I didn’t think I’d have the chance to return to the 3M Championship golf tournament as a member of the media this soon. After the last two summers of working as a sports intern with the Blaine Sun Focus, I figured my time in the media tent was done, unless I ended up with a media job.
Since I’ve been working as an intern at North American Membership Group in Minnetonka after my graduation last December, I have been doing web work for the fishing, hunting and handyman magazines. But our company also has a golf magazine, the PGA Tour Partners Club.
I decided to come out to the tournament at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine kind of at the last minute after I had a lunch conversation with the Handyman Web editor, Gary. He talked to me about doing some freelancing, or maybe writing an article for the golf magazine to be posted on the Web site.
I couldn’t pass up another chance to have an experience as part of the media, so I called in for some press credentials and ended up at the tournament.
Friday was a beautiful day to be outdoors watching some of golf’s greats. And a beautiful day in Minnesota is pretty hard to come by. The crowds were pretty decent, at least from what I noticed when I wandered over to the first tee box, the ninth green and simply walking around the grounds.
The good numbers had to be due to this year’s free admission for the public. Tournament director Hollis Cavner decided to give back to the fans in light of all the support throughout the past 17 years of the event, and with the current economic situation. It was a gesture that fans seemed to take advantage of in earnest.
“I did it ‘cuz I could,” Cavner said. “I’ve been wanting to do it for years, and I just never could.”
I took it pretty easy on the first day of the 54-hole tourney. I mostly just got my feet wet again with the lovely media accomodations and putting on my reporter’s hat. But the highlight of the day would have to be when I came out of my “shy-bubble” a bit and chit-chatted with Star Tribune sports writer, Brian Stensaas.
We were both standing off the edge of the 18th green, and I asked him something about a previously hit ball. I countered later with, “Who do you write for?”
He asked the same of me, and then we did introductions and handshakes. I also asked him if he had a specific beat, then I mumbled something about how I would like to do that: write sports.
I didn’t stick around the whole afternoon to interview any of the first-round leaders. I knew I still had two days left, and it wasn’t like I needed to get a ton of information since I would be writing more of a feature piece instead of a recap.
Day one was a good day to get reaquainted with my media roots.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Roddick vs. Federer - A match for the books
What a match. One man stands alone, while another stands in the shadow of defeat.
Another instant classic Wimbledon men’s final wrapped up the 2009 tournament this past weekend at the All England Club in London. Who would have guessed that the long five-setter between rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal that lasted into darkness the previous year, could be topped by a marathon match between American Andy Roddick and Switzerland’s Federer.
The 5-7, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 16-14 – yes, 16-14 - match shattered numerous records: Federer had a grand total of a career-high 50 aces, 22 in the final set alone, and the 77-game contest was the longest in Grand Slam history. The 95-minute final set was a back-and-forth affair of service holds.
With Roddick serving at 14-15, Federer did not waste his first chance at a championship point. Roddick mishit a ball, sailing it long, to give Federer the victory.
After Federer’s jubilant jump on the court following the final point of the tournament, Roddick was the one left in shock and disappointment. He played what commentator and former player John McEnroe called the best match of Roddick’s career in the semifinals to beat English favorite Andy Murray, before leaving everything he had on the court during the final against the best player, arguably, of all time.
Roddick couldn’t have played the match any better. One has to think that had he been matched up against anyone else, he would have prevailed to lift that first-place cup for the first time on the lawn of Center Court. He has been the runner-up at the Grand Slam three times now (2004 and 2005), all against Federer.
He stands alone
What else can you expect from the No. 1 player in the world, a title Federer reclaimed with his win in the finals. Not only is he the most dominant player (with Rafa close on his heels), but his win at Wimbledon marked the Swiss player’s 15th Grand Slam title, beating the 14-Slam record held by recent tennis great, Pete Sampras, who flew in from Los Angeles to watch history unfold.
Apparently, the dominant duo have become quite good friends as of late. It’s amazing how much mutual respect they have for each other. And although I’m sure Sampras thought his record in the tennis history books would hold up a little longer than just a few years, even he had to appreciate the great match the two gentlemen played.
Fighting back his emotions, Roddick showed he still had his sense of humor during his post-match remarks to the crowd by apologizing to Sampras for not being able to keep the Slam record intact.
“Sorry Pete,” Roddick said. “I tried to hold him off.”
Nearly unbroken
One of Roddick’s biggest strengths has always been his powerful serve. But instead of just acing his way through the match, Roddick balanced out his game – and it showed. He didn’t give Federer a run for his money by relying only on his serve.
