Regan: Jimmertime

“Jimmertime!” Is the phrase I yell out every time I shoot from three-point range in pick-up games now. Although the ball has the annoying tendency of not going into the basket all that often, (very unlike The Jimmer) when it does happen to go in I can run back down the court feeling like a champ. Unless you’ve spent the last nine months walking around with a blindfold and earmuffs you know the countless words that begin with “Jimmer” is in reference to former BYU basketball star and current Sacramento King Jimmer Fredette. I, along with thousands of people have become a Jimmercenarie (zealous fan of Jimmer Fredette).

 Obviously a guy with a name that can be transformed into any part of speech, with cheeks that resemble a chipmunks, and who can drain three’s from 35 feet is going to be loved. However, now that he’s left BYU for the NBA, he’s still loved but how he’ll do as a pro is being questioned. Several think that The Jimmer will flop in the NBA and that he’ll spend the majority of his career buried at the end of the bench. Among these, is the well know writer Rick Reilly who wrote an article stating his case after BYU lost to Florida in the NCAA Tournament, basically claiming Jimmer is overrated and won’t be a good NBA player. Here’s some quick advice for all sports fans out there: if Rick Reilly writes or says anything about a sport that isn’t golf he’s wrong about 94.2 percent of the time. As a result, we can all conclude The Jimmer will be a good NBA player simply because Rick Reilly stated the opposite.

Sports Illustrated’s Kelli Anderson stated in an article earlier this year on Jimmer that “Facing the opposition's best defender (or, more often, defenders), he pulls up going right or going left. He shoots off the dribble, off the wrong foot, off balance, off the glass. He finishes in traffic with a dozen deft moves, including a scoop shot, originating from his waist, that he can make with either hand” With his vast array of shots and his ability to make all of them Jimmer is simply not guardable. It’s not like BYU is a hotbed of NBA talent, so Jimmer was forced to deal with double and triple teams sometimes extending full court and he was still able to put up almost 30 points a game with very good percentages from the field and three-point line. Teams tried putting long, athletic forwards on him…didn’t work. Teams then tried putting quick, smaller guards on him…didn’t work. Then teams tried putting both on him at the same time…didn’t work. Jimmer still managed to get off the shot he wanted.

The NBA always has room for shooters and Jimmer is easily the best shooter to enter the league since J.J. Redick. In some of his pre-draft workouts for NBA scouts he would shoot over 80 percent from beyond the three-point line. As he demonstrated in college when he crosses half-court he’s in range to drill it. I remember watching BYU play San Diego State and he pulled up from well over 30 feet and thinking to myself “noooo what are you thinking” and then the ball dropped through the bottom of the net. If I didn’t hate San Diego State I might have felt bad for them, it’s just not fair to have a guy on the other team who can do that.

In his pre-draft workouts he proved his strength, speed, and athleticism beating all other guards in the bench press, and competing with and even beating known speedster Kemba Walker in a few of the speed/agility drills. Jimmer is deceptively athletic and deceptively quick. He doesn’t necessarily look fast or flashy but he is still able to get where he needs to, kind of like a healthy Brandon Roy (Portland guard, former all-star). Furthermore, as coaches such as Jay Wright of Villanova have pointed out, The Jimmer plays with an on-court aggressiveness that many other player can match, he plays with a little bit of cockiness which is what you need when your not as big or athletic as your competitors, I would say he’s similar to Allen Iverson in this respect. You may beat him occasionally, but he’s going to get right back up and try to get you right back.

In addition he’s a very good passer and a crazy good ball handler. He understands the game extremely well and as a result is able to make good reads and decisions. I think he could very easily average near double digits in assists in a couple of years if he stays at the point. As for his defense, which any Johnny Raincloud will bring up in regards to Jimmer, he will be completely fine. As I have already stated he has the athletic ability to do it and as long as he puts in the right effort he’ll be fine. NBA scouts said they were surprised at how well his defense was. Admittedly, he wasn’t the best one on one defender in college but considering the load he shouldered on offense and the amount of minutes he played there’s no way he could have been an elite defender. For the most part he guarded a weak player and played good team defense kind of the way Kobe Bryant did this last season. Plus, the fact of the matter is you don’t necessarily have to play defense in the NBA (or even care about it) and be perfectly fine. Just ask Steve Nash, Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire, among others. If you can pass and especially score the way Jimmer can you can make a very good living in the NBA.

