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The Daily Dose/June 17, 2008
By Gaylon Kent
The Writer's Shack
   
More notes from around the Human Experience, campers, as Tiger Woods selfishly prevents a major upset as Rocco Mediate plays about as good as a Rocco Mediate can play and still can't win the US Open, some really good On This Date action, an American girl defecting to the Ruskies, this date in 1908 Chicago Cubness, Trivia, plus Becky Hammon is the Column Four Foto because she's cuter than Rocco Mediate.
GEE, THIS IS A SURPRISE: Fortunately Tiger Woods, unlike the Boston Red Sox, is likeable, otherwise the 2008 US Open results would have disturbed us, because Woods won ihs third US Open and his 14th major title Monday at the Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego.
As it was, it's nice to have Tiger reaffirm his place as the best there's ever been at what he does, despite a heroic attempt by journeyman Rocco Mediate to sneak past History's door. Obliged to follow the tournament of his life by playing another round with the Almighty Tiger, Mediate overcame a three-stroke deficit midway through the round and was actually leading Woods by a stroke heading to last hole, which Woods birdied and Mediate parred. Woods then beat Mediate on the first hole of sudden death.
Dry, Technical Matter: The US Open is the only major that requires a full round to break a tie, and - and we are not making this up - they actually used to require a 36 hole playoff to break a tie and in 1931 even that wasn't enough as Billie Burke and George Von Elm were still tied and the USGA sentenced them to 36 more holes the next day and had Burke not beaten Von Elm by a stroke they may have stayed at the Inverness Club in Toledo all week.
Final Answer: Could you imagine the seventh game of the World Series ending in a tie and everyone coming back the next afternoon to play another game? We can't either, though, honestly, it didn't really bother us that another round had to be played Monday. It was rather compelling, actually. We're just pointing this out to make pests of ourselves, though if we were the decision maker on this one we would vote for the sudden death system, simply to keep the momentum, or lack thereof, each player had finishing up in regulation going.
UH, HOW LONG DOES A DEAD BODY KEEP?: On this date in 1631 Mumtaz Majal dies while giving birth to her 14th child. Her husband, Emperor Shah Jahan I, following her instructions, gets right to work on her tomb. Construction takes 20 years, and results in the Taj Mahal, at Agra, India.
Give Us Your Tired, Your Poor: On this date, in 1885, the Statue of Liberty arrives in New York City, a gift from the French commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, which had actually been written and adopted nine years earlier, but what the hell.
Editors Note: The On This Date segment is pleased to chronicle the 1908 Chicago Cubs season because this was the last time the Cubs won the World Series. This would probably have greater effect if we were actually producing columns everyday, but still, it's great fun! Trust us!
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME: On 6/17/1908 the Cubs defeat the Phillies 3-2 at the Baker Bowl.
Weather Report: The server for the newspaper archive service utilized by the Writer's Shack is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, most of which is currently underwater, which is affecting service. So we are unable to bring the sort of biting, comprehensive coverage of each days ballgame like we all have become accustomed to. Sit tight, they will be back up and running in due course. We could, we suppose, go and find other sources to accent this feature with, but as a show of solidarity with our Midwestern brethren, we're not. Plus, while they dig fish out of their attics, we can work on our tans with the time saved.
Uh, Can We Get Back On Message Here?: In other National League action, the Pirates smacked the Boston Doves around twice 14-4 and 4-2, Brooklyn defeated the Cardinals 4-0 and the Giants took two from the Reds, 4-2 and 2-1. The Cubs end the day 31-17, two games up on the Pirates and are five up on the Reds.
What The Hell's Going On Here: With an admirable sense of history, the 2008 Chicago Cubs, like their 1908 counterparts, have the best record in baseball on June 17. Following an off day Monday, the Cubs will take a ML-best 45-25 record into tonight's game at Tampa Bay.
He's Not A Crook…Really: On this date in 1972 the end of the Nixon Administration began when five men are arrested for burglarizing the offices of Larry O'Brien, chairman of the Democratic National Committee. The break-in would evolve into the Watergate Scandal, and culminate 16 months later with Nixon's resignation.
Speaking Of Criminals: On this date, in 1994 O.J. Simpson is arrested for the murder of his wife Nicole Brown Simpson, and a friend of hers, Ronald Goldman. He would be acquitted of both murder charges the following year, and his currently awaiting trial in Las Vegas on a variety charges, including conspiracy, kidnapping, assault and robbery.
MY COUNTRY TIS OF THEE: Becky Hammon, a cute basketball player from South Dakota who starred at Colorado State and currently plays for some team in that chick professional league and is about as Russian as you or I, announced recently she is going to play basketball in the Olympics for Russia.
It's A Small World: Hammons has been in the habit of playing in Russia in the offseason, and the Russians saw fit to award her citizenship, which she accepted. USA Basketball, responsible for selecting the US teams, wasn't particularly interested in having Hammon play for them, so Hammon said screw it, Olympic opportunities don't come around every year, and accepted a spot on the Russian team.
Bully For Her: While the staff here at the Writer's Shack takes a backseat to no one in the patriotism department, Olympic berths don't grow on trees and if Olympic organizers don't particularly care what country Hammon was born in, we don't either. How people get their passports is their lookout not ours.
On A Personal Note: Honestly, we here at the Writer's Shack wouldn't be completely averse to scamming an Olympic berth in this manner, either. Based on our general lack of athletic skill, we'd probably be relegated to being the third string catcher on the Dutch baseball team, or maybe we could sneak in on the Mexican siesta team, but whatever it takes, we'd do it.
Save Your Bandwidth, This Is What Interns Are For: Hammon really plays for the San Antonio Silver Stars in the WNBA. On Sunday Hammon's had 11 points as San Antonio won their third straight, a 70-60 win at dreaded Indiana. Through ten games, Hammons is averaging 13.2 ppg.
Trivia Answer: Since Sir Barton won the first Triple Crown in 1919, the second longest drought between Triple Crown winners - behind the current 30-year drought - is 25-years, between Citation's win in 1948 and Secretariat's in 1973.
Today's Stumper: What is the most number of holes a US Open sudden playoff has gone before a winner was determined? - Answer next time!
Threats? Recipes? Trivia question answers? Email The Writer's Shack Here!
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