Tiger Woods is really dumb

Tiger Woods is really dumbSo why do women take him so seriously? Whoever acts as Tiger Woods’ PR flack must be the bravest person in the world. For a man revered as golf’s GOAT, Woods has a triple-bogey sense of public relations. From his early days as a humourless martinet to his current incarnation as superannuated Sonny Drysdale trying…

Greed drives pro golfers to align with Saudi sportswashers

LIV Tour is a PR tool for a reprehensible government seeking to wash away its human rights abuse

Greed drives pro golfers to align with Saudi sportswashersThe things people will do for money … The way Greg Norman, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Graeme McDowell and other professional golfers tap dance while trying to come up with reasons to justify their move to the new LIV Tour is embarrassing. The LIV Tour has nothing to do with growing the game of golf,…

Phil Mickelson wins one for the ages

We have to stop the temptation of writing off athletes due to age or recent performance

Phil Mickelson wins one for the agesAge is but a number, as some like to say. Phil Mickelson proved the validity of that adage when he won one for the ages. Mickelson captured the PGA Championship on Sunday by two strokes over Brooks Koepka and Louis Oosthuizen. In doing so, he became the oldest golfer to win a major title, at…

Play ball! The COVID-19 sports conundrum

You can see the appeal for Trump to use sports to help restore normalcy as he heads for the November presidential election

Play ball! The COVID-19 sports conundrumOn the list of important issues in this troubled time, American President Donald Trump conducting a conference call with the commissioners of 11 sports leagues isn’t high on the priority list. But on Saturday, Trump convened a chat with the people leading these professional leagues – all of whom (except World Wrestling Entertainment, some horse…

Corporate raiders are at the gates of pro sports

The future of franchise-based leagues and pro tours may hang in the balance as big-money investors look to strip out superstars

Corporate raiders are at the gates of pro sportsIn business they’re called corporate raiders. People who buy up a publicly traded stock whose assets are thought to be undervalued. They then strip out the valuable assets and sell them at a large profit, leaving the shell of a company behind. The world of sports has been largely immune to raider capitalism so far.…

Tied up in knots over ties in sports

Every sport has a different approach to dealing with games that end in a stalemate, including overtime and skills contests

Tied up in knots over ties in sportsThis year marks the 20th anniversary of the debut of the transcendent TV series The Sopranos. As its creator, David Chase understands better than most that a lousy ending can ruin a lot of the good work. Chase famously used a sudden blackout to conclude the final episode while Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ played in the…

A seagoing golfer’s dream

One Ocean Expeditions’ Fiddles and Sticks tour combines iconic East Coast golf with great outdoor adventure and local culture

A seagoing golfer’s dreamWe’re smashing through the waves toward shore in our Zodiac. Heads lowered, shoulders braced against the wind, salt air stings the nostrils. The beach lies just ahead. We’re ready for any action. Golf action, in this case. We’re the shock troops of One Ocean Expeditions hitting the beach on Cape Breton Island in what can…

The Slaughter at Shinnecock … or why Phil Mickelson was right

The United States Open is supposed to be a tough but honest test of golf. Instead, it has become a travesty

The Slaughter at Shinnecock … or why Phil Mickelson was rightAs far as Phil Mickelson is concerned, the GA in USGA probably stands for “god awful.” In his putting protest against course conditions in round three of this year’s men’s U.S. Open (run by the United States Golf Association), Mickelson pitted his sterling reputation against the prestige of the USGA. It was a pyrrhic victory…

Tiger Woods and golf’s moral dilemma

Tiger Woods is back and the crowds are gathering to show their appreciation, in spite of his checkered personal past

Tiger Woods and golf’s moral dilemmaIt’s hard to find someone who doesn’t disapprove of his antics away from the office. Women, in general, can’t stand him. Despite all this, we can’t take our eyes off him. Donald Trump? Maybe. But the description could also apply to Tiger Woods, the greatest golfer ever, who has made one of the more improbable…

Full meal deal: sports world serves up plenty of intrigue

What does 2018 hold? Forgettable Olympics, NHL incompetence (followed by NFL incompetence), Blue Jay uncertainty and golf mysteries, for a start

Full meal deal: sports world serves up plenty of intrigueThe 2018 sports year begins with a bowl (of the college football variety) but the full table setting lies ahead. What courses are being prepared? Let’s look at some of the most challenging stories ahead. Dents in the shield In 2017, the National Football League fought Donald Trump and President Trump won. Okay, the American…