and a time to express appreciation for them for their hard work."
I hope I have done some or all of those things for you in the last year, and I hope to continue it.
Mark your calendar so you don't forget the date next year. In the meantime, the best gift you can give this particular newspaper columnist is a moment of your time each morning.
No flowers, no cards, no phone calls. Not even so much as a fruit basket.
You're disappointing me again, people.
Today is National Columnists Day (seriously, look it up) and once again I'm left to wonder: Where is the love? I mean, my wife even failed to remember this special occasion. Then again, it's not as if Hallmark sells cards for National Columnists Day. If they did, I suppose they could offer them in the form of a letter to the editor.
There's still another 14 1/2-odd hours left in the day, offering all of you ample chance for redemption. Tributes and gifts are welcome, just as they have been for the last five years.
In case you're wondering, National Columnists Day was started in 1995 -- on the 50th anniversary of Ernie Pyle's death -- as the result of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. According to the organization, "The anniversary of the April 18, 1945 death of the great Ernie Pyle is a time to reflect on the way newspaper columnists connect, educate, comfort, encourage, celebrate, outrage and occasionally even amuse readers and a time to express appreciation for them for their hard work."
I hope I have done some or all of those things for you in the last year, and I hope to continue it.
Mark your calendar so you don't forget the date next year. In the meantime, the best gift you can give this particular newspaper columnist is a moment of your time each morning.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Immelman holds on
AUGUSTA, Ga. — This wasn't a golf tournament. The Masters turned out to be a demolition derby.
Trevor Immelman dented a fender in the final round Sunday, but you should see the other guys.
This course was tough enough without the 25 mph wind gusts that made it impossible to command the ball on so many holes. Brandt Snedeker, Steve Flesch and Paul Casey, the only guys who really stood much of a chance when the day began barring a total implosion by Immelman, will need to visit the body shop after this one.
The carnage was unbelievable.
Immelman shot 3-over par on Sunday, his only round above 69 in the tournament, but still finished with a three-stroke victory at 68-68-69-75 -- 280. It's his first major and the city of Columbus can claim a piece of it.
Immelman's brother, Mark, the golf coach at Columbus State, and Mark's wife Tracy, were among the family members waiting out the scorer's tent on No. 18.
Imagine how all of this will play in Immelman's native South Africa.
The country will probably shut down and celebrate and probably even declare a Trevor Immelman Day.
He's the first golfer from the nation to win the Masters since Gary Player claimed his third in 1978. Oddly enough, Player said a couple years ago that Immelman possessed the game to win at Augusta and would eventually eclipse fellow countrymen Ernie Els and Retief Goosen.
Immelman's wake-up call for a championship actually came Saturday night.
His cell phone rang. It was Player, who was about to be heading back to South Africa, calling to tell Immelman to bring it home. Player has known Immelman since he was 5 years old. Players words were along these lines: There will be bad breaks, but I know you're going to win.
Turns out the 72-year-old knew what he was talking about.
‘‘It meant an awful lot,’’ Immelman said. ‘‘I played it to my whole family on speaker phone.’’
AUGUSTA, Ga. — This wasn't a golf tournament. The Masters turned out to be a demolition derby.
Trevor Immelman dented a fender in the final round Sunday, but you should see the other guys.
This course was tough enough without the 25 mph wind gusts that made it impossible to command the ball on so many holes. Brandt Snedeker, Steve Flesch and Paul Casey, the only guys who really stood much of a chance when the day began barring a total implosion by Immelman, will need to visit the body shop after this one.
The carnage was unbelievable.
Immelman shot 3-over par on Sunday, his only round above 69 in the tournament, but still finished with a three-stroke victory at 68-68-69-75 -- 280. It's his first major and the city of Columbus can claim a piece of it.
Immelman's brother, Mark, the golf coach at Columbus State, and Mark's wife Tracy, were among the family members waiting out the scorer's tent on No. 18.
Imagine how all of this will play in Immelman's native South Africa.
The country will probably shut down and celebrate and probably even declare a Trevor Immelman Day.
He's the first golfer from the nation to win the Masters since Gary Player claimed his third in 1978. Oddly enough, Player said a couple years ago that Immelman possessed the game to win at Augusta and would eventually eclipse fellow countrymen Ernie Els and Retief Goosen.
Immelman's wake-up call for a championship actually came Saturday night.
His cell phone rang. It was Player, who was about to be heading back to South Africa, calling to tell Immelman to bring it home. Player has known Immelman since he was 5 years old. Players words were along these lines: There will be bad breaks, but I know you're going to win.
