My man CJ (aka Kid Philly) has commented that when your team wins, you can watch the highlights over and over, but when your team loses, not so much. Today was the exception that proves the rule in that even though Team Europe thwarted the furious U.S rally in the Ryder Cup, I want to see how the finish of this year's went down. (OK, I'm not sure how this exception proves the rule.) As I write this, I'm waiting on Golf Channel to dispense with friggin' Big Break Lame Destination Resort and the hyper Michael Breed's Golf Fix (I actually think he's OK, just not when he's standing between me and the Ryder Cup highlights) to get to Golf Central.
Even though business travel and the Monday finish conspired to keep from watching it live or on DVR, I wasn't completely oblivious to the proceedings. I glanced at the blackberry periodically as I was heading West to New York to see how the matches were progressing. After the first five matches ended in an even split 2.5 to 2.5, making it 12-9, almost all the remaining matches had large leads, and it looked like the U.S. would end up a full point short in their comeback, assuming its players (Woods, Overton, Mickelson and Johnson) held on to their leads, which they did, and barring big comebacks from the U.S. players who were behind (Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler and Hunter Mahan).
But a funny thing started to happen as I drove past Albany. After Bubba Watson was closed out by Jimenez, Rickie Fowler, who was 4 down after 12 to Eduardo Molinari, won the 13th. Then even though he was dormie after 15 (three down with three to play), he started winning holes. Around the same time, Mahan who was 3 down after 11, won 12 to cut the lead to 2. All of sudden a comeback didn't seem impossible and I started looking for an exit to catch the finish. Then I remembered that the Thruway rest stops have Wi - Fi. I got in just in time to see that Fowler had improbably won the last three holes to halve his match, but by the time I logged on, Mahan was two down with two to play, playing the 17th, and by now you know what happened from there. Still, I'm glad I got to see the end and will look forward to seeing how it all played out.
Notes: The passionate rookie Jeff Overton provided some fireworks especially his ridiculous hole out (and subsequent "boom baby" reaction) in the Sunday four-ball. Plus he also has a little Davis Love thing going on.
Speaking of resemblances, I though Eduardo Molinari looked like a swarthy Matthew McConaughey -- when he was celebrating good shots I kept expecting him to rip off his shirt to show off his abs.
Great course when it didn't have rivers of water in the fairway or water hazards in the bunker. I especially liked the risk reward, driveable par-4 15th, though the U.S. team found about 30 different ways to mess up that hole. You can't point to one shot, hole or match that cost the U.S. team the matches (which is kind of a preamble to doing just that), but if you had to point to one, it's not Hunter Mahan's chunked chip at the 17th (let's face it, from where he was he would have been hard pressed to beat McDowell on that hole, and even if he did he would have had to have won 18 as well). No you'd have to go back to the 15th (which, ironically Mahan won to cut McDowell's lead to one up), and Rory McIlroy stealing the hole from Stewart Cink, getting up and down for birdie, while Cink three putting for par after hitting a great tee shot to 15 feet. He also missed a chance to win the 17th and settled for halving the match at the 18th.
But in fairness, Cink played solid and provided some highlights and excellent play during the matches. Probably every U.S. player can point to a hole or a match where they could have eked out another half point to retain the cup, which is why neither Cink nor Mahan should be singled out in the loss. Though not to the extent of Bernard Langer's miss at the end of the U.S. victory in 1991, it is likely Mahan will likely have to bear the burden of history, but I hereby predict Mahan will win the clinching point in the 2012 Cup.
A shout out to Bog (Go Heels) and AD (Sorry about the Rox), expectant fathers on opposite coasts. Congrats!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Topstone Follies
Some knucklehead was joyriding at Topstone golf course in South Windsor, CT where I'm a part-time member of a golf league.
Fortunately, I was still able to make a birdie when I played this hole the following day.
http://www.courant.com/community/south-windsor/hc-south-windsor-golf-course-0820-20100819,0,733176.story
Topstone's a nice track when there aren't upside down cars in the bunkers.
Fortunately, I was still able to make a birdie when I played this hole the following day.
http://www.courant.com/community/south-windsor/hc-south-windsor-golf-course-0820-20100819,0,733176.story
Topstone's a nice track when there aren't upside down cars in the bunkers.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Two Stroke Penalty on the PGA
The organization dedicated to growing the game of golf managed to take a step backward this past weekend with the unsettling conclusion of the 2010 PGA Championship.
On the 18th hole of the final round, with a one stroke lead, Dustin Johnson appeared to have just missed a putt for a scrambling par that would have secured him the title. Settling for bogey, he would still have a chance for victory in a 3-man, 3-hole playoff, or so he thought. Instead he was assessed a two stroke penalty for grounding his club in a bunker on his second shot, leaving him two strokes back and out of the playoff.
It was one of those instances where I'm sure casual fans said, "huh?" (or stronger) as the situation seemed unfair. It made a bit more sense to seasoned golf fans like me, but I think the situation could have been avoided. If you're still confused, I'll break it down for you and provide three keys to remember for both the PGA and players alike.
The PGA Championship is sponsored by the Professional Golfers Association of America, the club professionals who teach golf and run golf courses. The PGA's stated purpose is to grow the game of golf, which is ironic, since I can't imagine the conclusion Sunday made many new golf fans.
The rule that Dustin Johnson violated is pretty straightforward. All but the most hackneyed hackers know you can't ground a club (as in set on the ground) in a bunker or other hazard. The problem is that Whistling Straits where the event was held is not your average venue and the final hole of the final round of a major championship is a unique setting and situation.
Whistling Straits is a spectacular course set on the edge of Lake Michigan sculpted in the style of the great links courses of the British Isles. A shout out to my buddy Howie who played it recently and sent me the yardage book (best yardage book ever, seriously), which I referred to frequently as I watched the coverage over the weekend. While it's a dazzling layout, to me it loses points because it's not authentic, as that landscape was created by bulldozers and earth movers, not mother nature, a fact you could see whenever the camera shots from the Met Life blimp pulled back to reveal farmland on the neighboring property. My buddy CJ, aka Kid Philly, said it reminded him of a great course we used to play in Denver called Murphy Creek -- I agree.
One unique attribute of Whistling Straits is that it has, literally, countless bunkers. Some are huge and some are tiny, but they're everywhere, with an estimate of 1,200 across the property. Given that there were also 50,000 people attending the event, it's inevitable that fans ended up standing in or walking through many of the bunkers that were far removed from the fairways.
The PGA of America made the curious decision that the bunkers where fans walked through (outside the ropes, as it were) would still be played as hazards (meaning you can't ground the club), and not simply as waste areas, where players play the ball as it lies as they would in any other spot on the fairway or rough.
So when Dustin flared his drive on the 18th, he didn't realize that he was in a bunker. He was surrounded by thousands of fans, and while the ball was lying on sand, it was hard-packed, with footprints, wrappers and people all over it.
It never occurred to him that he was in a bunker so he followed his usual routine (usual for the last hole leading a major with 5,000 people surrounding him forming a tunnel the size of a bowling alley to hit through on his approach to the green) and grounded his club (though Dustin must have admitted to this, because I never saw that definitively on the replay).
As he walked off the green with a 5 (soon to be a 7), a PGA official grabbed him and gave him the news that there might be a problem -- understatement.
So here's my advice/comments in no particular order.
1) PGA, what were you thinking having the bunkers outside the ropes played as hazards? While I believe they were in good faith trying to preserve the integrity of Pete Dye's design, as they stated, I believe that decision was misguided and naive.
That would never, ever be done on any other course. You would either keep people out of the bunkers (impractical at WS) or play them as waste areas (better option -- no offense Pete).
When I say naive, I think that rule would have been fine for a practice round, but clearly the PGA had not thought through the circumstances of having so many people around (as you might, say, on the 18th hole of a major) that the bunker itself was not readily identifiable.
To its defense the PGA warned the players this would be the rule with its daily briefing sheets and this is where Dustin lost some sympathy points by confessing he never reads those. Hey, I don't read half my emails. Maybe they should text these alerts to the younger players.
Food for thought on the 2015 PGA and 2020 Ryder Cup, both scheduled to be held at WS: get rid of some of those bunkers and keep people out of them, or play them as waste areas.
2) Thanks Rules Official -- Not. Yes, Dustin had a rules official walking with his group, who I didn't realize until tonight actually had gone up to the spot in the "bunker".
The official said in an interview on golf channel he was focused on getting the crowd under control so Dustin could play his shot, but boy it would have been nice if he'd said before doing crowd control duty, "By the way, per the local rules sheet, you know you’re in a bunker, right?" He seems like a sincere guy and I kind of feel for him, though he stretched credulity with me when he said it never occurred to him that Dustin wouldn't realize he was in a bunker. I bet the cheeseheads who had been standing there for two hours didn't realize they were in a bunker as some thought they were at a Packers game.
I think in the unique situation of a major those rules officials need to be more proactive and even responsible. Yes, golf is great because players themselves enforce the rules, etc. etc. But, the PGA goes to the trouble of having a rules official with every group and roving uberofficials can be summoned as well, so it's not like they've completely handed the reins to the players.
Golf will never move to an officiating model like football -- where if the ref doesn't throw the flag, there's no penalty -- nor should it. But let's put some of the responsibility on them to monitor and control these situations to make the call before there are problems.
Oh, and when that rules official meets you at the green and tells says you "may be" be penalized (or DQ'd, or whatever the case may be) there's no "maybe" about it -- your (Retief) Goosen is cooked. Sometimes you catch the officials on the mikes, and they're empathetic and folksy, almost reassuring: "Let's just go in to the trailer and take a look at the TV replay." Bull -- the jury is in (or out?), and the verdict is signed, sealed, and delivered. They've made up they're mind and you're not leaving that trailer until you change your score to what they say it is.
3) The TV replay is not your friend. This is really a corollary to number 2 and while the TV replay was not instrumental in the Johnson situation, TV will always be used against you and not for you. Players have been penalized when TV viewers spotted something and called in, but it's never going to be used to bail you out.
A case in point is Dustin Johnson -- at Pebble Beach. As Dustin Johnson was melting down in the final round of the US Open, playing the 3rd hole, he hit his drive way left near the 16th green and went into a lateral hazard. There was nowhere else his ball could have been, but because no one saw the ball enter, it couldn't be assumed to be in the hazard. Thus instead of being able to take a drop at that spot, he had to declare a lost ball and go back to the tee.
Now, in this instance, the spot near the 16th hitting two would probably have not been much better than hitting three from the tee, and in the end of the day mattered little. But while I'm sure a TV replay could have been used to see if he'd grounded his club in the bunker or some such, they're not going to use a blimp shot to locate where the ball landed.
Going back to the situation at the PGA, it's interesting that when CBS used its golf trax gizmo to show where the ball landed, it actually indicated (correctly, it turns out) it was in a bunker, and I heard (but don't remember) Jim Nantz said the same thing. It's ironic because as soon as they showed the ball in the crowd, it looked like it was on a bare patch of dirt, and neither Nantz, Nick Faldo, or David Feherty suggested it was in the bunker.
So the lesson is while TV doesn't lie, it's not going to used to back your side of the story.
Conclusion:
It's too bad this PGA will be remembered for the Dustin Johnson saga, because it was a thrilling afternoon, with the likes of Steve Elkington, Rory McIlroy, and Zach Johnson all in the hunt, not to mention the great play of Martin Kaymer, the eventual champion who battled Bubba Watson in the playoff. And Dustin Johnson's own solid play may be forgotten too, as he exorcized the demons of his final round struggles at Pebble Beach.
Once the incident happened, the PGA got it right. Given the rules they'd set out, there was no choice but to penalize Johnson, but it seems like the PGA could have avoided the situation with a common sense course set up and more proactive officiating.
I'm not a proselytizing golfer -- other than the fact I don't want to see courses struggle financially, I'd rather see them less crowded than more. But it is too bad that on what could have been a day to showcase some of the best young players and the excitement of golf, the PGA had to defend its conduct of the championship. Upon review PGA of America, I'm afraid there may be a problem. "Let's just go in to the trailer and take a look . . . ."
On the 18th hole of the final round, with a one stroke lead, Dustin Johnson appeared to have just missed a putt for a scrambling par that would have secured him the title. Settling for bogey, he would still have a chance for victory in a 3-man, 3-hole playoff, or so he thought. Instead he was assessed a two stroke penalty for grounding his club in a bunker on his second shot, leaving him two strokes back and out of the playoff.
It was one of those instances where I'm sure casual fans said, "huh?" (or stronger) as the situation seemed unfair. It made a bit more sense to seasoned golf fans like me, but I think the situation could have been avoided. If you're still confused, I'll break it down for you and provide three keys to remember for both the PGA and players alike.
The PGA Championship is sponsored by the Professional Golfers Association of America, the club professionals who teach golf and run golf courses. The PGA's stated purpose is to grow the game of golf, which is ironic, since I can't imagine the conclusion Sunday made many new golf fans.
The rule that Dustin Johnson violated is pretty straightforward. All but the most hackneyed hackers know you can't ground a club (as in set on the ground) in a bunker or other hazard. The problem is that Whistling Straits where the event was held is not your average venue and the final hole of the final round of a major championship is a unique setting and situation.
Whistling Straits is a spectacular course set on the edge of Lake Michigan sculpted in the style of the great links courses of the British Isles. A shout out to my buddy Howie who played it recently and sent me the yardage book (best yardage book ever, seriously), which I referred to frequently as I watched the coverage over the weekend. While it's a dazzling layout, to me it loses points because it's not authentic, as that landscape was created by bulldozers and earth movers, not mother nature, a fact you could see whenever the camera shots from the Met Life blimp pulled back to reveal farmland on the neighboring property. My buddy CJ, aka Kid Philly, said it reminded him of a great course we used to play in Denver called Murphy Creek -- I agree.
One unique attribute of Whistling Straits is that it has, literally, countless bunkers. Some are huge and some are tiny, but they're everywhere, with an estimate of 1,200 across the property. Given that there were also 50,000 people attending the event, it's inevitable that fans ended up standing in or walking through many of the bunkers that were far removed from the fairways.
The PGA of America made the curious decision that the bunkers where fans walked through (outside the ropes, as it were) would still be played as hazards (meaning you can't ground the club), and not simply as waste areas, where players play the ball as it lies as they would in any other spot on the fairway or rough.
So when Dustin flared his drive on the 18th, he didn't realize that he was in a bunker. He was surrounded by thousands of fans, and while the ball was lying on sand, it was hard-packed, with footprints, wrappers and people all over it.
It never occurred to him that he was in a bunker so he followed his usual routine (usual for the last hole leading a major with 5,000 people surrounding him forming a tunnel the size of a bowling alley to hit through on his approach to the green) and grounded his club (though Dustin must have admitted to this, because I never saw that definitively on the replay).
As he walked off the green with a 5 (soon to be a 7), a PGA official grabbed him and gave him the news that there might be a problem -- understatement.
So here's my advice/comments in no particular order.
1) PGA, what were you thinking having the bunkers outside the ropes played as hazards? While I believe they were in good faith trying to preserve the integrity of Pete Dye's design, as they stated, I believe that decision was misguided and naive.
That would never, ever be done on any other course. You would either keep people out of the bunkers (impractical at WS) or play them as waste areas (better option -- no offense Pete).
When I say naive, I think that rule would have been fine for a practice round, but clearly the PGA had not thought through the circumstances of having so many people around (as you might, say, on the 18th hole of a major) that the bunker itself was not readily identifiable.
To its defense the PGA warned the players this would be the rule with its daily briefing sheets and this is where Dustin lost some sympathy points by confessing he never reads those. Hey, I don't read half my emails. Maybe they should text these alerts to the younger players.
Food for thought on the 2015 PGA and 2020 Ryder Cup, both scheduled to be held at WS: get rid of some of those bunkers and keep people out of them, or play them as waste areas.
2) Thanks Rules Official -- Not. Yes, Dustin had a rules official walking with his group, who I didn't realize until tonight actually had gone up to the spot in the "bunker".
The official said in an interview on golf channel he was focused on getting the crowd under control so Dustin could play his shot, but boy it would have been nice if he'd said before doing crowd control duty, "By the way, per the local rules sheet, you know you’re in a bunker, right?" He seems like a sincere guy and I kind of feel for him, though he stretched credulity with me when he said it never occurred to him that Dustin wouldn't realize he was in a bunker. I bet the cheeseheads who had been standing there for two hours didn't realize they were in a bunker as some thought they were at a Packers game.
I think in the unique situation of a major those rules officials need to be more proactive and even responsible. Yes, golf is great because players themselves enforce the rules, etc. etc. But, the PGA goes to the trouble of having a rules official with every group and roving uberofficials can be summoned as well, so it's not like they've completely handed the reins to the players.
Golf will never move to an officiating model like football -- where if the ref doesn't throw the flag, there's no penalty -- nor should it. But let's put some of the responsibility on them to monitor and control these situations to make the call before there are problems.
Oh, and when that rules official meets you at the green and tells says you "may be" be penalized (or DQ'd, or whatever the case may be) there's no "maybe" about it -- your (Retief) Goosen is cooked. Sometimes you catch the officials on the mikes, and they're empathetic and folksy, almost reassuring: "Let's just go in to the trailer and take a look at the TV replay." Bull -- the jury is in (or out?), and the verdict is signed, sealed, and delivered. They've made up they're mind and you're not leaving that trailer until you change your score to what they say it is.
3) The TV replay is not your friend. This is really a corollary to number 2 and while the TV replay was not instrumental in the Johnson situation, TV will always be used against you and not for you. Players have been penalized when TV viewers spotted something and called in, but it's never going to be used to bail you out.
A case in point is Dustin Johnson -- at Pebble Beach. As Dustin Johnson was melting down in the final round of the US Open, playing the 3rd hole, he hit his drive way left near the 16th green and went into a lateral hazard. There was nowhere else his ball could have been, but because no one saw the ball enter, it couldn't be assumed to be in the hazard. Thus instead of being able to take a drop at that spot, he had to declare a lost ball and go back to the tee.
Now, in this instance, the spot near the 16th hitting two would probably have not been much better than hitting three from the tee, and in the end of the day mattered little. But while I'm sure a TV replay could have been used to see if he'd grounded his club in the bunker or some such, they're not going to use a blimp shot to locate where the ball landed.
Going back to the situation at the PGA, it's interesting that when CBS used its golf trax gizmo to show where the ball landed, it actually indicated (correctly, it turns out) it was in a bunker, and I heard (but don't remember) Jim Nantz said the same thing. It's ironic because as soon as they showed the ball in the crowd, it looked like it was on a bare patch of dirt, and neither Nantz, Nick Faldo, or David Feherty suggested it was in the bunker.
So the lesson is while TV doesn't lie, it's not going to used to back your side of the story.
Conclusion:
It's too bad this PGA will be remembered for the Dustin Johnson saga, because it was a thrilling afternoon, with the likes of Steve Elkington, Rory McIlroy, and Zach Johnson all in the hunt, not to mention the great play of Martin Kaymer, the eventual champion who battled Bubba Watson in the playoff. And Dustin Johnson's own solid play may be forgotten too, as he exorcized the demons of his final round struggles at Pebble Beach.
Once the incident happened, the PGA got it right. Given the rules they'd set out, there was no choice but to penalize Johnson, but it seems like the PGA could have avoided the situation with a common sense course set up and more proactive officiating.
I'm not a proselytizing golfer -- other than the fact I don't want to see courses struggle financially, I'd rather see them less crowded than more. But it is too bad that on what could have been a day to showcase some of the best young players and the excitement of golf, the PGA had to defend its conduct of the championship. Upon review PGA of America, I'm afraid there may be a problem. "Let's just go in to the trailer and take a look . . . ."
