On Friday evening, the Phoenix Coyotes re-acquired defensman Zybnek Michalek from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Harrison Roupp, goaltender Marc Cheverie and a 3rd round draft pick. Michalek returns to the Coyotes after spending the past two years with the Penguins. Michalek recorded 13 points last season (2G-11A) with Pittsburgh in 62 games. He is more well-known for his defensive prowess and his shot blocking ability. Roupp, a former 3rd round draft pick in 2011, played last year in the Western Hockey League for Prince Albert. He will head to Pittsburgh along with minor league goaltender Marc Cheverie, who spent time in both the ECHL (Gwinnett) and the AHL (Portland) last season.

This was a fantastic move by the Phoenix Coyotes organization. Michalek, a 6’2, 210 lbs. defenseman from the Czech Republic, left two years ago as the Coyotes made every attempt to re-sign him, but could not afford to do so under financial constraints that the club was suffering from. The Coyotes have shored up their defense with this addition and will probably pair the solid stay-at-home defenseman with budding superstar Oliver Ekman-Larsson on the Coyotes top defensive line. While Michalek will cost around $4.5 million against the salary cap next season, the Coyotes will look at him as an upgrade from Michal Rozsival who is a unrestricted free agent and will cost the team nearly the same amount to re-sign for next season. Kudos to GM Mike Barnett and the Coyotes front office for this acquisition.

Quarterfinal #3- Spain (Group C Winner) v. France (Group D Runner-Up)

Last Meeting- 2010 (Paris) Spain 2  France 0

Outlook- This game could have two very different outcomes. It all will be decided based on how France decides to play against the Spanish. The Spanish do not change the way they play for anyone. They play a short controlled passing game that looks to slice and dice the opposition through precise one-touch passing and unbelievable amounts of possession to unlock the defense.

The French have played against this style and scouted it. They know what’s coming. How do they approach it? If they sit back and try to counterattack this style of play, Spain will eventually break through and win the game as they have done throughout this tournament by a score of 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1. Many prognosticators feel that the strategy to play is to sit back and counter. I disagree. The only way for the French to win today is to attack at all times. They must force the issue and play offense against the Spanish. Force them to work in their own end, force them to make difficult passes all over the field, increase the pressure and outscore them. Not every team can do this against Spain. Only ultra talented offensive players can do this and France has them. IF (and it’s a big if) the French attack, you could see a 2-2 (Extra Time), 3-2, 3-3 (ET) or 4-3 score line at the end of this one.

Offense- For France, Karim Benzema has to recapture his form. He has no goals in the tournament for France and needs to link up with Franck Ribery, Sami Nasri and Florent Malouda in attack to put the Spanish under pressure. Ribery needs to shed his label of disappointment in big games. There is no better stage than playing the best team in the world in the Euro quarterfinals. Benzema will need help and Ribery has to provide it. Nasri needs to play his best game as well. He can provide goals if he is motivated to play. Yohan Cabaye is also a threat in the area and can score from distance with the blistering pace he can put on the ball. I think the French need to start Jeremy Menez. He ahs shown flashes of brilliance in this tournament and can provide a spark on the wing in attack

For Spain, they cannot get complacent. They cannot get frustrated. As the competition gets better, they will have fewer and fewer chances to score and Fernando Torres must be more clinical in his finishing against the French if he gets the start. Xavi and Andres Iniesta will provide chances for whoever starts at forward for the Spanish (Torres, Fabregas, Llorente, Navas). David Silva could be the most important player for Spain up front. If he can work efficiently with Torres up front, Spain will have the edge. That remains to be seen.

Edge- EVEN

Midfield- The French will probably go with Cabaye, Y’ann M’Vila and Alou Diarra. They are going to have to play the best game of their careers in trying to slow down the Spanish attack in the midfield. If they can get some turnovers and connect with the blistering pace of Nasri and Ribery, they can cause the Spanish some serious problems.

This is the Spanish strength of their team. Xavi, Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Xabi Alonso might be the best midfield unit in the world. They control the game with their impeccable passing and decision making. They need to stay focused and composed and play the way they know how. The will break the French down if they can maintain possession and put passes together like the Swedes did.

Edge- SPAIN

Defense- For France, the two center backs need to play ridiculously well for them to advance. No Philippe Mexes (suspension) which means that Coach Laurent Blanc will select Laurent Koscielny and Adil Rami to combat the Spanish. Both had poor games against Sweden and need to play a lot better to contend with the Spanish attack. The wing backs are key in this game. Gael Clichy and Mathieu Debuchy will need to get forward in attack for the French to win this game. Both are blessed with speed and are well-skilled.  They can help by delivering crosses in the box for the French forwards to attack. They will also need to use that speed to get back on defense if they do decide to join the attack. If you want to see what style of play the French have decided to play, watch these two men and see if they get up the field with regularity. If so, Blanc has decided to attack. If not, he has decided to park the bus and focus on defense.

