Golf...An Athlete's Game?

What the hell does this mean? Well the more I play, or should I say "suck at" golf, the more I realize that this game requires a multitude of athletic skills, with each skill drawing from a different sport. I believe the worse you are at golf the more you develop as an all around athlete.

How is this so? Let me explain. You see, besides the swinging of the clubs, golf offers us many opportunities to engage in other sports. For example, let's take track and field, more specifically - the hammer throw. You can probably see where this is going. The hammer throw is pretty much launching the hammer* as far as possible. Just like when you screw up that 50 yard chip onto the green after smashing a 300+ yard drive - you launch your club as far as the eye can see.

Let's look at another sport - soccer. When your ball is stuck behind an obstacle impeding on your next shot what do you do? Some of us hacks find ourselves summoning the fancy footwork of soccer great, Pele. Don't give me that "Well, I chip out to the fairway" crap! You use the ol' toe iron and get on with it. GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAL!

All joking aside, golf season is just about in full swing across the country. Let's enjoy the fact that we can get out there and play! This week has been pretty crazy and made me stop and think about what how lucky I am to have the opportunity to golf.

Hit'em long...yell FORE!!

* hammer throw is an athletic throwing event where the object is to throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The name "hammer throw" is derived from older competitions where an actual sledge hammer was thrown. Such competitions are still part of the Scottish Highland Games, where the implement used is a steel or lead weight at the end of a cane handle.

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Off Course - The Poster-Boy For All That Is Wrong With Sports

Normally, we here at Golfstinks do our thing a little differently. We tend to approach the game of golf from a slightly different angle than most others. And today is no different.

But today, I am not going to approach the game of golf at all. Just for this one post, I want to express my opinion about something else going on in the world of sports. Rather, something that went on a few days ago.

I have come to accept the fact that most athletes, superstars especially, be it a team sport or not, are more "Me, me, me" than "Team, team, team." But never (in my opinion) in the history of professional sports was it so blatantly obvious as it was with the recent LeBron James spectacle. Being a fan of all three major sports in the U.S., I was completely and utterly disgusted by the show Lebron James has been putting on for some time now. And it all came to a head on this past Thursday night. But I don't want to put all of my disgust into only Lebron. It was much more than that.

It wasn't necessarily about greed. Latrell Sprewell (who was already making over $14 million) turning down a $27 million contract, stating that he "has a family to feed" is greed. Patrick Ewing, during an NBA lockout, asking how the owners can expect them to work for the pay they are receiving as he hops into his $100,000 Mercedes, is greed. Not LeBron. He actually took less money to play elsewhere. It's not about the money. It's a different kind of greed.

I understand players marketing themselves. I get that. When their face is on TV, they make more money. And who doesn't want more money? But again...this was different. I'll start with the man himself.

Here's a guy who is, arguably, the best player in the NBA. Personally, I don't believe he is, I just believe he has the best statistics. But he has yet to win anything. In his seven years so far, he has reached the finals once - and was swept. But year in, and year out, it's all about LeBron. And year in and year out, LeBron goes home empty-handed. The "King" has yet to wear a crown. Has he elevated the status of the Cleveland Cavaliers? Certainly! Have they become a much more respected franchise? Absolutely! But does that give him the right to string them along like he did? Does that give him the right to string along the people who have supported him from game 1...the always forgotten fans?

The Cavaliers have given LeBron everything he wanted. He was paid huge amounts of money. His image plastered all over the city. He wanted different players on his teams roster, and ownership went and got them. What LeBron wanted, Lebron got. But he still couldn't get the job done. So what does he do? He parades teams in to present offers. He sets up a 1 hour TV special to showcase his decision. And he accepts the offer made by the team that will make it the easiest for him to win. And he made this decision, admittedly, without having the common courtesy to let his former team in on his decision. Don't you think that would have been the decent thing to do? At the very least, a phone call. I can't imagine a bigger slap in the face to the team that did everything for him. I'm sorry LeBron...but Michael Jordan didn't need a TV special. Kobe Bryant didn't need a TV special. And those two have actually won something. Carlos Boozer signed in Chicago, no TV special. Joe Johnson resigned with the Hawks, no TV special. Dirk Nowitzki resigned with Dallas, no TV special. Amare Stoudemire signed with the Knicks, no TV special. Chris Bosh signed with the Heat..., well...no direct TV special.

