Dr. Tiger & Mr. Woods... and the rest of the World Golf Championships

Jack Nicklaus can relax now.

When the golfing phenomenon that is Tiger Woods blitzed the entire field to win the Masters by 12 strokes in 1997, his first major, Jack had to have felt an ominous chill down his spine. For he was watching the man who would rip his record of 18 major championships away from him. And in the years following, Tiger didn't disappoint. Passing Jack was nothing but a forgone conclusion for golf's resurrecting force.

... Until now.

 Stuck on 14 majors, with the last being that triumphant 2008 U.S. Open victory, Tiger is stumbling into a free-fall many are not sure he can recover from. While I have never particularly rooted for Tiger, his ability has been undeniable, and I have constantly backed him to return stronger and more focused after his injury that cost him nearly a year in 2008-09 as well as the whirlwind sex scandal that emerged a little over a year ago.

Now I'm questioning whether he'll ever win again.

Not just a major. Anything.

The Tiger Woods that won 71 PGA tournaments is long gone. The Tiger Woods that could beat most of his competitors just by showing up is no more. The Tiger Woods that was the best this planet has ever seen is a distant memory.

Jack is laughing.

A first round exit to sixteenth-seeded Thomas Bjorn at this week's World Golf Championships Match Play event was further proof that the top-seeded Tiger is no longer worthy of being mentioned among golf's elite. In fact, the way he's played lately, he's not even worthy of being referred to as Tiger. Until he proves me wrong, he'll be called by his last name like the other 125 guys on Tour.

Since the sex scandal, Woods has lost everything that made him great.

 Tiger & Woods. Golf's Jekyll & Hyde. Only sadder.

#1. Tiger had a killer instinct unlike anything golf had ever seen... Woods can't beat anyone because it would hurt their feelings.

#2. Tiger had focus, when he won at Torrey Pines, he went 50-of-50 putting from inside 10 feet... So far this year, Woods is 184th on Tour in putting.

3#. Tiger was a jerk... Woods has to always worry about what people are thinking of him.

#3 might be the biggest of all because it affects everything that made Tiger, Tiger. The best are always jerks. That's what makes them good, a "ME" attitude. Tiger was good because frankly he didn't care about any of his competitors. He could bury each and every one of them without a blink on his way to winning. Killer instinct. At his best, you could put a 90-year-old woman in a wheel chair in front of Tiger on the way to the green and he would have trampled over her like a wildebeest fleeing from a hungry lion, without even feeling a bump. Focus.

Killer instinct + Focus = Jerk.

With everything going on in Woods' life, he's trying so hard to not be a jerk anymore, and it's killing his golf game. Jack is sleeping easy again. If Woods wants to wake him up, maybe he should let Tiger out. Minus the... uh... you know...

Additional notes from the WGC:

-How good did Rickie Fowler look today? The pink-clad 22-year-old made quick work of world #4 Phil Mickelson in 13 holes with five birdies and two eagles. Mickelson was caught on camera laughing several times as he knew he was getting pummeled by something special today.

-How awful did Rory McIlroy look today? A #2-seed, McIlroy caught the beating of a lifetime against Ben Crane, who has the hottest putter in the tournament. Regardless of how well Crane was putting, the seventh-ranked player in the world probably should have put up more of a fight than losing in 11 1/2 holes. Perhaps he should have worn pink. It worked for Rickie, Luke Donald, and...

-Bubba's tracking! I was worried after Bubba pulled out of last week's Northern Trust Open with an abdominal strain, but he's coasted through the first two rounds, beating the scorching Bill Haas (3&2) and easily disposing of Mark Wilson, who's won twice already in 2011, 6&5. Bubba has a stiff opponent and former WGC Champion in Geoff Ogilvy tomorrow in the round of 16, so hopefully he can continue his good run of form.

The fickleness of it all...

How quickly it all can change.

11 days ago, in a fit of rage and passion, I was the nearest I have ever been to throwing in the proverbial towel on my all-time favorite team, my obsession, Arsenal Football Club. The Arsenal had just thrown away a 4-0 halftime lead en route to the greatest collapse in English Premier League (and probably all of soccer) history. In my 13 years of religiously following the club, never had I been so embarrassed to call myself an Arsenal fan. I had experienced bad beats before, and to be fair, Arsenal is one of the more frustrating teams the footballing world has to offer, but this had a sting unlike anything I had ever seen before.

