posty

https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/47120544/two-major-champion-golfer-fuzzy-zoeller-dies-74 Fuzzy Zoeller, a two-time major champion and one of golf's most gregarious characters whose career was tainted by a racially insensitive joke about Tiger Woods, has died, according to a longtime colleague. He was 74. A cause of death was not immediately available. Brian Naugle, the tournament director of the Insperity Invitational in Houston, said Zoeller's daughter called him Thursday with the news. Zoeller was the last player to win the Masters on his first attempt, a three-man playoff in 1979. He famously waved a white towel at Winged Foot in 1984 when he thought Greg Norman had beat him, only to defeat Norman in an 18-hole playoff the next day. But it was the 1997 Masters that changed his popularity. Woods was on his way to a watershed moment in golf with the most dominant victory in Augusta National history. Zoeller had finished his round and had a drink in hand under the oak tree by the clubhouse when he was stopped by CNN and asked for his thoughts on the 21-year-old Woods on his way to the most dominant win ever at Augusta National. "That little boy is driving well and he's putting well. He's doing everything it takes to win. So, you know what you guys do when he gets in here? You pat him on the back and say congratulations and enjoy it and tell him not serve fried chicken next year. Got it?" Zoeller said. He smiled and snapped his fingers, and as he was walking away he turned and said, "Or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve." That moment haunted him the rest of his career. Zoeller apologized. Woods was traveling and it took two weeks for him to comment as the controversy festered. Zoeller later said he received death threats for years after that moment. Writing for Golf Digest in 2008, he said it was "the worst thing I've gone through in my entire life." "If people wanted me to feel the same hurt I projected on others, I'm here to tell you they got their way," Zoeller wrote. "I've cried many times. I've apologized countless times for words said in jest that just aren't a reflection of who I am. I have hundreds of friends, including people of color, who will attest to that. "Still, I've come to terms with the fact that this incident will never, ever go away." It marred a career filled with two famous major titles, eight other PGA Tour titles and a Senior PGA Championship among his two PGA Tour Champions titles. More than winning was how he went about it. Zoeller played fast and still had an easygoing nature to the way he approach the game, often whistling between shots. He made his Masters debut in 1979 and got into a three-way playoff when Ed Sneed bogeyed the last three holes. Zoeller defeated Sneed and Tom Watson with a birdie on the second playoff hole, flinging his putter high in the air. "I've never been to heaven, and thinking back on my life, I probably won't get a chance to go," Zoeller once said. "I guess winning the Masters is as close as I'm going to get." Zoeller was locked in a duel with Norman at Winged Foot in the 1984, playing in the group behind and watching Norman make putt after putt. So when he saw Norman make a 40-footer on the 18th, he assumed it was for birdie and began waving a white towel in a moment of sportsmanship. Only later did he realize it was for par, and Zoeller made par to force a playoff. Zoeller beat him by eight shots in the 18-hole playoff (67-75). Zoeller's lone regret was giving the towel to a kid after he finished in regulation. "If you happen to see a grungy white towel hanging around, get it for me, will you?" he once said. He was born Frank Urban Zoeller Jr. in New Albany, Indiana. Zoeller said his father was known only as "Fuzzy" and he was given the same name. He played at a junior college in Florida before joining the powerful Houston golf team and then going pro. His wife, Diane, died in 2021. Zoeller has three children, including daughter Gretchen, with whom he used to play in the PNC Championship. Zoeller was awarded the Bob Jones Award by the USGA in 1985, the organization's highest honor given for distinguished sportsmanship.

LOL... Does it make you feel dirty?

No…. There will be a form to fill out on google forms in the future where you will make your picks…

They love you man... They can't quit you...

This is happening... I started working on my death list today and created an entry form for 2026 season... The form won't be available until around December 8 and will be taking entries until December 31, 11:59pm ET... The rules are at the top of the page...

Looks like the Colts screwed the pooch in the fourth and overtime...

I have seen 21 of them... Out of them, there are a couple I wish I had passed on...

GB not having a twitter account…

I changed a line from a Billy Joel song…

“We didn’t start the fire…”

I am glad I have the Lightning Lane Pass…

I have about 76 years left before I can retire...

