Out of Bounds: The thrill of victory, agony of da knee By Jake Linger
Dear Mr. Woods,
What!?
You have done it to us again, sir. Like so many championships before, you managed to find a way to "wow" your fans, as well as detractors, en route to winning your third U.S. Open Championship. Your 18-hole (and then some) Monday playoff with Rocco Mediate - 15 years your elder - proved to be the most gratifying golf experience I have ever witnessed.
As far as golf is concerned, Tiger, who would be your biggest influence in your golf game? All of your fans are very aware of the influence that your father had on you as a youth phenom as well as into your adult life, but who is one other person who deserves some of the credit for your golf career?
Tiger, can we talk? How bad was that knee really? Many compared you to Willis Reed of NBA yesteryear and Paul Pierce of today's Boston Celtics, but you were wincing so much that it was hard to tell if your knee was bothering you or if you were just regretting not stopping in the men's room before the back nine.
Knee surgery has to be painful, no doubt. I do not have one suspicious bone in my body in regards to your knee pain. Walking 96 holes just six weeks or so after knee surgery is probably the last thing that your caddie Steve Williams wanted to see. Stevie makes at least 10 percent of what you earn. Imagine all the Skins games he could potentially miss out on and the WGC Match Play events that he'd not win money for if competing in this U.S. Open causes you to endure more pain and withdrawal from those tournaments.
Oh, poor Stevie.
I apologize for digressing. I would just like to end this letter by asking you how you do it. How can one person make such amazing shots consistently over such a lengthy period of time? It is hard to believe, Tiger, but you have been in every golf fan's living room for nearly 15 years. Even longer for the true fans who knew of you before you were the player you are today.
What is it that turns on inside your brain to get you going like you did late Saturday with that chip-in for par? Or just a little later when you birdied 18 to assume the 54-hole lead? Or how is it that you seemingly attempted to throw the tournament Sunday and then roared back - as a tiger is wont to do - to make a very unrealistic putt to force the Monday playoff with Mediate? You're insane, sir! Insane!
On behalf of the thousands in attendance and the millions watching at home, we thank you, Tiger, for what you have done for the game of golf - reinventing it. You win major titles like most of us civilians earn paychecks. You take risks on the golf course that even President George W. Bush thinks are a little over the top. Paris Hilton once said that videos of your tee shots are what she enjoys most about You Tube!
Tiger Woods, you transcend sports and we all thank you. Good luck at the British Open and I always expect you to win.
Sincerely,
P. Mickelson
No, not really Phil Mickelson, but it would be hysterical!
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This week marks the beginning of the summer swim season for each of the city's six competing pools, and I would like for everyone to congratulate the youth swimmers and maybe even attend a meet or two. You need not have a "horse in the race" to have fun at these events.
I can't even swim!
The athleticism and preparation as far as conditioning and pushing oneself to pick up new positive habits is ungodly. The atmosphere is tremendously fun and this season all the results will be in the Blade-News.
Today's edition of the paper features the final segment of a three-part series profiling the six pools. Hopefully everyone has learned a little something from the series and maybe even has become more likely to visit a meet.
Good luck, swimmers! And may great weather be on your side for the next month and a half.
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Ordinarily I would not include a mention of a political figure in Out of Bounds, but this week is different. It has been nearly a week since NBC "Meet the Press" host Tim Russert passed away and I feel that it deserves mention that he was a rabid sports fan, especially of any team from his hometown of Buffalo, N.Y.
Russert loved the Bills as much as he loved campaign season. So much footage of Russert has been shown over the last six days and most of it has involved one of his many sports predictions - many of them not even close to accurate.
Russert once said that if there was a god, then the Bills would defeat the Dallas Cowboys in one of their two Super Bowl meetings in the early 1990s. Buffalo lost, 52-17, I believe. Former "NBC Nightly News" host Tom Brokaw was a good friend of Russert and was with him watching that Super Bowl in person. Brokaw said he commented to Russert after the game, "You know what this means? God is a Baptist."
Russert was Irish Catholic.
Russert was also a huge fan of children, so much in fact, that he often raised money for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, an organization that was listed as one to send memorial contributions in Russert's name.
Big Russ and Me is a book that Russert wrote for his father. In the book it became clear how much Russert loved family and especially his father and son, Luke. Just as much footage has been shown over the past few days of Russert and his sports moments as the footage shown of the burly talk show host speaking fondly of his son.
People like Tim Russert come along every so often. He made watching political shows fun, and not like John Stewart, Bill Maher or Stephen Colbert, Russert did it with a slight sense of humor, a lot of facts, and even more fairness.
Tim Russert was 58 years old and he passed away doing what he loved to do: work. We should all be so lucky to choose how we "go" in the end, but it doesn't always work out that way. While I don't believe in the old saying, "only the good die young," (what would that say about our sweet grandparents?!) good people like Russert passing away kind of makes me think a little harder about it.
Now go hug somebody!