Turns out the 72-year-old knew what he was talking about.
‘‘It meant an awful lot,’’ Immelman said. ‘‘I played it to my whole family on speaker phone.’’
The divine Mr. Imm
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Trevor Immelman is shots ahead of his closest pursuer with five holes to play, which is as much the product of the wacky conditions as it is his own steady play.
Immelman hasn't done anything especially spectacular today. He missed a 2-foot putt for birdie on No. 7 and struggled to control the ball with the wind sustaining 20 to 25 mph gusts. But this is why he should soon be wearing the Masters green jacket and celebrating his first major:
He came into this day leading the field in driving accuracy and in greens hit in regulation.
Coming in, Immelman ranked 202nd on the PGA Tour in putts per greens in regulation. There were only two golfers behind him -- David Lutterus and Steve Allan (not the similarly-named comedian). Immelman isn't known as a terror on the greens, but he could soon be a terror in green because of his work off the tee and from the fairway.
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Trevor Immelman is shots ahead of his closest pursuer with five holes to play, which is as much the product of the wacky conditions as it is his own steady play.
Immelman hasn't done anything especially spectacular today. He missed a 2-foot putt for birdie on No. 7 and struggled to control the ball with the wind sustaining 20 to 25 mph gusts. But this is why he should soon be wearing the Masters green jacket and celebrating his first major:
He came into this day leading the field in driving accuracy and in greens hit in regulation.
Coming in, Immelman ranked 202nd on the PGA Tour in putts per greens in regulation. There were only two golfers behind him -- David Lutterus and Steve Allan (not the similarly-named comedian). Immelman isn't known as a terror on the greens, but he could soon be a terror in green because of his work off the tee and from the fairway.
Ready for some drama?
AUGUSTA, Ga. — The flags are rippling here at Augusta National Golf Club, thanks to the 25 mph wind gusts ruffling the leaves and tousling the coiffs of so many spectators.
Might it also represent a wind of change for the Masters?
It could on a number of levels.
Tiger Woods, who will tee off 10 minutes from now, could make a breakthrough if he can catch up to Trevor Immelman and Brandt Snedeker. He's never won a major when trailing after 54 holes.
It would most definitely represent history for either Immelman or Snedeker, who were the PGA Tour Rookies of the Year in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Both are looking for their first major championship of any sort.
Who knows what will happen today?
Immelman and Snedeker won't be introduced at the No. 1 tee until 2:25 p.m. and there's a fair amount of separation between them and the golfers who have already started their rounds.
But it seems that, in spite of the weather, it will be possible to post a low score today. Ian Poulter has already birdied Nos. 1 and 2 to get to 4-under.
AUGUSTA, Ga. — The flags are rippling here at Augusta National Golf Club, thanks to the 25 mph wind gusts ruffling the leaves and tousling the coiffs of so many spectators.
Might it also represent a wind of change for the Masters?
It could on a number of levels.
Tiger Woods, who will tee off 10 minutes from now, could make a breakthrough if he can catch up to Trevor Immelman and Brandt Snedeker. He's never won a major when trailing after 54 holes.
It would most definitely represent history for either Immelman or Snedeker, who were the PGA Tour Rookies of the Year in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Both are looking for their first major championship of any sort.
Who knows what will happen today?
Immelman and Snedeker won't be introduced at the No. 1 tee until 2:25 p.m. and there's a fair amount of separation between them and the golfers who have already started their rounds.
But it seems that, in spite of the weather, it will be possible to post a low score today. Ian Poulter has already birdied Nos. 1 and 2 to get to 4-under.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Moving day
AUGUSTA, Ga. — The weather conditions are certainly having an impact at Augusta National.
The greens, which were as fast as table tops on Thursday and Friday, have played more like shag carpet because of the heavy rain earlier this afternoon.
Several frontrunners have struggled to adjust to the pace of the course.
Trevor Immelman, who held the lead at 8-under coming in, has left a handful of putts short, including a short birdie opportunity on No. 2. He's given a stroke back and shares second with Paul Casey and Steve Flesch at 7-under. Immelman's playing partner, Brandt Snedeker, birdied No. 2 and has followed it with four consecutive pars to take the lead at 8-under.
A couple guys to keep an eye on at this point: Phil Mickelson, who got to 6-under before bogeying No. 6, and Casey, who has birdied three of his first eight holes.
What about Tiger Woods?
