Sunday Wrap Up

Just have some random thoughts going from Sunday, so let’s get to it!

The Game’s Quick Hits

- Heath “If ya Got ‘em” Slocum drained a 21-foot par putt on the 72nd hole to finish at 9-under par and win The Barclays by one shot over PGA heavyweights Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington, and Steve Stricker. The shocking win by Slocum vaulted him from 124th in the FedEx Cup standings to 3rd and got the playoffs off to a riveting start. I watched coverage of the entire final round and thoroughly had a great time. As I stated yesterday, Tiger lurking near the top of the leaderboard on Sunday makes for great TV and there was certainly drama to be had. I predicted that Woods would not win the tournament yesterday and even though I was right, he tried damn hard to make me eat those words. That is one reason why Tiger makes things exciting even if you are only a casual fan of golf. Even though he might not be playing his best, he always finds a way to keep grinding and scoring and then by the end of the tournament, he is always right there at the end. Once Stricker and Slocum both found a fairway bunker with their drives on 18, I thought for sure there was going to be a 5 way playoff. But I have to give Slocum major credit for rising to the occasion and draining a huge pressure packed putt.

If you watched the final round, Tiger actually should have won the event and just could not make enough happen at the end. He had a cruel lip-out from under 3 feet on the 3rd hole which cost him a shot and then he shockingly missed a birdie that was within 10 feet on the 18th. Draining either one of those would have gotten him into a playoff and both would have given him the win outright. You could also blame his play on the par 5’s, where he was only able to birdie one of them. Or just blame his slow start and poor putting in the first two rounds. However you slice it, it is just amazing how Tiger’s “mediocre” game can be better than other player’s best efforts. There was a huge pack of players trying to get the lead on Sunday and the tournament went right down to the wire. I really appreciate the drama that is created and the skill of the players. I realize golf is not for everyone, but when the best players in the world are playing, I honestly believe that spending a Sunday afternoon watching a golf tournament is some of the best time that you can spend as a sports fan.

- According to a report on the Detroit Free Press’s website, several University of Michigan football players alleged that the program has been violating NCAA rules limiting the amount of time they can spend on training and practice sessions. The players claim that the amount of time they are asked to put in by the program is mandatory and greatly exceeds the limits. Of course, Coach Rich Rodriguez and the University deny this and say there is nothing for them to self-report. In my estimation, I would have to believe these players because there is no reason to talk if it wasn’t true. They must have a bone to pick with the football program and what they are asked to do and I would have no trouble believing that Rodriguez and his coaching staff are pushing these players to the limit and beyond. Football at the University of Michigan is an institution and the program has been down in recent years. The pressure on Rodriguez to produce results is immense and I guess he thinks more practice and workouts will bring better results. That is generally true, but the NCAA sets limits so the kids aren’t run into the ground and they need to be followed. I’m sure it would be hard for the NCAA to really come down on the University for this, but Michigan had better be careful. And in fact, it seems as if they will at least give the appearance that they are. It was reported later on Sunday that the University would be looking into the allegations of the players. I guess we will have to wait and see if anything comes of that and also if this increased workload on the players helps because Michigan will struggle to get to 7 wins and be bowl eligible.

- Reports indicate that free agent LW Alex Tanguay has agreed to a 1 year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning. A division rival getting a good player like this is definitely not good news for the Capitals. Tanguay is still young at 29 and has been a very consistent scorer, logging 580 points in 659 games played. He was limited by a separated shoulder last year but still got 41 pts in 50 gms. Tanguay will join Vincent Lacavalier, Martin St. Louis, and rising star Steven Stamkos on a team that is starting to look up. If the Lightning can get some solid goaltending, they will start to be a force in the Southeast Division. I still expect the Caps to be the class of the division this year, but a healthy Tampa Bay lineup will make it tough for the Caps to take any game against them easy this year.

- Let’s take a trip around the NFL and look at some of the news from Sunday: The Cincinnati Bengals finally signed top draft pick, offensive lineman Andre Smith. The #6 pick in the draft and the Bengals had been unable to work out an agreement due to the fact that Cincinnati tried to pay Smith less than the #7 pick, Darrius Heyward-Bey of the Raiders. You see, this is why the Bengals can never get to the next level. They needed help on the offensive line and they tried to be cheapskates with Smith. I actually side with Smith on this one because the sliding salary scale for draft picks is what it is, so I blame the Bengals on this. The signing now leaves that idiot Michael Crabtree as the only unsigned 1st round draft pick…

There is still no word on the severity of the injury to Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel, who left Saturday’s preseason game with a leg injury and is undergoing medical tests. As if there would be any surprise, the Chiefs and their fans are now very concerned as the team seems to be staring at another disappointing season. I am looking forward to the Ravens crushing the Chiefs come week 1…

The Patriots are still being tight-lipped on the severity of Tom Brady’s shoulder injury, but they could have given everyone a clue by the surprise release of QB Kevin O’Connell. O’Connell was the front runner to be Brady’s backup and it seems really strange that the team would cut him after Brady went down. So obviously, the speculation is now that Brady’s shoulder may not be too bad…And in other Patriots news, it is being reported that LB Tedy Bruschi will announce his retirement tomorrow. That is fairly surprising, so I can only assume he believes that his body or mind is not up for the grind of an entire season. I give the guy a ton of credit for coming back after his heart problems and wish him well since he seems like he was a class act…

And now time for your daily dose of Michael Vick news…today it seems offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg came out and told the media that Vick will not disrupt the flow of the offense and that he will help the Eagles and not be a distraction. Well if you ask me, I will believe it when I see it. If anything, the media will try to make this into a big story, so sooner or later, Vick will have to produce on the field and as I stated before, the Eagles need to define a role and package of plays for Vick and stick to it.

- And finally, just want to send out congratulations to Chula Vista, CA for defeating Chinese Taipei 6-3 to win the 2009 Little League World Series. This is always a fun event to check out every year and the California team was damn impressive, hitting a LLWS record 19 home runs during the tournament.