Bob Lobel: The Allure of The Masters

By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

My friend Diego Messina, long-time golf partner and world famous hairdresser (that’s correct), had one of the best lines to describe the popularity of golf 20 some years  ago.

Describing the allure of this game he simply said, “golf was the drug of choice in the 90s.” Right on, Diego, now give me a boys regular.

It has waned somewhat for factors surrounding money (doesn’t it always ). Watching the Masters kinda brings it all back. I had one chance to plat at Augusta. Harry Sinden, one of my all time favorites, said he would take me. I said ok, let's do it. 

Then, at some point, I must have said something nasty about the Bruins, and he never brought it up again. The perils of wearing a microphone! 

It's sacrifice after sacrifice. What I'm going to tell you now is a true story. I don’t tell it often, but this seems like a good time to unload it. 

Bob Lobel: Golf's Wasted Potential and Snowy Opening Days

By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

I still don’t get it, and I never will. Furthermore, I could care less.

I'm betting most of you reading this are in total agreement with me. How could you not be? We are talking about the… shhh! The FedEx Cup. 

This has to be the worst use of competitive money in the history of sport, unless you count the US men's soccer team. 

There are some out there who think one of the greatest marketing logos is FedEx. The subtlety of the logo is found in the arrow, in plain sight if you know where it is, hard to find if you don’t. It's about the coolest thing if you find someone who doesn’t know where it is in the logo, but it's even more rare to find someone who can explain the workings of the FedEx Cup, and why we should care. 

Sure, it's about money. So is USA soccer, which is about the dumbest of all professional inequities. They are just plain ignorant to what the women mean to the casual USA soccer fan.

Everything, actually! 

Bob Lobel: The US Open and Brady's Appeal

By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

Let's start off with a quick quiz: The phrase pandemonium is-

A. A new cleaning agent that attacks poison gas.
B. A new type of high speed train that runs on a unique fuel made from the dung of a species found only in China or,
C. The name given to really curious people, who do really curious things in really curious places, and lack judgement in the work place. 

Ok, Sandoval, the error machine at third base for the local 9, who seems to unwind in unique ways at unique times. #Panda!

Bob Lobel: Is this Finally Rock Bottom for Tiger Woods?

By Bob Lobel (@boblobel)

If there were a way to verbalize the feelings I have watching Tiger Woods hit bottom, then I surely would do it here. I can't. 

I know how difficult this game is. Seeing Tiger play alone at the latest pro tour event, a symbol of professional incompetence, was stunning to say the least. Yeah, they all say you have to get to the bottom before you can begin to rise again. Maybe, maybe not. 

A Star Fades: The End of the Tiger Woods Era

By Heidi Leach (@heidileach)

I love golf. As I’ve grown up and learned more about the game, I’ve developed a real appreciation for it. I love spending Sundays watching the last day of the tournament, sipping coffee in the morning and Summer Shandy in the afternoon.  It’s a wonderful way to spend the day, but this past weekend I turned on the WGC-Bridgestone and watched Tiger Woods hit the absolute worst shot I have ever seen him take while wincing in pain.

I cannot lie, my heart fell into my stomach. I honestly feel as if I just watched the end of an era.

Masters, Mad Men, and Passive Entertainment

What these men do might have more in common than you'd think.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

The 78th Masters Golf Tournament ended on the same night that the 7th and final season of Mad Men premiered. Is this a coincidence? Yes, it is, actually. The Masters always ends on a Sunday (just like every other major golf tournament), and Mad Men has aired on Sunday nights ever since its second season in 2008.

The Finale of Breaking Bad, AMC’s other tent-pole program over the last half-decade, ended on a Sunday night last September, preceded by several hours of football. This is also merely a coincidence. Football is played on Sundays, and Breaking Bad aired on Sunday nights throughout its entire broadcast run.

But these coincidences provoke thought. No, there’s no subliminal message behind Mad Men airing on the same night as a golf tournament and Breaking bad airing on the same night as football, but there are connections to be drawn. Breaking Bad airing after 10 hours of fast-paced blood sports, with Mad Men airing after slow-paced peaceful recreation is too interesting to ignore.

How to Become a Sports Hipster

Yep guys, we are way cooler than NBA players.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

The NBA Playoffs are entering what seems like their eighth month and baseball is sort of getting interesting, but those two leagues are so mainstream.

So, if you want to breakaway from what "the man" tells you to watch, here is a hipster's guide to pro sports.

Because watching LeBron throw down dunks is so passe.

Rugby

Do you like football, but hate organization and padding? Rugby may just be your sport!