A Matter of Tiger

In sports, you have certain numbers that mean something specific. Whether it’s a score, a statistic, a line, or otherwise, we as sports fans cannot live without numbers. In golf, the number 72 is a measuring stick between above and below average. Scoring par on each hole on a course is considered a good score for us amateurs. The pros, more often than not, need to score under par. 5 under par, 7 under par, 11 under par. Whatever it may be, those pros need to be in “red numbers.” Eldrick “Tiger” Woods has never shot for anything over par. However the number 72 means something now to Mr. Woods.

                Tiger Woods outlasted Graeme McDowell and others to win the 2012 Arnold Palmer Bay Hill Invitational last week. His career wins on the PGA tour is now just one behind a man named Jack Nicklaus. Sunday’s win not only gave Tiger his 72^nd career win, but it was his first win since the BMW Championship in September 2009. In case you are counting at home, that’s 924 days between wins for Tiger. Also in that time, there have been 72 different winners on the PGA tour. There’s that number again, 72. Numbers have meant everything to Woods. Since day one, he has had his eyes on Nicklaus’ eighteen majors. Tiger has fourteen. Just a few years ago, it seemed just a matter of time that Tiger would reach and eclipse Jack’s eighteen. However, life happened along the way. That is, a different life than what the public expected from the Superman of the links. We all expect the greatest athletes of our time to be good people. We expect them to follow our family values. We can’t understand why things go wrong for these athletes. But things went way wrong for Tiger, and he had no one to blame but himself. Let’s just say the affairs with the number of women tallied higher than 72. His wife, Elin, divorced him in 2010 after his attempts at reconciliation and his therapy sessions for sex addiction. Tiger had not only hit rock bottom at home, but his game was also nowhere to be found. He lost his #1 world ranking for the 1^st time in 281 weeks. Plenty of people, reporters, peers and fans felt that Tiger would never be the same. He may be a competitive golfer, but never the Tiger we grew to love. And it is true; he won’t ever be the same. He won’t ever win the career slam, holding each grand slam trophy at the same time. And that just may be what makes Tiger bigger in the future than ever before.

                We as the general public are shocked and disappointed when our sports heroes fall from grace. After holding the world heavyweight championship belt, Muhammad Ali spent three years in jail after refusing to enter the Vietnam War draft. When he got out, he became a bigger icon, winning the belt two more times. Michael Jordan had won three straight NBA titles when he decided to spend a year and a half playing minor league baseball. He came back and won three more titles ascending further and further above his peers. Look at music. Frank Sinatra was a big star in the 1930’s and 40’s, but he was broke by 1950 and even tried to commit suicide. He battled back and became a bigger star behind the mic and on the silver screen. Tiger has this same opportunity. Can you imagine Tiger winning a couple of majors in 2012 and capping the year by leading his team to a victory in the Ryder Cup on American soil? Don’t put it past him. He is not only very capable of this, but is also considered the favorite going into next week’s Masters. Not only would a couple more wins pass Jack in career victories, it could inch him closer to Jack in career majors.

                What I said earlier about us not wanting our stars to fall from grace is absolutely true. However, there is a small part within us that gets a kick out of the best in sports battling adversity, and then rising above and beyond that adversity. I have said it before, people need winners. And regardless of what the critics say, Tiger is a winner. Maybe he is not a winner in his family life, but he is in the world of sports, especially when he met and exceeded everyone’s expectations. Maybe even his own. How often have we seen athletes rise to the occasion time after time after time? That is one of the reason we still root for Tiger. That is the reason TV ratings skyrocket when Tiger is in contention on Sunday. We push him. We are with him on every putt.  We follow him on every fairway.  If Tiger becomes the greatest winner of them all on the tour, he will not only go down as the greatest golfer of all-time, but he will put his name at or near the top of best sports athletes of all-time, joining the likes of Jordan and Ali as transcending figures in sports. Regardless if you root for or against Tiger, one thing is for certain. He does makes golf watchable on TV. And Tiger will win the Masters again. Whether it’s this year or next year or down the line. Don’t worry, it’s just a matter of Tiger.

