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Last Word On Sports

Sports News Since 2011. Honestly.

Last Word On Sports Logo

Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

Day: September 3, 2011

Has golf lost its lustre?

Posted on by Michael Kovacs, ADMIN

I was never a big fan of golf when I was growing up. I remember my father really getting into the sport and kinda wondering what it was all about, but I was content playing street hockey, football and soccer at the park or basketball at the neighbour’s house. While I did play a few rounds, everything changed in April, 1997.

On a tiny television I watched as he, Tiger of course, massacred the field with a sizzling -18, smashing many Master’s records. I was in awe…and I was hooked.

For the next few years I played quite often, and watched even more on television. I went from someone only mildly interested in the game to someone completely enamored.

In the past few years my interest has dwindled. Perhaps it’s because I now have a family and other commitments that have become priority…for the price of some greens fees I could feed a small village in a developing country for a month (really, I chid not). No, that’s not it. Maybe I realized I just wasn’t very good and thought of keeping to sports which I was better at. Nope, again.

As I sit looking at the Deutschebank leaderboard, I just am not really hooked in the same way I was in the “Tiger Era” (has that officially ended?). Is it the players? Do we not have a “Tiger” (or Nicklaus, Snead, Palmer, etc)?

There are many great golfers around who are really fantastic players and people. Luke Donald and Lee Westwood of course (being #’s one and two in world rankings…also coincidentally both being from merry ole England), Stricker, Johnson, Kaymer and McIlroy round out the top six. Really, aside from the press McIlroy has been getting, and rightfully so, is there any really storylines there? Maybe I’m too far removed, or perhaps too uninterested to dig deep, but I just can’t rally behind anyone in particular. Okay, McIlroy maybe, but only because I’m searching for something and will grasp at anything at this point.

Note to PGA: Find me another Tiger! Someone to dominate and revolutionize, so I can become interested again.

And that is the last word.

 

UFC Deal with Fox: Good or Bad?

Posted on by Mark Modeski

The biggest news in MMA, or more specifically the UFC, as of late has been related to the deal between the UFC and Fox. This now moves the UFC away from its longtime partnership with Spike TV, and into the mainstream onto one of the major networks. So the question becomes, was this a smart move or is it bad?

The general consensus is that it was the best decision not only for the UFC, but also for MMA. Greater mainstream visibility, means that the sport and the organization have nowhere to go, but up. With more eyeballs on the sport, Dana White will undoubtedly want to put on bigger fights for Fight Nights, to showcase the excitement and allure of the sport. For people like me this is an exciting proposition for the sport; not only does it make for better viewing, but it also moves the sport into a realm of increased legitimacy.

So what could be the possible drawback? Moving into the mainstream, means that the UFC could possibly lose its niche appeal – maybe a small sacrifice. The larger concern could be related to “too much too fast” – the UFC could go the way of other (let’s say) “sports organizations” that moved into the mainstream and burnt out like a white dwarf. It could potentially go from “fastest growing sport in the world” to “oh yeah, I remember the UFC – whatever happened to them?”

The question I put out there is: “Too much too fast?” or “I’m finally excited to see the UFC move into the mainstream – the sports only going to keep growing from here!”

Let me know your thoughts…

Will the Jets Fly High in Winnipeg?

Posted on by ScottyJ

Yes, the return trip is complete. Departing for Phoenix after the 95\96 season, the Jets made the indirect flight home with a stopover in Atlanta this off season. Congrats to Gary Bettman and the NHL for finally realizing that if a team down south can’t afford the arena’s air conditioning then maybe it’s time to move north.

No, it is not the same franchise that left in 96, but either way, the Coyotes or Thrashers, it really doesn’t matter….neither are necessarily a strong team. So while Winnipeg is rightfully excited and proud to once again have an NHL franchise, let’s not ruin things by expecting an amazing season from a mediocre team at best. And if history repeats itself then all the more reason to keep our expectations low.

Winnipeg did not have the best track record as a franchise in the past; actually it is pretty dismal, and that’s being kind. As an NHL team from 1979-1996 the jets had no division championships, no President’s trophies, never won the cup, never made the cup finals or even the conference final. But they did have a few gems over the years like Dale Hawerchuk and Teemu Selanne both of whom won Rookie of the Year wearing a jets uniform.

It is much the same news when we look at the Atlanta Thrashers short stay in the league. In the team’s entire existence from 1999-2011 Atlanta made the playoffs only once… and never won a game losing 4-0 in a series with the New York Rangers. Once again there were a few diamonds in the rough, Dany Heatley and Ilya Kovalchuk shared the spotlight as rookies together, Dany winning the Calder trophy and was later traded for superstar Marian Hossa. But today as the Jets we don’t see anyone who plays to the same standards of the previously mentioned hockey greats.

So Canada’s lucky number 7? I think not, but that doesn’t mean that the fans in Winnipeg shouldn’t cheer. Having the team back in blue and white at home is reason enough, and remember when your Jets return home from a division rivalry on the sandy beaches of Florida, they will be coming home to a packed house full of fans who will support them win or lose. And that’s the last word.