Sports Quick Hits - Turds in the Punch Bowl

My schedule was thrown off a bit this week with work, so I'll get back to my NFL Draft Grades tomorrow, and hopefully by this weekend I'll have my Top 10 College Football Games article posted. So, that aside, here's Sports Quick Hits, a day late, but not a dollar short.

Golf
To quote the late, great Harry Caray, "Hoooolllllyyy Cow!" That was some performance by Rory McIlroy this weekend en route to winning the US Open. I mean, that was pretty brilliant. In the midst of round 2 of my fantasy golf run, and having missed the first round of the Open, I noticed two of my players, Y.E. Yang and Graeme McDowell were both in or near the top 10 heading into Saturday. Unfortunately for me, Rory McIlroy tallied a scorching 16 under par finish to take the title, and a cool $1.44M for the win. And good for him, after that terrible collapse at Augusta. Personally, I find it hard not to root for someone who goes out to see "Hangover Part II" in between rounds. You've also got to be very impressed by amateur Patrick Cantlay, who finished at even par. All in all, it was a great tournament to watch, and I'm sure Chizzy will have even more detail on this in the near future.

NFL
I thought I'd have better news regarding the lockout today given that the owners are in an informational meeting regarding the state of the lockout and a new proposed CBA. Lawyer Bob Batterman is confident the owners meetings won't stretch into Wednesday, as once thought late last week, as there will NOT be a vote on the new CBA.

Word leaked to media outlets that a potential owners meeting last week could "blow up" and halt negotiations with the players all together. ESPN ran a story this weekend stating that owners of two AFC teams were against the the proposed CBA that would end the lockout. In order for a new CBA to be enacted, 75% or 24 of the 32 league owners must vote in favor of the proposal. You may remember in 2006, when the late Gene Upshaw and former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue basically saved football, the CBA that expired March 1st this year was voted in favor by a count of 30-2.

The two owners who voted against it are interestingly enough in charge of AFC teams, and could perhaps be the same two owners, though I'll concede I think a separate owner could be part of that twosome this time around, who voted no last time around. They were Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson, the oldest in the league at 92, who openly admitted he didn't understand what the terms of the 2006 CBA meant. I'll give him a pass for his age and the fact he did so much for the AFL and merging it with the NFL in 1970. The other was Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown whose team finished dead least in ESPN's franchise rankings. Just look to him to figure out why; the man is, and alway has been a turd, and as former University of Dayton Quarterback Rob Florian once told me, "You can't polish a turd." Al Davis could theoretically be the other based on the fact the Raiders may be heading back to Los Angeles. Again.

Giants C Shaun O'Hara reportedly told teammates to prepare for camp on July 27th, which is typically around the time camps start anyway. Stay tuned.

***Wednesday Update: After a labor-heavy intensive meeting yesterday, the NFL's owners committee and Rodger Goodell will meet with NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith in suburban Boston today and tomorrow in another "sectret" negotiating session. The major compromise appears to be in terms of free agents. Those players who have accrued 4, 5, or 6 seasons will now be unrestricted free agents. In the past, a player had to wait 5 years to become a UFA. There's a rumor that the proposed CBA will include something similar to the NBA's max contract stipulation, which would prohibit any one player from making 10-12% of a team's total salary. Those already doing so, for example, Tom Brady, will still have their contracts honored, but it means that Peyton Manning is a UFA, and the Colts probably won't be able to sign him to a monster $20M per year deal as they've done in the past, which I think is a good thing league wide. The NFL is also stipulating that teams must operate with a salary cap floor, meaning they have to be "X" amount of dollars away from whatever the cap is, and they can't go lower. If your team is competing for a free agent with Tampa Bay, sorry, but you'll lose at least in terms of money available. Here's to hoping they actually get something done that allows trainging camp to open near it's traditional July 22nd start date. I'll leave you with a tweet from Colts owner/pseudo wannabe rocker Jim Irsay. Here it is:

"I'm just so f-ing excited...but I don't know why!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" For more details of the meetings scheduled in Boston for today and tomorrow, click here.***

NFL Odds and Ends
Outcast Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor will enter the NFL Supplemental Draft, which will be held and conducted via e-mail, as it's typically done, sometime in July. Pryor, right now, is the only major name that will enter as former Florida CB Janoris Jenkins, who was kicked out of school for repeated marijuana arrests, will transfer to Divison II North Alabama. Ironically, the North Alabama program is now being headed by Terry Bowden, and his brother, Jeff, is the associate head coach.

