Will Scribblers Be Required To Take Off Their Shoes Before Entering Today's Sitdown With Tiger?

Because I can see it now, Art Spander, fed up with Tiger's one word answers, stands up and heaves his Rockports at the world's No. 1!

So if we have to take our shoes off today, then we'll know Tiger's media liaison Glenn Greenspan has consulted the White House on media security.

Seriously, a few emails have rolled in complaining about the excessive coverage of the Steve Williams remarks. Now, the "pushback" is appreciated but I'm also getting a big chuckle out of the stance that this is a non-story.

You have the caddie for the most famous athlete in the world hurling  slurs at his bosses' rival. In any other sport this would be a fun story for a few days.

LeBron calls Kobe a not so flattering name, check!

But Stevie/Tiger v. Phil lept to another level when Stevie was given a chance by reporter Greg Ford to clarify his remarks. He repeated his assertions about Phil, minus the big bad word, then continued to perpetuate a lie by claiming that the Phil/tits story took place at Bethpage.

John Hawkins asks the key question this week in Golf World:

In this case, the size of the deal and width of the proportions aren't as serious as the depth of the motivation for Williams' venom. Why would you say such a thing, Stevie? Can you give us a good reason?

The venom is beyond just about anything you'll see in these little dramas. But ignore the drama and consider the Ryder/President's Cup dilemma. We just witnessed a Ryder Cup where team chemistry and Captain Azinger's clever structuring made the difference. And how on earth can Captain Pavin or Couples possibly deal with this mess in the future unless Tiger gives his man the week off, or perhaps the rest of his career off?

Should Tiger have to eventually fire Steve Williams or have him work a limited schedule, that makes this a huge story because it potentially impacts this remarkable and historic run, one that Tiger has worked so hard to develop, and which Williams has been very much a part of (on the bag for 13 of 14 majors).

This site is devoted to following the state of the game, with a (hopefully) strong historical bent that aims to put some of the events we see in perspective. As a fan of the history of the game, I believe this drama does have the potential to impact the game's history.

So you've been warned, full Sherwood press conference coverage is yet to come...

"You can already get 8-1 on the splitting of golf's most famous two-man team..." **

Douglas Lowe reports that you can wager on Stevie's fate:

You can already get 8-1 on the splitting of golf's most famous two-man team prior to the first PGA Tour event that Woods will play in, while Mickelson has spoken out saying how lucky he feels he is in comparison to have a class act in Jim Bones' Mackay as his caddie and representative.

James Corrigan makes several points in his Independent story analyzing Wednesday's Tiger Woods press conference possibilities, including this about Mickelson and a long rumored joke Corrigan's attributing to the "Woods camp":

This part of the attack plainly touched a nerve and that may just be because it reminded of another cruel joke supposedly circulated by members in or around Tiger's entourage. I certainly first heard it off a person with close connections to the Woods camp. "What's the difference between Phil Mickelson and his wife Amy?" went the wisecrack. "One has fake tits and a real smile..."

Of course, all of this playground silliness was blessedly rooted in the past, but now it promises to blight the present and in particular Woods's comeback from his knee reconstruction (which will reportedly occur some time around March). If Woods stands by his man as his own statement signifies he will – while calling Williams's remarks "inappropriate" and saying he "respected" Mickelson, he also said that the matter had been "discussed and dealt with" – then the atmosphere is bound to be tense and go way, way beyond that if and when the pair are required to play with each other.

What does already seem a given is that Woods will have to employ another caddie for this year's Presidents Cup in Los Angeles and possible even for 2010's Ryder Cup in Newport. No captain worthy of his team's camaraderie would want Mickelson and Williams in the same room and only a very weak captain would countenance it. The bristling enmity between Woods and Mickelson was long credited as being one of the factors for the American's desultory performances in the Ryder Cup, but since the Kentucky glory in September much has been made of the new-found Starred and Striped bonhomie. Has this been threatened already?

And Freddie thought being Captain (in San Francisco, not Los Angeles) would be a breeze!

Woods has long been depicted as the ultimate individual sportsman who does not care for the feelings of his rivals. But now golf is demanding that he must. Williams's biggest crime could well be in forcing Tiger to be reverential to Leftie. If Woods doesn't – starting today – then the feud, mythical or not, truly will be blown out of all proportion.