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
A Good Walk (Un)Spoiled
"Golf is a good walk spoiled," is a famous quote attributed to Mark Twain, which is why it's ironic that last week I enjoyed a magnificant 9-hole walk at Soaring Eagles, a course located at Mark Twain State Park.
I was finishing up a long day of driving (about 400 miles) and meetings (three) all across New York having left the house before 6 am. It was about 12 hours later and I was a little more than an hour from Ithaca, my overnight destination. I figured I still had almost an hour and a half of daylight, plenty of time for a quick nine if I could find a course and the energy. So I pulled over in Corning, NY and googled my way to Soaring Eagles which is near Horseheads (not made up), NY, with the help of a very helpful pro shop attendant.
Though the signs directing to me to the course all said Mark Twain State Park, I didn't see much evidence of the park itself, but that was OK, I was there for the golf. It was a perfect set up as the course looked great, and was beginning to clear out on what was turning into a beautiful evening.
I couldn't see anyone on the first two holes so I teed off with two balls, and though a threesome in carts (I walked for both the exercise and the irony) started following me on the second hole, I was able keep ahead of them playing two balls all the way around.
It's not a flashy course, but I loved the layout. There are no major elevation changes but it is very rolling terrain with several holes on the front nine cut through the trees. And though a couple of them are tight, the accuracy required is balanced by the fact they're short.
The first two holes are fairly open with the main feature on the par-4 first being a green carved into a hill that slopes left to right, almost foreshadowing the rest of the nine. The second is par 4(tips)/5(members) that is open on the tee shot but where the terrain starts to roll as the landing area of the tee shot is a steep upslope. I was pleased to make four 5's with my two balls on the first two holes.
The third hole features a fairway that traverses two cross hatched hillsides, the first coming in from the left and followed by another cutting in from the right. By pushing my tee shot(s) right I had a blind shot to the green, but from the center or left side of the fairway it provides an unobstructed look into the green.
The fourth is an uninspired uphill par 3, but is a nice pallate cleanser for the next three holes, one of the nicest stretches of tree-lined holes I've played.
Five is a short par 4, not super tight with a very rolling fairway to a shallow elevated green. While rolling fairways are interesting visually, I'm not normally a fan, as they're tough to play, but they fit perfectly on this course. Five is a good example of where the rolling fairways work nicely, because assuming you can find the fairway on this 350 yard hole (which I didn't), you'll have a short approach to a green. Though the green is raised on a shelf and shallow in depth, it has no bunkers, so it's an important part of the hole's defense to have a downhill lie on the second shot.
The par 3 sixth is a postcard hole over an inlet of water from the left guarded by a huge tree (an oak, I think) on the right. The helpful woman in the pro shop referred to it as being down by the canal. I didn't see a canal, but to the left of the sixth beyond the trees marking the boundaries of the course was an open expanse of marsh and water with a highway (I assume I-86/Rt. 17 which I'd come in on) in the distance. A beautiful spot and in an evening of golf zen, it was a shakura (pretend zen word) moment.
Seven is another great short par-4 (328) that twists right to left through the trees with a pond guarding the far right side of the fairway. Even with two decent tee shots, I still don't know the right play, as my 4 hybrid tee shot which looked good off the face drifted too far right and my second shot was blocked from the right. I took driver on my second tee shot and cut as close as I could to the trees on the left guarding the corner of the dog leg. Without any draw to it, that shot went through the fairway on the right, though it was far enough to have an open look at the green.
I butchered the rest of seven and on the seventh green I had another tinge of disappointment as it provided a view of the back nine, which looked wide open, less mature and not nearly as interesting as the front. I'd like to go back sometime with the hope of proving myself wrong.
The eighth is the mirror image to seven playing as a dogleg right through a deep valley guarded by some tall trees at the dogleg and a pond (same one as on seven) on the right. I didn't hit enough club and had blind second shot(s) from down in the hollow. It's a short hole where you really need to hit driver and probably need to move it left to right. Almost as good as the previous three holes, the tee shot was partially blind which I didn't like.
At nine the course emerges from the trees as it's a sharp dogleg right giving the players options to play to the fairway to the left which is fairly open or try to carry the trees on the right for a shorter approach. Playing two balls, I played it both ways, and my first drive was a low bullet to the left, which actually went through the fairway and found a downhill sloping lie in the rough. My second shot was a big cut which cleared the trees not quite reaching the fairway, but provided a nice angle and a short shot into the green.
I muscled the first ball on the green and two-putted and with the bolder second ball I hit a wedge to four feet and made birdie. Not making worse than double (and I had a few) I had a 42 and 45 on the par 35, not bad given my recent form.
Once I made it to Ithaca, I topped off the evening at one of my favorite college haunts, the Nines for some deep dish pizza with my nephew Patrick, who's going to be a junior at Cornell.
But on the ride to Ithaca as I replayed my one hour twenty minute nine (actually 18) in my head I thought how my nine hole walk sure beat hitting the gerbil wheel at the hotel. Unexpectedly discovering a great new course like Soaring Eagles, and finishing with a birdie, made a for a good walk indeed.
I was finishing up a long day of driving (about 400 miles) and meetings (three) all across New York having left the house before 6 am. It was about 12 hours later and I was a little more than an hour from Ithaca, my overnight destination. I figured I still had almost an hour and a half of daylight, plenty of time for a quick nine if I could find a course and the energy. So I pulled over in Corning, NY and googled my way to Soaring Eagles which is near Horseheads (not made up), NY, with the help of a very helpful pro shop attendant.
Though the signs directing to me to the course all said Mark Twain State Park, I didn't see much evidence of the park itself, but that was OK, I was there for the golf. It was a perfect set up as the course looked great, and was beginning to clear out on what was turning into a beautiful evening.
I couldn't see anyone on the first two holes so I teed off with two balls, and though a threesome in carts (I walked for both the exercise and the irony) started following me on the second hole, I was able keep ahead of them playing two balls all the way around.
It's not a flashy course, but I loved the layout. There are no major elevation changes but it is very rolling terrain with several holes on the front nine cut through the trees. And though a couple of them are tight, the accuracy required is balanced by the fact they're short.
The first two holes are fairly open with the main feature on the par-4 first being a green carved into a hill that slopes left to right, almost foreshadowing the rest of the nine. The second is par 4(tips)/5(members) that is open on the tee shot but where the terrain starts to roll as the landing area of the tee shot is a steep upslope. I was pleased to make four 5's with my two balls on the first two holes.
The third hole features a fairway that traverses two cross hatched hillsides, the first coming in from the left and followed by another cutting in from the right. By pushing my tee shot(s) right I had a blind shot to the green, but from the center or left side of the fairway it provides an unobstructed look into the green.
The fourth is an uninspired uphill par 3, but is a nice pallate cleanser for the next three holes, one of the nicest stretches of tree-lined holes I've played.
Five is a short par 4, not super tight with a very rolling fairway to a shallow elevated green. While rolling fairways are interesting visually, I'm not normally a fan, as they're tough to play, but they fit perfectly on this course. Five is a good example of where the rolling fairways work nicely, because assuming you can find the fairway on this 350 yard hole (which I didn't), you'll have a short approach to a green. Though the green is raised on a shelf and shallow in depth, it has no bunkers, so it's an important part of the hole's defense to have a downhill lie on the second shot.
The par 3 sixth is a postcard hole over an inlet of water from the left guarded by a huge tree (an oak, I think) on the right. The helpful woman in the pro shop referred to it as being down by the canal. I didn't see a canal, but to the left of the sixth beyond the trees marking the boundaries of the course was an open expanse of marsh and water with a highway (I assume I-86/Rt. 17 which I'd come in on) in the distance. A beautiful spot and in an evening of golf zen, it was a shakura (pretend zen word) moment.
Seven is another great short par-4 (328) that twists right to left through the trees with a pond guarding the far right side of the fairway. Even with two decent tee shots, I still don't know the right play, as my 4 hybrid tee shot which looked good off the face drifted too far right and my second shot was blocked from the right. I took driver on my second tee shot and cut as close as I could to the trees on the left guarding the corner of the dog leg. Without any draw to it, that shot went through the fairway on the right, though it was far enough to have an open look at the green.
I butchered the rest of seven and on the seventh green I had another tinge of disappointment as it provided a view of the back nine, which looked wide open, less mature and not nearly as interesting as the front. I'd like to go back sometime with the hope of proving myself wrong.
The eighth is the mirror image to seven playing as a dogleg right through a deep valley guarded by some tall trees at the dogleg and a pond (same one as on seven) on the right. I didn't hit enough club and had blind second shot(s) from down in the hollow. It's a short hole where you really need to hit driver and probably need to move it left to right. Almost as good as the previous three holes, the tee shot was partially blind which I didn't like.
At nine the course emerges from the trees as it's a sharp dogleg right giving the players options to play to the fairway to the left which is fairly open or try to carry the trees on the right for a shorter approach. Playing two balls, I played it both ways, and my first drive was a low bullet to the left, which actually went through the fairway and found a downhill sloping lie in the rough. My second shot was a big cut which cleared the trees not quite reaching the fairway, but provided a nice angle and a short shot into the green.
I muscled the first ball on the green and two-putted and with the bolder second ball I hit a wedge to four feet and made birdie. Not making worse than double (and I had a few) I had a 42 and 45 on the par 35, not bad given my recent form.
Once I made it to Ithaca, I topped off the evening at one of my favorite college haunts, the Nines for some deep dish pizza with my nephew Patrick, who's going to be a junior at Cornell.
But on the ride to Ithaca as I replayed my one hour twenty minute nine (actually 18) in my head I thought how my nine hole walk sure beat hitting the gerbil wheel at the hotel. Unexpectedly discovering a great new course like Soaring Eagles, and finishing with a birdie, made a for a good walk indeed.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
A Day at the (Saratoga) Spa
This past Monday, my brother Jerry and I enjoyed a "spa" day, but not that kind of spa. For golfers like us, a weekday caper at the Saratoga Spa golf course was as relaxing as a full treatment of massage, mud and rose petals at the other kind of spa (says the guy who clearly has never been to the other kind of spa).
Located at the state park of the same name, Saratoga Spa Golf has two courses, an executive course, and the championship course we played. www.saratogaspagolf.com
I'd never played the course and had only been to the park itself once 20 years ago to attend a wedding reception at the Gideon Putnam resort hotel, which is also on the grounds. I'd forgotten what a spectacular location it is. Entering the park, you think you're entering a sprawling estate with grand and elegant buildings sprinkled throughout the towering pines.
The golf pro shop is set next to the Victoria Pool complex, not to be confused with your community pool, which usually doesn't have columns at the front entrance.
The course blends seamlessly with its gracious surroundings. Stylish and playable, the course also has its share of trouble in the form of large bunkers and alleys of pine trees guarding many of the greens and fairways. It has the feel of a Robert Trent Jones course, but it was actually designed by William Mitchell. I'll have to check their architectural lineages to see if there's some overlap.
We teed off on number ten, which doesn't allow the course to put its best foot forward, as it's a rather plain, straight par 4, but not a bad tune up. It's guarded in front by two bunkers but its main defense is a green which slopes sharply back to front. Ironically our whole foursome all navigated the challenging green nicely, and I snaked in the longest putt of the bunch, a twenty footer down hill for par, after taking a drop from the poison ivy on my second shot, which turned out to be a good break. After I saw the first few holes on the front, I could see why they start play on the 10th, but I'll get to the first nine in due time.
The 11th is much more indicative of the rest of the course. Though not surrounded by trees, it has a large green complex. Not all the greens are huge, but many of them are set in bowls or ringed by mounds and bordered by bunkers, though the bunkers tend to be set back from the putting surface. It helps give the course a spacious feel even though most of it is cut through the trees.
Twelve is a straight away par 5 with a gaping bunker bordering the front of the green, one of the few where a run up is not possible. The 13th and 14th are par 4's in opposite directions, both routed around large bunkers cutting into the left side of the fairway. Those large bunkers jutting into the fairways are one of those traits reminiscent of Trent Jones' courses like the one at Cornell.
Fifteen is a mid-length par 3 and the 16th is a sweeping dogleg right to a green which is more out in the open than most of those that precede it.
Seventeen is a long par 5 back into the trees, and the finishing hole is a stout one with large line of trees on the right. A sweeping dogleg left, the tee shot on the 18th is played to a plateau fairway set to the right which skirts a low area on the left. Our playing companions said the low area used to be a huge bunker, but a grass bunker is less punitive, easier to maintain, and more in keeping with the rest of the course.
Kudos to Jerry as he parred the 18th to nip me by one stroke on our first nine. I was 3 shots ahead coming to that hole so I’ll let you do the math on what I carded on the 18th.
The front nine starts with a long par 4 that is a gentle dogleg right around trees and a low valley of fescue. The second is an interesting par-3 with a large bunkerless green out in the open, its only defense a large shelf guarding the right half of the green which sits behind and below it.
Three and four are probably the most memorable holes on the course, with the 3rd being a shortish par 5, but with a large lake short of the elevated green requiring golfers to decide to lay up or go for it. Our affable playing partners (I say affable because one in particular was a good sport about helping Jerry and I track down our golf balls as we sprayed them all over the park) said the 1st used to be a par 5 and the 3rd used to be a par 4, which must have been a brute. Par 4 or 5, I felt fortunate to make a 5 on the 3rd.
Four is not a long dogleg right par 4, but requires a precise tee shot over water avoiding a bunker and a grove of trees on the right. The tee shot needs to be placed properly in order to have a clear shot over a creek to the green surrounded by fronted by two bunkers. I could see where these holes could cause a back up if play started on number 1.
Five is a straightaway par 4, and six is a long par 5 requiring players to navigate a number of bunkers to the get the right angle to the green for the third shot. Seven is another solid long par 4 and eight is mid-length par 3 carved seamlessly from the trees, with a green sloping severely from back left to front right.
I’d say the 8th is my favorite hole on the course but the fact I hit it to 12 feet and curled in a birdie has nothing (as in everything) to do with that assessment. With the nines switched, nine also serves as a solid finishing hole, a curving dogleg left around a fairway bunker to a green guarded right and left with large bunkers. On the strength of the birdie and three other pars, I carded a solid 42 on the front, our second nine, getting the better of Jerry by a few for the day.
At first glance some might argue the course doesn't require a lot of strategy, or lacks -- to use the overused, but ill-defined golf architectural term -- "shot values". I would disagree. The strategy of a hole like the 13th or 14th wouldn’t seem to be complex: there are large fairway bunkers on the left side of each fairway so you would do well to avoid them. But it's not that simple. On either hole you can lay up short of it, hit a fade (for a righty) to the open right side, try to carry it with raw power, or shape a draw beyond it. Which play you choose might depend on the best angle to the pin and on the 14th a shot on the right side will bring the right greenside bunker into play, whereas the beefier 13th has bunkers guarding both the right and left front. The same type of strategy comes into play on a hole like the par-5 sixth, as the difficulty of the third shot and how the greenside bunkers come into play will vary quite a bit depending on where the player lays up.
Of course those are the thoughts I imagine occupy the minds of expert players. For our first nine especially, I was just trying to keep it out of the trees (with limited success) and wasn't worried too much about the bunkers.
The course was in good shape for a public facility, especially the greens. The fairways were a bit ragged and the sand in the bunkers seemed packed down, but overall, it was in acceptable condition.
It reminded me of Bethpage State Park's Black course. For one, it's also at a state park and set on a large piece of property, so the holes are generously spaced. It has a classic old feel cut through the trees with many of the holes defined by its bunkering. And while not as evident as at Bethpage, the Spa also has many holes bordered by patches of fescue, as I can attest first hand.
Certainly Saratoga Spa doesn't have the scale and drama of the Black, where the ferocious bunkers are carved from a much more rollicking terrain. The Spa is not overly punitive (another contrast with the Black). There’s no tangly underbrush, so wayward drives can usually be found and result in a pitch out of some degree instead of a lost ball. The Spa is also very walkable with no major portages between holes and relatively flat terrain.
This may be a reach, but given its 7141 yards from the back tees, with the right conditioning, narrowing of the fairways, longish rough, and some speed on the slopey greens, I think this course could host a pro-level tournament.
Jerry and I enjoyed a sandwich and a beer at the Spa's version of the 19th hole, Catherines, which has a publike, men's grill feel to it. It has outside seating in the courtyard of Victoria pool, so you can pretend you're in Saratoga to watch your horses run instead of being a working stiff taking a day off. But whether you're rich and famous or a working stiff, whether you're there to play golf or enjoy the other kind of spa day, the genteel setting is well worth the trip.
Located at the state park of the same name, Saratoga Spa Golf has two courses, an executive course, and the championship course we played. www.saratogaspagolf.com
I'd never played the course and had only been to the park itself once 20 years ago to attend a wedding reception at the Gideon Putnam resort hotel, which is also on the grounds. I'd forgotten what a spectacular location it is. Entering the park, you think you're entering a sprawling estate with grand and elegant buildings sprinkled throughout the towering pines.
The golf pro shop is set next to the Victoria Pool complex, not to be confused with your community pool, which usually doesn't have columns at the front entrance.
The course blends seamlessly with its gracious surroundings. Stylish and playable, the course also has its share of trouble in the form of large bunkers and alleys of pine trees guarding many of the greens and fairways. It has the feel of a Robert Trent Jones course, but it was actually designed by William Mitchell. I'll have to check their architectural lineages to see if there's some overlap.
We teed off on number ten, which doesn't allow the course to put its best foot forward, as it's a rather plain, straight par 4, but not a bad tune up. It's guarded in front by two bunkers but its main defense is a green which slopes sharply back to front. Ironically our whole foursome all navigated the challenging green nicely, and I snaked in the longest putt of the bunch, a twenty footer down hill for par, after taking a drop from the poison ivy on my second shot, which turned out to be a good break. After I saw the first few holes on the front, I could see why they start play on the 10th, but I'll get to the first nine in due time.
The 11th is much more indicative of the rest of the course. Though not surrounded by trees, it has a large green complex. Not all the greens are huge, but many of them are set in bowls or ringed by mounds and bordered by bunkers, though the bunkers tend to be set back from the putting surface. It helps give the course a spacious feel even though most of it is cut through the trees.
Twelve is a straight away par 5 with a gaping bunker bordering the front of the green, one of the few where a run up is not possible. The 13th and 14th are par 4's in opposite directions, both routed around large bunkers cutting into the left side of the fairway. Those large bunkers jutting into the fairways are one of those traits reminiscent of Trent Jones' courses like the one at Cornell.
Fifteen is a mid-length par 3 and the 16th is a sweeping dogleg right to a green which is more out in the open than most of those that precede it.
Seventeen is a long par 5 back into the trees, and the finishing hole is a stout one with large line of trees on the right. A sweeping dogleg left, the tee shot on the 18th is played to a plateau fairway set to the right which skirts a low area on the left. Our playing companions said the low area used to be a huge bunker, but a grass bunker is less punitive, easier to maintain, and more in keeping with the rest of the course.
Kudos to Jerry as he parred the 18th to nip me by one stroke on our first nine. I was 3 shots ahead coming to that hole so I’ll let you do the math on what I carded on the 18th.
The front nine starts with a long par 4 that is a gentle dogleg right around trees and a low valley of fescue. The second is an interesting par-3 with a large bunkerless green out in the open, its only defense a large shelf guarding the right half of the green which sits behind and below it.
Three and four are probably the most memorable holes on the course, with the 3rd being a shortish par 5, but with a large lake short of the elevated green requiring golfers to decide to lay up or go for it. Our affable playing partners (I say affable because one in particular was a good sport about helping Jerry and I track down our golf balls as we sprayed them all over the park) said the 1st used to be a par 5 and the 3rd used to be a par 4, which must have been a brute. Par 4 or 5, I felt fortunate to make a 5 on the 3rd.