AEG has partnered with Farmers to form a potential plan to build an NFL stadium between the Staples Center and L.A. Convention Center as part of L.A. Live to attract a potential franchise to move to America's second largest market. Personally, I don't think there's any way the Vikings or Bills are moving, so I think it comes down to the Chargers, Rams, Jaguars, and possibly the Raiders. Of those four, I think the Chargers are the best fit as they started their franchise in the city of angels.

MLB
Chizzy's St. Louis Cardinals have taken the top spot in the N.L. Central again, but will lose Albert Pujols for 4-6 weeks with a sprained wrist. If Milwaukee and Cincinnati are for real, now's the time of them to make a move.

Florida Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez resigned over the weekend giving way to 80 year old Jack McKeon. The Marlins started off 30-20 and were just a few games back of the Phillies. Something went terribly wrong as the Marlins have gone just 2-21 since that time. McKeon, who led the Marlins to an improbably World Series victory in 2003, said that, "I've managed since I was 14, and I'll probably manage until I'm 95." What team was he in charge of at age 14?

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig rejected the television proposal between the Dodgers and Fox Sports a day after Frank and Jamie McCourt agreed on a divorce settlement. In the TV contract, Frank McCourt was to receive $385M of a $3B total up front, allowing the Dodgers to make the June 30th payroll deadline. Now, they're in a state of limbo. If McCourt fails to make that deadline, Major League Baseball could seize full control of the Dodgers and put the team up for sale. Here's MLB's statement on the matter:

"This decision was reached after a full and careful consideration of the terms of the proposed transaction and the club's current circumstances," commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. "It is my conclusion that this proposed transaction with FOX would not be in the best interests of the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise, the game of Baseball and the millions of loyal fans of this historic club."

Here's the rest of the story, including Frank McCourt's comments on Bud Selig's ruling.

NBA
The Dallas Mavericks shocked just about everybody and finished off the Miami Heat 4-2 to win the franchises first NBA Title. Perhaps even more embarrasing than Cleveland Cavaliers fans calling themselves Dallas Cavericks fans, is that Macy's mistakenly ran an ad in the Miami Herald the day after the Heat lost, congratulating them on winning the NBA Championship. Oops.

It's unfortunate that for so much of the LeBron hating, and some of it deservedly so as he choked about as hard in the fourth quarter of each game as the New England Patriots did against the Giants in Super Bowl XLII. Let's face it, LeBron's never, ever, going to be Michael Jordan. He's not as consistent as Magic Johnson even. LeBron is LeBron, and he always will be.

That said, it's unfortunate that stars like Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd won't be remembered as much for winning an NBA Title as the Heat will be for losing one. However, one rumor that I've heard that's quite interesting, is that if Jason Kidd does retire, Dallas would make a move to bring back Steve Nash. Wouldn't that be something if Dirk Nowitzki, once labeled soft and un-clutch, though not quite to LeBron standards, could win titles with Jason Kidd and Steve Nash?

As for those Dallas Cavericks fans, shouldn't you be more worried about the upcoming NBA Draft and how you're going to have to take Kyrie Irving and Enes Kanter? Yikes.

