A trophy by any other name would smell as sweet

by Bryan Wright

Just imagine how glorious a July it would be, if the Calgary Flames invited four other NHL teams, of their choosing, to play in a round-robin tournament following the Stanley Cup Finals.  The five teams would each play each other a couple of times, before moving into some kind of playoff format, eventually crowning a champion for the 'mini-season.'  They could get a couple of sponsors on board, say Imperial Oil, donate a lot of money to charity, and make it an annual affair.  It could become known as the Esso Flames Challenge.  How exciting would that be?

What would be even more exciting, is if the Flames were able to win their own 'challenge.'  The press in Calgary, and the Flames' legions of fans could celebrate as if their team had just won the Stanley Cup, because let's face it, that would be as exciting.  The City could host the Esso Flames Challenge Champions parade and everybody could really let loose for a few days, to revel in their glory.

Do You Want Frys.com With That?

Brendan Steele, Briny Baird, Garret Willis, Matt Bettencourt.  Golf's Mt. Rushmore?  Not exactly. They sit atop the leaderboard and are merely four of the 85 golfers who are currently ahead of Tiger Woods at the Frys.com Open this week in San Martin, California.  My how the mighty have fallen.

Timber!

There was a time when Tiger Woods shunned tournaments with url's in the title, now it may be one of the few he's eligible for.  Not having played since an MC at the PGA Championship in August, there has been so much speculation that Tiger's career may be over.  He hasn't won a tournament in over two years now, and outside of a T4 at the Masters, hasn't even really contended in one for over a year.  He simply isn't the same golfer that dominated the sport for over ten years.

To silence the critics, Tiger needs a good finish, even if only a top ten, simply to say to everyone 'I can still play.'  Playing in the Frys.com Open, a smaller tournament with lesser known names, less media attention and less pressure, may seem like the perfect opportunity for a fallen star to regain his lustre.

But through one round, it hasn't been pretty for the IHOP frequent flyer, who struggled to a two-over 73 on Thursday.  The problem with playing in a smaller tournament, with lesser known names, less media attention and less pressure, is it is also interpreted to be 'easier' for a golfer like Tiger Woods to do well.  He shouldn't just finish well this week, he's expected to run away with this tournament.  Or at least old Tiger would have been.  New Tiger, Tiger 2.0, Tiger sans Steve, whatever we call him, shouldn't be expected to run away with this tournament.  In fact, it should be surprising if he does play well.  No longer is he Tiger Woods, the world's most dominant golfer.  Now he is Tiger Woods, 132nd in FedEx points in 2011, playing out what's left of the exemption from his 2008 US Open win.


-TheRev


Jersey Fouls
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Glory's Last Shot or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the PGA

The last major championship of the year, the self-proclaimed ‘Glory’s Last Shot’, the PGA Championship begins today. In a way, the PGA Championship is the red-headed step child of the majors. It doesn’t have the historical significance of a British Open, the national status of a US Open, or the prestige of the Masters. Simply put, it’s the least important major. But, it’s still a major, it’s still a tournament the players want to win, and it still has a very good field. So how to pick a winner?



Don't be fooled by the flags, Americans
almost always win the tourney


To begin, the PGA’s field is different than the other majors. The other three fields feature a host of amateur players taking up spots from potential winners (I have nothing against amateurs in majors, but they don’t really have a chance of winning, and they do keep a professional out of the tournament), while the PGA has twenty odd club pros, who have absolutely no chance of winning. We can shrink the field down quite a bit when looking for potential winners, but there are still a lot of golfers with a chance at the Wannamaker Trophy.

What also makes it more difficult is the PGA’s tendency to crown more ‘one and done’ major winners than the other three. In the past quarter century we’ve seen such household names as Jeff Sluman, Shaun Micheel, YE Yang, Rich Beem, Wayne Grady, Mark Brooks and Bob Tway win this tournament. Hardly world beaters, these are players who never really amounted to much other than that one hot week. So when we look at the field this weekend, these ‘no-name’ players have to be considered, even though their biggest ‘win’ might be a T22 in the Lumber 84 Classic.