Lawrence Donegan writes on the Guardian blog:

For those inclined to disagree consider this: what if Pat Rice, Arsène Wenger's admirable assistant at Arsenal, was a guest speaker at a charity event and called Sir Alex Ferguson a prick? What if he then made Ferguson the butt of an anecdote which subsequently turned out to be fiction? Would that be newsworthy? Of course it would.

Uh, right, Pat Rice. Oh and Arsenio Wanker and Sir, wait, who? Sorry...I'm sure it's a fine point if you think it's nice to swim in the North Sea and believe black pudding is a delicacy.

This point I understand:

If that sounds too apocalyptic, then ask yourself this: what would have happened if Mickelson's caddie, or any caddie working for a leading professional, had publicly insulted Woods in the same manner? The answer, of course, is the caddie would have been fired on the spot.

I enjoy Mark Reason's work but I just don't get where he sees Stevie as a victim here. If you follow the course of the events and read Greg Ford's article, Williams did not back down from his comments or in any way express remorse for possibly telling a lie. Instead, he repeated the lie with a new spin.

Williams had assumed his remarks were made to a small, private audience.

Woods may be more sympathetic than most because in 1997 he told a magazine reporter some dodgy jokes off mike, only to see them appear in print.

Woods will understand that to some extent Williams is a victim, even if not too many other players and caddies will be crying about his plight.

The biggest fall-out from this story is that the world will once more become a duller place. Padraig Harrington says that he has nothing in common with Sergio Garcia and that is turned into an admission of sulphuric hatred.

A baggage handler makes a few choice comments on the other side of the world and suddenly we have an international incident. This is celebrity bonkers.

Sportsmen already say very little worth hearing. Soon they will say nothing. Who can blame them when private remarks become a matter of public gossip.

Wow, poor Stevie.

Meanwhile, Garry Smits notes that Stevie made another comment that has gone unnoticed, but which may upset Tiger more than the Phil comment.

In the first story in the New Zealand media in which Steve Williams, Tiger Woods' caddie, took several shots at Phil Mickelson, Williams had this to say about the final hole of regulation in the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines:

On the 18th hole in the final round, [Woods] needed a birdie four to tie Rocco Mediate and force a playoff.
"He hit a crap tee shot, [Williams said], then a bad second into the rough with the pin located front right. He hit the shot I wanted him to hit ... he took some convincing ... hit it right and made the putt. What a feat that was."

Just a word of caution to Mr. Williams: Mike "Fluff" Cowan, Woods' first caddie on the PGA Tour, was supposedly fired for taking too much credit for Woods' play and being too chatty with the media.

In a statement, Woods said the matter had been "dealt with." We'll see. 

We shall see. 1 p.m. PST.

Update on 2008-12-17 14:58 by Geoff

** Lorne Rubenstein defends Williams without breaking out the violin and making him a victim, as Reason did above, while essentially making the same point: it's incidents like this that make athletes and the people who carry their luggage just a little less willing to say anything at all.

Williams was saying something he truly felt. That could be the last time he'll say anything interesting during a public event. That's too bad, because, evidently, he has a lot to say.

Here's to the unguarded, unscripted moment, then. There lies truth. Williams let Woods down, but he was telling it as it is for him, and that was telling. It was Williams, unvarnished. From now on, you can be sure of what you'll get: whitewash, and no colour.

Reports: Stevie Williams To Spend Next Ten Years Impersonating Marcel Marceau

...that's because he appears to have a wonderfully forgiving boss. One who used to have a no-exploitation policy for his last looper who was canned for giving too long of an interview to Golf Digest (as Larry Dorman notes in his NY Times story).

Doug Ferguson chiming in for the Associated Press, and therefore, most publications:

Tiger Woods said Monday he was disappointed by his caddie’s disparaging comments in New Zealand newspapers about Phil Mickelson, whom Woods referred to as a “player I respect.”

Steve Williams was quoted in the Taranaki Daily News as saying he wouldn’t call Mickelson a great player “because I think he’s a (expletive).” Contacted by the Sunday Star Times, Williams confirmed making the comment.

“I was disappointed to read the comments attributed to Steve Williams about Phil Mickelson, a player that I respect,” Woods said in a statement. “It was inappropriate. The matter has been discussed and dealt with.”

Ferguson goes on to detail the past tiffs and other oddball moves by Williams, but neglects to mention his thrillingly entertaining race track meltdown!