But that serve was part of his game that made the day even more unbelievable. Roddick held his serve throughout the course of the entire match – nearly - for 37 consecutive games.
Of course, Roddick was broken once – during the final game of the match, which saw Federer come out as the champion. What a heartbreaking way to lose; you are nearly perfect during your service games, and you still don’t come away as the victor. That’s gotta be a tough pill to swallow.
Will he be back?
Watching Roddick as he struggled to hold back his tears in his seat after play was over, my heart ached for him. He was so close to becoming the Wimbledon champion, a feat that will still elude him at least until 2010 when he will have the chance to try again.
But I’m not sure if that will happen. Roddick has been plagued, like many others, by playing in an era the same as Nadal and Federer who seem to always find a way to win, no matter the opponent or circumstance.
I think this was Roddick’s chance. He played two of the best matches of his career, but fell just short. I really hope he gets back to the finals and is able to be victorious, but with a healthy Federer and Nadal on the circuit, that will be a tall order.
Whatever happens during the rest of Roddick’s career (he turns 27 in August), I hope he can at least look back to this year’s Wimbledon tournament and be proud. He has a bitter taste in his mouth now, but in time he will come to realize the great accomplishment he achieved against one of the world’s best.
It truly was a match to behold.
Another instant classic Wimbledon men’s final wrapped up the 2009 tournament this past weekend at the All England Club in London. Who would have guessed that the long five-setter between rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal that lasted into darkness the previous year, could be topped by a marathon match between American Andy Roddick and Switzerland’s Federer.
The 5-7, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 16-14 – yes, 16-14 - match shattered numerous records: Federer had a grand total of a career-high 50 aces, 22 in the final set alone, and the 77-game contest was the longest in Grand Slam history. The 95-minute final set was a back-and-forth affair of service holds.
With Roddick serving at 14-15, Federer did not waste his first chance at a championship point. Roddick mishit a ball, sailing it long, to give Federer the victory.
After Federer’s jubilant jump on the court following the final point of the tournament, Roddick was the one left in shock and disappointment. He played what commentator and former player John McEnroe called the best match of Roddick’s career in the semifinals to beat English favorite Andy Murray, before leaving everything he had on the court during the final against the best player, arguably, of all time.
Roddick couldn’t have played the match any better. One has to think that had he been matched up against anyone else, he would have prevailed to lift that first-place cup for the first time on the lawn of Center Court. He has been the runner-up at the Grand Slam three times now (2004 and 2005), all against Federer.
He stands alone
What else can you expect from the No. 1 player in the world, a title Federer reclaimed with his win in the finals. Not only is he the most dominant player (with Rafa close on his heels), but his win at Wimbledon marked the Swiss player’s 15th Grand Slam title, beating the 14-Slam record held by recent tennis great, Pete Sampras, who flew in from Los Angeles to watch history unfold.
Apparently, the dominant duo have become quite good friends as of late. It’s amazing how much mutual respect they have for each other. And although I’m sure Sampras thought his record in the tennis history books would hold up a little longer than just a few years, even he had to appreciate the great match the two gentlemen played.
Fighting back his emotions, Roddick showed he still had his sense of humor during his post-match remarks to the crowd by apologizing to Sampras for not being able to keep the Slam record intact.
“Sorry Pete,” Roddick said. “I tried to hold him off.”
Nearly unbroken
One of Roddick’s biggest strengths has always been his powerful serve. But instead of just acing his way through the match, Roddick balanced out his game – and it showed. He didn’t give Federer a run for his money by relying only on his serve.
But that serve was part of his game that made the day even more unbelievable. Roddick held his serve throughout the course of the entire match – nearly - for 37 consecutive games.
Of course, Roddick was broken once – during the final game of the match, which saw Federer come out as the champion. What a heartbreaking way to lose; you are nearly perfect during your service games, and you still don’t come away as the victor. That’s gotta be a tough pill to swallow.
Will he be back?
Watching Roddick as he struggled to hold back his tears in his seat after play was over, my heart ached for him. He was so close to becoming the Wimbledon champion, a feat that will still elude him at least until 2010 when he will have the chance to try again.
But I’m not sure if that will happen. Roddick has been plagued, like many others, by playing in an era the same as Nadal and Federer who seem to always find a way to win, no matter the opponent or circumstance.
I think this was Roddick’s chance. He played two of the best matches of his career, but fell just short. I really hope he gets back to the finals and is able to be victorious, but with a healthy Federer and Nadal on the circuit, that will be a tall order.
