Now that another Masters is in the books, some things just don’t change besides the winner’s name. No Tiger, no ratings.
It is amazing that while he has not won a major championship in nearly three years, the Tiger Woods impact on the game of golf is alive and well. With Woods out of contention on Sunday, TV ratings plummeted 22 percent from last year’s event.
While the new face Gary “Bubba” Watson is a nice story, it was not enough to create the buzz Woods is still able to command. There was more banter on Saturday about Woods kicking his club in disgust after a bad shot than the ability to pronounce the playing partner’s name that was paired with Watson.
For the record, Tiger is not the only one to kick or throw a club on the course, as there was a time when club throwing and kicking were Olympic events. Remember Louis Oothuizen?
As for Watson, is he what golf is looking for? While not of the country club ilk, he is a white American, he hits it as far as anyone on the tour and he is very likeable. Until his recent rash of public relation debacles, Tiger was not as warm and friendly as you would hope for your face of the sport to be.
Is Watson’s win the start of something, or will he join the ranks of Mickelson, Duvall, Leaonard, Garcia, Kaymer and Daly? Like we have said after the others finished in second place and beyond, we will have to wait and see.
And while the ranks of Woods’ detractors continue to grow, he just will not go away and the game of golf should be thankful.
Bountygate spawns stupidity
Now that the Roger Goodell has ruled once and for all on the bounty issue in the NFL, perhaps those who still seem to think the actions of scorned coach Gregg Williams are just par for the course will have a clue on how out of touch with reality they really are. To give Williams a pass is almost as heinous as the crimes he committed. How can anyone support an individual who is in favor of trying to physically injure a person to the point that they can no longer play?
I get the notion that football is a rough sport and you play for keeps. I also understand that laying a good, clean lick on a player that knocks him out of the game is a risk you take. But how can you even remotely think that a coach who is encouraging permanent injury is what the game is all about?
Ozzie and Fidel
How about Miami Marlin Manager Ozzie Guillen? In his first year as manager of the Marlins, Guillen thought it was a good idea to compliment Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. Guillen was quoted as saying he loves Castro for staying in power so long. Guillen was expected to create a stir because that is who he is, but no one saw him venturing into political no man’s land in anti-Castro Miami. He was suspended for five days for his reflections.
The coach and ‘that woman’
How about Bobby Petrino, head football coach at Arkansas? Petrino was involved in a motorcycle accident over the weekend. Yes, motorcycle accidents happen, only this one involved Petrino with a passenger. The passenger happened to be a young hottie he recently hired to work in the football office. He initially told reporters that he was the only one on the bike. Kind of like the last guy from Arkansas who uttered the famous words, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.” Remember how that turned out? Petrino was put on administrative leave and then sent packing – despite the fact that he won 11 games last season.
WHAT RATINGS?
I was somewhat taken the other day when a female friend of mine was explaining to me the plight of former Laker Champion Lamar Odom and his current ordeal involving the Dallas Mavericks. It’s a plus when you have a female that is up on sports and certainly the NBA.
Then as the conversation began to expand, I made one mistake. I asked where did she get her Lamar info from, and she told me he and his wife Kloe Kardasian have a reality show.
At that point, you could hear the screeching of the brakes.
“Their what?” What else could I say?
I just never thought this would be the new way that women keep up with sports. As I explained to her that description of Odom may be slightly one-sided and that his marital situation was becoming a distraction in both L.A. and Dallas, she reminded me it was good for the ratings.
WHAT RATINGS? It’s the freakin NBA, not a soap opera.
Odom is now without a team, as he never got over the way Owner Jim Buss and General Manager Mitch Kupchak of the Lakers handled the way they tried to trade him for Chris Paul. The deal obviously fell through and they were stuck with a disgruntled player whom they shipped off to a conference rival and defending world champion for a song and a dance.
Once he got there it didn’t work and it spiraled out of control, where everyone thought it was a good idea to cut their losses and send Odom home for the season. Home with pay, I might add, at the tune of $8.9 million or what’s left of that salary for the year. At least the Mavs didn’t release him where he could have latched onto another team like Oklahoma City or the Miami Heat.
A lesson learned by all, including me, now knowing there are more interesting places to get sports news now.