What isn't explained in the story or any other is how Tiger addressed this with Phil Mickelson. Reader DGS emailed wondering if Tiger's "dealt with" comment includes calling Phil to apologize for his caddy? Maybe that'd be a good question for Wednesday's press conference.

Of course so would the termination question. Which Lawrence Donegan says is likely out of the question:

The world No1 was the best man at Williams' wedding in New Zealand and in a world where player-caddie relationships are notoriously transient the two men appear to have a permanent and close friendship.

Steve Elling files a must read with too many one-liners to copy here. Amid his entertaining dissection, Elling slips in this key point which can't be overlooked:

Imagine the thermonuclear holocaust that would have ensued if a comparable statement had come from Mackay about Woods.

Several have said Phil should not have responded at all by issuing the statement. However, Elling's point is exactly why Mickelson and his media guru T.R. Reinman made the right move. This story would have died had they not put the statement out. And if team unity means anything in the Cup world, the comments needed to be heard by all because Williams must not be a part of future Ryder and Presidents Cups (assuming he is still by Tiger come Cup-time).

Speaking of Tiger, who you almost feel sorry for him if it weren't for all of the previous warning signs that Mt. Stevie would blow, Elling paints this beautiful image:

It's not difficult to imagine how Woods is processing all this. He probably has a resigned look on his face similar to when playing partner Mickelson, at the Ryder Cup matches in Detroit four years ago, whacked a tee shot so far offline, it landed stone dead against a chain-link fence. This is a decidedly different brand of alternate shot. A cornerman is involved, too.

And as much as I'm touched by wonderful sportsmanship in the game, I have to side with Jason Sobel, who says this incident and the tension between the two best American golfers does nothing to tarnish the sport. In fact, it only helps generate interest.

Woods and Mickelson will never be confused with best friends -- their interpersonal gigglefest three years ago notwithstanding -- and that's not such a bad thing for the state of the game. In fact, it could make it all that more entertaining, knowing that each player wants to win a given tournament as much as he wants the other to lose. Such emotion instills passion on the course and ensures there will be greater drama between the players when they next tee it up together.

And Ron Kroichick in the San Francisco Chronicle agrees, delving into an interesting comparison with Nicklaus and Palmer's relationship.

It's difficult to digest all this middle-school name-calling without A) chuckling at the whole silly, entertaining spectacle, B) imagining Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus engaging in a similar feud in the 1960s and C) realizing this makes the 2009 season all the more alluring.

Phil Fires Back: "After seeing Steve Williams' comments all I could think of was how lucky I am to have a class act like Bones on my bag" **

Tiger's caddie fabricates a tale and refers to Phil Mickelson as a "prick," then offers a new version that also proved to be untrue while sticking to his classy characterization of Mickelson.

So Sunday, the target of Steve Williams issued a statement. And curiously, as of 11:32 EST Sunday night, The Guardian's Lawrence Donegan is the only one to report it:

The sedate world of professional golf is unused to such unvarnished opinions being thrown around in public and Mickelson made his unhappiness clear. "After seeing Steve Williams' comments all I could think of was how lucky I am to have a class act like Bones (his caddie, Jim Mackay) on my bag and representing me," the American left-hander said.

Mickelson also said a "joke" told by Williams in which the player was heckled by a fan over his weight during this year's US Open at Torrey Pines was "a total fabrication". "It is based on an incident on the 17th hole during a practice round of the US Open at Bethpage in 2002 that involved a European Tour player. The story has been retold often but Woods and Williams were not present at that incident," he said.

Obviously I'm entertained by the drama at play here and how it'll impact future Tiger-Phil pairings, but I'm also fascinated by the media reaction.

If Tiger Woods passes gas, the media grills him about the odor and his emotions before-during-after the passage. Follow ups will probe how hard the eruption made Stevie laugh and finally, if Elin had any thoughts on the matter.

Yet Tiger's ticking time bomb caddie, who works for someone with a no tolerance policy on questionable behavior from the people he surrounds himself with, fabricates a story and puts down the world's No. 3 player in demeaning fashion. But only one paper and no major golf website is picking up Mickelson's statement, with minimal or zero coverage of the overall controversy.

So is this because it's a silly season weekend when already slim coverage becomes less of a priority or this dereliction of duty driven by a fear of upsetting Team Tiger?

