Saturday, April 9, 2011

Bye Bye Playoffs

A couple of weeks back when there was six or seven hockey games to go in the season the predictions were get to 93 points and you probably get it. Those predictions became true but for the Carolina Hurricanes 91 was all they could get  and fail to make the NHL playoffs.

Last night the Canes took advantage of Atlanta's back to back night playing hockey and tonight when the Canes needed it the most the Tampa Bay Lightning pave the way for the New York Rangers to make the playoffs beating the Canes in Raleigh 6-2.

The last ten games of the season the Canes played about as well as you can possibly ask a ninth place team to do.  It was just not good enough to make it to eighth place.

TV has been in a frenzy this weekend with Tiger in the hunt for the Masters title. I think you have seen the last of the Dominating Tiger.  I have my theories about why.

  • Tiger has reached the mid thirties.  That is about when all golfers get to the point when they have hit their peak.
  • Think about this one with me.  You know how heroic Tiger was with the broken knee cap and winning the U S Open.  Do you think he may have pulled a Dizzy Dean and pitched with a hurt arm and by changing his delivery hurt his arm in the process.  Tiger just may have change his swing just enough that he has lost his swing.
  • You know Tiger has never been a accurate driver, but he could count on making every putt twelve feet on in.  Now he putts like me.  Hardly ever makes an eight footer.
  • Tiger's Divorce has has taken away that I'm tougher than you.
  • Add all this together and Tiger will probably still win tournaments if he stays in golf, but I don't think he will break Jack Nicklaus Major record at 18.
  • I think Tiger will have one round a weekend like Friday where everyone thinks he's back but the putter will let him down more than it will lead him to victory.
  • Since he was out for six months with his knee injury and the last year and a half from his nine iron to the head injury Tiger hasn't been Tiger in almost three years.
 Yes will  have to endure for the rest of his career every shot he makes whether he is on the leader board or not.  We went through with Jack and even before him with Arnie.  Like we have all been in denial for the past three years TV will hold on to his every shot looking for that one day or tournament when he moves the clock back.

For CBS it was Jack in the 86 Masters, for ABC more recent the British Open when Tom Watson almost  won.
  TV is always looking for a great shot or Tournament from the old pros hoping for any reason  to give the ratings a spurt.

Regardless you still have to give it to Tiger.  Twelve years he was dominate every time he played.  Johnny Miller had a steak which lasted about five years and he disappeared.  Curtis Strange was the best golfer of the mid 80's and by 1991he was gone.

The question now for Tiger, can he be like Jack and be in contention when he is 45?







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