Let us count the ways why Tiger Woods should not have been named to the U.S. President's Cup team by captain Fred Couples.
1. His world ranking is somewhere in the mid-30s.
2. He hasn't won a golf tournament in almost two full years.
3. His swing is still a work in progress.
4. He has shamed the game with his off-course, extra-marital indiscretions.
5. His selection means a more worthy player will have to be left off the 12-man squad that takes on the International squad.
6. His health is still suspect.
So now, let's count the one reason why his selection was correct and made all the sense in the world:
1. He is Tiger Woods, the greatest golfer of our generation and a 14-time major championship winner.
That means when Tiger tees it up for the Americans in Australia Nov. 14, the world's most famous athlete - love him or hate him - will be responsible for the sale of thousands more tickets; gazillion more dollars in revenue will be generated; millions more people will watch it on TV, some rooting hard for Tiger's putts to fall; others rooting hard for Tiger himself to fall.
There is no more polarizing athlete on the planet than Tiger Woods. Those who don't like him really don't like him. Those who love him marvel at the skill he exhibited from 1997 through 2009 can't get enough of watching him, hoping he one day again dominates the sport.
Couples followed a precedent established in 2009 by Greg Norman, who was widely criticized for choosing fellow Australian Adam Scott to the International team at a time when Scott was struggling with his game and didn't rate a berth on the team based on merit. The confidence shown by Norman in the young Aussie helped to turn around his career and today, he's ranked among the world's top 10.
Woods has never lacked confidence, but his game certainly needs a major jolt - for the overall good of the sport - and being picked to the U.S. squad might be just the spark he needs to become Dominating Tiger once again.
It worked for Scott. It may or may not work for Woods, who may never win again. He is, after all, an old 35, having played serious competitive golf for more than 20 years. Give him this year's President's Cup and a full, healthy schedule in 2012 and the world will know whether he's back or not.
Brad Dickson of the Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald, on a contractor suing Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy for allegedly firing him for wearing a shirt promoting rival Oklahoma: "Good luck finding 12 jurors in Stillwater who think this was wrong."
Humourist Bill Littlejohn, on Adidas launching a "barefoot" training shoe: "What's it called, Air Flintstone?"
Comedy writer Jim Barach: "Frank McCourt has reportedly been offered $1.2 billion to sell the Dodgers by a group of Chinese investors. They plan to recoup their investment by hiring the team that won the Little League World Series to play for $3 a day."
Comedy writer Jerry Perisho: "The team from Huntington Beach, California, won the Little League World Series. Sadly, Frank McCourt expressed interest in purchasing the team."
Serena Williams, with added incentive for winning the U.S. Open: "It's right before football season, so you want to get on that SI cover before they start only putting football players on there."
Greg Cote of the Miami Herald, on New Yorkers' knee-jerk reaction when last week's 5.8 earthquake struck: "Rex Ryan was doing jumping jacks again."
RJ Currie of SportsDeke.com, on the $6,000 cost of a 50-yard line wedding at Michigan Stadium: "This puts a whole new spin on 'a costly midfield gamble.' "
Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times: "Vin Scully announced he will return in 2012 for a 63rd season as the play-by-play voice of the Dodgers. That is, health willing and the divorce judge doesn't award him to Jamie."
Snipped from Perry's column: "Football season is finally here," a reader once posted at ESPN.com. "I told my wife to put off our marriage counseling until February."
Perisho again: "In a Chicago area school, a disruptive first grade boy was handcuffed and told he was going to prison for talking in class. Then, the threats really got out of hand when they said they might park him in the outfield bleachers at a Cubs game.
Another one from Littlejohn, after China said London isn't fit after the rioting to host the 2012 Olympics: "However, they did say that they could host the 2012 Stanley Cup."
