# Tiger and Rocco



## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

Is anyone else watching the playoff for The US Open? Woods and Mediate are even after regulation. Now they're in sudden death. Crazy. This has got to be the most memorable finish to a major I have ever seen.


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## ksinc (May 30, 2005)

TMMKC said:


> Is anyone else watching the playoff for The US Open? Woods and Mediate are even after regulation. Now they're in sudden death. Crazy. This has got to be the most memorable finish to a major I have ever seen.


It's awesome! I'm rooting for Rocco!


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## ksinc (May 30, 2005)

ksinc said:


> It's awesome! I'm rooting for Rocco!


^ The kiss of death.


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## nolan50410 (Dec 5, 2006)

I was pulling for Tiger all day. Glad to see he won. What a day of golf though, perhaps the best ever.


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## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

ksinc said:


> ^ The kiss of death.


...I was pulling for Rocco too. He's one of the tour's true characters (cut from the same cloth as a Lee Trevino or Fuzzy Zoeller). I would have loved to see him nail a major.

He's had a pretty good career. For as good of a sand player as he is, I was surprised he pulled his shot so far left on the final hole.

Though I have never been a huge Tiger Woods fan, I am contantly in awe of how he can dig down and win (especially while he's in pain from a bum knee). Someone once said, when asked why Tiger Woods wins so much, "He wants it more." That about sums it up.


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## ksinc (May 30, 2005)

TMMKC said:


> ...I was pulling for Rocco too. He's one of the tour's true characters (cut from the same cloth as a Lee Trevino or Fuzzy Zoeller). I would have loved to see him nail a major.
> 
> He's had a pretty good career. For as good of a sand player as he is, I was surprised he pulled his shot so far left on the final hole.
> 
> Though I have never been a huge Tiger Woods fan, I am contantly in awe of how he can dig down and win (especially while he's in pain from a bum knee). Someone once said, when asked why Tiger Woods wins so much, "He wants it more." That about sums it up.


Tiger doesn't have a great reputation around town.

I played yesterday afternoon and we made the turn around 6 PM the 19th Hole was full of people rooting for Westwood and Rocco. Everyone on this side of town has a "Tiger story" and most people can't stand him. The joke is that's why he built the home in Jupiter because he has worn out his welcome in Winter Garden.

I've never met him, so I can't say he's a mean person, but I've never heard anyone defend him. OTOH Faldo has the same type of reputation and I ran into him at his Marriot Golf Center and he was extremely generous with his time. Tiger might just be on the other end of the jealous stick.

The people that have reputations as being really, really nice like Nick Price, Ernie Els, Ian Poulter, and CH3 are all trully wonderful in person. It seems odd that one guy would be singled out, but he is dominating everything.


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## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

^ He just doesn't come across well. Smug, stand-offish, up his own backside.

Great to watch, such a shame about the result!


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## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

ksinc said:


> Tiger doesn't have a great reputation around town.


I've heard that about Tiger as well. I think a lot of his attitude stems from him living in a bubble for so long...as it would make one suspicious of people and indifferent towards them. When he trys to play the "I'm just a regular guy" schtick, it comes off as disingenuous.


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## ksinc (May 30, 2005)

TMMKC said:


> I've heard that about Tiger as well. I think a lot of his attitude stems from him living in a bubble for so long...as it would make one suspicious of people and indifferent towards them. When he trys to play the "I'm just a regular guy" schtick, it comes off as disingenuous.


That's true. The other thing I consider is he did have his knee kicked when someone ran into him at Pebble Beach (I think). That would make me suspicious and defensive as well. Especially so considering his current trials with the left knee. I don't know if it's the same one or not.


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## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

Disingenuous is another good word. 

I feel so sorry for Rocco. By comparison, he lost with great dignity and humour. 

Back to Euro 2008 and Wimbledon next week, for me!


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## Quay (Mar 29, 2008)

Seems Mr. Woods had more indeed than a sore knee, as he had a "torn ligmament and two fractures," injuries that would keep me from leaving my house much less playing such amazing golf:



--A.Q.


