A couple of times this week, I've awakened in the middle of the night feeling as excited as Navin R. Johnson when the new phone books arrived. "Spring is here! Spring is here!" My yard looks terrific, it's "Sunday at Augusta," spring football is winding down at universities across America, baseball's in full swing, and Brett Favre hasn't made official whether or not he's coming back next season. Does it get any better?
I am no one to judge Tiger Woods. His business is his business, and anyone foolish enough to hold a celebrity (other than maybe Peyton Manning; I have fears of a man crush) up as a role model is set up for a let down. Those people feeling Woods failed them are hoping someone, ANYone but Woods wins the Masters, but if the guy could putt at all right now, he'd be up by 3 or 4 shots. The way he's hitting the ball after a 5-month layoff is inhuman, and I think David Feherty summed it up best as Tiger cruised to his best-ever first round 68 on Thursday : "A creature in his natural habitat." Personally, I'd be just fine with a Swedish super-model and wouldn't need porn stars and call girls; but he can do what he wants. On the course? Golf's better when Tiger's on the 1st page of the leader board. It just is. But Mickelson's "eagle-eagle-almost eagle" on 13-14-15 Saturday was incredible, and there's nothing prettier in the world than Fred Couples' golf swing with Augusta's landscape as a backdrop. I love the Masters. (I lied, Marisa Miller is prettier; but you get the idea.)
The Indiana Pacers have won 10 of their last 12 games. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. A team poised to snag a top-3 draft pick is now relagated to the same "cream of the crap" role they've played for the last 4-5 years. They're still a lottery team, but have finished with as good a record as anyone in the NBA. I'd like to think that bodes well for next season; but I don't. I think it means other teams have tanked or are resting players, a-la Cleveland the other night. Drafting between 10th and 13th has netted the Pacers some decent talent, but not the difference makers needed to win championships in the NBA. The good news is I'm not sure this draft has many obvious difference makers beyond John Wall of Kentucky. The Pacers' biggest need seems to be finding a point guard who can consistently run the offense, and after Wall, the only other point guards projected in the top 60 are Eric Bledsoe, Wall's college team mate; and Sherron Collins of Kansas, who's projected late in round 2, sometime around Big Bird. If there were ever a year to take a flier on "upside," this is it. Hassan Whiteside, anyone?
It's early, but the Indy 500 is coming up, and the Speedway just released a new "prove it" qualifying format which, at 4:30 PM on Pole Day, forces the top 9 fastest qualifiers back on the track for a late-day run at the pole. The top 9 are all guaranteed spots in the first 3 rows, but starting up front has never been paramount to success at Indy, and I don't see the point of making a stressful day even more so. It's a bit like playing a full NBA season, finishing with a conference's best record, then being told you have to play a round robin with 3 more teams to see who gets home court advantage. I'm sure it'll be exciting, but I'm willing to bet we'll never see a late-day bonzai run by Milka Duno.
Can anyone tell me why Eduardo Perez and Aaron Boone have jobs as analysts on ESPN's "Baseball Tonight?"
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