Tag: Brett Farve

Brett Favre, Derek Jeter bring out crowd at American Family Insurance Championship

Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee and Miguel Angel Jiménez are tied atop the leaderboard at the American Family Insurance Championship.

MADISON, WI. — It seemed like Saturday was set up for the megawatt personalities at the PGA Tour Champions’ American Family Insurance Championship at University Ridge.

There was a buzz among the spectators in the late morning when two huge sports utility vehicles pulled up to the clubhouse and Derek Jeter and Brett Favre popped out.

Those bold-faced names took part in the celebrity foursome alongside Juli Inkster and Andy North. Several uniformed police officers accompanied them to the driving range as fans in New York Yankees and Green Bay Packers gear clamored for autographs.

Even in the regular field, there was some star power grabbing pieces of the spotlight, with fan-favorite John Daly tying for the second-lowest round.

But when the second round was over, it was a relatively unknown golfer, Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee, who was tied atop the leaderboard with a more familiar name in Miguel Angel Jiménez at 10-under 134.

There are plenty of golfers within striking distance, so it could be a tight finish on Sunday.

Jaidee had a workmanlike effort with the lowest round at 7-under 65. Jiménez boasts a little more pizzazz with his ponytail, bespoke shoes and animated gestures.

“I’m going to have a bit of wine like every night,” Jiménez said after his 4-under 68. “Like every night, we’re going to enjoy the night and at 7:30 we have our dinner like every day. Have a cigar afterwards and go to sleep like a baby.”

Miguel Angel Jimenez is tied for the lead at the American Family Insurance Championship in Madison.

Daly always attracts a cult following with his bushy beard, multi-colored pants and ever-present Diet Cokes and cigarettes. After a 71 in the first round, he fired a bogey-free, 6-under 66.

“I made a few putts here and there, hit a lot of fairways, but the guys are going low,” Daly said. “It’s hard to win out here.”

Steve Stricker, Jerry Kelly lacking energy at Am Fam Championship

Local celebrities Steve Stricker and Jerry Kelly, the two-time defending champion, will be hard-pressed to contend for this year’s title.

Stricker shot a 3-under 69 and sits six shots behind the leaders.

“Had some opportunities there that I didn’t really take advantage of,” Stricker said. “Especially on the back nine: 11, 12, 13. Yeah, it was a little bit better today, but didn’t really get it in the hole very well at times. But it was better.”

The Edgerton native and Madison resident is balancing his duties as tournament host while trying to find consistency on the course after coming back from a serious illness.

“That’s been the problem with me since I’ve been back is just getting fired up,” Stricker said. “I missed a little putt at I guess it would have been 13 and hit it in there to 3, 4 feet. Missed it. Go back on the tee and beat up the tee a little bit. Then I finally get some energy and emotion.

“That’s what I’ve been lacking a little bit of, that mentality like I had before. And I don’t know why, it kind of comes and goes and I’m kind of going through the motions at times. It was better at times today, but still, it’s not my fiery self at times.”

Kelly is in better position at three shots back after also shooting a 69, but he can relate to the lack of energy. He’s coming off a playoff victory at the Principal Charity Classic in Des Moines, Iowa.

“I’m just tired,” Kelly said. “Normally I’m jacked. I really haven’t gotten as much adrenaline. I mean, that par on 17 got me about as excited as I’ve been this week. The eagle did yesterday on 16.”

Former LPGA star Juli Inkster watches as ex-Packers quarterback Brett Favre throws a football at University Ridge Golf Club on Saturday. They were part of a celebrity foursome at the American Family Insurance Championship.

Derek Jeter, Juli Inkster beat Brett Favre, Andy North in celebrity foursome

The star attractions of the day — Favre and Jeter — were at ease in the spotlight. Favre even tossed some footballs to fans on the 14th hole. The pairing of Jeter and Inkster beat Favre and North over nine holes, leading to a lot of good-natured gibes afterward.

“I had a blast as always,” Favre said. “I’m honored to be asked back to play in this year in and year out. My back was not cooperating. I’m not making excuses, I suck anyway.

