11/21/24
July 29, 2003
Phil was right.: Remember when Mickelson woke the sleeping Tiger with his "inferior equipment" remark back in February? Maybe Woods has come to agree; he is switching from his Nike driver back to his old Titleist driver. (Course, it didn't help him against Sergio and Phil last night, eh? Anybody watch?)
Weedy, SLAMBALL is diz-ope. It gets no exposure, but last year's inaugural season was pretty cool. The helmets need some help, though.
posted by garfield at 03:38 PM on July 29, 2003
Garf - if they show that tryout shoe again - watch it. It was so entertaining - like a serious documentary - except about Slamball. When the one dude gets injured (and I won't spoil it for you) you could almost hear the producers scream for joy. Cheez is my new favorite Slamball playa. Go Cheez!
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 03:45 PM on July 29, 2003
heh, now four comments so far and the content of them is 80% about slamball which was not in the original topic posting. it is curious that Tiger would make a switch to his equipment. he hasn't been playing all that badly, has he? oh, and Slamball rules.
posted by gspm at 04:02 PM on July 29, 2003
I like Mickelson. And he was right, and a lot of people new it. But what was Tiger supposed to say? "Yeah, these clubs suck and would you excuse me while I endorse this Nike check." It appears he he timed the switch to protect his company's image. He's playing better of late so now the change looks more like him tinkering rather than dumping some inferior equipment. I'm not watching any of this made for TV crap (I'm talking about the golf, not Slamball) until these guys pony up their own cash. I've never seen Slamball. I want to but it turns out it's illegal for anyone under 30 to watch. This whole focus group thing has gotten way out of hand.
posted by kloeprich at 04:19 PM on July 29, 2003
Tiger isn't as dominant a driver as he once was and his accuracy has diminished compared to his past performances. His slump is kinda disgraceful, really. I mean, how can this guy look at himself in the mirror every morning. I mean, he hasn't even won a Major this year. He's done. All washed up. Kaput. 'Change the driver's all you want, buddy, it ain't gonna help.' 'And Phil, win one already you punk.' My theory on Phil's 'problem': he just isn't motivated. What could drive a man to do more with his life when he has a trophy wife of all trophy wives? Case closed.
posted by garfield at 04:32 PM on July 29, 2003
Weedy, we haven't talked about slamball much, but there are two posts from before you joined that you might want to check out. Sadly, we don't hear from some of those old commenters these days.
posted by Samsonov14 at 06:00 PM on July 29, 2003
...she even carries his bag...uphill...dammit
posted by dusted at 06:50 PM on July 29, 2003
You can bet this gal won't be carrying any bags real soon.
posted by kloeprich at 07:12 PM on July 29, 2003
Carries ... his ... bag. Man, if that doesn't sound like an Austin Powers joke waiting to happen.
posted by wfrazerjr at 08:30 PM on July 29, 2003
Golf is less a sport now than an exhibition of technology anyway. Stop bogarting the joint, McWeedy. Rich businessmen love golf and have all the money in the world to buy the best equipment. None of them are playing on the PGA Tour.
posted by rcade at 08:41 AM on July 30, 2003
Phil's lack of success a result of his success with the ladies, eh garf? What a conundrum. And she carries his bag? Seriously, what's left to fight for? Ah crap, another second place - well I guess I'll cash my $1350,000 cheque, get back on my jet, fly back home to Florida, have consolation sex with my gorgeous wife and get her to make me dinner, sit on my ass for two weeks and then go on vacation - I'm such a failure.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:45 AM on July 30, 2003
Rich businessmen love golf and have all the money in the world to buy the best equipment. None of them are playing on the PGA Tour - rcade (sorry I can't italicize) Yeah, right, I went to high school with three or four guys who's name ended in 'the third'. And none of these PGA guys use that 'best equipment', right? Privlieged sons are all over the PGA. Rich kids who can afford to play golf on private courses. Sure there are those that didn't - and they seem to have a more competitive drive - but golf ain't a sport for the po'. And what an ethnically diverse crowd! I used to be in the camp that had the utmost respect for these guys - but the technology has rendered the game to 'SLAMputt' Lots of people think that the modern golf club and golf course don't fit well together.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:59 AM on July 30, 2003
How does any of that prove that golf is "less a sport now than an exhibition of technology"? There's definitely a class issue involved in golf, just as there is with any sport that requires lots of money and equipment to play as a youth. (Hockey is another.) That doesn't make it less of a sport, though. The best golfers in the world are there because of what they do with their top-dollar clubs. Unlike some sports where rich dilettantes can buy their way in, such as auto racing, there aren't any examples of that in the PGA. It's all people who earned the right to play through years of practice. Also, the entire history of golf is one of technological advancement. Acting all Amish today about driver distance is like expecting golfers to go back to using gutta percha balls.
