Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Even The Donald Thinks This is Messed Up

No Doubt

Was there really ever any doubt Tiger Woods would win the U.S. Open this year at his personal playground, Torrey Pines?

Yes, he finished second at the Masters. Yes, he had knee surgery. Yes, he hadn't played a competitive round of golf in two months. For most golfers, those would be legitimate reasons to argue they wouldn't win the 108th U.S. Open.

But since when is Tiger like most golfers?

Tiger was in obvious pain, pain that got worse with each round. Doctors apparently suggested Woods not play, lest he risk further injury, and now there's a chance Woods might miss next month's British Open at Royal Birkdale. But to sink birdie putts on No. 18 on Sunday and Monday to force playoffs?

The very definition of clutch. And as great as Rocco Mediate was -- and who wouldn't love to have seen this fun-loving everyman win against the world's greatest player? -- he gave Tiger one chance too many. On thr 91st hole, Tiger did what Tigers does: he won a major.

Now sitting at 14, many feel it's inevitable he'll reach Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 majors. Worst-case scenario, the knee won't let him do that, but I hope this past weekend served as a lesson to everyone who picked the field:

Never bet against Tiger Woods. He'll just make you look foolish.


You're Fired


The fact that the New York Mets fired manager Willie Randolph with the team underachieving isn't surprising. That they did it via a press release at 3:15 in the morning is the thing that raises the proverbial eyebrow.

The real one, too.

Why do it that way? If you're going to fire a guy, why not have the decency to tell him, to his face, in broad daylight and then hold a formal press conference over it? That's the right way to do things; to fire Randolph with a middle-of-the-night press release makes no sense, unless the Mets were out to dump their manager in the worst way possible.

Considering Randolph got the Mets to within a game of the World Series in 2006, I would think he would've commanded more respect than that.

I'm not a fan of firing a guy mid-season, either; aside from Jack McKown with the Marlins in 2003, the move never works, and often, the team finds out after the fact that the manager wasn't the problem after all.

But if the Mets were that set on firing Randolph, why not do it after last season's tank job? Then it would've been justified, and the Mets wouldn't face a potential PR hit. When the Mets gagged away a seven-game lead to lose the National League East to the Phillies, the Mets would've been well within their rights to dump Randolph.

But to dump him now? In the middle of the night and after a win? That smacks as much of desperation as the Yankees' moving Joba Chamberlain to the rotation.

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