Four is not a long dogleg right par 4, but requires a precise tee shot over water avoiding a bunker and a grove of trees on the right. The tee shot needs to be placed properly in order to have a clear shot over a creek to the green surrounded by fronted by two bunkers. I could see where these holes could cause a back up if play started on number 1.
Five is a straightaway par 4, and six is a long par 5 requiring players to navigate a number of bunkers to the get the right angle to the green for the third shot. Seven is another solid long par 4 and eight is mid-length par 3 carved seamlessly from the trees, with a green sloping severely from back left to front right.
I’d say the 8th is my favorite hole on the course but the fact I hit it to 12 feet and curled in a birdie has nothing (as in everything) to do with that assessment. With the nines switched, nine also serves as a solid finishing hole, a curving dogleg left around a fairway bunker to a green guarded right and left with large bunkers. On the strength of the birdie and three other pars, I carded a solid 42 on the front, our second nine, getting the better of Jerry by a few for the day.
At first glance some might argue the course doesn't require a lot of strategy, or lacks -- to use the overused, but ill-defined golf architectural term -- "shot values". I would disagree. The strategy of a hole like the 13th or 14th wouldn’t seem to be complex: there are large fairway bunkers on the left side of each fairway so you would do well to avoid them. But it's not that simple. On either hole you can lay up short of it, hit a fade (for a righty) to the open right side, try to carry it with raw power, or shape a draw beyond it. Which play you choose might depend on the best angle to the pin and on the 14th a shot on the right side will bring the right greenside bunker into play, whereas the beefier 13th has bunkers guarding both the right and left front. The same type of strategy comes into play on a hole like the par-5 sixth, as the difficulty of the third shot and how the greenside bunkers come into play will vary quite a bit depending on where the player lays up.
Of course those are the thoughts I imagine occupy the minds of expert players. For our first nine especially, I was just trying to keep it out of the trees (with limited success) and wasn't worried too much about the bunkers.
The course was in good shape for a public facility, especially the greens. The fairways were a bit ragged and the sand in the bunkers seemed packed down, but overall, it was in acceptable condition.
It reminded me of Bethpage State Park's Black course. For one, it's also at a state park and set on a large piece of property, so the holes are generously spaced. It has a classic old feel cut through the trees with many of the holes defined by its bunkering. And while not as evident as at Bethpage, the Spa also has many holes bordered by patches of fescue, as I can attest first hand.
Certainly Saratoga Spa doesn't have the scale and drama of the Black, where the ferocious bunkers are carved from a much more rollicking terrain. The Spa is not overly punitive (another contrast with the Black). There’s no tangly underbrush, so wayward drives can usually be found and result in a pitch out of some degree instead of a lost ball. The Spa is also very walkable with no major portages between holes and relatively flat terrain.
This may be a reach, but given its 7141 yards from the back tees, with the right conditioning, narrowing of the fairways, longish rough, and some speed on the slopey greens, I think this course could host a pro-level tournament.
Jerry and I enjoyed a sandwich and a beer at the Spa's version of the 19th hole, Catherines, which has a publike, men's grill feel to it. It has outside seating in the courtyard of Victoria pool, so you can pretend you're in Saratoga to watch your horses run instead of being a working stiff taking a day off. But whether you're rich and famous or a working stiff, whether you're there to play golf or enjoy the other kind of spa day, the genteel setting is well worth the trip.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Turning Back the Clock at the Calvin
[Keeping with the big tent nature of this golf blog, the following is a musical interlude.]
Sitting in the sixth row of the Calvin Theater in Northampton on June 25th, I was almost brought to tears early in Mary Chapin Carpenter's first set. It was a mixture of emotions as MCC was returning to tour with a new album, "The Age of Miracles" after suffering a pulmonary embolism three years ago just before she was about to go on tour for her last album.
After she'd played a couple of songs from her new album and brought out a few of the old favorites, it struck me of what a body of work she has compiled. The first few bars of each song were always familiar, but I usually didn't recognize the tune right away because I know so many of her songs -- at least a half dozen albums' worth. As the set continued I kept thinking that I couldn't wait to pull out every one of her albums and listen to each one. In the weeks since the concert I've been doing just that.
As is the case with many of my musical interests, my introduction to MCC in the early 90s was courtesy of my brother Jerry. He often commented that her songs are really more like poetry set to music and I was immediately captivated by her soulfulness which comes through equally well in her soft ballads as her raucus anthems, a versatility that showed fine form at the Calvin.
The introduction to MCC came during my days in Washington, and I began to listen to her almost exclusively, buying each album as soon as it came out. I remember one night at a bar playing a song of hers on the jukebox -- my roommates and girlfriend (Jen) were incredulous given that I listened to her nonstop at home. I darn near wore out "Come On Come On" and "Shooting Straight in the Dark," the first two albums I owned.
My sister Kathleen was also a fan and was concerned what would happen if she gained widespread popularity. Kathleen needn't have been worried. Though MCC won grammys and had a number of cross over country/folk/pop hits, and has maintained a dedicated following as the audience in Northampton showed, her popularity faded in the 1990s.
As her mainstream popularity waned, I stopped listening to her as often too, and I'm not exactly sure why. It certainly wasn't because she wasn't as "popular" -- I suppose my musical tastes changed.
I could also blame Jerry. I've never been one to have a constant soundtrack to my life. Though I enjoy a wide variety of music, I don't have an ipod. I'm sort of monagamous when it comes to a primary musical interest and somewhere about ten years ago, Jerry introduced me to Alison Krauss who became my "steady" musical interest.
Though I'd strayed, I continued to buy all MCC's albums, and Jen and I went to see her in July 2001 at the Fillmore Theater in Denver on her "Time Sex Love" tour. I just didn't listen to the newer albums (or the older ones) nearly as often.
I think there's another reason that I stopped listening to her as much. Her music, especially her older works, was a connection to a distinct time in my life. It provided instant passage to my DC days, working in the Senate, partying with the DC crew, planning for grad school and life after, my courtship with Jen and the loss of my Mom, all rolled into one. I actually sent MCC the only fan letter I've ever written, about how her music helped me through the time of my Mom's illness and in the months after she died. I found then, as I do now, that although some of her songs are filled with sadness and regret, there's an underlying resilience that brought me strength.
Though it was filled with its share of heartache, my time in DC was special. As I moved on to get my MBA in Chapel Hill and then to Denver, I missed DC and its top of the world feeling, even though I knew I needed separation from it. Alison Krauss and her sweet bluegrass harmonies were a convenient way to move on.
Many of these thoughts were swirling in my head as I basked in the music that night, and I wish I'd gotten around to writing some of them down sooner. I'm concerned some of the profound insights have dulled with the passage of the last few weeks, though I've kept many of them going as I've made my way CD by CD through the MCC music library.
I sat next to a builder from Shutesbury, a nice guy named Tom who's neighbor was in the band. The warm up act was a very young artist named Cara Salimando with a smokey voice. Her songs were sweet, and I'm sure her music will gain new depth once she's been seasoned by life a bit more. MCC looked good and though her voice was maybe not quite as strong on the higher notes as I remember, it has even more depth and richness that infuses the words with the particular emotion of each song. I can't do any better describing the scene or the music than Kevin O'Hare of the Republican did in his review. http://www.masslive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2010/06/mary_chapin_carpenters_comebac.html
Going to the concert was like finally putting aside the time to catch up with a dear friend. One of those things you never get around to, but can be so rewarding when you do.
Right after my time in DC, it felt a little tender to revisit MCC's music, but it felt right that night at the Calvin. Once I got over the initial shock of how long ago that was, and how much had happened in the intervening years, both feelings brought satisfaction instead of angst. It was satisfying to look back and at those days and the good run since. I got the sense MCC might have been thinking the same thing on stage that night.
Sitting in the sixth row of the Calvin Theater in Northampton on June 25th, I was almost brought to tears early in Mary Chapin Carpenter's first set. It was a mixture of emotions as MCC was returning to tour with a new album, "The Age of Miracles" after suffering a pulmonary embolism three years ago just before she was about to go on tour for her last album.
After she'd played a couple of songs from her new album and brought out a few of the old favorites, it struck me of what a body of work she has compiled. The first few bars of each song were always familiar, but I usually didn't recognize the tune right away because I know so many of her songs -- at least a half dozen albums' worth. As the set continued I kept thinking that I couldn't wait to pull out every one of her albums and listen to each one. In the weeks since the concert I've been doing just that.
As is the case with many of my musical interests, my introduction to MCC in the early 90s was courtesy of my brother Jerry. He often commented that her songs are really more like poetry set to music and I was immediately captivated by her soulfulness which comes through equally well in her soft ballads as her raucus anthems, a versatility that showed fine form at the Calvin.
The introduction to MCC came during my days in Washington, and I began to listen to her almost exclusively, buying each album as soon as it came out. I remember one night at a bar playing a song of hers on the jukebox -- my roommates and girlfriend (Jen) were incredulous given that I listened to her nonstop at home. I darn near wore out "Come On Come On" and "Shooting Straight in the Dark," the first two albums I owned.
My sister Kathleen was also a fan and was concerned what would happen if she gained widespread popularity. Kathleen needn't have been worried. Though MCC won grammys and had a number of cross over country/folk/pop hits, and has maintained a dedicated following as the audience in Northampton showed, her popularity faded in the 1990s.
As her mainstream popularity waned, I stopped listening to her as often too, and I'm not exactly sure why. It certainly wasn't because she wasn't as "popular" -- I suppose my musical tastes changed.
I could also blame Jerry. I've never been one to have a constant soundtrack to my life. Though I enjoy a wide variety of music, I don't have an ipod. I'm sort of monagamous when it comes to a primary musical interest and somewhere about ten years ago, Jerry introduced me to Alison Krauss who became my "steady" musical interest.
Though I'd strayed, I continued to buy all MCC's albums, and Jen and I went to see her in July 2001 at the Fillmore Theater in Denver on her "Time Sex Love" tour. I just didn't listen to the newer albums (or the older ones) nearly as often.
I think there's another reason that I stopped listening to her as much. Her music, especially her older works, was a connection to a distinct time in my life. It provided instant passage to my DC days, working in the Senate, partying with the DC crew, planning for grad school and life after, my courtship with Jen and the loss of my Mom, all rolled into one. I actually sent MCC the only fan letter I've ever written, about how her music helped me through the time of my Mom's illness and in the months after she died. I found then, as I do now, that although some of her songs are filled with sadness and regret, there's an underlying resilience that brought me strength.
Though it was filled with its share of heartache, my time in DC was special. As I moved on to get my MBA in Chapel Hill and then to Denver, I missed DC and its top of the world feeling, even though I knew I needed separation from it. Alison Krauss and her sweet bluegrass harmonies were a convenient way to move on.
Many of these thoughts were swirling in my head as I basked in the music that night, and I wish I'd gotten around to writing some of them down sooner. I'm concerned some of the profound insights have dulled with the passage of the last few weeks, though I've kept many of them going as I've made my way CD by CD through the MCC music library.
I sat next to a builder from Shutesbury, a nice guy named Tom who's neighbor was in the band. The warm up act was a very young artist named Cara Salimando with a smokey voice. Her songs were sweet, and I'm sure her music will gain new depth once she's been seasoned by life a bit more. MCC looked good and though her voice was maybe not quite as strong on the higher notes as I remember, it has even more depth and richness that infuses the words with the particular emotion of each song. I can't do any better describing the scene or the music than Kevin O'Hare of the Republican did in his review. http://www.masslive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2010/06/mary_chapin_carpenters_comebac.html
Going to the concert was like finally putting aside the time to catch up with a dear friend. One of those things you never get around to, but can be so rewarding when you do.
Right after my time in DC, it felt a little tender to revisit MCC's music, but it felt right that night at the Calvin. Once I got over the initial shock of how long ago that was, and how much had happened in the intervening years, both feelings brought satisfaction instead of angst. It was satisfying to look back and at those days and the good run since. I got the sense MCC might have been thinking the same thing on stage that night.
Monday, May 24, 2010
I'm On A Boat
Over the last three years when I’ve had occasion to travel to Long Island for work, I usually take a ferry across the Long Island Sound. Depending on where you’re going on the island, it doesn’t save a lot of time (though it could if there’s heavy traffic around the city), and it’s expensive, but it’s so much more civilized than battling your way down I-95 and over one of the bridges. It’s also fun because I can invoke SNL’s Adam Samberg’s profanity-laced music video parody called – “I’m On A Boat.”
So Sunday morning I boarded a 9 am ferry across the Long Island Sound, headed for Stony Brook University and the NCAA men’s lacrosse quarterfinals. The ferry ride was a bit more raucous than usual, as many of the cars on board carried lacrosse stickers and fans of each of the four schools competing at Stony Brook.
I actually hadn’t planned to attend as I was a bit weary from chasing the Big Red hockey and basketball teams around the Northeast earlier this spring. But as luck and timing would have it, I was due to speak at a conference on Long Island Monday morning, and the start time made coming in the night before advisable. So once I realized Cornell’s quarterfinal game would be on Long Island the day before the conference, I didn’t have twist my own arm too hard to make plans to come down early enough Sunday to catch the game. Jen is a good sport about my taking off for Big Red adventures – I suppose she figures I could have worse vices.
I jumped on getting the tickets as soon as Cornell put them on sale. It turned out to be a tough ticket to get as host Stony Brook was playing top-ranked Virginia in the second half of the quarterfinal double header.
Cornell was facing Army, an upset winner over second-seeded, and Cornell nemesis, Syracuse last weekend. Cornell gained its berth in the quarters by beating Loyala (MD). As has become their form this year, the Big Red lost a big lead surging ahead 9-2 and then hanging on for an 11-10 triple overtime victory, with a long stick defenseman scoring his first career goal for the win.
Army had an impressive win versus Syracuse, rallying from three behind in the second half to win in double overtime. Syracuse rarely loses in general and hardly ever at home, especially in the NCAAs where they had an 8 game winning streak by virtue of having won the last two national championships. It was a huge win for the Army team, which hadn’t won an NCAA game since 1993 when my good-natured neighbor Todd Butler was a senior.
In fact, Todd’s own special forces (his kids are 7, 5 and 4) launched a “spirit mission” against our household the Friday before the game, leaving a poster on our front door and hanging signs on our side of the fence that divides our yards which read “Go Army” and “Beat Cornell”. My 5-year old son Will and I tried to retaliate, but pressed for time and outnumbered, our response was hardly proportional. But as they left for a family trip Saturday morning, the Butlers found a placard on their windshield which said, “Go Big Red” and “Beat Army.”
Todd was also at the game with some of his fellow Army lax alumni. I stopped by during the game to say hello to him, but made it a brief visit, as my all red attire wouldn’t gain me any favor with Todd’s Army buddies. I had my own mini posse, as I met up with Farm Credit colleagues Steve Weir and Pat Wiles from our Riverhead, NY branch, at what seemed to be an ad hoc alumni gathering before the game.
The game itself was not particularly memorable. I’ll just say that after sweating out a number of close Cornell wins and losses these last few weeks, I was ecstatic that Cornell won by 9. It was a tough game for the Army faithful – as the Big Red seemed to execute well on offense and play tough, stifling “D.” Given Cornell has let teams back into a number of games recently, I didn’t rest easy until well into the fourth quarter.
After catching some of the post-game Cornell party, I went back in to check out Virginia – Stony Brook, the second game of the double header. UVa Stony Brook turned out to be the afternoon’s more exciting game from a spectator’s perspective. Virginia would typically have been a huge favorite, if not for the fact they were playing a solid Stony Brook team on its home field and the off-field troubles facing the team, with one of the Virginia players facing a murder charge in the death of a UVa women’s lacrosse player.
UVa took a 5-3 halftime lead, but Stony Brook had kept them within range and early in the third quarter, the Seawolves came back to tie the game at 5. One key for Virginia was that every time Stony Brook would tie the game – as they did at 5, 7 and 8 -- Virginia had an answer, thwarting Stony Brook from ever taking the lead. UVa’s biggest goal may have been when they scored on a breakout off the face off after Stony Brook had tied the game at 8.
The two face off specialists were unbelievable, almost every time grinding away at each other spinning slowly on the ground with their sticks and heads interlocked. In one of the face offs it took almost a minute for the ball to spring free, when it usually only takes a few seconds.
UVa extended the lead to 10-8, but Stony Brook got within one with a few minutes remaining. While they did get off one shot which could have tied the game, the UVa goalie came up with a big save and the Cavaliers were able to kill the clock and preserve the victory.
UVA will face Duke in an all ACC semifinal, while the Big Red will play Notre Dame, an upset winner over third-seeded Maryland.
I won’t be making the trip to Baltimore for the final four over Memorial Day, though of course, I’d be tempted. I’ve been on the road plenty of late and we’ll be heading to a family get together this Sunday, plus there’s no way I can work in a ferry ride to Baltimore, though come to think of it, M&T Stadium isn’t too far from Baltimore’s inner harbor area . . . no, never mind, I’m staying put.
It’s Monday afternoon on the way back from the conference and my return ferry is pulling into the dock. It’s time to return below deck to my car and rejoin the battle on Connecticut’s highways. With the semifinals on Saturday and the finals on Memorial Day, here’s hoping next Monday afternoon I’ll be glued to my TV watching the Big Red battle for the national championship. Go Big Red!
“I’m king of the world on the boat like Leo, if you all on the shore, then you sho’ ain’t me-o.” SNL Digital Short – “I’m On A Boat.”
So Sunday morning I boarded a 9 am ferry across the Long Island Sound, headed for Stony Brook University and the NCAA men’s lacrosse quarterfinals. The ferry ride was a bit more raucous than usual, as many of the cars on board carried lacrosse stickers and fans of each of the four schools competing at Stony Brook.
I actually hadn’t planned to attend as I was a bit weary from chasing the Big Red hockey and basketball teams around the Northeast earlier this spring. But as luck and timing would have it, I was due to speak at a conference on Long Island Monday morning, and the start time made coming in the night before advisable. So once I realized Cornell’s quarterfinal game would be on Long Island the day before the conference, I didn’t have twist my own arm too hard to make plans to come down early enough Sunday to catch the game. Jen is a good sport about my taking off for Big Red adventures – I suppose she figures I could have worse vices.
I jumped on getting the tickets as soon as Cornell put them on sale. It turned out to be a tough ticket to get as host Stony Brook was playing top-ranked Virginia in the second half of the quarterfinal double header.
Cornell was facing Army, an upset winner over second-seeded, and Cornell nemesis, Syracuse last weekend. Cornell gained its berth in the quarters by beating Loyala (MD). As has become their form this year, the Big Red lost a big lead surging ahead 9-2 and then hanging on for an 11-10 triple overtime victory, with a long stick defenseman scoring his first career goal for the win.
Army had an impressive win versus Syracuse, rallying from three behind in the second half to win in double overtime. Syracuse rarely loses in general and hardly ever at home, especially in the NCAAs where they had an 8 game winning streak by virtue of having won the last two national championships. It was a huge win for the Army team, which hadn’t won an NCAA game since 1993 when my good-natured neighbor Todd Butler was a senior.
In fact, Todd’s own special forces (his kids are 7, 5 and 4) launched a “spirit mission” against our household the Friday before the game, leaving a poster on our front door and hanging signs on our side of the fence that divides our yards which read “Go Army” and “Beat Cornell”. My 5-year old son Will and I tried to retaliate, but pressed for time and outnumbered, our response was hardly proportional. But as they left for a family trip Saturday morning, the Butlers found a placard on their windshield which said, “Go Big Red” and “Beat Army.”