The US Open: Glory's Third Last Shot

The season's second major begins today outside Washington, D.C., where players will tee it up at Congressional Country Club, each trying to win the 111th US Open. The biggest story of course, isn't who's going to win, but who isn't going to win; Tiger Woods. Tiger has pulled up lame and will not be competing this year. The way he's played the past year, it's doubtful he really would have been a factor, but with him not even playing, it is truly wide open as to who's going to win. Perhaps the most wide open field since the late 90's.

The thing about the US Open, it's cachet if you will, is the difficult course set up, which normally sees a winning score a little closer to par than at other tournaments. The rough is thick, fairways tight and greens fast. For some, this means that it takes driving accuracy to win a US Open, while other claim it comes down to putting. But really, like almost every tournament, it comes down to a combination of everything. The person who puts it all together for 72 holes will come out on top. And that leads to the biggest question; who's going to win this year?

Let's take a look at the favorites:

Charl Schwartzel Wins the Masters

"You forgot the 'E-S.' " 
"Nope, that's how you spell it Tig."

I was trying to think of a better title, perhaps some sort of pun, but there just isn't a lot that can be done with Schwartzel.  Jason Day would have been a nice win; "A Day to Remember" or "A Master-ful Day."  Or Newman's idea if Rory McIlroy won; "Rory's Glory Story."  Alas, we're left with Charl Schwartzel.

Going into the day, with McIlroy holding a four stroke lead, this Masters had the potential of being merely a victory lap for the young man from Northern Ireland.  But instead, thanks to some amazing play, some lucky shots, and an epic collapse, it turned out to be one of the more exciting tournaments in recent memory, featuring seven different players in the lead at some point on Sunday.

My Personal Struggle with Mr. Tiger Woods

A little history about myself

I’m a golfer. I’ve played golf competitively since I was 12. I am currently a four handicap, up from a scratch when I was fresh out of high school. Those were the days when I could play 36 holes without wincing, without flinching, and be ready to go again the next day.

These were also the days where I watched my favourite golfer in the world change the game forever. I am of course talking about Eldrick Tiger Woods.

I imitated his every move, and did my best to emulate his every swing when given the chance – this was much harder than ever thought. I’ve worn a hat with the Tiger insignia on it as long as I can remember. I marvel at what he can do, as I’m sure many others do.

Who's Going to Win the Green Jacket?

Hello friends, it's that time of year again.  The week that every golf fan looks forward to more than any other, it's Masters week.  The azaleas are blooming, the grass is that special green and everything seems to be ready for play.  But which players are ready to win?  Augusta National seems to bring out the game's best players like no other layout in the world.  Perennial contenders and oft champions Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will dominate most people's picks for the coveted green jacket, but there are others players with a chance.

Let's take a look at who's got the best shot to win this week.  I've taken the Vegas odds, and offered my own opinion.

Podcast March 11, 2011

Today TSR talks about the Flames, Tiger Woods' chances of beating Jack's majors record and the end of Mike Weir's career.




Have you seen a Jersey Foul lately?
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Match Play Problems

2011 Accenture Match Play Champion Luke Donals

I really like the idea of a match play tournament on the PGA Tour.  It's completely different from every other tournament, and provides fans with an exciting alternative to the same old same old that is most tournament's on the year's schedule. But then why aren't I crazy about the Accenture Match Play Championship that Luke Donald won this year?

I see many flaws in the tournament, but I'll be the first to admit I have no idea how to fix them.  The biggest problem in my mind is that on Saturday and Sunday, the television coverage is, in a word, boring.  On both the weekend, there are only four golfers playing and simply not enough golf is ever shown.  Instead we get to listen to the likes of Johnny Miller.  That's a chore at the best of times, but made far worse when he needs to fill air time while players walk 300 yards to their drive, then each go through a seven minute pre-shot routine.  As riveting as that may be to some, I only see it as an increased chance of me hearing about how great the '73 Open was.  No thanks, I'd rather go clean out the neighbour's litter box. 

Where'd you go Bob Hope?

