I grew up in New Jersey just across the Hudson River from New York City.  I hated the NY Yankees through one World Series championship after another.  I loved the Dodgers, even though they had bolted for the West Coast.  Same for the SF Giants.  I liked the Pirates, too.  In football, I hated the NY Giants.  I liked the Baltimore Colts and Green Bay Packers.  I didn’t like the NY Knickerbockers, instead my allegiance went to the Philadelphia Warriors and big Wilt Chamberlain.  And yes, I also didn’t like the NHL’s NY Rangers, instead being a devoted Montreal Canadiens fan.  As you can guess, I was very popular in school.  Not.

In high school and college I lived in suburban Boston.  Needless to say, I hated the Bruins, Red Sox, Patriots, and Celtics.  Oh, I especially hated the Celtics as they won title after title.  I got in many verbal spats concerning the merits of Wilt over Bill Russell.  However, once the dynasty broke up and the Celtics became a .500 team, I became a big fan.  Why?  Because the homers turned on them.  I guess I like the underdog.  And I like my role as an anti-homer.

When I later lived in San Diego, I predictably didn’t like the Chargers or Padres.  I did, however, like the San Diego State Aztecs football team.  I am a loyal local college and high school fan.  I guess that’s because the homers tend to stick to pro sports.  No matter where I lived, I liked the nearby high schools and the in-state college teams.  One exception – I have never and will never like UCLA.  Screw them!

Now I live in South Jersey and all the locals are obsessed with the Philadelphia sports teams.  I hate the Eagles (they call them I-G-G-L-E-S).  When they lost in the first round of the NFL playoffs yesterday, it made my year.  That’ll shut up all the “this is our year” idiots.  Revenge is sweet!

My favorite NBA team is now the Celtics.  I kinda like the 76ers, but that’s because they’re incompetent.  I also kinda like the Phillies, but that’s because they were cellar dwellers most of my life.  I cheered them to their World Series victory a couple years ago.  As for the Flyers – who cares.  The NHL is all Eastern Europeans and Nordics now, so I’ve lost total interest.

In boxing, I hated Cassius Clay.  Oh, I heard he changed his name to Muhammad Ali.  His fight style was boring and his mouth was too big.  I liked Joe Frazier and George Foreman.  I did and still do like Mike Tyson, but he was a tragedy waiting to happen and we didn’t have to wait too long.  I sympathized with the guy. 

The PGA Golf Tour shows my disdain for the top dog.  When Arnold Palmer was on top, I liked Julius Boros and Doug Ford.  When it was Jack Nicklaus, I loved Lee Trevino, Chi Chi Rodriguez, and Gary Player.  Now that they are the elder statesmen of golf and no longer dominate, I do like Palmer and Nicklaus.  I even admire them.  As for Tiger Woods, I never liked him.  Too cocky, too aloof, too “I’m great”.  And my dislike has nothing to do with all those hot chicks.  I could care less about that, although I cheered because now lots of people hate him as much as I do.  But, maybe someday, around 2040, I might begin to accept him as a legend. 

No, I’ll be gone from this earth by then.  That’ll give all the homers something to cheer about.

- Mountain Man

“Your boy got accused of cheating,” I said, speaking of PGA Tour golf icon Phil Mickelson who also happens to be City Girl’s favorite golfer.

“That’s impossible,” she replied.  “There’s no cheating in golf.”

You be the judge.  The PGA Tour outlawed golf clubs with square grooves, effective this year.  They reasoned that they give the golf ball more backspin, hence lessening a player’s necessity to actually make a skillful shot.  So at the PGA Tour’s fourth stop of the year at Torrey Pines GC outside San Diego, tour player Scott McCarron accused Mickelson of cheating by using a square-grooved wedge.  At least three other players have used the same square-grooved club this month – John Daly, Hunter Mahan, and Dean Wilson.

The golf club in question is a Ping-Eye 2 wedge.  It seems that in settling a court case brought by Ping against the United States Golf Association (USGA), any Ping-Eye 2 iron built before April 1, 1990 was deemed legal.  The PGA Tour agreed to abide by the USGA’s concession in 1993.  The Ping irons in question were manufactured from 1985-1989.  No other golf club company manufactured square-grooved clubs.

 So knowing that square-grooved clubs would be illegal on the PGA Tour this year, some savvy tour players scrambled to find the still-legal vintage Ping wedges.  While at least Mickelson, Daly, Mahan, and Wilson succeeded, most tour players weren’t even aware that the obscure rule existed.  Technically, the four did nothing wrong.  They stayed within the rules. 

But, golf is known as a gentlemen’s game.  What other sport has players call penalties on themselves, even if no one else saw the infraction?  They – in most cases – could get away with it, but it’s an honor system.  “Gentlemen, honor” – that’s a heavy responsibility.  It’s not the type of lingo you’d associate with the NBA or NFL.

Did Mickelson and the others cheat?  Mickelson says, “No.”  McCarron says, “Yes.”  In question perhaps is the spirit of the rules versus some technicality.

Perhaps tour pro Robert Allenby’s take is appropriate.  “I think cheating is not the right word.  But it’s definitely an advantage,” Allenby said of the Ping-Eye 2.  “There’s only a certain amount of players that can find them and I think it’s not right if you’re using them.”

The entire controversy may soon be a moot point.  Don’t be surprised to see the PGA Tour find a way to outlaw the Ping-Eye 2 in the next week or so.

How are the players mentioned doing at Torrey Pines?  After two rounds McCarron and Daly missed the cut and were sent packing.  Maybe that’s a factor in McCarron’s strong accusation?  Allenby is three shots off the lead, Mickelson four, and Mahan six shots behind the leaders.

Don’t worry, City Girl.  Your boy still has a chance to win again this week.

- Mountain Man and City Girl    http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com

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