He's plugging along, not out of it by any means. He's 4-under for the tournament after a birdie on 13, but has let at least two other legitimate birdie opportunities fall by the wayside.
AUGUSTA, Ga. — The weather conditions are certainly having an impact at Augusta National.
The greens, which were as fast as table tops on Thursday and Friday, have played more like shag carpet because of the heavy rain earlier this afternoon.
Several frontrunners have struggled to adjust to the pace of the course.
Trevor Immelman, who held the lead at 8-under coming in, has left a handful of putts short, including a short birdie opportunity on No. 2. He's given a stroke back and shares second with Paul Casey and Steve Flesch at 7-under. Immelman's playing partner, Brandt Snedeker, birdied No. 2 and has followed it with four consecutive pars to take the lead at 8-under.
A couple guys to keep an eye on at this point: Phil Mickelson, who got to 6-under before bogeying No. 6, and Casey, who has birdied three of his first eight holes.
What about Tiger Woods?
He's plugging along, not out of it by any means. He's 4-under for the tournament after a birdie on 13, but has let at least two other legitimate birdie opportunities fall by the wayside.
Rain, rain, go away ...
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- The folks who run the Masters are pretty powerful.
They have made their event one of the toughest tickets in sports. They can seemingly will the azaleas and dogwoods to bloom even when there are cold snaps. They can tell Chris Berman to stay home.
But they have yet to figure out a way to control the elements. Short of installing a retractable roof over Augusta National's lovely golf course, this will remain problematic.
Play has just resumed after a 40-minute delay brought on by heavy rain.
What does that mean to you, the TV viewer?
Your favorites, guys like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, will be teeing off much later than expected. They may not even be able to finish the third round today, depending on the whims of Mother Nature. About half of the golfers left in the field had teed off when the inclement weather rolled in. We'll see how it goes.
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- The folks who run the Masters are pretty powerful.
They have made their event one of the toughest tickets in sports. They can seemingly will the azaleas and dogwoods to bloom even when there are cold snaps. They can tell Chris Berman to stay home.
But they have yet to figure out a way to control the elements. Short of installing a retractable roof over Augusta National's lovely golf course, this will remain problematic.
Play has just resumed after a 40-minute delay brought on by heavy rain.
What does that mean to you, the TV viewer?
Your favorites, guys like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, will be teeing off much later than expected. They may not even be able to finish the third round today, depending on the whims of Mother Nature. About half of the golfers left in the field had teed off when the inclement weather rolled in. We'll see how it goes.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Not fading from view
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Right now, my face looks a lot like Trevor Immelman’s Masters scorecard.
Lots of red.
Just got back from a long tour of Augusta National, most of which was spent following Immelman and trying to find patches of shade whenever possible. Despite slathering my neck, face and scalp with No. 30 sunscreen, I look medium rare at this moment.
In some ways, I feel kinship with Immelman. Neither of us can be cooled off, it seems.
Immelman, whose brother Mark happens to be the golf coach at Columbus State University, continued his torrid play Friday and currently sits atop the leaderboard at 8-under par (68-68 -- 136). Brandt Snedeker is hanging tough one stroke behind, while Steve Flsesh (72-67 -- 139) made an impressive charge with a round that included an eagle on the par-5, No. 13.
Where’s Tiger Woods, you ask?
He remains even three holes into his round, but a lot can happen between now and the end of the day. Several players to watch, including Woods and first-round co-leader Justin Rose are early into their rounds, but it's shaping up to be a interesting day. Phil Mickelson has made a bit of a charge, gaining three strokes since yesterday. Right now, it looks as if the cut will be 3-over par.
Talk of a Tiger Slam has died down considerably since the beginning of the week, but it's too early to count him out yet. If he's within six strokes of the lead by the end of the day, I wouldn't give up on him.
At the same time, Immelman has emerged as the most compelling story of the tournament (you'll read more about him in Saturday's Ledger-Enquirer). Keep in mind that this guy was in a hospital bed in his native South Africa last December, doped up on morphine, and waiting to find out if a tumor discovered in his chest was cancerous. Thankfully, it proved to be benign, but it took him several weeks to recover well enough to play a full round of golf.
Four months later, this guy, an 80-1 shot according to the oddsmakers for Bodog, happens to be leading the Masters.
His wife, Carminita, had it right when she shared her thoughts about Friday's round with me behind the 18th green.
‘‘This is a special place,’’ she said.
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Right now, my face looks a lot like Trevor Immelman’s Masters scorecard.
Lots of red.