LA’s Other Team

The NBA trading deadline is less than 48 hours away and usually this is a time of moves for teams looking to get to the pinnacle of basketball, an NBA Championship. However, up until now, this strike-shortened season has seen very little movement by any team. That’s pretty surprising when you think that many teams with one crucial move could move into the short list of serious contenders. We’d all agree that the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder are that short list of teams. Who can join them? Who has the ability to join them? How about the recent consistent playoff teams, the Mavericks, the Magic, the Nuggets, and the Hawks to name a few? Well the Mavericks are a mess, as bad as it can get for a defending champion. Dirk is not the Dirk from a year ago, Lamar Odom is lost and the team is somehow considerably older. The Nuggets and the Hawks are always exciting to watch but always seem to be a player away. So why not trade for that player? Because if Carmelo Anthony wanted out of Denver, it must not be that great of a destination. Atlanta has never been a great destination, so that eliminates them. Then there is the Magic, who are ready to give Dwight Howard the farm, well, at least the power to run the organization. It doesn’t seem fathomable for everyone to be happy in that situation, so Orlando is going on hope. How about the perennials? The Celtics are on their way out and have been shopping Rajon Rondo, their best player and only real asset under the age of 30. Other than Ray Allen, the Celts have nothing that anyone wants. The Lakers are always going to compete, whether or not they can land Howard or Deron Williams or a package of pieces. While they need to upgrade to win it all, it is not a necessity to continue being the NBA’s elite franchise. I use the word necessity, and I mean the word necessity as a thought of who really needs to make a move more than the others. The list of teams above has the ability or the need, but not both, save for one team not yet listed: the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Clippers moved to Los Angeles in 1984. In the 27 years prior to this year, they have made the playoffs four times, winning only one series. In some ways, this franchise has been more snake bitten than other sports franchises. Yes, that includes the Cubs. You see, the Cubs have been close and have had marketable stars to keep them interesting and competitive. The Clippers have had Danny Manning, Elton Brand, and an owner not willing to spend any money. Then a funny thing happened a few years ago. They won the lottery, thus the rights to Blake Griffin. Although he did miss his entire rookie season to injury, the drafting of Griffin could be a franchise changer. If you didn’t believe it then, believe in another funny thing: the Clippers somehow landed superstar point guard Chris Paul after the NBA put a nix on his move across the hall to the purple and gold. Add Chauncey Billups, Caron Butler, Mo Williams, Kenyon Martin and others, and all of a sudden the Clippers have themselves a quality squad. Chauncey gets hurt, but with Butler, Mo, K-Mart and now Paul, they have the tools to groom Blake Griffin. They have prior experience with battles in past playoff success and heartache. The pieces are falling together. Youngsters DeAndre Jordan, Eric Bledsoe, and Reggie Evans among others give their fans excitement and a reason to watch. They also give the team something many other teams don’t have, options. Jordan, Bledsoe, Evans, they could all be used to acquire a quality, veteran shooter/defensive specialist, say Ray Allen for one. There’s the ability, now here’s the need:

With all the Dwight Howard talk and the Lakers possibly trading Pau Gasol and/or Andrew Bynum, along with the “why can’t LeBron James finish?” hype, here may be the most important question not being talked about. Will Blake Griffin opt out this year or next? He’s explosive and talented and a fan favorite. While the jury is still out on if he will become more Vince Carter (all hype, little substance) than Kevin Garnett (lots of hype, all substance), the Clips need to put their best foot forward to keeping Griffin their franchise guy. That leads to another point not being talked about; will Chris Paul stay after next season? After all, he will become a free agent after the 2013 season. So the Clippers have a year and a half to prove to their two all-stars why Los Angeles can be big enough for two teams. Here’s what they could do:

By trading DeAndre Jordan and Eric Bledsoe for Ray Allen, they become an automatic serious contender for a championship…this year. You tell me with a starting five like Paul, Allen, Butler, Griffin and either K-Mart or Evans at center, that those five couldn’t go toe to toe with any other five? Then with Mo Williams, K-Mart/Evans, Bobby Simmons and Randy Foye off the bench, this team becomes a solid nine deep. They definitely get to the conference finals if not further. Blake stays for another season and you have either Chauncey Billups or Ray Allen, or both, return. The Clips, by losing Jordan, can offer a mid-level contract to one or both veteran guards and gear up for one more season to win the trophy. More importantly, owner Donald Sterling has made aggressive moves to win now and put a quality and entertaining roster on the court to make his case to keep Blake Griffin and Chris Paul with the franchise long term.

