Tiger tease

According to a press release from the Tiger camp, Woods will make his first public appearance in over three months at 11:00 a.m. EST on Friday at the TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Don't get too excited.

This is not a press conference. Tiger will be speaking to "a small group of friends, colleagues and close associates". What, are we going to see a round table of Tiger, Steve Williams, Hank Haney and Charles Barkley? ESPN.com reported only three wire services: The Associated Press, Reuters and Bloomberg have been invited and only one camera will be allowed in the room to provide live satellite coverage.

Has Tiger learned anything? Didn't he get into this whole situation because of his obsessive-compulsive idea that he can control everything? Not to mention his "infidelities" with numerous women including names such as Grubbs and Jungers.



I fear we're in line for more broad, meaningless apologies for his "transgressions" rather than answers to the laundry list of questions we've been discussing since November.

I hope Tiger proves me wrong. But until he does, enjoy two days of an incredibly overhyped media event that will leave even more questions than we have now.

Photo by Associated Press

More than one tragedy

What happened before the opening ceremonies in Vancouver was terrible. What's transpiring now is inexcusable.

Last Friday, Georgian luge olympian Nodar Kumaritashvili lost his life in a tragic crash during his final training run before the Vancouver games.

Speculation immediately began that the track was too fast, and the metal support beam Kumaritashvili slammed into should have been guarded.

Waiting for an appropriate response, I read that Luge Federation officials said the accident was "extremely exceptional" and caused due to Kumaritashvili's failure to compensate after coming out late from the previous curve, not by "deficiencies in the track".

The same track that ESPN.com reported Kumaritashvili had trained at before and told his father one day prior to his death he was terrified of the turn that took his life.

The same track where a wooden wall was placed to cover the row of steel beams that killed Kumaritashvili and a course the federation decided to move 600 feet further down the hill following the accident to slow down the speed of the riders.

The fact is Kumaritashvili flew down a track considered to be the fastest in the world at 90 mph when he was thrown into a steel pole and the 21-year-old olympian lost his life.

I don't know if Kumaritashvili's death could have been avoided. I just think in a dangerous sport like luge, there has to be a point where being the "fastest" track crosses a line that protects the safety of these riders.

I think the federation crossed this line and failed miserably in their inexcusable response by blaming Kumaritashvili.

photos by Associated Press

How to save the Pro Bowl

I quit watching the 2010 Pro Bowl on the second drive of the game when Houston Texans' DE Mario Williams passed on a free attempt to sack NFC quarterback Aaron Rodgers. That play represents everything that's wrong with the Pro Bowl.

I've always been a fan of killing multiple birds with one stone. While I credit Roger Goodell for his attempt to make the Pro Bowl relevant by moving it one week before Super Bowl Sunday rather than after, I feel he missed a bigger vision that would have made the game more exciting and interesting.

Put college seniors and underclassmen declaring for the draft on the field instead of NFL players.

Call it the NFL Stars of Tomorrow Game, the Draft Bowl, whatever. Sell it to a corporate sponsor and make more money. I don't care. Just make the game relevant.

Put players on the field that actually have something to play for.



Think about what happened in the weeks leading up to Super Bowl XLIV.

1. Tim Tebow (top left) featured in one of the most-hyped Senior Bowls ever, but if you're like me and don't have the NFL network, you didn't see it.
2. The Pro Bowl continued to be a cheap imitation of real football due to defensive scheme regulations to reduce injury risks.
3. The press had nothing to talk about for two weeks other than Dwight Freeney's ankle and what a Saints win would mean for the city of New Orleans.

My plan would still allow NFL players to be voted as Pro Bowlers, receive their bonuses and get a free trip to Hawaii, South Florida, etc. However, instead of making them play, have them there talk to these young kids, practice with them and mentor them on life in the NFL. Then when the lights come on, we'll get what we expect from the NFL; a compelling, interesting, hard-fought football game.

Everybody wins.

Think about it. Would you rather watch David Garrard against a defense that's not allowed to blitz, or Tebow fighting for his professional life against Ndamukong Suh (above right).

The fans get the game they deserve. College players get exposure to the big lights of the NFL and have the opportunity to interact with their heroes. Team scouts can do in-game evaluations in a big-game atmosphere and the NFL gets a game that's buzz-worthy and relevant to its fans.