Well folks is US Open time already! I hear so much being made in the media about New York's supposed love affair the golfer Phil Mickleson. Well I'm a new yorker and I play golf here and I can't say I ever gotten the feeling that he is beloved here. I think maybe at the last Open the crowds were cheering hard for Phil mainly because he was the most likely challenger to Tiger, who had been on a tear winning everything going back to '99-00. I think the crowds just wanted to see a good battle instead of Tiger running away with another US Open, not that they have any special love for Mr Mickleson. It could've been any number of American white guys who'd get that kind of boost from the crowd if they were in contention.

If you ask me, New York is a more of a Tiger town.

i think the whole country is pulling for phil, considering what his wife is going through!

DANG IT i posted this in the wrong forum. It should be in general forum. someone, help me out here.

Not that I am a New Yorker, but I never got the sense that New Yorkers accepted any athlete unconditionally ever. I thought the best anyone could do there win a little acceptance until your next slump, and out come the knives.

Ignore the garbage the sports newsmedia spews. This is the same bunch who have to mention Tiger's name every two minutes or think Tiger is golf. He is great but there is more to golf. .

The poster sounds like a Tiger and Yankees fan. A bit like the Red Sox Nation crowd.

I like Phil as much as any other golfer. I also like him because I get weary how some people trash the guy all the time. He also hits it a mile and usually has a good short game plus he is always entertaining.

Someone 'splain this for me? What does this have to do with anything?

There is a bit of New York in both Tiger and Phil.

New Yorkers appreciate an all business winner who has nerves of steel and gets the job done. That's Tiger.

We also appreciate someone who takes big chances and does things in grand style. There's Phil.

There's a saying, "New York loves a winner". Both these guys qualify there.

The media perpetuate a myth?!?? Unheard of!

I was at the Open at Black and I can tell you definitively that most of that crowd was desperately screaming for Phil to pull through. The air was electric right up until it became evident he was not going to pull it off. The loudest cheers were yelled for Phil no doubt. Maybe all of NY can't be considered a Phil state but the patrons at bethpage were mostly cheering for Phil. I will say however that they were not against Tiger I just think they were cheering for the underdog in that circumstance. If I remember correctly Phil also was the favorite of the fans when he played at Winged Foot.

Must be a myth because... EVERYONE LOVES PHIL!!!

because native New Yorkers are very ethno focused. If you are from New York..you would know what I mean...and it's worse if you are from Brooklyn. LOL.. I lived in NYC for 6 months and spent time in Brooklyn. I have to agree with the poster..although it is more complex than that. I always saw NYC blue collar folks as Italians, Jews, Arabs, etc..they disliked each other and would say some of the meanest things..but they all had one thing in common..deep hatred of Blacks, so it won't be unusual for some of this to translate into sports...but I would give them the benefit of the doubt...they respect Tiger..that's all he asks for...and they beat up on Sergio..he is a white guy LOL.

As for Phil..well what can i say..anything bad about him would probably put me on the to be suspended list on WRX..been there..done that..and don't want to go there..lol..but he should keep golf, golf..and Amy's cancer out of it. Like Tiger did with his Dad's cancer

That's funny, I had the same experience when I moved up to that part of the country. I was just some "Texas Redneck" to them, but I was amazed at how segregated that part of the country was. Down here, you had black, white, and hispanic. Up there, you had Irish, Italian, Jew, Polish, Cuban, Mexican, Jamaican, African, etc. I found it all pretty ironic in the more "open-minded" North that those folks were more aware of race than anyone I'd ever been around in Texas.

Sure was happy when I got to move back to Texas.

Turning this into a racial thing is ludicrous. I was there on Sunday at Bethpage in '02 and can tell you from first hand account that the crowds were cheering Phil because he was fighting so hard and engaging them as they cheered him on. Tiger, on the other hand, does not engage the crowd because he is "focused".

I also grew up in Brooklyn, New York, so don't give us your jaded bull crap that New Yorkers cheer for
Phil because they are racists. That's complete garbage!

I feel for Amy, but personally I never want to see Phil and his sloppy play when a major. I'm sure the only person that really has a chance at this is Tiger as it's a bombers course and he's the best bomber, but I would really like to see any of these gents win:
Zach Johnson
Nick Watney
Steve Stricker
Brian Gay
David Duval

Derek Jeter will be loved even if he hit .200 for the rest of his career.

And we love Arod unconditionally of course. Carl Pavano too.

Wow, wish I could win 3 majors and be sloppy.

Carl Pavano, good one. LOL.

There are two kinds of people in the world, those from Brooklyn and those that wish they were.

I didn't mean to imply racialism at all. I shouldn't have said "white guys" (besides at the time did a non white, non-Tiger American PGA player even exist??) I just meant that Phil being an American, in contention, and the underdog were the reasons why the crowd gave him so much support. IMO it could've as easily been Freddie Couples or Daly, etc.

It is pretty funny that you meet alot of people who are Yankee/Giants/Tiger fans and those who are Mets/Jets/Phil fans...

The media loves Phil more than New York does.

They want Phil Mickelson, American rival to Tiger.

Tiger doesn't even see Phil as his biggest rival, he always mentions EE.

"Racialism"?

I guess with all you have to be proud of, the NY Public Education System is at the bottom of the list?

Does anyone remember what happened to Sergio at the '02 open? This certainly isn't about color.

New Yorkers liking Phil has nothing to do with race or the media. Simply put, New Yorkers are passionate and at this event, which is THEIR golf course there will be a lot of them (up to 50,000).

