rickyleepotts …an opinionated realist

I have done my best to avoid this topic, but I cannot hold back any longer. Yes, I live in Indianapolis, and according to all of my friends and neighbors, I should be an Indianapolis Colts fan. However, sadly I am not a fan of the Colts. I am actually not a fan of anyone in the National Football League. I have a theory that all professional sports, golf included, are rigged. The NFL, MLB, PGA, etc. know who is going to win that game before it is ever played. Money is the root of my theory, ranging from advertisement dollars to player payoffs, but that is a story all on its own. I tend to not follow too many professional sports because of this, but if forced to pick a favorite team in the NFL it would still not be the Colts.

Just because I live in Indiana—Indianapolis at that—does not mean that I have to be a fan of the team that just happens to be from my home town. The Indianapolis Colts actually started in Baltimore. So, did everyone who lives in Baltimore have to root for the Colts and then stop cheering for them when they left and were no longer a Baltimore hometown team? You might argue that I lack hometown pride. But does following a football team that just happens to have the name of my city attached to it truly mean that I have hometown pride? In the end, the game itself is a form of entertainment. It is no different than turning on the TV and watching an episode of Heroes. Sure, the TV show might make me laugh or cry, but in the end, all it did was to serve as a way to waste my time for visual entertainment. Football is no different. I am the same person when the TV show is over and you are the same person when the football game is over.

You might think that having this point of view on football, and with the Indianapolis Colts being in the game, that I would stay as far away as I could Sunday afternoon. But, I ended up at a Super Bowl party on the south side of Indianapolis. I was invited to join my girlfriend and her best friend, as well as a few others close to the hostess, for the big game. I headed down a little after noon on Sunday to get the party started right. Or so I thought. We ended up going to see a movie before the game. This is no big deal as I am a huge movie buff, and we actually saw one that I not only had no idea what it was about, but also that I had not seen before. That is rare if you know me and film. So we headed off, me and three girls, to see the Lovely Bones. (The film was actually pretty good. It had an OK cast but the script was pretty epic and even managed to throw some science fiction in there that made it seem a little more entertaining.)

After the movie we headed back to the 168 inch screen to watch the game, but more importantly the commercials. You see, this is my way of watching the Super Bowl and not having to be a sports fan to do so. I just claim that I am not, in fact, at a Super Bowl party but rather a Super Commercials party. It works, it gets a laugh, and I get to eat, drink, and be merry while the game breaks. This year there were actually forty-eight minutes of commercials. (If you take that times the three million that it took to land one of those thirty second time slots, the commercials alone cost companies $288 million.) Unfortunately, none of the commercials this year were really all that great. There were a couple of funny ads, a serious one or two, and nothing that really had me on the floor laughing out loud. I hope this was money well spent for these companies.

But the reason that I decided to begin talking about the Indianapolis Colts and Super Bowl XIV was not for the fans. It was not for the players, the coaches, or the final score of the game. (I would like to say congratulations to the New Orleans Saints and to Drew Brees for simply outplaying and outcoaching the Indianapolis Colts. You guys truly deserved that victory.) I am here because I am embarrassed for all of you Colts fans. You people walk around preaching to me about how I should be a fan of this team. You have your reasons and even get defensive when I say I am not a fan. But the way your quarterback walked off the field after this year’s Super Bowl, you should all be ashamed to call them your team.

After most sporting events the two teams will congratulate each other on a good game. They will shake hands, smack hind ends, or even hug for a job well done, whether win or lose. I remember this even being instilled in me at a very young age. As far back as little league I remember having to line up after a game, regardless of the outcome, and being forced to high five the other team. So when I watch Peyton Manning, superstar quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, walk off the field and refuse to shake hands with anyone, not even the opposing quarterback, I lost a lot of respect for that man.

