Daily Archives: June 19, 2007

Summing up Oakmont

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oakmont061907.jpgSo, Phil Mickelson is probably not going to be able to play any tournaments for the next three weeks in preparation for next month’s British Open because of the injury to his wrist that he injured while hitting out of the absurdly dense rough at Oakmont Country Club for last weekend’s U.S. Open. Lawrence Donegan sums up how the the United States Golf Association can even screw up a nice story such as Angel Cabrera winning the U.S. Open:

But in the midst of a spirit-lifting triumph for the underdog there was also something of a travesty for the game itself as once again the organisers of this historic tournament laid out a course that bordered on farce. It takes some doing to engender sympathy for golf’s pampered millionaires but the USGA somehow managed to do exactly that.

In my view, the U.S. Open is easily the least enjoyable of all of the major golf tournaments and frankly not as much fun to watch as The Players or any number of mid-major tournaments. Perhaps having a few of the top players elect not to play in the U.S. Open because of injury risk might be what it takes to get through to the U.S.G.A. Their obsession with tricking up golf courses already elevates luck over skill in determining a champion. Now, it has become downright dangerous for the participants. And for those who think that a wrist injury is not all that serious for a professional golfer, remember what such an injury did to the once-bright playing career of former University of Houston golfer and two-time NCAA champion Billy Ray Brown.

The Next Business Prosecution

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With the Conrad Black trial winding down in Chicago, it’s about time for another dubious prosecution of a businessman, this time former Brocade CEO Greg Reyes, who is the first executive to be prosecuted for fraud in connection with backdating stock options.

Larry Ribstein has been following the case since the start and has excellent analysis of the selective nature of the prosecution.

Here is Steve Stecklow’s WSJ article on the trial.

Given the widespread nature of backdating, there are probably more criminal defense attorneys watching this trial than any other single prosecution of a businessperson over the the past five years. If a blogger pops up to cover the trial, I’ll pass it along.

The Texas Water Safari

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Texas%20Water%20Safari.jpgI’ve heard about The Texas Water Safari, but didn’t realize quite what is involved:

The Texas Water Safari begins in San Marcos with a gunshot that sends 200 paddlers madly thrashing across a murky pond.
Multicolored boats, ranging from six-seated scull-like canoes to single-seat kayaks, barrel into each other, tipping and tossing their occupants into the water. The bigger boats slam into the smaller ones, driving them toward rusty pilings.
Once the paddlers traverse the pond, they jump into the mud and drag their boats through thick brush to portage a dam churning with whitewater. They twist ankles and skin knees as they carry their boats down an incline of sharp rocks to the mouth of the San Marcos River near the center of Texas.
And that is only the beginning of the 262-mile endurance test that takes most entrants two to three days to complete and has enough danger lurking along the way to give Indiana Jones nightmares.
Poisonous water moccasins fall from trees. Wasps and fire ants are constant threats, mosquitoes and mayflies swarm at night.
In fast water, logs turn into torpedoes and trees tumble like boulders. In high water, hanging limbs snatch water jugs and knock competitors unconscious.
Paddlers navigate rapids in the first half of the race and cope with the broiling heat of the Texas summer in the daytime, then fight off hypothermia at night.
There are 12 classes for boats entered in the race, but competitors can use any kind of craft, as long as it is human-powered. No sails or motors are allowed.
No wonder it is billed as the worldís toughest canoe race. [. . .]
Remarkably, no one has died in the raceís 44-year history.
But many have come close.

Read the entire article. Golf, anyone? ;^)