If I had to make a prediction I would say Jimmer will be a future all-star. I think he will eventually average 18-20 points and 7-9 assists a game. Along with those nights where he hits three shots that initially make his coach start to look down the bench for a sub and then when the shot falls in just shakes his head in amused disgust, if that makes sense. Jimmer Fredette will always be a scorer. Ten years from now Jimmermania will still be going on in full force, and people like me will still be shouting out “Jimmer” every time they hoist up a three pointer.

* For the complete Jimmer glossary type in The Jimmer on Google and go The Jimmer Glossary in the Deseret News, written by Dick Harmon. It's where I got my Jimmer words. I hope this is a proper bibiliography.

Devin: Jimmertime

It’s as evident as the sun rising, Brett Favre trying to make another comeback, and me being smarter than Regan. It’ll start in Houston, go west to California, east to New Orleans, and then eventually spread all across the United States and even part of Canada. It’s been all over T.V. so I know you’ve heard of it-I mean you have heard of it right? It’s only a matter of time now. None of us are safe from it; and all we can do now is accept it. So run inside, shut the door behind you, curl up in your favorite blanky, and getcha popcorn ready, cuz everybody is about to get JIMMERED!!!

There is no denying his basketball talent, so don’t even try. You could pull a Rick Reilly, look at one bad shooting night, then try to convince the nation that Jimmer is the next Adam Morrison. It’s obvious that his bias against BYU blinded his judgment on this one, the moron and joke of a sports writer Reilly admitted afterwards that the BYU vs. Florida game was the only Jimmer Fredette game he had ever watched. My apologies, please forgive me for my rant, I just had to get my 2 cents in. I am not here to bash Mr. Reilly, rather to point out the blatantly obvious! Many times while watching Jimmer play I found myself making the O face. His unlimited shooting range, unmatched hesitation move, sick crossovers, touch at the rim, and ice cold veins had me doing happy dances that took me back to Waffle Wednesdays in my middle school cafeteria. If you somehow have not had the pleasure of witnessing his game, check out this video! It’s easy to see that Jimmer has what it takes to play at the next level, I’m a firm believer in stats, and his don’t lie. His senior year he averaged 28.9 ppg, 4.3 ast, nearly 40% from downtown, and 89% from the line. He won nearly every individual award known to man and basically took his entire BYU team to the Sweet 16, doing more with less than arguably any other player in college basketball last year. Actually scratch that, there is no argument there. So after watching that video you’re probably asking yourself, “How in the world can anyone question this kids game?!”

That’s a good question, but the analysts are trying to find a way. He’s too slow to play point and too small to play shooting guard, quicker guards will have a field day with him, all in all he’s just not athletic enough. When hearing all that I just wish I could tell the analysts to say what’s really on their mind; he’s white! But what were they watching during the BYU games? It obviously wasn’t #32. Anybody who watched him can tell you what a fallacy those opinions are! He tested 3rd best in the NBA combines agility tests, beating Isaiah Thomas, Brandon Knight, and yes even Kemba Walker. Get this, his agility times even beat John Wall’s times from last years combine. If that isn’t convincing enough then put the game tapes on. Teams put 6’0 quick guards on him; Jimmer just out muscles them or use their quicks against them! Ok, that didn’t work so put your 6’8 forward on him to try and bother him with size, he’ll just go right around them or even better, shake them and shoot a 30 footer while the defender is trying to regain his balance! Have them both guard him at the same time…Fredette about it! Remember Kawhi Leonard from SDSU, the forward drafted 15th overall based solely on his defense? (His offense is all ‘potential’ right now.) He and his teams ‘fast and quick’ guards got burned for 98 points in three games by Jimmer Fredette! I’ll do the math for you, that’s 32.6 ppg against the type of defenses he should struggle against! Or look at the Sweet 16 game against Florida, when Jimmer’s jump shot wasn’t falling in the first half he was getting to the rim at will while being guarded by the lighting quick Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker. Not only was he getting to the rim easily, he was finishing at the rim against their athletic bigs! But wait, I got one more for you. Does the name Derrick Williams sound familiar, the do-it-all combo player that went 2nd overall in the NBA draft? He also had a chance to try and guard Jimmer. How did that turn out you ask…well 2 blowout losses for Arizona and 82 Jimmer points later, Williams and his Wildcats failed as well. Williams even admitted that the “only way you stopping Jimmer is when the game ends.” I’ll go as far as to say I have never seen a defender even give Jimmer trouble. The point is that Jimmer is unguardable; the only person that can beat Jimmer is Jimmer himself! If he wants to shoot he’ll either shake you like a rag doll, or take a few steps back and drain a 3. The defense just has to live with it. Listen, Jimmer’s got the athletic ability; he routinely abused bigger and faster defenders. So please stop with the nonsense that he is too slow to play in the big leagues! He’s just gonna make you, along with NBA defenders, look silly! If you don’t believe me, ask the NBA players like Derrick Rose, Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Dwayne Wade, and LeBron James who practiced against him two summers ago for the 2010 FIBA World Championships.

