What’s the buzz from the world of sports? Here are some items that will have people talking:
1
Another indication that the NFL rules the American sports landscape is the baseball fan’s tendency to over-analyze 0-3 starts and think the end is near.
In the NFL, an 0-3 start is reason to panic. In baseball, it’s the blink of an eye.
One of us here at Talking Points likes to break down the major league season as if it were an NFL schedule. Take the first 12 major league games as Week 1, then the next 15 sets of 10 games for the next 15 weeks.
If your team goes 6-4 or better in a week, count it as a win; 4-6 or worse, it’s a loss. Then divvy up ties — a win for the first tie, a loss the next. (Keep ties for any odd number remaining.)
Using that formula, the New York Yankees would have gone 12-3-1 last year with an NFL schedule. Makes sense. The Yankees had the best record in the AL.
The Mariners would have gone 4-11-1. And the worst team in baseball, the Astros, was 2-13-1.
Last year, the Red Sox started 0-6. But they came just a game away from the wild card. Under this NFL system, the Red Sox went 9-7. Which would usually mean a team is close, but not close enough, to a playoff spot.
Just fun with numbers. Better than panicking if your team is 0-3. Remember, 0-3 in baseball is like trailing at the end of the first quarter of NFL’s Week 1.
2
Tiger Woods spoiled us.
He made it look too easy.
But since Tiger won his 14th major championship, in 2008, golf has reminded us just how difficult it is to win multiple majors.
OK, so Padraig Harrington won the next two majors after Tiger’s 14th. Since then, 13 different players have won the last 13 majors. Only two of them — Phil Mickelson and Angel Cabrerra — had previously won majors.
Mickelson should be praised for his incredible play. He has four majors. Which is more than any other current player other than Woods.
Bubba Watson won his first major Sunday. Here’s hoping he wins more. Even if it’s not easy.
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