It takes a lot for a man who has lost a game to admit that he was outplayed. Granted, this was the single biggest game of the year, and although the Colts have been here and won in the past, they felt that they deserved it this year. But, in the end, they did not win the one game that mattered. Now, that is not saying anything negative about the Colts or the Colts season, but when it all comes down to it, the Saints had one hell of a season and played one of the best football games, overall, that I have seen in a long time. Drew Brees, already throwing the ball like a rocket out there, passed for thirty-two completions tying the NFL Super Bowl completions record. They also tied the record for coming from the most points behind with ten. (That seems so low to me that the biggest come from behind victory is only ten points. But that is the state and the Saints join that record.) The Saints even took quite a risk in performing an almost impossible onside kick that in my eyes was the turning point in the game and the reason why the momentum went back in their corner. The game, needless to say, was entertaining.

I will assume that some of you might argue the fact that it was a big game, the biggest of the season, the other team was going nuts, etc. and that Drew or any of the other players would have been impossible to get to. Well, regardless, I have seen championship games where the other players want that handshake, where the other players will seek out their competitors to shake hands, hug, and to share a few lines. Peyton did not do that. Peyton practically stormed off the field. (I am not saying that being in that same situation I would not do that myself.)

Now, before we all go hating on Peyton, note that he did in fact call Drew Brees later that night to congratulate him on his win. When asked his thoughts on the situation, Drew Brees said, “Peyton is a class guy.” So as much as I want to say that Peyton is not a true sportsman, he did gain some credit with the phone call. But, the image he left in the minds of all of those other guys on that field, both teams, and the fans that saw him leave the field without saying a word to anyone has left a sour taste in their mouths.

So does what Peyton did make a difference in his paycheck? Does what he did affect the way he throws a football? Does what he did have any effect on the way he performs on and off the field? Of course not, as what he did was simply an in the heat of the moment reaction to a loss that he and the rest of the city of Indianapolis thought they deserved. But, note Peyton, that your actions did not go unnoticed and that I have taken a greater look at how I perceive you as a player and as a sportsman. You have a responsibility on that field, and whether you win or lose, you need to make an effort to show that you are the better man. So congratulations to the New Orleans Saints, better luck next year Indianapolis (the Associated Press poll is already showing them as the favorite to win the Super Bowl next year), and here’s to yet another season in the National Football League!

This year the Golf Inc. Conference will take place in Florida. When you think of Florida you start to imagine places like Disney World in Orlando or beaches in Miami. But on the north side of the state there are places of interest just the same. For instance, places like Amelia Island. This is home of the 2010 Golf Inc. Conference and proves to be a great selection as folks are already talking about the course and the hotel. So, as you begin to prepare for the three day conference this April, I wanted to provide you with a list of eight reasons why you should attend this event. (Note that this list was taken from an issue of Golf Inc. Magazine.)

Recovery Shots for the Next Decade

At this year’s event you will have the opportunity to sit through thirty sessions that will cover the full gamut of your business and help you on your most pressing needs. It’s time to see your business get ahead of the game.

Guaranteed Return on Your Investment

89% of past attendees rank it as a “good” value or better, with 64% ranking it “very good” or “excellent”. The folks at Golf Inc. are so confident that you will find the conference a good value that we offer a money-back guarantee*. They are sure you’ll feel you got your money’s worth that they will give you your money back if you find the conference was a “poor” value.

Best Speakers of any Golf Conference

94% of past attendees rank the quality of speakers as “good” or better, with 65% ranking them “very good” or “excellent”. And 91% agree that the speakers represent the industry’s leading operators, developers, and experts.

The Ultimate Networking Experience

Network throughout the conference with colleagues, industry leaders, and others. Their cocktail parties and other events are rated as the best part of the conference. “You always bring together a strong group of industry professionals in a great and intimate setting. Hard to find another conference that duplicates that kind of value,” a recent attendee wrote in an anonymous survey.

Lowest Rate in Years

They are offering their lowest attendee rates in more than five years. Get in for as little as $399 for one person, if you register before February 19th, 2010. You can register the second person in your party for only $199., and the third person for only $99.

Special International Development Symposium

Learn from international golf leaders on where to build now and what’s working in today’s economy. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear speakers from the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Bahamas.

Private Club Track: The Membership Dilemma – How to Stop the Bleeding

They have crafted a track especially for private clubs, board members and owners who are struggling with membership declines in this tough economy. Learn from experts who have success stories to share.

