Norman panned for delusions of grandeur:RORY McILROY could probably have done without Greg Norman's intervention this week, the Australian – and you'll hardly have missed it – suggesting that Tiger Woods is "really intimidated by Rory . . . I think he knows his time's up".
McIlroy responded with a whole heap of good sense, and admirable respect for one of the greats in his sport – a respect Norman has generally struggled to afford Woods over the years.
“How can I intimidate Tiger Woods? I mean, the guy’s got 70-whatever PGA tour wins, 14 majors,” said McIlroy. “He’s been the biggest thing ever in our sport. I mean, how could some little 23-year-old from Northern Ireland with a few wins come up and intimidate him? It’s just not possible. I don’t know where he (Norman) got that from, but it’s not true.”
Why was so much heed paid to Norman’s comments in the first place, when he’s been, well, chipping away at Woods for as long as anyone can remember?
"There he goes again. Greg Norman is up to his old tricks," as thegolfblog.comput it. "Last year, Norman criticised Woods for being selected to the President's Cup by Fred Couples. He also suggested that Tiger will never win a Major again."
This, they reminded us, was the fella who reckoned “he took the baton from Jack Nicklaus”.
“Norman’s comments are laughable on so many levels. First, let’s set the record straight: Norman never took the baton from Nicklaus; Norman shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same breath as Nicklaus. The only players who could claim to be the baton receivers from Jack are 8-time major winner Tom Watson, or 14-time major winner Tiger Woods. That’s it. Two-time major winner (and many time major loser) Greg Norman ain’t even in the conversation.” Ouch.
Lobby group upset at baiting of golfer Obama
AS IF the American presidential campaign wasn’t ugly enough, guess what’s been dragged in to it now? Golf.
Lobby group WeAreGolf is, according to its own website, “a coalition formed to tell the true story of the greatest sport in the world” and aims to showcase and promote golf’s “diverse businesses and their employees, the tax revenues it creates, the tourism it spawns, the charity it generates, and the environmental benefits it provides”.
But, now they’re upset – seriously upset. So much so, they’ve sent letters to a number of politicians asking them to stop using golf as a club, so to speak, with which to beat the president – him regularly being accused of spending too much time whacking a little ball around a course.
“As we enter the final stretch of campaign season, we write to make a request we hope you will receive in the same spirit in which it is offered.
“Please reconsider your political strategy of criticising President Obama’s passion for golf,” reads the letter.
It goes on to ask all elected officials “to abstain from political strategies and tactics that denigrate golf, directly or indirectly, because we think they’re unnecessary and undermine the industry at large, not just the individual target.”
The group’s spokesman, Dave Marin, told The New York Times these attacks were doing little for the image of the sport, the insinuation being that golf is nothing more than an elitist activity pursued by those with too much time on their hands and way too many bucks in the bank (as well, of course, as iffy tastes in fashion) who should spend less time on the course and more time in the (Oval) office.
“The golf industry is understandably sensitive to this line of politicking, because it reinforces misperceptions of the game that don’t square with the facts,” he said, “and because those misperceptions, in turn, have led to unfair legislation and regulation.”
Marin pointed out that some golf clubs were denied federal relief funds in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the feeling being, perhaps, that other causes needed relief just a little bit more.
He agreed he might be a bit “naive” to hope golf will no longer be used as a political football, to mix our sporting metaphors.
Last month, at the Republican convention in Florida, Senator Marco Rubio noted “our problem with President Obama isn’t that he’s a bad person.
“By all accounts, he too is a good husband and a good father and – thanks to lots of practice – a good golfer. Our problem is not that he’s a bad person. Our problem is that he’s a bad president.”
Will Rubio now leave golf out of it? “There’s nothing wrong with golf,” said his spokesman Alex Conant, “but there is something wrong with Washington lobbyists who can’t take a joke.”
That’s probably a no, then. Looks like WeAreGolf will have to lobby a little harder.
Mayoman Murphy hoping Donegal, and junior, deliver
AS FORTUNE – misfortune? – would have it, Mick, the father of Donegal captain Michael Murphy is from, of all places, Mayo, so you’d imagine tomorrow’s All-Ireland final will present him with a muddled emotion or two.
If he looks at it positively, though, he can’t lose.
“I don’t like to speak on his behalf, but I’d say he’ll be supporting Donegal. I hope he will,” said his son this week, not sounding entirely sure.
Still, Michael gave Mick a fair warning 20 years ago where his loyalties would lie.
DonegalDaily.compublished this photo during the week, under the title "Captain My Captain – The Picture That Seals The 20 Year Search To Reclaim Sam".
Yes, that’s Michael Murphy alongside Anthony Molloy, the captain of the 1992 All-Ireland-winning Donegal team.
By full-time tomorrow, there might well be a pair of winning captains in the photo – Mick Murphy will (half) hope, any way.
Cool Morgan unruffled by Twitter attacks
TWITTER, LEST you have a life and haven’t tried it, can be considerable craic, jam-packed as it is with people who can make your day in no more than 140 characters with witticisms that often prompt you to snort coffee out your nostrils.
But it’s also home to some rather unpleasant folk, like the delightful creature – Welsh Premier League footballer Daniel Thomas – who escaped prosecution this week despite tweeting this message about British Olympic divers Tom Daley (left) and Pete Waterfield: “If there is any consolation for finishing fourth at least Daley and Waterfield can go bum each other,” he typed giddily, labelling the pair “TeamHIV”.
While conceding the tweet was “grossly offensive”, director of public prosecutions Keir Starmer added that “banter, jokes and offensive comment are commonplace and often spontaneous”.
The Washington Redskins’ Josh Morgan was on the receiving end of some “banter” himself on Twitter this week after conceding a late late penalty, for throwing the ball at an opponent, that, ultimately, cost his team a chance to win the game – they lost 31-28.
He tuned in to Twitter later that night. The gist? “I will kill you in your sleep you autistic ****,” was one greeting, another: “I hope someone throws a football at ur first-born child”.
Another: Morgan was one of the worst things to happen in Washington DC, “along with the ‘crack epidemic”, according to Yahoo’s ‘Shutdown Corner‘ blog’s report on the lovely affair.
“I heard everything, especially when they got you on Twitter and they start sending the death threats and wishing bad on your family and your first born and things like that, you see it all, you hear it all,” he said, “you don’t got no choice but to see it all and hear it all. But you never let it get to you, especially me being from DC.”
Director’s cut – unrepentant Preziosi cocks a snook at Genoa city prosecutor
THERE SEEMS to be no end to the trouble Enrico Preziosi is getting himself in to these days, the president of Genoa in bother again with city prosecutor Giuseppe Longo who is investigating whether he broke the ban on him entering football stadiums for six months.
The ban is part of Preziosi’s punishment after the club was found guilty of being involved in match-fixing in a game against Venezia in 2004, their punishment relegation to Serie C. Preziosi was also sentenced to four months in prison and banned for six months from entering any “gambling establishments, betting-shops or head offices of juridical and company managers”.
But, back in August, Preziosi was spotted by police at the game between Genoa and Cagliari, so he could have his wrists slapped rather sharply by Longo if his attendance is proved. How seriously is he taking the business? Not very. Last weekend, when Juventus visited Genoa, Preziosi was spotted again, this time in the directors’ box. Well, a cardboard version of himself, that his. “Taking the mickey”, is, possibly, the apt phrase.
