We have all heard the story of David versus Goliath. It’s the historical lesson of how a young, courageous soldier defeats a mighty warrior in battle. We know it as the classic tale of the underdog beating the favorite. It teaches us the lesson of how brains can beat brawn and how courage and heart can trump size and strength. And the story empowers us to believe that we are capable of doing the unthinkable…that no single obstacle in life is too large to conquer if we set our minds to it.
But have you heard the story of The Old Guy versus The Tiger? Don’t worry if you haven’t…it’s not as well known just yet since it only happened last weekend. This story isn’t rooted in the Bible, it is tied to golf. The battlefield was one of Southern California’s most scenic and breathtaking coastal vistas. In this case, David was played by 45 year-old, Rocco Mediate, and Goliath was played by the world’s best golfer, Tiger Woods.
No one told Rocco Mediate that he wasn’t supposed to be there just like no one told David not to take on Goliath. He wasn’t supposed to be the guy who played spoiler. You see, Mediate was ranked outside golf’s top 150 and had never won a major tournament. In fact, no one his age in history had ever won one of golf’s majors. Mediate barely qualified to play just a week beforehand and admitted he would have been happy just to be in the mix. Talk about being a self-proclaimed David.
Woods had history on his side. He had already won one tournament on the very same course this year. He entered as the favorite to win his third U.S. Open title and 14th major championship. The greatest golfer in the world hoped to become only the 6th player to win the US Open three or more times and the odds were in his favor.
But things weren’t right for Goliath. Coming off his third knee surgery, Woods hadn’t played 18 holes of golf in weeks. If his knee wasn’t right, maybe the others had a chance. Perhaps their best chance in years. At his physical best, many believed Woods would only be able to give everyone else a run for their money.
For a long weekend plus one extra playoff day, the Old Man and the Tiger waged an epic battle. As the tournament came to a close, the two rose to the top of the scoreboard. Both players showed signs of fatigue and strain. Then Mediate nearly pulled off the impossible. The Old Man almost beat The Tiger twice. And in the process, he redefined what it means for David to battle Goliath.
Some say Mediate lost the tournament. Others believe Woods won it. Had Woods not made 2 Eagles, a slew of birdies and two incredible “do or die” putts on the 18th, he would have barely made the top twenty. If Mediate did not roll in three consecutive birdies during their mano-a-mano Monday playoff, the extra day at Torrey Pines might have been nothing more than a Southern California sunny knee rehab exercise for Woods and 35,000 of his closest friends. You decide on your own.
For those of us who tuned in to watch, we know the lessons of this story aren't in the final outcome but in the story itself. The moral of The Old Man and The Tiger is not about raising a severed head in triumph or pumping a fist in jubilation. In this story, there were two winners.
As Woods and Mediate walked off the green following the conclusion of the tournament after the first sudden death playoff hole, they were exhausted. And the gallery was almost too tired to applaud. Was the battle really over? Who was the winner?
Tiger Woods called his one stroke victory over Rocco Mediate in the 2008 US Open his greatest tournament victory ever. Mediate said he had never had more fun playing golf in his life. Mediate, with his bad back, and Woods, with his hobbled knee, proved that while they were the greatest golfers at Torrey Pines last weekend, they were human, too. There is hope for us after all.
It is an adage in sports that no one ever remembers the guy who finished second. Maybe this adage will again hold true and, years down the road, we will forget what happened this past weekend on a golf course that doubled as a battlefield. For now, I’ll remember it as a modern day David versus Goliath where both warriors were triumphant.
From now on, I think I’ll be proud of my five o’clock shadow like Rocco Mediate. I think I’ll wear red on the golf course on Sundays like Tiger Woods. And maybe, every now and then, I’ll think I’ll do both on a Monday, too.
Peace.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Time to make the doughnuts...
Welcome to summer 2008 in the South...it's 97 degrees outside and humit as Hades. I think found some motivation to get me up and training in the morning! Gotta beat the heat. Enjoy.
Only those who go too far can possibly find out how far they can go. -T.S. Eliot
Only those who go too far can possibly find out how far they can go. -T.S. Eliot
Monday, June 2, 2008
Stimulation!
Today I got stimulated. I knew it was coming. It didn’t feel like I thought it would though.