Todd was also at the game with some of his fellow Army lax alumni. I stopped by during the game to say hello to him, but made it a brief visit, as my all red attire wouldn’t gain me any favor with Todd’s Army buddies. I had my own mini posse, as I met up with Farm Credit colleagues Steve Weir and Pat Wiles from our Riverhead, NY branch, at what seemed to be an ad hoc alumni gathering before the game.
The game itself was not particularly memorable. I’ll just say that after sweating out a number of close Cornell wins and losses these last few weeks, I was ecstatic that Cornell won by 9. It was a tough game for the Army faithful – as the Big Red seemed to execute well on offense and play tough, stifling “D.” Given Cornell has let teams back into a number of games recently, I didn’t rest easy until well into the fourth quarter.
After catching some of the post-game Cornell party, I went back in to check out Virginia – Stony Brook, the second game of the double header. UVa Stony Brook turned out to be the afternoon’s more exciting game from a spectator’s perspective. Virginia would typically have been a huge favorite, if not for the fact they were playing a solid Stony Brook team on its home field and the off-field troubles facing the team, with one of the Virginia players facing a murder charge in the death of a UVa women’s lacrosse player.
UVa took a 5-3 halftime lead, but Stony Brook had kept them within range and early in the third quarter, the Seawolves came back to tie the game at 5. One key for Virginia was that every time Stony Brook would tie the game – as they did at 5, 7 and 8 -- Virginia had an answer, thwarting Stony Brook from ever taking the lead. UVa’s biggest goal may have been when they scored on a breakout off the face off after Stony Brook had tied the game at 8.
The two face off specialists were unbelievable, almost every time grinding away at each other spinning slowly on the ground with their sticks and heads interlocked. In one of the face offs it took almost a minute for the ball to spring free, when it usually only takes a few seconds.
UVa extended the lead to 10-8, but Stony Brook got within one with a few minutes remaining. While they did get off one shot which could have tied the game, the UVa goalie came up with a big save and the Cavaliers were able to kill the clock and preserve the victory.
UVA will face Duke in an all ACC semifinal, while the Big Red will play Notre Dame, an upset winner over third-seeded Maryland.
I won’t be making the trip to Baltimore for the final four over Memorial Day, though of course, I’d be tempted. I’ve been on the road plenty of late and we’ll be heading to a family get together this Sunday, plus there’s no way I can work in a ferry ride to Baltimore, though come to think of it, M&T Stadium isn’t too far from Baltimore’s inner harbor area . . . no, never mind, I’m staying put.
It’s Monday afternoon on the way back from the conference and my return ferry is pulling into the dock. It’s time to return below deck to my car and rejoin the battle on Connecticut’s highways. With the semifinals on Saturday and the finals on Memorial Day, here’s hoping next Monday afternoon I’ll be glued to my TV watching the Big Red battle for the national championship. Go Big Red!
“I’m king of the world on the boat like Leo, if you all on the shore, then you sho’ ain’t me-o.” SNL Digital Short – “I’m On A Boat.”
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Ninth hole at Sandstone Hollow
For the last 20 years, my brother Peter has hosted a weekend get together around his August 23rd birthday. The agenda consists of a crew heading to Saratoga for the Travers Stakes on Saturday followed by a Sunday golf outing at Capital Hills, Albany's municipal course.
In addition to some of his high school, college and Albany friends, many family members have played in the golf tourney over the years, including our brother Jerry and our father, an avid golfer who passed away in December 2008.
Peter emcees the start of the golf outing, announcing all the players before they tee off. As he kicked off the tournament this past August, it hadn't occurred to me that this would be the first Bushwood Open (named for the course in the movie Caddyshack) since Dad had died.
So before he introduced the first foursome he pointed to a lone golf ball on a tee, a Titleist So-Lo, a ball which Dad often played, and asked for a moment of silence which was followed by a round of applause.
It was a nice touch and a way to remember Dad with his crew, several of whom had attended the services, but some who had not. And I'm sure like me, Peter often thinks of Dad when he plays golf, and especially kicking off his annual tournament, which Dad had played a number of times. That day on the first tee of Capital Hills came to mind today in an unexpected way, as I reenacted the last round Jerry, Peter and I played with Dad, on Father's Day 2008.
Earlier that spring, we'd managed to pull together a scaled down version of the golf trip we'd taken every year for about 15 years. Scaled down because Dad was in rough shape from the surgery, radiation and chemo he'd had in his battle with cancer. Though we didn't acknowledge it at the time, we knew it would probably be the last one.
Father's Day was another traditional outing for the four of us, and here again, that sunny June Sunday, we knew it could be the last. Dad's golf had been scaled way back (too bad because he enjoyed it so much and was about a 12 handicap into his 80s prior to his surgery in the fall of 2007) , so we played Sandstone Hollow, a nicely appointed par-3 course at the Turning Stone resort in Verona, NY.
I honestly don't recall much about the round (though I know I played poorly), except for the last hole. Having had many of his left shoulder muscles removed during his surgery, Dad had to play a kind of modified half swing. And though he lacked power, he'd figured out how to make solid contact on a number of shots, though bogey was the best he'd managed on any hole. On the ninth, which played about 120 yards, he hit a low lining fade that ended up on the back edge of the two-tiered green.
He left his first putt from off the green about five feet above the hole, the kind of twisting putt we'd seen Dad miss more times than we'd care to recount. But on that day, Dad managed to curl it in for his only par of the day, on the last hole he ever played.
During what turned out to be the toughest of years, that was a nice memory, one I recalled in the eulogy I gave at Dad's funeral. I omitted from the eulogy that Jerry and Peter also made par on that hole, but I was the odd man out having to settle for bogey after a power lip out.
And maybe the fact I made the only bogey in our foursome was on my mind today, en route to the Syracuse area where I'm staying tonight.
It was 6:15 when I was approaching the Verona exit and if it was open, I figured I could squeeze in a quick nine at Sandstone Hollow before dark. I've struggled so far this year the few times I've played, though I'd had a solid nine just the other night. I think I've figured something out with my swing and wanted to see if it was going to stick. It was turning into a beautiful evening and decided at the very least a stroll around Sandstone Hollow would beat checking email at the hotel.
I wheeled off the Thruway and paid my greens fees. Another time I'll write more about Sandstone Hollow, which is beautifully sculpted from rugged meadows and marshy forestland. Designed by Rick Smith it's one of the top 25 par-3 courses in the U.S. It was not as in nice shape tonight as it has been in the past . They had recently aerated it, though instead of taking out plugs the greens had been carved into small diamonds with narrow furrows. The bunker sand was a little rocky too, but nonetheless, it was fine for my purposes.
There was a foursome a few holes ahead so I played two balls in order to not come upon them too quickly, plus I can use all the practice I can get. After a rocky start I played pretty well and even managed to make a birdie on the sixth almost jarring it on the fly, ending up a mere two feet away.
The sun was low in the sky as I reached the ninth, and I was determined to make par. I pulled the first shot left of the green, not a bad leave but not an automatic up and down given my short game. The second tee shot was a little skinny, but turned out well, ending up about 25 feet past the pin. I wanted to stack the odds in my favor, so I pulled a third ball out of my pocket and struck it nicely, leaving it about 20 feet left of the pin. Three shots at par -- I liked my chances.
Though pin high without any trouble to carry, my first ball had found a messy lie in the rough, which I muscled out to about 15 feet. The second ball had landed further away than I thought from the tee, and though I hit a solid putt, it had sailed about four feet past. I really didn't want to rely on that third tee shot to make par.
I missed the 15 footer of the one I chipped from off the green, so I walked up confidently to the four footer and poured it in.
Par in hand, I went to pick up the third ball, when I noticed something that hadn't caught my attention before. Though I usually play Bridgestone, that third ball was a Titleist So-Lo, and immediately, I thought of Peter's tribute last August.
The sun had just about dipped below the horizon, so I decided to leave it there, a temporary momento in honor of Dad. And though I had to play three tee shots, I was glad I'd finally gotten my par, and left a good chance at birdie for Dad.
In addition to some of his high school, college and Albany friends, many family members have played in the golf tourney over the years, including our brother Jerry and our father, an avid golfer who passed away in December 2008.
Peter emcees the start of the golf outing, announcing all the players before they tee off. As he kicked off the tournament this past August, it hadn't occurred to me that this would be the first Bushwood Open (named for the course in the movie Caddyshack) since Dad had died.
So before he introduced the first foursome he pointed to a lone golf ball on a tee, a Titleist So-Lo, a ball which Dad often played, and asked for a moment of silence which was followed by a round of applause.
It was a nice touch and a way to remember Dad with his crew, several of whom had attended the services, but some who had not. And I'm sure like me, Peter often thinks of Dad when he plays golf, and especially kicking off his annual tournament, which Dad had played a number of times. That day on the first tee of Capital Hills came to mind today in an unexpected way, as I reenacted the last round Jerry, Peter and I played with Dad, on Father's Day 2008.
Earlier that spring, we'd managed to pull together a scaled down version of the golf trip we'd taken every year for about 15 years. Scaled down because Dad was in rough shape from the surgery, radiation and chemo he'd had in his battle with cancer. Though we didn't acknowledge it at the time, we knew it would probably be the last one.
Father's Day was another traditional outing for the four of us, and here again, that sunny June Sunday, we knew it could be the last. Dad's golf had been scaled way back (too bad because he enjoyed it so much and was about a 12 handicap into his 80s prior to his surgery in the fall of 2007) , so we played Sandstone Hollow, a nicely appointed par-3 course at the Turning Stone resort in Verona, NY.
I honestly don't recall much about the round (though I know I played poorly), except for the last hole. Having had many of his left shoulder muscles removed during his surgery, Dad had to play a kind of modified half swing. And though he lacked power, he'd figured out how to make solid contact on a number of shots, though bogey was the best he'd managed on any hole. On the ninth, which played about 120 yards, he hit a low lining fade that ended up on the back edge of the two-tiered green.
He left his first putt from off the green about five feet above the hole, the kind of twisting putt we'd seen Dad miss more times than we'd care to recount. But on that day, Dad managed to curl it in for his only par of the day, on the last hole he ever played.
During what turned out to be the toughest of years, that was a nice memory, one I recalled in the eulogy I gave at Dad's funeral. I omitted from the eulogy that Jerry and Peter also made par on that hole, but I was the odd man out having to settle for bogey after a power lip out.
And maybe the fact I made the only bogey in our foursome was on my mind today, en route to the Syracuse area where I'm staying tonight.
It was 6:15 when I was approaching the Verona exit and if it was open, I figured I could squeeze in a quick nine at Sandstone Hollow before dark. I've struggled so far this year the few times I've played, though I'd had a solid nine just the other night. I think I've figured something out with my swing and wanted to see if it was going to stick. It was turning into a beautiful evening and decided at the very least a stroll around Sandstone Hollow would beat checking email at the hotel.
I wheeled off the Thruway and paid my greens fees. Another time I'll write more about Sandstone Hollow, which is beautifully sculpted from rugged meadows and marshy forestland. Designed by Rick Smith it's one of the top 25 par-3 courses in the U.S. It was not as in nice shape tonight as it has been in the past . They had recently aerated it, though instead of taking out plugs the greens had been carved into small diamonds with narrow furrows. The bunker sand was a little rocky too, but nonetheless, it was fine for my purposes.
There was a foursome a few holes ahead so I played two balls in order to not come upon them too quickly, plus I can use all the practice I can get. After a rocky start I played pretty well and even managed to make a birdie on the sixth almost jarring it on the fly, ending up a mere two feet away.
The sun was low in the sky as I reached the ninth, and I was determined to make par. I pulled the first shot left of the green, not a bad leave but not an automatic up and down given my short game. The second tee shot was a little skinny, but turned out well, ending up about 25 feet past the pin. I wanted to stack the odds in my favor, so I pulled a third ball out of my pocket and struck it nicely, leaving it about 20 feet left of the pin. Three shots at par -- I liked my chances.
Though pin high without any trouble to carry, my first ball had found a messy lie in the rough, which I muscled out to about 15 feet. The second ball had landed further away than I thought from the tee, and though I hit a solid putt, it had sailed about four feet past. I really didn't want to rely on that third tee shot to make par.
I missed the 15 footer of the one I chipped from off the green, so I walked up confidently to the four footer and poured it in.
Par in hand, I went to pick up the third ball, when I noticed something that hadn't caught my attention before. Though I usually play Bridgestone, that third ball was a Titleist So-Lo, and immediately, I thought of Peter's tribute last August.
The sun had just about dipped below the horizon, so I decided to leave it there, a temporary momento in honor of Dad. And though I had to play three tee shots, I was glad I'd finally gotten my par, and left a good chance at birdie for Dad.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Under the radar
I groaned with the recent news of Tiger Woods splitting with his swing coach Hank Haney, on the heels of his withdrawl due to injury from the final round of the Players Championship two weeks ago. It's just the latest in what seems to be the all-Tiger coverage of the PGA Tour.
Certainly the events and issues surrounding the world's number one player are newsworthy in the golf world, including the recent injury and split with Haney. What concerns me is the golf media constant fanning the flames of the Tiger watch uses up all the oxygen for all the other compelling stories on the tour this year.
Stories that even a couple years ago would have gained attention in the more ordinary days of the Tiger era, many involving big name players, seem to be going unnoticed. So just for fun, here's my top 10 golf stories not about Tiger. I'm also going to leave out Phil Mickelson's win at the Masters, because while I'm a big Phil fan, in those rare instances when the focus shifts from Tiger, it seems to go to Phil, or more likely, to a story combining the two.
Honorable mention: All of these come under the category of marquee players who have finally returned to the winners circle after having been out for a while, a theme of the list that follows.
--Camillo Villegas, who won twice in the 2008 FedEx playoffs gets back on the board with a win at the Honda.
--Hunter Mahan who coming into 2010 seemed like he had more than one victory, gets his second at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
--Anthony Kim, like Villegas, a young gun who won twice in 2008 gets his third PGA Tour win at the Shell Houston Open.
--Adam Scott also gets his first win since 2008 this past weekend at the Valero Texas Open.
10) Winless since 2001, Robert Allenby appears to have overcome his putting troubles and has four top tens and two seconds this year including a hard-fought second to Tim Clark at the Players. He wears pink on Sunday in honor of his mother who lost her battle with breast cancer last year, and a win at the Players on Mother's Day would have been an incredible story.
9) Vijay Singh's struggles really began last year as he's battled injuries after winning the FedEx Cup in 2008. He's become such a fixture in the majors that it's almost unthinkable he's in danger of dropping out of the top 50 and might not have a guaranteed spot in the U.S. Open.
8) Ian Poulter gets his first win on U.S. soil with a win over fellow Englishman Paul Casey at the Accenture Match Play.
7) With Phil Mickelson in hot pursuit, Rory McIlroy torches the course and the field with a final round 62 for his first PGA Tour win at the Quail Hollow Championship. It comes the same day 18- year old Ryo Ishikawa shoots a 58 to win a Japanese Tour event in a statement day for two of the game’s youngest stars.
6) Tim Clark's win at the Players Championship was an impressive first-time win, and one long in the making for a player with an outstanding record in big tournaments -- almost hard to believe it was his first. A great performance on a tough scoring day though most of the attention went to the guy in 33rd place who had to withdraw due to injury.
5) Fred Couples collects a second and then three consecutive wins in his first four starts on the Champions Tour then tops it off by getting into contention on the weekend at Augusta.
4) While he'd never really reached slump status, Jim Furyk ended a three year winless drought with wins at the Transitions Championship and the Verizon Heritage.
3) Lee Westwood loses the lead at both the Masters and the Players Championship -- tough losses for a guy who gives a great interview.
2) Lorena Ochoa -- not the PGA tour, but a huge story with the women's tour's top player leaving the game in her prime. In fairness, this story was covered pretty well as it must have been a slow Tiger news week.
1) A fixture in the world golf rankings top 10 over the last decade Ernie Els had slipped to 17th at the end of 2009, but now leads the FedEx points race with two wins this year at Bay Hill and Doral. Though he had disappointing finishes at the Masters and the Players, it's good to have Ernie back in top form.
I don’t want this list to be perceived as anti-Tiger. I’m glad he’s back and wish him best as he deals with his personal life and his neck injury. But whether or not you agree with the order or contents of this list (I’m sure I’ve missed some), there’s a lot of other things going on this year on tour, and it would be nice to see more coverage of them.
Certainly the events and issues surrounding the world's number one player are newsworthy in the golf world, including the recent injury and split with Haney. What concerns me is the golf media constant fanning the flames of the Tiger watch uses up all the oxygen for all the other compelling stories on the tour this year.
Stories that even a couple years ago would have gained attention in the more ordinary days of the Tiger era, many involving big name players, seem to be going unnoticed. So just for fun, here's my top 10 golf stories not about Tiger. I'm also going to leave out Phil Mickelson's win at the Masters, because while I'm a big Phil fan, in those rare instances when the focus shifts from Tiger, it seems to go to Phil, or more likely, to a story combining the two.
Honorable mention: All of these come under the category of marquee players who have finally returned to the winners circle after having been out for a while, a theme of the list that follows.
--Camillo Villegas, who won twice in the 2008 FedEx playoffs gets back on the board with a win at the Honda.
--Hunter Mahan who coming into 2010 seemed like he had more than one victory, gets his second at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
--Anthony Kim, like Villegas, a young gun who won twice in 2008 gets his third PGA Tour win at the Shell Houston Open.
--Adam Scott also gets his first win since 2008 this past weekend at the Valero Texas Open.
10) Winless since 2001, Robert Allenby appears to have overcome his putting troubles and has four top tens and two seconds this year including a hard-fought second to Tim Clark at the Players. He wears pink on Sunday in honor of his mother who lost her battle with breast cancer last year, and a win at the Players on Mother's Day would have been an incredible story.
9) Vijay Singh's struggles really began last year as he's battled injuries after winning the FedEx Cup in 2008. He's become such a fixture in the majors that it's almost unthinkable he's in danger of dropping out of the top 50 and might not have a guaranteed spot in the U.S. Open.
8) Ian Poulter gets his first win on U.S. soil with a win over fellow Englishman Paul Casey at the Accenture Match Play.
7) With Phil Mickelson in hot pursuit, Rory McIlroy torches the course and the field with a final round 62 for his first PGA Tour win at the Quail Hollow Championship. It comes the same day 18- year old Ryo Ishikawa shoots a 58 to win a Japanese Tour event in a statement day for two of the game’s youngest stars.
6) Tim Clark's win at the Players Championship was an impressive first-time win, and one long in the making for a player with an outstanding record in big tournaments -- almost hard to believe it was his first. A great performance on a tough scoring day though most of the attention went to the guy in 33rd place who had to withdraw due to injury.
5) Fred Couples collects a second and then three consecutive wins in his first four starts on the Champions Tour then tops it off by getting into contention on the weekend at Augusta.
4) While he'd never really reached slump status, Jim Furyk ended a three year winless drought with wins at the Transitions Championship and the Verizon Heritage.
3) Lee Westwood loses the lead at both the Masters and the Players Championship -- tough losses for a guy who gives a great interview.
2) Lorena Ochoa -- not the PGA tour, but a huge story with the women's tour's top player leaving the game in her prime. In fairness, this story was covered pretty well as it must have been a slow Tiger news week.
1) A fixture in the world golf rankings top 10 over the last decade Ernie Els had slipped to 17th at the end of 2009, but now leads the FedEx points race with two wins this year at Bay Hill and Doral. Though he had disappointing finishes at the Masters and the Players, it's good to have Ernie back in top form.