I know his defense has been in question and will be until he proves he can play it. But look at that BYU team last season, Jimmer was the offense! I can say with 99% confidence that I think Coach Rose didn’t want him playing hard defense and picking up silly costly fouls! If Jimmer fouls out who is going to carry that team offensively? If you doubled Jackson Emery’s average, the second leading scorer from that team, he would still be almost 4 ppg behind Jimmer! Besides, if you have the athletic ability to average nearly 30 a game you can play a little defense, it just comes with the territory. Jimmer Fredette wasn’t drafted based on potential like so many other 1st round picks nowadays, he was drafted based on his skill, talent, accomplishments, and the fact that he dominated all of college basketball last year. He is athletic, he can shoot lights out, and his basketball I.Q. is like 10x more than Regan’s regular I.Q. He has given none of us a reason to doubt him. Fredette is not only gonna make it in the NBA, he is gonna take the NBA by storm. At some point in his career he will be an All-Star, win a few 3 point contests, average 20 points with 7 assists, prove all his nay sayers wrong, and in the process hopefully put Rick Reilly out of a job! (That last one was for me.) So will Jimmer Fredette make it in the NBA? Let me put it this way; do you like your popcorn plain or buttered?

Regan: National League's Top 5 Players

Here are my top five non-pitchers from the National League. Unfortunately I couldn’t put any Rangers on this list.

1B- Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals- This year he’s hitting .284 with 28 HR’s and 72 RBI’s, for most players this would be a career year, but for Pujols this is an off year. Pujols is easily the best hitter of the last decade. He is currently a .328 hitter for his career and has hit over 30 home runs and driven in over 100 runs every year he has been in the league. In a 2008 poll of 30 major league managers he was voted the most feared hitter in baseball. If that’s not enough he fields his position as well as anybody and has two gold gloves on his resume to prove it. Pujols may be having a bit of a down year but this three time MVP is still one of the best and the last guy I want to see at the plate if I’m a pitcher.

CF- Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers- Arguably the most complete player in the National League. Near the top in every Triple Crown category this year hitting .320 with 26 home runs and 85 RBI’s. In addition, he’s near the top in stolen bases and plays the most difficult outfield position (centerfield) as well as anyone. Seth Meyers, Sportscenter, and others have lit into the Dodgers current financial state with numerous comments and jokes, so I’ll spare you here, but the fact is Kemp has done more then anyone to try and keep the Dodgers a relevant team. He’s fast, strong, and has great instincts in the field and at the plate. He’s just 26 years old so he’s just entering his prime and should be one of the top players for a long time.

SS- Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies- The best shortstop in baseball right now, and that includes a healthy Jose Reyes who can’t stay healthy anyway. Tulowitzki has just as much range, if not more than even a young Derek Jeter. It seems like every time I see baseball highlights on TV, Tulowitzki has at least of them. He makes spectacular plays look routine. In addition to his ability on the field he’s also one of the best hitters in the game, this year he is hitting over .300 with over 80 runs batted in, and last year he ended the year hitting .315 with nearly 100 RBI’s. He’s also just 26 years old, so we will continue to see his spectacular plays for a long time.

