nolechica

I know this is late and it's been a while since I did sports controversy, but here goes. Tiger Woods is an idiot, but that doesn't mean I'll quit following his career. Emily called the cheating at Thanksgiving and then gloated at Christmas. I said his issues were between he and Elin and that when he returned to golf I'd resume following him. My being a woman doesn't make me come down harder on cheaters, sorry. I was surprised by what Tiger did, both the initial incident and the cheating, until I found out the accident was at 2am, not 6-7am like I thought. However, I don't judge on-field and off-field incidents the same. You can be a douche and win a title and we're cool. This is a piece I made at 16 when Peter Warrick was caught basically stealing and I still supported his playing so that FSU would win the title. I did a similar thing years later in the face of Kobe Bryant's rape accusation.

That's the situation that the Tiger issue reminds me of, as once the image is shattered, it takes time to repair. He'll need to actually take some time off, but still play all the majors this year to demonstrate that he's not going to be broken by his mistakes. It's probably in another blog, but I watched Kobe fly back and forth to Colorado for court and then play games in LA. It was the only peace he got as the media ripped him apart. Tiger will have to find his own peace amid the chaos before he can get back to his winning ways, as well as rebuilding his public image. However, given the British Open he won after his father died and the US Open he won injured, I think it can be done. Also, he issued a statement, but he'll have to get on camera and speak before America will forgive. Who knows when he'll do that, but it should be before his next tournament I think. Tiger may have taken a great first step today though, hence my blog, as he pledged $3 million in medical supplies towards the Haitian relief efforts. If this donation goes through, it'll be a great first step. Add an interview to that and he can begin to demonstrate that he's not the ass everyone thinks. His first girlfriend said his parents' marriage was a wreck, so his role model was a lousy husband if a great Green Beret. Balancing career, family and image is apparently something Woods men suck at, but he's about to learn that the hard way. That you have to live the image you present, if you don't, the public won't trust you. I'll be waiting to see what happpens at the Masters, hopefully in person. Would love to see Tiger get Green Jacket number five as proof that his life isn't in the ruins the media thinks it is. Success and time will be the key. Kobe's the NBA's golden boy again after winning an MVP, gold medal, and a title in the last two years. And I'd love to see Tiger make people like Emily realize that his career and life is his, not the public's. She dislikes him because earlier on he didn't give every local Augusta kid that wanted one an autograph. It was all I could do to not blast her with the Twitter line of the summer, "Entitlement is not sexy," which she wouldn't get, but she needs to hear, along with the rest of America.

Oh, and a plea to the teams and stars I follow and the media that cover them? Could I please stop having to be defense lawyer, PR person, and reality check all at once. From the Criminoles on up, I've been honing these skills for a decade. It gets old, but I can't watch my favorites get torn to shread just because they're famous.

I'm in Mobile for the weekend, trying to finish the thesis from Hell. I can't get internet on my laptop, so having to go back and forth between it and my mom's computer. Have the bibliography done save one citation and checking a few others, but need to do abstract and acknowledgements. I've called manuscript clearance three times for different things to make sure this is right before my defense on Wednesday. Reading sample abstracts is next, as acknowledgements are optional and therefore have less format.

As for the rest of my week, my birthday was fun after a little towing scare. Went to dinner at Samrat with Rachel, 'tis becoming a birthday tradition. Thought about Masa, but I was broke, and so was she. I might need to ask to go to Stix tomorrow night, as Manci's was yummy last night, but not my choice. I did get more gifts though. A crap load of money, NOLA's gonna be great! And the music on my iPod for the trip? Even better if Em delivers my bday gift soon. Unless I decide I need a hard copy at midnight after the AMAs. However, first, I plan to see 2012 this weekend, hopefully tonight, as tomorrow will be football. The FSU season has sucked so hard that the game is on at 11am on ESPNU. That will require going somewhere to watch it, which Daddy and I discussed at 3am. He slept through my music snippet fest, but woke up ready to talk NFL relocation and NBA. WTF, he never wants to talk basketball now. The news of the day isn't the Lakers being in first place, but rather LeBron wants to change his number to honor Michael Jordan. Apparently having MJ show up at your games sparks something, who knows. I'd love to see him succeed in getting the number retired, but I don't see it happening. Too many players wearing the number now.

