drtennis’s whereIstand Blog

Once in a long while, a high school player of extraordinary skill emerges. When we look closely at her amazing ability, at a young age, it is easy to extrapolate this into turning pro, easily and successfully.

The fallacy of this assumption is least threefold. First, the LPGA tour puts tremendous time pressures on the players. A girl in high school needs to focus on her education. While it is possible to do both, it is unlikely to be able to do both well. A girl golfer in high school has plenty of opportunities to compete at her own level. The LPGA can wait until after graduation.

Second, the teen years are very important for social maturation. If a high schooler joins the LPGA, there is just not going to be the time to enjoy life as a growing girl. In other words, the price is giving up a precious part of her life, which can never be regained. No time to be silly and hang out with other teenagers, and get to know boys.

Finally, a teenage body is still growing. Is it ready for the grind of professional tournaments? Or will it develop chronic injuries that could have been avoided? Also, there will be disappointments from bitter defeats by trying to compete with more experienced women. How will this affect mental attitude over the long run? Take a look at Michelle Wie. Would it have been more beneficial to her to have postponed turnimg pro?

I am all in favor of minimum age requirements.

                                           Dick Brooks 

Animal rights activists would probably say it is inhumane. Their reasons might include, forcing the animal to do unnatural things, subjecting it to hazardous race tracks where a fall can be life threatening, and hitting the animal with a whip to try to get greater speed.

Rebutting these arguments, first, racing is not unnatural to a horse. They love to run, and it is good exercize. The only difference is that in horse racing, they run under control. They seem to have a sense of competition, at least to the extent that the equine brain can fathom it. There also seems to be an affinity between the horse and his trainer and his jockey. Horse people would call it mutual affection.

Second, it is true that horses can stumble at high speeds. But horses that do not race, are also subject to injuries of various kinds. Every effort is made to make the track as safe as possible. Consider that owners have major investments in their animals, so there is every incentive to keep them as healthy as possible.

Finally, the use of a whip, going down the home stretch, is not really cruel or painful. It is communication between jockey and thorougbred. The horse gets the message.

Actually, the horse gets the utmost in humane treatment, from morning to night. Cynics might say that this nothing more than caring for a revenue producing machine. This is part of it, but not all. Anyone who spends time around the paddock understands this human/animal relationship.

A great example was Barbero. After his leg fracture, it was obvious his racimg career was over. Yet, his owners spent many months and thousands and thousands of dollars, in an attempt to save his life. Just ask them the question at issue!!

                                                 Dick Brooks

My answer is almost in retrospect, since the Beckham gambit has proven to be a failure. The question could well be, why wasn’t it successful?

First, David Beckham was a real super star in the sport, and a fine ambassador in addition. Problem is, Becks is now 31 years of age, with gimpy knees, and well past his prime as a top player. He can still show flashes of his old form, but only sporadically.

Second, it was not a good idea to expect a celebrity to have a long range impact on soccer popularity. Perhaps as an immediate curiosity, but with no lasting effect. Soccer’s problems in America are too many and too profound, to be affected by one aging veteran.

Finally, from a public relations viewpoint, Beckham was well received by Americans. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for his wife. A musical star in her own right, she projected an air of haughtiness and disdain for every day Americans. In a word, this Spice Girl is snotty.

In summary, soccer will need a complete makeover to be interesting here in the USA. a quick fix is not the answer!

                                                    Dick Brooks

Categorically and emphatically, the answer is no. Actually, the level of popularity can never even come close, unless radical changes are made in the game. It is basically still a European sport, and American tastes are far different.

The primary reason for lack of interest in the U.S., is the scoring, or should I say the lack thereof. Who wants to watch a 90 minute game that ends in a score of 1-0? Americans like plenty of scores. Notice that in baseball, over the years, the game has encouraged more home runs. Similarly, in football, the crowd loves to see a bunch of touchdowns. Football scoring even supports this tendency. A score of 28-21 sounds like a high scoring game. Yet it is only 4 touchdowns to 3.

In addition to the anathema of low scores, frequently a goal is scored on a fluke. On a corner kick, a bunch of players crowd in front of the goal, and the kick may richochet off the head of one of the players. The goal tender has little chance to defend at this point blank range.

Americans do not like that the official time is kept by the referee, rather than electronically on the scoreboard. Time does not stop when the ball goes out of bounds, nor when someone is injured and play stops. It is true that the referee estimates this “stoppage” time, and it is added on after the half has expired. Not exactly an American custom.

Other quaint aspects of the game include red and yellow cards for infractions, and limited substitutions.

All in all, soccer is just not going to have broad appeal at the major league level.

                               Dick Brooks

This rule change is a fairly recent development. Agreed that most people are not happy with a game ending in a tie. The question is, what to do about it? The shootout idea was taken from soccer.

The use of a shootout means, that after 60 minutes of hard-hitting ice hockey, the decision occurs while many of the players are not even in action. The NHL also gives points to the losing team in a shootout!. This convoluted rule makes it even more evident, that a shootout is an appendage to the game, which makes a mockery of the exciting game of ice hockey.

Ties were acceptable for many decades. Why succumb to an unnatural gimmick as a disappointing conclusion? There are other ways that ties could be broken, and ice hockey would be played. One example would be an overtime period with only 3 or 4 players to a side. This would open up scoring potential.

