Weekend rewind: Kudos to Kentucky, anticipating the Masters

Up front, I will never be an overt John Calipari fan. But the fact is that Kentucky’s master recruiter also did an exemplary coaching job in leading the Wildcats to the NCAA championship.
Anyone who can take a team that young, and with individuals who all had been the dominant offensive forces at their respective high schools, and mold them into a cohesive unit that that defends like this team did must be commended.
Dick Vitale spoke to Calipari’s communication skills after Monday night’s title-game victory over Kansas, and it’s true that the same type of salesmanship that can attract athletes from disparate backgrounds — two from Portland (Terrence Jones, Kyle Wiltjer), one from Chicago (Anthony Davis) and one from New York (Doron Lamb) — can also foster a collective purpose.
Even if it’s only for one season.
Rick Pitino even acknowledged that, while several recent Kentucky teams were not to his liking, this one was.
Me, too.

Masters week is always special, even for some who have never played or cared about golf.
There are always multiple intriguing storylines, and many would have existed even if Tiger Woods hadn’t recently ended his PGA Tour victory drought.
Since he has, the anticipation is that much greater.
There is no singular rivalry to compare with Arnold Palmer vs. Jack Nicklaus, as there was when I was a kid learning the game at Fisher Park, but it’s still the Masters.
And Tiger, apparently, is once again Tiger.

FROM THE QUOTE FILE
“You might as well praise me for not breaking into banks. There is only one way to play this game.”
— Bobby Jones, after being commended for calling a penalty stroke on himself.