But as I mentioned, it's not only LeBron. How about ESPN's role in this. I mean really...was a 1-hour special necessary? I'll admit, I tuned in until he said where he's going. Then I changed the channel. That's all I needed to hear. Here's a message for ESPN - "I don't want to hear LeBron's feelings. I could care less. I want to watch a game! Put on a friggin' game!" I know I am not alone when I say ESPN, intentionally or not, has helped to create the "I in team" thinking. We watch basketball highlights and all we see are dunks and threes. We watch baseball highlights and all we see are home runs and spectacular catches. We watch golf highlights and all we see is Tiger Woods. And the golf highlights are the worst! Its Tiger, Tiger, Tiger, and..."oh, by the way, so-and-so is winning...Tiger is five back of the leader." According to ESPN, if Tiger is playing, then no one else is even worth mentioning until they have to be mentioned!

ESPN sucks up to the athletes. There, I said it. They can't give serious sports news or an objective opinion because they are in bed with too many athletes. It's that simple. And this LeBron James special proves it. This was not ESPN looking for an exclusive interview. This was LeBron and his representatives coming to ESPN with this idea. And ESPN, looking for ratings, soaked it up. This is a disappointing all-time low for ESPN. But wait, I have one more...

I have lost all respect for Jim Gray. How can I, or anyone, ever take him seriously again. For Jim Gray to agree to be just a pawn in this spectacle should be an outrage to anyone who considers themselves to be a good journalist. There was one question on everyone's mind...and Jim Gray loaded us with a bunch of fluff, filler and outright crap before he got to it. "How's your summer?" Are you serious?! "How's your summer?" is one of your questions?! I swear if I ever see that putz on my TV again, I am instantly changing the channel. I don't care if he's interviewing one of my family members...they can fill me in later. This was worse than when the Yankees were telling the YES network's Kimberly Jones which questions to ask Joe Torre during her interviews. It was just pathetic.

I know what LeBron James was trying to do. But it seriously backfired. The only people right now who probably don't believe that, are Miami Heat fans and LeBron fans who believe he can do no wrong. Everyone else, sports purists especially, are looking at Lebron James as selfish, narcissistic, back-stabbing, and a coward. Me included. And it's too bad because I like LeBron. But after all this, I'm just sick of him. He comes across as a player who feels he is bigger than everyone and everything else. At this point, I don't want to see him win a championship. I hope Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert is right. I hope they do win a championship before LeBron does. As long as it's not against my Lakers, then it's OK with me.

In my opinion, LeBron James came out of this event representing almost everything that is wrong with sports and athletes today. There is no two-ways about it. He looked bad. Plain and simple. He looked bad. People will say that once he wins a championship, all will be forgotten. Well, try telling that to people in Cleveland.

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First Time On The Golf Course

A few months ago, late last golf season, I wrote about teaching the game to my oldest son. He purchased his own clubs with his birthday money and we hit the range a few times to get some work in before he hit an actual course. Unfortunately, there just wasn't enough time left in last year's golf season to ever make it out. So we hit the range a few more times, went to the indoor facility, and worked on our swings over the winter in anticipation of getting out on a course next season. Well, a few days ago, the time finally came.

However, I wondered where and when I was going to take him. Knowing his skill level, it didn't seem like a great idea to take him out on a weekend morning where we were going to slow down everyone around us. Also, taking him to play 18 on a course with a few 500 yard holes didn't seem wise yet either. I really wanted to avoid a par-3 course because I wanted him to have some variety on the holes and keep him from getting bored with the game. Then it came to me - an executive course! It's perfect! I have one right in town. It's nine holes, none longer than 290 yards but much more variety than a par-3 course. But now the question is, when do we go? Again, I'm trying to avoid slowing down all the golfers around us.

Fortunately, he's not only a pretty good athlete, he's also a pretty good student. So after receiving honors at school for the second time this year, I used that to reward him with a day off during the week and a round of golf. His mother wasn't too happy about him missing a day of school for golf, but I explained that I'm taking him out no matter what. I told her the choices were either we golf or go to the "gentleman's club." OK, before anyone freaks out, that's just a joke. So Friday morning around 11:00, we teed off for the first time.

His opening drive, of course, slices directly into the parallel fairway. We laugh it off and I tell him not to let it bother him - I promised he'll get to see me do that a few times today also. And I delivered on my promise.

It was amazing to see him progress from hole #1 to hole #9. It was like he was improving right before my eyes. By the time we hit the seventh, his slice was almost gone! There wasn't much distance to his shots, but they were pretty straight for the most part. His putting left something to be desired, but there's plenty of time to work on that.

As the round went on, I made sure to teach him not only the rules of the game, but the unwritten rules of etiquette as well. Not wanting to overwhelm him, I tried to fill him in on as we moved along. Simple things like staying quiet during someones swing, not stepping in someones line, etc...

By the end of the round it was clear this is another sport at which, if he sticks with it, he will excel also. Obviously, I gave him some mulligans and didn't count a drop here and there. But nevertheless his final score, not that it matters, wasn't too bad. He even managed to beat me on the eighth hole!

