I know the title may throw you off a little bit. I wanted to write about both events that happened over the weekend. I got to attend two College World Series games over the weekend and found it to be a lovely hot day. I have some complaints that I will get to, all in all though it was a wonderful time and a fond memory of Rosenblatt. As far as the US Open, the only thing I can say is missed opportunities.
My experience at the College World Series started by finding tickets on craigslist. We parked at least a mile away from the stadium just so we didn't have to pay. Yards were destroyed, lots all over were full and wallets were emptied by paying up to 50 bucks for all day parking. It's insane. Once inside the confines, Rosenblatt has a wonderful fan fest area that is full of games, food and high tech equipment. For example the AT&T tent was a real 3G experience because if you own a IPhone it's the only place the damn thing works. The other bad thing is the scalpers. They are everywhere trying to get you to buy seats or sell tickets. They walk by you and will whisper "sections" "need tickets". I was so annoyed by the end of the day. Get the hell away from me I got mine. Go find another stooge that will buy a 20 dollar ticket for 80.
The CWS crowds aren't the loudest because its very diverse. It's not like a college football game where you see a large crowd of one team all together. They are spread throughout the stadium. I would say out of all the fans, TCU had the loudest. The coolest part of the crowd is the general admission seats in the outfield. They have a rock concert feeling to them. The fans hit beach balls around, screaming their heads off at the outfielders and the opposite grandstands. The best chant was "Left Field sucks" from Right field and "Right field sucks" from Left. They were like arch rivals. Also the crowds were appreciative. The biggest play of the day was the incredible catch by Den Dekker, seen here. I sat in right field by the foul pole. The crowd gave him a rousing standing ovation. A moment to remember along with the million others that happened at Rosenblatt Stadium.
The US Open seemed all but Dustin Johnson starting the final day. He was playing phenomenal golf and ended up having the worst round ever by a leader heading into the final day. I started feeling bad for the guy. One shot was horrible and that was followed by another and another. The ultimate trickle down effect happened to the young man. He wasn't the only one who was failing the entire day. At the end of the day, Graeme (said as Graham) McDowell was holding up the trophy and became the first Euro to win in 40 years.
The real story of the US Open was the sloppy play in the final round. I lost count on all the putts and gimmes everyone missed. Tiger fell out of contention after finding the flowers next to the ocean. Phil started strong with a birdie on the first hole. He followed that up by missing all kinds of opportunities. Pebble Beach was playing just as the committee was hoping for, low scores were out the window. Bogie was par on most courses. Graeme was the only one who kept his head above water. He's a nice story since it was his first major title. He played with poise and kept his composure. Graeme may have done all that, he still shot three over par.
The US Open is always the hardest major to win. Everyone found that out over the weekend. Pebble Beach is a beautiful course with some exceptional scenery. The scenery for this weekend was golfers scratching their heads. The final putt going in and McDowell's dad running down to get a congratulations hug was a perfect ending. A father embracing a son on Father's day. I would say that's the perfect ending to a difficult Open. Time to crack open the Guinness.
J Call
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