Sunday was supposed to be all about the NCAA Tournament. We were prepared to be glued to the TV watching the conference tournament championship games followed by the selection show. Then, Tiger Woods changed everything by playing in the final pairing of Arnold Palmer's tournament.  See, as we have learned over the past 11-12 years, when Tiger is in the final pairing, you have to watch him because one way or another you're going to witness history. And, well, Sunday was no different.

Tied with Bart Bryant heading to the 18th, Tiger once again displayed the flair for the dramatic that few other athletes in history have been able to display. Facing a downhill sliding putt of over 20 feet, Tiger read it perfectly, sunk it, and sent the crowd into a frenzy. The amazing part of this is not that he actually made the putt to win his fifth straight PGA tournament, but that you kind of expected him to do this!

I mean, this is golf folks! A game when prior to Tiger, if you had a winning percentage of .150 you were considered great. If you won two or three tournaments a year, you were in consideration for Player of the Year. Now?  Tiger's winning percentage over the course of his career is .292. Take away the two years he dedicated to reconfiguring his swing and it's .344. And since his second swing re-configuration in `04, .462! Forget about comparing him to other golfers, his winning percentage is better than many other sports teams!  

I'll never forget watching an interview between Curtis Strange of ABC Sports and Tiger before his first tournament as a professional. Strange asked Woods if he expected to win every tournament he played in. Tiger's response, "Yeah. My father always taught me that second sucks and third's even worse." Strange laughed, and said, "You'll learn."

Well, nearly 12 years later it's Strange and the rest of golf that is learning. With yesterday's win, Tiger has now won 64 PGA sanctioned events passing the legendary Palmer, tying Ben Hogan, and now trailing only Jack Nicklaus and Sam Snead. Think about that for a minute, he's 32 years old and there are only two people in the history of golf that have more total wins than him! Staggering.

I used to think that I would never see another athlete like Michael Jordan, you know, someone who just refused to lose, and could raise his game to levels that other people thought were unimaginable. Well, I was wrong. What Tiger Woods is doing on the golf course is even more impressive than what Jordan did on the basketball court, and the same can be said for what Tiger is doing off the course.

I have thought for a long time that I was very fortunate to have been alive and be able to say that I watched the greatest basketball and hockey players of all-time play the majority of their careers. Well, the same can now be said about Tiger Woods, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the show, because you're getting the chance to watch history firsthand, and that's something very very special.

NCAA Tournament Thoughts:

What? You didn't think I would ignore the Tournament entirely, did you? Here are some thoughts on what to expect from the Madness that really begins Thursday (I don't count the play-in game).

• Many people were and are outraged that Tennessee received a number 2 seed, and found it even more appalling that they were placed in the same region as the number 1 overall seed, North Carolina. Well, I for one look at it as a break for the Volunteers. Of all the number one seeds, I'm least impressed with Carolina, and truly feel that Tennessee can beat them if they meet in the regional finals. If anything, I'd be more upset that the Vols will have to face Butler in the second round, that's a tough matchup.

• The committee got it right by giving Kansas a number 1. They won the Big 12 regular season and conference tournament, and again, are my pick to win it all despite Bill Self's deficiencies with in-game coaching.

• The USC-Kansas St. game should be a lot of fun to watch in the first round. While OJ Mayo was certainly the more hyped player coming in, Michael Beasley has obviously done more in his one year than Mayo. With that said, I have been impressed with Mayo's game. He's got a good handle, a very pretty jump shot, a very good understanding of the game, and will get better with age. I think he would benefit by staying in college another year, although that will never happen.

• Talk about a tough first round game to pick, Gonzaga vs. Davidson. I've always like the Zags, but this year my gut instinct is to pick Davidson. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if Davidson knocks out Georgetown in the second round.

Well I'd love to write more, but I have to run out right now. I'll try to post some more thoughts before the Tourney begins on Thursday. Can't wait!