Final Thoughts on the US Open

Before I go back to the world of political trash talk please indulge a few lingering thoughts from my week walking the cliffs of Torrey Pines watching golf.

• Logistical Geniuses - The Army could learn a thing or two about troop movements from the US Golf Association. They managed to transport over 40,000 people a day, 300,000 people for the week, the twenty miles from the parking lot to the golf course. And they did it with smooth efficiency. Even on Sunday when all 40,000 wanted to leave at once the operation was astonishingly well orchestrated. The Pentagon says it would take months to disengage from Iraq; the USGA could pull it off in a week and pay for it by selling souvenir hats to the departing troops.
  
• Wimps and a Hero - Tiger Woods wins while limping around the course on a bum knee that, judging from his occasional reactions hurt like someone stabbing a knife in his leg. Three other golfers withdrew with various ouchies. Mark Calcavecchia wins the award for biggest wuss. He played just nine holes of wretched golf (eight over par) before claiming a mystery injury and departing. Ian Poulter made it until Friday when, at risk of embarrassing himself by shooting an 80, he said goodbye and just walked away late in the round. Luke Donald made the cut and suffered a legitimate injury. Tiger showed the cojones of an athlete.
  
• Speed Racer - The most dangerous part of Torrey Pines last week was anywhere NBC went. They were zipping around the course in golf carts like it was a Go-Kart track. I witnessed a head-on collision and scores of near misses. Wherever there was trouble NBC was there causing it.
• The Fans - On Sunday, the grandstands at the key holes filled up quickly. People were reluctant to leave even for necessary beer or restroom runs. (The former made the latter necessary.) After eight hours of sun and muscle cramps a fellowship develops in the grandstands. As the leaders approached a different sort appeared. Pasty-faced outsiders started coming up the steps trying to claim that "someone" stole their seats. We who had been their since the misty dawn knew our neighbors like brothers. We rejected these strangers, these interlopers, these pansies who were unwilling to pay for those seats with the purest form of sweat equity.
  

All in all, a fun week but now I have a backlog of political issues that have been begging for me to bloviate on.