You see, on Saturday, May 31st, I received a letter from Uncle Sam informing me that I should have received my stimulation (in the form of a US Treasury “2008 Economic Stimulation” check) the day BEFORE the letter arrived – at the LATEST!!!
Let’s see…the letter came before the check although, according to this important IRS looking letter, the check was supposed to arrive (days or weeks) beforehand and the letter was then supposed to arrive to make sure I got it (and make sure I hadn’t thrown it away). Too funny.
Hhhmmm, nope, I thought, this definitely couldn’t be a hoax; even spammers and identity thieves don’t goof like that. That’s just too easy. Yes, this had to be the real deal! Our government was hard at work and just didn’t get it right…again. They dangled the carrot then took it away. Or maybe they just tripped and dropped it.
I’m not too surprised though. I wonder how much they “made” by goofing. Let’s see. Suppose even 1 million Americans got their letter first and wondered why their “Economic Stimulus” check hadn’t arrived as scheduled. They called the IRS to ask. Phone bill, minutes used, time on hold, tax on the call, work time lost, etc. The phone companies (read: big business) and our government wins. The consumer loses. OK, so a portion of my check would have gone right back to big business (had I called) and, through our tax system, the money would go right back to Uncle Sam. Now suppose this happens monthly. At least twelve times as many Americans pick up the phone. My economics is rusty...vicious cycle...brutal...whatever.
Speaking of big business and the “2008 Economic Stimulus” check, let’s take a look at another scenario I considered as I tore open the envelope. This one comes courtesy of our Veep, Dick Cheney, and Prez, W. Remember them?
Let’s set the scene. How are gas prices these days? Oh yeah, they are at an all time high. Keep that in mind and follow me here…
VP - “Hey W, I got an idea. Let’s try to salvage our approval rating and make friendly with our overseas oil buddies at the same time by giving everyone in America some *cough* free money. We can even tell them they can spend it any way they want!”
Prez – “Free money? Are we allowed to do that? How come no Prez has ever done that before me? Isn’t that what the whole tax and tax refund thing is supposed to do? I’ll just ask Congress to…oopps, can’t do that any more. Go ahead, Dick.”
VP – “OK, I’ll make this simple for you to follow. You know all those gas and oil companies we own and that we will be returning to in a few months? And all of our oil buddies overseas? Well, if we raise the crap out of gas prices and then give Americans free money to spend how ever they want, they will HAVE to use it on gas. Americans are in debt, they aren’t smart enough to carpool, they are too lazy to ride their bikes or walk and too smarmy to use public transportation. They love big, fat American gas guzzling SUVs and that means more money for us. Get it?”
Prez – “Good idea, buddy, I knew you hired me for a reason. We are about to move out of this ugly white house (you know, I always hated that round-ish office that was supposed to be mine…I just couldn’t figure out where to sit without getting dizzy so I never used it), I don’t think I’ll be getting top dollar on the speaker’s circuit like the idiot from Arkansas and it will be a few years before the Twins run for office…”
OK, get my point?
Maybe I’m being a bit harsh. (I’ll admit that I have been known to notice glasses that are half empty sometimes.) Maybe Americans will receive their checks and spend the money on goods and services that will help OUR economy or improve their lives and the well-being of those less fortunate. Perhaps they will invest the money properly and save for a better future. Maybe a larger portion than ever before will donate to a charity. Maybe people will buy mosquito nets to help cure disease. All the possibilities….wow!
Who knows, I’m tired and need to get some sleep. Maybe I’ll write more later.
By the way, I thought I’d let you know my little check came on the heels of having to write a big check to the plumber to fix a leak in my house. It came on the heels of my having to write an even bigger one to a boat electrician to fix wiring damage caused by a freakin’ muskrat who decided to feast on marine electronics. And it came on the heels of my receiving a note from the credit card company saying that they were sorry for having credited my account too much last month and they were going to have to bill me more this month. How’s that for home ownership, conspicuous consumption and credit buying? It’s madness, I say. It’s 100% American.
Anyway, I think I’ll just deposit my check in the bank (where it will earn a meager portion of one percent interest) until I figure out how best to spend it.
I’ll need to stop for gas first…
Bye.
