Coming from the entertainment industry, where he was the poobah of National General, the late Gene Klein was used to having things his own way, which is what happens when you are successful in business. In fact, that is what makes you successful in business. Klein, as many of the rich and famous have, decided in 1966 to purchase his own toy, the San Diego Chargers. To his dismay, he learned what every fan already knew. In sports, money often doesn’t buy happiness or championships. Read More

‘I want winners.” That was the plaintive cry on billboards a year ago by Niners coach Mike Singletary. We all want winners. We all want champions. Losing, wrote John Tunis, is the great American sin. Losing is everyone’s sin. They’re still apoplectic in England because the national team was bounced unceremoniously from the World Cup. Back home, what a stretch for the Giants. A June swoon of inordinate proportions. And July is no better. All of this makes the championships of Serena Williams only that much more outstanding. Read More

Pebble Beach is in the rear view mirror. But we’re not done with the U.S. Open, the tournament that’s a movable feast, shifting from east to west to east, from the bluffs of the Monterey Peninsula to next year the bluffing of the nation’s capital, Congressional Country Club. The United States Golf Association, which runs the Open, has taken a cue from the travels of Father Serra and the chain of missions he established, moving up the California coast. In 2008 the Open was in San Diego, in 2010 near Carmel and in 2012 it lands in San Francisco. Read More

They’ll look at what happened to star-crossed Dustin Johnson, how he fell apart the first few holes, mentally as much as physically, and tossed the U.S. Open over the cliff into Carmel Bay with a final-round 82.And certainly that was true. But Johnson, whom one TV type referred to as “Dustin Hoffman,” is young — 26 today — and was inexperienced in the grinding pressure of major championship golf, even if this Open of 2010 was at Pebble Beach, where he had won the last two AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am events. Read More

PEBBLE BEACH – We should have known it would be like this. Should have foreseen another U.S. Open at Pebble Beach would produce everything from eagles to quadruple-bogeys, would give us a leader board of the famous and the anxious, would be, well, very Open. Halfway through this 110th Open, this fifth at Pebble, Graeme McDowell is leading, Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson are lurking, and 60-year-old Tom Watson is playing. You can’t ask for much more. Read More

Sorry about that, Phil. But that’s often what happens when you reach 40. Your putting falls apart. Ben Hogan was a basket case on the greens when he crossed the magic number. Sam Snead even tried hitting a ball like he was playing croquet, not golf. Phil Mickelson turned 40 on Wednesday, and then Thursday he played the first round of the 2010 U.S. Open. There weren’t many happy returns. There were, however, a great number of missed putts. Read More