Everyone is going to have an opinion on Tigers Woods, who for the first time in three months made a public appearance. The world’s best golfer was especially apologetic while reading his 13-minute statement, putting every ounce of the blame on himself.
He must have used the term “sorry” 10 times, and he seemed completely sincere while doing it. He admitted spending time in therapy, and he will return for more therapy tomorrow, which is why this statement had to be read today (which drew the ire of some players in the Match Play Championship).
Since the start of this fiasco, people have asked me what I thought, and I told them that Tiger Woods is just a golfer. And he’s a guy who made a mistake – a very, very big mistake. I don’t think he’s deserved all the flak thrown his way, but that’s where our society is at right now.
All of these blogs allows all voices to be heard, no matter how misguided those opinions might be. Conspiracy theorists claimed Tiger’s wife, Elin, smashed him upside the head with a golf club following the car crash. That’s not true, according to Tiger, and it’s irresponsible to report, or even write it.
On the golf course, Tiger Woods is the most feared man in the world. But on that podium, he seemed as scared as a child in the dark. You could see the despair in his eyes, which at times became a bit watery. He's coming to grips with what he did, and how it not only affected him, but his family and everyone associated with him and the game of golf.
He said what he did was "selfish," and he's right. He deserves this chance to redeem himself. He asked for everyone to "believe in him again," and they should. Tiger said he will return to golf “one day,” but added that he’s not sure when that day will be.
Right now, he’s transforming himself into a better person, into a better husband and into a better father. He’s got his plate full at the moment and taking the necessary steps to fix what he broke.
Good for him.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Ram weak
I admit it: I got caught up in the whirlwind. I drank the Kool-Aid. I was convinced, just like you were.
A day after I watched the Unviersity of Rhode Island men's basketball team fend off UMass at the Ryan Center, giving the Rams a 19-3 record and 7-2 mark in the Atlatnic-10, I wrote how these Rams have what it takes to get to the Big Dance. I wrote how they won't fold like the Rams of old, the same ones that also started 19-3 before choking down the stretch.
Looks like I was wrong. Yes, I was on that bandwagon, the one that had Rhody already in the field of 65, and perhaps going pretty deep in the tournament. The bandwagon that claimed URI had the two senior leaders in Keith Cothran and Lamont Ulmer and a great group of role players.
So what happened? Well, URI fell at home to Richmond, Cothran violated team rules and missed the start of the Temple game, a blowout loss, and last night, the Rams were knocked off by a hot Saint Louis team.
Now our state university, the one everyone thought surely was going dancing for the first time since 1999, is 7-5 in the A-10, and it's one big win - on the road against Dayton - doesn't seem all that big anymore. Rhody's RPI ranking, which rose to as high as No. 3 and was at No. 13 after the UMass win, has plummeted to No. 74 this morning.
We should have seen this coming. We've all been here before, so why did we think it would all of a sudden change? We all drank that Kool-Aid when we should have been reaching for Pepto Bismol.
A day after I watched the Unviersity of Rhode Island men's basketball team fend off UMass at the Ryan Center, giving the Rams a 19-3 record and 7-2 mark in the Atlatnic-10, I wrote how these Rams have what it takes to get to the Big Dance. I wrote how they won't fold like the Rams of old, the same ones that also started 19-3 before choking down the stretch.
Looks like I was wrong. Yes, I was on that bandwagon, the one that had Rhody already in the field of 65, and perhaps going pretty deep in the tournament. The bandwagon that claimed URI had the two senior leaders in Keith Cothran and Lamont Ulmer and a great group of role players.
So what happened? Well, URI fell at home to Richmond, Cothran violated team rules and missed the start of the Temple game, a blowout loss, and last night, the Rams were knocked off by a hot Saint Louis team.
Now our state university, the one everyone thought surely was going dancing for the first time since 1999, is 7-5 in the A-10, and it's one big win - on the road against Dayton - doesn't seem all that big anymore. Rhody's RPI ranking, which rose to as high as No. 3 and was at No. 13 after the UMass win, has plummeted to No. 74 this morning.
We should have seen this coming. We've all been here before, so why did we think it would all of a sudden change? We all drank that Kool-Aid when we should have been reaching for Pepto Bismol.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Prep vs. public school hoops
In many cases, prep schools are seen as athletically superior to public high schools. Oftentimes, depending on the school and the sport, that is the case. But it’s certainly not true across the board.
After watching Monday’s Portsmouth Abbey-St. George’s boys basketball game, I’m not convinced that Newport County’s two private school teams are significantly better than the local public school teams.
That’s not a knock on St. George’s, which won the game 50-43, or the Abbey. They’re both decent teams with quality players. It just seems that the likes of Rogers, Middletown, Portsmouth and Tiverton could compete with, and beat, the Dragons and Ravens.
(Note: What follows is merely one man’s observation and analysis based on what he’s seen in boys basketball games this season and in no way should be interpreted as negative criticism of any teams that play in Newport County.)
My guess is that no team in the county — public or private — can beat Portsmouth, with star big man Andrew Chrabascz. The Patriots are far from a one-man show and have the balance and depth to compete with anyone.
