My good buddy R believes Tiger has crossed the line.  “How in the h— could someone with that kind of intelligence and mental toughness not listen to the advice of his doctors?  He could not win the Grand Slam this year anyway, he did not win the Masters at Augusta.”  R has a good point but one that needs to be expanded upon. 

Yesterday I wrote a piece which dealt with how athletes and warriors stand up to one another in history.  Back in the day when Achilles was fighting at the front of his men he had no choice.  He was honor bound to step forward and put his life on the line.  Tiger Woods or any other athlete can make a choice whether to step up and put his career in jeopardy or withdraw to fight another day.  Withdrawing to fight another day is not without precident as we all know.  Look at the Civil War, World War II, Korea, VietNam.  How often did our fighting men determine the best course of action was to withdraw, regroup, re-evaluate, and fight another day?  Recently the thoroughbred race horse, Big Brown, pulled up in the final leg of the Triple Crown, and his jockey, wisely, let him slow to a pace that prevented a posssible injury rather than attempting to encourage the animal to race on to the finish line.  The jockey realized it was smarter to allow the horse to race another day.  That was intelligent thinking of the highest order. 

No man or woman must ever think he or she is above the advice given him or her by the very professionals they employ to advise them.  There’s no dishonor in withdrawing prior to or in the middle of a major battle.  We have to know our limitations.  It would be a pity if Tiger Woods has found his at the expense of his career.   Imagine Tiger never being able to play up the level he’s achieved to date.  It’s practically unfair to the rest of us.  We look forward to our hero’s being there on the front lines, and performing at their best.  Our hero’s must never let us down for the sake of another major victory.  They could loose more respect that way than if they ran off the playing field in a huff. 

Was Tiger’s decision to play knowing the extent of his injuries poor judgement?  A mighty ego?  Only time and his healing process will provide the final answer.  We’ll just have to hope he heals as well as he plays.

Dan O. De Ment, Publisher
http://dementmarketing.com
http://golfeagleglen.com

 

After watching the USGA’s premier golf tournament, the U.S. Open, I began to consider athletes and warriors. . .are they one and the same finding themselves on different fields of battle?  Homer’s Achilles was perhaps the greatest warrior ever.  He died from a wound to the one area of his body where he was vulnerable, his foot.  Crazy Horse was a warrior chieftain who learned, from observation, how to develop battle plans which proved a tremendous challenge to the United States Cavalry.  He died from a wound inflicted by one of his own people.  Beowulf slayed the Swamphag’s offspring, the Swamphag, and the Dragon, while being mortally wounded by the Dragon.  Joan of Arc was a heroin who dressed in men’s armour and led  French soldiers in a defeat of the English in a major battle.  She was later condemned to death and burned at the stake for wearing masculine clothing and being a heretic. The warrior chieftain, Tecumseh, rose to the pinnacle of the Shawnee Nation, and yet, he died on the battlefield with his warriors. . .his enemies never knowing he had participated in the battle.  Our medal of honor winners faced death head on, performing miraculous feats of heroism to save their fellow soldiers. . .many loosing their lives to save their comrades.  How, then, can we place our great athletes on a par with our past and present warrior hero’s? 

Michael Jordan is, perhaps, the greatest basketball player to play the game to date.  Enemies?  His enemies treated him with respect, constantly attempting to best him, for the most part in vain.  He stands head and shoulders above most of basketball’s hero’s.  Joe Dimaggio hit safely in 56 straight games and was an exemplary human being on and off the field.  His enemies have never come close to approaching his feat of excellence.  Byron Nelson won 11 straight golf tournaments.  Tiger Woods has come close to approaching that pinnacle but was stopped prior to reaching Mr. Nelson’s record.   Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player have done more to promote the game of golf than any other players.  There enemies often came out ahead at the end of a tournament but it was time that defeated them, not another human being.   Muhammad Ali is considered, by many, the greatest boxer to ever step into the ring.  When the time was right, he stepped aside not knowing that a physical affliction, caused by blows to the head throughout his career, was slowly affecting his motor skills. 

We’re extremely lucky to have our hero’s live on long past their prime’s.  Time and health are the mortal enemies of all athletes and, perhaps, it’s fitting that time or health stops them the same way an arrow, or a sword, or a bullet stopped hero’s from the distant past.  Remember, there’s one common thread that ties them all together, the will to fight till they know the end is now.  During the reign of Achilles it was important to be a battling warrior.  Today, it’s important to give all you’ve got regardless of pain you may be undergoing at the time.  Tiger Woods, again, and this time fighting through the pain, proved that the best due rise to the challenge and do not give up, regardless.

All of our hero’s, real life, or those having stood the test of time through literature, possess intestinal fortitude, integrity, and stand honor bound to battle through to the end.

Does that make them on par with one another?  It’s not apples and oranges.  However we decide to view athletes and warriors one thing is certain, if we were able to stand them shoulder to shoulder we would honor them with equal approval.

Dan O. De Ment, Publisher
http://dementmarketing.com
http://golfeagleglen.com

 

Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Adam Scott are in the same group this morning scheduled to tee off at 8:06AM PST.  How big is that?   If you’re a golf fan, fanatic, nut, or just plain like to watch golf on TV, it doesn’t get much better.  It sounds like the USGA decided to make it happen, it certainly couldn’t be a coincidence they’re all in the same group.  I mean, I’d have a better chance playing with Tiger this morning with the luck of the draw, and I’m not in the field.  Someone at USGA has stepped up to the plate! 
Good luck to all!!!

