The Starting Five: Week of August 13 2007
Posted by Jason Goodman on 08.14.2007
I'm going to Canada for a bit, talk amongst yourselves. Here, I'll give you a topic:
Hi, Everybody, and welcome back to another week of The Starting 5! The MLB playoff hunt has intensified, NFL preseason is underway, Tiger's still got it, and Pacman Jones is a Wrestlin' Machine… Yep, just another run-of-the-mill week. I'm set to leave for a brief vacation soon, so this week will be a short edition, but still the same fivey goodness(fivey IS a word, I'll prove it! Well... one day). This time, let's take a look at some important numbers:
13 at 31:
Sunday, 31 year-old Tiger Woods quieted any critics who believed he could no longer win the big tournaments, and shot a -8 to win the 2007 PGA Championship at Southern Hills Course. This marks his 13th major title in 44 attempts. To put this in perspective, Jack Nicklaus, who holds the record with 18 total majors, was four years Woods' elder, and took 53 tries to do so. This past year, Woods has been the object of scrutiny for not winning a major up until now. I must say, while Tiger had a knack for making the game look ridiculously easy in his early career, seeing how hard it actually is to win a tournament, and seeing how hard he works to make adjustments to his craft, has only made him look even better as a golfer. After all is said and done, Woods will be known as the greatest ever
4 Games out?
Naturally I'm going to take a moment to talk about MY Yankees, and surge they've made since the All-Star break (MLB best 23-8 since). Actually, I'm going to direct my comments toward George Steinbrenner: Get off your GM's back, already! Brian Cashman has managed to do what very few could; he's restocked the farm system for the future while managing to put a contender out on the field every season. Yes, it helps that he has near-unlimited funds to work with, but having good drafts, and good scouting is paramount to making it work. Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlin have fit into the club beautifully, Melky Cabrera has made himself untouchable for trades, Chien-Ming Wang has solidified himself as the ace of the rotation, the left-handed bats have come around, and the Yankees have control of their own destiny. Honestly, I'm not surprised.
A 6-sided ring:
Sunday night, Adam "Pacman" Jones made his debut in a TNA ring. According to the deal cut between the wrestling company and the Tennessee Titans, Jones can't be party to anything remotely physical. I don't know yet how that will affect his performance, but then again, if he were serious about becoming a wrestler, he would just retire from football. Then again, if he were serious about football, he wouldn't be signing contracts with wrestling companies while he's supposed to be getting back into Roger Goodell's graces while serving his suspension. I dunno, just a thought.
4 robbery suspects charged, but 2 may have done it twice:
A couple of months ago, Miami Heat forward Antoine Walker was robbed by gunpoint inside his Chicago home. A few weeks later, New York Knicks center Eddy Curry endured the exact same terror. Police were able to make the necessary connections between the incidents, and arrested Phillip Allison, 28, Antoine Larkins, 28, Demorris Hill, 25, and Gregory Reedfields, 23. All 4 are charged with the Walker crime, but Hill and Larkins are also being charged with the robbery at Curry's house. I sincerely hope the right people have been caught, convicted, and that this kind of thing doesn't happen again. Home invasion is one of the basest forms of crime, and nobody should have to ever endure it.
1 man may have beaten 3 top seeds, but 2 sisters will steal the show:
The US Open is drawing near, and after the dramatics at Wimbledon – Federer v. Nadal in the men's final, Serena Williams making a valiant effort despite injuries on her way to the quarterfinal, and Venus William's triumphant return to championship form – this annual wil most likely NOT disappoint. Watch out for one man, however, Novak Djokovic, who recently beat ALL TOP 3 SEEDS on his way to winning the Rogers Cup tournament on Sunday, claiming the number 3 spot as his own. That's Andy Roddick, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer in ONE WEEK. He has as much momentum as anyone going into this tournament. Meanwhile, in the women's bracket, look for Serena, Venus, and Justine Henin – the three most dominant women in the sport over the last seven years – to captivate, as always.
Walking Off:
Welcome back, Rick. Nice to see you giving
the Cardinals hope.
Well, I'm off to Toronto for a while, to enjoy the sights and drink with some 18 year-old women. See you all next week, when I'll take a look at the NFL preseason, and how it will affect my Fantasy Football bragging rights.