NHL
More turds in the punch bowl in the Stanley Cup Finals as the city of Vancouver's collective cheese slid completely off the cracker. Congrats to the Boston Bruins for winning game 7, and goalie Tim Thomas for setting a record of allowing only 8 goals in 7 games. That said, for a city known for its beauty, splendor, and based on the last Winter Olympics, the people, what the hell happened? I mean, it's not Rodney King redux, and it's not quite on par with the Cincinnati Police Riots, the only close rioting I've ever encountered, but's nonetheless very disturbing. I know Canadiens love their hockey intensly. I'm guessing it's about on par with how the British love soccer, I don't know, I've never been to a hockey game in Canada or on the pitch in the UK, but it has to be close. I mean, you didnt' see this in the city of Pittsburgh after the Steelers lost the Super Bowl.

Well, as you can see, it's been quite an interesting past few weeks in the sports world. Hopefully next week's installment of Quick Hits will have some more happy news.

5 Players Who I Think Could Win the US Open, and the One I Think That Will Win It

It's time for the ol' US Open. America's national championship is the toughest tournament the players will play all year.

Five inch high rough? Check.

Greens that roll faster than hardwood floors? Check.

Par 4's longer than the longest hole Average Joe plays ever? Check.

The U.S. Open is the USGA's (golf's governing body) opportunity to rise up and slap the professionals around like a red-headed step child. The winning score is rarely below par, you're going to see a heck of a lot more scores in the 80's than you will in the 60's, and Sunday is known for its famous meltdowns.

TC Chen's double chip back in the 80's. Arnold Palmer blowing a seven shot lead back in 1966. Dustin Johnson going triple-bogey triple-bogey last year at Pebble. Phil Mickelson double bogeying the eighteenth in 2005 to hand the title to Geoff Ogilvy.

This year should be no different. Congressional Country Club's Blue Course measures over 7,600 yards. The 18th hole is a brutal 523-yard par 4, with a tight fairway and a green completely surrounded by water. I don't want to play that hole. Meanwhile, many players are starting their tournament on the par 3 10th hole, a 213-yard hole that is over water, with bunkers in front and behind. Talk about a way to be shaking in your boots before you even get started. I've played a lot of golf, but I'd be terrified with 15,000 people watching me.

Having said all that, it takes a special (or extremely lucky) person to win a U.S. Open. They need to be long off the tee, hit a LOT of greens, and be a solid - but not great - putter. The reason I say that is because at the U.S. Open, you're not trying to make birdies. You're trying to make pars. So if you hit a lot of greens, two putts are going to be just fine.

Almost every player in this tournament can two putt from most places, so in my mind hitting greens is the most important quality in a U.S. Open champion candidate. Even more important than wearing snazzy outfits on the course, and that's saying a lot because as we all know, 90% of being good at golf is looking good while you're on it.

Keeping those qualities in mind, the following five players are the ones that I believe have the best shot to win this week at Congressional, followed by the player I think WILL win. Go into this knowing that I'm probably going to be wrong.

PLAYERS I DON'T THINK WILL WIN THIS WEEK

Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Martin Kaymer, Paul Casey, Rory McIlroy, Anthony Kim.

PLAYERS THAT COULD SNEAK IN THERE, BUT AREN'T MY FAVORITES

Nick Watney, Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Jeff Overton, Ernie Els (won here at Congressional in 1997).

POTENTIAL CANDIDATES TO HOIST THE TROPHY

Lee Westwood: Starting at the Masters, the strapping Englishman has played six events leading up to the U.S. Open, winning twice and never finishing outside the top 11. That's a pretty good track record if you ask me.

Westwood is known as one of the best ball strikers in the world with his irons, especially the longer irons.

At a U.S. Open, the key is to get on greens. If you don't, you may as well be left for dead. The last three years, the winners of the tournament have all been in the top 15 in greens in regulation for the tournament.

Westwood's statistics this year on the PGA Tour?

68.33%. Good enough for 18th place. And he ONLY plays the top events on Tour; he's not playing the John Deere Classics and the Turning Stone Championships which yield high GIR percentages. He's also been dropping a lot of putts from 15-25 feet (27.08%, 2nd on Tour).

