You Report Back on How That Paint is Drying, I'll Just Be Here Watching the World Cup

How's that paint drying coming along? 

The 2014 World Cup has been going on for around three weeks now and I’ve already lost track of exactly how many times I’ve heard people say in many different ways that they find the sport to be boring or uninteresting. Not only that, but that can’t seem to understand how anybody else would find the sport either exciting or interesting.

I’m here to tell all of those people complaining about the World Cup with statements like “I’d rather watch paint dry” to shut up and go watch some paint dry.

Now, I’m not what you would call a soccer fan. It’s not something I’ve watched a whole lot in my life and I don’t particularly find it to be one of the more exciting sports, but I have enjoyed the little snippets of games that I’ve caught during this World Cup, particularly the penalty kick shootouts between Brazil and Chile and Costa Rica and Greece.

But, I can understand how soccer fans feel when they’re bothered with statements about how one of their favorite sports is boring, because like them I am a rather huge fan of other fringe sports like auto racing and golf.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to defend my fandom of both auto racing and golf from people who either didn’t understand it or, in most cases, never wanted to. I find that most people who claim they don’t like a sport or that it’s boring have never actually taken the time to watch the sport. This is obviously ignorant, but ignorance has never stopped anybody from running their mouths off whenever they see fit.

Basically what it boils down to is that people should just let other people enjoy whatever sports they enjoy. Why do you feel the need to try to convince us that soccer or auto racing or golf or anything else is boring? We’re not going around trying to make you feel bad about yourself or stupid because the only sport you seem to see fit for watching is American football.

So, you think soccer is boring? That’s fine. You have the right to that opinion, but spouting it every two seconds during the World Cup is a nuisance and doesn’t do anything more than make you look like an idiotic fool. You may get away with that in the good old US of A, but take a little trip to Brazil or Germany or England or practically anywhere else in the world and tell ‘em that. Then make sure you have a nice pair of sunglasses to hide that black eye they’re going to give ya.  

Fifteen Years Later: Payne Stewart, Phil Mickelson and the Moment That Made Me Love Golf

This month marks the 15^th anniversary of one of the greatest major golf tournaments I’ve ever seen; the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst in North Carolina, where next week’s Open also takes place. It also marks the anniversary of the very first golf tournament that I have any recollection of ever seeing.  Thus, that tournament played a big role in my golf fandom today. Looking back, and until this week that’s not something I’ve ever done, it’s also maybe the most tragic tournament I’ve ever seen, as well.

I don’t remember too many particulars. I can’t give a detailed hole-by-hole remembrance. What I do remember was I was an 11-year old boy watching from my living room in small Oakland, Ark. I remember the key players: a 42-year old funny looking veteran with two previous major titles under his belt and an exciting, young golfer who’d yet to win a major and would go five more years before he did. The vet was Payne Stewart, 1989 PGA champ and 1991 U.S. Open champ. He was funny looking because of his throwback attire featuring knickers, high socks and ivy newsboy cap. His look, along with infectious personality made him a fan-favorite. The youngster was Phil Mickelson, also a fan-favorite, which he still is to this day, thankfully with five major titles now to his legacy.

I remember this tournament almost more for its storyline than I do for the shots or winner – even though both are unforgettable. I remember Stewart and Mickelson being in a tight fight for the entire fourth round, and Mickelson having to worry about the possibility of an 18-hole playoff on Monday, because his wife, Amy, was going to give birth to their first born at any moment. I remember the final hole, where Stewart had a 15-foot par attempt to win his second U.S. Open, after taking the lead with a birdie on the previous hole, and the dramatics of the situation knowing that if he didn’t sink it there would be a Monday playoff. I remember Stewart sinking the putt and his celebration with his arm stretched out straight in a fist pump and one of his legs thrust into the air behind him. One of the all-time great golf images, in my opinion. Then, what I remember most was Stewart embracing Mickelson after the match and telling Mickelson that even though he’d lost the U.S. Open what he was about to experience with the birth of his first child would be so much greater. The greatest moment of his life, in fact, and by the way, this all took place on Father's Day. It’s a moment that I’m sure brought tears to the eyes of many watching and still will today in remembrance. 

Part of why this event is capable of bringing tears to the eyes 15 years later has to do with what happened just four months after Stewart was crowned U.S. Open champion. On Oct. 25, 1999 I was watching one of the local Springfield, Mo. television stations, Springfield was not only the city of my local television networks, but also Payne Stewart’s hometown, when they interrupted regular programming with the tragic news that a plane carrying Payne Stewart and five others had crashed in nowhere South Dakota. Despite the plane crashing in South Dakota, the National Transportation Safety Board later declared that Stewart and the others on the flight had actually died shortly after takeoff in Orlando, Fla. of hypoxia from a loss of cabin pressure.

Stewart’s death was one of the earliest memories I have of losing a great and beloved champion of a sport I loved. And, looking back on the 1999 U.S. Open that occurred 15 years ago and the tragic death of Stewart that followed just four months later I can’t help but think that without that day and that great battle between Stewart and Mickelson and the sportsmanship and greatness of humanity shown by the vet and the young gun afterward that I might not be the golf fan I am today. Turns out I owe an awful lot to the great Payne Stewart. I’m just glad that a 15^th anniversary of a great sporting event and the sport’s return to Pinehurst next week could remind of that fact.    