But let’s break it down scientifically, with a make-believe tournament. Even though the competition isn’t the same for all six teams, for the sake of argument, we’ll seed them by their current records.
1. Portsmouth (15-1)
2. St. George’s (9-4)
3. Portsmouth Abbey (11-6)
4. Middletown (11-8)
5. Rogers (7-10)
6. Tiverton (2-13)
Portsmouth and St. George’s get a bye into the semifinals.
Portsmouth Abbey vs. Tiverton: While Tiverton junior Ben Bergandy would give Portsmouth Abbey trouble, as he does with every team the Tigers play, Tiverton is struggling this year and doesn’t have enough to hang with the Ravens.
Winner: PORTSMOUTH ABBEY
Middletown vs. Rogers: Luckily we have some hard evidence for the outcome of this game. Rogers beat Middletown 62-42 in their annual non-league matchup in December. As well as Middletown has played this year in Division III, I have to believe Rogers would win again.
Winner: ROGERS
Semifinals
(Normally in this format, Portsmouth, being the top seed, would face the lowest remaining seed. But in the interest of public-vs.-private matchups, we’ll go with an all-Portsmouth semifinal game.)
Portsmouth vs. Portsmouth Abbey: Even though Portsmouth is the top seed, I’d almost rather see this game at the Abbey, because the atmosphere in that tiny little gym is pretty intense.
Regardless of the location, this is Portsmouth’s game. Not only is Chrabascz too good, he makes his teammates better. The Ravens can try to stop him all they want, but he’ll get his points and rebounds, and with the added attention, guys like Pat Fagan and Evan Hole, among others, are going to have big games.
Winner: PORTSMOUTH
St. George’s vs. Rogers: The Vikings are scrappy, and could match the Dragons’ athleticism, but St. George’s has size and plays pretty good D. For a Rogers team that has, at times, had trouble scoring this year, that’s a problem.
Winner: ST. GEORGE’S
Final
Portsmouth vs. St. George’s: I would love to see Chrabascz and St. George’s big man Josh Fuhrmeister go toe-to-toe. They have very different styles of play, but they’re both big and are the anchors of their respective teams.
Fuhrmeister might — and I emphasize MIGHT — have a better team around him. But Patriots, as evidenced by their record, are playing exceptionally well together this season.
They’re far and away the best public high school team in the county, and I think they’d be the best of both worlds, if given the opportunity to prove it.
A tournament such as this would be difficult to bring together, but it seems very much in the realm of possibility for these teams to meet every year for some spirited non-league competition.
Those games would be immensely entertaining and they could be the subject of a lot of interesting discussion throughout the county.
After watching Monday’s Portsmouth Abbey-St. George’s boys basketball game, I’m not convinced that Newport County’s two private school teams are significantly better than the local public school teams.
That’s not a knock on St. George’s, which won the game 50-43, or the Abbey. They’re both decent teams with quality players. It just seems that the likes of Rogers, Middletown, Portsmouth and Tiverton could compete with, and beat, the Dragons and Ravens.
(Note: What follows is merely one man’s observation and analysis based on what he’s seen in boys basketball games this season and in no way should be interpreted as negative criticism of any teams that play in Newport County.)
My guess is that no team in the county — public or private — can beat Portsmouth, with star big man Andrew Chrabascz. The Patriots are far from a one-man show and have the balance and depth to compete with anyone.
But let’s break it down scientifically, with a make-believe tournament. Even though the competition isn’t the same for all six teams, for the sake of argument, we’ll seed them by their current records.
1. Portsmouth (15-1)
2. St. George’s (9-4)
3. Portsmouth Abbey (11-6)
4. Middletown (11-8)
5. Rogers (7-10)
6. Tiverton (2-13)
Portsmouth and St. George’s get a bye into the semifinals.
Portsmouth Abbey vs. Tiverton: While Tiverton junior Ben Bergandy would give Portsmouth Abbey trouble, as he does with every team the Tigers play, Tiverton is struggling this year and doesn’t have enough to hang with the Ravens.
Winner: PORTSMOUTH ABBEY
Middletown vs. Rogers: Luckily we have some hard evidence for the outcome of this game. Rogers beat Middletown 62-42 in their annual non-league matchup in December. As well as Middletown has played this year in Division III, I have to believe Rogers would win again.
Winner: ROGERS
Semifinals
(Normally in this format, Portsmouth, being the top seed, would face the lowest remaining seed. But in the interest of public-vs.-private matchups, we’ll go with an all-Portsmouth semifinal game.)
Portsmouth vs. Portsmouth Abbey: Even though Portsmouth is the top seed, I’d almost rather see this game at the Abbey, because the atmosphere in that tiny little gym is pretty intense.
Regardless of the location, this is Portsmouth’s game. Not only is Chrabascz too good, he makes his teammates better. The Ravens can try to stop him all they want, but he’ll get his points and rebounds, and with the added attention, guys like Pat Fagan and Evan Hole, among others, are going to have big games.