Also, Westwood leads the Tour in distance from the pin from shots from 125-150 yards as well as shots from 200-225 yards - key distances this week. He also has the lowest Sunday scoring average on Tour this year. All this information leads to a strong potential for Westwood to capture his first ever major championship this week.

Luke Donald: He's the No. 1 player in the world, has played in nine events on Tour this year, and has finished in the top 10 in eight of them. In the words of Jason Segel in the Bad Teacher trailer, "THAT'S ALL THE ARGUMENT I NEED, SEAN!"

But in case those statistics still leave you wanting for more, I'm happy to oblige. Donald - long thought to be one of "the next big things" in golf - is known as Mr. Consistency. While he doesn't hit the ball a long way, he is one of the best players in the world with both the irons and the flatstick.

He leads the Tour in scoring average, is 5th in birdie average, 6th in putting, and is 33rd in GIR average. While nothing on Donald's resume blows anyone away, it is the fact that nothing in his game is a glaring weakness. He is an all-around great player.

At the U.S. Open you need everything to be solid - driving, irons, wedges, putter. Nothing needs to be overly spectacular, but everything needs to be reliable. Donald has that game, and fits the bill of a major champion. The most important thing is that even he believes this major is his best opportunity - he said earlier this week that the U.S. Open is the major that best suits his game.

Phil Mickelson: I don't really need to go into statistics here. Why? Because Phil will contend here. The guy has nine Top 10's over the last 15 years, including five second place finishes.

Phil is the most tortured player in recent U.S. Open history, and perhaps of all-time. He finished second at Pinehurst to Payne Stewart in 1999 in one of the most iconic tournaments of our lifetimes, to Tiger Woods in 2002 at Bethpage Black when the crowd was distinctly behind him, to Retief Goosen at Shinnecock in 2004 when Phil's putter failed him, most tragically in the aforementioned tournament at Winged Foot in 2006, and again at Bethpage in 2009 when his putter failed him.

Phil wants to win this tournament more than anything, and I think this is his last great shot at it. He's getting up there in years, and his dominant reign seems to be on the beginning of its downturn. As a diehard Phil fan myself, I don't want to see him falter. Watching him in the 2006 Open was one of the hardest things as a fan of sports that I ever had to watch.

But there's no doubt Phil is contending here this week. He's been playing well, won the week before the Masters, likes the set-up, and is always a threat to win.

Steve Stricker: Stricker may be 44 years old, but he's been playing the best golf of his career after the age of 40, similar to Kenny Perry a few years ago.

Known for spending his winters hitting balls out of a heated range in upstate Wisconsin, Stricker has the game, demeanor, and recent track record to set up for success this week.

Known as one of the best ball strikers and putters on Tour, Stricker can hit the ball with the best of them. He hits a TON of fairways (65.55%, 33rd on Tour), which is important at the U.S. Open. If you get into the rough, sometimes you can't even find it, and if you do you're better off getting it out with a machete in your hand.

Stricker also hits a lot of greens (67.75%, 22nd on Tour), and is especially accurate from 150 yards and in. Finally, he's the best in the game from 15 feet and in, which reflects and impeccably cool attitude which serves well in a U.S. Open. He likes to stay steady, and just goes about his business.

What's the takeaway from all of this? As shown in his recent win in the Memorial, if Stricker is on his game he's one of - if not the - best in the world.

K.J. Choi: Does K.J. even have emotions? I mean, the guy doesn't smile, doesn't get angry, barely talks, and basically goes about his business on the course like a samurai ninja. In fact, that's my new nickname for him: Ninja Choi.

Ninja Choi picked up the biggest win of his career last month at the Players Championship when David Toms basically threw up on himself in a playoff.

Long known for playing basically an entire set of hybrid clubs, Choi is a great iron/hybrid player. He ranks near the top of the Tour for shots played from 150-200 yards, and with an abundance of 440-470 yard par 4's, those shots need to be on to hoist the trophy on Sunday.

