TNF: “Dead Man Walking”
You ever find yourself walking through a cloud? Where your mind needs to be somewhere and it’s somewhere else? Well that is what an athlete cannot do. An athlete is trained physically to be the best possible, only to have their mind be as focused as it can be. Guess what sport you can find this example to ring true? Any guesses??
Golf.
The PGA Championship was another Tiger Woods butt-whipping thanks to his mental game being as sharp as ever and his physical game being in peak form. What did you see this weekend? A guy who took the lead and allowed everyone else around him to collapse at his feet. Scott Verplank. Stephen Ames. Just a couple guys who seemed to unravel while being paired with Woods. This, of course, was following Rory Sabbatini who completely tanked under pressure and handled himself poorly when a fan pulled Rory’s punk card from under him.
It’s hard to comeback to win a tournament when the guy in front isn’t making many mistakes. Ask Tiger, he knows that his comeback victories in majors sits at zero. But one thing we do know is he’s been close to taking a major that wasn’t his only to see the eventual winner find a way to shut the door. He has simply sent a message to everyone in the PGA and they haven’t got a clue how to answer it.
Just like nobody has a clue as to how the Pittsburgh Pirate fans can cheer for Barry Bonds this past weekend. I am not saying it was the wrong thing to do but let me put you into the same setting I was in back in 2001…
I was 18 years old on a road trip with my father and brother as we visited the brand-new PNC Park. What a beautiful park it was - simply incredible. We walked around for a bit and noticed banners dedicated to some of the great Pirate players of the past. We get to the 80’s and 90’s banners and we see guys like Doug Drabek, John Smiley, Andy Van Slyke, Bobby Bonilla…where’s Barry? Where is the 2-time MVP? Why isn’t he on here? Does Pittsburgh hate him that much? That is what I thought back in 2001.
Apparently, Pittsburgh changed their tune this weekend. But here is a tip: Give him his due when he’s earned it - like being part of those banners that commemorated the best Pirate players of each decade. If you don’t, that sends a message that you hate everything about the guy. That said, cheering for him in what could be his final season in the big leagues is pretty lame.
What is also lame is stalking a former girlfriend when you are already "happily" married. You are an idiot. You are a coach of an NCAA basketball program that has improved as of late. You should show your young men a better example than to be some cheating husband who can’t stand being away from that piece that you only appreciated for those moments you weren’t with your wife. Great work coach, way to mess up your entire life by eliminating moral standards in your own life.
Speaking of coaches, I’d be very impressed to see Pat Riley try to coach through one season without missing a game. I’d like to see if he can stay on the sidelines for 82 games plus playoffs for one season, let alone 3 seasons. What’s going to be the difference? More grease in the hair means more energy on the floor? This will be interesting to see and I like Riley. But if he thinks he can go 3 years it’s time to show us. Showtime.
And stop showing me hockey coverage in Canada. It’s August 14th - I don’t care about hockey right now. The only concern in the NHL right now is why nobody has signed Peter Forsberg. Yes he is injury-prone, but he still scores a point-per-game. The man is still dangerous and can be a huge threat for any team. If you have any cap space left and you have a great team, sign him. Let him play 50 games, he’ll score 55-60 points and have him fresh in the playoffs. Otherwise, I don’t need to see the Toronto Maple Losers play in pre-pre-season. Show me the damn baseball highlights and get on with it.
The Dan is back. Good to be back. Felt like a dead man walking for over a week.