While this is only a theory, it is definitely a slippery slope, and a critical time for LA’s other team. They could rise to the top of the NBA and possibly go on a five-year run of incredible success. However, one wrong move, or a move not made, and the Clippers could fall into their normally familiar doldrums: lottery picks year after year and never getting out of the shadow of their older brother, the Lakers. The NBA will be fine regardless of the Clippers rise or fall. But, and it is a huge but, what happens next to the Los Angeles Clippers? Especially if they can’t get to the top.

A Night in Hershey, PA

Have you ever felt like you could do no wrong? You know, those days you wake up in the morning, the sun is shining, you just have all the natural energy in the world and for one day, everything goes your way? In the sporting world, this feeling is widely referred to as “in the zone.” Collegiate and professional athletes far and wide, past and present have been asked to describe that feeling. How do you get to that point? How does it feel? How long can you sustain it? So let’s just list some of the moments we would describe as being “in the zone.”

Gale Sayers scores 6 TDs in a single football game for the Chicago Bears.

Bill Walton hits 21 of 22 shots in the NCAA title game for UCLA.

Rick Wise hit 2 homeruns and pitched a no-hitter in the same game for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Michael Jordan hits 6-three pointers and 35 points in the 1^st half of an NBA Finals game for the Chicago Bulls.

Shawn Green hits 4 homeruns and goes 6 for 6 at the plate with 6 runs scored for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

All of these feats plus many more could easily be described as being in the zone. However, as dominant as they seem, they all fall short to a night in Hershey, PA. In fact, this Friday, March 2^nd, will mark the 50^th anniversary of the greatest single game feat in sports history. Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a single NBA game. Let me type that again, 100 points… by one player… in one game… a regulation game… against an NBA team (the New York Knicks). You couldn’t write that in a movie or book. In fact, it’s hardly fathomable to write out the game stats, or accumulate them in a video game: 36 of 63 field goals made, 28 of 32 free throws made. A perfect all around number, 100. We have all heard the reasons why it is great or why it is a little overrated. So let’s list some of the pros and cons from that historic night.

Cons:

Who did they really play? Yes, they played the Knicks but no one was as big as Chamberlain and the NBA in its early stages had hardly been integrated at that point.

What exactly is Hersheypark Arena? That arena was not the normal site for Philadelphia Warrior home games. The gym was “a god-forsaken place” as one teammate had put it. The rims were said to be very forgiving allowing for shots to rattle in a lot easier.

Who else took shots that night? As early as halftime, many teammates were quoted as saying they wanted him to get to 100. 

The rules were a little different. The key was not widened to its today measurements until 1964, two season after Chamberlain scored 100, allowing him to stand around the basket without any 3 second violations.

Pros:

Wilt was bigger but not by much. The “Big Dipper” at that point of his career stood at 7’0” and about 260 lbs. The Knicks starting center that night, Darrall Imhoff stood 6’10” and 220 lbs. We have all seen Shaquille O’Neal match up against guys nowhere near his size and weight.

Other guys did score. In fact, the other four starters for the Warriors all scored in double figures. Three of those starters made at least seven shots that night.

He was due to score 100 eventually. In Wilt’s three games before the 100, he scored 60 points in all of them. Darrall Imhoff matched up against The Stilt a few days later and received a standing ovation for holding him to a mere 58 points. In that 1961-62 season, Chamberlain averaged 50.4 points per game.

100 is still 100. I hear Lakers fans and even the sports media say that Kobe Bryant’s 81 point game (2^nd highest) is just as amazing as and more difficult than Wilt’s 100. My response? Go to a bar and run up $100 bar tab and give the bartender $81. It’s not the same. Plus, Kobe had the benefit of the 3-point line. Not to mention, Kobe and others of this era’s players get the advantages of state of the art equipment and arenas, along with 1^st class air travel (not on trains) and modern medicine.

