Viktor Hovland gives us something we’ve probably never heard before in sports

You’ve heard it all in sports, haven’t you? You’ve heard coaches of heavily favored football teams complain that the oddsmakers don’t know a thing. You’ve heard boxers boast what they are going to do to an opponent before they’re arrogant enough to step into the ring. 

But you’ve never heard anyone quite like Viktor Hovland.

He’s a PGA Tour pro. He’s from Norway. He went to Oklahoma State. And this past weekend, he won the Valspar Championship near Tampa.

Although you wouldn’t know it from his comments—which could be described as unique and, at times, baffling for someone who had just secured a victory—this was a man who had won five other events, including both the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship in 2023.

“It’s unbelievable that I won,” said Hovland. “I really didn’t think I was going to. It’s still the same swing. I still hit some disgusting shots, but somehow I was able to put it together this week.” 

So much for the advice you need to be positive to be successful. Better to be realistic and have the guy in front of you, Justin Thomas, who happens to have won two majors, collapse with bogeys on two of the last three holes.

Golf often is an evil game. The setting, a course beautiful enough on which to have a picnic, may fool even the most skeptical of individuals.

It may not be a long walk spoiled, but it’s a pastime that makes people lose their cool and often threaten to hurl their clubs—or themselves—into a water hazard or a trash bin. The little things get to you, like forgetting to sign the scorecard, negating all you’ve done with the clubs in your bag. So do the big things, like missing a tee shot or, worse, a short putt.  

Hovland probably had no expectations coming into the Valspar. He had missed the cut in the three preceding tournaments. Ah, but that’s the beauty and the agony of the game.

Once again, who could imagine Thomas, seemingly playing well at last, giving the tournament away with poor approach shots on 16 and 18?

Meanwhile, Hovland, down on himself, was able to get the ball down into the cup.

Apropos of nothing, the general chairman of the Valspar is Ronde Barber, the NFL Hall of Famer. You wonder if his years in athletics prepared him for the ending of the tournament and Hovland’s bizarre analysis.

“I’ve been playing poorly,” said Hovland. “No confidence. When you don’t believe you can play well, it is hard to come out and play week after week.”

As one of the Golf Channel commentators pointed out, “It certainly doesn’t sound like your typical post-match interview.”

That’s because it wasn’t.

Stanford football coach accused of hostility toward female staffers

Accusations against the head football coach of a major university. Hardly unusual. Except the university is Stanford and the coach in question is Troy Taylor, who came from Stanford’s biggest rival, California, and also ironically served as a radio commentator for the Golden Bears recently. 

Stanford. The Harvard of the West. Where the emphasis is on academics. Not that the administration and of course the alumni don’t want to succeed in sports. Only to a point of moderation. Years ago when Stanford was overwhelming USC and going to the Rose Bowl, a member of the faculty contender suggested that some people at the school were embarrassed, as if there was something wrong in making the all-American squad as opposed to making Phi Beta Kappa.  

The football program slipped considerably and so Stanford went after Taylor, who was a star at the school across the Bay—yes, Cal, or, as some people derogatorily call it, UC Berkeley. Taylor arrived before the 2023 season and has struggled, not surprisingly, in this era of transfer protocol, and the charges against him disclosed by ESPN arrived only hours ago. 

These charges, according to the ESPN report, say Taylor bullied and belittled female athletic staffers, sought to have an NCAA compliance officer removed after she warned him of rules violations, and repeatedly made “inappropriate” comments to another woman about her appearance. 

The report on the 56-year-old Taylor was prepared by Timothy O’Brien, senior counsel for the Libby O’Brien Kingsley & Champion Law firm in Maine. O’Brien said, “He never had encountered the level of animosity and disdain for a university compliance officer. Even during the interview with me, when talking about compliance issues, Coach Taylor’s tone was forceful and aggressive.” 

The complaints against Taylor came early enough. The investigation began after multiple employees filed grievances against Taylor for what they called hostile and aggressive behavior, as well as personal attacks. Those comments came from a previous investigation by Kate Weaver Patterson of KWP Consulting & Mediation in the spring of 2023—weeks before Taylor’s first game. 

Taylor was contrite in responding to the report. “I willingly complied with the investigations,” said Taylor, “accepted the recommendations that came out of them, and used them as a learning opportunity to grow in leadership and how I interact with others.” 

That Taylor still has his job may be his willingness to admit his intemperance. Stanford’s administrators, including Athlete Director Bernard Muir, while not pleased with the situation and report, have shown a high degree of patience. 

No school wants to be paying a football coach who has been removed from his job, particularly when it has nothing to do with the final scores. Stanford was 3-9 this past season and lost to Cal in each of Taylor’s two seasons. 

He is in the process of getting things right on the field. No less, obviously, he must get them right with the women on his staff.

Andreeva’s BNP Championship hardly was a “Mirracle”

INDIAN WELLS — She’s the kind of kid who, when it comes to her game, doesn’t kid around—paraphrasing the old Dion song—a teenager in love with a sport where her opponents often end up with love, which, in tennis, means zero.

We know where Mirra Andreeva has gone, by age 17, Sunday winning the women’s title of the BNP Paribas Open, after winning at Dubai in her previous start.

What we don’t know, but certainly can surmise, is how far she is about to go. 

Andreeva defeated world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a sold-out Indian Wells tennis garden stadium, where determined by the shrieks and shouts, the majority of the 16,100 fans were cheering for Andreeva.

That match was followed by Jack Draper, the Brit, beating Holger Rune of Denmark, 6-2, 6-2 in the men’s final in a tidy 1 hour 5 minutes. If that result wasn’t a surprise—and to many who have been touting the 23-year-old Draper, it wasn’t—then the women’s final certainly was. Or was it?

Andreeva, the Russian, has been getting accolades seemingly for years, although perhaps not that long. She has progressed beautifully from one step to another, ranking as the top junior in the sport two years ago and then meeting expectations, climbing the figurative ladder.

Andreeva dropped the first set to Sabalenka and you figured she was a bit overmatched. Not true. She roared back as all the great ones do—joining the ranks of Tracy Austin, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, and Kim Clijsters, all of whom became stars at a very young age.