Outstanding Golf at Amelia Island Plantation

Play one of the four Audubon International certified golf courses beautifully designed along the coast. Enjoy the ocean, the weather, and work on your game while at this year’s conference.

This list should be more than enough to get you to the 2010 Golf Inc. Conference. If not, just take a look at the presentations that make up that list of thirty sessions. There are some industry thought leaders at this event and it will be a great value for you and your club by attending this year’s event. Plus, the round of golf, the cocktail parties, and the potential for all the relationships that you can build is invaluable. So go ahead and register and start planning your trip to Amelia Island.

*Money-back guarantee: Attendees will be sent a survey by email one week after the conference. If you rate the conference as a poor value you will be offered a refund of your purchase price.

How many of you out there play golf? Do you play by the rules as set forth by the USGA or do you drop a ball on the tee and hack it around the course? For those of you who play by the official rules, I assume that you fill out a scorecard during your round. You write down what you scored on each hole and tally them up at the end of the front and back nine to give you your total score for the day. If you are like me, you even keep track of your fairway shots, green shots, and putts. This allows for even more data to be taken into consideration the next time you head out to practice.

Now, put yourself in the shoes of a potential state champion – Adam Van Houten. Five years ago, Adam was staring a state title right in the face. He had busted his butt all the way through high school hitting balls and putting many long hours away on the practice green. He was honing his skills to be able to say that he truly was the best in his state. In 2005, he was set to take the title, finishing with a seven-stroke lead in the state finals. He finished the round, signed his scorecard, and walked to the clubhouse.

Then Van Houten noticed that he had made a mistake on his scorecard. The person keeping score that day had written a 5 on a hole where Adam had actually received a 6. The final scored turned out correct, so Adam signed it. But, under the rules he signed an invalid scorecard. As soon as he signed the invalid scorecard, he should have been disqualified by the rules of the USGA. What should he do? Should he just keep quiet and see what panned out? Maybe no one will catch the mistake. After all, the final score came out correct, right?

Whose fault was this? Was it his playing partner’s fault for writing down the wrong score? Or was it his fault for not double-checking his score against the official scorecard. Regardless of whose fault it truly was, Adam had signed for an invalid score and risked losing the title one way or the other. If he admitted it, then he would lose the title and be disqualified, but he would feel better about himself in the future. He would hate himself now, sure, but in the future he would know he made the right decision. If he ignored it, becoming the newest Ohio state champion, he ran the risk of someone catching him in the future and then living with the turmoil of losing the trophy for cheating. What was Adam to do?

Adam sucked it up. He admitted that he had signed for the wrong score, was disqualified, and was not crowned as the state’s best. But, just when all is thought to be lost, a mere five years later, he was rewarded for his honesty. Adam received a spot on the Sports Illustrated Sportsmanship of the Decade list. And not only that, but the Ohio State High School Athletic Association honored him with a commemorative medal for his honesty.

So, the next time you are on the golf course, are you going to use the foot wedge to knock a ball out from under that tree? Are you going to take a 6 when you know you should really write down an 8? Are you going to fudge the numbers so your handicap goes down just a little bit before the choose up this weekend? Regardless if you are playing in a sanctioned tournament where the rules truly do matter, pay attention to why these rules were created in the first place. In some circles, rules were meant to be broken. But on the golf course, they are taken very seriously. Attitude, appearance, maturity, and honesty are important parts of the game. Adam Van Houten showed not only the state of Ohio that he was an honest and genuine individual but he inspired the number one sports magazine to consider him a true athlete.

I bought some new golf clubs a few years back. I had been playing the Tommy Armour 845 irons for as long as I could remember. They were cavity back, easy to hit, and I never thought I needed anything else until I put a blade in my hand. I was carrying around a 7 handicap at the time and was playing golf any chance I got. But, when I landed a job at Galyan’s Sporting Goods (now Dick’s Sporting Goods) in the golf department I had the chance to hit a lot of different irons. That is when I fell in love with the MacGregor V-Foil blades. I put my order in, got the discount for working at Galyan’s, and began carrying a new set of irons.