posted by rcade at 09:29 AM on July 30, 2003
rcade - the combination of PGA skill, and newer technology has made the game absolutely boring - which was my original point. The same technology issue can be applied to hockey (goalie equipment). In fact, one could make the arguement that the technology is affecting the skill - with everyone and his brother now able to duplicate PGA distance drives (Kee-rist - I hit one 300 yards the other day - golf club looked like a tennis racket) then where is the skill? Keeping it straight? In the short game? Great - but no one is challenged by distance anymore - used to be a big feature of the game. Now, the new generation of PGA players has never had to use clubs that didn't give their game a technological boost - they have grown up with them - their game relies on them. If you took the Big Bertha out of half these PGA guys bag, would they be able to adjust? Do these guys hit middle irons anymore? Is there a need for 19 clubs in the bag? Only a few tournaments test anything anymore. The rest of them are a race to 20 under. Golf is super popular and I'm not advocating regression. But its become such a rote activity because of the technology. And therefore the quality of it as a sport has been diminished. That's my point. Look at Tiger - undisputedly the best in the game. Uses a driver that isn't as good as the rest of these guys. Despite his skill, which is unquestioned, he has trouble competing (by his standards). I think I'm not alone in thinking that this is an issue.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 10:29 AM on July 30, 2003
fight! fight! fight!
posted by wfrazerjr at 11:23 AM on July 30, 2003
c'mon rcade, you're not gonna take that from such a high user #, are you? Just kidding, Weedy. I have to back up my brother low-number in a battle. Here, let me 'hold' the bong while you fight.
posted by msacheson at 12:31 PM on July 30, 2003
the high tech clubs and balls really are taking some of the zing out of golf. courses are constantly adding bunkers, shifting tee boxes and adding length in an effort to keep up. ahead of any major you can read about the changes they've made to the course since the last time the major had been contended there (which, in the case of augusta is every year and if I am not mistaken there are small changes made to the course almost every year now - or at least it seem like it to me). it is great fun for amateurs to use technology to have a crack at achieving the distance and control that the pros can get through their skill and ability but really makes the game now an arms race between the ever increasing technobilities of the pros and the 'please don't make me look like a par 60' pride of the courses. it's too bad you can't change all the courses to accomodate longer and straighter shots. though maybe it is a matter of perception. generally tournaments aren't won with 4 consective rounds of 64 but they aren't many tournaments won with a -3. Grow the rough a little and any course gets a little harder. I like the idea that the British Open champion (Ben Curtis, lest I forget his name) was the only fricken guy to break par over 72 holes. He was the only guy that beat the course which thus seemed to be quite an achievement. I enjoy the drama in watching the course bite back more than watching loads of the second shots into par fives stick like glue on the green after a shot with a high lofted club set up by a monster drive. (of course I haven't played a round of golf in how-long-I-can't-remember, say at least two years, and I don't watch golf on tv and do little more than follow the headlines. so don't listen to me) /ramble over
posted by gspm at 12:49 PM on July 30, 2003
No offense taken macheson, and certainly none directed toward rcade - I like this board - it;s the most civilzed thing I've come across on the net, and I hope it takes me at least a month before I become a total pariah. I'm also not too busy these days at work. I also tend to go for the joke, and sometimes that leads me to exaggerate a little.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 02:01 PM on July 30, 2003
it's all good, Weedy (and my wife would tell you I hate that saying). You've been a good and prolific poster, and one of the reasons SpoFi's been great recently. As one of the low numbers, I like seeing new members who participate a lot and take the site further. p.s. Did you go to SARS-stock in Toronto last night?
posted by msacheson at 03:20 PM on July 30, 2003
Yes I did. Oh the humanity... Couldn't get within 300 yards of the stage. AC/DC rocked the casbah. Left during the Stones set - bad sound.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 11:20 AM on July 31, 2003
Yes - heard that. Tiger and his driver, Phil and his mouth - Fuck Michelson right up his overrated ass (pardon the language). Guy isn't even the best lefty on tour anymore. Golf is less a sport now than an exhibition of technology anyway. 460 yard par 4? - driver and a wedge. Yawn. Didn't watch the match last night, but I did watch the greatest reality TV show I've ever seen - Slamball Tryouts. It had drama, ex-cons, nicknames, bible-thumpers, hustlers, athletes, guys who thought they were athletes, trampolines, dunks and the most heinous injury this side of Real TV (which incidentally both preceeded and followed the program in question). It was great. I don't think I'll actually watch the sport though - it seems a little, well, focus-group contrived - but that tryout show was human drama at its finest.