“After the first set it was tough to come back really,” insisted Andreeva, “but I tried my best.”

Her best was enough even against a 26-year-old who has won three majors, including 2 Australian Opens and a U.S. Open, but who faltered big time in this one. 

“Honestly it was me against me,” said an understandably upset Sabalenka. “I made a lot of unforced errors on important points, and I just let her play a little bit better. She kind of like believed in herself. After that, I started playing much worse, and I was just trying to find my rhythm back but it didn’t work this time.”

There are turning points in tennis as there are in many of our popular sports.  And this may have been one. The underdog, the hopeful, breaks through and everything changes. 

It’s a matter of finding the confidence that unleashes the potential. Once a player realizes she can do it, the rest of the field realizes it, too.

It’s cute to say Andreeva’s success is a “Mirracle”, but that ignores the skill and determination which got her there—and should get her to the pinnacle of tennis.

No Three-peat for Alcaraz at BNP; Draper stopped that

INDIAN WELLS — That thought of Carlos Alcaraz and his three-peat at the BNP Paribas Open was knocked into the desert halfway to Death Valley by a guy named Jack Draper, who made sure Saturday that the result of the men’s final would be a “One-peat.” 

On a Saturday when the weather in this resort area finally met expectations, with temperatures reaching the low 70s, Stadium One at Indian Wells Tennis Garden was packed. The winners of the two men’s semifinals likely felt the energy. Draper, a 23-year-old whose mother was a competitor in England, began his tennis journey by hitting balls against the walls of their home club. He defeated Alcaraz 6-1, 0-6, 6-4.

In Sunday’s final Draper will be up against Holger Rune of Denmark, who took care of Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-4. 

The ladies also will have their last match on Sunday, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will face wunderkind Mirra Andreeva, the 17-year-old from Russia. They advanced Friday night, Sabalenka crushing Madison Keys of the U.S. 6-0, 6-1, and Andreeva winning over two-time BNP champion, Iga Swiatek, 7-6,1-6, 6-3.

Maybe nothing should be a surprise in sports, especially in tennis, but Keys winning only one game against Sabalenka was a real stunner. The 11th game, in particular, stood out. Keys, 34, the American, had defeated Sabalenka just seven weeks ago in the Australian Open final, securing Madison’s first major victory. Sabalenka called Saturday’s match "revenge," while others described it as a "bagel, breadstick" finish.

Alcarez has won four major titles, including two Wimbledons, and Draper none, but Alcarez was properly weary of his opponent. Alcaraz said of Draper, “I think he’s ambitious, and he always goes for it. That makes him a really tough opponent.”

How tough was evident in the final score. “I mean, this one hurts”, said Alcaraz. “I don’t want to lose any match, but I think this one was even more special to me. It was difficult today, a lot of nerves in the match.”

When asked what he could have done better, Alcaraz reflected, “Just playing my style and stepping onto the court with fewer nerves. I think that was the big difference.”

You might think that a man who has won Wimbledon twice, along with titles at Roland Garros and the U.S. Open, would be less nervous—even at an event known as the "Fifth Major." But internal pressure is always a factor when competing at the highest level. 

When the opportunity arrives, how does the athlete respond? Draper showed us. 

“Yeah, I feel incredible obviously to beat Carlos in this sort of stage in the tournament on that court,” said Draper. “You know, I have watched the top players in the world play on that court for many, many years now, and it feels amazing, honestly, both those things.”

Rune, who has reached the quarterfinals in three Grand Slam tournaments, is one of those players whose name always seems to pop up and cause you to ask,  “Who’s that?” But to followers of the sport, he’s more than just a name. His win on Saturday over Medvedev, a two-time BNP Paribas Open runner-up, was particularly impressive.

“I feel like I’m very clear in my mindset,” said Rune. “Also (Sunday) I have to go for it. It’s not going to be handed to me. It’s a lot of work.”

Nothing is handed to you in sports. As Rune said you have to go get it.

Will there be an Alcaraz three-peat at Indian Wells?

INDIAN WELLS — It was Pat Riley, a successful but hardly humble individual, who created and copyrighted the term “three-peat” back in 1988 after he coached the Los Angeles Lakers to two consecutive NBA titles.

The phrase became both iconic and generic and because Riley never won more than two in a row, perhaps ironic.  

We’ve heard it this week during the BNP Paribas Open in discussions and praise of Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz. True, for Riley—who will turn 80 in a few days—the game was and is basketball, while for the 21-year-old Alcaraz, it is tennis. But victory is what links the two and every other great competitor.

Whether Alcaraz, number 3 in the rankings, accurately can be called great at this stage in what appears destined to be a tremendous career is a matter of judgment. Yet, as he is set to play against Jack Draper in Saturday’s BNP semi-finals, a three-peat at Indian Wells is quite real.

Not only has Alcaraz won at Indian Wells the past two years, but he has also taken 16 straight matches here. The last one was Thursday night in the quarter-finals, where he battled through cold, windy conditions and a slow start to defeat Argentina’s Fernando Cerúndolo 6-3, 7-6 (4).  

Alcaraz long has been touted as the heir apparent to stars such as Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Carlos already has four major championships, a line-up that includes Wimbledon twice, Roland Garros, and a US Open. Although in recent months Jannik Sinner had taken control and risen to the top of the rankings, he is absent from Indian Wells, serving a three-month suspension for violating the Tour’s drug standards.

Alcaraz, as virtually every player on either the men's or women’s tour, appreciates the program and facilities at Indian Wells—and not only because he has done so well here. “I think tennis is a lonely sport,” said Alcaraz. “I’m lucky enough to bring my family with me to tournaments. So sometimes when you have or you feel peaceful in the place you're going, you feel great. That’s this case here. I feel peace. So I just feel great that way with the people that I have around. That’s why it makes this place really beautiful to me, I think that’s why I show my best tennis here.”

Success comes from listening to knowledgeable advisors and, even when things go wrong—as they do for even the best—continuing to believe in yourself.

“Tennis is about not having a great day every day,” said Alcaraz. “So you have to play your best that day.”   

Alcaraz has played his best often enough to have a chance at his own three-peat. Isn’t that the way it’s done, Pat Riley?