Just got back from a long tour of Augusta National, most of which was spent following Immelman and trying to find patches of shade whenever possible. Despite slathering my neck, face and scalp with No. 30 sunscreen, I look medium rare at this moment.
In some ways, I feel kinship with Immelman. Neither of us can be cooled off, it seems.
Immelman, whose brother Mark happens to be the golf coach at Columbus State University, continued his torrid play Friday and currently sits atop the leaderboard at 8-under par (68-68 -- 136). Brandt Snedeker is hanging tough one stroke behind, while Steve Flsesh (72-67 -- 139) made an impressive charge with a round that included an eagle on the par-5, No. 13.
Where’s Tiger Woods, you ask?
He remains even three holes into his round, but a lot can happen between now and the end of the day. Several players to watch, including Woods and first-round co-leader Justin Rose are early into their rounds, but it's shaping up to be a interesting day. Phil Mickelson has made a bit of a charge, gaining three strokes since yesterday. Right now, it looks as if the cut will be 3-over par.
Talk of a Tiger Slam has died down considerably since the beginning of the week, but it's too early to count him out yet. If he's within six strokes of the lead by the end of the day, I wouldn't give up on him.
At the same time, Immelman has emerged as the most compelling story of the tournament (you'll read more about him in Saturday's Ledger-Enquirer). Keep in mind that this guy was in a hospital bed in his native South Africa last December, doped up on morphine, and waiting to find out if a tumor discovered in his chest was cancerous. Thankfully, it proved to be benign, but it took him several weeks to recover well enough to play a full round of golf.
Four months later, this guy, an 80-1 shot according to the oddsmakers for Bodog, happens to be leading the Masters.
His wife, Carminita, had it right when she shared her thoughts about Friday's round with me behind the 18th green.
‘‘This is a special place,’’ she said.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Local knowledge
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Your Masters leaderboard after one round:
Justin Rose and Trevor Immelman at 4-under par 68.
Some guys named Brian Batemen and Brandt Snedeker sharing second place with Lee Westwood at 3-under.
A log jam of Ian Poulter, Robert Karlsson, Zach Johnson, Stephen Ames and Jim Furyk at 2-under.
Wait a second.
Rose, Immelman and Poulter fighting it out at Augusta National?
Didn't they just do that, oh, about two weeks ago?
If you're looking for a reason why Rose, Immelman and Poulter shot such solid rounds Thursday, you can trace it back to a trip they planned in March. The three, who each live a lob wedge away from each other behind the gates of Orlando’s Lake Nona golfing enclave, were facing off against Tiger Woods and other pros from the hoitier, toitier Isleworth neighborhood in the Tavistock Cup when one of them suggested a road trip to Augusta.
The trio flew to Augusta two weeks ago, bunked down at a Marriott and ate at the T-Bonz steak house located off Washington Road a short hop from the course. They also devoured every possible nook and cranny of the Augusta National course.
‘‘What it did was took the pressure off the practice days this week,’’ Rose said.
And, by all appearances, it gave them a significant advantage over some of their competitors.
Immelman, whose brother Mark is the golf coach at Columbus State, said the two rounds shared with Poulter and Rose were spirited and closely contested. Rumor has it that some wagers were made.
‘‘We just had a fantastic time,’’ he said. ‘‘Kind of like three kids going to their favorite golf course. It was an awesome couple of days.’’
It could make for an especially awesome weekend if the three neighbors continue to jostle for position through the final round. It seems there’s some unfinished business dating back to the boys' getaway they enjoyed.
‘‘Justin actually won,’’ Immelman said. ‘‘I think I still owe him some money.’’
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Your Masters leaderboard after one round:
Justin Rose and Trevor Immelman at 4-under par 68.
Some guys named Brian Batemen and Brandt Snedeker sharing second place with Lee Westwood at 3-under.
A log jam of Ian Poulter, Robert Karlsson, Zach Johnson, Stephen Ames and Jim Furyk at 2-under.
Wait a second.
Rose, Immelman and Poulter fighting it out at Augusta National?
Didn't they just do that, oh, about two weeks ago?
If you're looking for a reason why Rose, Immelman and Poulter shot such solid rounds Thursday, you can trace it back to a trip they planned in March. The three, who each live a lob wedge away from each other behind the gates of Orlando’s Lake Nona golfing enclave, were facing off against Tiger Woods and other pros from the hoitier, toitier Isleworth neighborhood in the Tavistock Cup when one of them suggested a road trip to Augusta.