I don’t want this list to be perceived as anti-Tiger. I’m glad he’s back and wish him best as he deals with his personal life and his neck injury. But whether or not you agree with the order or contents of this list (I’m sure I’ve missed some), there’s a lot of other things going on this year on tour, and it would be nice to see more coverage of them.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Preakness
Couldn't resist taking a run through the Preakness field with my handicapping thoughts.
Preakness 2010 –
This year’s Preakness won’t have the hoopla of the 2009 edition, which ended with a jockey, instead of a horse, having a shot at the triple crown. After leaving surprise Derby winner Mine That Bird for Rachel Alexandra, Calvin Borel guided the filly to victory. Borel has a chance to capture the first two legs of the triple crown again this year, though this time he’ll be on the same horse.
And while it won’t have the “which horse do I ride” or “boys v. girl” drama of last year, as long as you have the Kentucky Derby winner in the starting gate, it’s a compelling storyline, even if though this year’s edition is not as intriguing from a handicapper’s perspective.
What’s most interesting in handicapping the Preakness each year is figuring out the newcomers. Most years the top finishers in the Derby find their way to Pimlico along with a few others, but this year’s contingent isn’t particularly notable. Only Paddy O’Prado (3rd), Lookin at Lucky (6th), Dublin (7th) and Jackson Bend (12th) are joining Derby champ Super Saver in making the trip from Louisville to Baltimore. The most glaring absence is Ice Box, the Derby’s fast closing second place finisher, who may reappear at the Belmont in June.
The rest of the Preakness field is usually filled with horses which weren’t quite ready by Derby time and opted for another prep race, or horses that were on the Derby trail, but didn’t get in because their career earnings were too low.
In terms of alternate prep races, there are two entrants from the Derby Trial, a Grade 3 run the week before the Derby, though unfortunately Hurricane Ike, the winner, will miss the Preakness due to injury. The other angle I like to play is giving a look to the winner of the Federico Tesio Stakes, which is run at Pimlico the day of the Derby. That’s now only a $70K race, which may be a reason its winner Bank the Eight isn’t in the Preakness field.
So that leaves five others, who had been running the Derby preps and didn’t run in the Derby, but I’ll take a quick look at the whole field.
1- Aikenite – Not sure the second place finish at the Derby Trial is enough to warrant serious consideration, but this Pletcher entry earned a respectable 96 Beyer in that race, which was his seventh straight start in graded stakes company. I might take a chance depending on the odds.
2- Schoolyard Dreams – Our local sports columnist likes this horse which had seconds in two Grade 3 preps before finishing fourth in the Wood Memorial last time out. I like others better.
3- Pleasant Prince – The other entrant from the Derby Trial probably looked like a Derby contender after narrowly losing to Ice Box in the Florida Derby. After a seventh at the Blue Grass Pleasant Prince ended up in the Derby Trial instead of the Derby where his distant third place finish doesn’t inspire. It might be a stretch, but you could do crazier things than bet on a horse that only lost to Ice Box by a nose.
4- Northern Giant – His washout in the Arkansas Derby last time out and the fact it took six tries to break his maiden don’t inspire much confidence. If you’re looking for a reason to back this Lukas trained entry, he does boast a third in the Grade 2 Risen Star and a second in the Grade 2 Lanes End earlier this spring.
5- Yawanna Twist – A lightly raced Dutrow entry, Yawanna Twist could be worth a shot as he has two firsts and two seconds in four lifetime starts, including seconds in the Gotham and Illinois Derby his last two tries. Might be worth a deuce.
6- Jackson Bend – The Derby was the first time this horse didn’t finish first or second. Who knows what to make of the 12th place finish in the Derby, but obviously Zito thinks enough of him to give him another shot, and he should have a decent price.
7- Lookin at Lucky – Baffert’s Derby favorite had a tough trip from the one hole at Churchill, and the ML has him as the second choice, so apparently the oddsmaker is giving him a pass on that one. Can’t be ignored, but I’ll pass given the likely low odds.
8- Super Saver – I liked him for the Derby and like him even better now. He’ll get bet down to nothing, but that’s the price of having a live triple crown hopeful.
9- Caracortado – Here’s a horse who was four for four as a two-year old, and began his three year old campaign with a win at the Grade 2 RB Lewis on the poly at Santa Anita. He’s trailed off a bit since with a third in the San Felipe and a fourth in the Santa Anita Derby, but clearly it’s a horse with talent. Not sure how his resume on the poly translates to Pimlico, so I’ll pass.
10- Paddy O’Prado – Desormeaux got some heat for his ride in the Derby from the armchair jockey brigade, which should be ignored. PO’P’s impressive third place finish will make him a fashionable choice.
11- First Dude – Nothing really stands out for this horse. You could try to build a case on his third place finish in the Blue Grass after finishing 5th in the Florida Derby, but I won’t.
12- Dublin – Lukas brings Dublin back after an under-the-radar 7th in the Derby. He had hit the board in his three previous starts in graded stakes preps at Oaklawn, so he’s still worth a look and should carry a decent price.
I went to the Preakness five times in the early 90s when I lived in the DC-area, so I have some good memories of it, and hope to have a few more after Saturday.
I’m going to approach this race as more of a spectator than a handicapper. I’ll take Super Saver again, and box him in an exacta with Aikenite. May toss a deuce at Yawanna Twist if the odds are high enough. Go Super Saver!
Preakness 2010 –
This year’s Preakness won’t have the hoopla of the 2009 edition, which ended with a jockey, instead of a horse, having a shot at the triple crown. After leaving surprise Derby winner Mine That Bird for Rachel Alexandra, Calvin Borel guided the filly to victory. Borel has a chance to capture the first two legs of the triple crown again this year, though this time he’ll be on the same horse.
And while it won’t have the “which horse do I ride” or “boys v. girl” drama of last year, as long as you have the Kentucky Derby winner in the starting gate, it’s a compelling storyline, even if though this year’s edition is not as intriguing from a handicapper’s perspective.
What’s most interesting in handicapping the Preakness each year is figuring out the newcomers. Most years the top finishers in the Derby find their way to Pimlico along with a few others, but this year’s contingent isn’t particularly notable. Only Paddy O’Prado (3rd), Lookin at Lucky (6th), Dublin (7th) and Jackson Bend (12th) are joining Derby champ Super Saver in making the trip from Louisville to Baltimore. The most glaring absence is Ice Box, the Derby’s fast closing second place finisher, who may reappear at the Belmont in June.
The rest of the Preakness field is usually filled with horses which weren’t quite ready by Derby time and opted for another prep race, or horses that were on the Derby trail, but didn’t get in because their career earnings were too low.
In terms of alternate prep races, there are two entrants from the Derby Trial, a Grade 3 run the week before the Derby, though unfortunately Hurricane Ike, the winner, will miss the Preakness due to injury. The other angle I like to play is giving a look to the winner of the Federico Tesio Stakes, which is run at Pimlico the day of the Derby. That’s now only a $70K race, which may be a reason its winner Bank the Eight isn’t in the Preakness field.
So that leaves five others, who had been running the Derby preps and didn’t run in the Derby, but I’ll take a quick look at the whole field.
1- Aikenite – Not sure the second place finish at the Derby Trial is enough to warrant serious consideration, but this Pletcher entry earned a respectable 96 Beyer in that race, which was his seventh straight start in graded stakes company. I might take a chance depending on the odds.
2- Schoolyard Dreams – Our local sports columnist likes this horse which had seconds in two Grade 3 preps before finishing fourth in the Wood Memorial last time out. I like others better.
3- Pleasant Prince – The other entrant from the Derby Trial probably looked like a Derby contender after narrowly losing to Ice Box in the Florida Derby. After a seventh at the Blue Grass Pleasant Prince ended up in the Derby Trial instead of the Derby where his distant third place finish doesn’t inspire. It might be a stretch, but you could do crazier things than bet on a horse that only lost to Ice Box by a nose.
4- Northern Giant – His washout in the Arkansas Derby last time out and the fact it took six tries to break his maiden don’t inspire much confidence. If you’re looking for a reason to back this Lukas trained entry, he does boast a third in the Grade 2 Risen Star and a second in the Grade 2 Lanes End earlier this spring.
5- Yawanna Twist – A lightly raced Dutrow entry, Yawanna Twist could be worth a shot as he has two firsts and two seconds in four lifetime starts, including seconds in the Gotham and Illinois Derby his last two tries. Might be worth a deuce.
6- Jackson Bend – The Derby was the first time this horse didn’t finish first or second. Who knows what to make of the 12th place finish in the Derby, but obviously Zito thinks enough of him to give him another shot, and he should have a decent price.
7- Lookin at Lucky – Baffert’s Derby favorite had a tough trip from the one hole at Churchill, and the ML has him as the second choice, so apparently the oddsmaker is giving him a pass on that one. Can’t be ignored, but I’ll pass given the likely low odds.
8- Super Saver – I liked him for the Derby and like him even better now. He’ll get bet down to nothing, but that’s the price of having a live triple crown hopeful.
9- Caracortado – Here’s a horse who was four for four as a two-year old, and began his three year old campaign with a win at the Grade 2 RB Lewis on the poly at Santa Anita. He’s trailed off a bit since with a third in the San Felipe and a fourth in the Santa Anita Derby, but clearly it’s a horse with talent. Not sure how his resume on the poly translates to Pimlico, so I’ll pass.
10- Paddy O’Prado – Desormeaux got some heat for his ride in the Derby from the armchair jockey brigade, which should be ignored. PO’P’s impressive third place finish will make him a fashionable choice.
11- First Dude – Nothing really stands out for this horse. You could try to build a case on his third place finish in the Blue Grass after finishing 5th in the Florida Derby, but I won’t.
12- Dublin – Lukas brings Dublin back after an under-the-radar 7th in the Derby. He had hit the board in his three previous starts in graded stakes preps at Oaklawn, so he’s still worth a look and should carry a decent price.
I went to the Preakness five times in the early 90s when I lived in the DC-area, so I have some good memories of it, and hope to have a few more after Saturday.
I’m going to approach this race as more of a spectator than a handicapper. I’ll take Super Saver again, and box him in an exacta with Aikenite. May toss a deuce at Yawanna Twist if the odds are high enough. Go Super Saver!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Braxatology, etc.
Yesterday the 16 team field for the NCAA lacrosse championships were annouced. I was pleased the 10-5 Cornell Big Red landed a first round home game as the #7 seed vs. the #10 seed Loyola Greyhounds. Here's the link to the bracket: http://www.ncaa.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/ncaa/sports/m-lacros/auto_pdf/MLax-D1-2010Bracket
I don't know much about Loyola, except they lost Saturday to Johns Hopkins, allowing the 7-7 Blue Jays to keep intact their streak of 38 straight NCAA appearances (must be .500 to get in the field).
Cornell's season has been a mixed bag, but the bottom line is they've done well to return to the NCAAs after graduating a number of key seniors from last year's NCAA runner-up team, including Max Seibald, who won the 2009 Tewaarton Trophy, lacrosse's version of hockey's Hobey Baker award.
After jumping out to a 4-0 record including an overtime win over eventual Patriot champ Army, Cornell got thumped by number one Virginia 12-4 at home. The Big Red ran its record to 7-1 following the loss to the Cavaliers, but then lost three of four, including a neutral site loss to an unacclaimed Dartmouth team, a heartbreaker to upstate rival Syracuse and a loss to ivy foe Brown, both at home.
The Big Red closed the regular season on a high note, hanging on for a road win against Princeton giving them a share of the ivy crown and the chance to host the first ever Ivy League tournament. After Cornell avenged its earlier loss to Brown in the tourney semis, Princeton did the same against Cornell with an overtime win in the championship.
The losses to Syracuse and Princeton were reminiscient of last year's meltdown in the NCAA championship game in terms of giving up fourth quarter leads, with the decisive goals being scored with only seconds to go. In last year's championship game, Syracuse scored the tying goal with only two seconds left and then won in overtime. In this year's installment of Orange heartbreak, Syracuse scored the winning goal as time expired in regulation to capture an 8-7 win after Cornell had led 7-5 with eight minutes to go.
Then a week after denying Princeton a game tying goal at the end of regulation, a game in which Cornell led 9-3 early in the fourth, in the ivy championship game, Cornell gave up the game winning goal to the Tigers with only two seconds left in overtime. This time, Cornell had led 6-2 at the half and 7-3 midway through the third, so I'm hopeful Cornell can do a better job hanging on to the lead now that they're in the tourney.
If they can vanquish Loyola, Cornell will have a regular season rematch, most likely against second seeded Syracuse, but possibly against Army, the 15 seed and winners of seven straight and nine of ten. My neighbor Todd Butler is a West Point grad who played midfield there in the early 90s and helps me keeps tabs on college lacrosse from across the fence.
Expectations are in check, but if Cornell can play like they have in the first halves of the games I've seen, they can play with anyone. Go Big Red!
Golf -- Players Championship
A shout out to Tim Clark, who picked a good spot for his first PGA Tour victory. He's been close a bunch and you always knew it was just a matter of time -- a little guy with a lot of golf chops.
A tough one for Robert Allenby -- a Mother's Day win in honor of his late mother surely would have meant the world to him. It would have been a big win for Lee Westwood too as the well-spoken Englishman has now lost two in a row after taking leads into the final round of both the Masters and the Players.
Phil Mickelson made a nice run on Saturday, but never got it going on Sunday, and who knows what's going on with Tiger who had to withdraw with an injury in the final round, though he was well off the pace.
If I had more time, I'd say some more about the course itself, seemingly always a storyline in the tournament with the dramatic island green 17th and several other iconic holes.
Though no pushover at 7200 yards, it has three reachable par-5s and three par-4s under 400 yards -- I'd be willing to bet that's more sub 400 yard par fours than most PGA tour venues these days. The players ate up the course the first three days, but as the greens hardened and took on that major championship rust color, the course showed it's teeth on Sunday while still yielding a 67 to the outstanding play of Tim Clark. It's had a wide range of champions in the last decade from the big guns like Tiger, Phil and Sergio, to shorter hitters like Fred Funk and this year's champ Tim Clark.
My bias has always been to the older more traditional layouts, and frankly I've never cared for the TPC Sawgrass, but it does seem to be more democratic than some of today's courses, so I'm going to give it another look.
Final Word
With apologies from my favorite faux news host, Stephen Colbert, tonight's word: relegation. To me, one of the coolest concepts in all of sports comes from the English soccer leagues where the bottom teams in the standings are relegated to a lower division the following year and the top teams climb the ranks. Sorry Portsmouth, this year's record of 7-24-7 has earned you a trip from the Premier League to the Coca Cola Championship Division (it may sound better, but it's not).
Just imagine the implications, for U.S. sports. Pro: Hey, New Jersey Nets, 12-70 doesn't give the best chance for the top draft pick, instead you get to play in the CBA next year. College: Eastern Michigan, 0-12 last year, you get to play football championship subdivision (fka I-AA) next year. And it works the other way too -- Villanova wins the FCS championship, next year you get to play in the Big East in football too!
And it even works at the individual player level -- if a baseball player's not performing, then he gets sent down to the minor leagues and a minor leaguer gets promoted to play . . . . . . hmmm, so I guess the U.S. already has some forms of relegation.
In addition to the NCAA lax tourney, the Preakness is on tap for this weekend, so we'll see if Super Saver can keep his triple crown hopes alive. And for the non-fringe sport fans among you, the NBA and NHL playoffs are heating up too. Go Super Saver!
I don't know much about Loyola, except they lost Saturday to Johns Hopkins, allowing the 7-7 Blue Jays to keep intact their streak of 38 straight NCAA appearances (must be .500 to get in the field).
Cornell's season has been a mixed bag, but the bottom line is they've done well to return to the NCAAs after graduating a number of key seniors from last year's NCAA runner-up team, including Max Seibald, who won the 2009 Tewaarton Trophy, lacrosse's version of hockey's Hobey Baker award.
After jumping out to a 4-0 record including an overtime win over eventual Patriot champ Army, Cornell got thumped by number one Virginia 12-4 at home. The Big Red ran its record to 7-1 following the loss to the Cavaliers, but then lost three of four, including a neutral site loss to an unacclaimed Dartmouth team, a heartbreaker to upstate rival Syracuse and a loss to ivy foe Brown, both at home.
The Big Red closed the regular season on a high note, hanging on for a road win against Princeton giving them a share of the ivy crown and the chance to host the first ever Ivy League tournament. After Cornell avenged its earlier loss to Brown in the tourney semis, Princeton did the same against Cornell with an overtime win in the championship.
The losses to Syracuse and Princeton were reminiscient of last year's meltdown in the NCAA championship game in terms of giving up fourth quarter leads, with the decisive goals being scored with only seconds to go. In last year's championship game, Syracuse scored the tying goal with only two seconds left and then won in overtime. In this year's installment of Orange heartbreak, Syracuse scored the winning goal as time expired in regulation to capture an 8-7 win after Cornell had led 7-5 with eight minutes to go.
Then a week after denying Princeton a game tying goal at the end of regulation, a game in which Cornell led 9-3 early in the fourth, in the ivy championship game, Cornell gave up the game winning goal to the Tigers with only two seconds left in overtime. This time, Cornell had led 6-2 at the half and 7-3 midway through the third, so I'm hopeful Cornell can do a better job hanging on to the lead now that they're in the tourney.
If they can vanquish Loyola, Cornell will have a regular season rematch, most likely against second seeded Syracuse, but possibly against Army, the 15 seed and winners of seven straight and nine of ten. My neighbor Todd Butler is a West Point grad who played midfield there in the early 90s and helps me keeps tabs on college lacrosse from across the fence.
Expectations are in check, but if Cornell can play like they have in the first halves of the games I've seen, they can play with anyone. Go Big Red!
Golf -- Players Championship
A shout out to Tim Clark, who picked a good spot for his first PGA Tour victory. He's been close a bunch and you always knew it was just a matter of time -- a little guy with a lot of golf chops.
A tough one for Robert Allenby -- a Mother's Day win in honor of his late mother surely would have meant the world to him. It would have been a big win for Lee Westwood too as the well-spoken Englishman has now lost two in a row after taking leads into the final round of both the Masters and the Players.
Phil Mickelson made a nice run on Saturday, but never got it going on Sunday, and who knows what's going on with Tiger who had to withdraw with an injury in the final round, though he was well off the pace.
If I had more time, I'd say some more about the course itself, seemingly always a storyline in the tournament with the dramatic island green 17th and several other iconic holes.
Though no pushover at 7200 yards, it has three reachable par-5s and three par-4s under 400 yards -- I'd be willing to bet that's more sub 400 yard par fours than most PGA tour venues these days. The players ate up the course the first three days, but as the greens hardened and took on that major championship rust color, the course showed it's teeth on Sunday while still yielding a 67 to the outstanding play of Tim Clark. It's had a wide range of champions in the last decade from the big guns like Tiger, Phil and Sergio, to shorter hitters like Fred Funk and this year's champ Tim Clark.
My bias has always been to the older more traditional layouts, and frankly I've never cared for the TPC Sawgrass, but it does seem to be more democratic than some of today's courses, so I'm going to give it another look.
Final Word
With apologies from my favorite faux news host, Stephen Colbert, tonight's word: relegation. To me, one of the coolest concepts in all of sports comes from the English soccer leagues where the bottom teams in the standings are relegated to a lower division the following year and the top teams climb the ranks. Sorry Portsmouth, this year's record of 7-24-7 has earned you a trip from the Premier League to the Coca Cola Championship Division (it may sound better, but it's not).
Just imagine the implications, for U.S. sports. Pro: Hey, New Jersey Nets, 12-70 doesn't give the best chance for the top draft pick, instead you get to play in the CBA next year. College: Eastern Michigan, 0-12 last year, you get to play football championship subdivision (fka I-AA) next year. And it works the other way too -- Villanova wins the FCS championship, next year you get to play in the Big East in football too!