Golf is Boring? Then Don't F***ing Watch It (And Leave Me Alone)

While at work yesterday I was attempting to watch as much of Phil Mickelson’s victory at Pebble Beach as I could on a TV that sits on the far side of the room. During the afternoon I was told by three different co-workers how boring the sport was and usually asked, “How can you watch golf?” It’s a statement that I’ve heard and question that I’ve been asked many times in my life, especially in the last few years. Almost every response included the phrase: “I’d rather watch paint dry.” My typical response to that is, “well, than go watch paint dry.”

When someone tells me that golf is boring I always ask them why. They never seem to be able to tell me why they think it’s boring. Most times their answer is the very vague and ignorant, “it just is.” If you can’t tell somebody why you don’t like it or why you find it boring than it generally means that you have zero clue about what you’re talking about.

I happen to find the sport of golf incredibly exciting and it’s frankly hard for me to believe anybody who paid attention to Mickelson’s huge comeback and win yesterday at Pebble Beach could think otherwise. You have your opinions and there perfectly fine with me, but I’m sick of hearing your opinions on how boring this sport that I like is. If you find golf boring than you don’t have to watch it, but don’t act offended by the fact that I do. Once again, that’s very ignorant.   

CBS disrespects PGA Tour, golf fans by switching coverage

I’m sure some of you might remember a few months back when I berated NBC for forcing the PGA Tour to move up starts times so that they could finish a round of a tournament before the start of a Notre Dame college football game. I viewed NBC’s move as disrespectful to the PGA Tour and the sport of golf. 

Well, now CBS joins NBC in the growing pool of TV networks that are disrespecting the sport. During the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open on CBS on Sunday, Kyle Stanley below a huge 6-stroke lead over Brandt Snedeker and the two were going to have to finish in a playoff, which is always an exciting finish to a golf tournament. However, CBS decided to switch coverage of the tournament over to the Golf Channel, which far fewer people across the country have, for the playoff because “60 Minutes” was starting.

Thus, many people enraptured in a great and close tournament missed the ending because of the network’s dumb and disrespectful decision. It’s is ludicrous for CBS to move the coverage of the tournament to another network for the start of a show that can easily be pushed back, by the way “60 Minutes” is pushed back almost every week during the NFL season when NFL games run long. The network shouldn’t treat the sport of golf any differently than it does the NFL, even though I’m obviously aware the NFL draws many more viewers than the PGA Tour. CBS should have a little more respect for the PGA Tour and more respect for those fans not fortunate enough to have the Golf Channel who they turned their backs on Sunday afternoon.

NBC Degrades PGA Tour By Forcing it to Move Times for Notre Dame Football

This probably doesn’t seem like a big deal to most sports fans and many will probably think that I’m making much ado about nothing, but I find it highly ridiculous and inappropriate of NBC to make the PGA Tour move up the tee times for the third round of their FedEx Cup Playoffs event the BMW Championship because the network wants the round completed by 2:30 p.m., when the Notre Dame/Michigan State game is set to kick off on the network.

I know that NBC has shown Notre Dame home games dating back to 1991, and they are somewhat considered America’s team because of this (though I doubt many non-Notre Dame fans care at this point, because of how poorly Notre Dame has played of late or rather of long), but shouldn’t PGA Tour playoffs trump week three of the college football season? Especially when the matchup is likely going to see the network’s beloved Fighting Irish start the season 0-3 to the number 15 ranked Spartans.

Some would say that this move by NBC is good in that it will give fans the chance to see both events. Others will say that the football game will draw more viewers and ratings are all that is important to networks. I can’t disagree with both of these aspects, because, well, they’re true.

However, I do think that NBC’s decision to almost force the PGA Tour to schedule their tee times earlier, so that the tournament could end by 2:30 is degrading to the PGA Tour and the sport of golf. By the way, NBC has known about this scheduling issue for months now, so why did they just bring it up late in the week? Also, why couldn’t they just start the Notre Dame/Michigan State game on their sister sports network Versus?

If I were PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem I would’ve put my sport and athletes first over what the network carrying the coverage of it wanted. The PGA Tour doesn’t have to kowtow to NBC and Finchem should have told NBC Sports head Mark Lazarus tough. Yes, this may not sound like much of a deal to many fans, but NBC Sports effectively just told the PGA Tour and golf fans all around the country and world just how much the sport means to them, and that’s nothing in comparison to a relatively unimportant college football game.

Media, Williams Unfairly Take Spotlight from Scott

Something this weekend and yesterday really bothered me quite a bit involving sports journalists, primarily ESPN … they took Adam Scott’s eight career win at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and turned it into the Stevie Williams versus Tiger Woods show.

You see for the last decade-plus, Williams was the man who carried Woods’ bag to 13 major titles and many more wins and accolades and then a couple of weeks ago was fired from Woods for one reason or another, it varies a little depending on who you ask. Williams felt like Woods was disloyal to him and took up Scott’s bag for the near future.

Well, Woods decided to make his comeback from injury last week at the Bridgestone Invitational and it immediately became the Woods versus Williams show, which at the time wasn’t that annoying or wrong.

But, then Scott took the tournament lead early on and never relinquished it winning it on Sunday by one stroke. Williams took the spotlight after the win saying it was the greatest win of his career … dude, remember you’re just a caddie.

But, can you really blame Williams for making himself the story, when every sports media outlet is doing the exact same thing. It all comes off as highly disrespectful to Adam Scott to me on both the part of Williams and the media. Here’s a little message for ESPN and Stevie Williams … the next time I want to hear from a caddie or even see a caddie it better be while I’m watching “Caddyshack.”