Years ago, my bucket list contained an item: Watch Arnold Palmer play golf in person.
I remember the day that I crossed that item off my list, as it was a double cross-off. I had also wanted to watch Jack Nicklaus play golf before I kicked off, and that one day -- they were playing together.
Arnold Palmer is a class act from top to bottom. I've met him several times now, and unlike today's reigning king of professional golf, Arnie nearly always will interact with his fans; he'll sign autographs sometimes for as long as it takes for everyone to be accommodated. Most of all, he shows his class with his respect for the game.
On October 13, 2006, Arnold Palmer withdrew from the Administaff Small Business Classic after playing just 4 holes. Arnie was dissatisfied with his own play, and at that moment retired from the game out of respect for himself, and for the game. The King was done. Long live the King.
On the other side of that coin, let me introduce you to Billy Casper. Casper was a contemporary of Arnie, winning 51 PGA Tour events, three majors -- including the 1970 Masters.
The Masters Tournament is a private event, sponsored by the Augusta National Golf Club. Qualification to play in the Masters is decided by any one of a number of pathways in. The simplest one is this: Any previous Masters champion is qualified to play in any subsequent Masters event. The qualification is for a lifetime.
In 2002, the Masters organizers sent a letter to Casper, along with Gay Brewer and Doug Ford, politely suggesting, "Hey guys -- maybe you should consider *not* playing in the Masters this year."
This trio had pretty much overstayed their welcome. Brewer was an embarrassment in the prior year, shooting an 84 and having to use a golf club as a cane to get up to the 18th green. Casper had shot 87 and 80 the prior year, not having made the cut in 13 years. And Ford, well Ford had to withdraw after just 2 holes in the prior year because that's all the golf the old fella had left. He had won the Masters back in 1957, but continued to play year after year. All three, while fully eligible, were politely asked to refrain from playing in 2002. Ford behaved gentlemanly, as one would expect from a participant in a gentleman's game. But noooo, not Gay Brewer. And not Billy Casper.
Gay Brewer was so insulted by the letter that he skipped over the Champions Dinner that year, snubbing the gathering of the greatest who ever played the game.
Despite having being asked not to play, Billy Casper entered the 2005 Masters Tournament three years later. The results were predictable, Casper shot a score of 106, thirty four strokes over par, the worst round in Masters history by 11 strokes. Hell, *I* can shoot 106 at the Masters. But the fact is that Casper showed no respect for the game, himself, or the Masters.
Arnold Palmer showed class, dignity and respect. Casper? He became a joke to himself and his profession.
Billy Casper, meet Helen Thomas. Helen, meet Billy.
I think more than any other woman in the history of our nation's capital, Helen Thomas commanded the stage of American politics. She didn't just cross the gender barrier, she obliterated it, paving the way for many to follow. Helen was never meek, going toe to toe with Nixon, Reagan and a pair of Bushes among others. An unabashed liberal, Helen basically took no shit from anyone standing at a White House podium. For that, she has our undying respect.
Helen resigned from United Press International in May of 2000 after that company was acquired by the "Moonies." Helen was just shy of 80 years old.
That moment in time provided the perfect opportunity for Helen Thomas to retire. She had a legitimate reason to leave UPI, she had engraved her reputation in to the walls of the East Room and the White House briefing room. Her mark and her legacy had been set. Helen could retire with grace, dignity and respect for her profession. Helen Thomas could have been Arnold Palmer.
None was more surprised than I when just a few weeks later it was announced that Helen would become a columnist for Hearst newspapers. The fact of it is, Helen was really no longer relevant. I only read a few of her columns over the last 10 years, and rather than provoking news stories with her front row seat at the White House, she was simply espousing her own take and liberal spin on things she felt like spewing on. But really, to my reading, she was contributing nothing to the debate. She had become Billy Casper.
The White House Correspondents Association assured Helen her own chair in the front of the White House Briefing Room. In my mind, this is the equivalent of a lifetime exemption to the Masters. In the last few years, during both the current and previous administrations, she used this seat pretty much to be rude, without drawing any substance. Unlike the Masters, Hearst newspapers or even WHCA lacked the balls to politely suggest to Helen it was time to retire. Instead, she turned up whenever the urge hit her, and rudeness surrounded her essence.
Last week, she shot a 106 in the Masters. Her bigoted comments about Jews and Israel were *so* over the top, no legitimate journalist could even hide behind the usual "well we all have our opinions, but we keep our personal beliefs out of the news" nonsense. And there we see Helen, walking to the 18th green with a cane to assist her.
I note that Hearst newspapers was the source for the news of Helen's immediate retirement, and not Helen herself. Basically, she was fired. She's retiring 10 years too late, but she now gets to be remembered like Billy Casper and not as Arnold Palmer.
Fare thee well Helen. You're simply a bigoted bully, and that may well be your ultimate legacy.