Medvedev makes it past the cold and Arthur Fils into the Indian Wells semis

INDIAN WELLS — When you saw it was 62 at Indian Wells on Thursday, you thought that was the score of a match in the BNP Paribas, not the (brr) temperature in this desert city.

The place promoted as tennis paradise maybe wasn’t as cold or depressing as Duluth in December, but neither was it inviting. Because of conditions that included a brief morning rain, balls were heavy and for spectators at Indian Wells Tennis Garden, the attire was the same.

Except for downpours, the weather rarely stops play, so the tournament went forward. Iga Swiatek, trying for a third BNP title, was a winner, as did Madison Keys, Holger Rune, Mira Andreeva, and, not least, Daniil Medvedev. 

In the main match of the early afternoon—one that lasted 2 hours and 25 minutes, one that had the fans cheering or groaning (we’ll get to that later)—Medvedev survived the young Frenchman Arthur Fils, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 to reach the semi-finals.

“Today was an amazing match,” said Medvedev. “Amazing crowd, tough one with the wind and everything, but I felt like (it was a) high level from both of us. (It) was just a great feeling to win it.”

Medvedev, 29, has won a ton of matches and money in his career. He can be both loveable and irascible, which is why there were cheers and groans when he hit a successful shot.  First of all, Medvedev is Russian, born in Moscow, which makes him unpopular with many, especially Americans. He now lives in Monte Carlo, which makes him more disliked, or for those who like tax-free havens, beloved. And he is very intelligent and sharp-witted, ready to complain or confront. 

A couple of years ago he grumbled that the hard courts at Indian Wells were too slow, as if he were at Roland Garros, in the French playing on the red clay. He hasn’t said much publicly about the new courts laid down for this year’s BNP Paribas. 

One autumn in the U.S. Open in New York, Medvedev began to argue with people in the stands, holding his own against typical New York types, who were all too willing to be involved. They yelled at him, and whenever he had the chance, he yelled right back. It was great entertainment, and Medvedev gained considerable admiration from those who perhaps had come to boo him. 

Medvedev twice has been in the Indian Wells finals, losing both to current defending champion Carlos Alcarez in 2023 and 2024. Medvedev has struggled in the early matches this year. In the Australian Open, he didn’t even make it to the third round losing to Learner Tien. 

“First of all, I lost three very tight matches this year,” Medvedev said, “ two of which I was really close to winning, Tien and (Tallon) Griekspoor. The more you lose matches like this, the more you lose confidence in these tight moments.” 

That may sound strange coming from a former world No. 1 and winner of 20 ATP Tour-level singles titles. But as in all sports, particularly tennis, where there are no teammates to reassure you, your thinking and success can change with a single swing of a racket. 

Especially on a cold day.

Bit of a stunner, Coco defeated by new mom, Bencic, at Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS — And for the celebration of her 21st birthday, Coco Gauff will have a glass of well, whatever one selects, when she doesn’t feel like celebrating. Which after being eliminated in her third match of the BNP Paribas Open on Wednesday, Gauff does not. 

That she lost to a wildcard, albeit in Belinda Bencic, a wildcard who before taking a maternity leave was ranked as high as fourth, undoubtedly makes the defeat even more distasteful.  Indeed we’ve mentioned this numerous times, every one of the players on either the women’s or men’s tennis tours is superior and is good enough (or bad enough) to win or lose any time out.  Still, Coco’s 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 defeat was a bit of a stunner. 

Playing the first match at Indian Wells on a 70-degree morning—yes, beautiful weather, but rain is forecast for Thursday—Gauff fulfilled the expectations and started well enough, then the serve problems on which she has spent many practice sessions trying to correct showed up again. 

The other American female star, Madison Keys, who at age 30 last month earned an Australian Open victory, fared better Wednesday in the BNP. Keys, in a reverse of Gauff’s fortunes, came back to beat Donna Vekic, 4-6, 7-6, 6-3. 

The men’s matches were scheduled for nighttime at Indian Wells—where fans come as much for the sunshine as for the stars—though that’s not necessarily prime time. It didn’t matter much. Regardless of time, Carlos Alcaraz, ranked No. 3, and the BNP Paribas defending champion, defeated Grigor Dimitrov 6-1, 6-1.

Jim Mora Sr., when coaching in the NFL, famously said when asked about which team would win, “You don’t know, you can’t know, you never will know.” In tennis, we do know that two months ago, Coco Gauff defeated Bencic in three sets at the Australian Open. At the time, Bencic had only recently returned to competition after several months away. 

You assumed by now that Bencic would have improved, and she had. You also assumed Gauff, outranked by only two women, would win once more. Back to Mr. Mora, you don’t know.

“Here,” said Gauff, “ I mean, I lost 6-4 in the fourth round against a tough opponent who’s coming off a 500 win. Obviously, I wanted to do better, want to have better results, but it’s not something I can crush myself on.” 

Gauff was asked about her birthday, which of course always falls during the tournament. “I  really don’t care, I guess, when my birthday is, but I am excited, and obviously I would have loved to be out here [Thursday]. But I’m going to try to either get home tonight or tomorrow just to celebrate with my family.”

Bencic, 28, gave birth to a daughter, Bella, in April 2024. But that has not diminished her desire to be one of the globe’s best in tennis.

“Obviously, I like the work I have put in,” she said. “Yes, for sure, like we were able to do a clean start. It's not easy after maternity leave, you know, to do all the work again. I didn’t have a baby to improve my career. I had a baby because we felt like that’s our purpose in life. That’s what we want. That came at the right time of our lives.”

Rain and Rune at Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS — The temperature dropped as quickly as some of the top men’s seeds. People showed up with their racquets when what they really needed were umbrellas. For a while Tuesday you couldn’t be sure whether you were at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells or at the All England Championships at Wimbledon. 

Or because one of the matches Monday night didn’t finish until 11:39 p.m. New York is the city that never sleeps. Indian Wells, like neighboring Palm Springs, inhabited largely by retirees, is a place that goes to bed early.

You can always find somewhere to eat in New York. Here most dining places close at 9. That’s roughly two and a quarter hours before Grigor Dimitrov defeated good old (emphasis on both good and old; he’s 38) Gael Monfils, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6. The match lasted three hours and one minute.