Ok, now that a victory parade will indeed take place, it's time to acknowledge the Lakers having won the NBA Finals. My prediction was wrong, and as such the celebration was in Orlando, not LA, but I'm just glad a victory happened. However, having home court advantage restored right before the Finals helped. Without home court, the series would've been a nightmare, as it was the first Finals ever with two overtime games. And only two games that weren't rapidly adding to my gray hair. I hate close games, especially NBA games. However, the Lakers blowouts were split by three close games. It was worth it though to redeem the Finals debacle from last year, and give the Lakers their first title since Shaq left.

I was thrilled for Kobe to finally be able to lay claim to a title without Shaq, even though I'd have preferred it happened last year. However, it may have taken the Olympics last year to really make him a leader and not just a star player. Earning the respect of a group of All-Stars isn't easy, especially with the expectations of gold as high as they were. He did it though and then won the gold medal game after the team tried to give it away. He was as happy Sunday night after this title as he was after that game in Beijing. And after an MVP, gold medal, and a NBA title, Kobe is finally the face of the league. A day I never thought I'd see six summers ago when rape charges almost ruined his career. And as someone who defended him when the court of public opinion thought me foolish, this title means more than the first three because I wondered if it would ever happen.

My thesis is becoming a pain in the ass. I finally figured out a way to write my final section of the body of my chapter. I found four Sioux/Sue Bee Honey ads plus an article. However, only two of those ads are available in Tallahassee. Two of them I'll have to write the dissertation author and ask her if she can tell me where she got them, or if she can send me scans. Add to this the fact that the library actually closed for a holiday (they are open on my birthday and MLK), and I've gotten nothing done in a while. I did get the subbasement holdings I need and information that one of the requests is in the stacks. *headdesk* Anyway, at this point, I'm just ready to be done with this chapter. However, my need to rejoin Friends of the Library to avoid more fines and regain database access is also a snag. As is the fact that motivation is seriously lacking.

As for my being a horrid sports blogger of late, it's not June 1st, so baseball doesn't matter yet (the season's too damn long). And the Lakers are trying their damnedest to not get to the Finals. They beat the Jazz in five, but then went the full seven with the Rockets. They are now up 2-1 on the Nuggets, but all three games were anyone's to win, and while I know that's how most of the world enjoys basketball, there is a reason I enjoy blowouts. However, I've gotten a little solace from the fact that the Cavaliers who ripped through the first two rounds without a loss are now down 2-1 and were it not for a damn good shot by LeBron, they'd be facing elimination tomorrow. He hit a three at the buzzer to win Game 2 after I'd called Daddy to tell him that the Cavaliers had essentially lost. So, anyway, Lakers Game 4 tonight, here's hoping for smoother sailing.

As for American Idol, well let's just say that I'm not quite ready for a full post-mortem yet. However, hearing Adam Lambert's version of the winner's single on the radio this morning helped immensely.

