Dogged Victims of Inexorable Fate was the title of a Dan Jenkins book in 1988 about the PGA Tour. There have been bazillions of “books about golf” by the scribes who follow it and those who try to play it… and a few memorable movies including Bagger Vance, Tin Cup and, of course, Caddyshack …. I played it for 30 years and “broke 80” twice – at Falling Creek CC outside Kinston in 1968 and at a municipal course in South Kansas City in the late 70s. I quit playing golf cold turkey a dozen years ago and have never regretted doing so.
When the Internet was “coming of age” back in the early day of this millennium and board monkeys were crawling out of the primordial cyber-ooze; there were several absolutes forever debated. #1 was “the “real” causes of The Civil War. #2 was “Is golf / automobile racing “a sport” and are participants “athletes”? I recall numerous incidents of humanoids with waaaay too much time on their hands going ALLCAPS at each other on those issues. I’m sure they still do
I watch sports for “what happened yesterday”. Not human misery a/k/a “the agony of defeat”; but for the totally unexpected. For the final play of Auburn v Alabama in 2013. For the blocked punt / TD in Michigan v Michigan State last Fall. For the “Wow, I never saw THAT before” a/k/a the “Who’d a thunked it” moment.
I’ve watched 40 plus “Masters Sundays”. In 1996 I watched Greg Norman’s epic collapse (literally) in the pro shop at Charlotte’s Peninsula Club with former Duke AD Carl James. No clue where I saw Roberto Di Vicenzo sign the wrong card in 1968 giving the win to Bob Goalby. I pretty much always watch The Masters on Sunday.
I “like” Jordan Spieth (we’ll get in to “liking” sports celebrities in a minute) so I was fine seeing him moving along methodically for his second consecutive green jacket. He did seem to be “scrambling” rather than in complete control of his game but Twitter-verse had conceded him his victory. When Twitter-verse says “it’s done” what more need be said?
More “about me”…. I’ve visited Augusta National during Masters Week on three occasions. It should be on every sports fan’s bucket list. The “venue” is always the star for The Masters. We all know about Amen Corner and Rae’s Creek and “the back nine on Sunday”.
Before Billy Payne became the annual face of the members of Augusta National I always liked the ever-rotating rich ol’ white guys who had no business whatoever on a live mic babbling to a world-wide audience. I recall one ol’ coot that could not pronounce “Ballesteros” to save his life. USA and Spain relations have never been the same since.
Looking back at “yesterday”…. IF after chunking his tee shot on #12 which is not uncommon, Jordan simply goes long and accepts a “double”, he likely still wins by a couple. It was the second “chunk” that was the OMG dagger.
With both #13 and #15 still to play and both possible eagles, sure birdies, Jordan coulda roared back to win…. Jordan Spieth is “a very good solid golfer” but NOT a “hitch up his pants and CHARGE” guy like Arnie or “super human” like Tiger in his prime.
Jordan’s “double chunk” opening the door to Danny Whozit was another “that was weird” about yesterday. Had it opened the door for Rory McIlroy or Jason Day or septugenarian Bernhard Langher THAT would be “different”. Danny Whozit joins Trevor Immelman and Charl Swartzel ??? as guys who have to reintroduce themselves to the other Masters champions each year at their dinner.
Blah blah…. enough about the actual golf stuff. Lets get to the Jordan versus CAM stuff.
Just last Monday we had a Marcus (Paige) versus CAM comparison. Like Marcus’ 3, that one just got “bumped” by Jordan versus CAM. Yes, we are talking about how high profile sports celebrities deal with media obligations just after heart-breaking losses in The Internet Era.
Media obligations after heart-breaking losses have never been “an issue” until CAM came along and did what he did after The Super Bowl. Now “how a high profile athlete deals with the media after a heart-breaking loss” IS a required topic of “go viral on Twitter” level.
I still maintain that CAM-Hate was ginned up into a National Debate because of the two-week feeding frenzy prior to The Super Bowl. Prior to that two-week infestation period “it” was primarily a Charlotte-area thing involving “a woman in East Tennessee” and “a handful of LTTEs”.
Yes, there absolutely was/is a “racial component” to CAM-Hate coming in Year Seven of a POTUS Administration in which even the slightest criticism of said AfAm POTUS is immediately labeled “racist” and pictures of burning crosses accompany the harsh condemnation of the criticizer of said AfAm POTUS. Daring to criticize AfAm CAM was “throwing Rosa Parks under the bus” to many “in the media”. HOW DARE YOU!!
NOTE: In addition to Jordan Spieth, I also “like” Steph Curry, Russell Wilson, Derek Jeter and Marcus Paige among others to establish my “rainbow creds” in “liking” athletes. I also like Cardinals’ 2nd baseman Kolton Wong proving I am not Polynesian-ophobic. Hellfire, I even “like” Stephen A. and Jason Whitlock. I’m not sure what THAT says about me ??
Had CAM not been AfAm but still done the “I gotta be me…. I am very competitive, yadda yadda” he would, maybe, not be the Poster Boy for discussing a high-profile athlete handles his media obligations after a heart-breaking defeat.
Regardless, Jordan Spieth handled “it” much less dramatically than CAM did…. but I suspect you already knew that. No “hoodie”…. no pout and no “walk-off” from Jordan. At 22, Jordan is six years younger than CAM for what that’s worth.
Jordan Spieth is an upper-middle class young white man. No, his family was NOT “Dallas–rich”, just “upper middle class” as if that matters…. but he (Jordan) is definitely “white”. He never stole a laptop at college nor is there any controversy about anyone getting “paid off” to get him to Univ Texas.
Jordan doesn’t “dab” (I still don’t know what “dabbing” is??) when he hits a good shot. I don’t know if he gives away golf balls but I think he does devote time to “charities”. Jordan has a steady girlfriend but he is not a baby-daddy. Jordan’s special relationship with his autistic little sister is part of his story.
Prior to his tee shot on #12 yesterday, there really weren’t any “negative” about Jordan Spieth unless one simple hates “young white male athletes who are high achievers”. There are such people “out in cyber-space”. There are those who manifest hate for “achievers” of all hues and ilks.
When the Jordan v CAM subject “took off” on Twitter last night, one area sports media guy took immediate issue with those daring to compare CAM and Jordan. He, apparently, is a member of The Legion of CAM-alibiests of which there are many. I’m not a member but you already knew that,.
Did Jordan think about CAM as he prepared for his post-round interviews? I doubt it, but who knows. I suspect he “just knew” he had to stay composed, control his emotions, keep his answers short and watch his facial expressions. Over the past year Jordan Spieth has done a bazillion media interviews…. just as CAM has since his Auburn days. Neither is a media-nyophyte.
Sports has always been “the thrill of victory” and “agony of defeat” and it will be again. Comparing how Jordan Spieth handled his “agony” versus how CAM handled his “agony” is, IMO, a very fair and relevant discussion…. and a nice perk to “having my very own website”.
Is “race” a factor in the discussion?. This is America 2016.
EVERYTHING is “about race”….. or, now, “gender”.
I could not help but wonder (1) do the several women members of Augusta National use the same locker room as the male members?…. and (2) where did all the Transsexuals in yesterday’s gallery pee? Does The Masters have uni-gender porta-potties? I don’t recall from my earlier visits. I’m going with “No” to both questions until corrected….
I had never thought about either of those questions until yesterday.
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