Dimitrov, who ranks No. 14, faces Carlos Alcarez, the No. 3 seed and defending champion.  True, the Dimitrov-Monfils battle—which included a 34-stroke rally won by Dimitrov—went on and on.

Yet weather conditions were favorable. It had been in the mid-80s in the afternoon and still was pleasant well after the sun went down. Tuesday, however, was a different story—relatively speaking, brr. The high barely reached the low 60s. Then came the rain, halting play in the early afternoon and again, not so briefly, after a restart. But the downpour eventually passed, and the tennis continued. One result, in keeping with the tournament’s surprises, stood out: Holger Rune of Denmark defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, 6-4, 6-4.

The ladies, unlike their male counterparts, have been doing what was predicted. On Tuesday that trend continued, with former world number one and two-time Indian Wells winner, Iga Swiatek beating Karolina Muchova, 6-1, 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals.

Against the talented Muchova, the Pole won more breakpoints (5) than committed unforced errors (4).

Swiatek obviously is on a determined run to regain the women’s Number One ranking, now held by Aryna Sabalenka. That should be a very interesting confrontation should they meet, the type that will bring even more attention to a sport, which too often gets the headlines for items other than the actual competition.

Such as, say, the weather.

We’re told it rains only 14 days a year in the arid Coachella Valley. Ironically some of those 14 days have been during the BNP Paribas Open. A bummer, but as they say in songs, the sun always will shine.

Even for those players knocked out in the early rounds.

Coco, other lady stars, respond after top men’s losses at BNP

INDIAN WELLS — So Francis Tiafoe forgot to bring his racquet—and then forgot to bring his game—and Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev also took a fall before even taking a step.

But just before the BNP Paribas Open was left with contestants almost so anonymous name tags were needed, on came the ladies.  

Sunday night the defending women’s champ, Iga Swiatek, won her match. Then, on Monday, Aryna Sabalenka, who had overtaken Swiatek as the world’s No. 1 player, got her win. Then Coco Gauff, America’s highest-ranking woman, followed.

In an Indian Wells stadium full of sunlight—with the temperature at a comfortable 81 degrees but strangely lacking spectators—Coco Gauff defeated Maria Sakkari 7-6, 6-2. Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka overwhelmed Lucia Bronzetti 6-1, 6-2. The day began with Madison Keys of the US, a recent Australian Open champion, winning 6-2, 6-7, 6-4 over Elise Mertens. In that group, you could say form followed function or did function follow form? Either way, the girls who were supposed to win, did.

The gentlemen, as they are referred to in tennis, had their own response on Monday. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz defeated Denis Shapovalov 6-2, 6-2. 

The BNP is arguably the biggest event other than the four Grand Slam Championships. It is often referred to as the “Fifth Major”, particularly by Californians, who despite a long history in the game, have lost every other tournament in the state.

Strange things happen in the California desert each year. New courts were laid down at Indian Wells before this year, and while you wouldn’t think it mattered unless you’re a top-flight player, there’s been a debate over whether the courts are faster or slower than the old ones.

There is no debate that Gauff, who will turn 20 Thursday, is being hailed as America’s latest tennis sweetheart, in the wake of such stars as Maureen Connally, Billie Jean King, and Chris Evert. Gauff already had her major, taking the U.S. Open in 2023. Lately, however, she has stumbled, double-faulting her way to frustration. Whether she is prepared to catch and pass Sabalenka and Swiatek is a legitimate question. We might have a better clue at the end of this BNP which concludes on Sunday.

Sakkari defeated Gauff in last year’s BNP semi-finals, so this could be seen as a bit of revenge, as well as a considerable advancement. Said Gauff of the match versus Sakkari, “I think we were both struggling a little bit with finding the rhythm, and I was just trying to stay solid on my end of the court. I’ve been in the process of trying to continue with the changing of my serve. It’s tough trying to learn a new motion.”

Gauff was asked about Keys, who broke through finally in the Australian Open.

“Definitely inspiring,” Gauff said about Keys’ victory Down Under, “because I’m in that process.”

Inspiring is an appropriate word to describe the way the top winners have played, off-setting the efforts of the high-ranked men.

Tennis is very much alive at Indian Wells

When the BNP Paribas Open shows up at Indian Wells in the desert each March, with stars such as Novak Djokovic and Coco Goff, sellout crowds, and a party atmosphere, you are tempted to recall a less joyous period for the game.

In May 1994, the cover of Sports Illustrated posed the question, “Is Tennis Dying?” If it was, the sport has made a remarkable comeback. Not only are there tournaments from the Dubai in the Middle East to Cincinnati in the middle of America, there’s also a network—The Tennis Channel—that 24 hours a day shows nothing but, yes, tennis. 

That SI article was written by the great Sally Jenkins and made some striking charges against both the people who ran the game and those who played the game. But if there are miracle drugs now in medicine that can cure virtually everything, there have been miraculous changes in tennis. 

“Tennis is spoiled rotten,” Jenkins wrote 30 years ago. “If you are wondering exactly when a wonderful game became such a lousy sport, the answer is, the first time a corporate executive gave a 14-year-old a stretch limo to play with.”

Whether the mode of transportation has changed is debatable, but what the 14-year-olds, or in the case of Gaël Monfils, a 38-year-old, are playing with is the determination to be a champion. One of the changes came about, ironically, because of a 14-year-old named Venus Williams. Only a few months after Jenkins’ piece, Williams made her professional debut in a match at Oakland. 

Williams and her younger sister, Serena, put tennis into the headlines and onto prime time.  Suddenly it was a social phenomenon as well as a sport, bringing in a new audience and new interest. Two young female African American athletes, and their very involved father, Richard,  captured our attention while the ladies were capturing trophies.

It may be an overstatement to credit Venus as the individual responsible for the revival of the game. Yet she certainly played a significant part. Sadly, Venus, now 44, declined an invitation to this year’s Indian Wells event. Time catches up with everyone, even trailblazers.

