12/03/24
February 07, 2003
Phil Mickelson, what are you smoking? : You haven't earned the right to diss my golf game, let alone Tiger's. If you're scoring at home, Tiger has won 34 titles and 8 majors, Phil 12 and zero, zilch, nada.
From this (related) link: "Phil is entitled to his own opinion, but as everyone knows, I don't switch equipment until I find something as good or better than what I have been playing with, and my Nike products are just that. I've said it time and time again." I mean really, could Tiger come out and say "I get millions of dollars a year to play with this Nike stuff, but man, it really sucks. I wish they'd make something better." I doubt it. Maybe the Nike stuff is inferior. As an aside, when do we have to start putting a "™" after Tiger's name?
posted by Ufez Jones at 09:23 AM on February 07, 2003
I'm with Corpse on this one and I'm all in favor of more trash talking in golf. For this case, I think the two should settle it on the course, with Tiger and Phil going head to head on the last day of a major. Hmmm, I wonder who would win?
posted by 86 at 10:06 AM on February 07, 2003
This reminded me of a Rick Reilly piece I read a few years back. It's one of my favorites. "For you (Tiger) only, there's the USGA's strict new three-club limit, our choice on the three. Let's see you shoot 272 with a driver, a seven-iron and a Hebrew National wiener, kid!"
posted by 86 at 10:12 AM on February 07, 2003
I've got no problem with trash talking in golf. There's just something wrong with a guy who has proven time and time again that he can't win the big one doing the talking. I also recall Vijay Singh's caddy doing a bit of talking in a recent Grand Slam event. That should be off-limits as well. And Ufez, I think Tiger absolutely believes that his Nike gear is the best. There's no way he would take more money from Nike if he thought someone else's gear was better. Tiger has always been about the Majors. He'd wear a skirt out there on the course and swing a wood shaft if he believed it gave him the best chance to win. Ufez, what's the html tag to superscript TM like that?
posted by vito90 at 10:19 AM on February 07, 2003
Actually, I think "Tiger is the only player who is good enough to overcome the equipment he's stuck with" is a left-handed compliment. Sure, he's dissing Nike, but he's certainly giving respect to Tiger. In any other sport (with the possible exception of polo), this wouldn't get anything more than a "whatever".
posted by Samsonov14 at 10:32 AM on February 07, 2003
Aha! Samsonov, I totally agree with you except for this one gem that Mickelson said, "He hates that I can fly it past him now. He has a faster swing speed than I do, but he has inferior equipment. '' That may be a lefty complement but it's tinged with machismo dick-swinging (fly it past him?).
posted by vito90 at 10:38 AM on February 07, 2003
Got me there, vito. Fair enough.
posted by Samsonov14 at 10:59 AM on February 07, 2003
vito, it's &trade ; with the space taken away from the end of the word 'trade' and the semi-colon.
posted by Ufez Jones at 11:07 AM on February 07, 2003
I hope we get more of this ... anything that allows the word "dick-swinging" into golf posts is an improvement.
posted by wfrazerjr at 11:32 AM on February 07, 2003
I hope we get more of this ... anything that allows the word "dick-swinging" into golf posts is an improvement.
posted by wfrazerjr at 11:32 AM on February 07, 2003
wfrazerjr, I'm a bit concerned about your obvious enthusiasm for dick-swinging. Not that there's anything wrong with that...
posted by Samsonov14 at 11:42 AM on February 07, 2003
There's no way he would take more money from Nike if he thought someone else's gear was better Really? What if he thinks Nike's stuff is simply good enough, and the money they give him is far superior to what any other club maker could give out.
posted by pitchblende at 01:00 PM on February 07, 2003
Well so far, Nike's™ gear has been good enough. He has consistently won with it. If he stops winning with it (and not because he's spending an entire season "fiddling with his swing") then he'll change toot sweet. And you know what? Whoever he switches to will end up paying him plenty. Sweet, thanks Ufez
posted by vito90 at 02:37 PM on February 07, 2003
I like it. Golf needs more trash talking, even if he's just talking about his irons.