Hard to imagine anything more high and leaning to the left… and his pitch was lousy, too.

The 16th hole at Augusta is a 170-yard par 3, almost entirely over water. In a practice round tradition, players try to skip balls across the pond onto the green. It’s a great site in a normally very formal setting. Sometimes fans will boo a golfer if they try to hit a regular shot…. or they’ll start chanting, “skip it, skip it, skip it“…

The fans at 16, who hail from as far away as Argentina and Alaska, know they are part of the spectacle and love the involvement. A woman in a Masters windbreaker waves her arms cheerleader style and yells, “C’mon people, talk ‘em into it!” Some players reciprocate with added entertainment value-as if watching the best players in the world attempt an esoteric trick shot isn’t enough.

And then someone like Vijay Singh comes along and does something like this. During today’s practice round (thankfully someone had a cell phone cam recording the moment) Vijay skipped his shot across the water and onto the green… and into the hole for a hole-in-one.

Watching the end of college football season unfold under the BCS process is akin to watching Democrats stumble through the governing process. At the end of the day, everyone knows what should happen, but those in charge find a way to screw it all up.

Most everyone knows that the Oklahoma Sooners get a bump in the computer rankings simply because their low class coach likes to run the score up on opponents. But Bob Stoops lacks the class of a Mack Brown, who can recognize when victory is certain and put in the second and third string. Unfortunately, it seems the current broken system rewards the classless.

If we take the scores and margins of victories out of the equation, here’s how things line up between Texas and Oklahoma (if Oklahoma beats Florida tomorrow night):

Top 10 teams beat:
Texas - 4
Oklahoma - 3

Number of losses:
Texas - 1
Oklahoma - 1 (to Texas)

Opponents with losing records:
Texas - 4
Oklahoma - 5

Combined opponents’ records (and winning percentages):
Texas - 100 - 65 (61%)
Oklahoma - 107 - 73 (59%)

So Oklahoma blew away many opponents? Their schedule was weaker, even including one team with a single win and another with zero wins on the season. But in the one head-to-head test between the two teams, Oklahoma lost by 10 points on a neutral field.

Of course, this all changes if Florida wins… but not by much. If Florida beats Oklahoma tomorrow night, here’s how the comparison breaks down:

Top 10 teams beat:
Texas - 4
Florida - 4

Number of losses:
Texas - 1 (to #6 Texas Tech on the road)
Florida - 1 (to unranked Mississippi at home)

Opponents with losing records:
Texas - 4
Florida - 4

Combined opponents’ records (and winning percentages):
Texas - 100 - 65 (61%)
Florida - 109 - 73 (60%)

Yet, the screwed up BCS system has ordained that if they win that game against an opponent put there, not by merit, but by flawed computer scoring, they will be the champions.

And then there’s Utah. I’m sorry to you Ute fans, but getting the attorney general involved? That’s as wacky as the claim to the #1 spot. Sure, Utah is undefeated, but they played 6 teams with losing records and had a schedule that involved opposition with a total record of 88 - 77 (just 3 points above .500) and only beat one top 10 team (in the bowl game). To have a real claim at the title, you’ve got to do better than a schedule that would barely make a high school junior varsity team sweat.

So bottom line, the Texas Longhorns are the best team in the country. The only loss they suffered was on the road to a perennial rival and by a single play with no time left on the clock (in fact, the play just prior would’ve ended the game and continued the undefeated season… but for a dropped interception).

But coaches, even though the BCS is going to once again screw it up, you have the power to vote for the Texas Longhorns as the best team in the country. Do the right thing.

How sweet it is…

With #3 Missouri (UT’s opponent next week) and #4 LSU going down (and #2 Alabama idle), the Horns should become #1 in the polls… (but considering what’s been happening to those who occupy that spot, maybe it’s not such a good thing)

If the Longhorns hope to repeat the 2005 championship season, they’ll have had to get by teams that have been ranked #1, 3, 7, 16 and 17.

That’s what you call a good ol’ fashioned ass-kickin’…

The Texas Rangers became the first team in 110 years to score 30 runs in a game, setting an American League record Wednesday in a 30-3 rout of the Baltimore Orioles.

Trailing 3-0 in the opener of a doubleheader, the Rangers scored five runs in the fourth inning, nine in the sixth, 10 in the eighth and six in the ninth.
[…]
Texas also set a team record for runs scored in a doubleheader — before the second game even started.

Ouch.

I’m not a huge basketball fan, but when March Madness rolls around, I’m usually tuned in… at least until my picks in the office pool have all lost. As usual, this year I’m in multiple office pools (including the one I host every year).

And apparently, I’m not the only one.

Here are my upset picks for the first round:

Georgia Tech over UNLV Missed that one.
Villanova over Kentucky
Illinois over Virginia Tech
Gonzaga over Indiana Missed that one.
Michigan St. over Marquette Got that one.
Texas Tech over Boston College Missed that one.

And here are my Final Four picks:

Florida
Kansas
North Carolina
Texas A&M

I am predicting Kansas to beat North Carolina for the championship. Surely, Kansas won’t bow out in the first round three years in a row.

I’ve also hedged my bets and in another pool picked UCLA beating Ohio State for the championship.

What are your predictions?

Always lots of focus on the commercials that air during the Superbowl.

Here’s one of the best:

Here were my favorites from last year:

Sprint: “Crime Deterrent”

Michelob Ultra: “Touch Football”

Budweiser: “Magic Fridge”

Ameriquest: “Don’t Judge Too Quickly - The Hospital”

Ameriquest: “Don’t Judge Too Quickly - The Airplane”

Budweiser: “Streaker”

Budweiser: “The Little Clydesdale”

From the Houston Chronicle:

DOHA, Qatar - Chess’ world governing body will introduce dope testing at the Asian Games this week, although the sport’s top official in Doha said he had no idea how drugs could enhance chess performance.
…
Drug testing is the latest move by the World Chess Federation to raise international standards in the hope of making chess an Olympic sport in the future.

I’m curious just which drugs enhance the play of Chess.

From SportingLife.com:

A darts player has tested positive for drugs for the first time and been banned for eight weeks.

Robbie Green, nicknamed ‘Kong’, tested positive for marijuana after giving a sample at the UK Open in Bolton in June. He has been suspended for eight weeks and two days by the Darts Regulation Authority.

Darts only introduced drug-testing this year and Green’s was only the eighth test of a darts player by anti-doping agency UK Sport.

And I thought his new physique was just from all that beer.

What’s worse? That there exists a professional league for parlor and board games? Or that they’re conducting drug testing on their “athletes”?

It’s this week’s sign the apocalypse is upon us.

Lots of readers from St. Louis, thanks to the Allman & Smash show. Tonights your night. Congrats on winning the World Series.

*For those who keep asking, no, the bet remains unpaid. (Though I fully expect Jamie to send me tickets to Games 6 & 7 of the World Series now)

I will be on Allman & Smash Tuesday, October 31st at 7:45 AM central. Click here to listen live.