Why wouldn't New Yorkers like Phil over Tiger? Tiger isn't fond of NYC and he skipped the FedEx playoff at Westchester in 2007. Being there, I overheard a lot of negative talk about Tiger not participating.

Mickelson on the other hand makes it publicly known that he likes NYC AND has been there in each of the past three Opens and won the PGA Championship in Jersey. Add this to what he is going through with his family (Amy) and you have passion, what New Yorkers are know for...

Jeter is close. He could probably whiff to lose the series and still get a hot meal in alot of NYC households.

Arod, I disagree...a bit flaky and not exactly Mr. Clutch.

From what I hear, and I never had the priveledge of seeing him, Joe Dimaggio was the closest thing ever to perfection in the eyes
of NYorkers. The most talent, the most grace and let's face it, the guy was centerfielder for the greatest team on earth and
married to Marilyn Monroe.

http://www.rotorob.com/wp-content/uploads/...oe_DiMaggio.jpg

Hit safely in 56 straight games. Doubtful that record will ever fall.

fixed

You gotta problem?




Relax...just kidding.

I figured the New Yawkas would be cheering for Sergio. You guys gave him quite the support last time.

I was definitely joking when it came to Arod. I thought that was clear when I threw Pavano's name next to him. Arod is the king of the up by 8 run solo homer. New Yorkers like Phil because he was and is an underdog, plays golf aggresively like AP did, is frank when giving an interview, and has had success here. I was at Bethpage all 6 days in 2002 and the roars for Phil were definitely louder than everyone else's roars, even TW.

http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/pga/news?slug...p&type=lgns

And they really liked it when Sergio gave a few fans the birdie... Waggle, waggle, waggle... uno, dos, tres! lol...

that was the only time I agreed with Sergio...some losers of fans think they are so relevant. I mean just disappear to fry some calamari....like now.. these are baseball fans..not golfers

This is the biggest horsesh!t ever, the media is spinning this to get better story line angle and build up drama. I am a native New Yorker i lived in Manhattan and Queens. I am not a Mickelson fan, and i can tell you that majority of my coworkers at my firm are not a fan of him either. Yes, situation with his wife is unfortunate, my grandmother and aunt both passed away from breast cancer, but according to Phil they caught it early and it is treatable which is a huge positive.

The Media are the same jabroni that associates Tiger Woods as a "African American" that is only 1/5 of the truth, if anything Tiger has more asian blood in him than anything. His father, Earl, yes is partially African American, he also has Native American and Chinese blood in him. Tiger's mother, Tida, is Thai, Chinese and i believe Vietnamese.

Apologize for the rant, but it annoys the sh!t outta me when i hear the media claiming no asians has won a major.

Good post. I think Phil last year went down toi the NYSE with Amy. He rang the bell and signed autographs with the traders. He is very personable and likes NYC as you said.

I think the locals like Phil too because he is entertaining and he goes for it. He is a gambler. His round at Augusta this year was stunning. He also hits it a mile plus he can be a wizard with his wedges. Whether people like him or not - the fans get their money's worth if he is playing well. When most players lay up or pitch out - Phil tries some crazy shot and usually pulls it off. A lot of times it does not work out but I think New Yorkers Phil's go for it mentality. He can provide a lot of drama.

Yes, I thought of Jeter when I posted. There seem to be a lucky few who get in the hearts of New Yorkers forever, but it seems like some guys who would be loved for their accomplishments in other markets, like Manning or Strayhan, always had to prove themselves in NY no matter how much they deliver.

Hey, I'm no New Yorker so I'm no expert, but thats how it seems from out here.

further clarification.

Not to get off topic (this is my last 'New Yorker' post) but the reason we don't love Eli is because he is just not that good. He had an awesome streak and won us a super bowl but he has had so many poor performances. Strahan is just a DB.

And New Yorkers love all sports, including golf. The state has hosted more US opens than anywhere else and the fans in 2002 actually did become relevant (e.g. 'be nice to monty', Sergio flipping the bird, stories about singing happy birthday to Phil).

I've been thinking that the media is just trying to push Phil as the "sentimental favorite."

I know alot of people like Phil, but why would he be so special to New Yorkers? Isn't he a west coast guy? An Arizona St. guy?

If you were there in 2002 you would realize that that crowd was pulling very hard for Phil to win. I believe the media, like it does with anything, is blowing it out of proportion to make story lines that are easy for the layman to follow.

LOL.. the above is rather shallow. You cannot look into the ethnic makeup of each individual to know who they are.
I mean what you write above is so true of many Americans...mixed with something...it is even more true of many African Americans...they are still known, classified as African_Americans, Blacks. The percentage of racial mix is irrelevant. You do realise that in America there was a law of one drop of black blood makes you black. This is not media..this is the history of the country.
You may disagree with the classifications..but Tiger falls in the spectrum that is African-American..he could be a drop black and it won't matter. Was his Dad during segregation, spared because he was part Chinese or Native American? Obama's mother is white from Kansas. He is African-American..according to most Americans...It is such a cop out argument made often with highly successful people..if they weren't, there would be no argument on who they are.

Sorry to thread jack, this is about NY though.

"The Daily Show" had a segment on Long Island becoming it own state, Tuesday, I think. They interviewed three of the residents, it was really funny.

They really are making it known that NY loves Phil, because On live from the US Open there was a group of people yelling behind the booth, and they said say what you want into the camera and they all yelled "Go Phil!"

So maybe it is true?

Anecdotally, New Yorkers and definitely LI loves Phil. Singing Happy Birthday would not be done for many.

I expect Phil to get incredible support and be the crowd favorite by a mile. Hope it helps.

Ya I think it's awesome I really hope Phil plays well this week.