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Tiger Woods Trying to Make One Last Desperate Surge While Rory McIlroy Announces His Emergence

After a rousing stretch in the 2011 Masters, Tiger Woods was supposed to be re-emerging as a threat to the rest of the golfing world in 2011.

But after re-injuring his left Achilles tendon and left ACL at the 2011 Players Championship, Woods had to withdraw from the U.S. Open.

Now, it's 22-year-old Rory McIlroy who has the world's eyes.

McIlroy, if you haven't heard, just recorded the greatest score in the history of the U.S. Open on Sunday, shooting a 16-under-par 268.

The man he surpassed?

That's right, Tiger Woods, who had a 12-under-par 272 at Pebble Beach in 2000.

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Said former Open champion Mark O'Meara, via The Guardian:

"Better than Tiger Woods at the same age."

Ernie Els called him the best young player he's ever played with and "the next No. 1."

Before the U.S. Open on June 7, Woods tweeted, "Not playing in US Open. Very disappointed. Short-term frustration for long-term gain."

But when Woods returns, will he be good enough to contend with Rory McIlroy?

Now that's something I never expected to say.

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Tiki Barber Says He Needs Football

Former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber reportedly said in an HBO report to be aired Tuesday that he battled depression when he retired from football in 2006 and needs the game of football right now.

Barber, 36, announced he was trying to make a comeback to the NFL four months ago and has been working out ever since in hopes of returning to the league.

Said Barber, via SI.com:

"The game never needs you because there's always someone else to come and take your place. But right now, I need the game."

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Barber, whose troubles began when he started spiraling as an NBC football analyst, came to a head when it was reported he left his wife, who was pregnant with twins, for 23-year-old NBC intern Tracy Lynn Johnson.

The gossip soon began to spread and Barber saw his once-glowing reputation off the field begin to deteriorate.

Barber, who was demoted to on-the-field duties with NBC, and then, unemployment, suffered long bouts of depression while he was away from the game.

Said Barber:

"I remember there were days where I would literally wake up, have coffee, get something to eat and sit on the couch and do nothing for 10 hours. I started to shrivel. I didn't have that confidence. I didn't have the, that aura anymore."

Now, Barber is trying to gain that confidence back in what would be a historic comeback to the NFL at 36 years of age.

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Chad Pennington To Take Year Off from Football

Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington has decided to take a year off from football and serve as a television analyst for Fox Sports, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Pennington, 34, has been a walking injury throughout his career. He tore up his shoulder in Week 3 of the 2009-2010 football season, sustained another shoulder injury in the first game of the 2010-2011 season and tore his ACL in a game of pick-up basketball on March 31.

Pennington was once considered the future of the New York Jets, throwing 22 touchdowns to just six interceptions in the 2002-2003 season. But in the last two seasons, Pennington has played a total of four games. In his only game of 2010, Pennington threw just two passes before getting injured.

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And while the former No. 18 pick in the 2000 NFL Draft and 11-year veteran may be saying this is just a break from football, it's hard to see him coming back in 2012-2013. At that point, he'll be approaching 36 years old. If he had been highly successful recently, he might have been able to find a team, but it's not likely now.

We may be seeing the end of Pennington's career, one that showed promise but never blossomed.

Said Pennington, via Yahoo! Sports:

"I hang my hat on the relationships I've been able to form over the last 11 years and being able to be in the huddle and help lead the team. That's what playing quarterback is all about. That's what I'll miss."

Sounds like a retirement speech to me.

Pennington, the 2006 and 2008 Comeback Player of the Year, likely won't be coming back after this season.

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US Open Golf 2011 Sees Jason Day Place Second in Second Straight Major

Jason Day, at just 23 years of age, has been playing some superb golf lately.

Too bad no one's noticed.

When Day tied for second place in the 2011 Masters, who was but one of many youngsters who placed well, with Masters champion Charl Schwartzel stealing the spotlight and fellow Australian Adam Scott sharing honors with Day.

