[GOLF] The Open Championship 2013

You really think a pro golfer would tell me (someone who caddied for a friend who was on a mini tour at the time and just needed help in a couple of events) bad stuff about Michelson and also say there are quite a few people who dislike him because he thought that would knock him down?

I was working at UBS at the time who the hell was I going to talk too?

 

Yes. It's pretty basic stuff. Certain guys feel guilty about not doing the things Mickelson does and want to rationalize it by crafting some vague conspiracy narrative that can't be disproved because it's not specific. And then the even more vague "there's people who dislike him"! No, no one ever dislikes athletes who are good due to jealousy! That never happens. In that context, athletes have told me a lot of things. The difference between the two of us is I don't necessarily take what they say at face value. I take a step back, and if it seems questionable, consider the motive(s).

Besides, I highly doubt said "pro golfer" just started randomly rambling about Phil Mickelson for no reason. My guess is he already knew he had a captive audience.

 

Yes I asked what the real story was between Phil and Vijay and like I suspected it fell in the middle. Vijay seems like a jerk but there are plenty who really like and respect him. Phil seems like a nice guy but has detractors.

Like anything in life everyone has their stories and reality falls in the middle

 

Not to pick a side here in your debate vs The Cat, who is famously relentless...

But it does sound like you worked at a financial institution, got a chance to caddie, play a Monday round with a pro once or twice, chatted them up a bit and of course they were ho hum right down the middle. Oh Phil... He's ok. Oh, Vinay... He's ok.

Not surprising. I'd say the same as a professional competitor.

At some point you are who you are. Even if it is all an act, which I highly doubt, there is too much history, evidence to the contrary, hiding of other thi GE that would seem to contrary to the act, etc. Phil was probably a fairly pompous young pro, who was really good. Certainly annoying as a competitor, and frankly i can see that as just an annoying personality generally. I feel he's mellowed on that point a bit... Things like cancer to people you love tend to do that. But even when he was more arrogant, I'd take arrogant philanthropy over arrogant and just plain an ass (tiger, Kobe, etc) any time.

 

Well said. This figjam and phony stuff has been said forever but I've never heard one example verse many examples of what a jerk tiger is (and cheater). . I've come to like Phil the past few years since it seems this rep is bs. Everytime you see him he seems to be doing the right thing. I like both him and tiger, but tiger is getting harder to like. It's easy to ignore what an ******* he is when he is dominating and playing out of this world. But when he is playing like this I don't have much interest.

Great round by phil yesterday. Amazing

 

Some of you people freakin crack me up.
The guy loves his family and can he control what the media says about him?

More importantly, do you think he gives a RATS ASS what you think of him!!!

 

I actually didn't start the back and forth I had a post and then the Cat who obviously is this massive Phil fanboy goes nuts trying to rip apart my viewpoint and then a personal story I shared

 

You're the one that made these claims:

I'm positive he cares about his family but I also know that everything he does is scripted so he can ring in those endorsements.

...

Puke, Phil is such a fraud. I'm not buying that forced family hug.


I don't think it is unreasonable to ask for evidence to back these up or question what makes you sure of these things.

 

This is exactly how I feel. I think Phil's confidence and/or arrogance as a golfer over the first decade of his career (as you said, he's mellowed now) rubbed some on the tour the wrong way. Honestly, it took until about 2002 or 2003 before I really started following him, due to that very reason. But many never came around, and while that's certainly their right, it's unfortunate to watch them attempt to twist the non-golf things he does (devotion to family, constantly giving back to the fans, charity work, etc.) to mesh with their on-course view.

I'm not saying everyone has to cheer for Phil. Just hoping folks can make it about the golf and drop the unfounded personal insults. For example, I despise Peyton Manning as a player and have cheered against him his whole career, but I do acknowledge that he seems to be a stand-up guy.

 

I'll admit that these are opinions. Just like if you think it's 100% sincere it's opinion.

I mean I admitted it was a great win, he played terrific and I can enjoy great golf.

 

Difference is, one "opinion" is supported by mountains of specific evidence, while the other "opinion" is supported by vague, anonymous innuendo. Most reasonable, unbiased observers would probably support the former position. That's all I was trying to point out.

 

I simply believe in a general and logical standard of evidence. Same applies to anyone else, Tiger included.

 

For starters, Tim isn't Phil. I have plenty of shady relatives, but they don't speak for me. Beyond that, do you know how silly it sounds when literally everyone has the same excuse? "I've heard stories... but they're pointless to bring up here". In other words, more of the same vague gossip. Can't disprove because there's no actual accusation.

That said, nothing wrong with not liking Phil. My issue was never with your posts... that's why I didn't respond to them. The only thing I objected to was the drive-by fake/phony nonsense from a couple of others. Just keep it about the golf -- as you said, I'll pull for the guy, you usually won't -- and everything's fair game.