Or ominously for us readers, a combo platter deal?

Update on 2008-12-15 14:55 by Geoff

**As of 10 a.m. EST Monday, only golf.com has added Mickelson's statement, linking to Donegan's Guardian story. Nothing about the controversy on ESPN.com, GolfDigest.com, Golfweek.com or Yahoo.com. 

"According to Williams" **

Yesterday I mistakenly linked to Lawrence Donegan's Guardian version of the Steve Williams-calls-Phil Mickelson names story instead of the original by Murray Hills. I have corrected the link mix up on the post below.

However, my screw-up proved revealing (yes, I'm justifying blogging sloppiness!).

A reader called into question the Hills' story suggestion that the U.S. Open "Nice tits" tale took place during round 3, when we all know Tiger Woods and Phil only played together in rounds 1 and 2. The reader directed their criticism at Donegan, who clarified Hills's mistake here, why he wrote his story accordingly, while also revealing that it seems Williams, telling the tale to a group of 250, most likely made the story up.

Now, I should have known something was amiss with the Williams story since I was at Torrey Pines every day, followed the elite Tiger-Phil-Scott pairing most of the way and never heard about this happening. Other writers I've checked with say this was the first they've heard of it. And as several have noted, including Donegan in his post here, the tale sounds similar to a story about Monty that has made the rounds for years.

It's hard to imagine Stevie surviving this latest episode if it delivers the expected high humiliation factor on Tiger's lap. It's certainly not the Christmas gift Tiger wanted from his caddy on the eve of this week's event at Sherwood where Tiger hosts a press conference. 

Update on 2008-12-14 07:26 by Geoff

Thanks to reader Gene for catching Greg Ford's story following up with Williams about his remarks.

When approached by the Star-Times yesterday, Williams confirmed the quote was accurate, although he had not intended that it find its way into the public domain.

"I certainly didn't make it to a media person," he said. "I visit a lot of golf clubs and do a lot of speaking for charity and that is one of the questions I get asked the most: what is Tiger's relationship like with Phil Mickelson.

"I was simply honest and said they don't get a long. You know what it's like. You're at a charity event and you have a bit of fun."

Yes, yes, calling people prick's in the name of charity! Just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Asked if he used the word "prick", he said "yes" and added a few more choice words to the mix.

"I don't particularly like the guy myself," he said of Mickelson. "He pays me no respect at all and hence I don't pay him any respect. It's no secret we don't get along either."

Williams is an infamously brusque individual who once threw a spectator's camera into a pond. But, even by his standards, this was an astonishing thing to say.

Since scoring a job as Woods' bagman, he has been careful not to create any controversy, partly because Woods sacked his predecessor for his outspokeness.

Williams doubted Woods would react to his comments.

"He knows the media," he said. "You make a comment and they blow it all out of proportion and it's no big deal."

Oh good, we can ask him about that too!

But to make matters worse, the Guardian has reported a story Williams told about this year's US Open at Torrey Pines, where Woods and Mickelson were paired together.

The two players were walking down the 17th fairway when, according to Williams, someone shouted "Phil" in Mickelson's direction. The world No 2 did not respond until the fan shouted, "Hey, Mr Mickelson." When Mickelson turned and waved, the fan yelled out "Nice tits". The crowd erupted in laughter; Mickelson went double bogey, bogey and his chances of winning the tournament disappeared.

Williams confirmed the story was almost accurate, adding it was his recollection the incident happened at Beth Page.

Keep digging Stevie!

Folks, did Tiger and Phil play together at Bethpage?

Stevie On Phil: "I hate the prick"

Murray Hills buries the lede reports that Stevie Williams' rebranding effort (from Tiger Woods' lowly luggage looping lunatic to nature-loving porter for Tiger) may take a hit after being asked about Phil Mickelson.

It's also a well-known fact that Woods and American Phil "Mr Nice Guy" Mickelson are not the best of buddies. Williams told a story of Woods and Mickelson paired together during the US Open. The pair were duelling for the lead in the third round. Tiger waved to a packed grandstand seating 5000 people that bordered the 17th fairway. The crowd responded.

As a hush fell back over the crowd, a fan yelled out "Phil." No response from Mickelson. Again the fan yelled out "Phil." Again no response. The fan changed tack. "Hey, Mr Mickelson."

