The Masters — who ya got?

Me, I’ll take Tiger Woods. Yup, you read that right. I’ll take Tiger.

Do I really think he can win? Can he overcome his myriad physical issues AND mental challenges? Get over the chipping yips (Tiger Woods has the yips????)? We shall see, but what a story that would be. I have never been a big Tiger fan. I am generally more of an “underdog” sports fan — I rooted for Wisconsin to beat Kentucky, and then to beat Duke. I rooted for the Hoosiers and for Rudy. But now, heading into the Masters with the end of his career in sight, I’m rooting for a miracle — I’m rooting for Tiger.

And for those of you hoping for Rory to get the “Tiger slam,” I believe in the golf Gods and they have not been kind to Rory since he signed a suspect scorecard in 2009. The golf gods don’t forget.

In looking at the potential for Tiger to cede the throne to Rory (wait, cede the throne? he’ll hang onto the throne like a pit bull), I am reminded of the transition of “greatest player in the NBA” from Larry Bird to Michael Jordan in the late 80’s. I have a vague recollection of reading a story, maybe Bob Ryan? maybe in SI?, where the writer suggested to Jordan that he would not, could not be the greatest “until the master has laid down his brush.” And so it is with Tiger.

I’ll take Tiger. Coast to coast.