Tiger Woods made an appearance that day, playing some stretches that made people remember the vintage Tiger.

Even Rory McIlroy's collapse in the final frame was a bigger story than Day.

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Of course, when Day shot an 8-under-par 276 at the 2011 U.S. Open on Sunday, he was a full eight strokes behind McIlroy and finished a distant second.

Day has yet to win a major in this career, but he has played well enough to win one in his last two majors in 2011.

You'd think, hey, if he keeps playing this way, he's bound to win one, right?

Well, not if McIlroy has anything to say about it.

It has yet to be determined what kind of career McIlroy will have overall, but right now it's clear this kid is in the zone.

He's led or been tied for the lead in seven of his last eight rounds of golf, dating back to the beginning of the Masters.

And in all seven of those rounds, he's played spectacular golf.

We may be looking at a player in Day who will play by far his best golf of his young career in 2011 and hardly even scratch the surface of media attention.

With Woods out of the picture, you would have thought Day would jump into the limelight.

But we all know who everyone's watching now, and it ain't Jason Day.

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Rory McIlroy Shows Killer Instinct at U.S. Open

In the 2011 Masters, it was evident 22-year-old Rory McIlroy had the tools to become one of golf's greats, but he didn't prove he could become one of golf's greats.

After leading the pack through three rounds of the Masters, McIlroy collapsed in the final round, scoring an 8-over par and dropping from first place to 15th place.

At that point, McIlroy needed to show that he could indeed close out a major tournament, and that he had the killer instinct to dominate.

At the 2011 U.S. Open on Sunday, McIlroy showed that killer instinct, and he showed he is destined for greatness.

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After two rounds, McIlroy recorded the best 36-hole score in U.S. Open history. Through three rounds, McIlroy was the 54-hole record-holder. And after the final round on Sunday, McIlroy recorded the greatest 72 holes of golf in U.S. Open history.

After opening up an eight-stroke lead to start the day, the question didn't appear to be if McIlroy would win the tournament, but if he could close it out in style and prove he had grown since his catastrophe at Augusta.

And oh, how did he grow.

McIlroy, surrounded by all the distractions and hoopla of being on the cusp of winning the Open, recorded a 2-under par on Sunday, effectively closing the door on the rest of the competition.

He recorded a 16-under-par 268. To give you an idea of how great he was, the tournament's second-place finisher, Jason Day, finished with an 8-under-par 276, a full eight strokes behind McIlroy.

Fitting, that in Tiger Woods' absence, McIlroy became the second-youngest golfer ever to win the Open, right behind Woods.

Will he be the next Tiger?

That has yet to be determined.

Will he become the next golfer everyone pays attention to?

That has already been determined.

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Wimbledon 2011 Sees Serena Williams Ready to Defend Title

After winning Wimbledon last July, Serena Williams suffered a freak accident, cutting both feet on broken glass walking out of a restaurant in Germany.

She needed two operations on her right foot and spent 10 weeks in a cast, and then 10 weeks in a walking boot.

Then came the blood clots in her lungs, forcing her inject herself with blood thinner. Ironically, the blood thinner led to a hematoma, a large gathering of blood under the skin of her stomach.

Said Williams, via the Washington Post:

“After I had the lung problem, it was, like, ‘OK, I got through that.’ Then having to have a surgery removing the hematoma was just my low point. I felt it was never going to end."

But Williams was back on the court last week, playing two matches at Eastbourne, losing her second match to Vera Zvonareva.

Heading into Monday's Wimbledon, Williams is actually being favored by some to win it all, given she's won the last two times and four times overall.

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Wrote Jon Wertheim, via SI.com:

We're picking the defending champ to defend again. She's rusty and lacks for match play? True. She's also Serena Williams, who's made a career out of dramatic disappearances and reappearances. Especially on grass. Especially with a day off between matches.

