Random Thoughts

Some random thoughts while waiting for the pug to stop dreaming.

-A lot of spring football games tomorrow.  It should be interesting to see some of what happens, just in Indiana.  Will Indiana actually stop their offense?  Nobody else did.  Will Purdue look like a Big Ten football team?  They didn't last fall.  Will Notre Dame look like a the team they were two years ago?  At least the quarterback is the same.

-Time to watch baseball any way.  Great pitching was on display tonight.  Tomorrow will feature some great weather around the Midwest.  Go find a high school game, if nothing else.  I think I'll watch a little softball.  Campbell vs. Longwood is on ESPN3.  Campbell is coached by Drew Peterson, a great friend of mine, dating back to college days at Bethel College.

-The Masters sees Bubba Watson with a huge lead after 36 holes.  The last time I remember a lead like this was Greg Norman in 1996.  He kept it together on Saturday and looked like he could just cruise on Sunday.  Then came the Great Collapse.  It was like watching a live autopsy.  Greg folded like a newspaper, handing Nick Faldo another Green Jacket.  Greg Norman, with all that talent, finished with two major championships, as many as John Daly, and one less than Larry Nelson.

-Loved Rick Reilly's article this week on ESPN.com.  To shorten the article, he says that Tiger Woods chased the wrong Jack Nicklaus.  He chased the Major Championship wins, but felt he could do it without the balance in his life that Nicklaus exhibited.  Jack and Barb raised five children, while Tiger kept more than five mistresses juggled.  Jack relaxed and enjoyed his fishing, while Tiger tends to spearfish without a tank.  Jack worked his schedule to be away from home no more than three weeks at a time.

Jack's best move was convincing Miss Barbara Bash to marry him.  He married a wonderful woman who did a great job raising the children mostly, mostly on her own.  She made sure Jack could focus on what he loved to do.  I heard a story that she was having major problem during a pregnancy while Jack held a lead going to the final round of a tournament.  She quietly suffered while he slept, and then went to the hospital after he left for the golf course.   Extreme? Yes, but sacrifices were made.

Jack could have agreed to do many things that could have generated large amounts of income, but chose to be a father.  He did everything he could to be at every game, make every concert, and be a father.  At least, that is how the story goes.

Maybe Jack and Tiger are a reflection of the era they grew up.  Jack was in a time where family was valued highly, keeping your word a way of life.  Faithfulness to your spouse was expected, and anything else was scandalous.  Jack was passionately in love with his wife.  It was life in the 50's.

Tiger married a supermodel and kept a stable of mistresses.  He looked good on the outside: married to a supermodel, life of a rock star, and competing to be the best of all time.  He started his professional life with $40 million of Nike's money to finance his start.  It all looked good on the outside, but was rotten under the skin.  He chose to look good, but do something else.  When he was discovered, the world tolerated it poorly.

I am a great fan of Nicklaus, a product of my day and upbringing.  I was taught to value the things Nicklaus held dear.  I don't like showy things that look good, smell good, but are rotten on the inside. Maybe that's why I've never cottoned to Tiger Woods.  I admire his talent, but want to root for a better person.

So...am I off base?