OF- Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers- One of the best pure hitters in baseball, .309 lifetime batting average including a stellar .323 this season. The theme today seems to be young stars who can do it all, and Ryan Braun fits that description perfectly, as I already stated he can hit for average, well he also can hit for power as he has averaged 30 home runs per season. He is also a solid outfielder and can steal a base if you need him to. His teammate Prince Fielder is a frontrunner for National League MVP this year, but without Braun getting on base as often as he does (almost 40% of the time) Fielder probably wouldn’t have near the amount of RBI opportunities as he does now. Ryan Braun can do it all and we will be seeing him at the all-star game for years to come.

C- Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves- McCann doesn’t boast stats that jump out at you, in fact just a quick glance at his stats would make you say “Regan why is this guy in your top five you dumb schmuck? He shouldn’t even be in the top ten.” But for McCann you have to look beyond the stats. He plays the hardest position in the game and he plays it better than anyone. Part of being a catcher is calling a good game for the pitcher and kind of controlling the pitching staff. McCann does that as well as anyone and its proven by the fact that Atlanta always has great pitching. Yes, they have excellent pitching but part of that can be attributed to McCann as well. Also, across the board today most catchers aren’t very good hitters, but McCann currently is hitting .306 and has hit over .290 for his career. McCann has been an all-star the last six seasons, and is the best catcher in the game today and he belongs on this list.

Honorable Mention:

Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds- Great combination of hitting for average and power. Reigning National League MVP. (I hate the Reds, for anyone who cares, don’t really have a valid reason just do)

Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers- MVP candidate this year, has driven in over 140 runs in a year, one of the best power hitters in the game.

Devin: National League's Top 5 Players

These are my Top 5 NL players this year in no particular order. I think the NL has a stronger class of players so this one was a little more difficult to narrow down.

Brian McCann - Braves--McCann is arguably the best catcher in all of baseball right now. With 18 HR and 55 RBI he could very have the best season of his career. He is on pace to best most of his stats from previous years. Has won the Silver Slugger Award 4 of the last 5 years and there is no reason to believe he won’t win it again this year.

Matt Kemp- Dodgers--Having the best year of his career so far with 26 HR and 84 RBI while batting .317 and stealing 29 bases, he is one of the league leader in all of those catergories. Can beat you anywhere on the diamond with his speed and power. Already a 25/25 player this year, could even make it to the 40/40 club if he keeps it up and stays healthy.

Ryan Braun - Brewers--The player who is the reason Fielder isn’t in my top 5. Braun is batting .326 this year with 21 HR and 74 RBI while also has stealing 20 bases. Was NL player of the month in April and broke the record for All-Star votes in the NL this year. Had a 23 game hitting streak earlier this year. Also one of the top left fielders in the game today. Led NL left fielders last year with 279 putouts.

Albert Pujols- Cardinals--The Machine’s batting average is down a bit this year, but c’mon it Pujols. He still has 27 HR and can turn it on at any time. Until he has just a terrible year he will be considered one of the best in all of baseball. Had 2 straight games with walk-off home runs in June, so he is still very much clutch. With Pujols in the lineup the Cardinals average 4.8 runs per game, without him they only average 3.9.

Ryan Howard - Phillies--Howard is one of the games best power hitters. With 24 HR and 89 RBI’s to this point in the season he is on pace to possibly reach another 40 HR season. His average is down a bit this year, but playing with the Phillies its not a huge deal. Became the fastest player to reach 250 HR in MLB history last season.

Honorable Mention

Joey Votto - Reds--Stats are down a bit from his MVP year last season, most likely wont reach last years numbers of 37 HR and 113 RBI but is still having a strong season so far with 17 HR and 70 RBI and a batting average of .322. Does have the best On Base Percentage of his career though.

Prince Fielder- Brewers--Another one of the great power hitters, has already accumulated 26 HR and 85 RBI while batting .304. Was the All-Star MVP this year. Might not even be the best player on his team though.

Andrew McCutchen - Pirates--Has been a huge part of the Pirates success this year. Made it to his first all star game in 2011 and has 15 HR and 64 RBI (already career highs) so far this year. Has also stolen 17 bases, so has an outside chance to have a 30/30 year for the Pirates.