When Mickelson turned and waved, the fan yelled out "Nice tits." The crowd erupted in laughter; Mickelson went double bogey, bogey and his tournament was over.

And Williams on Mickelson?

"I wouldn't call Mickelson a great player ... 'cause I hate the prick."

And thanks Stevie for the wonderful timing: on the eve of Tiger's annual press conference at Sherwood. Maybe it won't be just a bunch of questions about the knee after all! And who says you are not media friendly?

"Imagine the long-term impact on the kids who would want to pick up golf clubs just because Tiger hit it."

Geoff Ogilvy used his Australian PGA win to mention what a Tiger appearance would mean to Australian golf. From Reuters:

"We could stack some pretty good players against him, it would be a pretty stunning tournament," the former U.S. Open champion told reporters.

"Imagine the long-term impact on the kids who would want to pick up golf clubs just because Tiger hit it.

"Imagine 25,000 people leaving the golf course telling everyone they watched Tiger Woods play and the amazing impact it could have."

We imagine the same thing here in Los Angeles these days, but I don't think anyone coming to Riviera for the Northern Trust Open will get the pleasure again. Sorry Aussies, Tiger doesn't add to his schedule. He only subtracts.

“Tiger Woods is successful, competitive, and popular. And that’s just not us.”

Light fun at the expense of the Tiger-Buick break up: Conan O'Brien reprinted at the NY Times laugh line blog, followed by Bob Smiley at the Fore Right blog.

"I enjoy playing where single-digits is a good winning score."

Carlos Monarrez wonders if the post-Buick Tiger will return to Warwick Hills (no!) and points out this comment from a few years ago:

After Woods' last Buick victory, he said he liked the traditional tree-lined layout at Warwick Hills and how it set up for his game. But Woods also admitted he was not a fan of the low-scoring nature of the event.

"As far as enjoying this type of golf tournament, no, it's not my favorite," Woods said then. "If you look at my tournament schedule, I usually don't play events that are like this. I enjoy playing where single-digits is a good winning score. ... Here, you will get run over with spike marks all over your back."

I wonder if such a remark about single-digits drove the PGA Tour to accentuate the higher-rough, old school U.S. Open course setup mentality?

Naw...not possible.

"A source of mirth in some circles because Woods is reported to drive a Porsche."

A few interesting bits regarding the Tiger/Buick break up, starting with some added information in Greg Bensinger and Michael Buteau's original Bloomberg story.

Sales of Buick vehicles in the U.S. plunged 58 percent to 185,791 units from 1999 to 2007, more than any other GM brand in the period. Sales of the 105-year-old Buick brand peaked in 1984 at 941,611, according to trade publication Automotive News.

The median age of new Buick retail buyers in 2008 was 68 in the U.S., the same as in 1997, said Alexander Edwards, head of the auto research division at the San Diego-based firm. Only about 1 percent of the Buicks sold at retail in 1997 went to consumers 34 or younger, and that share fell to less than half a percent for those sold in 2008, Edwards said.

Lawrence Donegan writing in the Guardian, reminds us that Stevie's going to be carrying a new bag next year.

The deal between GM and Woods, said to be worth more than $10m (£6.6m) a year to the golfer, had endured for almost a decade and become one of the most visible sponsorship arrangements in sport, not least because Woods' golf bag had been transformed into an advertisement for Buick, one of the carmaker's brands.

As part of the deal, the world No1 also took part in television commercials for the budget-priced range of cars - a source of mirth in some circles because Woods is reported to drive a Porsche.

Yes, the PGA Tour has signed deals with every one of its sponsors through at least 2010 -- including the two tournaments sponsored by Buick. But there is far more to these events than the title sponsor, which help put up funds for the purse and get the events on television.

Thankfully, Doug Ferguson says Steiney is on the case.

Steinberg said he would ``expect there to be some exposure on the bag'' when Woods next plays.

``I've got a few ideas, and we're in the process of working through that,'' he said.

And Bob Harig sees this is a bad sign for the PGA Tour:

The actual running of the tournaments is left to local organizing bodies, most of them non-profit organizations that solicit dozens if not hundreds of lower-level sponsorships and must rely on a horde of volunteers to even exist.

While it is not the $7 million or so necessary to be a title sponsor, big money -- often six-figure fees -- is spent on hospitality tents or corporate chalets. Doesn't it seem logical that these companies would cut back, too?