Not with the Angels, he won't win the World Series...

https://www.mlb.com/news/randy-jones-dies Randy Jones became a San Diego icon, not only for a pitching peak that rivaled the best in baseball, but for his everyman approach to the game and to fame. Jones, the 1976 National League Cy Young Award winner, died on Tuesday, according to a statement released by the Padres on Wednesday. He was 75. “With deep sorrow and heavy hearts, the Padres mourn the passing of our beloved left-hander, Randy Jones," the statement read. "Randy was a cornerstone of our franchise for over five decades, highlighted by becoming the first Padres pitcher to win the Cy Young Award. Inducted into the Padres Hall of Fame in 1999, his impact and popularity only grew in his post-playing career, becoming a tremendous ambassador for the team and a true fan favorite. Crossing paths with RJ and talking baseball or life was a joy for everyone fortunate enough to spend time with him. Randy was committed to San Diego, the Padres, and his family. He was a giant in our lives and our franchise history. "We extend our heartfelt sympathy to his wife Marie and the entire Jones family during this difficult time. RJ will be greatly missed.” Jones had a 10-year Major League career, from 1973-82. His two-season stretch from 1975-76 vaulted him to the game’s elite and made him the first true face of the Padres franchise, which began play in ’69. In those two seasons, Jones posted a 42-26 record for teams that didn’t approach .500, along with a 2.50 ERA, 11 shutouts and 43 complete games. He was an All-Star both seasons, earning the save in 1975 and notching the win as the NL starter in ’76. He finished second behind Tom Seaver in the ’75 NL Cy Young voting before claiming the prize the following year. "When he was on," Padres teammate Merv Rettenmund once said, "I've never seen a better pitcher." That is not faint praise. Rettenmund also played alongside Hall of Famers Jim Palmer and Nolan Ryan. Jones led the NL with a 2.24 ERA in ’75 and topped the Majors the next year in wins (22), starts (40), innings (315 1/3) and complete games (25). He gained a national profile in his Cy Young season, earning the cover of Sports Illustrated when he reached the All-Star break with a 16-3 record. “Threat to win 30,” the cover blurb blared. Jones’ star turn wasn’t just because of the on-field success. He appealed to fans because of his unassuming appearance -- a vintage 1970s man perm was his trademark -- and his even more unassuming fastball. The left-hander fed right-handed hitters a steady diet of sinkers that topped out at 80 mph. Lefties got a mix of sinkers and sliders. Jones’ sinker so befuddled Pete Rose that the all-time hits leader once eschewed switch-hitting and tried hitting lefty instead. Jones struck him out looking at three sliders. Jones’ starts became a sensation in San Diego. During his pregame stroll to the bullpen -- tucked in foul territory near the left-field corner of San Diego Stadium -- fans rose to their feet and applause grew with his every step. In 1976, attendance averaged 27,400 for his 21 home starts. The Padres averaged 15,769 on their other home dates. “Part of it was that he wasn’t a Dave Winfield. He wasn’t 6-foot-6, cut and lean,” former San Diego sportscaster and news anchor Hal Clement recounted in a 1996 interview. “He was an average-sized guy who didn’t throw especially hard. He got by on guile and intelligence. There was an everyman quality about him.” Former Padres broadcaster Bob Chandler echoed those sentiments. “In a way, it was kind of David against Goliath,” Chandler said. “It was Randy Jones, this little guy who didn’t throw the ball hard, playing for the San Diego Padres, who hadn’t ever had a winning season. But when he took the mound, we were as good as anybody. We expected to win.” His peak workload proved costly: Jones tore a nerve near his left biceps tendon in his 40th and final start of 1976, requiring postseason surgery. He never regained his top form and was traded to the Mets after the ’80 campaign. Jones played two seasons in New York and retired after spending the 1983 spring with the Pirates but failing to crack the Opening Day roster. In San Diego, Jones’ popularity never waned. He settled in north San Diego County and worked as an ambassador for the Padres. Jones was a regular at Petco Park in recent years, meeting and greeting fans. His Randy Jones BBQ stands were a staple at Qualcomm Stadium and made the migration to Petco Park. He had several stints working on Padres pregame and postgame broadcasts. A lifetime user of chewing tobacco, Jones revealed in 2017 that he was undergoing treatment for throat cancer. He was touched by the outpouring of support during his treatment -- and after he announced in May 2018 that he was cancer-free. “It was a magical relationship that we had when I was pitching, the way the fans supported me in ’75 and ’76, and even after that,” Jones told MLB.com reporter AJ Cassavell in 2018. “I enjoy them. I still look forward to seeing a lot of those folks.” Randall Leo Jones was born on Jan. 12, 1950, in Fullerton, Calif. He was a fifth-round Draft choice out of nearby Chapman College in 1972 and cracked the Majors the following year. His 10-year totals included a 100-123 record and a 3.42 ERA. Those numbers don’t hint at his impact in San Diego, where he was known for his influence on a franchise in its infancy and his affection for the city that embraced him. The Padres retired his uniform No. 35 in 1997 and included him in the inaugural class of the Padres Hall of Fame in ’99.