Directly after the final whistle of that glorious yet miserable draw, I had to get in my car and drive to work. In the rain. For 12 minutes I sat in silence (I punched the radio off immediately) stewing in anger and disbelief over what had just happened. The guy who had supported Arsenal long before anyone in his town had heard of Manchester United was suddenly, legitimately, considering tossing all seven of his Arsenal jerseys in favor of a new team (... Fulham. Because they have a knack for signing American players. Not the best idea for trying to win in England, but admirable enough for me!).

As gutted as I was with the complete and utter choke job my team put forth on that Saturday, and as much as I wanted to discard them, Arsenal is my team.

And today, they repaid me and every one of their fans like me by coming from behind to upset probably the best football machine the world has ever seen in Barcelona, 2-1.

I cheered. I laughed. I yelped. I nearly cried from joy as my team completed a historic turnaround in less than 20 minutes. My team. The same team I nearly swore off less than two weeks prior.

11 days ago, there's no way I would have admitted an Arsenal fan. Today, you'd have to gag me to prevent me from telling you I am one.

It made me realize sports are like life. Sometimes it's awesome. Sometimes it awful. But stick with it and your Arsenal will come.

Why sports?

For as long as I can remember, people have been asking me "Why do you love sports so much?" And after a long college career of successfully convincing every professor I ever had that sports somehow had a valuable connection to whatever term paper they deemed necessary for me to write, I have gotten no closer to discovering a legitimate purpose to my obsession that labeled me as a slacker in the university world. Until now.

Luckily (and unfortunately), ESPN radio personality Mike Greenberg put words in my mouth long before I ever could (meaning, he's quicker and smarter than I am. But I have no problem quoting him on this). In his book "Why My Wife Thinks I'm an Idiot: The Life and Times of a Sportscaster Dad," Greenberg explains why he (we) love sports so much, and should never be ashamed of it.

"Sports are like war without all the dying. Imagine how intriguing war would be as a spectator sport if, when it was over, everyone shook hands and showered together. The strategy, the passion, the courage, the stakes; war is magnificent theater until you start counting bodies. That's where you lose me.

"In sports, you never lose me. You plan your attack, prepare physically and emotionally, attempt to execute your game plan - often in hostile environments - and then it ends and you all have a beer together.

"... I often read about people whose lives are filled with tragedy, civil war, poverty, hunger, and I think about how much better off the world would be if everyone could spend all that energy worrying about football. Maybe I'm on to something with that. Maybe the solution to all our problems can be found in irrelevance. Try it. The next time the mortgage is due and the baby is crying and you're late for work and the car in front of you is taking up both lanes - that is the best time to fret over someone dropping a ball you care too much about. It may not make your troubles disappear but it might make them blurry, distort the focus, at least a little."

Thanks to Mike Greenberg, I think I finally know why I have dedicated everything I do the phenomenon that is sports... They are the most important, unimportant thing we have left.

In the midst of everything going on in the world today, sports mean nothing. And that's why they mean everything.

Look at how the Southeast rallied around the New Orleans Saints after Hurricane Katrina, or how the entire nation pulled for the Yankees (the only time we'll ever do so) after 9-11. Sports unite us. They give us hope for something great. They are an escape from everything that is awful in this world.
  
That's why I love them, You can't take sports too seriously, even though they seem like the most serious thing in the world. Just like you can't take yourself too seriously. Sports are supposed to be fun. And what is life if you can't make it fun? That's what it's all about.

Laugh. Play sports. Cheer on your team. Forget about your troubles. Have Fun!

Time to get fitted for a belt...

For once in his life, Aaron Rodgers wasn't patient... and he couldn't have picked a better time.

As previously mentioned, I have long admired the Packers' star quarterback's patience, but in the biggest game of his career, a guy who has spent far too much time hidden under a larger than life shadow played with an urgency reserved only for the All-Time greats.

Rodgers gracefully waited to be drafted. He respectfully waited for Brett Favre to move on. But he would not wait to get his hands on the Lombardi trophy in his first try.

Forget experience, forget biding his time. In one game, Rodgers turned from a zen master to an overprivileged toddler screaming for a cookie before dinner. He wanted it. He got it.

And finally, Aaron Rodgers got the hardware he deserves. Not only the Lombardi Trophy and SuperBowl MVP award, but as Clay (Caveman) Matthews draped the novelty item over his shoulder, Rodgers got his title belt.