“But I was glad I was able to fight through it and play. It’s always great to be back in Wisconsin and see the fans, especially how they support their athletics.”

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Eli Manning should be a Hall of Famer for the same reasons Joe Namath is

Eli Manning won’t be Hall of Fame eligible until 2025, but his resume for Canton is similar, if not better than Jets legend Joe Namath.

What makes a player a Hall of Famer? Is it his stats, his rings (or lack thereof), his accolades, or a combination of all three? These are the questions voters will ponder over the next five years before Eli Manning is eligible for the Football Hall of Fame, and it will be debated by fans and analysts alike until then.

Manning, set to announce his retirment Friday, owns a resume that is solid on its surface. He owns decent — albeit not gaudy — numbers, having won exactly 50 percent of his games. He went to four Pro Bowls and won two Super Bowls in his 16-year career witht he Giants. Some will say that’s enough to make the Hall. Others will laugh at that notion and compare him to contemporaries like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Brett Favre and his brother, Peyton – all of whom are no-brainer Hall of Famers and were far better quarterbacks.

As the Manning Hall of Fame debate moves forward, here’s something to consider: his legacy is eerily similar to Jets legend Joe Namath’s, who is already enshrined in Canton.

Namath finished his career with fewer than 30,000 passing yards, a sub-.500 record, a 50.1 percent completion percentage and only 173 career touchdown passes. He ranks 64th in all-time passing yards, 178th in all-time completion percentage and 65th in passing touchdowns.   

Namath didn’t put up Hall of Fame numbers during his 12-year career. A lot of that can be attributed to his era and playing part of his career in the AFL, but other Hall of Fame quarterbacks from that era like Frank Tarkenton and Bob Griese finished with better stats after the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. Tarkenton, Griese and other inductees like Johnny Unitas, Sonny Jurgensen, and Len Dawson all finished their careers with better stats than Namath. Only Griese had more titles, though.

Manning currently sits seventh all-time in career passing yards (57,023) and passing touchdowns (366). Obviously, Manning played when quarterbacks threw significantly more than they did during Namath’s time, but outside of his two Super Bowl MVPs, he doesn’t have many personal accolades and his numbers lack when compared to his era’s elite. Namath, meanwhile, won back-to-back AFL Player of the Year awards from 1968-69.

This where one of the unwritten prerequisites of the Hall of Fame applies to Manning and Namath: Does Player X help tell the history of the sport?

For Namath, the answer is obviously yes. His grandiose Super Bowl guarantee combined with the Jets’ upset win over the NFL’s Baltimore Colts catapulted him to stardom. His celebrity status created an aura of intrigue and he played a crucial role in legitimizing the smaller AFL before its eventual merger with the NFL. He will forever be a part of NFL and Jets lore.

The same applies to Manning, at the very least least when it comes to telling the story of the organization he played for.

Much like Namath, Manning’s road to both his Super Bowl wins are the biggest reasons for his potential enshrinement. Neither the 2007 Giants nor the 2011 squad was behemoths of the NFC. Both played on Wild Card weekend, clawed their way to the Super Bowl as underdogs and, thanks to Manning, found ways to beat dynastic Patriots teams. Manning’s late-game scramble and the subsequent helmet catch by David Tyree in Super Bowl XLII will be remembered as one of the most amazing plays in Super Bowl history, and the game-winning touchdown to Plaxico Burress later in the drive ended the Patriots’ quest for 16-0. Four years later, Manning once again orchestrated a Giants comeback over the Patriots, this time with an 88-yard touchdown drive with less than four minutes to play.

Manning wasn’t otherworldly for his entire career, but he shined when the brightest lights were on him. He may not have the stats or the awards or even the skill that make him a slam-dunk candidate but he played consistently well enough and dominated in the moments that mattered most. That’s enough to earn a gold jacket. If that means he isn’t a first-ballot, so be it. Namath wasn’t enshrined until eight years after he retired.

Manning will partly be remembered for his meme-able face, quiet demeanor and mind-boggling interceptions, but the two rings he earned will always top the list.

Because of that, Manning will wind up in the Hall of Fame just like Namath. It’s just a matter of when.