From Tike
How much do you think of an impact does it have on the golfers around who hear the ‘roars’ from Tiger’s gallery. If none, at minimum they hear it and see the following. Has to be wild because no other golfers have it.
Tike –
Some. There’s no way the sounds and echoes do not cover the course.
Heck we had Keith Mitchell on Press Row and he told us that he played behind Tiger – at a non-Major mind you – and he said he hit into greens that had nothing but fans with their back turned so they could watch Tiger on the next tee.
In fact, the guys in Tiger’s group and behind Tiger’s group are likely the most affected with noise and movement and the like during play.
And yes, no other golfer has anything close to it.
But the biggest difference is that it appears a lot of these current players seem to not only survive the roars, they thrive on them.
Francesco Molinari was in Tiger’s group and persevered to win The Open Championship. Brooks Koepka was two groups behind Eldrick, but with every Tiger bomb, Koepka answered with the steely nerve of a cat burglar.
So yes, they hear the roars. And feel them. It’s impossible not to – and kudos to the crowds at the PGA Championship in St. Louis for being into it without crossing the line of inappropriate – because we can feel the vibe watching on TV.
But in pre-2008, those roars were like the music in Jaws, and you knew there was about to be carnage.
Now, the roars are like Rocky’s theme music and it pumps everyone up.
President Donald Trump speaks at a dinner meeting with business leaders, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)From (anonymous in that all I got was an email)
Why do continue to defend your so-called industry and claim there is no bias? You guys are like Trump says ‘fake news’ and in it for the profits. Your job will be history in five years tops because you are all so liberal. You suck and I’ll never read or listen to your pro-protesting bull(bleep) again.
Person –
Interesting collection of mail this week friends, and that’s especially true when this one makes the mailbag and not the “Not exactly fan mail” section.
We’ll start with a couple of personal statements that we know to be fact:
No matter what we write here, there is nothing we can write to change the mood or turn the heads of the folks who are neck deep into the fake news narrative.
I have never, in 20 years of news meetings and discussions with editors or reporters, told someone or been told by someone what to write because of personal or political bias.
The blame-the-messenger play when you don’t like the message is a super dangerous move. (To that point, check out this Tweet from the Catholic League about the most-recent sexual assault allegations: “There is no on-going crisis-it’s a total myth. In fact, there is no institution, private or public, that has less of a problem with the sexual abuse of minors today than the Catholic Church.” Oy vey.)
But let’s discuss this for a moment. My personal experience has never had anything to do with national outlets, especially national TV outlets. When Fox and CNN realized the profits to be made – and the brand loyalty to be found – from preaching to their converts, the national perception forever changed.
And the trickle down opinion lands on all of us in the industry whenever people do not agree with something we write or say. (Know this: I got multiple emails calling me a right-win nut and part of the liberal media this week. So there’s that.)
But please do not take this as a woe-is-us lament for the media. We must be better. We must be beyond reproach, whether it’s sports or politics or everything in between. We must continue to do our job properly with the knowledge that the unpopularity in can generate could cost us our job in the longer run.
Because we also believe this: There is never been more of a need for good journalism than right now, whether we are talking about secret tapes, FBI probes or the football culture at Maryland.
Alabama coach Nick Saban visits with one of his players before Wednesday afternoon’s practice in Tuscaloosa, which was the first in full pads for the Crimson Tide this preseason.From Julie
Hoping I can ask this without any disrespect, but has it been determined that what was happening at Maryland was different from anywhere else? I’m certainly not in favor of that kind of treatment but isn’t it documented that Nick Saban made an NFL player cry? I understand someone has to go down when this kind of tragedy happens, that’s part of the responsibility of these positions. But I’m not convinced it isn’t happening everywhere.
Julie –
Which brings us here, because if Heather Dinich had not done some serious digging into the culture of the Maryland program, Jordan McNair’s death likely would have been swept away as a terrible tragedy rather than part of a dangerous culture and setting of intimidation. (And if Sara Ganim had not kept digging, we may not half of the atrocities that happened at Penn State.)