Any way you slice it, no NBA player is going to break this record. I highly doubt anyone gets past Kobe’s 81. And when you match it up against the other single game feats in the other sports list above and the others not listed that may come to mind, those feats, while certainly astonishing, can be equaled or bettered. I can see Adrian Peterson or Arian Foster going wild for a 6 TD game. Shawn Green set a record for those 6 runs scored but fourteen others have hit 4 homeruns in a game. Even other feats like the called shot homerun by the Babe or Gretzky’s 5 goals in a game to give him 50 in 39 games. Tough to do but those will be reached before Wilt’s 100. It is the perfect number and the perfect statistic for one of the most dominant athletes in all of sports. Wilt Chamberlain could do it all and pretty much did it all in his career. He scored at will. He is the all-time leading rebounder in NBA history. He was on 2 NBA championship teams. He even led the league in assists for a season. You can make a case that Wilt was the greatest NBA player in history. There’s one thing for sure, WCAU radio announcer Bill Campbell’s call will live on. “The most amazing scoring feat of all time! 100 points for Wilt Chamberlain!” For one night, he was the greatest ever.

Whatever Happened to that Guy?

Stop me if you heard any of these: Linsanity, the Knicks are Lindestructable, the most Linteresting man in the world. Yes, Jeremy Lin is the talk of the Big Apple and is the hot topic of American sports today. Let’s get it out of the way. Sure, he is getting the publicity partly because he is of Asian descent. He is also getting publicity because he graduated from Harvard, one of only four Harvard graduates to play in the NBA. But let’s be real here, he is getting lots of love because he is winning and because he is putting up numbers. Something different than what we got from that guy in Denver, right football fans? The question is, is Jeremy Lin here to stay? The list below contains athletes that captured the hearts of the sporting world for a moment, a stretch, an entire year, or at least some length of time. Most of this list is not a Hall of Fame list, just some names that makes you ask, “Whatever happened to that guy?”

Michael Chang – He arrived on the scene in 1989, winning the French Open, defeating Ivan Lendl and Stefan Edberg along the way. Michael Chang still stakes claim as the youngest male to win a tennis major. Known for his on-court speed and fighting spirit, Chang is considered by many observers to have been one of the best counterpunchers of all time. He also introduced the jumping two-handed backhand. He remained in the top 10 of the ATP world rankings for several years in the 1990s, peaking at world no. 2.

Randall Cunningham – He was Michael Vick before there was Michael Vick, well, at least without the dog fighting. Randall Cunningham was arguably the most exciting player of his generation. Because of the lack of the Philadelphia Eagles offensive line, he had to be. This was a main reason that Cunningham kept getting hurt. A 4-time All-Pro selection at quarterback, Randall Cunningham’s finest season may have been 1998 when he led the Minnesota Vikings to a 15-1 record. Cunningham also holds the 4^th longest punt in NFL history, a 91-yarder vs. the Giants.

Darryl Dawkins – He had the rump roaster, the bun toaster, and many others. That was Chocolate Thunder, Darryl Dawkins, naming his dunks like only he could. He also played in the NBA Finals three times as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers in the late 1970s and early 1980s. On the flip side, Dawkins set an NBA record for fouls in a season (386 in 1983-84), and he never quite lived up to the expectations that had been heaped upon him when he was drafted out of high school.

David Eckstein – Two of the greatest nicknames ever: Mini Me and Just Enough. But those two nicknames perfectly described David Eckstein, the 2006 World Series MVP as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. Eckstein was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 19th round of the 1997 amateur draft, and was selected off waivers by the then Anaheim Angels. During the Angels 2002 championship year, he led the major leagues with three grand slams, including grand slams in back-to-back games against the Toronto Blue Jays, one of which was a walk-off.

Mike Eruzione – A championship winning shot. A World Series winning homerun. How about a game winning goal in the Olympics? That’s what Mike Eruzione did. Now throw that with the fact that the goal came in the medal round vs the legendary Soviets near the height of the Cold War. Eruzione, the captain of the gold medal US hockey team, retired from competition after the Olympics, despite contract offers from the New York Rangers, stating that he'd reached the pinnacle of achievement already.