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## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

^ It's all a ruse to get him out of the Ryder Cup, don't you know! :icon_smile_wink::icon_smile_big:


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

As I sat glued to the TV during that final round between Tiger and Rocco, I couldn't help but have a recurring thought. I think everyone who shouts "Get in the hole" with every swing of the golf club should be banned forever from the course, especially when the golfer is swinging from the tee of a 500+ yard par 5 hole. If that ball "gets in the hole" I think a steroid investigation is in order. :icon_smile_big:

Cruiser


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## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

Cruiser said:


> As I sat glued to the TV during that final round between Tiger and Rocco, I couldn't help but have a recurring thought. I think everyone who shouts "Get in the hole" with every swing of the golf club should be banned forever from the course, especially when the golfer is swinging from the tee of a 500+ yard par 5 hole. If that ball "gets in the hole" I think a steroid investigation is in order. :icon_smile_big:
> 
> Cruiser


At least they don't seem to be screaming "You da man!" all the time anymore. Come to think of it, I don't know which phrase is more annoying.


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## nolan50410 (Dec 5, 2006)

There are a lot of golf purists that will be quite happy now that TW is done for the season. As for the players, I imagine the lower level ones will see it is an opporunity to sneak into a first win. The Phils, Ernies, Vijays, Sergios probably think it will put an asterisk next to any major they win without Tiger in the field. One thing is for certain, tv ratings will absolutely collapse. Hopefully advertisers won't pull out of the British and PGA. The last thing I wan't to see is the networks squeezing in as much commercial time as possible once the big companies decide to drop out.


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## Relayer (Nov 9, 2005)

I don't know exactly how "collapse" is quantified, but ratings will drop quite a bit, no doubt. Still, a lot of people will be watching the majors. Viewership is down on the many weeks when Tiger hasn't played other (minor) tournaments, but many many people still watch them.

That said, it will be somewhat less exciting in any case. I like to watch to see if anyone can put up a decent challenge to Tiger when he's in the lead on Sunday. As for Tiger's game he plays like no one else ever has, and just his presence at the top of the Sunday leaderboard makes other golfers seemingly go to pieces.


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## Mark from Plano (Jan 29, 2007)

nolan50410 said:


> There are a lot of golf purists that will be quite happy now that TW is done for the season.


????

I (a) don't get this at all, and (b) don't agree with it at all.

I am one of those golf purists having grown up with a father obsessed with golf I started watching it on TV in the mid-60's and started playing myself about 35 years ago and played on both my HS and (small) college golf teams.

Anyone who doesn't enjoy watching Tiger play and will be "quite happy" that he's done for the year is no "purist" in my book.

Tiger shows us what is possible in golf. He sets the standard for excellence. The fact that Phil or Ernie or whoever don't win as much when he's not around is their problem not his. A true golf purist relishes every chance he gets to see Tiger play because he never got to see Old Tom Morris or Walter Hagen or Gene Sarazen or Ben Hogan and misses the days of watching Nicklaus' magic.

Tiger is a golf god, if a grumpy one and any "purist" both knows and appreciates this and knows it will be a very sad day for the sport when because of age or injury he can't do it anymore.

*****

As for TV ratings, I heard this morning that ABC's golf ratings increase by about 117% during tournaments where Tiger is in contention on the weekends. On NBC that number is about 58%.


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## nolan50410 (Dec 5, 2006)

Mark from Plano said:


> ????
> 
> I (a) don't get this at all, and (b) don't agree with it at all.
> 
> ...


You and I are one of the same. We are both golf lovers and love watching Tiger do the amazing things he does. I was at Augusta for the 1st round this year and couldn't speak when Tiger was around. To be within 10 feet of the greatest golfer of all time playing on golf's most revered course was just unfathomable for me. However, many golfers I know despise Tiger for the change he has brought about in the game. They worship at the altar of Hogan. Those people aren't you or me, but they are golf purists and they do, unfortunately, exsist. I do have a feeling that a lot of these people's grudges with Tiger have more to do with race then golf.


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## Mark from Plano (Jan 29, 2007)

nolan50410 said:


> You and I are one of the same. We are both golf lovers and love watching Tiger do the amazing things he does. I was at Augusta for the 1st round this year and couldn't speak when Tiger was around. To be within 10 feet of the greatest golfer of all time playing on golf's most revered course was just unfathomable for me. However, many golfers I know despise Tiger for the change he has brought about in the game. They worship at the altar of Hogan. Those people aren't you or me, but they are golf purists and they do, unfortunately, exsist. *I do have a feeling that a lot of these people's grudges with Tiger have more to do with race then golf.*


:idea: I misunderstood that when you were refering to "golf purists" that was code for "racial purists." :icon_smile_wink:

Jesus had a quote about, "a prophet is not without honor, except in his own country." (I'm sure someone will point out how he was paraphrasing the Budda or some such) That's seems to be true in some quarters with Tiger. People have a hard time accepting the greatness they are witnesses of. Ironically some of these will be the same ones that in 25 years will say "I remember back in the old days seeing Tiger Woods play...greatest golfer that ever lived."