Julie, we completely agree that there are dozens (if not hundreds) of college football programs that tippy-toed close to the dangerous dotted line that divides player safety and player and program preparation.
Saban. Meyer. Malzahn. Smart. Pruitt. Name a coach and we’re certain that they have been part of trying to motivate/condition/punish/whatever with hard conditioning in recent months. If not, they certainly have in their past.
And what’s scary, is that it is likely way more frequent at high school practices that do not have full blow training staffs.
So the short answer of your question is “Absolutely” we believe that is hard training tactics are happening everywhere.
Now, do those programs do a better job of monitoring and making sure that coaches err of this side of that dangerous dotted line? You’d have to think so since they have not had anyone die.
But here’s betting there were a lot of coaches this last week who have had hard conversations with the training staff to make sure they are a few extra steps on the side of the line in the direction to players safety. Because there is no way we think D.J. Durkin will still be the Maryland football coach by the end of the weekend.
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From Steve
Is there a better backyard game than whiffle ball?
Thanks J! Keep up the good work.
Steve –
Short answer is no, there is not.
But this also leads us to a great Rushmore, the Rushmore of family back-yard games.
You have to strike football because it is not fun for the very young and an age discrepancy rules it out under the family description. We’d do the same for basketball.
Whiffle Ball is a slam dunk. So too is kickball for a lot of the same reasons.
Rules are easy. Play is easy. And both of those are key for the family back-yard atmosphere.
Strike badminton, which is harder for the little ones than you may recall. Sadly, croquet – one of our personal favs – also fails to rank because the rules are hard for kids under 10. It’s close, but just short.
A relatively new one, but corn hole is going to make this list. Yes it may be young and new but the kids can play and the adults can play with a Co-Cola in hand.
Finally we’ll go with volleyball, provided that we have more puffy balls. (Wait, that may not be the best way to end that sentence. Strike that.)
Volleyball with an inflated sphere rather than regulation equipment so no one gets the “Meet the Parents” spike service is definitely need for the family atmosphere.
This week’s Rushmores
Rushmore of one-named music stars: Madonna, Prince, Elvis, Beyonce
Rushmore of movies written by and starring the same person: Rocky, Good Will Hunting, Citizen Kane, Sling Blade
Rushmore of Steve Martin movies: The Jerk, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Three Amigos, Father of the Bride (and it was hard to leave Parenthood off this one)
Rushmore of most popular athletes of all-time: Ali, Pele, Ruth, MJ narrowly over Arnie, who was Tiger before Tiger (in a lot ways – good and bad)
Not exactly fan mail
We’ll start slow and build some steam. Yes, we had the audacity to mention Trump’s name and not be critical of Trump. Oh the humanity. But the start is from something we said on the radio that made someone think we’re too liberal and too ESPNish. All about balance, right?
No. 1 – “Love your show but your getting too bias of a political stance, I want to hear that I’d listen to ESPN. Oh wait.”
Building speed
No. 2 – Well Jay, all your haters are really going to love this article. I mean nothing stirs up the base more than Hillary. Why not say lock her up while you’re at it. You did get ” Crooked Hillary ” in there. Congratulations all your Fox/ Trump people are going to keep your job safe…even though you’re part of the enemy of the people. Do you ever read the other news or just Fox?
Getting there
No. 3 – Jay, What a cheap shot calling Mrs. Clinton by the name your president uses. I’m sure that gave you pure pleasure. The president is a disgusting pig. I have absolutely no respect for anyone who follows this (bleep)hole. I’m sorry for you and your ilk. I didn’t like Mrs. Clinton either, but she was a United States Senator, a Secretary of State, and First Lady. I will NOT stand for the national anthem until this (bleep)hole is gone. I stood for the United States in 1968 and served honorably in the Navy For 4 years. I applaud the 11 year old girl too. Go back to sports. You’re becoming as disgusting as your orange hero.
And we’re home
No. 4 – After reading about your dad I almost forgot about much of Trump-loving (bleep) you are. You make me sick.
Good talk gang. Have a great weekend.