Unparalleled Excellence

Saturday's amazing finish by Tiger Woods to Round 3 of the U.S. Open was stuff of legend, yes, but in some ways not surprising, because it's the kind of thing we've come to expect from this giant of sport. Certainly in my lifetime no athlete has risen to transcend his sport over such a prolonged period of time as has Tiger, and Saturday's superhuman display just added to his legacy.

First came a ridiculous 70-foot eagle putt on the 13th hole to put Woods back in the running. Four holes later he one-hopped a chip on 17 for a birdie, and then he drained a 30-foot eagle putt on 18 to give him the outright lead heading into today's final round. Who does this stuff? Only Tiger, year after year after year. Michael Jordan certainly set the bar high during his playing days, but even basketball players have to admit they're only as great, ultimately, as the teams they play on. Golf is an individual sport, and the mental grind can be overwhelming. To witness what Tiger does, and the way he rises to the occasion on the sport's biggest stages, is simply breathtaking.

That he pulled off Saturday's tour-de-force on a bum knee that buckled on him on the 15th tee and caused him to wince in pain and use his driver as a cane was even more surreal.

"The stuff he does, it's unreal," said Rocco Mediate, who watched his once-comfortable lead over Woods evaporate from the group right behind Tiger's. "It's just the most amazing display of athletic, mental power that there is, that there ever was."

Maybe Tiger will win the Open today, maybe he won't. It matters to him, of course, but it doesn't matter to us. There are dozens of phenomenal athletes in sports today, and there have been thousands over the years, but Tiger is the best, plain and simple, and the most dominant in a particular field that sports has ever seen.

Witnessing LeBron James is cool, but to witness Tiger Woods is to witness history.

Charlie Jones

Last weekend the sports world lost one legendary broadcaster -- Jim McKay -- and later in the week it lost another. Charlie Jones, long-time announcer of the American Football League and countless other major assignments on ABC and NBC, died Thursday night in his home in La Jolla, Calif.

Jones' first major assignment was covering the AFL for ABC in 1960, and he followed the league to NBC in 1965. Like McKay, he contributed to ABC's "Wide World of Sports" and later did similar assignments for NBC's "Sports World." His resume also included the Olympics, the World Cup, and more than 25 college football bowl games.

Jones, like many of his era, had a distinctive, one-of-a-kind voice that became synonymous with major sporting events. Like McKay's, his was a comfortable, reassuring delivery that transcended the events he covered. And, like McKay, he exuded joy in his on-air style, making the broadcasts he anchored even more enjoyable to watch.