While his statistics aren't overwhelming in his favor, Ninja is what us in the golf world like to call a "grinder." What this means is that he's a gritty player who never gives up, and can make par from anywhere. In a U.S. Open, that's essential, which is exactly why I like Ninja Choi to sneak up the leaderboard this week.

MY PICK TO WIN THE TITLE: In a complete front-runner move, I'm taking Mickelson. It seems his "window of opportunity" is closing, and if he's going to win a U.S. Open this is the best year to do it. Best of luck Phil, bring home the hardware.

The Day Late Masters Recap: McIlroy's Collapse Was Our Fault

After an exhilarating final round, filled with spectacular moments, unbelievable charges, clutch play, and a fantastic finish, let’s do a little recap of all the players in contention.

In order to win the Masters, you have to have to two things happen on Sunday. First, you need to have a little luck. Second, you need to have a LOT of testicular fortitude. For those who don’t know what that means, Google it. I don’t want to offend any readers. Here’s the rundown.

Masters Champion, Charl Schwartzel – High on luck, High on the TF. Charl’s been kind of a “ready to burst out” type of guy for some time. I read an article right before the British Open last year saying he would be the next South African to win a major. Then Louis Oosthuizen, Schwartzel's roommate and a fellow South African, demolished the field at St. Andrews. But the 140 pound Schwartzel should have been on my radar for two reasons. First off, how is it possible that I even thought about leaving a man with some kick ass chest hair off my picks column? I mean, as a proud sporter of the chest hair myself, I have to support someone who rocks it with pride. It doesn’t get enough support in modern day society. Secondly, how could I not pick a guy who is ballsy enough to drop the “es” off of a name as awesome as Charles? I may have a new second favorite golfer behind Phil.

The truth is that Charl had luck on his side on the front nine. He chipped in from a ridiculous position with a 7-iron on the first, and then got a perfect spin/roll combo for an eagle at #3. Just like that, we had a new leader. He kind of just plodded along for a bit, dropping back a shot, until he hit 15. Birdie. 15-footer for birdie drops on 16, and just like that the tournament changes and Tiger’s out of contention. Then a clutch birdie on 17, and Schwartzel's your new leader. When he piped his tee ball on 18 right down the middle, the tournament was over. AND THEN HE DRAINED THE PUTT ON 18. WHEN HE DIDN’T HAVE TO. If that’s not testicular fortitude, I don’t know what is.

Adam Scott – Almost There on Luck, High on the TF. Adam’s luck was on his side. His McIlroy like drive on 17 ended up in a bunker where he could get it back in the fairway. As my buddy Curry pointed out, everyone thought after 17 that he was going to win the tournament; Adam did nothing to lose it. But the Golf Gods are sneaky sneaky. For years, Adam Scott’s been known for having one of the best swings in the game, but he just couldn’t putt. But now the dashing Aussie has a long putter, and his putting stroke is solid. I certainly did not expect him to knock in either the putt on 15 or 18 for par, but he did. Aka... Testicular fortitude. This may have been his coming out party, and I can just picture him quoting Adam Sandler: “Uh oh, Happy learned how to putt!” He’ll be contending in a few more majors in the near future.

Jason Day – Low on Luck, High on the TF. This kid really impressed me. The 23 year old Aussie has been creeping up the World Rankings, and just didn’t get any bounces to go his way Sunday. I heard a lot of muttering all week, and he was constantly grinding out pars until he birdied both 12 and 13 to get to 10 under. But kind of like Tiger, he stalled. Then he turned on the TF by draining lengthy birdies on both 17 (while feistily staring down Adam Scott after the make) and 18 to tie for the lead. I like the fire this kid brings to the table, and think he’s going to be around for quite some time. Plus, he married a girl from Ohio. And if you marry a girl from Ohio, you’re doing something right.