The truth is, this year's field isn't all that imposing, and Williams has the talent to obviously win it all. Caroline Wozniacki, despite being the No. 1 women's tennis player in the world, has looked that impressive, and even Maria Sharapova, who has had a bit of a resurgence, still has shown some inconsistency.

I think it's going to come down to Williams, Sharapova and Li Na, the French Open champion.

Florida Marlins Owner Touting 80-Year-Old Jack McKeon as Interim Manager

After Edwin Rodriguez's resignation as manager of the Florida Marlins on Sunday morning, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria would reportedly like 80-year-old Jack McKeon to be interim manager this season.

McKeon, as you may recall, managed the Marlins to a World Series title in 2003 at 74 years of age. Since stepping down as manager after the 2005 season, McKeon's been an advisor for the Marlins.

But if you're thinking McKeon would become the oldest manager in baseball history if he accepted the offer, he wouldn't. That title goes to the late great Connie Mack, who was 87 years old when he managed the 1950 Philadelphia Athletics.

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McKeon has an extensive resume beyond the 2003 World Series, managing the Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds. He was also the general manager of the Padres when they won the 1984 National League pennant.

Contacted by the Miami Herald today, McKeon said he didn't even know Rodriguez had resigned on Sunday and that he had not been called by the club. However, he did say he thought he could do the job if called upon.

Can "Trader Jack" pull of some moves to get the Marlins back into contention?

He'd have to seriously change things up, that's for sure.

The Marlins are currently 32-40 and in last place in the National League East.

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Ricky Rubio Confirms He Will Join Minnesota Timberwolves

Two years ago Spanish guard Ricky Rubio was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the fifth overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.

Two years later, Rubio has finally made it to Minnesota.

On Friday, Rubio confirmed that he would be joining the Timberwolves in the NBA after playing overseas with DKV Joventut and FC Barcelona.

Said Rubio, via the Minnesota Star Tribune:

"I have finally decided to start the journey," he told reporters in Barcelona. "It is my dream, and I want to fulfill it. After thinking about it a lot, the time has arrived."

Rubio confirmed that he indeed signed an official contract with the Timberwolves on May 31 and all paperwork had been cleared for him to start the next chapter of his basketball career.

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Despite playing overseas for two years since the draft, Rubio is still just 20 years old. At the time he was drafted, he was considered a phenom prospect, perhaps only rivaled by forward Blake Griffin, who has since gone on to become an All-Star. But Rubio's contract situation overseas saw him "drop" to No. 5 overall, where the Timberwolves took a chance.

Now, with their other top 2009 draft pick Jonny Flynn struggling last season, it appears it is Rubio's starting spot to lose.

And while Timberwolves President David Kahn is high on Rubio, he has acknowledged it is going to take some time for the Spanish point guard to get used to a new brand of basketball in the NBA.

It's time for Rubio to prove himself.

The Timberwolves need all the help they can get. They have 32 combined wins in the last two seasons.

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NBA News Sees Owners, Players Cross off Item on Checklist

Going into labor talks on Friday, NBA owners and players had three things to come to a compromise about before the collective bargaining agreement expired on June 30: the split of revenues, the type of salary-cap system and guaranteed contracts.

Well, at least they can cross one thing off their checklist.

Owners yielded on the issue of guaranteed contracts on Friday after five hours of negotiations, something that had been called a "blood issue" by union director Billy Hunter.

Owners had been thinking about only giving partial guarantees to players before they folded their hands on Friday.

But there is still a long way to go if the NBA doesn't want to follow in the NFL's footsteps.

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A meeting on Tuesday is expected to be a very important one, with two huge matters still to discuss.

Said commissioner David Stern, via ESPN:

"The time to have an optimistic or pessimistic view is at the close of the day Tuesday. That's an important day. Time is running out, but both parties seem, at least to me, intent to make a deal by June 30."

While Stern said owners decided to soften their stance on guaranteed contracts because of the importance players placed on them, the next biggest concern seems to be the splitting of revenues.