And it even works at the individual player level -- if a baseball player's not performing, then he gets sent down to the minor leagues and a minor leaguer gets promoted to play . . . . . . hmmm, so I guess the U.S. already has some forms of relegation.
In addition to the NCAA lax tourney, the Preakness is on tap for this weekend, so we'll see if Super Saver can keep his triple crown hopes alive. And for the non-fringe sport fans among you, the NBA and NHL playoffs are heating up too. Go Super Saver!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Kentucky Derby Picks
In keeping with the eclectic nature of this golf blog I'm posting my almost annual Derby picks. (It's a big tent golf blog -- after all, golf is played on Bluegrass and Kentucky is the Bluegrass state -- never mind.] This time they were solicited by my Cornell pal Mike McMahon who's in the business. He posted my Preakness picks last year on his site http://www.mcmahonbloodstock.com/ , so you can find these picks there too. And if you don't believe me, you can get free past performances at drf.com and handicap it yourself. http://www.drf.com/tc/kentuckyderby/2010/136.html Enjoy!
Derby 2010: Favorites, Longshots, and Everything in Between
By Tom Cosgrove, special to mcmahonbloodstock.com
In the 2000 edition of the Kentucky Derby, a highly touted three-year old with an exotic name, won impressively at the Wood Memorial and went on to win the Derby as a solid favorite. It looked like the same storyline was unfolding for the 2010 Derby – until Sunday.
Scratched this past weekend, Eskendereya will not repeat the feat of Fusaichi Pegasus, the 2000 Wood Memorial and Kentucky Derby winner. Until Saturday, this year’s Derby may be known as much for the horse that isn’t starting as the 20 in the gate – until about 6:35 pm, when one of them gets a blanket of roses draped over its saddle and the talk of the elusive triple crown begins.
In the years since Fu Peg’s victory, the winners have been a mixture of favorites, long shots and everything in between. But in the last seven years the winner has been either a favorite or near favorite (Smarty Jones (2004), Barbaro (near favorite, 2006), Street Sense (2007) and Big Brown (2008)) or a complete bomber like Giacomo (2005) and Mine That Bird (2009). And while Funny Cide (2003) wasn’t a true longshot, his win was a shock to many, and since he’s a New York-bred and I know the connections ;-), I was looking for an excuse to mention him.
So I’m going to handicap this year’s Derby looking for an angle on all 20, with the idea that just about any one of them could be wearing that blanket of roses on Saturday.
The field
Lookin At Lucky – One would think it’s a tough post for the ML favorite, but as many winners have come from the one post (12) as any other. Still a lot (as in everything) will depend on the trip. You can throw out the third place in the Santa Anita Derby as no winner has prepped in that race since the polytrack was installed, and instead refer back to the 6 of 7 lifetime prior with his only loss coming in the form of a second in the BC Juvenile. Baffert has a good one here.
Ice Box – It’s rare the Florida Derby winner gets a ML as high as 10-1, so there could be some value here. Then again, Zito trained Ice Box entered that race lightly regarded, but he’s clearly moving in the right direction.
Noble’s Promise – One of the top juveniles last year, he began his three year old campaign in the Rebel Stakes with a solid second to Lookin at Lucky. The last time out at Oaklawn in the Arkansas Derby he managed only a 5th, but you can chalk that up to a rough trip – worth a look.
Super Saver – Pletcher entry Super Saver comes off a close second in the Arkansas Derby, and won the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill last November, but the most compelling reason to play him may be the magician on his back, Calvin Borel.
Line of David – I had to go back and check to make sure I hadn’t copied it down wrong as to why the Arkansas Derby winner has ML odds of 30-1. Granted he was a maiden only two races before, but it’s not like they gave him a head start at Oaklawn. I’d be surprised if his odds stay that high, but should still provide some value.
Stately Victor – Just like Line of David, Mike Bettaglia isn’t showing any love to the Blue Grass Stakes winner with a ML of 30-1, only slightly lower than SV’s odds before he won at Keeneland . Like the Santa Anita Derby, the Blue Grass doesn’t seem to prep many winners, but Street Sense parlayed a second place finish there to a Derby win three years ago. Can’t count out a horse that won a Grade I his last time out.
American Lion – Those who have read my triple crown picks before know I have a soft spot for the Illinois Derby winner ever since War Emblem followed up his win there with a Derby victory in 2002. His winning Beyer figure of 98 is about as good as any horse in the field and with a ML of 30-1, it’s another reason the Derby is one of the most fun races to bet.
Dean’s Kitten – So the Grade 2 Lane’s End back in March at Turfway isn’t the pre-eminent prep race, but Dean’s Kitten won it. It’s a better resume than last year’s winner Mine that Bird whose last prep was a fourth place finish in the Sunland Derby. With a 50-1 ML, this may be a longshot with a shot.
Make Music for Me – So this one’s a little (OK, a lot) tougher to like coming off a 6th in the Blue Grass with only one win in eight lifetime tries. That W came on the turf at Santa Anita two back posting a 93 Beyer. So there’s that, or maybe you’re in a band or just really like the number nine.
Paddy O’Prado – Coming off a second in the Blue Grass and a win at the Grade 3 Palm Beach Stakes, Paddy O’Prado also boasts a top notch pilot in Kent Desormeaux and will most certainly have double digit odds come post time.
Devil May Care – While Devil May Care comes in with all the hype any filly brings to a triple crown race, she also brings the top Beyer in field, earned in the Bonnie Miss Stakes her last time out. And she’ll be carrying 5 fewer pounds than the boys – of his five entries, she may be Pletcher’s best shot in Eskendereya’s absence.
Conveyance – So why shouldn’t the Sunland Derby produce the Kentucky Derby winner two years in a row? Conveyance placed second there last time out, but has won his other four career starts including wins in the Southwest and San Rafael early in the prep season. Baffert says that while stablemate Lookin at Lucky has gotten most of the attention, Conveyance shouldn’t be overlooked.
Jackson Bend – JB had a solid prep season and is coming off three straight seconds in the Holy Bull, Fountain of Youth, and most recently in the Wood Memorial, where he won first place among horses not named Eskendereya. He doesn’t have the Big E to worry about this time and Nick Zito seems to have flown under the radar with this horse, which has never finished worse than second in nine lifetime starts, so watch out.
Mission Impazible – One of the most lightly raced of this year’s starters with only five career starts, this Pletcher trained entry didn’t have a Derby starter resume, but fixed that with a win in the Louisiana Derby. Here again, the winner of a major Derby prep comes in with hefty ML odds of 20-1, and should still have a good price come post time.
Discreetly Mine – DM was the favorite in the Louisana Derby when he was upset by his stablemate Mission Impazible, ultimately finishing fourth. He’d been the favorite thanks to a solid effort in winning the Risen Star at the Fair Grounds in his previous start. Given his name, this could be the sleeper horse among the Pletcher entries.
Awesome Act – AA literally threw a shoe in his last start in the Wood Memorial and still managed to finish third, and had won the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct prior to that in his first start on dirt. He could be a good one to keep in the mix if the weather’s bad Saturday given his solid work in the slop on Tuesday.
Dublin – This Lukas entry is battle tested making his seventh straight start in graded stakes company and he hit the board in all three of his Derby preps at Oaklawn including a close third in the Arkansas Derby. Seems like it’s been a while since we’ve heard much from D. Wayne but with a good trip and a little luck of the Irish, perhaps it’s his time to return to the triple crown spotlight.
Backtalk – A distant third place finish in the Illinois Derby his last time out and you can see why his ML odds are 50-1. But this horse had two graded stake wins as a two year old, and is 2 for 2 at Churchill Downs. Only one of two horses to have a win on the track. He’s also 2 for 2 on wet tracks should that become a factor. Maybe not enough firepower with a career best 87 Beyer, but very interesting.
Homeboykris – This 50-1 longshot is tougher to make a case for but here goes. While his three year old campaign has been unimpressive, he showed promise with a win as a juvenile in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes, and trainer Richard Dutrow has done it before with Big Brown. Then again, with Dutrow quoted as saying “We’d be on Cloud 9 if we could pick up a check,” Homeboykris may be a good choice if you’re a) a Yankees or Dodgers fan (he’s owned by Joe Torre), b) Johnny Unitas was your Dad’s favorite quarterback or c) you like Steely Dan (hey nineteen . . . ).
Sidney’s Candy – A tough slot for the second choice, but Big Brown won from the 20th post just two years ago. Though he’s never run off the poly, and I’ve made known my bias against those prepping at Santa Anita, hard to ignore his undefeated prep season peeling off wins in the San Vincente, San Felipe and Santa Anita Derby. Owner, along with Devil May Care, of the top Beyer last time out (100) and owned by pounds-b-gon queen Jenny Craig, the oddly named Sidney’s Candy should be in the mix if he gets a good trip.
The bet(s)
Having tried to make the case for every horse in the field, it’s tough to narrow my choices, but here goes. I don’t bet that often, so I’m looking for value plays (bordering on longshots), not necessarily the best bet. My choices may change depending on track conditions and odds, but here’s where I’m leaning.
Most years I’ll try to fashion together some exotics. This year it seems like there are a bunch of interesting horses that should go off at decent odds, so I’m going to pick three to take across the board along with a “what the heck” triple box with those three plus Lookin at Lucky, which if I hit might require I fill out tax forms, one of the few times you don’t mind doing that.
4 - Super Saver
5- Line of David
7- American Lion
I’ll be tempted to take the $2 flyer win bet on 8 – Dean’s Kitten and 18- Backtalk depending on odds. Of course if I stay at this long enough, I could get all 20 back on the list, so time to close and enjoy the races. Good luck!
Derby 2010: Favorites, Longshots, and Everything in Between
By Tom Cosgrove, special to mcmahonbloodstock.com
In the 2000 edition of the Kentucky Derby, a highly touted three-year old with an exotic name, won impressively at the Wood Memorial and went on to win the Derby as a solid favorite. It looked like the same storyline was unfolding for the 2010 Derby – until Sunday.
Scratched this past weekend, Eskendereya will not repeat the feat of Fusaichi Pegasus, the 2000 Wood Memorial and Kentucky Derby winner. Until Saturday, this year’s Derby may be known as much for the horse that isn’t starting as the 20 in the gate – until about 6:35 pm, when one of them gets a blanket of roses draped over its saddle and the talk of the elusive triple crown begins.
In the years since Fu Peg’s victory, the winners have been a mixture of favorites, long shots and everything in between. But in the last seven years the winner has been either a favorite or near favorite (Smarty Jones (2004), Barbaro (near favorite, 2006), Street Sense (2007) and Big Brown (2008)) or a complete bomber like Giacomo (2005) and Mine That Bird (2009). And while Funny Cide (2003) wasn’t a true longshot, his win was a shock to many, and since he’s a New York-bred and I know the connections ;-), I was looking for an excuse to mention him.
So I’m going to handicap this year’s Derby looking for an angle on all 20, with the idea that just about any one of them could be wearing that blanket of roses on Saturday.
The field
Lookin At Lucky – One would think it’s a tough post for the ML favorite, but as many winners have come from the one post (12) as any other. Still a lot (as in everything) will depend on the trip. You can throw out the third place in the Santa Anita Derby as no winner has prepped in that race since the polytrack was installed, and instead refer back to the 6 of 7 lifetime prior with his only loss coming in the form of a second in the BC Juvenile. Baffert has a good one here.
Ice Box – It’s rare the Florida Derby winner gets a ML as high as 10-1, so there could be some value here. Then again, Zito trained Ice Box entered that race lightly regarded, but he’s clearly moving in the right direction.
Noble’s Promise – One of the top juveniles last year, he began his three year old campaign in the Rebel Stakes with a solid second to Lookin at Lucky. The last time out at Oaklawn in the Arkansas Derby he managed only a 5th, but you can chalk that up to a rough trip – worth a look.
Super Saver – Pletcher entry Super Saver comes off a close second in the Arkansas Derby, and won the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill last November, but the most compelling reason to play him may be the magician on his back, Calvin Borel.
Line of David – I had to go back and check to make sure I hadn’t copied it down wrong as to why the Arkansas Derby winner has ML odds of 30-1. Granted he was a maiden only two races before, but it’s not like they gave him a head start at Oaklawn. I’d be surprised if his odds stay that high, but should still provide some value.
Stately Victor – Just like Line of David, Mike Bettaglia isn’t showing any love to the Blue Grass Stakes winner with a ML of 30-1, only slightly lower than SV’s odds before he won at Keeneland . Like the Santa Anita Derby, the Blue Grass doesn’t seem to prep many winners, but Street Sense parlayed a second place finish there to a Derby win three years ago. Can’t count out a horse that won a Grade I his last time out.
American Lion – Those who have read my triple crown picks before know I have a soft spot for the Illinois Derby winner ever since War Emblem followed up his win there with a Derby victory in 2002. His winning Beyer figure of 98 is about as good as any horse in the field and with a ML of 30-1, it’s another reason the Derby is one of the most fun races to bet.
Dean’s Kitten – So the Grade 2 Lane’s End back in March at Turfway isn’t the pre-eminent prep race, but Dean’s Kitten won it. It’s a better resume than last year’s winner Mine that Bird whose last prep was a fourth place finish in the Sunland Derby. With a 50-1 ML, this may be a longshot with a shot.
Make Music for Me – So this one’s a little (OK, a lot) tougher to like coming off a 6th in the Blue Grass with only one win in eight lifetime tries. That W came on the turf at Santa Anita two back posting a 93 Beyer. So there’s that, or maybe you’re in a band or just really like the number nine.
Paddy O’Prado – Coming off a second in the Blue Grass and a win at the Grade 3 Palm Beach Stakes, Paddy O’Prado also boasts a top notch pilot in Kent Desormeaux and will most certainly have double digit odds come post time.
Devil May Care – While Devil May Care comes in with all the hype any filly brings to a triple crown race, she also brings the top Beyer in field, earned in the Bonnie Miss Stakes her last time out. And she’ll be carrying 5 fewer pounds than the boys – of his five entries, she may be Pletcher’s best shot in Eskendereya’s absence.
Conveyance – So why shouldn’t the Sunland Derby produce the Kentucky Derby winner two years in a row? Conveyance placed second there last time out, but has won his other four career starts including wins in the Southwest and San Rafael early in the prep season. Baffert says that while stablemate Lookin at Lucky has gotten most of the attention, Conveyance shouldn’t be overlooked.
Jackson Bend – JB had a solid prep season and is coming off three straight seconds in the Holy Bull, Fountain of Youth, and most recently in the Wood Memorial, where he won first place among horses not named Eskendereya. He doesn’t have the Big E to worry about this time and Nick Zito seems to have flown under the radar with this horse, which has never finished worse than second in nine lifetime starts, so watch out.
Mission Impazible – One of the most lightly raced of this year’s starters with only five career starts, this Pletcher trained entry didn’t have a Derby starter resume, but fixed that with a win in the Louisiana Derby. Here again, the winner of a major Derby prep comes in with hefty ML odds of 20-1, and should still have a good price come post time.
Discreetly Mine – DM was the favorite in the Louisana Derby when he was upset by his stablemate Mission Impazible, ultimately finishing fourth. He’d been the favorite thanks to a solid effort in winning the Risen Star at the Fair Grounds in his previous start. Given his name, this could be the sleeper horse among the Pletcher entries.
Awesome Act – AA literally threw a shoe in his last start in the Wood Memorial and still managed to finish third, and had won the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct prior to that in his first start on dirt. He could be a good one to keep in the mix if the weather’s bad Saturday given his solid work in the slop on Tuesday.
Dublin – This Lukas entry is battle tested making his seventh straight start in graded stakes company and he hit the board in all three of his Derby preps at Oaklawn including a close third in the Arkansas Derby. Seems like it’s been a while since we’ve heard much from D. Wayne but with a good trip and a little luck of the Irish, perhaps it’s his time to return to the triple crown spotlight.
Backtalk – A distant third place finish in the Illinois Derby his last time out and you can see why his ML odds are 50-1. But this horse had two graded stake wins as a two year old, and is 2 for 2 at Churchill Downs. Only one of two horses to have a win on the track. He’s also 2 for 2 on wet tracks should that become a factor. Maybe not enough firepower with a career best 87 Beyer, but very interesting.
Homeboykris – This 50-1 longshot is tougher to make a case for but here goes. While his three year old campaign has been unimpressive, he showed promise with a win as a juvenile in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes, and trainer Richard Dutrow has done it before with Big Brown. Then again, with Dutrow quoted as saying “We’d be on Cloud 9 if we could pick up a check,” Homeboykris may be a good choice if you’re a) a Yankees or Dodgers fan (he’s owned by Joe Torre), b) Johnny Unitas was your Dad’s favorite quarterback or c) you like Steely Dan (hey nineteen . . . ).
Sidney’s Candy – A tough slot for the second choice, but Big Brown won from the 20th post just two years ago. Though he’s never run off the poly, and I’ve made known my bias against those prepping at Santa Anita, hard to ignore his undefeated prep season peeling off wins in the San Vincente, San Felipe and Santa Anita Derby. Owner, along with Devil May Care, of the top Beyer last time out (100) and owned by pounds-b-gon queen Jenny Craig, the oddly named Sidney’s Candy should be in the mix if he gets a good trip.
The bet(s)
Having tried to make the case for every horse in the field, it’s tough to narrow my choices, but here goes. I don’t bet that often, so I’m looking for value plays (bordering on longshots), not necessarily the best bet. My choices may change depending on track conditions and odds, but here’s where I’m leaning.
Most years I’ll try to fashion together some exotics. This year it seems like there are a bunch of interesting horses that should go off at decent odds, so I’m going to pick three to take across the board along with a “what the heck” triple box with those three plus Lookin at Lucky, which if I hit might require I fill out tax forms, one of the few times you don’t mind doing that.
4 - Super Saver
5- Line of David
7- American Lion
I’ll be tempted to take the $2 flyer win bet on 8 – Dean’s Kitten and 18- Backtalk depending on odds. Of course if I stay at this long enough, I could get all 20 back on the list, so time to close and enjoy the races. Good luck!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Phil Mickelson -- guts of a champion
Anyone who had the stamina to slog through my 2009 US Open blog knows what a big Phil Mickelson fan I am, so I'm thrilled that Phil has won his 3rd green jacket. With all that his family's been through, it was great to see him pull it off and though in the end it was a three shot victory, he did it in classic heart-in-your-throat Phil fashion. Anyone who saw him saving par from the penetentiary on holes 9 through 11, let alone the "please don't, great shot" second shot on 13, knows what I mean.
Before Phil's wife and mother were diagnosed with breast cancer last year, Phil's win today would have been all about exorcizing the demons from the 2006 US Open 18th hole debacle at Winged Foot which came only a couple months after his last Masters win. But today was more about the feel good story of a bright spot for a family for whom everything, including winning major championships, has been put into perspective. Phil's long, silent hug with his wife behind the 18th green spoke volumes, and in listening to the post-game coverage, I haven't heard Winged Foot mentioned once.
My fanaticism for Phil notwithstanding, those of you who were privy to my 2008 pre-blog Masters treatise (when I stalked Fred Couples in the first round on his way to missing his first cut ever at Augusta) also won't be surprised I would have loved to see 50-year old Fred Couples win, perhaps more so than Phil (provided Phil didn't blow it). It's a simliar feeling to Phil's win in 2006, when Phil won but Fred was in contention. And with Fred's record at Augusta, and the ridiculous start (3 wins and a second in 4 starts) he's had on the Champions Tour I wasn't at all surprised he was a factor. And though he finished 6th, he was only 2 back after making a birdie at 9. A good showing and I was impressed that even after losing any realistic chance with a double at 12, he birdied 13, 14 and 17 on the way in to finish with a 71.
