I know it was Tiger Woods’ first tournament of the season. So I’ll try not to get too carried away. But Tiger ‘s performance at the Farmer’s Insurance Open appeared worse than ordinary. After a decent start on Thursday and Friday, Tiger played poorly over the weekend and finished 15 shots out of first place – a terrible showing. Lots of golfers look this bad at any given tournament, but rarely is that golfer named Tiger Woods.
Share on FacebookArchive for January, 2011
Tiger Woods: Just Another Golfer
Posted: 31st January 2011 by DavidBurnett in Golf, Tiger, Tiger WoodsTags: Farmer's Insurance Open, Golf, just another golfer, Tiger Woods, Torrey Pines Golf Course
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The Jay Cutler Conundrum: His Problem, Ours Too
Posted: 25th January 2011 by DavidBurnett in injury, NFL, QuarterbackTags: Chicago Bears, Jay Cutler, MCL sprain, NFC Championship
Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has a problem, a big one. What happened on the sideline last Sunday in the freezing cold of Chicago, as his Bears teammates struggled on the field, may forever taint Cutler’s career. I don’t think in all the years I have watched football that I have witnessed a player whose actions or better yet, inactions, were so grossly misunderstood.
Share on FacebookThe Next Hurdle for Rooney Rule Graduates
Posted: 21st January 2011 by DavidBurnett in Black coaches, Coaches, NFL, Rooney RuleTags: Bill Belichick, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Lovie Smith, Mike Tomlin, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, Rex Ryan, Rooney Rule, Super Bowl
Coach worship is a virtual religion in this country. It’s a key pillar in our understanding and enjoyment of sports. The best example of coach worship might be the reverence we hold for the Green Bay Packer’s legendary head coach Vince Lombardi, who is perhaps football’s greatest coaching icon, and deservedly so. The Super Bowl trophy is named for Lombardi.
But rarely if ever do I read, watch or hear about real coaching excellence or genius when it comes to the assessment of minority coaches.
Share on FacebookRe-thinking Roethlisberger
Posted: 19th January 2011 by DavidBurnett in NFL, QuarterbackTags: Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers, playoff victories, Super Bowl
If Roethlisberger makes it to the Super Bowl again, that will mean his playoff record balloons to a remarkable 10 – 2, one of the all-time best playoff records for a quarterback in NFL history. By comparison, Peyton Manning has a playoff record of 9 – 10 and only one Super Bowl victory.
If Pittsburgh wins the next two games, Roethlisberger will then match Tom Brady for Super Bowl wins with three. Big Ben will only be 29 years old this March, leaving lots of years left to win more Super Bowls and perhaps surpass Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw. What will we think if Roethlisberger wins five or six Super Bowls by the time he retires? Where will he rank then in the hierarchy of great quarterbacks?
I think it means that this hulk of a passer, with a face that perhaps only his mother can love, will have to be considered one of the greatest “winners” to ever play the game, whether any of us likes it or not.
Share on FacebookTo Heck With Conventional Wisdom
Posted: 17th January 2011 by DavidBurnett in NFL, playoffs, Super BowlTags: Bill Belichick, Chicago Bears, conference championships, conventional wisdom, Green Bay Packers, Mark Sanchez, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, Rex Ryan, Super Bowl, Tom Brady
Conventional wisdom mandated that New England’s heralded Tom Brady would easily outplay the Jets’ second-year quarterback Mark Sanchez. Conventional wisdom also had it that Bill Belichick could not possibly be out-coached by a guy who is now America’s most famous admirer of feet.
Share on FacebookNew Year’s Day Massacre: The Big Ten Takes A Beating
Posted: 2nd January 2011 by DavidBurnett in Bowl Games, College Football, NCAATags: Big Ten, Big Ten Takes a Beating, football, TCU, Wisconsin
I’m a midwestern guy. A Big Ten guy. But right now I’m feeling a little embarrassed. Something is terribly wrong with Big Ten football.
The Big Ten took an absolute beating on New Year’s Day. The Big Ten lost all five games. Losing bowl games is becoming something of a holiday habit for this once powerful league. It has been years since the Big Ten looked strong in the bowls.