The only reason I switched was because I added distance as well as control with these new irons. I had a hard time giving up the other sticks but it was time for me to move to better and more consistent irons. I have since dropped to a 1 handicap and have, over the last few years, been playing some of the best golf of my life. But what if you do not have the luxury of knowing when the time is right to buy new golf clubs? Hopefully the list below will help you in your decision this off-season to get out, try some new equipment, and start playing the best golf of your life.

1. When was the last time you bought a driver?

On a normal day and on a normal golf course you will hit your driver maybe 14 times. This club, as few times as you do hit it, is not one you can ignore. The further you hit the ball the less club you will have into the green and the straighter you hit the better your chances at landing a good lie will be. The driver is very important to your golf game regardless. So when was the last time you bought a driver? If it has been more than two years since you last replaced the big dog in your bag it is now time to consider a new stick. (The driver is usually the first club people tend to pull when he or she steps on the driving range, too.)

The reason why you should consider replacing your driver is simply the increased technology that has been released in the last few years. Sweet spots have gotten bigger, the ball is flying further and further off of these new designs, and the control that you can gain with these new drivers is off the charts. I am currently hitting a Titleist 975JVS driver. This driver has been in my bag since high school. I hit it straight, I hit it far, and the club has never let me down. The shaft has a lot to do with it, but it works so why switch? (I am actually in the market for a new driver. I have been for a couple of years but have been having a hard time pulling the trigger.)

2. What is your actual handicap?

How many clubs are in your bag? The limit, according to the rules stated by the USGA, is 14 clubs. That is all you can carry including your driver, irons, wedges and putter. You can carry less but never more than 14 total. If your handicap higher than, let’s say a 5, you should be playing alternative long irons such as the popular hybrid clubs. The were originally released for older players as they were able to hit the ball further and straighter without as much effort, but when the younger guys picked it up and realized that they in fact could get the same benefit, these guys started using them too.

So, unless you are carrying a lower handicap than most (the average golfer shoots 100 or more on an average 18 hole golf course) then you need to be carrying a set of these hybrids. A buddy of mine actually put a couple in his bag recently and he is a fairly low handicap. He states that they are easy to get the ball out of the rough and their distance control is more accurate than his long irons. He claims they were a great improvement for him. Perhaps it would be a positive switch for you as well.

3. When was the last time you cleaned out your grooves?

If you want any form of control over your shots from 120 yards and in your wedges need to have some fresh grooves on them. The USGA actually made some rules this past year regarding the differences between U and V grooves, and it actually made some PGA players upset. Some of the guys on tour can stop a ball on a dime or even throw the ball to the back of the green and spin it to the front with no problem.

I myself have some issues spinning the ball back, but I hit the ball quite high which forces the ball to stop on one or two bounces. So, if you are out there trying to stop the ball on a dime or put some backspin on it then you should invest in some new wedges this season. The more you hit the ball with these wedges whether on the golf course or on the practice range, the weaker those grooves get. A decent wedge will hold a life of about two years depending on how much you play.

4. Get rid of those useless fairway woods.

Just like the long irons in your bag, the 3 wood is just about as hard to hit. I am actually carrying a Tight Lies in my bag that is between a 3 and a 4 wood. I have never, in my entire golf career, carried a 3 wood. It is just not a club that I ever felt I could hit. And that seems to be the case here as well. You can replace that 3 wood with a hybrid, or even a 4 wood which has a smaller head but a bigger sweet spot and easier to hit. The smaller head will cut through the rough a lot better and give you a better chance to hitting the sweet spot off of the fairway. Regardless, the 3 wood has always been a hard club to hit so why makes this worse on yourself if you don’t have to?

5. Are you custom fit to the clubs in your bag?

The last time you bought clubs did you just get them off the shelf and throw them into your golf bag?  If so, then you are losing distance, control, and basically throwing away shots every time you tee off. Every club in your bag from the driver to the putter should have the shaft set to your height and the flex to match your swing speed. Did you know that some guys on tour have steel shafts in their drivers because they swing so fast a graphite shaft is too flexible?