Regan: American League's Top 5 Players

In no particular order, these are the five guys I picked as the best of the best for all non-pitchers in the American League. If you agree or disagree state your case.

2B- Robinson Cano, New York Yankees- First off let me say I hate the Yankees, passionately hate them, so I feel a little guilty putting a Yankee on this list but the fact is Cano is too good to be left off. Last fall the Yankees played my beloved Texas Rangers for the American League championship, and as a Rangers fan only one of the Yankee very well-paid superstars scared me every time he walked to the plate. As you may have guessed that player was Cano, not A-Rod, not Jeter, and not even Teixeira. Even when he hits a routine fly ball or fouls off a pitch it looks like he crushes it, he just nails the ball when he makes contact. For his career Cano has hit .307, and this year is hitting a solid .295 with 18 home runs and 75 runs batted in. In addition, he fields his position extremely well as proved by the gold glove he won last year. The best overall 2^nd baseman in the game and best Yankee player.

·      Feel free to leave comments on punishments I could do to myself for putting a Yankee on this list.

1B- Adrian Gonzales, Boston Red Sox- Having the best season in major league baseball for a position player hitting .350 with 18 homers and a staggering 92 RBI’s in his first year with decent players around him in the line-up. Has two gold glove to pad his resume and plays superb defense year after year. Before this year he played in San Diego which is known for being a tough place for hitter but he was still able to post stellar stats including hitting .298 with 31 homers and 101 RBI’s in 2010. Always underrated in San Diego he’s finally getting the recognition he deserves in Boston and is an MVP candidate this year.

OF- Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays- His rise is well-documented, he came out of nowhere last year and hit 54 home runs and 124 RBI’s. He’s continued his dominace this year with a line that reads .315, 33 HR’s, 76 RBI’s. That’s 87 home runs in a little over a season in the last season and a half, the next closest to that number over the same span is Albert Pujols who has 69, which isn’t even close. What makes Bautista’s success even more incredible is that he’s in a Toronto line-up that doesn’t exactly scare you as an opposing pitcher, so they can key in on him, and he’s still putting up monster stats. In addition, Bautista brings defensive flexibility, as he has played right field and 3^rd base this year and has played other postitions in the past as well.

OF- Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers- My favorite player on my favorite team may be the most complete player in baseball. Plays gold glove caliber defense, possesses a rocket arm, hits for power and for average, and he’s freakishly fast for a man who is 6-4, 240lbs. The distance he can hit a ball is absurd, he demonstrated his unmatched strength and power in the 2008 home run derby. As you most likely know drug and alcohol problems derailed his career earlier in the decade, otherwise he may have become the best baseball player ever. Last year he hit an incredible .359 with 32 HR’s and 100 RBI’s in his injury shortended MVP season. But his most incredible play was perhaps when he scored from 2^nd base on an infield hit against Boston. Hamilton is one of the most feared hitters by opposing pitchers and perhaps the most complete player in baseball.

·      Hamilton and Ken Griffey Jr. lead the list in the what if category, could be the two best in history if not for health/personal problems.

DH/3B/2B-Michael Young, Texas Rangers- Am I biased? Certainly. Are there probably players more deserving of this spot? Maybe so, but Michael Young has quietly been one of the best hitters in baseball for the last decade. He was able to accumulate 200 hits for five straight seasons earlier in his career. His average for his career is over .300 including .334 so far this season. If there is runners on base, no one is more reliable then Young who is consistently among the lead leaders in average with runners in scoring position. He’s is one of the most clutch hitters in baseball and has several walk-off/game tying hits to his resume. On Sunday he became the first Texas player ever to reach 2000 career hits. Also, he’s a great teammate who has willingly switched positions three times for the betterment of the team, he even won a gold glove in 2008. Michael Young will be a great hitter I’ll gladly take in any clutch situation until the day he retires.

Honorable Mention:

·      David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox- beloved in Boston because of his seemingly endless supply of clutch hits.

·      Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers- one of the best pure hitters in the game, great clutch hitter as well

·      Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox- one of the most underrated players in baseball, quietly one of the best run producers in baseball

Agree? Disagree? Feel free to leave your opinion.

