ALMOST but still wonderful story

Nine feet of grass and 8 feet 6 inches of roll equals 6 inches from the one of the greatest sports story ever created.

THE PUTT never had a chance but Tom Watson gave everybody, and I mean everybody except the family and friends of Stewart Cink, an incredible experience. An experience for the ages...something golfers will remember and talk about for a long time.

Of course not as long a time as if he had won...but that's one of the problems in the wide gap between being first and second at something. Being second at something is considered a negative something by every media pundit in the world.

Even when that second was created by 6 inches of grass between a small white sphere and a small round hole.

I know Tom Watson wanted to win the Claret Jug for the sixth time but when the golf gods decide that 5 might be enough and that the other player deserves his first... than so be it.

There is no disgrace and no choking and no reason for Tom Watson to feel bad about what happened. Of course he will, because he is one of the great competitors of all time and still continues to perform at his game on an extremely high level....but finishing second at his age in that arena... is still one of the great sport stories of all time.

ALMOST is such a funny word. So many ALMOST jokes out there. So many athletes in all sports ALMOST achieved nirvana in their field of endeavor.

How many great athletes have finished second in the Olympics and live with the ALMOST tag?

How many great teams have finished second in various team sports and live with the ALMOST tag?

ALL OF THOSE ATHLETES, OF BOTH INDIVIDUAL SPORTS AND TEAM SPORTS, WHO FINISHED SECOND, SHOULD BE SO PROUD OF WHAT THEY DID.

THE MEDIA SHOULD BE TELLING THEM HOW GREAT THEY ARE....but I always refer back to the first time an announcer started making athletes feel bad. It was Jim Gray and he was talking to a United Stares sprinter, after an Olympic race, who had just finished second in the 100 meter race. I think it was about 20 years ago.

His opening question was "why didn't you run faster?"

MOMENT OF SILENCE and then a weak smile and the athlete just walked away.

NOBODY FEELS WORST THAN THEN THE GUY WHO ALMOST FINISHED FIRST

If Jim Gray had said...."America just wants you to know that we are extremely proud of your efforts over the last four years and we are sorry you didn't win but we still love you" perhaps everything would be just a lot less hostile in the world of sports reporting.

IF ONLY and ALMOST should become part of the winning team. Being nominated should truly be part of the winning brand. Finishing second and sometimes even third should be included in the story.

If Michael Phelps had gotten 7 Gold Medals and one silver, the press would have ripped him apart...maybe not ripped but for sure they would have made him feel like he was a loser with their questions about why he didn't get the last one.

I am not downplaying the importance of being first...because that takes care of itself. Being first doesn't need a boost.

What needs help are the ALMOST got first place participants. They pushed the winners to the peak and yet they are regarded as losers.

I haven't read the papers yet today but if anyone in the media thinks Tom Watson is a loser than that person, and the paper that printed it, should be suspended for 50 days. Since papers are failing by the wayside, maybe the suspension should only last 5 days....but the reporter who says Mr. Watson choked and that he had a chance for immortality should be sent packing.

TOM WATSON is already an immortal name in the world of golf and nothing will ever change that. IN FACT the last four days at Turnberry in Scotland...adds another level in how fans regard him. We all knew he was a great player back in the day but he wasn't Jack or Arnie.

He's never going to be Jack or Arnie but now when people talk about great golf moments they will quietly say the word TOM and there will be a moment of reverence.

IT'S STILL ONE OF THE GREAT GOLF STORIES OF ALL TIME even if it didn't become the GREATEST GOLF story of all time....and that will never change.

There should be a parade for TOM WATSON and the level of thank yous should overwhelm him during the next 12 months until he is ready to try again next year at St. Andrews.

And anyway, it wasn't even his fault that he missed the putt. That honor belongs to Andy North.

Andy North is one of Tom Watson's best friend's and 2 seconds before Tom putted... Andy said on worldwide television (200 million people watching around the globe) "HE IS GOING TO MAKE THIS PUTT AND WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP"

Talk about a jinx moment. Imagine Vin Scully in the bottom of the ninth inning in the 1988 World Series saying ten seconds before the pitch to Kirk Gibson....."HE'S GOING TO HIT A HOME RUN AND THE DODGERS ARE GOING TO WIN THIS GAME."

Had he said that... Kirk would have struck out...and there would be no greatest moment in Dodger history.

And if you don't think Andy North had anything thing to do with jinxing Tom Watson then you just don't get the big picture. It wasn't you and I saying it....it was his best friend, on air, with 200 million people watching.

Had he simply said....."I SURE HOPE HE SINKS THIS AND WINS THE TOURNAMENT"....then that ball would have rolled the last six inches and this article would never have been written.

BUT IT SURE WOULD HAVE BEEN FUN TO WRITE THE OTHER STORY

Stewart Cink was long overdue for a Major and we can't start making him feel bad because we wanted Tom Watson to win his ninth.

There are reasons for everything that happens.

The mysteries of the Universe far outnumber the known realities
and things happen that appear to have no explanation.....but
there's always an explanation.

It might not be what you want to hear
but
if you allow yourself a moment of reflection you can almost know that it's true.

ALMOST

ALMOST

ALMOST

Michael Timothy McAlevey