When I bought my irons I actually had them custom fit by the representative from MacGregor. They were then sent to the headquarters, matched with each and every club, and shipped to me already fit. I then went and saw a PGA professional and had them resized to match any differences between the original specifications. Even my driver had a few inches shaved off the shaft to give me a touch more control over distance. To me I would rather hit a six iron from the fairway than an 8 iron from the rough. So, the next time you go out to purchase some irons, a driver, wedges or other make sure you invest to have them custom fit to your body. Your scorecard will show a difference.

I hope that the next time you visit your local pro shop that you take the time to research your next club purchase. There is no question that the equipment, even down to the ball that you play off the tee, has a lot to do with the score that you post at the end of the day. So before this season comes along jump online, research the products you think you are interested in, and then head over to your local pro shop and hit them. You will not regret taking the time to invest in some new equipment. In the end it will simply make you a better player.

What follows is a poem that was passed on to me by my favorite cousin. I call her my favorite cousin because, well, she is my only cousin, and after reading this she should be glad that she is my only one! As many of you know I am the single biggest Tiger Woods fan on the planet. Well, there might be someone out there that tops my dedication to the man, but I doubt it. So, when this recent media frenzy began I decided that I would wait until it was all over before I wrote my reactions on it. As you know, this is still going on with new women coming out of the woodwork and new allegations being spread about him and his personal life. So, this post is not my reaction to all of this but rather just the poem that was sent to me. Note that I do not laugh at the majority of the jokes that are being spread about him, nor do I approve with the lies that are being tossed around by sites such as TMZ and the National Enquirer. But, for those of you who are laughing I figure this might give you a little holiday chuckle. So sit back, grab a nice cup of eggnog, and read one writer’s reaction to the Tiger Woods scandal as he compares his saga to the holiday season. Merry Christmas everyone, and a happy new year!

Twas the  night of Thanksgiving and out of the house
Tiger Woods came a flyin’, chased by his spouse.

She wielded  a nine iron and wasn’t too merry,
Cause a bimbo’s phone number was in his Blackberry.

He’d been cheatin’ on Elin, and the story progressed.
Woman after woman stepped up and confessed.

He’d been cheatin’ with Holly, and Jaimee, and Cori,
With Joselyn, and Kalika. The world had the story.

From the top of the Tour to the basement of blues,
Tiger’s sad sordid tale was all over the news.

With hostesses, waitresses, he had lots of sex,
When not in their pants, he was sendin’ them texts.

Despite all his cryin’ and beggin’ and pleadin’,
Tiger’s wife went investin’ — a new home in Sweden .

And I heard her exclaim from her white Escalade,
“If you’re gettin’ laid then I’m gettin’ paid.”

She’s not pouting, in fact, she is of jolly good cheer,
Her prenup made Christmas come early this year.

It was only a matter of time before the University of Central Florida held their first regular season game. Last night, on Wednesday, November 4^th, 2009, the University of Central Florida Knights took the floor in an exhibition game.  Marcus Jordan was one of the players that got some playing time.  Marcus was wearing his dad’s latest shoe, which, you know from my initial post on this topic, are Nike, not Adidas.

So, because of that, Adidas wasted no time in handling this matter.  In a statement from Adidas today, they have stated, “The University of Central Florida has chosen not to deliver on their contractual commitment to Adidas, and as a result we have chosen not to continue our relationship with them moving forward.”  This came from Adidas spokeswoman Andrea Corso.  This was sent to The Associated Press in an email this morning.

I bet you would never guess who is not talking about this situation.  UCF has declined to make a statement in regards to this.  They did pony up with this, however.  “We are disappointed to learn that Adidas has chosen to discontinue its relationship with UCF Athletics.  Once we receive official notice we will be able to further respond.”  This statement was released by university spokesman Joe Hornstein.

Marcus, on the other hand, did have this to say, “I only wore my father’s shoes because they hold a special meaning to my family.”

The UCF did have a win that night over the Saint Leo.  But apparently that win was not enough to sway the folks at Adidas.  And I have to say, after having some time to think about this issue more, and seeing not only how Adidas handled this, but how quickly, I am on their side for this.  Sure, the shoes that Marcus was wearing did not matter to anyone else on the floor that night besides himself and Adidas.  But a contract is a contract and Adidas has every right to pull it from that university.