Devin:American League's Top 5 Players

These are in my opinion the top 5 non-pitchers in the MLB American League. They are in no particular order, but if you disagree let me know why!

OF - Jose Bautista-Blue Jays--This one is pretty undeniable. I don’t know of anyone who would leave him off of this list. After exploding onto the scene last year with an incredible 54 HR, 124 RBI, (pretty amazing at only 6’0 195 lbs) and his first All-Star game appearance his game demanded respect. This year he is again on pace to reach those number with 33 HR and 73 RBI at this point. He also set the record for most All-Star votes with 7,454,753; beating the old record by over 1 million votes! His defense is strong as well, playing 70 games at RF and 25 at 3B with a fielding % of .978! Not too many weakness’s in his game.

OF - Josh Hamilton-Rangers--Hamilton is just as strong defensivly as he is offensivly, easily a top 5 defender in the outfield. He has had a few injuries this year and has only played in 74 games so far, which is why his stats aren’t on par with last year. He is still batting .308% with 59 RBI and 13 HR, better than a lot of healthy players who have played all season. When healthy Hamilton is a threat in every aspect, and an obvious MVP candidate.

3B - Evan Longoria-Devil Rays--Arguably the best defensive third baseman in the MLB right now. He won the Fielding Bible Award in 2010 as the top 3rd baseman defensively. Didn’t make the All-Star game this year due to America still being on A-Rods baseballs! He has been the cornerstone of the Rays franchise for the past 4 years. His offensive stats wont ‘wow’ you, but they are very solid. He’ll get his team a good 25 HR and 100 RBI a year. And at only 25 he will only get better!

1B - Mark Teixeira-Yankees--Defense seems to be the agenda for today! Teixeira has plenty of that to go along with his huge offensive outputs this season. He has accounted for only 2 errors this season with a .998 fielding percentage. He is also a very good switch hitter (He broke the switch hitting HR record this year with 12) which makes him hard to pitch to. His batting average is down, but I believe he will bring that up to round out the year. Even still he is on pace for 50HR and 140 RBI which would be his best season to date.

1B - Adrian Gonzalez-Red Sox--Gonzalez has meant more to his team than just about anyone else in the MLB, excluding Bautista. He has carried the Red Sox at times with his offense, batting .356 (top in the AL) with 18 HR and 92 RBI. In the month of June he was named the AL Player of the Month, hitting an incredible average of .401!

Honorable Mention:

OF - Curtis Granderson-Yankees-Having a huge season with 28 HR and 85 RBI! Probably should have made the list, but I’ll be honest…I HATE the Yankees!!

1B - Miguel Cabrera-Tigers--All-Star season for Cabrera, hitting 22 HR and 69 RBI so far. He is in the top 10 of every triple crown catergory.

Feel free to comment and tell me if you agree or disagree. Who did I miss and who shouldn’t be on here.

Regan: Has Tiger Let Out His Last Roar?

Domination- v. 1. To rule over; govern; control

2. To tower above; overlook; overshadow.

Tiger Woods dominated the sport of golf for over a decade. While Mark McGwire hit 70 home runs, Tiger was dominating golf. When George Bush was elected president, Tiger was dominating golf. When President Bush was reelected president, Tiger was dominating golf. When President Obama was elected president, Tiger Woods was dominating golf.

Tiger has spent 623 weeks ranked the number one golfer in the world, for you math wizards out there that’s nearly 12 years. The next closest to that number is Greg Norman who held the number one ranking for a total of 331 weeks. In addition, Tiger has 14 major titles, 3 grand slams, and 71 career wins.  The great Jack Nicklaus along with Tiger are generally considered the top two golfers of all-time. Nicklaus won 18 majors, 3 grand slams, and 73 career wins on the PGA. However, Tiger’s achievements span 14 years whereas Jack’s span 25 years. So although great, it can’t be said that Nicklaus ever dominated the golfing world the way Tiger has. Heck, no one has ever dominated anything the way Tiger has dominated golf. So can Tiger catch Jack and surpass him for the most major wins of all-time? Of course he can and he will. Do I realize the health issues and the personal turmoil he has dealt with? Of course I do, (they have certainly been well documented, every single time Tiger tweets, we all have the pleasure of hearing it.) Despite this, Tiger will win again. There are several athletes who can be said to be dominators of their sport, and still experience troubles or slumps of some kind. For instance, Michael Jordan, took a sabbatical from basketball when his father passed away. When he resumed his basketball career he was as good as ever, as dominating as ever, winning three more championships, and two more MVP’s. Tiger is fully capable of having a similar resurgence.

