Between Penguins games this week, the headline story in Pittsburgh was that Ben Roethlisberger hit an 81 stroke at the Bethpage Black US Open Challenge in his celebrity golf debut. Ben beat his fellow golfers Michael Jordan and Justin Timberlake, and also topped the event best 84 set last year by Tony Romo.
Although i'm always in favor of beating Tony Romo, I'm the anti-fan of celebrity golf. I don't understand it, especially when golf is taking these athletes away from workouts and minicamps. Ben skipped a (voluntary) team workout to attend the event, and i'm not saying he should have been at the workout, but usually when players skip team events, it's because they're too busy getting in shape with individual workout plans-See Troy Polamalu.
Also, i'm just not a fan of watching these guys golf, especially with handicaps. If we're going to watch these guys golf, these athletes that we admire for their incredible abilities, at least let us make fun of their lack of skill in other sports. Don't hide their inabilities with handicaps, and praise their 'skills' and tell them they "look more like a US Open Participant." Vomit-how's that for disrespect to the professionals that actually play the sport for a living. Apparently Ben has a "lovely putting stroke," according to his caddy. I might understand if the event was advertised as a charity event, but I couldn't find one article talking about any sort of real benefit from the challenge.
All the media, all the praise, all the handicap; it's all sucking up. Leave the praise for his super bowl championship. Leave the handicap to when Ben is retired with a bad back-when he doesn't have a workout to be doing, when he doesn't have a season to get ready for. Hell, if we're dishing out handicaps in sports, lets throw a bone to the Detroit Lions. What'dya say, should they start the game with a 7 point lead? Nah, it's best we give them at least 14.
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