Match Play Under Way

This week in Tucson the Accenture Match Play matches up 64 of the best golfers in the world. This is a great tournament for a few reasons, it's set in Tucson so the landscape is beautiful, and there are brackets. I mean, it's like March Madness for golf. I of course have my brackets filled out and posted in my cube, I'll revisit on Sunday and see how well I did.

After a delayed start for the day due to frost, there have a been a few surprises so far after day one:

• Stewart Cink came out as his old British Open winning self and beat returning Accenture champion Ian Poulter in 19 holes.
• Mark Wilson beat big hitter Dustin Johnson in 19 holes, facing Bubba Watson next- the second biggest hitter on the tour
• Steve Stricker lost to youngster Matteo Manassero who is definitely someone to keep an eye on this season
• Ryan Palmer takes out 2010 FedEx Cup winner Jim Furyk 

Tiger is currently in extra holes and needs to win this round to hold his 3rd place spot on the tour. Quite nerve racking.

Update: Too soon to talk about Tiger. Hope his hand is okay :-(

Who Wants Carmelo?- The Knicks

It's official. Carmelo Anthony has been signed by the Knicks, joining Amar'e in New York. They haven't been to the playoffs since 2004 but it looks like the Knicks will be making a comeback this year if they can keep up the good work. This weekend will be a testament to the new team when they take on the Heat this Sunday.

Who Wants Carmelo?

With only a few days left before the trade deadline, teams are swirling over who will get Carmelo Anthony. He's been reportedly in trade talks for a few months now, and the teams have been narrowed down to just a few, notably the Knicks and the Lakers. Two teams with seemingly opposite past few seasons. Last year the Knicks had a losing record (28-52), they had a new coach (albeit a great coach with Mike D'Antoni) and no dominate players. This year, they are having a winning season, they have already tied their wins for last year (28-26) and have Amar'e Stoudemire leading the team.

Let's look at the Lakers. They were awesome last year, running over teams all season long and taking home the Championship. This year, they are still winning but they aren't the same team we've seen in the past. Could it be that Kobe is getting old? Is Phil Jackson losing his touch? Are they not paying the refs as much as they use to? (kidding). Either way, Carmelo could make a definite impact on both these teams.

During interviews for the All-Star Weekend, Carmelo says he is still not definite on where he will be playing, and that he is open to staying in Denver. He also confirms that the Nuggets have been talking to the Nets, Knicks, Lakers and Mavericks.

I'd like to see him go to New York and play with Amar'e and D'Antoni. He could do a lot for the franchise there.

Crimson Tide Turned Tree Killers

It's hard to believe that a rivalry can take such drastic turns. It's one thing to kidnap the mascot or TP the frat house, but killing 130 year old campus oak trees... that's just mean. This is exactly what happened at Toomer's Corner at Auburn University, the place where students, alumni and Tiger fans roll the trees after team victories. I've been there, I've rolled Toomer's, and for someone to kill those trees is just mean. Did I mention the guy who did it most likely went to Alabama, he called into a radio show and said, "Roll Damn Tide" before hanging up, the phrase used by Alabama fans. All I have to say, War Eagle!

I hope the trees survive, if not, the guilty is facing up to 10 years in jail... interesting since Michael Vick killed dogs not trees and didn't get that much time.

Heat Triple Threat

Last night the Heat played the Pacers in what ended up being a three man show. In the beginning of the season, with trade negotiations finally being finished and the Heat having their triple threat team put together, people thought they would dominate...and they've definitely put on a show. The Heat have a winning record and have three of the best players in the NBA on their side, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James. Last night there was a glimpse of what could happen with this team if these guys have a year of playing together under their belt. The three players had a combined 90 of 110 points for the game. Astounding, especially since D-Wade had 31 points in the first half.

As impressive as the individual players are, right now I would love to see someone take down the Spurs. They've only lost 9 games this season, ridiculous. Not that this has anything to do with their insane record, but I'm having flashbacks of a little ref scandal that happened a few years back and which teams were impacted. If you're a Suns fan like me you'll still have nightmares about that game against the Spurs in the playoffs. I'll leave it at that.

Should Tigers Spit?

