I know the thought process is to try and paint Rocco Mediate as an everyman during coverage, but for some reason people are trying to paint him as a ridiculous underdog. Sure he’s not favored (+275, just a bit under 3 to 1), but he’s no slouch either. He has been ranked in the Top 20 before and now has four Top 10 finishes in Majors. It’s to the point that it’s coming across as insulting if you ask me.
The biggest culprit of this has to be Johnny Miller, who’s not exactly known for being sheltered when commenting on Golf. Multiple times yesterday the NBC analyst virtually insulted Miller with comments he made in regards to his averageness. He said that, “Guys with a name ‘Rocco’ don’t get on that trophy”, at one point and then later even likened Mediate to Tiger’s “pool boy”….
Miller isn’t alone though. I don’t know if this is the angle that ESPN has decided to play, but all morning long they’ve said that Mediate is an improbable foe for Tiger today and that he doesn’t have a shot. Mike Greenberg and Trey Wingo even compared the matchup to Buster Douglas vs. Mike Tyson. That’s just a bit over-the-top.
I understand that average Sports fans haven’t heard of the guy but give him some credit. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ran away with it today, Tiger’s knee an issue or not.
Update: You can now add First Take with their “Chaminade-UVA” comparison and Rick Reilly’s “June Bug vs. Hurricane” to the mix…
Johnny Miller Thinks Rocco ‘Looks More Like the Guy Who Cleans Tiger’s Swimming Pool’ (Fanhouse)
Comparing Rocco Mediate vs. Tiger Woods to Buster Douglas vs. Mike Tyson Is Ridiculous (Fanhouse)
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