Who is to blame here?  Is it Marcus who is at fault for lacing up those sneakers last night?  Or is it his father’s fault because they were his shoes and had his logo on the side?  Or perhaps the university for allowing Marcus to touch the floor in shoes they had to know were not Adidas?  I think it is a mixture of the three, but more so the university for allowing him to wear those shoes.

This brings up an additional issue, as well.  Did Adidas know before he ran out onto the court last night he was going to wear those shoes?  Did Nike also know that he was planning on doing this and was aware of how Adidas would react to it?  When Adidas pulls the contract and forces the student athletes to all wear something without the Adidas logo on the side, who will come in to replace them?  It would make perfect sense for Nike to do so since Marcus, who carries a lot of weight because of who his father actually is, is going to wear those shoes regardless of what people say.  I wonder what kind of contractual agreements Sam and Alexis will come into contact with.  Their father seems to be Nike for life, but you never know when it comes to dollar bills who your next major sponsor will be.

So I applaud Adidas for taking the right course of action in this and revoking the contract.  They have every right in the world to do so and I am glad that a company like this has stood up for what is in black and white right in front of them.  Not sure this was worth it for the career of Marcus Jordan, but if Nike comes in and sweeps up this college it might just be what the doctor ordered.  Regardless of how you look at this the University of Central Florida is getting a lot of media attention and a ton of publicity out of this.  But is losing a campus wide athletic contract worth it?

It is very possible that I hate football more than I hate basketball, but again, I pay attention to the headlines in case someone asks me if I have heard about the latest new story.  So when I first saw the footage of Mark Sanchez, the quarterback for the New York Jets, eating a hot dog I was instantly intrigued.  What in the world could be so news worthy to show a football player eating a hot dog?  It was not only worthy of hitting the Yahoo! Sports headlines but also running continuously during both ESPN and on Rome is Burning.  So why is this a big deal to the NFL?

You can see in the video that not only is he eating the hotdog, he even has a mustard packet in his other hand.  He was not just having a snack he was enjoying it as much as he could.  But you will also notice that he is trying to hide it, taking quick bites and throwing the wiener behind his legs in hopes no one would catch him.  Well, Mark, you got caught.

When asked about it, Mark said that he had been sick the entire week before and had been unable to eat.  With practice and meetings and everything else that leads to a game on Sunday afternoon I can see why he would not have time to eat.  But what better time than during the middle of a game?  A game in which they were absolutely dominating the Oakland Raiders, mind you.  Mark was not chastised, however, when he was caught during the game.  His hands were not even slapped when the media got involved with the event.  Regardless of how many times he was not yelled at, he apologized time and time again and did so immediately.

After all of the apologies were said and done and he was finished with his meal, he said that the reason he apologized in the first place was due to the message he was afraid that it would send to the Raiders.  He actually was quoted in saying he did not want to say, “Hey, beating the Raiders is so easy that I can do it while scarfing down some delicious wieners.”  This would in turn have an effect on his image but also the New York Jets for allowing their players to eat on the sidelines.

You will remember that the NFL recently has banned players from sending text messages or from sending tweets the day of the game.  They have also banned it for twenty-four hours before and twenty-four hours after the game.  They are claiming this is due to the fact players could potentially send messages that could give away plays or let the other team learn something that would in hence make them vulnerable come game day.  This goes hand in hand with the SEC decision to ban texting and tweeting by not only the players but also the fans.

So did Sanchez have to apologize?  Probably not, but I imagine it makes him feel better that he did.  Should the coach of the Jets perhaps have been a little more observant that there were players sitting on the sideline snacking, regardless of the score of the game?  Probably so.  The coach of the Jets, Rex Ryan, has actually been known, since taking the head coach position, to trash talk pretty much anyone so if Mark does get any gruff about this it will probably come from him.  I just can not seem to figure out what the big deal is whether he was eating or not.  Who cares?  And is it really that big of a deal that this be covered by every sports news channel out there?  Get over it, the guy was hungry.  Speaking of hot dogs I might just go have one of those right now.  And I am not going to hide it either.