Whatever happens during the rest of Roddick’s career (he turns 27 in August), I hope he can at least look back to this year’s Wimbledon tournament and be proud. He has a bitter taste in his mouth now, but in time he will come to realize the great accomplishment he achieved against one of the world’s best.
It truly was a match to behold.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
"Get in the hole!!!"
The other night my brother Kyle and I were hanging out at home just shooting the breeze. Actually, we were half-paying attention to the TV as the Twins dropped a 4-2 series opener in Kansas City. We were chatting, and somehow ended up on the subject of golf and the "Get in the hole!!!" rants from fans.
You know what I'm talking about. You're at home relaxing with the soothing game of golf on the tube, but at the strike of nearly every golf ball the tranquility is broken abruptly by screaming patrons in attendance.
There always has to be someone who tries to get out the frantic phrase faster than anyone else, just as soon as the golf club makes contact with the ball. Once one person gets through it, countless others follow suit and erupt into a loud batch of cheers.
One of the funny things about this common golf fan practice is that it seems to occur everywhere on the course. I suppose the most common place is on the greens where the golfer has the best chance to actually get the ball "in the hole." But these jests are even heard at tee boxes, where unless an impossible hole-in-one will be shot, the ball has no chance from the tee.
This just doesn't make any sense to me. Now I know the shouters are probably jumping on the trend bandwagon, and that they don't really think the ball is going in the hole. But why is it necessary to act this way, especially in the instance when the player hits his first shot on a par 5, 556-yard hole?
It's not. It's getting so ridiculous that it can even be quite comical if the ranting is outrageous enough.
I typed "get in the hole" in my YouTube search box to see what kind of hits I would get. There weren't too many relating to golf from looking at the first few entries. I played one video that was an advertisement and a bit of a spoof on the whole sharade. You can see for yourself.
My brother and I watched this clip a few times and were in hysterics. Then we made ourselves practically hoarse by trying to imitate the fast and furious saying.
It very well could be that you did not think the video was funny, or agree with any of my points about this topic. That's fine. Maybe I'm reading too much into it. Or it could be that if you didn't share in the hysterical laughter, maybe that's my brother and me in a "you had to be there" kind of moment.
No matter what you think about the "Get in the hole!!!" bonanza, here is my main point:
Why not give the blistering screams a rest and save them up for the greens when the ball has a chance? It's becoming as annoying as listening to Monica Seles grunt her way through a tennis match, or watching Maria Sharapova tuck strands of stray hair behind her ears after every single point.
You know what I'm talking about. You're at home relaxing with the soothing game of golf on the tube, but at the strike of nearly every golf ball the tranquility is broken abruptly by screaming patrons in attendance.
There always has to be someone who tries to get out the frantic phrase faster than anyone else, just as soon as the golf club makes contact with the ball. Once one person gets through it, countless others follow suit and erupt into a loud batch of cheers.
One of the funny things about this common golf fan practice is that it seems to occur everywhere on the course. I suppose the most common place is on the greens where the golfer has the best chance to actually get the ball "in the hole." But these jests are even heard at tee boxes, where unless an impossible hole-in-one will be shot, the ball has no chance from the tee.
This just doesn't make any sense to me. Now I know the shouters are probably jumping on the trend bandwagon, and that they don't really think the ball is going in the hole. But why is it necessary to act this way, especially in the instance when the player hits his first shot on a par 5, 556-yard hole?
It's not. It's getting so ridiculous that it can even be quite comical if the ranting is outrageous enough.
I typed "get in the hole" in my YouTube search box to see what kind of hits I would get. There weren't too many relating to golf from looking at the first few entries. I played one video that was an advertisement and a bit of a spoof on the whole sharade. You can see for yourself.
My brother and I watched this clip a few times and were in hysterics. Then we made ourselves practically hoarse by trying to imitate the fast and furious saying.
It very well could be that you did not think the video was funny, or agree with any of my points about this topic. That's fine. Maybe I'm reading too much into it. Or it could be that if you didn't share in the hysterical laughter, maybe that's my brother and me in a "you had to be there" kind of moment.
No matter what you think about the "Get in the hole!!!" bonanza, here is my main point:
Why not give the blistering screams a rest and save them up for the greens when the ball has a chance? It's becoming as annoying as listening to Monica Seles grunt her way through a tennis match, or watching Maria Sharapova tuck strands of stray hair behind her ears after every single point.
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