TIGER BEING TIGER

TIGER BEING TIGER

Golf is, and always will be, the ultimate Gentlemen’s game.

Bobby Jones, who founded Augusta National Golf Club in 1933, once said this about calling a penalty on himself when he claimed his ball moved when his playing partners swore it did not. “You might as well praise me for not breaking into banks. There is only one way to play this game.”

Apparently, according to Tiger Eldrick Woods, there IS more than one way to play this game. Unlike Bobby Jones, Woods has adopted the “win at all costs” philosophy that would have Jones and the other trailblazers of golf spinning in their graves.

He may ultimately overtake Jack Nicklaus in his quest for 19 major championships, but his legacy, already tarnished by his tawdry behavior, will be one of bending the rules to attain an advantage.

I’m not saying the illegal drop he gave himself on Friday on the 15^th hole was egregious. His original approach shot was struck perfectly--but it was too perfect. When it hit the flag and rebounded into Rae’s Creek, it was a cruel twist of fate that

all golfers can relate to. The game is insidiously hard. And when you are able to conquer it only to be rewarded with a bad break of ridiculous proportions on golf’s grandest stage, one can see how your mind can be clouded with rage and not working properly.

I give him a pass for the error. But when it was brought to his attention, Woods could have engrained himself along side golf’s immortals and disqualified himself from the 2013 Masters.

I find it interesting that two penalties were handed out on Friday. One to a fourteen-year-old amateur who was attempting to make golf history by making the cut. When he was penalized a shot for a borderline slow play call that even had his playing partner past Masters champion Ben Crenshaw scratching his head and left him precipitously close to the cut line, he accepted the penalty with a grace and dignity that Tiger Woods apparently does not possess. 

Woods may be the #1 player in the world, but he takes #2 status in relation to China’s Tianlang Guan when it comes to ethics and golf diplomacy.

So CBS Television will have their wish. Tiger will be in the hunt, and the ratings will soar on Sunday.

But the game has sunk to a new low--and Woods simply doing the right thing could have avoided it.

But then again, Tiger Woods has always had a problem doing the right thing.

The Artist

I'm in love.

I've got a serious crush on Peppy Miller, I'm smitten with George Valentin, and I'm head over heels for The Artist, a Harvey Weinstein film directed by Michel Hazanavicius.

French actor George Dujardin is Valentin, a silent film heartthrob who is the toast of Hollywood in 1927. He has a random meeting with Berenice Bejo (the wife of director Hanavicius in real life), a young actress trying to break into the biz. Their mutual attraction makes the screen sizzle, but Valentin is stuck in an unhappy marriage, with only his dog Uggy there to lend support.

The crash of '29 puts and the advent of "talkies" which studio executive Al Zimmer (John Goodman) decides is the future of film, puts Valentin's career in a tailspin. His fall from grace is mirrored by Peppy Miller's rising popularity. Valentin pours his own money into one final, ego driven attempt to prove the film world wrong--and loses everything.

I won't give away anymore details, but I will warn you that The Artist is MOSTLY silent, with a delightful and audible surprise at the end that makes the entire story make sense. It's subtle, but evident.

A strong supporting cast including James Cromwell and Penelope Ann Miller add to the fun.

So, it is indeed true that silence is golden. Especially when it comes to the Artist and the Golden Age of Hollywood.

This a film to put on your "must see" list. But shhhhh...do it quietly.

~ Ken Dunek

Life, at times....just doesn't seem fair

RIP Joe Paterno.....

You spent your life doing things the right way, and you would up being blindsided by fate.

A rush to judgment has clouded the memory of your illustrious career. But your legacy will show wins, championships, and molding men of character--year after year---generation after generation.

You reported an indiscretion to your superiors--acts so reprehensible you couldn't even fathom

what you were being told. But they vilified you for not doing enough--and then fired you with a phone call in the middle of the night.

We have lost a national hero. Let history judge who he was and what he stood for.

~ Ken Dunek

Judge Judy....Governor Chris Christie.....Ron Paul.....

Agree or disagree with them, they all provide refreshing honesty.

That's their appeal.

Eagles Epitaph 2011

The final outrage of the 2011 Eagles football season was today's Andy Reid post game press conference.

His glib attempt at humor and evasive nature was never more evident.

When asked if he WANTED to be here next season, he wouldn't respond either way--stating only he hadn't "thought" about it yet.

A reporter then asked him why this Eagle's (dream team) wasn't a playoff team. His smirking reply was that they were 8-8, and the other teams had better records. Where was the follow up here?....why does the media constantly let him off the hook without a follow up?

I want to see conviction. I want to see disappointment and outrage that his regime has not delivered a Super Bowl championship in 13 years.

I don't need clever repartee'...I can get that on Saturday Night Live.

Thoughts....

Say what you must...but Joe Paterno doesn't deserve to go out this way. And wasn't the Big 10 a little premature in taking his name off the championship trophy? The guy hasn't even had a chance to comment yet.

Brian Billick is a terrible color analyst for Fox TV. He makes the same points all game long and his language is garbled.

Indian Summer is sublime.....just don't get used to it. The blast of the hawk wind and chill of winter is right around the corner.

NFL players don't go the extra mile. Too many are worried about their next contract. Case in point Eagles WR Steve Smith falling down 1 yard short of a crucial first down.

Does anyone really miss the NBA?

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Crying Shame

I have no allegiance to Penn State.

I've been there only once, and did witness the incredible specatacle of a Nittany Lion football game with 100,000 plus all dressed in white in a foamy fervor supporting their team.

The face of that team, the town, and the University is Joe Paterno. But it goes much deeper that that. He was the beating heart, the blood, and the oxygen that made Happy Valley what it is, and kept it hale and alive.

Joe Paterno announced his retirement today, amidst a scandle that has not only put the world of college sports on it's ear, but has kicked all that admired what was once clean and pure smack in the teeth.

He reported what he saw to his boss, but said no more. He apparantly let his perverted lieutanant continue to have the run of the ship, even though he was no longer officially part of the PSU brass.

Coach Joe Paterno spent a career doing things the right way.....with one exception.

And now his glorious legacy is forever tarnished.

I guess even the best of fairy tales sometimes have inglorious endings.