Tom Talks

On the tee with Tiger

    I realize this isn't a valid comparison. But following Tiger Woods around Augusta National Monday reminded me of following Danica Patrick at Danica Beach, Fla. There were only three golfers on the course -- Tiger, playing partner Freddie Couples and Everybody Else.

    I went to the first tee at 7:30 a.m., a half hour before Tiger would tee off and a half hour before fans would be allowed onto the course. I was the only reporter there. I walked around, knowing I could get a place close to Tiger. When I returned, a security guard stopped me -- no media on the course until 8 a.m., he said.

   Ten minutes earlier I was allowed on the course. What happened?

   Ah.

   Tiger was on the putting green.

   When Tiger finally swept in behind a thick security guard who moved like a pulling guard, I was about 10 yards away. Fans greeted him courteously, but without passion. This continued this the first three holes. Fans cheered his shots more than they cheered him.

   Of course there were cries of "Get 'em, Tiger!" after which fans realized it was acceptable to cheer. But the gallery offered golf claps. And, as they left the tee, Couples often received more attention than Tiger.

   And the longer he went, the louder the applause became. It was as if fans needed a few holes to forgive him. But the cheers never attained passionate. Golf claps. There were many golf claps.

   Nobody yelled anything nasty at Tiger. This is the Masters, afterall, and fans came to cheer. Had he worn a cut-off T-shirt that revealed quantities of tattoos, fans still would have cheered, although some would have gone hom.

   Tiger responded. He acknowledged fans, nodded, laughed, waved, even shook their hands. 

   So there were major differences between Tiger and Danica. Tiger smiled, and he has a chance to win. 

Soccer, drag racing, mixed martial arts and baseball

   Been an interesting run in Charlotte sports.

   On March 24, Mexico and Iceland played an exhibition soccer game at Bank of America Stadium. I pulled into the parking lot at work about 8 a.m. and fans already were at the stadium. The game drew a crowd of more than 60,000. There's still no score.

   On March 25-29 the dragsters raced four-wide at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 4-Wide Nationals offered speed and rain and more speed. 

   On Wednesday the Ultimate Fighting Championship came to Bojangles Coliseum. The show was relentless; something was always going on. And the fans understood. They knew the fighters in all 11 bouts, had seen them on TV.

  On Thursday, fighters gathered at the Omni hotel in downtown Charlotte to try out for Spike TV's Ultimate Fighter.  More than 500 applicants, each of whom had to have three mixed martial arts fights, tried out. Dana White, president of UFC, ran the operation.

  He'd sit with UFC and Spike executives at a long table on one side of a ballroom. On the other side were 20 fighters. They'd grappable on a large black mat in the middle of the room, and White would call out the names of those who were invited to stay. Those who made the cut then demonstrated striking skills with their hands and feet.

   On Thursday night the Chicago White Sox came to town to play their Class AAA club, the Charlotte Knights. The game was well played, and the Knights won 4-3. Cool to see the Major Leaguers in town. Yes, traffic was slow and service was slow. The ballpark isn't designed to accommodate 10,000 fans.

   But to be fair, the Knights were willing to kick in more than their share of money to build a ballpark downtown, and the city was willing to help them. Alas, a serious of frivolous lawsuits slowed the process. Thus, the Knights are stuck playing at an out of the way site across the state line.

    I enjoyed the evening. I enjoyed seeing baseball again, enjoyed sitting outside and losing myself in a game I've been watching all my life.

   I only made two of the four events that came to Charlotte -- UFC and baseball.

   Wonder if anybody made all four.   

Words that will fit you to a tea

    The problem with the Final Four is that I can't find a team I love or a team I can't stand. So I'll just pick the teams I think will advance, and that's Michigan State and West Virginia. West Virginia is the only team in my bracket still playing meaningful basketball.

   Don't know if you made the Ultimate Fighting Championship show Wednesday at Bogangles Arena, but I was impressed with the athletes and with the organization. Everything the UFC does is designed to appeal to fans. If other organizations in and out of sports reached that conclusion, they'd be richer and fans would be happier. Ego gets in the way, as does the reluctance to change.

   I gave up caffeine three weeks ago. I had been drinking a latte every morning and almost every afternoon the last few months, and have been drinking coffee for decades. I didn't give it up for Lent. I gave up Catholicism for Lent. I gave up coffee because I was waking up most nights at 2 a.m., or 3 or 4, and not getting back to sleep. As badly as I miss coffee, I'm sleeping better than I have in 20 years. Yes, I know I could drink decaf. But the chemicals used to remove the caffeine probably are worse than the caffeine.

   I still require a cup in my hand, however. I realize now why some smokers put on weight after they give up tobacco. They are accustomed to holding something. Instead of a cigarette, they pick up a piece of pie. Something like that.

   I drink herbal tea. I can't stand it. I don't even like people who like herbal tea. Plus, at some coffee shops, the tea will have an exotic dancer name such as Passion. The woman or guy behind the counter will ask me my name when she takes my order. When the tea is ready, she'll shout, "I HAVE A PASSION TEA FOR TOM!" And I slink up, grab the tea and slink away..

   I'm heading to Augusta, Ga., Sunday. The scene will be bizarre. But Augusta National won't be. Scenes fade. Beauty endures.