Tiger

I’m trying to hold off on all Rose-Beasley discussion until next week. I feel like the NFL Draft takes place eons after the season ends, but the NBA Draft comes out of nowhere. It’s next week already, but before we get to all things Bulls, let’s talk about the US Open for a second.

If it wasn’t for a ridiculously awesome Super Bowl, that golf tournament would have to be the year’s best sports event, right? Even some of my friends who don’t really follow sports said they were enthralled. Really, how could you not be? Most of the time in sports, everyone always pulls for the underdog. But fuck Rocco Mediate- everyone was pulling for Tiger to close that baby out. Sure it cost him the rest of his season, but it was totally worth it. What a great tournament and a great athlete.

Even though Woods isn’t from Chicago or anything, I think I feel a bit of ownership over him since he came up at the same time I began watching sports. MJ is great and all, and he’ll forever be my favorite athlete, but watching Tiger is almost as cool. Tiger has been my favorite athlete for years. When you watch him, you just know you’re watching greatness. And unlike MJ (at least for people my age), we got to see his entire career develop before our eyes.

Just think about how boring golf is going to be once Tiger retires. That game only exists so you can get wasted with friends for four hours. But when Tiger is in it, every swings feels like the last two minutes of an NBA Finals game.

I think it’s safe to say Tiger is my second or third favorite athlete ever. He’s one of a certain group of guys that I rooted for so much in my childhood that I can never turn away from at any point. Some other people on that list:

Ken Griffey Jr: Forever my all-time favorite baseball player, and if you discount the roid years of Bonds, he’s probably the best baseball player since….Willie Mays? Such a great defender, so fast, and obviously the most perfect swing ever. Everyone brings it up all the time, but seriously, if he never got hurt….

Kevin Garnett: It’s only a day old, but the Michelle Tafoya-KG interview is already a classic. And screw Shoals and FD- nothing about that was fake or contrived. That was pure emotion, pure KG, and it was awesome to watch. Seeing Garnett now makes me feel old. I remember when he was 16, transferring into Farragut to play with Ronnie Fields. Now he’s been in the league pretty much as long as anyone.

Brian Urlacher: Seeing the way everyone has turned on him lately really pisses me off. Do we ONLY root for the names on the front of the jerseys? In what world should Urlacher make less money than Calvin Pace? Now, sure, he did sign the super long contract and everything, but Urlacher may be the best defensive player of this era. You have to take care of those guys. The Bears have money. Pay him. If they don’t, the Bears are going to be horrendous this season. Just a gut feeling. Also, this exact same thing happened with Scottie Pippen and it broke up the dynasty. You could argue Reinsdorf/Krause were correct (Pip did sign the long contract), but some times management has to swallow their pride.

Miscellaneous

Will Smith: Blink 182 and Green Day were probably the two bands that most shaped by my tastes in music, but I could never support Angels and Airwaves or anything new from Green Day at this point. But Will Smith- he’s always been awesome. I loved The Fresh Prince growing up, and Big Willie Style may have been the first album I ever really loved. I’m pretty sure the only reason I like I am Legend was because he was in it.

The Rock: My prime for watching WWF was only from 6th grade to 8th grade so I never really saw Bret Hart or pre-NWO Hogan. But The Rock was the man. Who has two finishers!? Even to this day, bringing out a Rock catchphrase at a party is guaranteed to get laughs.