You see, on Saturday, May 31st, I received a letter from Uncle Sam informing me that I should have received my stimulation (in the form of a US Treasury “2008 Economic Stimulation” check) the day BEFORE the letter arrived – at the LATEST!!!
Let’s see…the letter came before the check although, according to this important IRS looking letter, the check was supposed to arrive (days or weeks) beforehand and the letter was then supposed to arrive to make sure I got it (and make sure I hadn’t thrown it away). Too funny.
Hhhmmm, nope, I thought, this definitely couldn’t be a hoax; even spammers and identity thieves don’t goof like that. That’s just too easy. Yes, this had to be the real deal! Our government was hard at work and just didn’t get it right…again. They dangled the carrot then took it away. Or maybe they just tripped and dropped it.
I’m not too surprised though. I wonder how much they “made” by goofing. Let’s see. Suppose even 1 million Americans got their letter first and wondered why their “Economic Stimulus” check hadn’t arrived as scheduled. They called the IRS to ask. Phone bill, minutes used, time on hold, tax on the call, work time lost, etc. The phone companies (read: big business) and our government wins. The consumer loses. OK, so a portion of my check would have gone right back to big business (had I called) and, through our tax system, the money would go right back to Uncle Sam. Now suppose this happens monthly. At least twelve times as many Americans pick up the phone. My economics is rusty...vicious cycle...brutal...whatever.
Speaking of big business and the “2008 Economic Stimulus” check, let’s take a look at another scenario I considered as I tore open the envelope. This one comes courtesy of our Veep, Dick Cheney, and Prez, W. Remember them?
Let’s set the scene. How are gas prices these days? Oh yeah, they are at an all time high. Keep that in mind and follow me here…
VP - “Hey W, I got an idea. Let’s try to salvage our approval rating and make friendly with our overseas oil buddies at the same time by giving everyone in America some *cough* free money. We can even tell them they can spend it any way they want!”
Prez – “Free money? Are we allowed to do that? How come no Prez has ever done that before me? Isn’t that what the whole tax and tax refund thing is supposed to do? I’ll just ask Congress to…oopps, can’t do that any more. Go ahead, Dick.”
VP – “OK, I’ll make this simple for you to follow. You know all those gas and oil companies we own and that we will be returning to in a few months? And all of our oil buddies overseas? Well, if we raise the crap out of gas prices and then give Americans free money to spend how ever they want, they will HAVE to use it on gas. Americans are in debt, they aren’t smart enough to carpool, they are too lazy to ride their bikes or walk and too smarmy to use public transportation. They love big, fat American gas guzzling SUVs and that means more money for us. Get it?”
Prez – “Good idea, buddy, I knew you hired me for a reason. We are about to move out of this ugly white house (you know, I always hated that round-ish office that was supposed to be mine…I just couldn’t figure out where to sit without getting dizzy so I never used it), I don’t think I’ll be getting top dollar on the speaker’s circuit like the idiot from Arkansas and it will be a few years before the Twins run for office…”
OK, get my point?
Maybe I’m being a bit harsh. (I’ll admit that I have been known to notice glasses that are half empty sometimes.) Maybe Americans will receive their checks and spend the money on goods and services that will help OUR economy or improve their lives and the well-being of those less fortunate. Perhaps they will invest the money properly and save for a better future. Maybe a larger portion than ever before will donate to a charity. Maybe people will buy mosquito nets to help cure disease. All the possibilities….wow!
Who knows, I’m tired and need to get some sleep. Maybe I’ll write more later.
By the way, I thought I’d let you know my little check came on the heels of having to write a big check to the plumber to fix a leak in my house. It came on the heels of my having to write an even bigger one to a boat electrician to fix wiring damage caused by a freakin’ muskrat who decided to feast on marine electronics. And it came on the heels of my receiving a note from the credit card company saying that they were sorry for having credited my account too much last month and they were going to have to bill me more this month. How’s that for home ownership, conspicuous consumption and credit buying? It’s madness, I say. It’s 100% American.
Anyway, I think I’ll just deposit my check in the bank (where it will earn a meager portion of one percent interest) until I figure out how best to spend it.
I’ll need to stop for gas first…
Bye.
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