 24-of-39 (with 5 drops). 304 yards. 3 touchdowns. 0 interceptions, 0 fumbles. Not one of his passes was even close to getting picked off, and he was hit 16 times. To top it off, the Packers ran the football only 10 times. Pittsburgh knew what was coming, yet they couldn't stop the now "Heavyweight Champion of the World!"

His 300-yard, 3 TD, 0 INT puts him in an elite group of SuperBowl quarterbacks. 49ers quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young were the first two to accomplish the feat (now, kind of funny how the 49ers completely screwed the pooch on passing up Rodgers). The third was then Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme (and while I will always admit to my fellow Panther fans who bash Delhomme that he was no where near an elite quarterback, he got us to a SuperBowl, and he put in a performance deserving of a ring. Let's not forget it.)

Rodgers' fire lit at the perfect time as the NFC's sixth-seeded Packers only earned their spot in the playoffs by winning their final two games against the Giants and the Bears, admittedly strong opposition. From week 16 on, the guy turned it into another gear.

But it wasn't just Rodgers who won this. The Packer defense throughout the playoffs was nothing short of stunning. Defensive play-making was ultimately what won this SuperBowl. The Packer defense made plays, the Steeler defense didn't. Guess who came out on top.

But this day is about Aaron Rodgers.

And once again, I am more than impressed with his patience and ability to deflect adversity.

Green Bay receiver Jordy Nelson dropped three passes in the SuperBowl. Three. Crucial. Passes. Did we see Rodgers blowing up in the face of his young receiver in the huddle or on the sideline? Nope.

In perfect form, Rodgers continued throwing Nelson's way, believing in his guy without the panic of many-a-quarterback today. Nelson grabbed nine balls for a game-high 140 yards and a touchdown. Patience pays off.

Aaron Rodgers is patient. I've said that before. But he is just 27 years old. And as a whole, the Green Bay Packers are the NFL's second youngest team. Don't expect him to be patient when it comes to winning himself another ring.

People are taking notice...

Apparently I know what I'm talking about.

... when it comes to Bubba Watson.

 Already this week, there have been several articles written about how Bubba is finally growing into his potential and should be considered as a serious threat in the golfing world. PGATour.com even cut together this highlight video of Bubba's top three shots from the past year (yet they somehow left out his 289-yard hole-out for a 2 on a par 5 in December!). Enjoy!



-Article from PGATour.com about Bubba transforming from just a goofball into one of the game's elite.
http://www.pgatour.com/2011/tournaments/r004/01/30/bubba-farmers-ross/index.html

-ESPN's take: Expect to see Bubba lifting many more trophies in the future.
http://espn.go.com/golf/notebook/_/page/weekly18110131/jason-sobel-weekly-18

-And Golf.com confirming what I already knew. "Dude can flat out play."
http://www.golf.com/golf/tours_news/article/0,28136,2045492,00.html

A little late guys. I will soon have all your jobs.

Bubbaclaus is here!

There's something particularly vindicating about getting in early. Whether it be investing in a small business just before it comes up with its million dollar idea, loyally following a local band before they explode into that #1 hit, or in my case, supporting an underdog athlete for years before finally making his breakthrough.

While rising PGA Tour star Bubba Watson's win at last week's Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines (the second win of his career) was certainly a load off his back, in a way, it kind of felt like a victory for me as well. So when this putt fell on the final hole of the tournament, my adoration for the guy who had become the lovable loser came full circle.



With that putt, the golfing world is finally wising up to something i noticed nearly four years ago: this guy can play.

Those who know me have been aware of my support for the big hitting lefty since I first saw him in the 2007 U.S. Open. As a rookie, Bubba finished tied for fifth in one of the year's toughest tournaments, and since that performance, I've followed his career round by round.

My first attraction to Bubba as a golfer was obvious. A lefty myself, I'll follow any player who hits from the "wrong side of the ball." That's why Phil Mickelson was always my favorite growing up, until Bubba came around, of course.

Second, Bubba plays a brand of golf unlike any other on Tour. The man can't define conservative and standing on any given tee, you can see him making a two or an eight. And both would be equally spectacular. Pars are a rarity for Bubba because he always goes for broke. It's exciting golf (two words rarely paired).

Last, he's a 32-year-old seven-year old. Whether he's wielding his trademark pink driver (which he regularly hits 350+ yards as the longest driver on tour) or making silly videos to post online, the guy just loves having fun. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bubba paraded around his local golf course dressed as Santa Claus, hitting shots for the good boys and girls from Bubbaclaus.



Like he says, "I'm just goofy Bubba from Bagdad, Florida." To top it off, he personally responds to every single fan who posts on his twitter account. How can you pull against a guy like this?

