To know list-8 early contenders for the home run crown
By now you’ve heard that this week’s Masters could be a celestial battle of the golf stars, a titanic tilt of a tournament you later will be able to look back upon and say, “Was that some phat action or what?” But what will it mean to the world rankings? Great question, Forrest.
At the risk of turning a personality-rich story into a stat, No. 1 Vijay Singh and No. 2 Tiger Woods currently are separated by a mere 0.20 average points per tournament in the world rankings. What are the rules of the rankings? Well, they’re complicated. Essentially, a great performance among a great field means a greater number of points, thereby increasing your average and hip-hopping you up the charts.
In addition, the top-gun back and forth could include Ernie Els, who many forget spent nine weeks as the No. 1 in the world, long ago, back when buying a gas-guzzling, wheel-rotating SUV was a reasonable idea. He trails Woods by 0.84, which can be made up with a Masters win and a couple of Tiger tournament tamings. Then there’s everybody’s favorite lefty, Phil Mickelson, fourth in the world but trying harder. He’s a fair piece back in points–even after playing in last weekend’s wet Masters warmup, the BellSouth Classic–as the other three putted down the road at Augusta. But he’s gung-ho and gaining, and, gosh, he has great teeth.
Whatever. All you need to know is that Singh and Woods are going to be spending more time fighting at the top of the charts than 50 Cent and The Game. Hate it or love it, the days of one player dominating the rankings for 264 straight weeks–as Woods did before he was dethroned by Singh–are done.–Paul Grant.
Golf worth watching
The battle among the Big Four couldn’t be happening at a better time for PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem–his tour’s contracts with CBS, ABC, NBC, ESPN. USA and the Golf Channel all are up for renegotiation. The early returns support that Finchem is in good stead to reap big bucks in deals for 2006 and beyond: Tiger Woods’ sensational Sunday battle with Phil Mickelson at last month’s Ford Championship earned a 5.9 rating for NBC, up a whopping 84 percent from 2004. If the Big Four-Woods, Mickelson, Vijay Singll and Ernie Els–take turns tangling like that. it could be a long, hot summer.
Getting those big bucks can only come by enticing back casual fans–and the best chance to do that is at the Masters. Last year’s rating for the final round. 7.3, was the second-lowest for Augusta since 1981, and the season’s numbers continued downhill from there. Because the Masters is the highest-rated tournament on the tour. a similarly poor showing this year would prove costly during negotiations with the networks, as it would be held up as the ceiling for ratings potential.A high-visibility, final-round rollick between Woods and one of the other Big Four would boost ratings, bring back casual fans and serve as useful ammunition for Finchem during talks.
Where are the fattest people in the world? That’s right, baby–right here in the good ol’ US of A, stuffing their faces at baseball games. According to the National Hat Dog and Sausage Council (yes, that’s a real organization), more than 27.5 million hat dogs will be consumed this season by fans at major league ballparks. Urp.
‘Prime Time’ has a pet project
He’s a cornerback. He’s a return man. He’s a receiver. He’s a baseball player. He’s a broadcaster. And he’s even a coach.
Multitalented free-agent cornerback Deion Sanders might or might not return to the Ravens to play again this year, but he is doing a little coaching on the side. Sanders called Gary Wichard, the agent for top cornerback prospect Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, to offer to show Pac-Man some technique work. Sanders watched Pac-Man’s West Virginia team lose to his alma mater, Florida State, in the Gator Bowl and undoubtedly saw some ways he could help the youngster. –Dan Pompei.
Howard Baldwin, producer of the Oscar-nominated film Ray, the story of late music legend Ray Charles, is teaming up with screen legend Robert Redford to produce another biopic on another groundbreaking African American. This time, it’s Brooklyn Dodgers Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson, with the movie set for a 2006 or 2007 release.
Redford, who will co-produce the film, was “the natural” choice to play Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey. A possibility for the starring role of Robinson: Ray star Jamie Foxx. “At the appropriate time,” Baldwin says, “we’d be nuts not to want to talk to Jamie.”–Vinnie Iyer