Under the current system, players are granted 57 percent of the pile of net revenues. The owners, apparently particularly the small-market owners, want to reduce this number. The union still contends that owners want to shave off approximately $750 million to $800 million from the $2.1 billion in salaries players earned in the 2010-2011 season. Stern claims owners have softened their stance.

Said New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony:

"I would say we're not on the same page right now, but there's some good conversations going on, and both sides are trying to come to an agreement. We'll see what happens."

Here's to hoping the NBA doesn't go through three-plus months of negotiations before a deal is done like in the NFL.

NBA Draft 2011 Has Cleveland State's Norris Cole Rising Up Draft Boards

Cleveland State senior point guard Norris Cole was being lauded by NBA scouts following the Deron Williams Skills Academy sessions in August.

Wrote Chad Ford of ESPN at the time, "Scouts raved about his high basketball IQ, steadiness on the floor and leadership ability."

To back up the sessions in Chicago, Cole responded with the best season of his collegiate career, averaging 21.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.2 steals as a 6-foot-2 point guard.

As evidence by his stats, Cole showed he had a complete package, able to score in the lane and with his jumper, and displaying the vision to be an NBA point guard.

But, despite all of this, Cole hasn't been mentioned as a legit first-rounder until just recently.

Well, now scouts appear to be back on the bandwagon.

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Wrote Ford:

Cole has wowed with his athletic ability and his ability to get to the basket. I've had a couple of teams tell me he's the fourth-ranked point guard on their board behind Knight, Walker and Fredette. He could go as high as No. 21 to the Blazers.

It's worth noting that Cole largely flew under the radar for most of his senior season given he played at Cleveland State. But weeks of workouts and filing through of prospects tends to uncover some diamonds in the rough.

Some teams apparently think Cole could become one of these diamonds.

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PGA Tour Sees Phil Mickelson Struggle Mightily in 2011 U.S. Open

In the 2011 Masters, the big story was youngsters Charl Schwartzel, Jason Day and the apparent rise of Tiger Woods, albeit for a brief stretch.

It also marked a catastrophic collapse by 22-year-old Rory McIlroy, falling from first place to 15th place in the final round.

Now, in the 2011 U.S. Open, McIlroy is once again a top story, but for a different reason. He's playing out-of-this-world golf, going into the final round with an eight-stroke lead and not appearing to back down today.

But lost in all of this has been Phil Mickelson's apparent demise.

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Remember, Mickelson was the 2010 Masters champion and was favored to win the Masters this year after winning the Houston Open, just like he did last year.

But the course hasn't been kind to Mickelson these days and he's frankly looked nothing like a contender.

He finished tied for 27th place at the Masters, shooting a 2-over par on the final day, and looked even worse at this year's U.S. Open, shooting a 7-over par for the tournament, currently in 55th place as the rest of the field finishes up.

We've all been talking about Tiger Woods' downfall the last couple of years. It may be time to add Phil Mickelson's name to the list.

Right now, he looks nothing like the 2010 Masters champion.

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US Open 2011 Sees Lee Westwood Eight Strokes Back from Lead

Lee Westwood is the No. 2 golfer in the world.

He also is now 38 years old and has never won a major.

Barring a monumental collapse from leader Rory McIlroy today in the final round of the 2011 U.S. Open, Westwood will once again fall short of a major win.

The time has come to wonder if Westwood will ever win a major in his career.

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He's generally regarded as one of the top golfers in the world, he's played brilliantly in some stretches, and he's come close, placing third in the 2008 U.S. Open, third in the 2009 PGA Championship behind Y.E. Yang and Tiger Woods, second in the 2010 Masters and second in the 2010 PGA Championship.

Westwood, at this point, looks like one of those golfers who never had the killer instinct or ability to rise above the moment.

While people wondered if McIlroy would become the LeBron James of golf after his catastrophic final round at this year's Masters, the more accurate golfer to pin that label on may actually be Westwood.