Tiger Woods – Meh on Luck, High on Swing TF, LOW LOW LOW on Putting TF. During the entire front nine 31, I kept thinking “Man, Tiger must have found a solid ladyfriend in Augusta.” He looked like the pre-Thanksgiving crash Tiger. He was throwing darts at pins and putts were dropping everywhere. Then the shot of the year, a 290 yard uphill 3-wood, followed by a drained eagle putt. Then came the fist pump. Tiger was BACK BABY! As much as I root for Phil, I respect Tiger, and hope he does break Jack’s record of 18 majors someday.

But something happened to Tiger on the back nine. Maybe caddie Steve Williams forgot to arrange for a conjugal visit for Tiger between 9 green and 10 tee. Maybe something else happened, but Tiger lost his mojo at the turn. He three putted 12, hit a horrible approach on 13, and then after a vintage Tiger shot and pose on his approach at 15, he missed a curling four-footer. Old Tiger doesn’t miss those putts. But New Tiger sure looked like Old Tiger while swinging the club Sunday didn’t he? Tiger’s close, and when the putts start falling, watch out. He may never dominate like he did from 2000-2004, but I can promise you, he won’t let us forget who’s the best player in the world when he’s at the top of his game. I’m rooting for you Tiger. Keep the “process” going.

Luke Donald and Geoff Ogilvy – Meh on Luck, High on TF. These guys were impressive. Luke rallied from a subpar Thursday to finish T-4, but really didn’t have things going his way. With the weirdest 18th I’ve ever seen, he pulled off a miracle shot that no one could believe, using a sideways stance to get toward the green. But the ball caromed off the flagstick and skirted off the green, effectively killing his chances, until he miraculously chipped in from the front collar. If we could just get CBS to stop doing slo-mo celebrations I would be fine, because it was an unflattering view of Donald that made me want to make inappropriate jokes.

Geoff Ogilvy just couldn’t get any consistency all week until five straight birdies on the back nine took him to a Sunday 67 and a T-4 finish. I really can’t say that I’ve ever seen a player hop into contention like Ogilvy while simultaneously getting minimal coverage on TV. I felt like we didn’t see him hit a single live shot on Sunday. It was all, “just a second ago, Geoff Ogilvy had this for birdie.” Very weird.

Finally, things need to be said about Rory McIlroy. Low on both luck and TF, this time, but high on class.
What can you say? Rory McIlroy woke up Sunday with a four shot lead in the Masters. But he missed a short putt on the first hole, and then caught the lip on a fairway bunker on the second. The whole world at that point just knew: “Uh oh.” When all was said and done, he finished T-15, ten shots back of Charl Schwartzel. But it didn’t really sink in what was happening until the 10th tee. He had a one shot lead when he hit a ball so far left that America found out for the first time that there are cabins at Augusta OTHER than Butler Cabin. He was so far off the map that cameras couldn’t even pan in to where he was. Two trees, a compass, and a triple bogey later, McIlroy was done. To add insult to injury, he bogeyed 11 and four-putted the 12th for a double bogey.

If you have a heart, you felt for the 21 year old. It wasn’t easy to watch. I’ve been in the midst of a meltdown on the course before in a tournament, and it’s a sickening, cold feeling; and I’m talking about playing in a high school tournament that doesn’t matter, not the final round of the Masters. When he walked off the 18th green, you wanted to clap with the gallery. You wanted to pick up his spirits. But after his post-round interview, I wasn’t worried about him. He handled the interview with class, and he handled it with a mentality much more mature than the average 21 year old. He handled it like a person who will learn from the experience, use it to build character, and win a major in the not so distant future. Something a lot of people don't understand is that you have to be prepared to win a major, and you do that by experiencing failure. It comes in due time. Tiger’s victory at age 21 was the exception to the rule. McIlroy has 25 more years, or approximately 100 more majors where he can contend. The man's got time, so Sunday night I’m hoping Rory did what I like to do when I have a crappy day. Grab an ice cold beer, and take a long hot shower. Because what happened on Sunday wasn’t his fault, it was ours.