In the period since I began watching Bubba, there have been many great tournaments. Tons of top 10's. A handful of second place finishes. But zero wins.

Bubba came close, to no avail, so many times that the media finally noticed the trend and began wondering if the guy could ever live up to his sky-high potential and get a PGA Tour win. As his fan, I wondered too.

Bubba's moment finally came last summer when he erased a six shot, final round deficit to win his first tournament, the Travelers, in a playoff. It was only then in a heap of tears that he revealed his father was losing a battle with cancer while his wife had just escaped a cancer scare of her own. With all that bearing down on him, Bubba, who already suffers from attention disorders, delivered his first title, for his family.



But the fact that neither Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson played in the Travelers left Bubba's victory feeling empty, to the media at least. A second-place finish at the PGA Championship and a Ryder Cup appearance weren't even enough to open people's eyes as Bubba was left facing serious questions entering 2011. It would take beating them both while winning the tournament to show everyone he was the real deal.

And that's exactly what he did Sunday. With Tiger floundering to a 75, and Mickelson snapping at his heels the whole way, Bubba posted his breakthrough win in San Diego. And I believe there's much more to come, including victories in Majors.

The first time I saw Bubba at the '07 open, he was ranked #237 in the world. This time last year, #122. Today, Bubba is the 18th ranked golfer in the entire world. And trust me, he's nowhere near his peak yet.

Not bad for goofy Bubba from Bagdad Florida.

The most patient man in pro sports...

Packers quarterback, and now Superbowl bound, Aaron Rodgers might just be the most patient human being on the planet, even more than my Mom. Well, maybe not. She had to put up with all my diving into the mud just to make her laundry day hell, my scraping the side of her car on the frame of the garage door, my refusal to do anything useful inside the house...

Ok, Ok, Ok... Aaron Rodgers is not as patient as my Mom (and Mom, I'm sorry I ever introduced you to my friend Tyler Davis. That was mean on my part). But he is damn patient. And... he can throw a football better than Mom ever could.

 And did I mention he's patient?

After declaring for the NFL Draft following his junior year at California in 2005 (where he holds several school records that WILL NOT be touched for some while), Rodgers was a sure-fire #1 pick. He was ready to resurrect his home-state's troubled franchise, the San Francisco 49ers. And they wanted their hometown boy, Aaron Rodgers.

And on draft day 2005... with the first pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers select... AAAAlex Smith!

Wait, what?

With the second pick, the Miami Dolphins select... Ronnie Brown!

Really?

With the third pick, the Cleveland Browns select... Braylon Edwards!

No, Seriously?

It went on and on. Even my beloved Carolina Panthers, in 14th position, passed on the opportunity to snatch up this pick of a lifetime (we went 2-14 last year, yay). And still, we weren't the last to say we didn't want this future best quarterback in the league. There were still many more snubs.

To make it worse, Rodgers had flown cross country to New York, thinking he'd be the first name called, only to sit in the back room hour upon hour, fielding the same questions of "Are you nervous about where you'll finally get picked?" "Why don't you think you've been picked yet?"

All of the sudden, the best quarterback in college football was the smelly fat kid with glasses, waiting to get picked for dodgeball in gym class.

Credit to Aaron, he handled it like a man does. "What happens, happens. I just want to play for a team that wants me."

Bravo, young lad.

With the 24th pick, the Green Bay Packers select... Aaron Rodgers.

Eeew. I cringed, you cringed, even Aaron cringed a little, though he never showed it.

We all knew that Packers quarterback Brett Favre, probably the best the game has ever seen, would likely play until he was K.I.A. (and it's seeming more and more like that lately). So, this franchise quarterback is now looking at seeing the field as a starter in 2020?

Yet Rodgers didn't balk. He served his time behind Favre, studying, learning, absorbing...

And three years and two playoff appearances later... he's in his first Superbowl, with the NFL's highest All-Time career passer rating no less. The guy throws an interception on less than two percent of his passes. The same can't be said about his idol and predecessor, Favre, who threw nearly as many picks as he did touchdowns.

Aaron Rodgers has bided his time, now it's finally time to get what he truly deserves... besides, Big Ben and the steel curtain need to know what pain feels like because they have several more rings in them down the line.

And when Green Bay wins the Superbowl, maybe they can mold the Lombardi Trophy into a belt for Aaron Rodgers to parade around town, I'd really like to see him finally bring hardware to the celebration.