Indian Wells has been nicknamed the “Fifth Major” for good reason. It definitely brings in the best players and also brings in the fans to fill the second-largest tennis stadium in America, which boasts 16,100 seats. Entertainment personalities come down the 120 miles from Hollywood to see and be seen. That, of course, is what helps make any sport. If the celebrities care, and they care about Indian Wells, you will be a success.

Forget the obituaries, tennis is very much alive, whether at Flushing Meadows, Roland Garros, or any of the other tournaments.

For verification simply note what goes on at the BNP these ten days at Indian Wells.

Will 49ers Purdy ‘Brock’ the bank?

So negotiations are underway to sign Brock Purdy to the contract which keeps him as a San Francisco 49ers quarterback for a long while and be valued at around $50 million a year.

If that seems expensive, that’s because it is.

As you probably have noticed, there’s a great deal to be earned in sports these days as a competitor if you’re any good. Or in the case of the Philadelphia 76ers Joel Embiid, who’s always injured, even if you’re not.

Maybe we are so immune to what teams pay athletes, if not what we pay for tickets, all the finance doesn’t matter. The spending is relative. Back in 1930 after it was disclosed Babe Ruth was getting more money than  President Hoover, he said, “Why not? I had a better year.”

The discussions about dollars make us recall the comments by the late Senator Everett Dirksen who when told there was going to be an increase of a billion dollars in the federal budget said, “A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon it begins to add up to real money.”

The money from sports and for sports is real enough, but that seems less important than what happens on the fields, courts, and ice. Tickets for Super Bowl LVIX this February ranged from $950 to $7000 face value. There was no reluctance to buy them, especially for the fans of the Eagles or Chiefs. You think anybody cares how much LeBron James or Steph Curry makes, other than the tax collector? It’s all about winning, and the winners.

If a team has the wherewithal, then use it, as the Los Angeles Dodgers. They pay virtually as much in luxury tax penalties as the Tampa Bay Rays do in salaries. However, after another World Series and with stars like Shohei Ohtani, nobody in LA is complaining about the price of tickets at Dodger Stadium.

College sports are not exempt from the emphasis—over emphasis—on money. Once the new name, image, and likeness rules came into being, potential undergrads were out there trying to get the best deal and as we know, even if they get it, they often transfer from one school to another. 

Long ago, when the 49ers chose the great running back, Hugh McElhenny, in 1952, the quip often referenced was, “He took a pay cut from his years at the University of Washington.”

As we’re taught in Econ 101, the issue is one of supply and demand.

Not a lot of people can score points like Steph Curry or control an NBA game like LeBron James. Will Brock Purdy be as effective in his sport once he gets the new, large contract? That’s the only thing that really counts.  

Big money? Everett Dirksen would be astounded by today’s world of fun, games, and fortunes.

Did world’s number one, Sinner, pull a fast one on tennis?

One of the reasons people like sports is that, unlike life, they are fair. Rules count. Three strikes is an out, four balls a walk. No appellate judge can change an umpire’s call although a replay review might give visual proof the base runner called out definitely was off the bag. 

Which understandably is why several tennis stars are outraged by how the world’s No. 1 men’s player, the Italian Jannik Sinner, apparently pulled a fast one on those who govern the game. Or was it a needed one?

There are no home teams in tennis but there are big names. The sport relies on them to be on the court to create interest, provide competition, and draw crowds.

Sinner tested positive last year for trace amounts of Clostebol, a synthetic androgenic steroid often used in sports to enhance physical performance. He appealed the charge, was permitted to compete, and went on to win his second consecutive major title at the Australian Open last month. Then he accepted a three-month ban, which conveniently allows him back in time for the next Grand Slam tournament, the French Open in May. He could have been suspended for two years.

Noting the discipline, one skeptic pointed out, “Banning Sinner for three months from February to the beginning of May is the equivalent of banning Santa from riding his Sleigh between January and November.” 

Indeed Sinner will not be able to play at Indian Wells in March, and that is a huge event, but he was given a virtual free pass to the French, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open. If, say in baseball, a similar violation occurred, the suspension would have been for weeks, maybe even months.

Novak Djokovic, who has won more Slams than any other man, 24, and is still near the very top, said, “A majority of tennis players have lost faith in the anti-doping authorities, and there’s a widespread feeling that “favoritism” is being shown to the sport’s biggest stars.”

Of course. Tennis relies on the appearance and performance of the best players to keep the grandstands full and the television ratings high. Do you want to see a player ranked 100th or someone in the top ten? It’s the people, male or female, who get the points and the headlines, who also get the attention.

Djokovic certainly has been one of those, and he earned his triumphs and his recognition in the correct manner. He believes there appears to be a problem with this sport.

“Right now it’s a ripe time for us to really address the system,” said Djokovic, “because the system and the structure obviously doesn’t work. So, I hope that in the near future the governing bodies are going to come together of our tours and the tennis ecosystem and try to find a more effective way to deal with these processes.”

Keep hoping, Novak, but many of us will keep doubting. Unfortunately.

49ers may not get to next Super Bowl, but 49ers stadium will

Wasn’t it Jim Mora Sr., then coaching the Saints, who, when asked about games with unexpected results, said, “You don’t know, you can’t know, you never will know”? Mora's insight comes to mind when reflecting on what happened in the Super Bowl.

Or if you prefer, what didn’t happen.

Oh yeah, one thing we do know: The next Super Bowl, LX, will be held at Levi Stadium, where the San Francisco 49ers play home games. And one more thing we do know: the Niners won’t be in that Super Bowl, because they are in the same conference as the Philadelphia Eagles—who crushed  Kansas City Sunday, 40-22 in this Super Bowl—the Los Angeles Rams, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Washington Commanders. 

Unless somehow they can rebuild as quickly as they came apart last season. Defense wins. It was never more evident than how the Eagles stopped the supposedly unstoppable Chiefs and their excellent quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Kansas City was trying to become the first team ever to win 3 consecutive Super Bowls. It couldn’t be done. The thinking here is that it never will be done. There are too many factors.  The Niners won two in a row and appeared very much about to defeat the New York Giants at Candlestick Park for the so-called “Three-peat.” But it was not to be. A Roger Craig fumble, a Montana injury, and five field goals by the New York Giants, who won 15-13 without a touchdown. 