While the name may live on, the Bob Hope Classic is a mere shell of its former self.  Long one of the more popular events on the PGA Tour schedule, "the Hope" has been reduced to a third tier tournament that no longer inspires either fans or players.

The tournament is the Tour's only five-round event, and features a four-day pro-am format, which pairs professional golfers with a celebrity partner.  The tournament was popular with fans who could not only watch some great golf, but also see their favorite personalities.  In its heyday, the Bob Hope Classic featured the best golfers on the Tour, A-List celebrities, and one of the World's most popular entertainers as its host.  Former champions include Arnold Palmer, Johnny Miller and Fred Couples, while former celebrity participants include Frank Sinatra, Presidents Eisenhower, Ford, Bush and Clinton, Burt Lancaster, and Bing Crosby.

The Weekly Roundup - November 1, 2010

This past week has been an interesting one in the world of the Calgary Flames. It has been a week of blown chances, missed opportunities, and horrendous defence.

The Flames went 1-2 over the seven day span beating Edmonton, and then subsequently losing to Colorado and Washington. They blew a 4-1 lead to the Oilers, only to salvage the win in a shootout. They blew a 3-1 lead to the Avs – eventually falling 6-5. They jumped out to a 2-0 lead on Washington, before allowing an avalanche (seven) of goals in the next 25 minutes of action. These are not exactly defining characteristics of mentally strong, defensive minded hockey teams – something Calgary was supposedly thought to be.

Is the Tour out of the Woods?

Wake up the kids, fire up the VCR, the TOUR Championship begins today; the tournament that pits the top 30 players on the money list...er...FedEx Cup points list against each other, in a winner take all, no-holds barred format. Oh sorry, that''s a different sport.  The TOUR Championship is the final event of the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup, and pits the top 30 players in the Cup standings against each other, giving four or five players a realistic chance to win, while the rest simply play out the string and perhaps pad their wallet.  Few times does a sport's final event evoke so little drama and interest as this year's TOUR Championship, and while many of the problems can be blamed on the TOUR, there are also a few that are out of their control.

The Weekly Roundup - September 13, 2010

Fantasy Frustrations

“Welcome, new comers. The tradition of Festivus begins with the airing of grievances. I got a lot of problems with you people! And now you're gonna hear about it!”

To Arian Foster: I despise you.

To the Carolina Panthers: You have two premier running backs on your team, and Matt Moore might be worse than Jake Delhomme; if that’s even possible. Here is a free tip: run the ball!

To Mike Sims-Walker: Were you even on the field?

To Kruger: My son tells me your company stinks!

Captain Picks Tiger

So Tiger Woods was one of Corey Pavin’s captain's pick for the 2010 US Ryder Cup team. I suppose it shouldn't come as a surprise to anybody, as he is the sport's most recognizable star. However, should notoriety be the criteria for making the team, or should it be quality of play? Myself, I think it should be the latter, and I don't feel Tiger has earned his way onto this team.

The first thing that struck me was while I was listening to ESPN radio on Tuesday night, where the announcer wondered aloud, 'Would Tiger have been picked if he hadn't been playing well of late?' So this is the first argument of why Tiger should be on the team, because he's been playing so well of late. In the past few months Tiger has finished T46, T23, T78, T28, T12, T11. I guess he's finished in the top 100 every tournament, but I’d hardly consider those finishes to be 'playing so well of late.' I can guarantee that lesser-known players wouldn't have been selected with those stellar finishes.

The Weekly Roundup- September 7th, 2010

From the latest news on the Flames to Americans blaming violence on hockey, here is the latest Weekly Roundup!

Giddy Up!

Langk You Very Much

• It looks like Daymond Langkow is back skating and could be ready for the start of training camp, which surprised a lot of people in Calgary. With Langkow near 100% healthy, this could axe the thought of storing his contract on the Long Term Injury Reserve, thus forcing the Flames to make a move. Ken King mentioned that he thinks they will move a defenceman. (In case you missed it, King responded to my blog on Thursday, here is the link to that blog :http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2010/09/ken-king-respondsquickly.html) This should mean that training camp will be an all out war.

• Prediction: Cory Sarich won’t be a Flame when the season begins.