The Tiger Thing

I'm sorry, I just can't get off this Tiger thing. I can't stop thinking about Jack Nicklaus' comments about five years ago when he said Tiger's life would change when he started to have a family. Boy was he right on. But what we didn't realize was how much the world revolved around Tiger, and still does. Just ask him. I really question how much remorse he really has. People will soon forget when he sets foot on the links again. Everyone knows it's the best therapy for him. All he needs is a win and this will all be water under the bridge.

Let's just hope it's not the one at Rae's Creek at Augusta. I can just hear Jim Nance now. "Tiger is back".

Please.

The Fall Of The Tiger

Tiger Woods, you made the game of golf that much harder. The wins will be harder to come by after this debacle of a personal life you are going through. Tiger, you will be under more pressure and public scrutiny than you've ever been before. Women will throw themselves at you, because they know you are vulnerable. Hecklers will heckle you more than they've ever heckled before, because they know you are vulnerable. Sponsors will require more from you than they've ever required before, because well, you know. The conservatives in the game of golf, and there's a lot of them, will have you under the microscope more than ever. The expectations will be higher, the pressure will follow. Tiger, the pars and birdies are going to be that much harder to come by. The wins are going to be few and far between. The majors are the real question. You had none last year, zippo. And when you tee it up in January you will carry more distractions to the golf course than you've ever experienced before. You will face many of the demons that your competitors face today. Those negative thoughts that get into people's heads when they get out of their comfort zone. You are out of your comfort zone Tiger.

It's not a good feeling is it? I'm sure the Golden Bear is smiling today. I don't blame him.

Apple Cup Week

This is the week that signifies the entire season. Throw out the records, the injuries, the rhetoric about coaches, and most importantly, the won-loss record. The pride of the State of Washington is on the line. There's a reason why the Cougs have to put on a purple jersey when they mess up in practice. Coach Wulff is a lot smarter than people give him credit for. It builds a hatred for those guys in the purple jerseys and serves as a year long reminder. I remember when Don James got pegged by an apple in Pullman while walking the sidelines prior to the game. He picked it up and took a bite out of it. The Cougs took a bite out of his Dawgs on that Saturday in November. That was back when they filled up Martin Stadium, not anymore.

Even though the tickets go for $90 it won't be hard to find one. I scalped a ticket to the UCLA game last year and I think it cost me $20. I have a feeling this won't be any different. There's a certain electricity in this game un-matched by any sporting event I've attended. You have the typical Husky fans that never went to school there who have adopted them as "their" team. You have the faithful Cougs who, like me, wanted to get away from home and go to a college town for the college experience. You can't really go home on the weekend because it is so far. It worked. I met my wife there, and like me, she hasn't missed very many of these since we graduated in 1987. I think the Cougs will surprise some people on Saturday. They've been preparing for this one for 11 games. They will play their best game of the year.

Don't get too excited.

Everything Ducky-For Now

The Oregon Ducks were impressive in their win over USC on Saturday. But let's not let them get ahead of themselves, like they often do. Oregon fans are already chanting "B-C-S", pretty premature don't you think? Last time I checked there are still some pretty tough teams on their remaining schedule including Arizona on the road and Oregon State in the Civil War. But this isn't how Duck fans think. They win a big game and they think it's their ticket to the National Championship (which they have never won by the way, but you would never know it by the way their fans act). The Ducks are extremely vulnerable. The Pac Ten is a very tough conference. It's the conference of champions.

Will this be the Ducks' year? Don't bet on it. They will find some way to implode. They always do.

Summer in the Tri-Cities

The feel of summer is creeping away. The Water Follies and Tri-Cities Boat Race Weekend is the trademark of summer here. It's usually the hottest weekend of the year. But shortly after, that summer 'feel' tends to slip away. The winds pick up, much cooler nights, and that awful feeling that winter is just around the corner. I've learned the older I get, the faster time goes, and this summer was no exception. Our recent camping and boating trip to Clarkston and the Snake River was the best possible way to end another great Tri-Cities summer. While we were able to escape the 108 degree day in the Tri-Cities, we found a much cooler spot at Chief Timothy Park in Clarkston with a cool 106. We thought about making t-shirts that read, "We survived Chief Timothy." Today, I woke up to a slight drizzle and cool temperatures. "We might hit 80 degrees today", said the weathercaster on KNDU TV. What a bummer.

Another ho-hum Tri-Cities summer.

I Remember

I remember when he chipped in to beat Jack Nicklaus in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. I remember when he made just about everything he looked at in his younger years. I remember he always made the six footer coming back after a rare miss. I remember one of the best tips I ever received from anyone was when he said in Golf Magazine to put the ball a little farther forward in your stance with long irons. I remember like it was yesterday but unfortunately it wasn't. I was pounding golf balls at Sahalee dreaming of being the next Tom Watson. That was 35 years ago. I thought he was in his prime back then but maybe I need to re-visit it. But what I will most remember is the four days of stellar golf in the 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry.

I remember.

The Alaska Experience

This world is a lot larger than I thought it was. Thank you Alaska for helping me realize it. This is arguably one of the most picturesque places anywhere. As we descended into Juneau and Gustavus for a once in a lifetime fishing experience, I saw the beauty I've been hearing about for a long time. A short time after we checked into the Glacier Bay Country Inn, we saw a Moose in the man made grass runway just outside the dining room of this cozy lodge. Two days later a brown grizzly bear was playing in the same area. This is Alaska. You can't mention Alaska without talking about the sport fishing. For those who think whales are close to extinct, think again. For those who think bald eagles are an endangered species, think again as well. Let's not even go into the salmon thing. We limited in kings our first day and they were stacked up like a cord of wood. A sea lion ate one of them as I was reeling him in just 30 yards from the boat. This is a normal occurrence in Alaska. The very next day a sea lion tried to steal one of our halibuts but we were able to scare him off enough to save our prey. The wildlife is in abundance with whales, sea lions, seals, otters, bald eagles, and every kind of bird imaginable. We ate like champions and were treated like royalty. We also flew home feeling like heroes in the fishing world.

This is Alaska.