Sports: Mixed Emotions All Around

I have two remaining avocations -- golf and poker -- and there is a lot going on in each this week. But much of it engeders mixed feelings.

Tiger Woods appears to be running away with the British Open, with a 5 shot lead after two rounds. This is a good thing. He is, without a doubt, the greatest golfer who ever lived and it is fun to watch hime make history. But, Jack Nickluas, the only potential challenger to Woods for the "greatest golfer" title did not make the cut. (Here's Jack's final tounament scorecard). I would really have liked to see Jack make his parting bows on Sunday, rather than Friday. But that's not to be.

Michele Wie was finally eliminated from the Mens US Public Links chamionship, but not before making it to the quarter finals. As much as I like watching Wie play in men's tournaments (in addition to the golf she is so damn pretty!), I have to admit that I think it is bad news for the women's tour. Wie could do for that tour what Billie Jean King did for women's tennis, but only if she makes that tour the focus of her career. To the extent she sets her sights on playing on the mens' tour -- or is precieved to have done so -- she will inevtiably devalue the women's tour in the public eye (it's only for thiose who can't compete on the real tour) and will doom herself to mediocrity. She could be a legend of women's golf or a curisoity in men's. I prefer legends.

Finally, there's the World Series of Poker. Down to the final table, there is almost no one you have ever heard of. Where are "the legends": Johnny Chan, Dan Harrington, David Negranu, Phil Helmuth, Sammy Farha, Doyle Brunson, etc. etc? All long gone. The tounament gets bigger and richer every year, yet it is losing a lot of its character by becoming a contest between unknown neophytes: A cross between reality TV and a lottery; more like "American Idol" than a US Open. This "democratization" of the biggest event is poker is fun, since it engenders in suckers like me a sense that, "Hey, I could do this!" But, my enjoyment is tempered by a realization that it is probably no longer possible for the tournament to produce legends rather than simply winner. Again, I prefer legends.