Upon Further Review: Last weekend a great one for sports fans
As weekends go, some are better than others.
And for the sports-minded person, this past weekend wasn’t too bad — depending on what side of the fence you’re standing on.
If all you guys pulled all the right strings on Valentine’s Day, which I did for once in my life, then Sunday had to be a very enjoyable day in front of the old sports tube: There was nobody to bother you while you watched a little NASCAR, golf or basketball.
Maybe even your sweetheart curled up beside you and enjoyed a little sports with you. OK, maybe that’s going just a little too far for some of us, but it would have been the ending to a perfect day.
My day started with a little NASCAR from Daytona. The 500 was filled with everything a racing fan could want, and depending on who you were cheering for, seeing Dale Earnhardt Jr. win the Daytona 500 was a very emotional moment for me.
In 2001 Dale Jr. won the Pepsi 400, just five months after his father’s death on the same track. But now, three years later, Dale Jr. has made his father very happy and his family’s name live forever in NASCAR history even if he never wins another race.
Now for the NBA All-star game, or “weekend,” whichever you want to call it. It wasn’t too bad, considering I’m not big on professional basketball.
The West defeated the East 136-132 in what looked like to me to be more of a walk, foul and slam-dunk street game, but it was still exciting to watch. Shaquille O’Neal won the MVP trophy, and why not? A man that big should dominate every time.
Now the slam-dunk and 3-point shoot-out on Saturday night appeared to be fan favorites, with Fred Jones winning the slam-dunk contest and Voshon Lenard winning the 3-point shoot-out. But I didn’t see it because I was out doing the right thing on Valentine’s Day, taking my wife out to eat at a nice restaurant. So if you actually watched it, shame on you.
For me the best thing that happened Sunday was watching John Daly win the 2004 Buick Invitational in a three-man playoff. If you’re a golf fan, seeing Daly win was truly emotional since his career has been somewhat of a roller coaster since he won the PGA Championship at the age of 25 back in 1991. Daly’s win on Sunday marked his first win on the PGA tour in nine years, dating back to when he won the British Open.
Daly, a man who has seen more than his share of trouble, has never tried to hide his problems. He has been charged with third-degree assault in 1992 against his former wife, and also that same year was forced off a plane in Denver after a confrontation with a stewardess while he was drunk. That later led to a stint in a rehab center for alcohol abuse.
Yes, over the years Daly has continued to struggle with alcohol. But even with all his troubles he has remained a fan favorite. Hopefully he has reached a point in his life in which he can continue to fight off this terrible disease and keep playing golf the way he was meant to play.
Alex Rodriguez a Yankee? I knew it was going to happen someday, George Steinbrenner was going to corner the market. Steinbrenner is loading his team with every superstar in baseball, but it still doesn’t guarantee a World Series ring. This time there might be too much pressure on a team with so much talent.
Hey, George, I know of two super sports writers you could pick up to make your organization complete.