BadBlogging: Break Time

I am taking a short break.

Not a long hiatus, but a short break for a bit as I deal with real life issues such as health, family and work. Nothing major, so don't celebrate, I'm not stopping, just stuff that will make it impossible for me to grind out a post in the evenings for publishing the next morning.

I want to take this chance to bring your attention to BlogHouston which is back and posting some pretty salty weekly updates on the goings on in Houston and Harris County.

Be back soon.

Golf Boys 2.Oh

A rare case where the sequel is better than the original.

Proceeds from the song go to charity as well so it's a win/win.

Yeah, she's good looking but....

Can Maria Verchenova play?

That's an important question, because I think we've all had enough of 'flash in the pan' wanna-be models who have decided their pathway to fame and fortune runs through the beer-bellied fans of the sporting world. Let's be honest, the only reason we cared who Natalie Gulbis was is because she's hawt. Then she won, so we didn't feel so bad about it. Even Michelle Wie was the fantasy of a bunch of guys who looked at her out on the course and thought 'well....yeah.' Of course, when she was older, don't forget that important bit.

The problem is Wie has turned out to be a pill, one that's probably high maintenance. Then she tried to play with the guys and stopped being competitive against the women and the bloom came right off the rose. (See: Kournikovatitixs for more)

As a society we LOVE our sports heros to be be good looking as well. Most of the time we settle for passable good-looking as opposed to drop-dead georgeous hot. The main difference is this: For men, performance comes first, followed by looks. (Think Tom Brady vs. David Carr) For women: Looks get your name out there, it doesn't matter as much what you do in competition.

That's too bad, because it puts a lot of men in the awkward position of having to admit that they only follow a sport for sexist reasons.

Win something Verchenova, then we'll root for you.

Not a bad weekend.

When the previous highlight of your career was the shot above (taken at this year's World Golf Championships - CA Classic) and failing to live up to your potential in Major Tournaments, last weekend's Victory at the Players is already being cast by some as the future of things to come for Henrik Stenson.

Despite it being cast as such, I'm fail to see the track record for past winners of the tournament using it as a spring-board to Major's victory. Of the competitors who won at the TPC Sawgrass before winning a Major Championship, I can't find one that's parlayed success at the Players into Master's gold.

Often called "the fifth major" by people not content to just let it be a very good tournament that attracts a great field every year, winning the Players is supposed to signify that a golfer is ready to challenge at the big venues and bring home a number of major tournaments, using this 'major lite' as a springboard. Except it doesn't play out that way. Don't get me wrong, winning @ The Players is a big deal. It's one of the best tournaments of the year. I just can't figure out why there's this need by some in the golfing community to make it out to be something its not.

It's not the "Fifth major" and it's not a sign of future success.

Congratulations to Henrik Stensen anyway. If for no other reason than he can finally put the skivvies shot in his rearview mirror.


Oddly enough, this year, The Players marks the start of an interesting run of PGA Golf for the Texas golf fan. This weekend is the Valero Open, in San Antonio, followed by the Byron Nelson in Irving, and then the Crowne Plaza Championship (really: the Colonial) in Fort Worth finishing off a mini-Texas Swing. Too bad the Shell Houston Open didn't see the wisdom in trying to grab one of those slots.

Following that up is the Memorial, or...Jack's tournament, and then players have a down week (well, OK there's the ST. Jude being played) before Golf's best tournament, The U.S. Open kicks off at one of its best venues: The Black Course at Beth Page Municipal Golf Course in NY.

All in all not a bad May and June of Golf.

Some Early Masters Thoughts

It's the first major of the year at one of the Country's best courses that happens to be ran by some of the biggest jerks in America....

1. Nice to see the Master's committee hasn't geeked out the course again this year. Take away the scoring opportunities and Augusta becomes just another venue with pretty scenery.

2. Do we really have to see every shot Tiger hits, to the exclusion of getting to see the leaders?

3. ESPN's coverage is spotty at best. Mike Tirico is a competent anchor, but he's being given very little to work with. The initial hour of coverage is basically on-line fellatio.

4. Nothing seems more out of place, or more appropriate at the same time, than hearing the 'patrons' at Augusta boo Boo Weekly.

5. The 13th at Augusta is the "best Par 5 in the World?" What??? Prettiest maybe, but far from the 'best'. (same for 12 and the 'best par 3' award)

6. 15 & 16 are better holes than 13 & 12 respectively.

7. Jeev Milkha Singh got more TV time playing with Tiger than he's received all year.

8. Phil Mickleson, Tiger Woods & Jim Furyk will NOT win this tournament. Book it.

9. Nice to see Todd Hamilton play a good round. He's been gone for a while now (since winning the Open Championship) and is a nice guy.

10. Don't EVER count out Jeff Ogilve.

11. Chad Campbell is alternatively killing himself and playing while standing on his time at the same time.

12. Gary Player's last Master's will be done after today. Too bad.

13. If you bought a Taylor Made driver hoping to get a refund when Sergio won, you might want to abandon all hope of getting your money back.

14. Ian Poulter wears the best pants in Golf. Now if he could just win a tournament.

Lincicome's Bomb

It's too bad that many Houstonians were pre-occupied with other distractions on Sunday, because they missed what might have been one of the greatest sports moments of 2009 when Brittany Lincicomb bombed a 210-yard hybrid to within six feet of the cup on the 72nd and final hole of the LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship.

It was easily one of the top 3 golf shots that I've seen performed under pressure, right up there with Jack Nicklaus' 1-iron at the 1972 U.S. Open and Corey Pavin's 4-wood at the 2000 U.S. Open. Unfortunately it won't get the same amount of respect or media play, because it wasn't Tiger, and it was the LPGA.

That's too bad though, because it was a great golf shot executed under the most difficult of conditions, the 18th hole during the final round of a major. People may not realize this now but getting Eagle on the 72 hole of a Major championship for the win is an amazing accomplishment. It should go down as one of the greatest sports moments of the year.