Winner: PORTSMOUTH
St. George’s vs. Rogers: The Vikings are scrappy, and could match the Dragons’ athleticism, but St. George’s has size and plays pretty good D. For a Rogers team that has, at times, had trouble scoring this year, that’s a problem.
Winner: ST. GEORGE’S
Final
Portsmouth vs. St. George’s: I would love to see Chrabascz and St. George’s big man Josh Fuhrmeister go toe-to-toe. They have very different styles of play, but they’re both big and are the anchors of their respective teams.
Fuhrmeister might — and I emphasize MIGHT — have a better team around him. But Patriots, as evidenced by their record, are playing exceptionally well together this season.
They’re far and away the best public high school team in the county, and I think they’d be the best of both worlds, if given the opportunity to prove it.
A tournament such as this would be difficult to bring together, but it seems very much in the realm of possibility for these teams to meet every year for some spirited non-league competition.
Those games would be immensely entertaining and they could be the subject of a lot of interesting discussion throughout the county.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Random thoughts from the weekend
* I know it was halfway around the country, but the America's Cup was won by BMW Oracle Racing, meaning the Auld Mug is returning to the United States for the first time since 1995. Before I arrived here, I didn't know anything about sailing, but it's almost hard to not get caught up in the excitement of it (minus the lame courtroom drama).
Furthermore, according to reports from Europe, team owner Larry Ellison, who recently bought Astors' Beechwood in Newport, said the 34th America's Cup would take place in either San Francisco, San Diego or .... Newport!
Imagine the greatest spectacle in racing returning to the place it called home for so long. Although he's in the U.S. Virgin Islands with his family, Sail Newport Executive Director Brad Read had this to say:
"It will be a tough sell due to infrastructure needed to host an AC," he wrote via e-mail. "The Volvo (Ocean Race) is a different event that it comes, it is here for 3-4 weeks and then leaves. However. Anything is possible with the right resources!!!"
Anything is possible.
* If NASCAR is going to build a larger fanbase, it needs to do something about the disaster that unfolded during Sunday's Daytona 500. Labeled as the the sport's Super Bowl, the race at perhaps the world's most famed speedway hit a snag when a pothole was spewing tar all over the place.
The race was stopped twice, totalling about two hours of race time. FOX did a decent job during the delays, bouncing from driver to driver to get their take while producers were sweating bullets. Still, I can only assume that only diehards were left watching when Jamie McMurray clipped Dale Earnhardt Jr. at the finish line.
* I'm no spring chicken, and I can admit that time is passing me by a bit. But Nate Holland, who is 10 months younger than I am, is really showing his age. Holland a member of the U.S. Olympic snowboard cross team, is complaining that the younger generation is wearing their snowpants too tight and making everything look "emo."
"I think the problem we have now is the emo look," he told the New York Times, "and people trying to use that as an excuse for wearing tight clothing. I'm a snowboarder through and through, and boardercross is a freestyle snowboarder's race. I think it should stay that way."
Look, nobody knows who you are, so who cares if you stay true to the sport. Besides, things change. When Larry and Magic ruled the NBA, along came Michael Jordan and his low baggy shorts. That's how it works ... now stop getting your snowpants in a bunch.
Furthermore, according to reports from Europe, team owner Larry Ellison, who recently bought Astors' Beechwood in Newport, said the 34th America's Cup would take place in either San Francisco, San Diego or .... Newport!
Imagine the greatest spectacle in racing returning to the place it called home for so long. Although he's in the U.S. Virgin Islands with his family, Sail Newport Executive Director Brad Read had this to say:
"It will be a tough sell due to infrastructure needed to host an AC," he wrote via e-mail. "The Volvo (Ocean Race) is a different event that it comes, it is here for 3-4 weeks and then leaves. However. Anything is possible with the right resources!!!"
Anything is possible.
* If NASCAR is going to build a larger fanbase, it needs to do something about the disaster that unfolded during Sunday's Daytona 500. Labeled as the the sport's Super Bowl, the race at perhaps the world's most famed speedway hit a snag when a pothole was spewing tar all over the place.
The race was stopped twice, totalling about two hours of race time. FOX did a decent job during the delays, bouncing from driver to driver to get their take while producers were sweating bullets. Still, I can only assume that only diehards were left watching when Jamie McMurray clipped Dale Earnhardt Jr. at the finish line.
* I'm no spring chicken, and I can admit that time is passing me by a bit. But Nate Holland, who is 10 months younger than I am, is really showing his age. Holland a member of the U.S. Olympic snowboard cross team, is complaining that the younger generation is wearing their snowpants too tight and making everything look "emo."
"I think the problem we have now is the emo look," he told the New York Times, "and people trying to use that as an excuse for wearing tight clothing. I'm a snowboarder through and through, and boardercross is a freestyle snowboarder's race. I think it should stay that way."
Look, nobody knows who you are, so who cares if you stay true to the sport. Besides, things change. When Larry and Magic ruled the NBA, along came Michael Jordan and his low baggy shorts. That's how it works ... now stop getting your snowpants in a bunch.
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