Here we go again.  Tiger Woods is up and at them this week for the kick off of the FedEx Cup at The Barclays.  Tiger is coming off one of the worst putting displays I have seen from him in a long time (he missed two putts within five feet) as well as one of the most conservative rounds I can remember him ever playing.  Tiger lost to Asian sensation Y.E. Yang.  Yang came in to the event having only played in seven previous majors, never making the cut in a single one, and managed to put himself in the final group on Sunday.  He came in firing at pins and having the time of his life.  You could tell from the smiles and high fives he was throwing around the golf course that he had nothing to lose.  If he lost, it was expected.  If he won, it would shock all of golf, as Tiger has never lost a major with a share of the lead or the lead going into the final round.  Adding to that record he has only lost two tournaments on the PGA Tour with the share or the lead on Sunday.

So Yang comes in and manages to pull out a miracle leaving Tiger shaking his head.  He missed putt after putt and managed to miss two greens on the back nine leading to lost shots and no chance at grabbing the Claret Jug.  It left Tiger upset and determined to spend the next two weeks getting ready for the final leg of the season, the FedEx Cup.  I personally hope that he spent it working on his short game.

In only it’s third year the FedEx Cup serves as a play off of sorts for the guys on the PGA Tour.  The guys play week in and week out collecting points for their position come the last four events of the regular season.  At first I was against this set up, but when Tiger only needed to play in three of the first four of these events, managing to win two of them and the first FedEx Cup, I was a little more open to the idea.  Tiger would sit out the next season due to his knee injury, but has returned this year ready to show the world of golf that he truly is back.  (As if five wins in only thirteen starts is not enough.)

This week is the first tournament of the FedEx Cup and is being held at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey.  The purse is over seven million bucks and the course ranks as one of the longer ones on the PGA at just over 7,400 yards.  The winner alone will get $1.5 million so either way, even if you do not win the FedEx Cup but manage to win an event along the way, you are going to be set financially for a long time to come.

The FedEx Cup leaderboard shows pretty much what you would expect with Tiger’s name at the top.  Tiger played in only thirteen events this year.  He usually averages around fifteen to eighteen, but due to his knee was unable to play in some events and wanted to take some extra time to rest this season in fear of making the injury worse.  Granted, he had a stretch not too long ago where he played four weeks in a row, but still only grabbed thirteen starts.  I am not sure what is more impressive with this though.  Is that fact that he has the lead going into the FedEx Cup the biggest surprise or the fact that he has five wins in only thirteen starts a bigger shock?  By the way, outside of the five wins this season, he has eleven top ten’s.  And he missed a cut this year at the British Open.

So as Tiger makes his way around the course this week beware.  The rest of the guys know he is lurking.  Sure, he got beat by an unknown the last time he teed it up, but for Y.E. Yang and guys like him that was a once in a lifetime opportunity.  Stuff like this does not happen every day and I would venture to say that it will not happen again.

So good luck, Tiger even though I am sure you will do just fine this week.  Y.E. is not playing so you have nothing to worry about.

When I first started at IMAVEX I was excited to get my first project. I was nervous, of course, because this was a new endeavor for me (and it still kind of is) so I was hoping they would start me off slow. But when I was handed a logo design for LPGA tour member Alicia Dibos I was immediately excited.

I began the process and ended up creating more than one logo that I felt was solid enough to be considered. She ended up choosing one that was a later design, but who cares? She liked the logo and that was all that mattered. And shortly after I was handed a second project.

The next project was to create her website as well. This was going to be fun for me for a few reasons. One, it was one of my first site designs. Two, I knew who she was a player and I was excited to effect someone who had I had heard of before. And three it was golf related. And who can argue with a golf related website when you are as big of a player as I am?

But the process was a few weeks of emails and correspondence and what you see here before you is the finished product. Click the LPGA logo to be taken to the site itself. I just wanted to share my first full site launch. Pretty exciting considering I am under immense personal stress trying to learn this CSS and HTML lingo.