Moon Walking Through History

Armstrong & Aldrin
(but who took the photo?)

The 40th anniversary of man walking on the moon is one of the most historic events in United States history. Apollo 11's landing is even more remarkable when you consider the Wright brothers first took flight in 1903.

In a span of 66 years we went from Kitty Hawk to Cape Canaveral to Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin sipping Tang on the moon!

The anniversary makes me think of all the amazing achievements of the last century and the early part of the this one. I wonder, how does landing a man on the moon compare to the historic election of Barack Obama as the first African-American U.S President?

After all, the Supreme Court didn't make segregation illegal until its 1954 decision in Brown vs. Board of Education. Less than six decades after the ruling, Obama wins the 2008 election for our nation's highest office.

Think about it, which feat is more remarkable? It's science vs. social behavior, a space race vs. the human race, a moon walk vs. a walk through civil rights.

Obama, 44th U.S. President

I've asked my respected elders for their assessment, and have heard compelling arguments for both sides. Some say changing a mindset that goes back to slavery and the civil war is more remarkable than advances in technology which can be quantified and built upon with tangible results.

The flip side is that science is a mysterious unknown that requires patience through trial and error and that lab work is more remarkable than a human being changing behavior through thoughts and reason.

I've always said my grandparents lived through one of the most incredible times in U.S. history. This country was still using the horse and buggy as the preferred choice of short transportation until 1915. 54 years later it was glued to a grainy black and white picture beamed back from space.

For my parents, their 54 year span takes them from the Supreme Court ruling to Obama's platform of change, keeping in mind MLK was assassinated in 1968 and race riots continued into the late 70s.

Depending on my mood and the day, I go back and forth and truly straddle the fence I propose!

Check out these links from Wikipedia on the civil rights timeline and the history of aviation, and you'll get more depth and background on two remarkable feats that are worth discussing.

Bottom line, you can't argue with gravity and you can't predict when ideologies will change.

T-Dubs x 2

Watson & Woods

It's a shame the biggest story coming out of the early British Open coverage is Tiger Woods missing the cut, because the original TW would have all the headlines if it wasn't for the other T-Dubs dud.

A rare weekend off for Woods is big news, since it's just the 5th time in Woods' PGA Tour career he's missed the cut, but Watson leading at the half way point is something as nearly remarkable.

A guy who shoots a few strokes over his age, like the 59-year-old Hall of Famer did in his opening round of 65, is either playing very good or is very old. In PGA parameters, it's a bit of both.

We're not talking about Buzz Magill undercutting his age by three shots with a round of 81 from the gold tees at the local muni, we're talking about an old war horse going for one last gallop in a Major Championship!

If an aging veteran is going to pull off the impossible against a stable of 20 and 30-something bombers, it's going to be across the pond. We saw it last year with 53 year old Greg Norman who led after three rounds, only to melt down and shoot a 77 at Royal Birkdale.

The young studs aren't used to relegating the driver to the back of the bag while focusing on the bump and run. Links golf dictates you place priority on the short game and the mental game, especially when dealing with mother nature.

Something Watson still has to do Saturday before he can realistically think about winning a 6th Claret Jug.

And why not think this T-Dubs can do the unthinkable this weekend? The British Open, after all, is the place where unlikely champions are crowned. The list includes: Paul Lawrie (thanks Jean Van De Velde!), Ben Curtis (2 other career wins) and John Daly (9th and final alternate of his PGA rookie year).

Tiger's Turnberry topple will hurt ABC's weekend ratings, but his absense is actually a blessing. We won't have to sit through the agonizing recaps of how well/poor Woods' played, when even a great performance will only give false hope he can actually win the tournament.

How many times have we seen Woods' struggle in the first two rounds, blister the course Saturday or early Sunday, only for it to be too little, too late? When Tiger wins a major he does it with the lead, he boat races the field and pummels the players into submission.

During his 14 major wins Woods has never trailed entering Sunday's play. Never

Woods is the greatest of all-time and it's a quirky statistical anomaly, but it's the truth. With Tiger out of camera range, the network can focus on the only TW playing this weekend. (Unless Anthony Wall, starts going by Tony!?!?!)

Hopefully, for nostalgia's sake, Watson will keep it rolling in the third round. I'd hate to see the old guy relegated to secondary story status, again.

November Nine

Less than one hour since the WSOP Main Event stopped play until November, and I'm compelled to write my first real post.

I don't have a problem with shutting things down for four months, after all I've been in broadcasting for more than 15 years....so I get the reasoning for having a November Nine, but I do have a problem with only 9 players coming back to compete for the $8.5 million top prize.

Why not a final table of 10? Is it simply because of alliteration? While November Nine is cooler to say than November Ten or the Rios' Rich River Rats, anyone who makes a final table, in any tournament, should be recognized for the accomplishment.

Unfortunately Jordan Smith wins the Miss Congeniality Award award of this pageant and is the first one out at the final table. And to pour sulfuric acid into a ruptured aorta, Smith is busted with pocket aces!

I feel the final 10 should all be back in November...there's just something cruel in reaching the final table and not get the accolades the other nine players will receive for the next few months.

Nine instead of ten can't be because of the drama of one more elimination..can it? Anyone who's watched or played at the last two tables (6 and 5 players) going hand for hand to decide the final table, knows it's some of the highest drama in a poker tournament.

How many times have you told the story of how you made the final table on-line, at a fund raiser or at the daily tournament at your local casino?

"So I was at the final table with blinds at 1 million/2 million...," is the best stage setter for rehashing how you lost set over set.

Jordan Smith's story will go something like this..."So I made the final table at the WSOP Main Event in '09 and had my aces cracked. But on the bright side, I didn't have to put up with all the B.S. of waiting forever to play my next hand. I was really in a zone and would've hated to trade my momentum for months of poker celebrity status. It was a true blessing."

Don't worry Jordan I'll remember you and your accomplishment of making a Main Event final table...you and that other guy from last year.

Opening Salvo!

After spending three weeks blogging the Borgata Summer Poker Open, I'm now taking the plunge into a personal blog.

It'll take time to work out the kinks and clean up the site, but I'm hoping that it'll evolve into something enjoyable for both myself and the readers.

So, if you're following along...thanks for taking the time and I look forward to the process!