As an Augusta native, golf has been part of my world from the word go. And when you have a father that's a golf fan, watching the US Open is mandatory for Father's Day weekend. As such, even when I'm three hours from Daddy I still devote Father's Day weekend to golf. However, this year the tournament wasn't finished at seventy-two holes. An 18-hole playoff occurred today between Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate. Rocco had played solid throughout the tournament, holding the lead or a share of it many times. Tiger had the most chaotic major tournament ever. Four double bogeys and three eagles provided drama, as well as critical birdies on eighteen. Playing injured explained part of Tiger's erratic play, but his lack of willingness to give in accounted for his being in contention on Monday. The first nine was back and forth with Tiger's birdies giving him a two stroke lead going into ten. After a par save at ten Tiger had a three stroke lead, but Rocco began chipping away with birdies and pars when Tiger bogeyed, and by fifteen had a one stroke lead himself. Tiger missed putts on sixteen and seventeen to take the lead, but could still tie with a birdie at eighteen. That's exactly what happened, for the second straight day. So, an 18-hole playoff headed for sudden death. Tiger won the tournament with a par on the seventh, which he'd birdied earlier in the round. His fourteenth major and third US Open rank among his best achievements due to his competitors and his competitive spirit. Most other players would've withdrawn, but he fought on and finally kissed the trophy. I wanted a Tiger Woods victory because of the effort he put forth, but many will disagree with me, as Rocco Mediate gained quite a following by seriously threatening Tiger. I just hope that Tiger hasn't jeopardized his season by playing through the pain, as he refused to reveal his plans from here out, including the British Open and PGA.

This was a great way to end a sports weekend that saw the Lakers get redemption, Game 6 will happen on Tuesday. And Kobe Bryant's analogy of the Finals and March Madness, specifically the Elite Eight (just need to win three games) made me smile...once I figured it out. :-/ I'd love to see this be the team that makes history by winning in seven games. On another basketball note, it occurred to me Saturday that today was the deadline for NBA Draft withdrawals. irishrose26 informed me this morning that the three Tarheels that declared for the draft are staying in school. I'm thrilled by this news if not all that surprised by it (just the timing). *Thoughts of NCAA title to come because they deserves it with the core of the team still together*

Oh, and on the subject of Father's Day, both Tiger Woods and Kobe Bryant have adorable daughters that got camera time this weekend.

It's the game I can't escape. The Lakers debacle is still being discussed more than 24 hours later. I tuned into the US Open to catch up on the return of Tiger, and during his press conference, he was asked about the Lakers game. *scream* Of course this was after he answered a gazillion questions about his 5-under back nine. Apparently he only intended to end up at even par, well he did better and is one off the lead at 2-under. Maybe something good will happen in the Southern California sports world after all. However, the Celtics losing in seven games would still be a sweet way to kick off next weekend, which will be murder for me. I start seven shifts in ten days on June 20th, for probably my last shifts with Night Staff. :-( I'm still hoping for shifts in August though.

Not taking thesis hours this summer wasn't my wisest move. As now I have to join Friends of the FSU Libraries to get my checkout privileges back. Not fun to find out after you've already been through the stacks. Anyway, as I was writing the check out for the membership I had to check the date, not good. It's not that it's Friday the 13th that's bad, it's that it's June 13th, which is a date that's not been kind to me. Two consecutive summers at camp were ruined on that date way back when, and then there was that game last night, which definitely ended after midnight. How do these connect? Well the second summer at camp was screwed up by three seizures in one night all because I went to the infirmary after the first one. This was a bad move because it was the only place in camp with a TV and it was Game 6 of the 1997 Finals. While that night was worth watching, the date remains and I'm beginning to wonder if I need to hibernate on June 13th.

OH MY FUCKING GOD! Up by 22 after one, up by 18 at half, fall apart in the third quarter and lose by 5? How did this happen? The Lakers went from beating the shit out of the Celtics, about to tie the series, to down 3-1, a deficit that's yet to be overcome. I feel bad for Kobe because he spent the first half orchestrating the offense only to have them not help him out when the Celtics lock down defense kicked in. I thought this Lakers team was ready, but maybe not. They couldn't stay focused and they don't really have a point guard. Fisher and Farmar only play sparingly with Kobe running the offense on most possessions. Kobe's lousy shooting night certainly didn't help, but the Lakers' interior defense was horrid the second half. Gasol hasn't figured out how to defend Garnett and that's causing Kobe to have to defend Pierce. Plus, the injury to Rondo has helped the Celtics as he was their weak link. *sigh* We saw history in the NCAA tourney this year, maybe we'll see history in the Finals, as I don't think I can stomach the Celtics winning. Hormones and unbelievable losses are not a good combination. *tear*

