Valley of the Sun-Day Fun-Day...FBR and the Superbowl

The FBR Open, regularly scheduled the same day as the Superbowl, is arguably the only regular schedule PGA Tour event that could mildly hope to compete with what most of America considers a National Holiday.

(Note: I said mildly. In no way, shape, or form am I trying to argue that sports fans hold the two dear to their hearts in any similar capacity. But, if a person so desired to attend a golf outing in the morning and watch football in the afternoon, the 16^th at TPC Scottsdale might be the only bargaining tool the Tour has.)

This year, the FBR Open is going to throw its own public Superbowl bash at the popular Greenskeeper Tent located just west of the 18^th hole, to help cheer on the Cardinals to a victory over the Steelers.

The FBR Open typically ends between 3:30-4 p.m. and kickoff is scheduled for about 4:15 p.m. As soon as the last putt drops, the Superbowl will be televised on a JumboTron. 

Admission is free, the venue will house several thousands of fans, and sports lovers and beer drinkers can migrate from the 16^th hole to the Greenskeeper Tent to keep the party going.

Oh yeah, did I mention that if you wear a Cardinals jersey to the tournament on Sunday you get free admission all day? What more of an incentive could you hope for?!

Birdie Fest for Steve Stricker - Welcome to the Record Books!

The Bob Hope is already well-known to golf fans as a guaranteed birdie-fest, players year after year take it deep at the Hope, but something truly special has happened here this year.

Steve Stricker has accomplished something never having been accomplished before.

Through four rounds of golf--72 holes--Steve Stricker shot 33-under par. And that my friends, is certainly nothing to snub your nose at.

He will forever be remembered for being the first person to shoot 33-under through 72 holes... and I am anxious to see what he'll do in the final round!

Watch Golf, Drink Beer, and Get Rowdy!

The infamous par-3, 16th at TPC Scottsdale, known as golf’s largest outdoor cocktail party, will be completely enclosed by stadium seating for this year’s FBR Open. The tournament staff added 3,000 bleachers behind the green to ensure that their reputation as the noisiest hole on Tour remains upheld. The additional seating will raise crowd capacity on the 16th, alone, to nearly 20,000 people.

Fans can get as rowdy as they want and won’t have to keep it corporate at the 16th, as the tournament is not selling bleacher seats for company sponsorships. For fans’ viewing pleasure other than the par-3, some of the seats will also provide a view from behind the tee box of the short par-4, 17th.

While the tournament doesn’t want to sell bleacher seats to corporations, they most certainly want to sell the 16th hole as a brand. Much like golf fans know “No. 17” refers to the island green at TPC Sawgrass, home of The Players Championship, Tournament Director John Felix likes to think everyone associates “No. 16” with the par-3 at Scottsdale, and he wants to ensure it stays that way.

As happy as fans are sure to be with the additional seating space, Felix said that the new arrangement around No. 16 also was designed to aid the players. It had been previously difficult for players to walk from the 16th green to the 17th tee, but the new tunnel built for this year’s event will make their transition a much smoother one.

While the new seating configuration will relieve players the stress of getting from green to tee, it will most certainly revive the fans’ spirit and cheer at this winter’s golf party extraordinaire event.

Roll Call

Scary Budget Cuts for AZ and ASU

ASU is facing massive budget cuts in lieu of the current economic turmoil. Senate Appropriations Chair Russell Pearce and House Appropriations Chair John Kavanagh have specifically singled out education as the outlet required to cut the most from their budget as we move forward.

Makes perfect sense, right?! Cut public education...genius!

ASU has already taken a $37 million cut and is expected to cut another $70 million in the next 5 months, not to mention that another $155 million cut is proposed for FY10.

A few things ASU President Michael M. Crow believes would occur if the budget cuts take place are:

Layoff thousands more employees (ASU has already eliminated a total of 500 staff positions and 200 faculty associate positions)

Have a massive furlough of all remaining employees for two weeks or longer

Increase tuition and fees (replacing the cuts by raising tuition alone would require a tuition rate

of almost $11,000 for Arizona residents)

Close academic programs

Close a campus or possibly two

Insane!!!...read more about it at: asu budget cuts

I'm an ESFP... what are you?

For fun's sake, take the Myers-Briggs personality assessment to see what your personality type is.

I am Extroverted
Sensing
Feeling
Perceiving

Here are some of my traits:

Live in the present moment
Are stimulated and excited by new experiences
Practical and realistic
Warmly interested in people
Know how to have a good time, and how to make things fun for others
Independent and resourceful
Spontaneous - seldom plan ahead
Hate structure and routine
Dislike theory and long written explanations
Feel special bond with children and animals
Strongly developed aesthetic appreciation for things
Great people skills

Go see if your description fits you to a tee... I know mine does!

Kenya Roll Call.... Obama? Present.

Newborns everywhere are being named after America's newest First Family....

Obama Babies

"The number one food I miss is a meat pie" ~Geoff Ogilvy

If you've never had an Aussie Pie (and I would bet 95% of the people I know have not) I fervently urge that you do!

I was introduced to this flaky pastry's goodness while visiting Australia this past December. Good news for you-you don't have to cross the international dateline to sample this delicacy!

Current Scottsdale resident, native Aussie, and PGA Tour star Geoff Ogilvy has brought his continent's equivalent to a hot dog or hamburger to American soil with the hopes of pleasing palates of Australians and Americans alike.

The Scottsdale location is in the McDowell Mountain Business Park, or visit http://www.mojopies.com/ for other locations and information.

Better yet, come out to the FBR Open January 26 - February 1, 2009 and enjoy a meat-filled pastry with your beer while witnessing the wild ruckus on the par-3, #16.

Loads of fun, I guarantee!

The Greatest Job on Earth... No, Really....

So I just got back from my two week holiday in Australia (well, I got back about 12 days ago, but this is the first time I am blogging since I've returned to the states).

Australia was phenomenal. My friend Ashley and I had the time of our lives and will definitely be life long friends, as we bonded during the trip in more ways than I can count. :)

But I'm not writing to discuss my trip, as that would take a substantial amount of time that I don't have right now to dedicate to blogging about Australia.

INSTEAD, I wanted to alert anyone looking for the greatest job on earth (which, I believe, is most everyone I know) to this amazing opportunity.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,479747,00.html

Why am I sharing this tidbit instead of hogging it to myself you ask? Believe it or not, i won't be applying for this job... But if any of my friends landed this gig, you'd better believe I'd be there to visit!

Happy Application Process! :)