I've been thinking about this alot since Sunday, and I’d like to create a new term: being McIlroyed. I understand what many of you are probably thinking: this is a new term for “blowing a four shot lead going into the final day of a Major Championship.” However, you would be wrong. The next three examples reflect what it means to be McIlroyed. Bear with me here.

Example 1: Three of my best friends (Curry, BDubs, and JShy) and I are in what we call the Gentleman’s Betting League (from this point forth, it's termed the GBL). Last year, we decided to each put $100 into a pot - winner take all. Over the course of the year, we make picks on sporting events, anything goes. We pick NBA Playoffs, Tennis events, NFL Picks against the spread; literally anything you can think of, we bet on. We have a point system to track how things are going, and at the close of each year’s PGA Championship, we will tally it up and settle the payments the next week on our annual golf trip (which this year is in Vegas baby. Vegas. We’re so money we don’t even know it). JShy fell on hard times the second the competition started. He can’t win an event to save his life, and was basically eliminated from the inaugural title before it even started.

For each of the four golf majors, we do a draft to pick five players. It’s pretty simple, you just tally up your “team’s” score at the end of the tournament, lowest score wins. Here was JShy’s team: Dustin Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Nick Watney, Rory McIlroy, Ricky Barnes. His teams score after Friday’s round: -18. The other teams: Chizzy -3; Curry -8; BDubs -9. To put it bluntly, he’s spanking us.

On Friday afternoon, I get the following two text messages: (1) 3:11 P.M. - “Thus far I’m destroying you guys in the Masters pick ‘em;” (2) 3:13 P.M. - “Just wanted to take this opportunity to rub it in, as it’s been my first such opportunity in the existence of the GBL.” Just a littttttle bit overconfident, and I bet you can figure out what happened next. Game. Set. Match. JShy’s team shoots a combined 15 over par in the final two rounds, and he finishes third in the tournament. Overconfidence effectively killed his team’s chances in the event.

Example 2: In 2007, Ohio State played Florida in the National Championship game. Ohio State had dominated its regular season, beating Michigan in the famed “1 vs. 2” game. We had Teddy Ginn, superfrosh Beanie Wells, and Heisman Trophy Winner Troy Smith. The media had already given the Bucks the game, and the BCS Championship was basically an afterthought. On the opening kickoff, speed demon Teddy Ginn runs the kickoff back for a touchdown. 7-0 Bucks. After going crazy, I decide to trash talk to the only Florida fan I know, the Keebler Elf. I text him something absolutely ridiculous about how Ohio State will dominate, walk back into the living room, only to learn that Teddy Ginn went down. He doesn’t see the field for the rest of the game, and I’m pretty sure the rest of the Ohio State team disappeared as well. Final score: 41-14. Ohio State’s reputation: shattered.

Example 3: What happened on Sunday at the Masters. For the last three years or so, Rory McIlroy has been anointed as the next “Chosen One.” The next “golf superstar.” As a matter of fact, I tend to agree with this statement, even though evidence suggests that the chosen ones don’t work out. Sergio Garcia is still searching for that first major. But McIlroy’s got an unbelievable game, and seems to have his head in the right place. And after he surged to a four shot lead after Saturday’s round, the media was having a field day. The following headlines popped up: “Rory McIlroy’s Coronation,” “Late Burst Puts McIlroy in Clear,” “Is Rory McIlroy the New Tiger Woods?” Everyone in the media and public predicted he would coast to the Green Jacket.

So what happened? McIlroy got McIlroyed. Just like the Buckeyes got McIlroyed by me. Just like JShy McIlroyed his GBL Masters team. Once anyone starts talking about a sure thing in sports, or begins trash talking too much, the Sports Gods let karma take effect and have a McIlroy waiting around the corner, ready to pounce.

