Buff Bucks

I love dominant competitors where the competition seems genuinely open. Tiger inherited his genes, but he still has to win the tournament. By the time we get to the US Open you or I and Michelle Wie can have tried to get there without too many artificial obstacles. It's the best golf which has the best chance.

A year ago at this time we were hoping Lefty, Veejay, Big Easy Ernie Els could give Tiger a run for the money. This year Tiger again stands alone.

Tennis too is blessed with a Titan. Roger Federer wins like no one in tennis has won before. Who's dominated a racket sport like that since Hashim Khan in the 1940s? Not even Rod Laver put up numbers like Roger had for 2005. But God bless us, Rafael Nadal, who frustrated Roger in last year's French, just took a final from Roger!
Even a Titan needs a rivalry.

I've ogled Tiger online before, and Roger Federer too, even oohed and ahed about Hashim. I jot this piece today to show off Rafa: but also to stand agape at another buff Spaniard: have you gotten a glam yet of Camilo Villegas? The guy is bursting out of his golf shirt and pants the way Britany Spears showed the world how to burst out of girlhood.

Notice: Nadal isn't exactly hiding. He wears those ridiculous cut-off sleeves, and with reason. Well neither is Villegas taking any evident vows of poverty, modesty, or chastity. This past weekend he was wearing orange shoes and an orange belt. Some other damn thing was coordinated orange: his wrist band, or a hankie. If it weren't for the articulated biceps, legs, butt, he would have looked like a freaking fairy.

I think I'll also put together a note on the subtle perfection of the Federer bod. He reminds me of Mike Schmidt: another physical genius of the super-average.