 |
||||||||||||||||
Doing It Down Under What an awesome win for Adam Scott. The Australian captured his first major championship in dramatic fashion by defeating my twin, Angel Cabrera, on the second hole of a sudden death playoff. The Masters always delivers on the final round....even though this year's version took a little time to heat up, when it did, it was riveting. When Scott drained his final putt for the win, you could almost feel Australia's party taking place. He became the first Australian golfer to win the green jacket.....after all of those close calls from decades past....Scott makes it count at Augusta. The tournament had been overshadowed by a confusing ruling surrounding Tiger Woods and his drop on the 15th hole during the second round. I haven't played golf in 16 years, but I used to play tournament golf in high school and college....I found Tiger's drop and reasoning to be appalling. There are a number of obscure rules that make golf non-purists squirm and ask aloud.....the dropping of a ball hit into a hazard is not one of them. It's one of the most standard, common rules in golf, and Tiger knows it. I know there was an addendum to the rules in 2011 so that events like this one wouldn't result in a DQ.....but let me break this one down to it's most simplistic terms. The golfer is always responsible for knowing and obeying the rules of the game. Tiger obliterated the rule. The fact that he was given a 2-shot penalty was laughable. I also found it comical that not a single person on the entire CBS broadcast questioned the drop or even knew the rule....not one. Perhaps Feherty was too busy trying to think up something clever...or Ian Baker Finch was too busy chanting Aussie, Aussie, Oye, Oye, Oye.....who knows? I don't like the fact that a fan can call in out of the blue and determine the outcome of the event....something about that concept seems dead wrong to me....but golf allows such nonsense. Tiger Woods broke the rule. Period. He signed for a 6 on the par 5, 15th hole....and that was incorrect. You can't do that in golf without being penalized to the fullest. The talking golf heads on all the networks missed it.....amazing. It doesn't mean that it lessens Tiger's move; it doesn't, but it does make you wonder how many guys on Tour actually know the rules of the sport they play? The Golf Gods made sure Tiger wasn't going to be in the hunt on Sunday....and they also gave in to an Australian to finally be fitted for a green jacket. Pretty cool stuff. The Atlanta Braves start the week with an impressive 11-1 record.....it's their best start since 1994. The sweep of the mighty Washington Nats in DC over the weekend was strong. It sent a message to everybody in the NL East that they might be the team to beat. I know it's really early and we've seen the Braves get off to great starts before sucking in the clutch.....but you've got to like what you see so far, if you are a fan of the Bravos. When I was in ATL for the Final Four, some of the local talking heads were already declaring that the Braves were the best team in baseball. It's BS like this that makes it fun to laugh at ATL fans when we reach the later stages of the regular season. I like the way the Braves are built.....their bullpen is outstanding......but like I stated earlier, it's way too early to act like the World Series is found down I-85. The Braves haven't won a playoff series since 2001....that's 12 years and counting. Speaking of Atlanta, I thought the city did a great job of hosting the NCAA Final Four. The Georgia Dome was packed, the games were terrific, and even the outdoor concerts and area events were outstanding. I know the city wants to be in the discussion for another shot at the Final Four....and I hope they get it. I also know they would love to be a part of the BCS playoff mix, too. Gary Stokan does a great job with the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classics, and there's no doubt ATL would put on a great show when it comes to the college football playoffs, too. Let me get this straight, the LA Dodgers are upset that their pitcher (Zack Greinke) hits a San Diego Padre batter (Carlos Quentin), and then Quentin kicks the pitcher's ass and in the process dislocates Greinke's collarbone. The Dodgers then declare that there will be payback when the teams meet this week. Sounds about right, coming from the fourth place Dodgers.....good luck in that "loser leave town match" against the last place Padres. Go Giants. I have two weeks of vacation time coming my way for the rest of the month......I have to use it, or lose it. So, I'm going to chill out for a few weeks and enjoy some time around the house. I mention this in case you wonder why I'm not on SiriusXM until later this month. I'll still do my broadcast duties on WRFX and the John Boy & Billy Show in addition to my "Packman on Sports" TV stuff on the 10 o'clock news. But it's time to relax. |
|
|||||||||||||||
