A Tradition Unlike Any Other

Every April, the Masters kicks off the golf season. Some of the other tournaments earlier in the season may claim to be the first but compared to the Masters, they barely qualify as golf.

Just reading about the history of Augusta National makes me want to sneak onto a course and play a few holes. Names like Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicholas and Tiger Woods bring to mind stories of triumph (Nicholas on 16) and embarrassment (Tiger putting into the drink).

The Masters is the kind of event that will make a golf hater into a fan and a fan into a weeping, blubbering maniac who would kiss the turf if they would let him close enough.

It's the kind of tournament that will make a guy sit in front of the television for hours on end without a thought that deviates from "Don't lay up! Pull out the three wood!"

I can't wait to see how this one turns out. Every year, Augusta tells a story. Every year something amazing happens. Will Tiger putting into the water be the pinnicle of this year's tourney? Or is there something even more unlikely still to come?

Bo Knows Steroids?

A California newspaper recently ran an article quoting a nutritional expert. The quote was as follows: "Bo Jackson lost his hip because of anabolic use." The supposed source of the quotation, Ellen Coleman, denies every saying anything about Bo Jackson and, as proof, pointed to a taped copy of her speech the quote was supposedly taken from. Jackson has filed a defamation lawsuit against the newspaper.

It's possible Jackson used steroids. He was so far above and beyond every other athlete of his time that if his hip hadn't been injured he could suit up today and be an All-Star. Baseball and football. Players of the late 80's and early 90's will tell you Jackson was the best athlete ever. Every one of them seems to have a Bo Jackson story to tell. The sound of the bat when he made contact with a baseball was like nothing else. His somersault run during his Heisman season at Auburn is legendary. During his famous catch in center field he ran no less than four steps while actually up against the wall. He was the most impressive thing to hit the sports world since...maybe ever. No kidding. The only reason he isn't still held in such high esteem is because his career was so short. Otherwise, there would be no debate over who gets the "greatest athlete ever" title. It would be Jackson, hands down.

So some people might see this newspaper report and automatically assume he was juiced. I don't believe it. Maybe it's blissful ignorance, but I think Jackson was clean. First of all, his heyday was before steroids hit the scene will full force. He became a nationally recognized two-sport athlete in the mid-80's. And he was always the best. He always had the talent. He didn't put on 40 unexplainable pounds in a short period of time. His stats didn't skyrocket, they simply remained great. Also, when he found out about the allegations, he immediately filed suit.

He said, "If anyone wants to check into my medical past, go get blood tests, go check up on those blood tests, and see if there was anabolic steroids in it. You're more than welcome. I'm not going to sit here and say, 'Maybe I did or maybe I didn't.' I didn't. Never did. Never had to."

And I believe him. Oh, and just in case you're wondering, Jackson keeps himself busy these days talking to kids about health and nutrition issues.

I think I've made my point. Bo doesn't know 'roids.

NCAA Championship Lives Up To The Hype

What a game. What a finish to a tournament that delivered everything it promised. Last second shots, 20-point comebacks...and it all culminated with North Carolina and Illinois exchanging punches in last night's final.

UNC dominated the first half, but a 15-point lead was nothing all tournament and when Illinois tied the game late in the second half, the comeback appeared complete. But total inside domination by Sean May set the pace for North Carolina. Illinois had no answer for him. James Augustine's five fouls in less than 9 minutes of play made me wonder how much money he received under the table. Meanwhile, May could do no wrong.

Illinois' only chance was to trade two point baskets for three pointers for the entire second half. And with a shooting percentage beyond comprehension for a ten minute span in the second, it almost worked.

In the end, the better team won. Not only did the Tar Heels have a back court that was at least equal to Illinois', they had a front court, led by May, that dwarfed the Illini's. It was the first time this season a team has been able to exploit a weakness against Illinois, and they made it look like everyone should have been able to check off the Illinois games on the schedule as an automatic "W."

Still, it went down to the wire. After a tournament like that, what else would you expect?

Twins Have Their Own Way Of Winning

In a recent article on ESPN.com, Jayson Stark (who was my favorite ESPN writer long before this article) predicted that the Twins will win the World Series this year. Yes, our Minnesota Twins. This year. The article goes on to compare the Twins way of doing business to that of the almighty New York Yankees.

As far as the Twins chances for a World Series win, I would agree that there is a decent chance. They have the best pitcher in the game, a deep bullpen and one of the best young closers. They play better defense, position for position (with the obvious exception of Justin Morneau at first base) than any team in the league. If Morneau lives up to the hype and Torii Hunter and Jacque Jones leave the yard 25 times or so, the Twins could also put up some runs this year. Indeed, they will once again be a team that others will fear the prospect of playing against, most likely into October.

But it won't last long.

Remember the mid-90's? The team was nothing short of terrible. The superstars of today were earning their stripes in the minors or taking their lumps in the big leagues and the team was finishing down in the standings. Way down. Meanwhile, the Yankees were signing All-Star after All-Star with an unlimited budget. And they were winning.

The Twins have been nearly flawless with their business decisions lately. Terry Ryan has crafted a competitive team with timely trades and uncanny drafting. But even with perfection, a World Series has eluded them (Yes, I remember '87 and '91, but that was a completely different group). How much longer can we expect to see perfection with draft picks and trades?

Meanwhile, the Yankees continue to write the checks and go to the Series. Ron Gardenhire said it perfectly when he spoke about facing the Yankees.

"After you finish facing a three-time All-Star, now here comes a four-time All-Star off the bench to pinch-hit for a two-time All-Star. It's something to see, I'll tell you."

That's why the Yankees will continue to be better than the Twins. They can buy a better team than we can paste together. Do the Twins have a chance to beat New York and win the World Series this year? Yes. I would even say they have a pretty good chance.

But they better do it soon. Perfection won't last forever.