The trio flew to Augusta two weeks ago, bunked down at a Marriott and ate at the T-Bonz steak house located off Washington Road a short hop from the course. They also devoured every possible nook and cranny of the Augusta National course.
‘‘What it did was took the pressure off the practice days this week,’’ Rose said.
And, by all appearances, it gave them a significant advantage over some of their competitors.
Immelman, whose brother Mark is the golf coach at Columbus State, said the two rounds shared with Poulter and Rose were spirited and closely contested. Rumor has it that some wagers were made.
‘‘We just had a fantastic time,’’ he said. ‘‘Kind of like three kids going to their favorite golf course. It was an awesome couple of days.’’
It could make for an especially awesome weekend if the three neighbors continue to jostle for position through the final round. It seems there’s some unfinished business dating back to the boys' getaway they enjoyed.
‘‘Justin actually won,’’ Immelman said. ‘‘I think I still owe him some money.’’
Early Masters impressions
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- As I walked past the Augusta National Clubhouse around 11:30 this morning, the throngs parted for a group of white-shirted security guards escorting a player to the putting green.
Ladies and gentlemen, Tiger Woods.
Woods walked past me, no more than five feet away, looking steely-eyed and ridiculously fit. The guy must live in a gym. As he took his place on the putting green for some practice just before his opening round, the crowd, standing as many as five deep in some places, applauded lustily.
This guy can get a standing ovation just for smiling.
My three-hour morning-to-afternoon walk around the course was lovely. It's warm, but a gentle breeze has been kind enough to tickle the tall pines, the wisteria, the dogwood and the azaleas every so often.
I followed Heath Slocum for most of his round because I'm thinking of writing something about the Milton Mafia as I call them. Heath Slocum, Boo Weekley and Bubba Watson, all graduates of Milton High School in the Florida Panhandle, all in the Masters field.
Anyway, Slocum was 3-under after 8, but bogeyed 9 and 18. He's in second now at 1-under 71. He happened to have Fuzzy Zoeller in his threesome, which is interesting since Zoeller happens to be the only Masters champion to win a green jacket in his first visit to Augusta.
"Honestly, it's such a long way, so far ahead of me, so far ahead that it doesn't even pop into my head, really,'' Slocum told us after his round.
It's wise not to fantasize too much here, because far too many golfers have unraveled after solid starts.
Caught up with Larry Mize some during his round and the Columbus resident was having a tough day. He shot 4-over on the front and gave up another stroke at 16 with two holes to play. Even so, the guy gets a warm ovation at every tee box and green. Being a Masters champion ensures perpetual respect.
That's all for now. Ian Poulter just got to the interview room. He's 2-under 70, but I want to see what he's wearing. The guy usually wears purple pants, but this year he's rocking the lime green.
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- As I walked past the Augusta National Clubhouse around 11:30 this morning, the throngs parted for a group of white-shirted security guards escorting a player to the putting green.
Ladies and gentlemen, Tiger Woods.
Woods walked past me, no more than five feet away, looking steely-eyed and ridiculously fit. The guy must live in a gym. As he took his place on the putting green for some practice just before his opening round, the crowd, standing as many as five deep in some places, applauded lustily.
This guy can get a standing ovation just for smiling.
My three-hour morning-to-afternoon walk around the course was lovely. It's warm, but a gentle breeze has been kind enough to tickle the tall pines, the wisteria, the dogwood and the azaleas every so often.
I followed Heath Slocum for most of his round because I'm thinking of writing something about the Milton Mafia as I call them. Heath Slocum, Boo Weekley and Bubba Watson, all graduates of Milton High School in the Florida Panhandle, all in the Masters field.
Anyway, Slocum was 3-under after 8, but bogeyed 9 and 18. He's in second now at 1-under 71. He happened to have Fuzzy Zoeller in his threesome, which is interesting since Zoeller happens to be the only Masters champion to win a green jacket in his first visit to Augusta.
"Honestly, it's such a long way, so far ahead of me, so far ahead that it doesn't even pop into my head, really,'' Slocum told us after his round.
It's wise not to fantasize too much here, because far too many golfers have unraveled after solid starts.
Caught up with Larry Mize some during his round and the Columbus resident was having a tough day. He shot 4-over on the front and gave up another stroke at 16 with two holes to play. Even so, the guy gets a warm ovation at every tee box and green. Being a Masters champion ensures perpetual respect.
That's all for now. Ian Poulter just got to the interview room. He's 2-under 70, but I want to see what he's wearing. The guy usually wears purple pants, but this year he's rocking the lime green.
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