Kansas City was a 1 to 1 ½ point favorite, but the Chiefs were never really in the game. Still, it wasn’t until they trailed 34-0 late in the third quarter that Fox TV announcer Kevin Burkhardt grudgingly conceded that Philly was going to win.

This is not to fault Burkhardt, who had a better game than Mahomes. TV people want to keep you watching. Otherwise, those ads, which sold for $8 million for half a minute, would go unseen. Burkhardt also fell into that new method of describing how far a team is in front or behind. When the Chiefs trailed by that huge deficit, 34-0, he said it was a five-score game.

Until the Super Bowl, Mahomes and the Chiefs had survived by winning games thanks to things like late missed field goals by the opposition. Good teams find ways to win—that’s why they’re good teams. And that’s why KC was a narrow favorite. But the Chiefs fell behind so quickly, with the Eagles running the ball effectively and picking off passes, that Kansas City barely knew what hit them.

A year ago, the 49ers lost to the Chiefs in overtime in the Super Bowl and went on to struggle throughout the 2024 season. The unfounded description is “Super Bowl hangover”—the idea that a team, for one reason or another, can't regain its footing after a tough championship defeat.

What’s going to happen to the Chiefs? Will they be as effective and successful as they were before the Super Bowl? Or will that one awful game stay with them in the coming months? 

To use one of Jim Mora’s observations, “You don’t know.”

Warriors had to do something—and that’s why they got Jimmy Butler in trade

The Warriors had to do something. Especially after the dreaded Lakers did so much, adding Luka Dončić to a team that already featured LeBron James. Especially with their championship window—meaning the final days of Steph Curry and Draymond Green—now barely wide enough to slide a memory through. 

The Warriors had to do something and they did. 

And in trading efficient, cooperative, good guy Andrew Wiggins to Miami for frequent problem Jimmy Butler—he had been suspended for his disagreement with Pat Riley—did they do the right thing?

Butler didn’t play in Thursday night’s game against the Lakers in Los Angeles, where Golden State, once trailing by 26, fell 120-112. That dropped the Dubs to one game below .500 at 25-26. 

Warriors’ management knows what it had and what it doesn’t have now. This is always the problem when greatness ages, trying to replay the past with another cast. It’s a mark of desperation, and yet it’s entirely understandable because the hope is there that somehow the magic will return. Even though the brilliance that was Curry and Draymond understandably has dimmed, if not that much, with Steph turning 37 in March the same month Draymond becomes 35.

On Thursday night Curry scored 37. He still can carry a team, but not without some assistance. The thinking is Butler will be able to provide that help, which is why the Warriors front office was willing to make the trade. Butler may play a different style than the Warriors, but he does notably well at the most important of times.

As someone pointed out, Butler performs well on the big stage. But can he get to the big stage? 

According to some sources, Kevin Durant would have been the Warriors first choice. He helped propel them to two NBA championships. However, Durant did not want to return to Golden State. He remains with the Phoenix Suns. 

So Butler, who sought to escape Miami—he refused to play with the Heat the last few weeks and was then suspended—was the guy the Warriors obtained in exchange for Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, PJ Tucker, Davion Mitchell, and a 2025 protected first-round pick via the Warriors. 

This is all about the present, about trying to cling to what may be remaining. A large price for Golden State perhaps, yet the people in charge felt it had to be paid in order to keep the crowds paying for those expensive seats at Chase Center.

Butler is 35, but he remains dynamic and exciting, which would be perfect to enable Curry to find more room to get open and get the ball in the basket. 

“I’m happy to be wanted again,” Butler told the media. “I got a feeling I’m going to be back in a big way, too. So I’m smiling. I know that I have my joy back now.”   

The Warriors can only wish they will be as joyful.

A careful McIlroy has a cool week and a win at the AT&T

PEBBLE BEACH — This was as good as it gets in golf—magnificent Pebble Beach in the sunshine, a leaderboard full of major champions, and Rory McIlroy, his once wild game tamed by maturity and wisdom, now under control, beating them all. On this Sunday, McIlroy delivered a masterful 66—each shot carefully crafted—even opting for a 5-iron off the tee at the historic par-5 18th. 

That’s the bayside hole that was nicknamed “The Finisher” nearly a century ago, and it proved to be just that for Rory McIlroy, who won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am by two shots with a score of 21 under par, 267. In McIlroy’s wake were some of golf’s biggest names. Fellow Irishman Shane Lowry finished second at 269, while Justin Rose and Lucas Glover tied for third, another shot back. Lowry has a British Open to his credit, Rose owns both a Masters and a U.S. Open, and Glover is also a U.S. Open champion. Meanwhile, Sepp Straka, who led by a shot over McIlroy going into the final round, could only manage a 72 and slipped to a tie for 7th.  

McIlroy may be only 35, but he has been playing pro golf around the world, mostly on the European Tour, for years. He would hit the ball as far as possible to impress himself, spectators, and those in the media—but not always with precision, especially on the greens. Just last June he botched putts on the closing holes of the U.S. Open at Pinehurst. But maybe that had an effect, if you listened to him and watched him at Pebble, McIlroy seemed to have learned from his failings—as golfers so often do as they mature. 

“Pinehurst hurt the most,” said McIlroy. “Again, thinking of strategy and maybe those impulses that I talked about, hitting the right shot at the right time or being in a different place mentally, calming yourself down, using breathing exercises, whatever it is, I think the one thing that I did  (Sunday) really well is that I didn’t get too flustered and it may—it certainly feels a little more boring to me.” 

“It might look a little bit more boring on the golf course, but it definitely is more effective. Today was a test and I was able to come through it pretty well.” 

McIlroy has 27 victories, no matter where they’ve been played, some of which were considered part of the PGA tour. This AT&T was his first this year on tour, with McIlroy having only arrived in California Monday from the Middle East, where he annually competes a few times during the Winter. 

So much success, and yet when people refer to Rory they mention how he fell apart in the final round in 2011 at the Masters, the only one of the four Grand Slam Events he has not won.  

“It’s been a great week for a lot of different reasons,” said McIlroy, who had an ace on the 15th at Spyglass Hill on Thursday, the first round, which is the other course used for the AT&T.