The best part about seeing him play, for me anyway, was that he never took it too serious. He didn't get upset with himself after a bad shot and he didn't let a bad shot affect his next one. He smiled and laughed throughout the round. He played the game exactly as you would expect a kid to play it, while still trying to do well. As a matter of fact, the most serious I saw him the entire day was when I let him drive the cart for two holes!

We wrapped the day up by talking about the round over a large pizza and a few sodas. We both looked forward to playing again and will certainly do so for, hopefully, many more summers to come. Although, I did let him know, I'm not always going to be easy on him. Mulligans, believe it or not, aren't an actual part of the game.

Truth is though, I'm going to have to be hard on him to keep him from beating me soon. But something tells me there's not much I'm going to be able to do about that.

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The Most Versatile Athlete of All Time Was...a Golfer?

A golfer was the most versatile athlete of all time you ask? That's right...she was a golfer. Wait...what? I know...you're having a hard enough time getting by the title as it is. And then I go and throw in "she."

Now you're completely thrown off! I'm obviously a few fries short of a Happy Meal. I'm sure I've even lost some credibility (what little I have) with many sports fans. Well, trust me, I would never have thought I would feel this way before I really looked into it.

But, maybe you'll even agree with me afterward. Maybe you might even consider dropping "most versatile" from the title and replacing it with, simply, "greatest." After all, being a great golfer on top of numerous other athletic accomplishments, some at an expert level, deserves a little bit more attention than being a standout at only one sport, no?

If you haven't already guessed who I'm talking about, it's a little lady by the name of Babe Didrikson Zaharias. Most people who know anything about her know the obvious - she was the greatest female golfer of her time (and one of the greatest of all-time). She was a cofounder of the LPGA. She excelled in other sports besides golf and was voted by ESPN's SportsCentury to be the 10th greatest athlete of the 20th century. While many people are aware she had other athletic achievements, I don't think most realize exactly how amazing an athlete she was. Quite honestly, she was great at everything she attempted.

Professional golf came relatively late in life for Babe. After high school, she didn't attempt to play competitively again until she was 24, which makes her golfing achievements all the more impressive. However, seventeen consecutive amateur wins later, a feat still unequaled to this day, she was ready to turn pro. Over the following eight years, Babe went on to win 41 tournaments including ten majors despite playing the final three years of her career while being treated for cancer. Even more amazing was, in 1954, just one month after surgery for colon cancer, she won the US Women's Open - her final major victory. She was also the first woman to compete on the PGA tour, missing the cut in her first attempt. It would be the last cut she would miss.

But most of us are already aware of her golfing accomplishments. What about the rest? What are the other examples which make her such an amazing athlete? It starts with basketball. Her team won an AAU championship in 1931 and she was an All-American hoops player three times.

You may have also been aware she was an Olympic athlete and participated in the 1932 games. But did you know she actually qualified in five different events? However, due to the rules of the time, being a female she was only allowed to compete in three. And compete she did, taking home two gold medals (hurdles and javelin) and a silver (high-jump). Additionally, she set world records during the Olympics and qualifying tournaments in the 80m hurdles, javelin, high jump and baseball throw (which was an Olympic sport until 1957).

Babe was also a competitive player to a lesser degree in billiards, baseball, softball and bowling. She even won a sewing competition at the Texas State Fair! When not on a competitive playing field, she somehow also found the time to sing and play the harmonica. She did this well enough to record for Mercury Records. Is there anything this woman couldn't do?

So let's look at the tally. She's one of the greatest golfers of all-time. She was an Olympian who took home three medals and set five world records. A three time All-American basketball player. She also competed in baseball, softball, billiards and bowling among other sports. For what reason would she not seriously be considered as the greatest athlete of all-time?

Now, being ranked 10th on the list of greatest athletes of the 20th century does confirm she was at least considered to be listed at number one. But I have to admit, I have a hard time taking the SportsCentury list seriously considering three of the 100 athletes are not even human (they're horses). I have an even harder time with this list when I see one of the horses (and a jockey for that matter) is ranked 37 places higher than Bo Jackson, an all-star baseball player AND pro-bowl NFL player! Jackson, I might add, could also have been a track & field star, but gave it up to focus on baseball and football. But a guy who rides a horse while beating it with a whip is somehow a better athlete? You get my point.

#1 on the list is Michael Jordan who is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player of all-time. But does that make him the greatest athlete of the 20th century? Is being the best at one sport a greater feat than excelling at almost every sport you take on? Hard to say.

Considering all of the accomplishments and accolades acquired by Zaharias, I wonder the reason why she wouldn't be ranked higher on the list. I can only come up with one idea. Maybe you can help me out. If all of these achievements were accomplished by a male, would he be ranked higher?

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