By
Connor Doyle
Random thoughts on this week in sports...
Annika Sorenstam completed one of the most astonishing feats in the history of women's golf last week by winning her fourth consecutive tournament. Also, the former UA standout shot a record-setting round of 59 earlier in the year. At only 30, Sorenstam has already ascended to the upper echelon of women's golf - her professional resume includes winning back-to-back U.S. Women's Opens (1995-96) and 23 LPGA titles, and she has already accomplished enough to gain admittance into the LPGA Hall of Fame. She's been compared to Tiger Woods in terms of her dominance over the rest of the field. Sorenstam is easily the most successful UA athlete in the professional ranks, and it's nice to see that she's getting her due.
John Starks, a backup guard for the Utah Jazz, had his testicle removed this week. That in and of itself isn't news. As unfortunate as it is, the procedure is somewhat common. What's amazing is the fact that Starks will only be missing one game - one game! - after the surgery.
Are you kidding me? Starks, a former Knick, was one of my least-favorite people in the world until I heard about this. But anyone who has enough sack (no pun intended) to play only a few days after such a procedure deserves admiration from everybody.
Charles Barkley is losing weight in an attempt to get into game shape for next season. He pretty much said to anyone who would listen that he and Michael Jordan are going to come back next season to play for the Washington Wizards. As much as I dislike Michael Jordan for this entire comeback and ego gratification thing, I can't help but smile when I think about the "Round Mound of Rebound" making a comeback.
Barkley was easily the most entertaining player of my generation and might be the cure for that which ails the NBA. It won't be long before stories of him throwing drunk guys through plate-glass windows will once again be the buzz of the NBA - a much better alternative to born-again zealots accusing the Jewish of being stubborn.
Speaking of which, the story of the week has to be New York Knicks guard Charlie Ward's comments about Jews directed at a New York Times Magazine writer. Listen, Ward's comments are ridiculous to say the least, but who gives a crap about Ward's religious and social beliefs? For that matter, why do we care that John Rocker's a racist, or that Reggie White's a homophobe?
The media needs to stop giving these jackasses a forum to spew their bile, and the public needs to stop reading this junk. Last time I checked, these guys were paid to play ball, not be social critics. How about the fans quit trying to put these guys on a pedestal, expect them all to be perfect, and then tear them apart when they realize that they're ignorant or flat-out hateful.
Tuesday, Richard Jefferson was interviewed on the Jim Rome radio show. It was nice to hear an athlete represent himself as well as Jefferson did - he was well-spoken, thoughtful and made some interesting comments about deciding to leave early.
He was critical of the press, who asked him minutes after the devastating loss in the NCAA Championship Game if he would be coming back to school for his senior season. I felt before I heard the interview that there was nothing wrong with Jefferson leaving early, but after listening to the things he said, I now know he made the right decision.
On a side note, Rome made a comment about the "Arizona family," and how it was one of the most enduring stories in college basketball. The hugely popular host frequently interviews former UA athletes and has made it clear how much he admires what Lute Olson has done for this program. It's nice to see that people around the country are hearing what people in Tucson have known for years, and it should be a point of pride for any UA student or fan to know that we not only have one of the most successful programs in the nation, but also one of the most admirable.
Padres leadoff man Rickey Henderson broke the record for career walks Wednesday in a game against the Phillies. This record is just the latest in Henderson's historic career, and he will go into the Hall of Fame as the greatest leadoff hitter of all time.
Listen - Henderson is a great player, and it's great to see him back on the Padres. However, "Ricka" may be one of the biggest morons in the history of the sport. The stories about this guy are legendary - like the one about him getting on the team bus and asking Padres general manager Kevin Towers why the coaches and staff sat up front and the players sat in the back. Towers responded by saying, "It's based on tenure, Rickey." Rickey responded by saying, "Ten years? Ricky been playing for mo' than 15 years!" That, my friends, is why this man is a classic.
Reports have indicated that Will Bynum, the 5-10 point guard out of Chicago who committed to play for the Wildcats next year is considering making the jump straight to the NBA. Uh oh...