“He expressed an interest in growing his own Tiger brand and we have been looking for marketing savings.”

According to this Marketwatch story the timing is "coincidental," but as Bloomberg's Greg Bensinger reports, the Tiger-GM split obviously comes at a time when the car company needs to save money to fuel its fleet of private executive jets. Thanks to readers Adam and Chuck for the heads up.

Woods, 32, endorsed GM products including the Buick brand for the past 9 years, Pete Ternes, a spokesman for the Detroit- based automaker, said today. The golfer had been under contract through 2009.

“We began speaking with Woods earlier this year,” Ternes said in an interview. “He expressed an interest in growing his own Tiger brand and we have been looking for marketing savings.”

The announcement comes as GM seeks to cut marketing expenses by 20 percent in the U.S. A weakening U.S. economy that’s taken a toll on auto sales is prompting GM’s Chevrolet brand to “significantly” reduce spending on sports sponsorships, the company said last month.

Woods’s agent, Mark Steinberg, wouldn’t comment on the golfer’s future endorsements. “We’ve put together a plan, but it’s nothing that I’m going to discuss at this time,” Steinberg said in a telephone interview.

Not to worry, I'm sure Tiger will always return to Warwick Hills out of his love for the spending time studying Michigan's finest architecture.

Here's the early Golfweek take on the split.

Update on 2008-11-24 17:44 by Geoff

Tiger wants to spend more time with his family...

GM And Tiger Woods Announce End To Endorsement Deal

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - General Motors and Tiger Woods announced today that they will conclude their endorsement deal effective December 31, 2008.

Both GM and Woods agreed to a mutual and amicable separation that included a desire for more personal time for the 14-time major winner who is expecting his second child in late winter as well as the search for budget efficiencies during a difficult economy for General Motors. For the past nine years, Woods has endorsed GM products around the world and has been heavily associated with the Buick brand in the US, Canada and China markets.

Mark LaNeve, General Motors North American Vice President of Sales, Service and Marketing said, "Tiger has been a great friend to GM and a fantastic asset through the years helping to bring consumer awareness to many new GM products. In light of the news coming out of Washington," LaNeve added, "This decision is the result of discussions that started earlier in the year and the timing of this agreement with these other activities is purely coincidental."

News out of Washington? How about out of Detroit?

In a statement, Woods commented, "I am very proud of the long standing partnership I've had with GM and have enjoyed being a part of the company's dramatic product evolution. We've had a lot of fun together and I participated in some unique and rewarding activities. We've enjoyed a tremendous partnership over the years and we will maintain strong ties with the many people at GM we call friends."

"I'm Tiger Woods right now. You're not getting anything out of me but plain vanilla."

From Mike Bresnahan's LA Times Laker notes, covering the latest in the Kobe-Shaq saga after O'Neal's comments to the Sacramento Bee's Scott Howard-Cooper:

Predictably, Bryant didn't want anything to do with the topic on Monday, even though he and O'Neal appeared to have sewn up their differences, at least publicly.

"Why are you asking me that?" he said. "No, really. You've got to be kidding me. I've been talking about it for so long, I don't want to talk about it anymore. It's silly to me. I'm Tiger Woods right now. You're not getting anything out of me but plain vanilla. I'm not saying anything. My mouth is locked."

So much for Tiger's street cred with the NBA crowd.

"He has probably put more steps on this ground at this stage of development than any architect we've dealt with"

In Jerry Potter's story on Tiger's press conference to launch The Cliffs, he shares this from developer Jim Anthony:

Woods said he was able to walk about three months after surgery, and Anthony said his early visits to the site left him worried. "He has probably put more steps on this ground at this stage of development than any architect we've dealt with," said Anthony, who has courses built by Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Fazio.

That's not really saying much. Those three, walking a site? Without cameras? Right.

Stevie's Rebranding Complete! Your Captions Please...

Wow, releasing a bird into the wild without attacking the person taking the photos! What restraint shown by Tiger's luggage looper Stevie Williams. His image rehab is complete, I say! And nice branding for NBC Sports too. (Images courtesy of our friends at BZA PR, who are handling the Kiwi Challenge.)

Update on 2008-10-29 03:33 by Geoff

Thanks to reader Scott for catching this. From Getty Images. Look out Dottie and Roger! Someone wants your job!