At the top of the list, of course, is that the groundhog came out of his little hole and his shadow looked pretty much the way it looked the last time we saw him.
Tiger Woods made a cameo appearance in the world of golf and, despite all the talk about the "new Tiger" I watched the Masters and saw that not a whole lot has changed.
Tiger, and his retinue of servants, have been talking about the "new Tiger." More friendly. More open. Less profane. More Mr. Nice Guy and Less Mr. Driven-Beyond-All-Belief-To-Win-At-Any-Cost-And-Keep-Your-Distance-Bud Guy. Yeah, right.
The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. And this particular batch of pudding was revealed on Saturday, at the end of the day.
Phil Mickelson, the guy in the white hat in this drama, finished his round and walked through the roped off alley toward the scorer's hut. Mickelson grinned at the fans. He slapped a few hands. He took off his cap and flashed that smile. He ran his hands through his out of control hat hair. People clapped for him. He bowed in recognition.
Tiger took that same walk. He was surrounded by what looked like dozens of security guards. Some were real law enforcement guys. With guns. Others were Masters' security guys. They also had guns. And the final group was Tiger's own security guys. I presume they had guns but that they kept them hidden. Tiger stared straight ahead, never even acknowledging the people outside the ropes.
This is Tiger as Mr. Nice Guy? I'd hate to see how he acts if he decides all this nice crap isn't for him.
I think that Tiger thought all he had to do was show up and hit some great shots and everything would return to normal. Well, there's a new normal in town. There is something about him trying to treat his week in Augusta just like any other week in Augusta, or any other major golf tournament, for that matter. But the facts are that as much as he wants things to be the same, they will never be the same again.
I know even Tiger talks about how he's got to begin to relate to people more and seem like more of a regular guy. But his week in Augusta looked like he's got a long, long way to go. He's just so much of a robot and so mechanical I find myself wondering if he's got any legitimate emotion at all.
While a lot of people were probably hoping for some kind of Tiger blowup, I'm not one of them. But I will say that when you put the humanity of Woods alongside the humanity of Mickelson, there is almost no room for comparison. One is a warm, open, spontaneous and caring family man. The other is a chilled, controlled, programmed and distant troubled superstar.
I can't let this week go by without some mention of the Bucks and their horrible luck. This team was on the edge of making some noise in the playoffs. But when Andrew Bogut went down it was like letting the air out of the balloon.
Not completely, for sure. The NBA playoffs are an oddity in that upsets are not unheard of throughout the series. The Bucks could surprise their first round foe, but if they win it will be an upset.
There was a buzz about the Bucks, for the first time in a long time. Had Bogut remained healthy, they Bucks could have been favored in the first round. The Bucks franchise has been a very important part of the fabric in Milwaukee, and an example of how a sports franchise should operate.
They've had success and failure on the court, but off the court they have a long string of success. They are good corporate citizens. And they have never whined or complained about injury, bad attendance or any other slight. The Bucks' organization has always been a tough one, and finally they have a team that has the same kind of attitude.
A team like this didn't deserve this bad break and we can only hope they bounce back from it.
One more thought this week has to do with the NBA and the upcoming free agent season.
I don't usually pay a lot of attention to the free agent thing. But with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade both free agents after this season, you've got to figure somebody is going to truly break the bank. Both Wade and James each made over $15 million this year. Can you possibly imagine the New York Knicks putting together enough money to sign both of these guys? This is so amazing, that I find myself hoping that one team signs both of them. And let's see who the other three palooka's are who end up playing on that team
With a history in Milwaukee stretching back decades, Dave tries to bring a unique perspective to his writing, whether it's sports, politics, theater or any other issue.
He's seen Milwaukee grow, suffer pangs of growth, strive for success and has been involved in many efforts to both shape and re-shape the city. He's a happy man, now that he's quit playing golf, and enjoys music, his children and grandchildren and the myriad of sports in this state. He loves great food and hates bullies and people who think they are smarter than everyone else.
This whole Internet thing continues to baffle him, but he's willing to play the game as long as OnMilwaukee.com keeps lending him a helping hand. He is constantly amazed that just a few dedicated people can provide so much news and information to a hungry public.
Despite some opinions to the contrary, Dave likes most stuff. But he is a skeptic who constantly wonders about the world around him. So many questions, so few answers.