Tiger is 35 years old, and despite his knee problems is in remarkable physical condition, Nicklaus won his last major well into his 40’s. If Tiger plays twelve more years he will have nearly fifty opportunities to win five majors. Tiger has proven he can easily accomplish that. Since November 2009 when the car accident and fall out from that occurred, the golfing world has not found a new candidate to replace Tiger as the king and dominator. Not one person has claimed multiple major titles, and the ranking of number one has already changed a couple times. So the door is open for Tiger to go in and dominate the way he used to and he will. Tiger has always been like a rock in his mental toughness and a relentless competitor, especially on the golf course. Players ahead of Tiger going into Sunday had to look back and know Tiger was going to make a run at them. He lost some of that the last two years but he’s looking to regain it and he will.

Domination-v. To rule over; govern; control

2. To tower above; overlook; overshadow.

Tiger has dominated the golfing world for years; it’s all he knows how to do. He’s had his sabbatical from the top, but he’s now poised to come back and take it. In the year 2036 Tiger Woods will have more major titles than anyone else in the history of golf.

Regan

*Definitions courtesy of dictionary.com

Devin: Has Tiger let out his last roar?

Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water, but this time Jill fell down and Jack didn’t come tumbling after. Jack stayed on the hill and won 18 Majors. The question is will Tiger ever join him on top of that hill? Admittedly I am no golf guru. I follow the sport lightly but I do try to play a few times a week, and from my experiences trying to play I can tell you that golf is 99% mental! If your head isn’t in it you might as well not even swing the club. We all know what happened with Tiger late in 2009; it seemed to be more documented than any presidential race. So Tiger takes a few months to assess the damage, and then gets on his merry way back to golf. Hold on; just a few months?? After his entire personal life fell apart!?! I’ve heard how mentally tough Tiger Woods is, but we’re talking about his wife and kids, and all his nasty personal secrets spread for the world to see! Imagine that happening to you. Now imagine with that in the back of your mind trying to do ANYTHING with any amount of focus. Sounds tough huh? Ok so in a cruel twist maybe he never cared about his family and it’s all been about the fame, money, and wins. Well guess what, even though he’s probably a little more famous now than he was before, the wins and money aren’t falling into his lap like they used to. Since the whole debacle there have been lawsuits claiming millions; and after Tiger decided to drop his pants sponsors like Gillette, Accenture, TAG Heuer, Gatorade, and AT&T decided to drop him. But here’s the big one; since late 2009 no wins in a PGA event. In the 2007-09 seasons Woods played in 39 events, with an incredible 32 top 10 finishes! In 2010 and 2011 he has played in 18 events, with only four top 10 finishes. After doing the math, that comes out to……bad! Tiger Woods is 4 majors behind Jack Nicklaus, obviously not a huge number. Nicklaus won his 18^th major at the age of 46, 11 years older than Tiger currently is. But that was a healthy 46, Tiger is a bruised and battered 35. He missed a good part of the 2008 season and has also missed a decent amount of playing time this year with a variety of injuries. The injuries have taken their toll on his play; this year he is ranked 99^th on the PGA tour in drive distance average, his average rank before now was 16^th. Tiger is struggling, and it’s obvious to the world. He has gone through winless stints in his career before, even coming back from a huge obstacle when his father Earl died. But even then it only took him 2 months to win another major, the 2006 Open Championship. I know he’s great, and if anyone could break Jack’s record it would be him; but Tiger you gotta get your shiz together! Don’t get me wrong, I love a good comeback story, and I honestly hope I’m wrong on this! (In fact with my luck, after writing this he’ll probably win the Bridgestone Invitational this weekend.) I want to see Tiger overcome his own demons and stand on top of the golf world again. But I just don’t see it happening. Tiger’s mental edge is gone. Maybe it tumbled down the hill along with Jill, which leaves Jack and his 18 Majors alone at the top.