“Playing Cypress Point for the first time, obviously getting a win. Yeah—it’s been a really cool week. Obviously couldn’t wish for a better start for my PGA TOUR season.”

What the AT&T needed: A leaderboard packed with greatness including Rory and Shane

PEBBLE BEACH — This was exactly what the tournament needed and what the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am got, a leaderboard packed with big names who have big games and a spate of major championships, people like Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, and Justin Rose. 

After two rounds that felt as dull as the gray skies over Carmel Bay, the third day delivered a much-needed jolt of energy, fueled by standout performances from familiar faces. 

Nothing wrong with Sepp Straka—who remained in front after 54 holes. He’s a three-time PGA Tour winner, but he doesn’t attract the same crowds or TV ratings as Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, or Scottie Scheffler—who is not out of it even if six shots behind may not really be in it. 

McIlroy, arguably the most popular golfer since Tiger Woods stepped away, and his fellow Irishman Shane Lowry, each had a 7-under 65 on an afternoon with occasional rain and frequent wind. Straka had an even par 70. So with one round remaining and apparently any chance of bad weather holding off until at least the end of play, Straka, at 16 under 200, is a shot in front of both Irishmen, McIlroy and Lowry. 

In fourth place is Rose, who won the AT&T two years ago and as many of the others, is a major champion—actually a two-time winner, having claimed the U.S. Open and the Masters.

McIlroy, in his first PGA tour tournament since last summer, completed his round with a stirring birdie putt on Pebble Beach’s seaside 18th. That would please anyone and certainly elated Rory.

“After 18 years (on tour),” said Rory who is now 35, “Yeah, it was a really good Saturday to get myself in contention. I keep reminding myself this week, it’s my second tournament of the year. It's great to be playing well at this point, but the main goal for me is to play well from April through July. It’s really cool to be in contention this early in the season.”

April of course is when they play the Masters, the only one of the four major championships McIlroy has not won.

Someone pointed out to McIlroy that it is not surprising that he and Lowry perform well in gloomy, overcast, and frequently cool conditions. But Rory responded, “That is why we moved to Florida to get away from weather like this.” 

Lowry, in perhaps the most thrilling of majors, won the 2019 British Open at Portrush in his homeland. It was the highlight of a career that sometimes goes unappreciated by those outside Ireland or outside professional golf.

“When I arrived here (Saturday morning),” said Lowry, “People said this weather is gonna suit you. Yeah, it might suit me somewhat but I don’t enjoy it. You know, I live in Florida for a reason. Yeah, look I’m able—I think my game is well equipped to handle these conditions and I go out there kind of no fear and I know I just need to batten down the hatches and make pars when I can.”

Straka is the only Austrian to win on Tour. Not that nationality means as much as keeping the tee shots in play and making the putts. Hey, the ball doesn’t care who is hitting it. The only thing that matters from any player, famous or not, is striking it fewer times than anyone else.

Will Sepp Straka waltz off with this AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am?

PEBBLE BEACH —  He was born in Vienna and plays golf with consistency as beautifully as Strauss composed waltzes. His given name, Josef, offers a window to his origin, and his talent provides insight into his skill. Straka stomped across the California desert a week and a half ago, going 69 holes at one stretch without a bogey and winning the American Express Classic. Some 250 miles north, Straka is in the lead halfway through the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

He shot a 7-under par 65 on a cool, drizzly Friday at Pebble Beach and is at 14-under 130 for 36 holes. That put him 4 shots ahead of 2 men, 1st-round leader Russell Henley, who had a 69, and Cam Davis, 68, both of whom were at Spyglass Hill. 

The son of an Austrian father and an American mother, Straka and his twin brother Sam moved early on to Valdosta, Ga., where there may not be any strudel or downhill runs, but there are plenty of golf courses. He played at the University of Georgia and, since joining the PGA Tour, has secured three victories. A fourth could be as close as Sunday, but one thing we have learned in golf is never to make predictions—except when Straka is in the field. He's going to score effectively. So far in the two rounds of this historic event, he’s made only two bogies, one each day.   

“It was kind of a team effort,” he said about his spectacular second round. However, he was the only member of the team and was referring to the manner in which he scored.  “Hitting the ball really well early in the round, and then missed a few putts but made some really nice putts, too. So it was just all around a pretty solid day.”

Through the decades of this event which began as the Bing Crosby Pro-Am, frequent downpours have been so famous, that they’ve been labeled “Crosby weather.” Last year’s tournament was called after three rounds on a Sunday night, which was a precedent. A heavier rain than Friday’s drizzle has been predicted for Saturday, and how that affects Straka and the others is a guess.

“Yeah, the forecast looks pretty rough. I think it’s going to be a lot more challenging. Yeah, looking forward to that challenge.”

There was no 36-hole cut in this accelerated tournament, meaning everyone who started will finish—unless the player chooses otherwise, so still in the field are last year’s champion, Wyndham Clark, and Brendon Todd, even if they are 18 shots behind. Jake Knapp, with an-even-par 72 at Spyglass, slipped out of a first-round tie for second, but at 137, is in a decent position for a high finish. He is the former night club bouncer, who is now bouncing golf balls into cups. Of course, he and everyone must chase Sepp Straka, who has made the bogey virtually obsolete.

Waltz to that music.

One-time bar bouncer, Knapp, among those tied for 2nd at Pebble

PEBBLE BEACH — The cups that hold his attention these days are the ones on the putting greens where Jake Knapp makes birdies. Knapp was among six players tied for second at 7-under par—a shot behind Russell Henley—in Thursday’s opening round in the ATT Pebble Beach Pro-Am. But not all that long ago Jake Knapp was thinking about cups and glasses in the restaurant-tavern where he worked while struggling to become a touring pro.

Golf is never an easy game, but some people become successful more quickly than others.  Knapp was one of the others. He did modestly well while at UCLA some ten years ago. He got on the second circuit which was renamed the Korn Ferry Tour. And he didn’t make progress until after losing his card. Then everything clicked. 

He won on the Korn Ferry and almost exactly a year ago broke through on the PGA Tour with a first-place finish in the Mexico City Open last February.