So if you follow my logic here, the only that might have topped Phil's victory, is a victory by Fred Couples. And the only thing that would have topped that, would have been an improbable victory by Tom Watson.
Time for a tip of the hat to Tom Watson. At 60, he finished in the top 20 and was one stroke off the lead after a first round 67, tying his career best at Augusta. I still can't bear to think about his near-miss at the British Open last summer, but the fact he's still competitive with the younger players is an inspiration to those of us to whom 60 used to seem old and now think that may be the next time we'll play golf with any frequency.
Tiger's return -- I'm glad Tiger's back. I wasn't rooting for him (not that I ever did), but certainly wasn't rooting against him. He played very well after such a long lay off, and the pre-tournament press conferences showed a contrite Tiger where he expressed regret for the issues in his personal life. In addition to the return of Tiger's exciting and amazing golf game, shooting 69 without his "A" game in the final round, as the week went on, you also saw the return of the insolent Tiger who always seems annoyed with the media, doesn't agree with the premise of interviewer's questions, and provides only abrupt responses to the press. I missed his playing but I didn't miss his post-round attitude. And while Tiger's not one to gush, just one, "Gee, I really appreciate the welcome I've had here at Augusta," would have been nice. Maybe I missed it.
It's another classic difference between Phil and Tiger. Sure, Phil sometimes gets uppity with the press, but he spars with the press good naturedly, and he gives much more of a look behind the curtain and more interesting quotes, even when delivering the abbreviated response. And he came up with one of the best quotes ever in response to the question (in reference to his daring shot from the pine straw to the 13th green) of what the difference is between a great shot and a smart shot. "A great shot is pulling it off under pressure while a smart shot is not having the guts to try it."
'Nuff said. Congrats Phil.
Before Phil's wife and mother were diagnosed with breast cancer last year, Phil's win today would have been all about exorcizing the demons from the 2006 US Open 18th hole debacle at Winged Foot which came only a couple months after his last Masters win. But today was more about the feel good story of a bright spot for a family for whom everything, including winning major championships, has been put into perspective. Phil's long, silent hug with his wife behind the 18th green spoke volumes, and in listening to the post-game coverage, I haven't heard Winged Foot mentioned once.
My fanaticism for Phil notwithstanding, those of you who were privy to my 2008 pre-blog Masters treatise (when I stalked Fred Couples in the first round on his way to missing his first cut ever at Augusta) also won't be surprised I would have loved to see 50-year old Fred Couples win, perhaps more so than Phil (provided Phil didn't blow it). It's a simliar feeling to Phil's win in 2006, when Phil won but Fred was in contention. And with Fred's record at Augusta, and the ridiculous start (3 wins and a second in 4 starts) he's had on the Champions Tour I wasn't at all surprised he was a factor. And though he finished 6th, he was only 2 back after making a birdie at 9. A good showing and I was impressed that even after losing any realistic chance with a double at 12, he birdied 13, 14 and 17 on the way in to finish with a 71.
So if you follow my logic here, the only that might have topped Phil's victory, is a victory by Fred Couples. And the only thing that would have topped that, would have been an improbable victory by Tom Watson.
Time for a tip of the hat to Tom Watson. At 60, he finished in the top 20 and was one stroke off the lead after a first round 67, tying his career best at Augusta. I still can't bear to think about his near-miss at the British Open last summer, but the fact he's still competitive with the younger players is an inspiration to those of us to whom 60 used to seem old and now think that may be the next time we'll play golf with any frequency.
Tiger's return -- I'm glad Tiger's back. I wasn't rooting for him (not that I ever did), but certainly wasn't rooting against him. He played very well after such a long lay off, and the pre-tournament press conferences showed a contrite Tiger where he expressed regret for the issues in his personal life. In addition to the return of Tiger's exciting and amazing golf game, shooting 69 without his "A" game in the final round, as the week went on, you also saw the return of the insolent Tiger who always seems annoyed with the media, doesn't agree with the premise of interviewer's questions, and provides only abrupt responses to the press. I missed his playing but I didn't miss his post-round attitude. And while Tiger's not one to gush, just one, "Gee, I really appreciate the welcome I've had here at Augusta," would have been nice. Maybe I missed it.
It's another classic difference between Phil and Tiger. Sure, Phil sometimes gets uppity with the press, but he spars with the press good naturedly, and he gives much more of a look behind the curtain and more interesting quotes, even when delivering the abbreviated response. And he came up with one of the best quotes ever in response to the question (in reference to his daring shot from the pine straw to the 13th green) of what the difference is between a great shot and a smart shot. "A great shot is pulling it off under pressure while a smart shot is not having the guts to try it."
'Nuff said. Congrats Phil.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
In the Blink of an Eye
While it took about 20 hours for Cornell's NCAA basketball and hockey tournaments to be over, it seemed to happen faster than that. That was why throughout this run, I've tried to savor it, and not take it for granted, because I knew it could end quickly, and it did. Certainly it's disappointing, in some ways more so for the hockey team, which entered the tourney as a serious contender for the national championship. I feel lucky to have been at both games, as the Big Red took on the Wildcats x 2(Kentucky and University of New Hampshire), so here are the recaps.
Cornell vs. Wildcats, part 1
During the week, there was a lot of chatter about the plans for Syracuse. It seemed all kinds of Cornellians were coming out of the woodwork to cheer on the Big Red at the Carrier Dome. While there were points during the week when it looked like tickets would be hard to come by, the day of the game, I found they were still available on ticketmaster and passed the tip on to my colleague Calto, who made a game time decision to go. His seats were actually better than mine and though I toyed with the idea of buying better ones and then selling mine, I think I made the right call.
On Thursday I left the office midday and scooped up my brother Michael in Clinton. Once he'd gotten things squared away at the farm and after handing off a ticket to my buddy Howie at the Westmoreland toll booth, we were on our way. We parked at the Skytop lot, and while remote, it's actually fairly user friendly. We didn't tailgate for long as we still had one ticket to deliver, to my pal Joe Moran, and I wanted to get to Big Redpalooza. (I'd prepared an elaborate tailgate which consisted of a 12-pack of Utica Club, or as I dubbed it, "tailgate in a box")
After the shuttles dropped us on campus, we scurried through the cold rain, triangulating our way to Cornell headquarters at the Sheraton just off campus a couple blocks from the Dome. We were running late enough that many of the Cornell fans were already heading toward the Dome to catch the undercard, West Virginia vs. Washington.
We located Joe who was with Lee Winters, a former roommate of mine, and it was great to see him as it had been several years. We went into the Cornell party, which while technically over, still had a cash bar and food on the buffet line. Undoubtedly the crowd had thinned, but there was still a strong Red-clad contingent in a large hotel ball room and foyer, noshing and drinking under a large Cornell banner. I heard the AD had warmed up the crowd and figured this must be what it would be like to be at a big time sports school, with a pre-game reception before all the big games. Not sure if it was a who's who of Cornelldom, but I think it might have been as I didn't know anyone. Michael ran into one of his best buddies from his undergrad days, Buck Briggs, who teaches at Cornell and well known in the community.
Many folks at the Sheraton were watching the Syracuse game, who got off to a poor start against Butler, and eventually lost (note foreshadowing). I found it difficult to focus on that game just as I found it difficult to focus on West Virginia-Washington once we got to our seats. Before we left, I bought the gratuitious East Regional t-shirt (to go with the gratuitous souvenir program I would obtain later), and headed over to the Dome.
We got there at halftime of the first game, found our seats way up in section 316, right behind one of the baskets. Not the worst, not the best. As the Dome filled you could see more than half of the crowd was wearing Red. While it was a good crowd, it looked like there were seats available, so I'm glad I didn't try to trade up (actaully down) in the ticket department.
Before the game a Kentucky fan asked me if I wanted to do a ticket swap wager -- if Cornell won, he'd give me his tickets and if Kentucky won, I'd give him mine. I suppose this is the type of thing that happens at Regional finals, but I begged off.
Before the game I caught up with Calto, and later Howie arrived, followed by Jim Ward, another classmate of mine. Joe had craftily swapped tickets with him when they were passing them out so he could sit on the lower level.
And then there was the game -- yes there was a game, but as you probably gather from this post, this trip was about more than the game. It was about whole experience, connecting with old friends and swimming in the Big Red sea of fans. Yes, we were excited for the game, and while expectations were in check we all thought we had a chance.
We got off to a great start, and the Dome was rocking when we opened up a 10-2 lead, but you could tell our opponent was a notch above Wisconsin or Temple. As the half wore on, Kentucky figured out how to stop us, though our underrated defense kept it close for most of the half until Kenucky built a double digit lead in the last few minutes. Kentucky finished the half on a 30-6 run over about the last 15 minutes and even ran some fast break against us, which I hadn't seen all year.
We were down 32-16 at the half, though the deficit seemed larger than that. I was disappointed I missed singing the alma mater with Howie, which I recall belting out with him at hockey games 20 years ago.
I told everyone within earshot we would make a run late in the second half and we did, getting to within 6, at 40-34, after Dale hit one from behind the arc and again within 9 at 46-37 after Wittman buried a three for one of his few highlights. For a few minutes we kept it around 10 before Kentucky pulled away in the final minute. In some ways, it was closer than the 62-45 score indicated, but we'd struggled so much on offense, that just getting close seemed like a major feat. As the game ended I sold two of our group's tickets to the Kentucky fan I spoke to before the game and two to an older man wearing an autographed Jerry West jersey, so hopefully all the Kentucky and West Virginia fans can nicely in the sandbox together.
Wittman really struggled finding his shot. Dale looked very good. He turned the ball over a few times, but he generally got us into our offense and was one of our few scoring threats. Foote had some success early in the game before they shut him down, but he held his own defensively throughout. In the second half I kept thinking that if Foote could have fed Wittman or Dale from the post, it might open them up for a three, but the truth is we got a few more looks in the second half and we just didn't hit them. Say what you want about Kentucky, as many people did during the week, contrasting the Cornell student athletes, with Kentucky's one and done future NBAers and coach Calipari who left Memphis under a cloud of controversy. The bottom line is they played hard, tough defense and with their superior athleticism, stifled Cornell's offense.
It was disappointing, but hearing the Dome erupt at the Cornell introductions, early in the game and when we made our run in the second half and being there with Michael, Howie and some of the boys was worth the trip. We got home about 1:45 am and I was so wired I read my program for a while before drifting off.
Cornell vs. Wildcats, part 2
I feel for my brother who had to get up at 6 to milk the cows. He caught a little nap on the ride home, but I felt beat down just getting up at 8.
I slogged into our Sangerfield office to bang out some work before heading to Albany. I could feel that the wind had left my sails.
I got to Albany about 4:30 and my wing man Joe and I met up my brother Peter and has pal Mason at Broadway Joes, just under the Times Union Center. Pete's end of the work week enthusiasm lifted my spirits for a while. Joe wouldn't be able to find better seats tonight, as we had tickets in the First Niagara box and we headed upstairs to watch the end of RIT's upset of number one seed Denver.
Even before the Cornell-UNH game started I thought something was off. For one thing, I was beat, and could sense many others in the Cornell crowd felt the same. The Cornell crowd was significantly smaller than for the ECAC championship, with a much smaller student section. The attitude and edge seemed to be lacking too.
The game started well enough and the two teams skated evenly throughout the first. Scrivens played well, and the Big Red got a lift by scoring late in the first stanza. The second was evenly matched as well, but toward the end of the second, things got off track. After a turnover in the Cornell zone, UNH appeared to score, but play continued as the puck went into the corner. As it turned out, the puck had actually gone through the net, and at the first stoppage of play, the officials reviewed the play and confirmed the goal. I don't know if it was the long wait while the play was reviewed, but Cornell seemed to lose its legs and within 30 seconds after play resumed, UNH scored again, taking a 2-1 lead into the second intermission.
Peter's friend Ken and his Dad, Herb were there. In an effort to rouse the Cornellians, he gave us 4:1 odds against Cornell coming back, and badgered us into the bet. Peter, my brother Jerry who was also there, Joe and I begrudgingly accepted, and no sooner than we did, it seemed, UNH scored to make it 3-1, a lead that grew to 5-1 until Cornell scored late in the game. An empty net goal made the final score 6-2. It usually takes about 4 games for Cornell to give up 6 goals, and while Scrivens might have made some of the stops, as Coach Schafter put it, "we hung our goalie out to dry" with bad turnovers in the zone and one breakaway.
This one hurt, because I think Cornell had a solid team that could have made a run to the Frozen Four, especially with Denver out of the way. I felt like we let the team down a bit with our lackluster support during the game, though I guess they just got outplayed. UNH just seems to have our number in the NCAAs.
Conclusion
And so like that, it was over in the blink of an eye. A good run, and great to be able to share it with some old buddies and my brothers. I'm thankful to Jen for holding down the fort with Will while I trapsed around New York following the Big Red. And while disappointed there was no return trip to Albany to see Cornell play for a Frozen Four berth, it was awfully nice to get home today and do pine cone patrol with Jen and Will this afternoon in Forest Park.
I know the hockey team will be back. Schafer has a great program and while Scrivens and several others are departing, the Big Red hockey program seems to be in a mode where it simply reloads each year.
The basketball team was probably a once in a generation team for Cornell, especially having players like Wittman and Dale and given his improvement over the years, you might put Foote in that category too. I'm not sure if he'll get offers, but this might be coach Donahue's chance to leave for a bigger school -- hopefully he and his family like Ithaca. I do think they'll be competitive in the Ivies next year. Wrobleski is the only starter who will be back but he'll be joined by scapper Adam Wire who played quite bit, along with UMass transfer Max Groebe and Errick Peck is an athletic freshman who played sparingly late in the season but did get some quality minutes vs Kentucky for that very reason. I understand they've got a couple of good recruits coming too, and I'm sure the notariety Cornell got this year will help on that front.
I'm going to miss this 2009-10 team. I enjoyed their success, but more than anything I enjoyed watching them play. Toward the end of the season, I often thought, this is how basketball should be played, with unselfish precision, pinpoint passing and fearless shooting.
So there may be some radio silence from the 20th hole for a while. Not quite ready to dive into lacrosse season, though the Big Red are in the top 10. The 20th hole may get back to its golfing roots as I noticed today that Ernie Els, Davis Love, Phil Mickelson are all in contention at Arnie's Bay Hill tournament and Augusta is right around the corner. I'm working on an entry for a golf design contest, which I'll post when I'm finished, and spring appears to have arrived in Western Mass, so I may even play a little golf too, some of which may end up here at the 20th hole.
So stay tuned, and thanks for a great season -- Go Big Red!
Cornell vs. Wildcats, part 1
During the week, there was a lot of chatter about the plans for Syracuse. It seemed all kinds of Cornellians were coming out of the woodwork to cheer on the Big Red at the Carrier Dome. While there were points during the week when it looked like tickets would be hard to come by, the day of the game, I found they were still available on ticketmaster and passed the tip on to my colleague Calto, who made a game time decision to go. His seats were actually better than mine and though I toyed with the idea of buying better ones and then selling mine, I think I made the right call.
On Thursday I left the office midday and scooped up my brother Michael in Clinton. Once he'd gotten things squared away at the farm and after handing off a ticket to my buddy Howie at the Westmoreland toll booth, we were on our way. We parked at the Skytop lot, and while remote, it's actually fairly user friendly. We didn't tailgate for long as we still had one ticket to deliver, to my pal Joe Moran, and I wanted to get to Big Redpalooza. (I'd prepared an elaborate tailgate which consisted of a 12-pack of Utica Club, or as I dubbed it, "tailgate in a box")
After the shuttles dropped us on campus, we scurried through the cold rain, triangulating our way to Cornell headquarters at the Sheraton just off campus a couple blocks from the Dome. We were running late enough that many of the Cornell fans were already heading toward the Dome to catch the undercard, West Virginia vs. Washington.
We located Joe who was with Lee Winters, a former roommate of mine, and it was great to see him as it had been several years. We went into the Cornell party, which while technically over, still had a cash bar and food on the buffet line. Undoubtedly the crowd had thinned, but there was still a strong Red-clad contingent in a large hotel ball room and foyer, noshing and drinking under a large Cornell banner. I heard the AD had warmed up the crowd and figured this must be what it would be like to be at a big time sports school, with a pre-game reception before all the big games. Not sure if it was a who's who of Cornelldom, but I think it might have been as I didn't know anyone. Michael ran into one of his best buddies from his undergrad days, Buck Briggs, who teaches at Cornell and well known in the community.
Many folks at the Sheraton were watching the Syracuse game, who got off to a poor start against Butler, and eventually lost (note foreshadowing). I found it difficult to focus on that game just as I found it difficult to focus on West Virginia-Washington once we got to our seats. Before we left, I bought the gratuitious East Regional t-shirt (to go with the gratuitous souvenir program I would obtain later), and headed over to the Dome.
We got there at halftime of the first game, found our seats way up in section 316, right behind one of the baskets. Not the worst, not the best. As the Dome filled you could see more than half of the crowd was wearing Red. While it was a good crowd, it looked like there were seats available, so I'm glad I didn't try to trade up (actaully down) in the ticket department.
Before the game a Kentucky fan asked me if I wanted to do a ticket swap wager -- if Cornell won, he'd give me his tickets and if Kentucky won, I'd give him mine. I suppose this is the type of thing that happens at Regional finals, but I begged off.
Before the game I caught up with Calto, and later Howie arrived, followed by Jim Ward, another classmate of mine. Joe had craftily swapped tickets with him when they were passing them out so he could sit on the lower level.
And then there was the game -- yes there was a game, but as you probably gather from this post, this trip was about more than the game. It was about whole experience, connecting with old friends and swimming in the Big Red sea of fans. Yes, we were excited for the game, and while expectations were in check we all thought we had a chance.
We got off to a great start, and the Dome was rocking when we opened up a 10-2 lead, but you could tell our opponent was a notch above Wisconsin or Temple. As the half wore on, Kentucky figured out how to stop us, though our underrated defense kept it close for most of the half until Kenucky built a double digit lead in the last few minutes. Kentucky finished the half on a 30-6 run over about the last 15 minutes and even ran some fast break against us, which I hadn't seen all year.
We were down 32-16 at the half, though the deficit seemed larger than that. I was disappointed I missed singing the alma mater with Howie, which I recall belting out with him at hockey games 20 years ago.
I told everyone within earshot we would make a run late in the second half and we did, getting to within 6, at 40-34, after Dale hit one from behind the arc and again within 9 at 46-37 after Wittman buried a three for one of his few highlights. For a few minutes we kept it around 10 before Kentucky pulled away in the final minute. In some ways, it was closer than the 62-45 score indicated, but we'd struggled so much on offense, that just getting close seemed like a major feat. As the game ended I sold two of our group's tickets to the Kentucky fan I spoke to before the game and two to an older man wearing an autographed Jerry West jersey, so hopefully all the Kentucky and West Virginia fans can nicely in the sandbox together.
Wittman really struggled finding his shot. Dale looked very good. He turned the ball over a few times, but he generally got us into our offense and was one of our few scoring threats. Foote had some success early in the game before they shut him down, but he held his own defensively throughout. In the second half I kept thinking that if Foote could have fed Wittman or Dale from the post, it might open them up for a three, but the truth is we got a few more looks in the second half and we just didn't hit them. Say what you want about Kentucky, as many people did during the week, contrasting the Cornell student athletes, with Kentucky's one and done future NBAers and coach Calipari who left Memphis under a cloud of controversy. The bottom line is they played hard, tough defense and with their superior athleticism, stifled Cornell's offense.
