Tiger Woods’ iconic 1997 Masters victory
Running off at the typewriter
Tiger Woods just had his fourth back surgery in three years and will once again miss the entire golf season. you can forget about tiger ever winning again. In fact, I dont think h**l ever play again. Prediction: By this time next year, Tiger Woods wont be competing in the majors; h**l be commentating on them. Sentinel colleague Scott Maxwell did an excellent column earlier this week on 10 people who make Orlando a better place to live. And now for the 10 people who make Orlando a worse place to live: The Magic scouting department. Speaking of the Magic, theyve given thought to reaching out to Cleveland Cavaliers GM David Griffin to gauge his interest in heading their basketball operations, according to Yahoo Sports. This potential news is absolutely shocking to me not because the Magic are interested in Griffin but because I thought LeBron James was the GM of the Cavs. Speaking of LeBron, he is the only player in the league that if you put him on the Magic, they would instantly become a Finals team. This makes him the MVP this year and every year.
How massive is the Magics rebuild? Excluding the Brooklyn Nets, they have the least amount of talent on their roster in the league, ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst told me earlier this week. Its a major rebuilding situation. Happy times. Hope all of you got your taxes filed on time earlier this week and are getting a nice fat refund check. Sports fans, you earned a deduction if: (1) You dont blindly justify the transgressions of a player or coach just because hes on your team; (2) You resist the urge to walk out of church in the middle of the pastors sermon so you can make a last-minute fantasy-football transaction; (3) You dont litter your Facebook feed with political rants. Likewise, you get audited if: (1) Youve ever unsuccessfully tried to start the wave; (2) Youve ever been asked to leave a Little League game; (3) Youve ever used the term arm talent when discussing Mitch Trubiskys strengths heading into the NFL Draft. ...
When I was a guest earlier this week on the SEC Networks Paul Finebaum Show, I suggested that FSU might be the preseason No. 1 team in the country. Finebaum seemed legitimately offended that anyone might actually believe another team other than his beloved Alabama Crimson Tide should be preseason No. 1. Then again, Im not surprised. When it comes to Finebaum, SEC stands for (Saban-Exalting Commentator). New York Knicks president Phil Jackson says Carmelo Anthony would be better off somewhere else. Couldnt the same be said for Jackson, who is starting to look more and more like former Knicks president Isiah Thomas without the sexual-harassment charges. . Amazingly, Serena Williams was 10 weeks pregnant when she won the Australian Open. Then, as Jimmy Fallon cracked, the baby said, So do I get a doubles trophy? ... Did you see where the Tampa Bay Bucs are going to be the featured team on the HBO TV series Hard Knocks? Question for the Bucs: Is it really a good idea to have a camera documenting Jameis Winstons every move? This is the football equivalent of that Greek dude who flew too close to the sun with wings made of wax.
Fox News covered up Bill OReillys transgressions for years and only removed him when they became public. Hey, that sounds like how most college football programs do business! And speaking of shady college football programs reacting to public outrage, Baylor just hired its first female president. What a coincidence! When the Simpsons turned 30 earlier this week, I came up with my Mount Rushmore of cartoon characters: (1) Bugs Bunny; (2) Foghorn Leghorn; (3) Penelope Pitstop; (4) Scooby-Doo. The New England Patriots were honored at the White House earlier this week, and I dont even want to know what Gronk was doing in the Lincoln bedroom. ... LAST WORD: And with the first pick in next weeks NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns take drum roll, please the wrong guy!
Open MikeDon"t forget, you can click on OrlandoSentinel.com and read the wildly popular Open Mike blog and interactive extravaganza to get my freshest takes on what"s happening in the world of sports. Here"s excerpt about UCF football.
UCF football coach Scott Frost seems a bit perturbed with all of the attention being given to the new high-profile coaches in the state of Florida marquee names such as Charlie Strong at USF, Lane Kiffin at FAU and Butch Davis at FIU.
Frosts message is essentially this: Its not even close UCF has so much more to offer recruits than all of the other non-Power 5 schools in the talent-rich Sunshine State.
I took it as a little bit of a challenge when I would turn on ESPN and I would see segments on how tough recruiting was going to get in the state of Florida, and they would mention all of those other guys and not mention us, Frost said on our Open Mike radio show. Were proud of the recruiting class we got this past year. It was the No. 1 class outside of the Power 5 and we beat several Power 5 teams as well.
Frost is not exaggerating.
The Knights, by most national rankings, outrecruited every non-Power Five school in the state and the nation.
As they should.
Lets be honest here, shall we? UCF has better facilities, better fan support, a better college football environment and, pretty much, a better everything than does USF, FAU and FIU. UCF is in a huge metropolitan area that doesnt have an NFL team unlike the other state schools the Knights are competing against..
We have the best campus, the best town, the best stadium and the best facilities, Frost said. Inevitably, they [the national media] mention all of those other schools and dont mention UCF. When kids come to our campus and see what we have to offer, I think it sets us apart from those schools.
I cant disagree with Frost.
What about you?
Mail bondingMost interesting reader responses on my column in the wake of Aaron Hernandezs suicide:
- As a Nebraska Cornhusker, we have had our issues with seedy types such as Lawrence Phillips, but none compare to the monster Hernandez was.
- Aaron Hernandez is responsible for his own actions, but it sure sounds like his friends and coaches at UF enabled his bad decisions.
- Aaron Hernandez is not somebody who should be celebrated or mourned. He is simply a killer who deserved to die.
In honor of the first week of the NBA playoffs, three of my favorite old quotes from the world of pro basketball:
- What do you have when you have an agent buried up to his neck in sand? Not enough sand. Pat Williams when he was general manager of the Magic
- We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors. Former NBA coach Hubie Brown
- I told him, Son, what is it with you? Is it ignorance or apathy? He said, Coach, I don"t know and I don"t care. Former Utah Jazz president Frank Layden on one of his players
E-mail me at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com. Follow me on Twitter @BianchiWrites. Listen to my radio show every weekday from 6 to 9 a.m. on FM 96.9 and AM 740.
Source: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/open-mike/os-sp-saturday-circus-mike-bianchi-0422-story.html