It's looking more and more like McIlroy will become the game's next great golfer, and Westwood's time is starting to run out.

To be fair, Westwood finished the third round of the U.S. Open with an 8-under par, good for second place. If it wasn't for McIlroy's rise, he may be in contention to win today.

But at some point you have to show you're worthy of being dubbed the No. 2 golfer in the world. Without a major win, that ranking seems inappropriate right now.

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Rory McIlroy Has Eight-Stroke Lead Headed into Final Round of U.S. Open

If you discount the final round of this year's Masters, 22-year-old Rory McIlroy has been absolutely dominant in 2011.

It's fitting that McIlroy has an eight-stroke lead in the final round of the U.S. Open today, because McIlroy shot an 8-over par to finish the Masters this year, effectively going from first place to 15th place.

McIlroy is going to need a monumental collapse like in the Masters to lose the Open today, but I don't expect him to completely collapse; I just want to see how he finishes.

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McIlroy, based on his tools, has the ability to be one of the game's greats. I don't think you can say he's going to be the next Tiger Woods (pre-2009), but he definitely has the game to be the top golfer in the world in due time.

But he needs to finish strong today to show he has that killer instinct, which isn't within every player. It is those who finish in style who go on to do tremendous, historic things.

So I won't be looking to see if McIlroy wins today; I think he has enough space to be able to do so. I want to see how he finishes.

McIlroy may never be the next Tiger, but if he doesn't at least show Tiger's killer instinct, he won't even become one of the game's greats.

This final round today means more than a win; it means erasing his demons at Augusta and making sure he never collapses like that again.

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Rory McIlroy Sets 54-Hole Record at U.S. Open

When Rory McIlroy ended a magnificent Round 2 on Friday with a disappointing double bogey on the 18th hole in the U.S. Open, you could almost see the ball rolling.

Given McIlroy's collapse in the final round of this year's Masters, McIlroy was supposed to start giving away the tournament come the end of the third round of the U.S. Open and going into the fourth.

But McIlroy did anything but on Saturday, recording a 3-under-par 68 for the day and actually extending his lead to eight strokes with a 14-under-par 199.

In effect, McIlroy followed recording the best 36 holes in U.S. Open history with the best 54 holes in the tournament.

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He wasn't as dominant as he'd been in the first two rounds, but he still played a very solid round and assured he would need a collapse even more grand than the Masters to lose the Open.

We appear to be seeing a changing of the guard right now with Tiger Woods nowhere to be seen. McIlroy has proven that he's an up-and-comer that, if he keeps playing like this, could become the top golfer in the world.

It's still early, obviously, but if McIlroy finishes the final round Sunday in style we can effectively shed thoughts of him choking at the end of tournaments.

He has all the tools to be one of the game's greats.

He just needs to show us he can close.

Bethanie Mattek-Sands Rivals Serena Williams' Hot Pink Outfit

Venus and Serena Williams have long been known to wear eye-popping and eccentric outfits.

But Minnesota's Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who just surpassed Venus in the women's tennis world rankings, is making it known she deserves attention, too.

At Thursday night's Wimbledon players' party, Mattek-Sands showed up in an outfit made up of tennis balls and a headdress fit for a peacock.

Mattek-Sands appeared to be saying, "I'm just as creative and weird as the Williams sisters, and I will prove it."

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Mattek-Sands, the No. 31 women's tennis player in the world, may need to work on her tennis game a bit, but she's doesn't lack in the artistic department. Well, depending on your artistic tastes.

She's also called herself the Lady Gaga of tennis, which is why it's fitting that her outfit was designed by Lady Gaga's designer, Alex Noble.

But kudos to the 26-year-old for spicing things up. I guess we all know who to watch for from now on in Wimbledon players' parties.

Next step: Mattek-Sands wears her tennis ball outfit out on the court. If she's matched up with Serena, you could have a human tennis ball and a pink bodysuit on the same court. Wouldn't that be something?

I guess you could say that Mattek-Sands is truly an oddball.