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

I love watching Tiger play, but I don't necessarily love the way professional golf is played; and Tiger is at the forefront of what I don't like. I have seen him, and others to be fair, yell at someone because a camera "clicked" as he stood over a putt. I have seen him, after standing over a putt forever, back off because an airplane was flying over in the distance. It's worse than someone serving at Wimbledon. Good grief.

Contrast that with Michael Jordan in the NBA finals going high in the air over a defender hell bent on stopping him from launching a shot to win the game with one second left on the clock, all the while with 20,000 people screaming hysterically.

I remember Joe Montana standing in the pocket with less than a minute to go and his team trailing by 6 in the Super Bowl as 300 pound behemoths closed in from all sides determined to take his head off. Montana was required to make a split second adjustment due to his primary receiver being covered. In that split second he spotted Dwight Clark streaking across the back of the end zone and threaded a pass to him to win the game. As all this was transpiring tens of thousands of people were screaming their lungs out.

I know they are different games and one cannot compare apples and oranges, but as much as I like golf sometimes I would like to see them have to make a putt with a defender trying to stop them as the crowd is roaring. :icon_smile_big:

Cruiser


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## jackmccullough (May 10, 2006)

Man Who Used Stick To Roll Ball Into Hole In Ground Praised For His Courage


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## ksinc (May 30, 2005)

jackmccullough said:


> Man Who Used Stick To Roll Ball Into Hole In Ground Praised For His Courage


It seems the author didn't have the courage to print his name.


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

ksinc said:


> It seems the author didn't have the courage to print his name.


We are talking about "_The Onion_" here. It's pure satire. It's like Jay Leno delivering jokes in his monologue. :icon_smile_big:

Cruiser


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## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

Very good, Mr. McCullough.

Trust The Onion.


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## ksinc (May 30, 2005)

Cruiser said:


> We are talking about "_The Onion_" here. It's pure satire. It's like Jay Leno delivering jokes in his monologue. :icon_smile_big:
> 
> Cruiser


No, because when Jay Leno says something he stands up in front of people and we know who he is. Come on, you can't be *that* obtuse can you?


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## jackmccullough (May 10, 2006)

ksinc said:


> It seems the author didn't have the courage to print his name.


Do you know what The Onion is?


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## ksinc (May 30, 2005)

jackmccullough said:


> Do you know what The Onion is?


Yes. What does that have to do with putting his name on it? Do you think satire requires anonymity?


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## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

What a strange turn this discussion has taken...

1) comparing The Onion to Jay Leno, even though his "humour" is a clearly different form and goes for the populist lowest common denominator and just isn't terribly amusing.

2) complaining that The Onion has anonymous articles, like The Economist.

I blow my nose in all your general directions! :icon_smile:


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## Intrepid (Feb 20, 2005)

The NYT this morning said that Johnny Miller was in trouble for a couple of comments that he made during the last day. I didn't hear them, but the Times said that they were something like:

"Rocco looks like a guy that would be cleaning Tiger's pool."

"Guys named Rocco don't win the US Open".

Apparently Miller had to write a letter apologizing. Article went on to state that "if he had made similar remarks about Tiger, he would have been fired."


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## ksinc (May 30, 2005)

Rossini said:


> What a strange turn this discussion has taken...
> 
> 1) comparing The Onion to Jay Leno, even though his "humour" is a clearly different form and goes for the populist lowest common denominator and just isn't terribly amusing.
> 
> ...


FTR, I've complained that The Economist does it too. Nothing of value is ever said anonymously IMHO. I have started to frequently find mistakes and contradictions in the articles in The Economist that are made worse by the anonymous, editorial approach it has taken. If someone doesn't put their name on their work they usually have a totally different work ethic. If anonymity produced the best material all of academia wouldn't be trying to get published. Lots of people can still contribute, but someone needs to take responsibility for it.


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

ksinc said:


> No, because when Jay Leno says something he stands up in front of people and we know who he is. Come on, you can't be *that* obtuse can you?


Jay Leno didn't write the jokes, he is simply the delivery man just like "The Onion" is the vehicle to deliver this piece of satire. My point is, it's funny. I want to know who wrote "The Onion" piece about as much as I want to know who wrote the Leno jokes. It isn't journalism, it's comedy.

I wasn't being a smart aleck. Your post just sounded like you weren't aware that this is not serious journalism. These pieces in "The Onion" may well be written by a group of people for all we know. Nothing more than comedy writers.

Cruiser


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