So to conclude, I think there’s three things to take away from this Masters:

1. It truly is now a global game. I was awestruck by the leaderboard throughout the tournament. On the back nine Sunday, six continents were represented. North America: Tiger Woods, Bo Van Pelt. South America: Angel Cabrera. Europe: Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald. Asia: KJ Choi. Africa: Charl Schwartzel. Australia: Geoff Ogilvy, Jason Day, Adam Scott. For so many years, golf was dominated by the United States and Europe. There were so many great players on both sides that I don’t want to list them all. Many things contributed to this trend, but mostly it can be said that golf was viewed as a “rich man’s” game. But in Africa, South America, Australia, and Asia, it’s apparent that the trailblazers have seen their influence finally come to fruition, and the game has reached the far corners of the world.

In Africa, Gary Player gave rise to a new generation of golfers including Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, and Nick Price. In Australia, Greg Norman paved the way for the large number of Australians, and an argument could be made that his failures in the clutch (see: 1996 Masters) have given the new generation an emphasis on what it means to come through when it matters. In Asia, Isao Aoki and Jumbo Ozaki paved the way for K.J. Choi, Shigeki Maruyama, and now Ryo Ishikawa and Y.E. Yang. And in South America, Robert de Vincenzo was a worldwide icon who Angel Cabrera, Carlos Franco, and Camillo Villegas all looked up to. Golf’s a worldwide game now, and I personally think it’s a good thing.

2. The new generation is FINALLY here. Sure, Ernie Els, David Duval, and Vijay Singh had some good times, but ever since Tiger’s record shattering, game-changing win at the 1997 Masters, the game has really been about Tiger and Phil. And everyone has been waiting for a new generation of players to step up, win, and challenge the Big Two. Some thought it would be Sergio after the 1999 PGA, but he’s now more known for his whining than his golf game. In the early 2000’s others thought it would be Stuart Appleby and Robert Allenby, but the two Aussies never really took that next step. About six or seven years ago we thought it would be Adam Scott, Justin Rose, Paul Casey, and Luke Donald. For the last three years, the talk’s been about McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Ryo Ishikawa, Charl Schwartzel (who was a very popular up and comer over in Europe), Rickie Fowler, and Nick Watney. But no one’s been able to take the next step. Until last year, when Graeme McDowell, Louis Oostheiuzen, and Martin Kaymer all stepped up.

The Masters this year really set the tone for what I think is the future of golf. It seems that the new generation is finally ready to step up and take center stage, and a level of parity is going to hit the game like we haven’t really seen since the early 1990’s, when there was no one dominant player in the game. Tiger and Phil are still going to contend, and will probably win a few more, but they’re no longer the automatic picks to win majors that they were in the past.

3. For once, clutch was the name of the game at Augusta National. The Masters has traditionally been about heartbreak, and Rory McIlroy joined this infamous Masters list. Greg Norman losing a six shot lead on Sunday in 1996 to see Nick Faldo win the green jacket. Nick Faldo benefitting again in 1989 when Scott Hoch misses a two foot putt to win on the 18th green. Ernie Els being caught on the back nine in 2004 by Phil Mickelson. Roberto de Vicenzo (what a stupid he is) getting into a playoff, but signing for the wrong score, and handing the Masters to Bob Goalby in 1968. Kenny Perry bogeying the last two holes in 2009, then losing in a three way playoff to Angel Cabrera.

But to me, the thing that stands out for the 2011 Masters is the clutch play down the stretch. It was something we've never seen by so many people. Geoff Ogilvy started it off, making five straight birdies starting on Amen Corner from holes 12-16, no easy feat in itself. Jason Day made an impossible putt on 17 after staring it down, and showed his clutchness on 18 by making a putt to tie for the lead. Adam Scott, long known for his putting woes, made clutch 10-15 foot par putts on holes 15 and 17; I thought those putts would win him the tournament. It probably would have, but Charl Schwartzel birdied the last four holes on Sunday to win the Masters, including a difficult putt on 18 that he didn’t have to make. An unbelievable feat, one we may never see again. It truly was a spectacular Sunday, and Augusta National once again proved why in my opinion Masters Sunday is the best day on the sporting calendar. Congratulations to Charl Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters Champion. I don’t think this is the last we hear from you.