-The All Star Game was pretty well played, and had some innovation in the activities around it. The Home Run Derby featured something I thought I would never see: a buzzer beating home run. Baseball's pastoral pace just doesn't lend itself to such things.
The game itself cemented Mike Trout as the best player in the game right now. He does it all, and makes it look easy. He has the additional likeable trait of being good with the fans and playing with great enthusiasm. Yes, I am an Angels fan, but I would like Mike Trout even if he played for the Yankees. Okay, maybe I stretched that one a little, but the point is made: as long as he is clean, he deserves to be the face of Major League Baseball. He shows what the game really is and what it should be.
-I truly enjoyed the Iowa Corn 300 last night. IndyCar racing has a superior show to NASCAR, but doesn't have the fan base. Ryan Hunter-Reay won, finally have a bright night in a horribly frustrating season for the 2014 Indianapolis 500 Champion. His car kept getting better after the sun went down, and he finally got a couple of good breaks.
Most interesting was the post race dust up between Ed Carpenter and rookie Sage Karam. Karam drove the wheels off his car to keep it out of the fence and finish third, his first podium finish. Carpenter wasn't too thrilled with how Karam did it, coming within inches of crashing both cars and let him know in no uncertain terms after the race.
Carpenter sounded a little scared in his rant, Karam a little unapologetic. Karam has had a couple of run ins earlier with other veterans this season, and that can come back to haunt him. I hope not. The talent is undeniable, and on the whole, he handles himself well for the teenager he is. He will be the face of American Open Wheel Racing, and judging by last night, it will be very soon.
-As a golfer, I always wanted to compete in The Open Championship. Playing in England or Scotland appealed to me because it was similar to the course I grew up on. Garrett Country Club in the late 70's and early 80's had no fairway watering system, just the greens. In dry times, it looked like an Open Championship course: dry, browned out in areas, but greens in fantastic shape. It was different golf than what we saw in America: shots that land short and run into the green, punch shots, clever fades and draws. A shot from 150 yards out in the fairway might have six different options, you didn't just pull a club and blast away.
St. Andrews looked like American golf today. Dan Jenkins, a long time writer with strong wit, wrote that any Goat Hills American could have scored at St. Andrews today.
If the weather is accurate, that will not be the case tomorrow. The forecast calls for scattered rain and winds in the 15-25 mph range during the afternoon and early evening. With the wind in her hair, The Old Course has eaten the lunch of a lot better players than me. It can happen tomorrow.
I would like to see one of two things happen, neither highly likely. One, I would like to see Jordan Spieth win his third consecutive major, then go to Whistling Straits in Kohler, WI, and win the PGA Championship, completing the Grand Slam.. For an encore, he would part Lake Michigan and walk on top it to Chicago.
Failing that, I would like to see Irish amateur golfer Paul Dunne become the first amateur to be crowned Champion Golfer of the Year since Bobby Jones in 1930. He would tearfully plead to remain an amateur for life, honoring Jones, and go on to win a dozen majors, and start another major championship in Ireland on a course he commisions. In true Irish fashion, players would have to wend their away around a superb layout while taking a shot of Bushmills on every tee. It would be a return of golf to its roots.
Yeah, neither one is that likely. Spieth is a serious competitor, so is Louis Oosthuizen, the winner the last time the Open Championship was played at The Old Course. Dustin Johnson survived his bad day and is still three shots back. My dark horse pick is Zach Johnson, a steady player used to the vagaries of weather as only Iowa can dish it out.
It could be the best Open Championship to watch ever. I will go to work, but it could split my attention 2 for 1. I probably have enough personalities to go around, so it should be okay.
So...am I off base?
Failing that, I would like to see Irish amateur golfer Paul Dunne become the first amateur to be crowned Champion Golfer of the Year since Bobby Jones in 1930. He would tearfully plead to remain an amateur for life, honoring Jones, and go on to win a dozen majors, and start another major championship in Ireland on a course he commisions. In true Irish fashion, players would have to wend their away around a superb layout while taking a shot of Bushmills on every tee. It would be a return of golf to its roots.
Yeah, neither one is that likely. Spieth is a serious competitor, so is Louis Oosthuizen, the winner the last time the Open Championship was played at The Old Course. Dustin Johnson survived his bad day and is still three shots back. My dark horse pick is Zach Johnson, a steady player used to the vagaries of weather as only Iowa can dish it out.
It could be the best Open Championship to watch ever. I will go to work, but it could split my attention 2 for 1. I probably have enough personalities to go around, so it should be okay.
So...am I off base?
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