Doug Flutie – If you want to compare Tim Tebow to someone, this is the guy (sorry Doug). Flutie played college football at Boston College, and played professionally in the National Football League, Canadian Football League, and United States Football League. He first rose to prominence during his career at Boston College, where he received the prestigious Heisman Trophy in 1984. His Hail Mary touchdown pass in a game against Miami is considered among the greatest moments in college football and American sports history. Plus, is he the last quarterback to wear a jersey number higher than 19?

Dwight Gooden – He was supposed to be a sure fire Hall of Famer. He was going to go down as one of the greatest of all time. Dwight Gooden was on top, until he hit bottom. While Gooden would be an effective pitcher for several more seasons, he never topped 1985, which would prove to be the only 20-win season of Gooden's 16-year career. Many reasons have been offered for his decline such as early overuse and/or cocaine addiction. However brief, Gooden's period of dominance was memorable. In a span of 50 starts from August 1984 to May 1986, Gooden posted a record of 37-5 with a 1.40 ERA and had 412 strikeouts to just 90 walks.

Tommy Morrison – Most remember him as Tommy “the Machine” Gunn in Rocky V. Most remember him as a direct descendant of John Wayne. Tommy “the Duke” Morrison's professional boxing career effectively ended when he tested positive for HIV in 1996. Beginning in 2006, Morrison attempted a comeback, stating that he did not have HIV and, later, that “HIV was a myth.” After his forced retirement in 1996, Morrison has been charged with multiple assault, weapon, intoxication, and drug offenses. He was sentenced to jail on several occasions, and served part of one sentence in 2000–2001.

Hideo Nomo – In Los Angeles, there was Fernandomania, but who remembers Nomomania? His successful debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1995 is often credited with paving the road for the subsequent "wave" of Japanese players entering Major League Baseball. Hideo Nomo pitched over the span of 13 seasons in the Major Leagues with 8 different teams, before retiring in 2008. He won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1995. He twice led the league in strikeouts and also threw two no-hitters, remarkably one of them in Coors Field.

William Perry – Another of the top nicknames: the Refrigerator. William Perry was as big as one. But his larger than life personality is what made him endearing to the fans in Chicago. Perry, who wore number 72 as a Chicago Bear, became famous for his prowess as a defensive lineman. However, during his rookie season, Perry rushed for two touchdowns and caught a pass for one. Perry even had the opportunity to run the ball during Super Bowl XX, as a nod to his popularity and contributions to the team's success, and even scored a touchdown. Perry went on to play for ten years in the NFL. His Super Bowl ring size is the largest of any professional football player in the history of the event. His ring size is 25.

Spud Webb – A 5”7’ slam dunk winner? Webb was drafted in the 4th round of the ’85 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons. His first six seasons were played with the Atlanta Hawks, when he won the Slam dunk contest, but he had his best years statistically with the Sacramento Kings, where he played as a starter from 1992-1995. He then played for two more teams before retiring from professional basketball in 1998. Since Webb made his NBA debut, only two players have been shorter than he was: Earl Boykins and Mugsy Bogues.

Doug Williams – “Doug, how long have you been a black quarterback?” “Doug, how does it feel to be named Super Bowl MVP?” One question was asked before the Big Game, the other, afterward. Facing legendary Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway, Williams engineered his Washington Redskins to a 42-10 rout. Williams completed 18 of 29 passes for 340 yards, with four touchdown passes. The Super Bowl was clearly the high point of Williams' NFL career. He suffered from injuries the following season, and was eventually outshined by Mark Rypien, who would go on to win a Super MVP of his own. Williams and Rypien were so supportive of each other that T-shirts were sold with the caption "United We Stand", depicting the two quarterbacks as cartoon characters with Williams saying "I'm for Mark" and Rypien saying "I'm for Doug."

Jason Williams, aka white chocolate – We’re not talking about the Jason Williams who dated Oprah Winfrey and was charged with murder. We mean the guy who was once high school teammates with Randy Moss and once reminded us of “Pistol Pete” Maravich. Following a drug suspension by the University of Florida, Williams decided to make himself eligible for the NBA Draft in 1998. He was the seventh overall selection in the draft by the Sacramento Kings. The Kings, with a roster that included newcomers Chris Webber and Vlade Divac, turned into a playoff contender. That year, Williams' number 55 jersey was among the top five seller of NBA jerseys.