“I worked as a nightclub bouncer. After losing status and missing at Q-School in 2021, out of funds, I needed to be away from golf. I needed some responsibility and some perspective on things. I wasn't aware that The Country Club, a restaurant in Costa Mesa, turned into a nightclub; I went there to be a barback (assistant bartender).”

His days were free since he worked at night, allowing him to spend them practicing golf. It obviously paid off for Knapp, who is now 30, which is considered late to start a career on tour. However, what matters is not how long he is on tour, but how well he does. 

On Thursday he did very well, shooting a 65 and not making a single bogey.  

“It was cold this morning,” he said with a southern California viewpoint. “I wasn’t playing super easy those first few holes, just how firm and kind of bouncy the greens were, but once it kind of warmed up you realized with not much wind out here you can give yourself a lot of opportunities and did a good job of doing that.” 

When you think of bouncers in bars, you might picture someone built like Arnold Schwarzenegger. But Knapp is built more like a defensive back—5-foot-11 and 190 pounds. Yes, that’s large enough to put a few glasses on the counter and maybe put a few unruly customers out the door. 

On Friday, when he shifts to Spyglass Hill—the other course used in this historic tournament—he needs to put a few more onto the fairways off the tees. If the weather turns nasty, as predicted, it's better to be at Spyglass, deep in the Del Monte Forest, than at Pebble Beach along the bay.

“If we get a little bit of weather and if that happens,” said Knapp, “just do our best to keep the ball in front of us and keep it below the hole.” 

If he can do that, the man who was once responsible for ejecting unruly customers might find more than a glass raised to his golf.

Would it be possible these days to create a golf tournament the way Bing Crosby did?

PEBBLE BEACH — You read the nickname on one of the many plaques posted behind the first tee. “Crosby Clambake,” it says, the briefest reference to a tournament that has been altered over time—and to some, diminished— evolving into what is now the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

You know how it all came about, a singer-entertainer whose popularity helped brighten America during the Depression of the 1930s, creating a golf event for his pals and impoverished pros. It was an original, and it became an anchor for the sport, which has grown into a multibillion-dollar industry.

Most of us know that. What we don’t know is whether that would be a possibility, or even a fantasy in today’s world. Is there any individual around whom you can build a golf tournament or any sporting competition as once was done? Television has made us aware of so many multi-talented athletes and entertainers.

Just watch any of the late-night shows or sports channels. Pick one of your favorite stars. Then remember he or she must be a golfer as was Crosby or Bob Hope. It doesn’t work anymore. It doesn’t need to. Which is why the Bing Crosby Pro-Am, once listed as “The greatest show in golf,” must be viewed through a historic prism.

You had Ben Hogan or Sam Snead trading strokes while Phil Harris or Dean Martin cracked jokes. It was like watching the Colbert show while it was being staged on the 18th green at Pebble.

There were birdies and bogeys and laughs. There were memorable lines, as well as memorable tee shots. The Golf Channel and ESPN didn’t exist in those days. If you wanted to know what was going on, you had to be standing there, even in the rain that came to be known as “Crosby weather.”

The purses were small compared to now—Scottie Scheffler, who is in this AT&T, earned $25 million last year. That figure would seem a dream for pros even in the 1950’s. 

Of course, everything changes, sometimes for the better and sometimes not. The tournament once was played on three courses including iconic Cypress Point where Bing himself was a member and once made a hole-in-one on the hole that juts into Monterey Bay, the 16th hole.  During his tournament, he would be seen wandering around the course welcoming fans and seemingly enjoying the golf as much as the players. 

Clint Eastwood, who became the mayor of neighboring Carmel, has a long history with the tournament, both as a player and an official.

In his book on the tournament, Dwayne Netland offered an Eastwood recollection. While a soldier at nearby Fort Ord, the Army Base which is now the site of Cal State Monterey Bay, he and a buddy crashed the Sunday night dinner, claiming they were assistants to Art Rosenbaum, the San Francisco Chronicle golf writer (and eventual sports editor). 

“I had the best steak I ever had and then went around and ate up all the desserts.”

You notice he didn’t mention a thing about clams. But that is how Crosby is remembered on that plaque behind the first tee at Pebble.

At Pebble Beach, Scheffler returns to golf after hand injury

PEBBLE BEACH—You hear it almost every time an athlete gets hurt doing something unusual, something unrelated to their sport: “We have to live normal lives too.

Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 ranked golfer, offered a version of that reminder when Tuesday addressed the media. He returned to the game after missing the opening weeks of the PGA tour season. He sliced up his right hand on a broken glass while making ravioli for Christmas dinner.

We never got a taste of the pasta, but we are going to get a figurative taste of Scheffler’s brilliant game in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, starting Thursday. 

“Yeah, it broke and the stem kind of got me in the hand,” said Scheffler. “So it's one of those deals where like it's truly — I can't live in a bubble, like got to live my life and accidents happen. You know, it could have been a lot worse.”

“I actually talked to somebody who did the exact same thing and the stem went straight through his hand. It's one of those deals where immediately after it happened I was mad at myself because I was like gosh, that's so stupid, but you just don't think about it when you're in the moment. Yeah, I’ve definitely been like a little more careful doing stuff at home.”

Rory McIlroy, who returned from his annual winter tournaments in the Middle East and is also in the AT&T, had his own thoughts about Scheffler’s accident.

“I think he made enough money to hire a chef. It's like why are you cooking yourself?” said McIlroy. In normal locker room repartee, Scheffler shot back, “I’ve got a chef, her name’s Meredith. She’s pretty cute.”

Indeed, Meredith is his wife and mother of their recently born first child, a son, Bennett.

Scheffler is as much a joy to listen to as to watch. He takes the sport seriously but not himself, poking fun at mistakes and making clear how much he understands the game is as much mental as it is physical. He isn’t full of theories or of himself. 

During his forced absence—Scheffler needed minor surgery on the right hand to extract tiny pieces of glass—he reviewed videos of his game during the season. It’s an old story for any golfer. No matter how well he or she plays, there is always room for improvement.

But after a year in which he earned $25 million on the Tour and a second Masters, you wonder how much better he can get? So much of golf, as any sport, is being at the right place at the right time. Yet Scheffler seems capable of performing excellently for many years, if he stays out of the kitchen.