This weekend was the Dubai Desert Classic, and what a crazy weekend it was for golf. The leader board was solid all weekend, with a few guys within striking distance of the leader up until Sunday afternoon. Tiger played well, eagled 18 on day one, shot under par until Sunday and generally showed us some of those great Tiger moments we've missed. He had a little breakdown on Sunday shooting over par and ending the day 7 off the leader.

Speaking of the leader, Alvaro Quiros dominated this weekend. His scorecard for Sunday was very colorful, with 2 eagles (neither of which were on a par 5) and a double bogey. He had a hole in one on the back 9 that was unbelievable. As much as I love Tiger, Alvaro definitely deserved to take this one home.

So... what's with the spitting? I mean, they're in the desert and camels spit all the time right? Well apparently on the European Tour you aren't suppose to spit on the golf course. I didn't know this rule until Tiger was fined yesterday for spitting on the course (he has since apologized via Twitter). This is where I think the rules get ridiculous, essentially they say it is not the way golfers should act. Well, what about John Daly then. I say his ridiculous pants should get him thrown off the tour. So if John Daly can wear those outfits, I think Tiger can spit when he needs to.

To leave you, here is a shot of Quiros with what looks like a fake set of the Emerald City in front of him.

AT&T Pro-Am

The AT&T Pro-Am starts this weekend, pairing some amazing golfers with some fun celebrities who can hold their own on the course. Last year there was a high professional turnout since the US Open was being held at Pebble Beach, they all wanted to get their practice time in a few months before the big day. This year, the top 3 players (Westwood, Kaymer and Tiger) will be paired together in Dubai leaving a big opportunity for Dustin Johnson to take home another PB victory.

For the celebrities this year, there are some old school players who have participated in this tournament for years and years, including Kevin Costner, Andy Garcia and Bill Murray (who has been known to bring blow-up floaties to the course). Filling out the roster from the professional athletes are Brandi Chastain, Matt Cain, Tony Romo and Kelly Slater (bringing together two of my favorite things, golf and Kelly). Last year, he was delayed on the course because he was distracted by the huge waves crashing on the rocks, guess he was debating on finishing the hole or jumping into the water with his board. Oscar De La Hoya is also playing but since I don't consider boxing a sport, I won't officially include him on this list.

Going to be a great weekend for golf!

Hawaii Sports- Aloha!

It's no wonder surfers like Kelly Slater and Joel Parkinson are praised for how in shape they are (i.e. hot). As I learned last weekend, surfing is very hard and a great workout. It takes a lot of balance and upper body strength to paddle out past the break... and you're not done there. Then you have to actually paddle yourself into a wave. It was exhausting and amazing at the same time. Quite the experience. I've now have surf dreams every night and want to take another trip to the warm tropical weather to try it out again.

If you're not as inclined to charge waves, I recommend stand-up paddle boarding.  This is super fun, a great workout also. Little less risky if you stay in calm waters for those more afraid of the ocean.

Key to the City?

I have been away for a few days, relaxing in Hawaii (more on that later), and come back to find the Mayor of Dallas gave Michael Vick a key to the city! This is ridiculous if you ask me. What has he done to earn this, he doesn't even play for Dallas.

All I have to say is Mayor Caraway must not like dogs.

NBA All-Stars

February not only marks the beginning of the great PGA tournaments, prime NHL playing time and the Super Bowl... it also means it's time for the NBA All-Star Tournament! There is a lot going on in the NBA right now so it's an interesting time to look away from the drama and watch some awesome dunk competitions and the creme de la creme compete against each other. So far we have Lakers threatening trades cause they've lost a few games (cry babies if you ask me). Ron Artest is top of that list since he's pretty much asking to be traded. Next you have Dirk who is telling everyone he'll go play in Europe if there is a League strike next season. If he does this, he'll be subject to major NBA fines (not that he probably cares, pocket change for him).

Despite the current issues, there are some crazy things to look forward to with the All-Star weekend- including watching Blake Griffin in the dunk contest. Going to be amazing.

Also, I might have to root for the East, since there are no Suns starting on the West (cause we're old and don't want to get hurt) and I really like the Magic and Knicks lately. Interesting to see who will win.