I believe the creative minds in the NHL could devise tie-breaking possibilities, decided by action on the ice.

                                             Dick Brooks

The major technological change has been in the shaft of the golf club. The current clubs have tremendous flexibility. The effect is like a whip and results in “throwing” the ball much further at the time of impact. We are talking primarily about the clubs which used to be called woods. Now, more accurately, they are referred to as metals, the make-up of the club heads.

Drives of 250 yards used to be very good. Today, 300 yards, or more, is common. This fact has created problems, particularly in tournaments, with club selection. Formerly, the second shot on a par 4 hole, would be a midiron or even a long iron. Today, it is not uncommon to use a wedge!

Redesign of many courses has been necessary. This is particularly true on courses that play host to major tournaments. Increasing the yardage on certain holes has been one response. There are now more and more par 5 holes over 600 yards in length! And even some par 3s over 250 yards.

Because of land limitations, some courses are difficult to lengthen, so more bunkers, narrower fairways and higher rough are used to keep holes challenging.

Since technology continues to improve golf equipment, one could be dismayed about the future effect on the game. The great game of golf  involves both physical and mental challenges. Hopefully, the powers that be will be able to keep golf the fascinating sport that it is.

                                                    Dick Brooks 

Yesterday, Tiger won the 2008 Buick Open. This tournament win, tied him for fourth place with Arnold Palmer on the all time career win list. Tiger is only 2 wins behind Ben Hogan, which is a level he should surpass this year. That should leave only Nicklaus and Snead to beat in the next few years.

Another measurement of greatness, is the number of major wins in a career. At age 30, Tiger has won more majors than had Jack Nicklaus at the same age.

Most golfers achieve their greatest results, in their thirties. They still have physical abilities near their peak, but have more golf know how than at an earlier age. This is called course management, and is a trait in great demand in major tournaments. Just hitting the ball  hard is not enough.

Barring unforeseen accident or physical problem, Tiger should be able to keep rolling in the years ahead. He keeps himself in superb physical shape. Marriage and fatherhood seem to have made him a more complete man. Tiger has great charisma and is a good speaker. These traits, plus self-discipline will enhance his ultimate acclaim as the best of his sport.

While the jury is still out, Tiger is almost a lock to be the greatest of all time.

                                             Dick Brooks

Billiards could be excluded from a list of sports, based on several criteria. First, it does not require strength, although it does require agility and hand/eye coordination. It can be argued that strength is not a real factor in some other sports, particularly running, and table tennis.

Second, there is no physical contact. But the same can be said for archery, golf, etc. On the other hand, unlike these other sports, there is defense as well as offense.

ESPN considers poker to be a sport, and wildly popular at that. If poker fits the definition, billiards should qualify easily.

In the final analysis, what difference does it make whether or not billiards is considered to be a sport. If players like to compete, and people like to watch, that is all that matters.

                                                 Dick Brooks

It does a number of things that the standard broadcast channels have either not been able to accomplish, or have not chosen to do. Part of this may have to do with previous commercial committments.

First, ESPN is able to  carry a sports event through to its conclusion. If it runs beyond its allotted time, ESPN may continue it on another of its group of channels. With the broadcast channels, how often have we been dismayed to hear that the allotted time is up, and we’ll be given the final score later in the evening.

In the same fashion, ESPN routinely brings us the early rounds of golf and tennis tournaments. Then the broadcast media take over on the weekends. Even there, they often show their disdain for the fans, by limiting the number of hours on the air. ESPN telecasts at odd hours, day and night, if necessary.

ESPN has also introduced to its audience, sports that were never shown on broadcast media. These include women’s billiards and poker. While I don’t consider poker to be a sport, it has been very popular with the TV audience.

Finally, ESPN has an outstanding group of commentators. They rank with the very best on the broadcast channels. Chris Fowler is especially worthy of mention. He, and his two associates Kirk and Lee, are outstanding in the fall on College Game Day.

In sum, ESPN is a great boon for all sport fans!

                                     Dick Brooks

The secondary question is, who would impose the limitations? The answer is, whoever is sponsoring, promoting, or telecasting a particular event. I hope we are not suggesting the government, since, in my opinion, they should not be involved in the internet at all.

The sponsors of the sporting event, will have a big role in deciding on internet play-by-play. A major factor, as it always is, will be money. If the cable operators can be made to ante up, this will go a long way toward acceptability. Otherwise, sponsors will have to be content with just expanding the audience.

The promoters are a key part of the equation. An extreme example is the Masters. The promoters decide on exactly how many minutes of commercials, and also the time and length of telecasts. In one recent year, for reasons of political correctness, the sponsors decided not to participate. No problem, the Augusta National Golf Club agreed to pick up the tab for lost ad revenue. Talk about control! But the product, the Masters, one of the jewels of all sports, shows that it is well worth protecting at all costs.

Finally, the telecasters will have a major voice in possible limitations. Their revenue depends on the size of the audience they can show potential advertisers. It seems likely that they would see the internet as an unwelcome intruder.

Summing up, if revenue hurdles can be resolved, I am all for extending the use of the internet.

                                             Dick Brooks