Let’s handle our business.
Rushmore of movies set in/around journalism — “All the President’s Men,” “Spotlight,” “Absence of Malice,” and “The Paper.” And yes, Michael Keaton is prominent in two of those.
Rushmore of fountains. Fountain of youth, Bellagio, Steve Martin’s character singing “Three Coins in the Fountain” in “Planes Trains and Automobiles” and Monty Fountain, one of our high school football coaches at Campbell, who was assuredly a dude you did not want to mess with.
Rushmore of best sports moments for Canada — Joe Carter’s homer, the 1972 hockey win over USSR (Spy sent it along, so it’s there because he loves some Canada), Gretzky being born and Mike Weir winning the Masters, narrowly over Pam Anderson getting discovered in the stands at a Toronto Argonauts CFL game.
Rushmore of sports stars with a parental nickname — Pops Stargell, Cool Papa Bell, Big Daddy Don Garlits and Glenn “Mother” Hubbard.
Rules first. Here’s Paschall with some UT football goodness on the Vols’ kicking situation.
Second, sad story here about a youth softball coach getting arrested for a postgame brawl in a 7-8 softball tournament. (How many of you guys clicked on that story originally holding your breath thinking, “Oh goodness, what has Jay done now?”)
Let’s bag the ‘bag, friends.
From Big B
Jay
Would love to hear your thoughts on the golf ball conversations this week at the Masters?
Thanks, and I read the 5-at-10 every day.
BB
If there is one place that can flex — to the players, the Tours and the sponsors like Titleist and Calloway and the other manufacturers — it’s Augusta National.
And it’s bigger than Augusta National. This is critical for all the courses that host these events, especially the big ones.
The game is different, and the courses remain the same.
I am for it, at least as an experiment, to see what it would mean for the game.
Maybe we don’t roll it out for the sport’s Super Bowl right away, but sports unwilling to at least expand rule changes do so at their own peril.
These players are playing a different course than previous generations, and at a place that wears its history the way the members wear those famous green jackets, so why not?
And there are a slew of sports that have different rules for the game’s best.
The NBA 3-point line is not the same as the high school distance. MLB players can’t use aluminum bats. So this is not completely foreign.
And anything that makes golf harder for the golfing elite — be it distance, rough, pressure or whatever — should always be explored.
From Golf Guru
While in my day-long position on the couch while watching the first round of the Masters, it occurred to me I had heard a rumor you had played there twice; just curious what yardage did you play and what did you shoot?
After watching round one, who do you like to win?
GG
You heard correctly. I have played Augusta National. Twice in fact.
I guard that secret pretty tightly, so kudos to your sources for digging up a bona fide scoop.
In 2003, I shot 92 with a 10 on 2 after having more than a little tree and pine straw trouble right of the fairway.
The final time I played it — and my golf game was maybe at its apex for me; I was around a 6 handicap — I played very well.
And your question about distance is an important detail. The pins are in the familiar Sunday locations, but the course makes you play the members’ tees. It was around 6,300 yards, and all of the meaningful distances were huge and made some of the “impossible” holes somewhat manageable.
No. 1 was 100-plus yards shorter. The terrifying 240-yard par 3 fourth is 170ish. All of the par-5s other than 8 are scoreable if you drive it in the fairway.
My final time around, I shot 82, made birdie on 7 (and almost holed out with a lob wedge for 2), and played 15-18 with four pars, including an amazing two-putt from atop the hill on 16 that the caddie told me, “Just don’t putt it in the pond.”
As for winners this week, well, I gave a radio interview this week and have been high all week on Patrick Reed.
So why change now, right? (But dang, Rory was nails Thursday.)
From Counselor
What’s your Rushmore of Masters moments?
Counselor
Great question that should be a staple this week. Always. Even if we’ve done it.
The history of that place demands it, right?
Let’s do two because there is my personal one and conversations about all-time that have been wrapped by the legacy of Magnolia Lane.
On both lists, of course, is Jack in 1986. It was the first time I can recall caring about golf and started a love affair that still exists. It’s amazing how much I default to watching golf if football is not an option.
Yes, even over regular-season college hoops when placed head-to-head.
We should make an argument that Tiger’s romp in 1997 should be on each, too, because of the springboard it gave the course, the sport and the man.
My personal Masters Rushmore will include a fat-faced sports writer from Chattanooga getting to put a peg in those Holy grounds, so there you go.
Big picture, with Jack’s final chapter and Tiger’s breakthrough, Sarazen’s double eagle — one of many “shots heard round the world” — is likely on the all-time moments with Norman’s collapse capped by Larry Mize’s winning chip in ’87, narrowly over Rory’s career grand slam.
Personally, with Jack and Tiger, is being on the grounds for Tiger’s Nike commercial chip-in on 16 and Mickelson’s first major in 2004.
Thoughts?
From Mr. Jones
You mentioned the well-called tourney from Hill, Raftery and Eagle. Where would you rank Fran Fraschilla and how about his line “The kid from the pig farm is cleaning up the slop?” Where does that fit into NIT Shining Moments?
Mr. Jones
Love the Counting Crows song in your tribute, sir. A Mailbag musical interlude.
Fraschilla is really bad — that “cleaning up the slop” line for the Tulsa white kid getting an offensive rebound.
(Side question: If it had been an inner-city kid, a similar geographical word play could have cost him his job, no?)
Your question gave me pause, however. Because while I wanna believe that the NIT effort from the AU players and the momentum bode well for young Steven Pearl, you can’t help but have doubts.
It’s not like it was a springboard for UTC this time last year.
Plus, one of the more critical retention pieces for Pearl II — freshman forward Filip Jovic — has entered the portal.
To expound on your question, is there a Rushmore of NIT moments over the last half century? Robert Morris over UK maybe? AU in overtime this week? Do those even qualify?
Second, if Madden is the gold standard for former coaches turned analysts, who else joins him atop the mountain? Vitale? McGuire? Others?
And since Fraschilla is way closer to the nadir of said category, who are the worst you can recall?
Go.
From Spy
Did a conversation of the tush push come up in poolside conversations between Vrabel and Dianna Russini?
Spy
Zinger.
So while not illegal, we can talk about the ethics of both, I suppose.
The Tush Push and the chummy journalism approach of dishing with sources poolside in an uber-exclusive 5-star resort.
This story has launched a lot of ships of intrigue.
Both sides denied anything inappropriate happened.
Now comes details that the photographer was trying to sell the photos to the highest bidder.
Then comes Russini returning to social media with a rather innocuous Tweet, and the trial balloon fell like the Hindenburg. The comments are high comedy, friends.
We’ll see, and Vader’s imagery sub-out suggestion of Andy Reid poolside has dominated my thoughts. And reminded me of the height of “The Dan Le Batard Show” with their “looks like game.”
Andy Reid looks like the small-town sheriff who pauses at a table full of breakfast pastries and says aloud to himself, “Don’t mind if I do.”
War Masters, and have a great weekend, everyone.