Dan O. De Ment, Publisher

http://dementmarketing.com
http://golfeagleglen.blogspot.com

 

THIS IS DISGRACEFUL:  Students at the Montebello High School in California have crossed the line.  They took our American flag down from the flag pole, raised the Mexican Flag in its place and then hung the American Flag upside down under the Mexican Flag.  This is an outrage!!!  If they have no more respect for our flag than that, while, at the same time, raising the Mexican Flag above it on the Flag Pole, let this be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.  I’m sure a small group of smart asses started the whole thing and then the rest of them thought it was humorous.   But they went along with it!

They should be kicked out of school and their parents should be fined.  If their parents don’t have the money to pay the fine they should be deported as a lesson to all who think they can play with the patriotism of upstanding American Citizens.  If the students think patriotism is humorous, the time has come to show them the door.

Dan O. De Ment, Publisher
http://dementmarketing.com
http://golfeagleglen.blogsport.com

 

I believe I should get an attaboy…at least a small one.  I think I figured Word Press out?  Well, some of it anyway.  Early on I could not figure out how to get something into a widget.  YOU HAVE TO SAVE THE WIDGET FIRST AND THEN ADD YOUR CONTENT.  If that info is anywhere in the FAQ,PDQ,ABC,XYZ, or any other menu, I could not find it.  It just dawned on me how to do it.  At my age things dawn on me slowly.  Anyway, don’t tell me I don’t know what I’m doing, at least partially, ever again.

http://dementmarketing.com
http://golfeagleglen.com

Dan O. De Ment, Publisher

This will be my first post after switching earlier today, from Blogger, for technical reasons.  Blogger kept locking up on me.  I have no idea why and am sure I’m not the only one whose had the problem…I think it was because I had two blogs on Blogger.  I’ll never know.  I’ll contact all my friends, and website and blog associations/connections as quickly as possbile about the change.

Dan O. De Ment
http://dementmarketing.com
http://golfeagleglen.blogspot.com

 

 

Big Brown, the supreme thoroughbred racing sensation, was unable to complete the Belmont Stakes and, at this time, the reason or reasons for his troubles are unknown. He started out just fine and by the time he got to the 3/4 mile pole things seemed to be growing curiouser and curiouser…the horse was unable to produce, for whatever reason, so his jockey pulled him up and Big Brown galloped slowly without noticeable difficulty, to the finish line, finishing in last place. The first time a potential Triple Crown winner event met such a fate. One authority believes a horse does not just under perform the way Big Brown did without there being a problem that will be discovered in the next few days after extensive testing.

It was a shame and a shock to see such a magnificent thoroughbred suddenly/seemingly run out of gas. Speculation is it could be internal bleeding, a small fracture, his recurrent hoof problem, the 93 degree heat, or whatever else we were not privy to hearing about at this time.

His handlers are saying they’ll evaluate him to see if it was the heat or whatever and, if he seems perfectly capable of further racing they’ll enter him accordingly. If not, he’ll be retired and put out to Stud. Value is everything in a thoroughbred and whether Big Brown’s has been depreciated due to his miserable showing, for whatever reason, remains to be seen. Everyone was in agreement, had he been up to snuff he would have won the race. Stay tuned!

Dan O. De Ment, Publisher
http://dans08.blogspot.com
http://dementmarketing.com

I wonder what is in store for our athletes, all of whom will be subjected to the poor quality of the air in China. There’s been a fairly tight lid on the whole situation but we do get glimpses of China, and almost every video production shows many of the Chinese people walking about wearing masks to protect them from pollution. How bad is it, really? Are our athletes going to be required to wear masks? I’m not joking here. Why aren’t we being told the whole and real story and how it will affect athletic competition at the Olympics? What long term affects can the pollution have on our athletes? What if a number of them come down with an illness that is environmentally related? The Chinese athletes are the only ones breathing that air at this point…I’m not suggesting they get use to it, I am wondering if that will be advantage when the competition begins. A sort of, home court advantage, if you will. Again, I’m quite serious. What precautions are our Olympic Committee taking? What about the air quality where the athletes sleep? It’s usually referred to as the Olympic Village.

Don’t tell me the air inside the facilities will be fine, that’s not the air I’m referring to. It’s what’s outside, when they’re walking around that I’m talking about.

Or, has the whole question of Chinese air quality been overblown and is not near the problem many have made it out to be?

Often, the more something is, “down played,” the more someone really needs to take a good look at what’s going on.

What do you think?

Dan O. De Ment, Publisher
http://dementmarketing.com
http://golfeagleglen.blogspot.com
http://dans08.blogspot.com

The first Andromeda Strain, produced a number of years ago, was full of excitement and suspense, it kept you on the edge of your seat, and no objectionable violence was present or was it necessary. The version I tried to watch last night was disturbing. Why in the world script writers, producers, and directors believe a film has to be full of violence leads me to believe they can’t write, produce, or direct any other way. Is our society so sick it can’t watch a film that contains all the suspense and intrigue required to keep you on the edge of your seat without the violence? Or is it Hollywood? I challenge anyone out there to make a film without showing the violent act, and make it as suspenseful, and on the edge of your seat scary, as it is disturbing having everyone watch the actual violent act. Can you do it?

Dan O. De Ment, Owner/Publisher

http://dans08.blogspot.com/

http://dementmarketing.com/

http://dand194308.livejournal.com/

I would like to invite everyone to visit our site at http://dand194308.livejournal.com/. I will be running a daily posting about our cat Ming’s life as my wife and I understand him. He’s a piece of work. Only a year and half old and into everything. There will be short and long posts depending what kind of day he has. Hope you stop by.

Dan O. De Ment
http://dans08.blogspot.com/

http://dementmarketing.com/

http://dand194308.livejournal.com/