Lefty erased “Classic Phil” moments
4/14/10 5:37 PM
As Phil Mickelson hit his second shot on the par-5 13th hole at the Masters Sunday, the golf world collectively groaned. “Classic Phil,” we thought. “His aggression is going to screw him over again.” In those five or six seconds after he struck the ball with his 6-iron, the life of Phil flashed before our eyes. We remembered the disaster at Winged Foot in 2006. Entering that 18th hole with the lead, only needing par to win his first US Open, he hit his driver into a hospitality tent, then ended up in a bunker, then double-bogeyed to lose. “I am still in shock that I did that.” Mickelson uttered, “I just can’t believe that I did that. I’m such an idiot.” We remembered the 2008 US Open. With his 64-degree wedge, he hit his...The best sports commercials
4/11/10 6:05 PM
America loves a comeback story. With Tiger’s return at the Masters Thursday, Nike has capitalized on the comeback story with a new commercial. The ad features the words of his late father, Earl Woods, playing over a black and white video of a solemn Tiger staring at the camera As effective as Nike hoped it would be, the message falls flat and a little cheesy, at that. Has the Tiger scandal really reached the point where Woods can publicly call attention to himself? Whether or not you care about the affairs, it’s odd that Tiger would agree to an advertisement that berates him for his actions. Especially using a tactic that Nike has already employed in the past, and much more effectively: Nike Golf “Never” One of the most powerful commercials ever....Much ado about Jeter: ‘The Captain’ floods the ESPN market
3/31/10 7:52 PM
As I opened ESPN.com Monday morning, I searched for any baseball news, predictions, columns — anything — to quench my thirst during this long final week of spring training. Imagine my surprise when the first photo I see is Derek Jeter, sprawled out in his signature “jump in the air thing after ranging right on a ground ball” pose. Another Jeter story? No big deal for ESPN. Another story about Jeter’s intangibles and will to win? Classic ESPN. I imagine the writers meeting that morning in Bristol started off as usual. After the staff went through their standard routine of updates on Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods, Brett Favre and Alex Rodriguez, Jayson Stark drew a blank on his story for the day. It was in this moment that he reached into the ESPN vault and...The keys to a winning March Madness bracket
3/17/10 9:14 AM
Over the years, I’ve put together a solid resume in the world of March Madness pools. I owe it all to four key points: 1. Pick Xavier. Or really, pick a team and commit to them for the rest of your natural life. For going on five years now, I’ve picked Xavier to reach at least the Sweet Sixteen. It hasn’t always paid off, but in the off chance that they do succeed, I look like a genius. Plus, it’s much more interesting to root for a scrappy “who are they?” team than the No. 2 seed until the Elite Eight. Looking for a Xavier? I recommend the Richmond Spiders, the Houston Cougars (out of Conference USA pride) or the Butler Bulldogs. 2. Stick with the big dogs. Except for 1980 and 2006, at least one No. 1 seed has made the Final Four in every year of...So, about that hockey, eh?
3/3/10 7:13 PM
Sunday was a big day for me. Not big in the “my girlfriend is pregnant” way, or big in an “I just got the job promotion of a lifetime” way. Big in the “Oh my God, I just watched an entire game of hockey” way. That’s right. After years of swearing off the sport, I buckled down and watched an entire hour of the Gold Medal game between America and Canada. I tend to think that I know quite a bit about sports. I can name more golfers than rappers. I know the starting rosters to nearly every Major League Baseball team by heart. I have an unhealthy obsession with Mel Kiper’s Big Draft Board. But for the absolute life of me, I don’t understand a thing about...
is a member of the 