The NBA Finals start on Thursday and it's been a while since I really cared who won. However, the press worshiping at the feet of the Celtics combined with the fact that Phil and Kobe reunited in LA make me want a title for the Lakers worse than I wanted a title for anyone since Jordan left Chicago. I wanted a Lakers-Pistons Finals, as payback for 2004, but the Celtics' mission derailed that and presented television executives with the Finals that they've been salivating about all season. ESPN/ESPN Classic have been replaying Celtics-Lakers Finals all week. And I've heard more about Bird/Magic than I've heard since they were on the Olympic team together. Anyway, I'm ready for the ball to be tipped and the talking to stop. Let's see who's better, The Big Three in Boston or Kobe and The Bench Mob.

Let's just say it's been a decade since I saw a player as hard to defend as Kobe, but Jordan comparisons are annoying Kobe, so I'll just say the facts speak for themselves. He might want to avoid the comparisons, but if he completes the summer the way he wants (MVP, Championship, Finals MVP, Gold Medal) he will have joined the Rarefied Air and can just deal with it. I wondered prior to the ESPN interview this weekend what's been going on in his head since he went from demanding a trade to an MVP and a Finals appearance. He never gives interviews and I'd misconstrued some things (such as the fact that he doesn't view this title as necessary to prove that he can win without Shaq and the whole Jordan comparison thing). Unfortunately for him, I'm not the only one. However, as I don't remember Jordan's prime in detail, I do respect Kobe as an individual player rather than simply as the heir to the throne. However, he is now sitting on the throne, at least from where this subject sits. Now that he has an MVP, Kobe has secured his place as the face of the league, if not in hearts outside LA. And after a Western Conference scout stated in Sports Illustrated that comparing Kobe to LeBron James is like "the difference between a Maserati and a Volvo," *snickers* I'd say Kobe's place as best in the league is clear. And I'd love to see the Lakers win the Finals and the USA win Gold (despite the head coach) to validate it further.

It's time for an entertainment and sports update. I wasted four hours of my life on Tuesday voting for American Idol only to have David Cook win. David Archuleta had gotten most of the judges' praise the night before, including overly so from Simon, but lost because he's only the best voice, not the best performer. Anyway, I downloaded a bunch of Archuleta performances before they removed them from iTunes only to find that the videos suck. The audio is fine, but the video is screwy. Fortunately, some of what I downloaded wasn't video and I was able to find the tracks with the screwy video on LimeWire. And I finally watched the final TV Guide wrap on the season last night without any resentment. I still think Cook will regret his win though.

Anyway, after the Idol finale was the first Lakers/Spurs game. Lakers were down fourteen when I left the restaurant where I'd been watching, got down twenty, and still managed to win. Kobe is finally playing like a leader, not just someone who can score at will. Twenty-three points in the second half helped the Lakers pull even and finally win. However, I still hate close games. I much preferred the Lakers second victory, which was a thirty-point win and the second unit played most of the fourth quarter, good lesson for later.

The Celtics/Pistons is shaping up very differently than their Western counterparts. That series is tied going to Detroit and the Celtics haven't won a road game yet in the playoffs. Game 1 was a close win for the Celtics, but Game 2 left the Celtics on their heels after the Pistons shot lights out in the second half and well in the first half. Plus, the Piston big men have figured out how to limit Garnett. The only problem could be that Rasheed Wallace got his fifth technical of the playoffs and is two away from sitting out a game for Detroit. However, the Celtics now must win a road game to win the series, probably Game 3, or their out.

Aside from basketball, it's May, and that means Triple Crown season. I was shocked by the Derby. Not only did a horse with only three prior starts win, but the the horse that placed (2nd) was euthanized on the track after she fell while cooling down. That's painful to watch under normal circumstances, but the recent tragedy of Barbaro, and his being interred at Churchill Downs, makes it that much harder. However, Big Brown also won the Preakness and may be the best shot at a Triple Crown in several years. That would be a much needed pick-me-up after the tragedy of the Derby.