It was disappointing, but hearing the Dome erupt at the Cornell introductions, early in the game and when we made our run in the second half and being there with Michael, Howie and some of the boys was worth the trip. We got home about 1:45 am and I was so wired I read my program for a while before drifting off.
Cornell vs. Wildcats, part 2
I feel for my brother who had to get up at 6 to milk the cows. He caught a little nap on the ride home, but I felt beat down just getting up at 8.
I slogged into our Sangerfield office to bang out some work before heading to Albany. I could feel that the wind had left my sails.
I got to Albany about 4:30 and my wing man Joe and I met up my brother Peter and has pal Mason at Broadway Joes, just under the Times Union Center. Pete's end of the work week enthusiasm lifted my spirits for a while. Joe wouldn't be able to find better seats tonight, as we had tickets in the First Niagara box and we headed upstairs to watch the end of RIT's upset of number one seed Denver.
Even before the Cornell-UNH game started I thought something was off. For one thing, I was beat, and could sense many others in the Cornell crowd felt the same. The Cornell crowd was significantly smaller than for the ECAC championship, with a much smaller student section. The attitude and edge seemed to be lacking too.
The game started well enough and the two teams skated evenly throughout the first. Scrivens played well, and the Big Red got a lift by scoring late in the first stanza. The second was evenly matched as well, but toward the end of the second, things got off track. After a turnover in the Cornell zone, UNH appeared to score, but play continued as the puck went into the corner. As it turned out, the puck had actually gone through the net, and at the first stoppage of play, the officials reviewed the play and confirmed the goal. I don't know if it was the long wait while the play was reviewed, but Cornell seemed to lose its legs and within 30 seconds after play resumed, UNH scored again, taking a 2-1 lead into the second intermission.
Peter's friend Ken and his Dad, Herb were there. In an effort to rouse the Cornellians, he gave us 4:1 odds against Cornell coming back, and badgered us into the bet. Peter, my brother Jerry who was also there, Joe and I begrudgingly accepted, and no sooner than we did, it seemed, UNH scored to make it 3-1, a lead that grew to 5-1 until Cornell scored late in the game. An empty net goal made the final score 6-2. It usually takes about 4 games for Cornell to give up 6 goals, and while Scrivens might have made some of the stops, as Coach Schafter put it, "we hung our goalie out to dry" with bad turnovers in the zone and one breakaway.
This one hurt, because I think Cornell had a solid team that could have made a run to the Frozen Four, especially with Denver out of the way. I felt like we let the team down a bit with our lackluster support during the game, though I guess they just got outplayed. UNH just seems to have our number in the NCAAs.
Conclusion
And so like that, it was over in the blink of an eye. A good run, and great to be able to share it with some old buddies and my brothers. I'm thankful to Jen for holding down the fort with Will while I trapsed around New York following the Big Red. And while disappointed there was no return trip to Albany to see Cornell play for a Frozen Four berth, it was awfully nice to get home today and do pine cone patrol with Jen and Will this afternoon in Forest Park.
I know the hockey team will be back. Schafer has a great program and while Scrivens and several others are departing, the Big Red hockey program seems to be in a mode where it simply reloads each year.
The basketball team was probably a once in a generation team for Cornell, especially having players like Wittman and Dale and given his improvement over the years, you might put Foote in that category too. I'm not sure if he'll get offers, but this might be coach Donahue's chance to leave for a bigger school -- hopefully he and his family like Ithaca. I do think they'll be competitive in the Ivies next year. Wrobleski is the only starter who will be back but he'll be joined by scapper Adam Wire who played quite bit, along with UMass transfer Max Groebe and Errick Peck is an athletic freshman who played sparingly late in the season but did get some quality minutes vs Kentucky for that very reason. I understand they've got a couple of good recruits coming too, and I'm sure the notariety Cornell got this year will help on that front.
I'm going to miss this 2009-10 team. I enjoyed their success, but more than anything I enjoyed watching them play. Toward the end of the season, I often thought, this is how basketball should be played, with unselfish precision, pinpoint passing and fearless shooting.
So there may be some radio silence from the 20th hole for a while. Not quite ready to dive into lacrosse season, though the Big Red are in the top 10. The 20th hole may get back to its golfing roots as I noticed today that Ernie Els, Davis Love, Phil Mickelson are all in contention at Arnie's Bay Hill tournament and Augusta is right around the corner. I'm working on an entry for a golf design contest, which I'll post when I'm finished, and spring appears to have arrived in Western Mass, so I may even play a little golf too, some of which may end up here at the 20th hole.
So stay tuned, and thanks for a great season -- Go Big Red!
Monday, March 22, 2010
What a Weekend
Wow, what a weekend of Cornell hockey and hoops.
Saturday night I got to see the Cornell Big Red win the ECAC hockey championship, which was a first for me. They scored in the first and second periods to take a 2-0 lead over Union, and to their credit the Dutchmen didn't fold. They helped Cornell goalie Ben Scrivens earn the tourney MVP award by keeping pressure on throughout the third.
As the Red enjoyed a two-goal lead, it never really had a nail biter feel, but in the midst of a Union flurry after pulling the goalie late in the third, Cornell iced the game with a 185 shot to the empty net, to which the Lynah faithful still yelled, "Sieve, sieve, sieve." (I also enjoyed when with two minutes to go the students chanted matter of factly, "Townies up!" and the non-student fans obediently rose, stood and cheered for the remainder of the game.) My brother Jerry, and nephew Patrick and I were among the red-clad faithful who were out in force and we all roared as the clock ticked to zero. The players went yard sale as they scrambled over the bench, flinging their equipment all over the ice, and piled around Ben Scrivens.
Later they paraded the tournament trophy to our corner of the rink, and the crowd chanted "Hobey Baker" when they handed it to Ben Scrivens, who's a finalist for hockey's version of the Heisman. He's a bright lad, and he showed quick thinking turning the photographers around so that the candid team championship photo had the Cornell fans in the background.
The Cornell team got good news Sunday morning when the NCAA 16-team tournament was announced and learned they would be travelling again to Albany to play in the East Regional. They'll be playing UNH who they beat in January and if they can get past the Wildcats, will face the winner of the game between # 1 seeded Denver and RIT, a relative newcomer to Division I hockey. While Cornell beat UNH this year, they've lost a couple of tough ones to them in NCAA tourneys past like 2002 when UNH stopped the Big Red from making the final four and 2003, when Cornell's dominating 27-2-1 team lost to UNH in the national semifinals -- Cornell was on the wrong end of a tough (translation: lousy) call early in that one but fortunately, I've forgotten all about it.
So the hockey team had made the final 16, and so the question Sunday afternoon was whether the Big Red could make basketball's final 16.
Coming into the tournament, I knew the hoop team was good. I knew they could beat Temple, and I knew they were good enough to beat Wisconsin, but I wondered if they would execute well enough to pull off another upset. I didn't have to wonder for long.
Jumping out to leads of 11-1 and 16-4, Cornell looked awesome, right out of the gate. I didn't know much about Wisconsin, but as one of the top teams in the Big Ten, I figured they would make a run and reel Cornell in. They did, sort of, but 24-21 was as close as they got. They steadily pulled away in the second half, and you knew it was a good day for Cornell when the coverage swicthed away to another game with about 10 minutes to go. (Note to Buffalo Wild Wings, food was great, and always happy to support a Cornell-owned business, but no it wasn't CBS' fault, you do have direct feeds of all the games -- it's why sports bars exist. Wish we hadn't missed five minutes of the second half while the staff figured that out.)
As impressive as their offense was (and it was, putting up 87 points on one of the top defensive teams in the country), the thing that stuck out to me again was their defense. I wasn't sure Cornell was big and athletic enough to stop big, tough teams like Temple and Wisconsin, but they answered that question too. Kentucky will raise that bar yet again, but let's worry about that one in a few days.
I'll get to find out in person if Cornell can rise to the occasion against the Wildcats Thursday night at the Syracuse Carrier Dome, Cornell's seniors have played there four times, and given Syracuse a bit of a scare the at least a couple of times in their careers. Hopefully they can parlay that experience and the Central New York crowd to an improbable victory. From there, I'll move on to the hockey game Friday vs. the Wildcats from New Hampshire in the hockey tourney. The ride could be over by then, or I may have the kind of tough decision a sports fan can only dream of, which Cornell team do I root on to its final four on Saturday.
I should note the weekend wasn't a clean sweep as the Big Red women's hockey team lost in triple overtime in the national championship game. Doug Derraugh '91 who I got to watch when I was an undergrad has done a great job rejuvenating that program, so I have no doubt they'll get another shot it, though I'm sure that's little consolation for the 2010 squad. They should hold their heads high as they fought valiantly just to get to overtime, tying the game on a late third period goal after falling behind a few minutes earlier.
Hockey excellence isn't new to Cornell, but to have similar success in basketball on a much larger national stage is a new feeling. Normally, my Cornell pride in hockey is private, the kind shared among the select cadre of die hard college hockey fans. My advice to showboating sports stars is to act like you've been there before. I'd say the same to fans, but the truth is we haven't, not like this.
So hopefully we'll figure out how to enjoy the ride without too much woofin', but then again, no telling when we'll have this chance again. Go Big Red!
Saturday night I got to see the Cornell Big Red win the ECAC hockey championship, which was a first for me. They scored in the first and second periods to take a 2-0 lead over Union, and to their credit the Dutchmen didn't fold. They helped Cornell goalie Ben Scrivens earn the tourney MVP award by keeping pressure on throughout the third.
As the Red enjoyed a two-goal lead, it never really had a nail biter feel, but in the midst of a Union flurry after pulling the goalie late in the third, Cornell iced the game with a 185 shot to the empty net, to which the Lynah faithful still yelled, "Sieve, sieve, sieve." (I also enjoyed when with two minutes to go the students chanted matter of factly, "Townies up!" and the non-student fans obediently rose, stood and cheered for the remainder of the game.) My brother Jerry, and nephew Patrick and I were among the red-clad faithful who were out in force and we all roared as the clock ticked to zero. The players went yard sale as they scrambled over the bench, flinging their equipment all over the ice, and piled around Ben Scrivens.
Later they paraded the tournament trophy to our corner of the rink, and the crowd chanted "Hobey Baker" when they handed it to Ben Scrivens, who's a finalist for hockey's version of the Heisman. He's a bright lad, and he showed quick thinking turning the photographers around so that the candid team championship photo had the Cornell fans in the background.
The Cornell team got good news Sunday morning when the NCAA 16-team tournament was announced and learned they would be travelling again to Albany to play in the East Regional. They'll be playing UNH who they beat in January and if they can get past the Wildcats, will face the winner of the game between # 1 seeded Denver and RIT, a relative newcomer to Division I hockey. While Cornell beat UNH this year, they've lost a couple of tough ones to them in NCAA tourneys past like 2002 when UNH stopped the Big Red from making the final four and 2003, when Cornell's dominating 27-2-1 team lost to UNH in the national semifinals -- Cornell was on the wrong end of a tough (translation: lousy) call early in that one but fortunately, I've forgotten all about it.
So the hockey team had made the final 16, and so the question Sunday afternoon was whether the Big Red could make basketball's final 16.
Coming into the tournament, I knew the hoop team was good. I knew they could beat Temple, and I knew they were good enough to beat Wisconsin, but I wondered if they would execute well enough to pull off another upset. I didn't have to wonder for long.
Jumping out to leads of 11-1 and 16-4, Cornell looked awesome, right out of the gate. I didn't know much about Wisconsin, but as one of the top teams in the Big Ten, I figured they would make a run and reel Cornell in. They did, sort of, but 24-21 was as close as they got. They steadily pulled away in the second half, and you knew it was a good day for Cornell when the coverage swicthed away to another game with about 10 minutes to go. (Note to Buffalo Wild Wings, food was great, and always happy to support a Cornell-owned business, but no it wasn't CBS' fault, you do have direct feeds of all the games -- it's why sports bars exist. Wish we hadn't missed five minutes of the second half while the staff figured that out.)
As impressive as their offense was (and it was, putting up 87 points on one of the top defensive teams in the country), the thing that stuck out to me again was their defense. I wasn't sure Cornell was big and athletic enough to stop big, tough teams like Temple and Wisconsin, but they answered that question too. Kentucky will raise that bar yet again, but let's worry about that one in a few days.
I'll get to find out in person if Cornell can rise to the occasion against the Wildcats Thursday night at the Syracuse Carrier Dome, Cornell's seniors have played there four times, and given Syracuse a bit of a scare the at least a couple of times in their careers. Hopefully they can parlay that experience and the Central New York crowd to an improbable victory. From there, I'll move on to the hockey game Friday vs. the Wildcats from New Hampshire in the hockey tourney. The ride could be over by then, or I may have the kind of tough decision a sports fan can only dream of, which Cornell team do I root on to its final four on Saturday.
I should note the weekend wasn't a clean sweep as the Big Red women's hockey team lost in triple overtime in the national championship game. Doug Derraugh '91 who I got to watch when I was an undergrad has done a great job rejuvenating that program, so I have no doubt they'll get another shot it, though I'm sure that's little consolation for the 2010 squad. They should hold their heads high as they fought valiantly just to get to overtime, tying the game on a late third period goal after falling behind a few minutes earlier.
Hockey excellence isn't new to Cornell, but to have similar success in basketball on a much larger national stage is a new feeling. Normally, my Cornell pride in hockey is private, the kind shared among the select cadre of die hard college hockey fans. My advice to showboating sports stars is to act like you've been there before. I'd say the same to fans, but the truth is we haven't, not like this.
So hopefully we'll figure out how to enjoy the ride without too much woofin', but then again, no telling when we'll have this chance again. Go Big Red!
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Big Day for the Big Red
Well, March 19th, 2010, will be tough day to top in the history of Big Red sports. Topping the list was Cornell's win over Temple in the NCAA basketball tourney, the first NCAA win for Cornell and first Ivy league school to win a tourney game since 1998. Add to it a solid win in the ECAC hockey semis against Brown and the women's hockey team's victory in the national semifinals, and it adds up to a trifecta for Cornell sports.
Against Temple the Big Red looked solid throughout, and while everyone talks about Cornell's outstanding three point shooting, it was their defense that gave them a lift early against the Owls. I couldn't tell if it was Cornell's stifling D or Temple's offense wasn't executing well, or some combination of both, but Cornell was able to build its lead in the first half even while missing some open looks from the three point line.
Both offenses played well coming out of the break, as Cornell, particularly Wittman, started draining some threes. Temple hit a few outside shots as well and narrowed the eight point halftime lead to six a couple of times. But as I've seen throughout the season, especially down the stretch in the Ivies, Cornell always has an answer when its opponent starts getting close, often with one of its big three, Wittman, Dale and Foote, stepping up to make a key play. As Cornell continued to hit from long-range and Temple cooled off, the Red were able to pull away. I'm the type of fan who doesn't celebrate until the clock reads all zeroes, but it was nice to bask in the moment as the Big Red built a double digit lead in the last couple of minutes, versus having to sweat out a close one.
I'd watched the game with my brother Jerry at Cornell headquarters in downtown Albany, and then strolled over to the Times Union Center for the ECAC hockey game, savoring the victory and the bright spring weather. At the TU, Big Red fans were still buzzing from the hoop team's victory when when the puck dropped for the Cornell Brown game a couple of hours later.
After a sleepy first period, the Big Red hockey team asserted itself in the second, building a 1-0 lead after two and put the game away with two more in the third. They'll face Union in the finals as the Dutchmen beat St. Lawrence 3-1, breaking a 1-1 tie late in the third. Though indifferent to Cornell's opponent in the finals, I was disappointed for my brother Peter, our host at the TU, and a St. Lawrence alum.
One of the lighter moments during the game was when the PA announcer came on to promote the ECAC tourney's move to Atlantic City in 2011, an annoucement which was met with a chorus of boos.
My brothers Jerry and Michael, also Cornell alums, and my nephew Patrick a Cornell sophomore, were also in attendance and without jinxing ourselves, we were noodling a trip to Syracuse for the regional basketball final should Cornell be able to get past Wisconsin on Sunday. Given the way the field is selected, Cornell is assured of an NCAA hockey bid, so there's also a chance they could play in Albany or Worcester in an NCAA hockey regional next weekend, so there could more Cornell sports on tap for next weekend.
Though I've not followed the women's hockey team closely, I was pleased to see they beat top-ranked Mercyhurst in the Women's Frozen Four for a shot at the national title on Sunday. The women's coach is Doug Derraugh '91, who I knew personally when he played at Cornell while I was there, so I'm certain happy for Doug and his team and hope they can take home the NCAA title. I'm assuming it would be Cornell's first in any team sport since probably the 1977 lacrosse team.
But as Jen and I always say, we're not complacent about any of it nor taking any of this success for granted -- just enjoying the ride. Looking forward to the Cornell Union hockey game tonight and then watching the Cornell hoop game tomorrow. Go Big Red!
Against Temple the Big Red looked solid throughout, and while everyone talks about Cornell's outstanding three point shooting, it was their defense that gave them a lift early against the Owls. I couldn't tell if it was Cornell's stifling D or Temple's offense wasn't executing well, or some combination of both, but Cornell was able to build its lead in the first half even while missing some open looks from the three point line.
Both offenses played well coming out of the break, as Cornell, particularly Wittman, started draining some threes. Temple hit a few outside shots as well and narrowed the eight point halftime lead to six a couple of times. But as I've seen throughout the season, especially down the stretch in the Ivies, Cornell always has an answer when its opponent starts getting close, often with one of its big three, Wittman, Dale and Foote, stepping up to make a key play. As Cornell continued to hit from long-range and Temple cooled off, the Red were able to pull away. I'm the type of fan who doesn't celebrate until the clock reads all zeroes, but it was nice to bask in the moment as the Big Red built a double digit lead in the last couple of minutes, versus having to sweat out a close one.
I'd watched the game with my brother Jerry at Cornell headquarters in downtown Albany, and then strolled over to the Times Union Center for the ECAC hockey game, savoring the victory and the bright spring weather. At the TU, Big Red fans were still buzzing from the hoop team's victory when when the puck dropped for the Cornell Brown game a couple of hours later.
After a sleepy first period, the Big Red hockey team asserted itself in the second, building a 1-0 lead after two and put the game away with two more in the third. They'll face Union in the finals as the Dutchmen beat St. Lawrence 3-1, breaking a 1-1 tie late in the third. Though indifferent to Cornell's opponent in the finals, I was disappointed for my brother Peter, our host at the TU, and a St. Lawrence alum.
One of the lighter moments during the game was when the PA announcer came on to promote the ECAC tourney's move to Atlantic City in 2011, an annoucement which was met with a chorus of boos.
My brothers Jerry and Michael, also Cornell alums, and my nephew Patrick a Cornell sophomore, were also in attendance and without jinxing ourselves, we were noodling a trip to Syracuse for the regional basketball final should Cornell be able to get past Wisconsin on Sunday. Given the way the field is selected, Cornell is assured of an NCAA hockey bid, so there's also a chance they could play in Albany or Worcester in an NCAA hockey regional next weekend, so there could more Cornell sports on tap for next weekend.
Though I've not followed the women's hockey team closely, I was pleased to see they beat top-ranked Mercyhurst in the Women's Frozen Four for a shot at the national title on Sunday. The women's coach is Doug Derraugh '91, who I knew personally when he played at Cornell while I was there, so I'm certain happy for Doug and his team and hope they can take home the NCAA title. I'm assuming it would be Cornell's first in any team sport since probably the 1977 lacrosse team.
But as Jen and I always say, we're not complacent about any of it nor taking any of this success for granted -- just enjoying the ride. Looking forward to the Cornell Union hockey game tonight and then watching the Cornell hoop game tomorrow. Go Big Red!
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