For Spain, Sergio Ramos and Gerald Pique have solidified the Spanish defense and both are extremely talented in the heart of defense. The wing backs will be under attack. Alvaro Arbeloa and Jordi Alba will have to deal with Ribery and Nasri who will be in attack mode whenever they get the chance. Whomever gets the better of those matchups will be critical to the outcome of this game.

Edge- SPAIN

Goal- Both goalies are among the best in the world. Hugo Lloris for France is somewhat underrated. He is a top-flight goaltender whose decision making makes him among the elite in the game. Iker Casillas for Spain has catlike reflexes and communicates extremely well with his defenders. Both goalies will have to make critical saves for their teams to win with more pressure on Lloris as I anticipate the Spanish will have more attempts on goal.

Edge- EVEN

Outcome- All depends on style of play. If France attacks, they could take the Spanish by surprise and put them into some difficulty. If they do this, I think France could win this game. Unfortunately, Coach Laurent Blanc is a defensive coach who will probably try the more cautious approach to play the dangerous Spanish and they will fall like many others who tried to do the same thing.

Final- Spain 2  France 1

Coyotes captain Shane Doan was awarded the 2012 Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award at the NHL Awards Ceremony in Las Vegas tonight.  The award recognizes a “superior leader in hockey and as a contributing member of society” according to NHL.com. It honors on-ice leadership and contributions to charity organizations and community services.

Doan’s work in the greater Phoenix area is well documented as he donates much of his free time to charities such as the Phoenix Children’s Hospital, United Blood Services and the Flashes of Hope organization. Doan is a first time recipient of this award which was presented by Messier himself.  The other finalists were Dustin Brown of the Los Angeles Kings and Ryan Callahan of the New York Rangers.

Doan is a well-respected leader by his peers, but his efforts inside the Coyotes locker room are what has endeared him to his teammates, the Coyotes front office and the Phoenix area. He is the glue that has kept that team together through all the trials and tribulations that the Phoenix franchise has endured. He is an unrestricted free agent as of July 1stand the Coyotes first order of business should be to resign him immediately before he tests the waters and considers offers from other teams.

Congrats to Shane Doan for a well-deserved award.

Quarterfinal #2- Germany (Pool B Winner) v. Greece (Pool A Runner-Up)

These teams have not met over the last five years.

Outlook- This looks like a complete mismatch on paper. Germany is the overwhelming favorite. They have looked like the best team in the entire tournament during pool play. They are extremely talented on offense, they play fluidly and as a team and they have a sufficient defense to deal with most of the teams in the tournament. Their goalie is also one of the best in the world. Greece barely got through the weakest group in pool play. They needed help from others to advance. They did not look convincing in any of their pool play games. So, this should be a convincing German victory, right? I think this game will be more competitive than many think.

Offense- Germany has a plethora of multi-talented attacking players. Mario Gomez has played as the striker and has shed his reputation as a non-big game player and has scored 3 goals in the competition. Lukas Podolski got his name on the score sheet for the first time in the last pool play game against Denmark. Thomas Muller has played as the other wing and provides strength and speed and a deft finishing touch.

Greece will have Georgios Samaras or Theofanis Gekas up top and they will have to perform in a magnificent fashion. When the Greeks are able to get the ball, the forwards will have to hold up play and allow the Greek midfield to get involved in the play. If Sotris Ninis gets back in the lineup, he will probably play a hybrid wing/midfield role and will have to create opportunities for the other two forward players if Greece is to compete with the Germans.

Edge- GERMANY

Midfield- Germany’s midfield play has been stellar. Mesut Ozil is the maestro of the German midfield. He will need to play better against the Greeks than he did against the Danes though. He will serve as the 4^th attacking player that will try to link up with the front three making Germany’s offense extremely dynamic. Bastian Schweinsteiger is the rock of the German midfield. He will try to control the pace of play linking the back four to the front four. He also needs to up his game as the Germans seek to advance further in the tournament. Sami Khedira is the holding midfielder who will have to stifle any counterattacks that the Greeks throw at the Germans by slowing them down before they get going. The patience that the Germans will show in the midfield will help break the Greeks down.

Greece will counter with a midfield that will have to deal with the suspension of inspirational captain Giorgos Karagounis. The Greeks will look to sit defensively and will probably drop winger/striker Dimitris Salpingidis into the midfield to help stifle the German attack. Sokratis Papastathopolous and Kostas Katsouranis will have to pick up the slack and look for Ninis and Salpingidis to check back into a more defensive role. The Greeks will try to bog this game down in the midfield and at times will have all of their midfield in the defensive third of the field.

Edge- GERMANY

Defense- The Germans still have some questions in regards to their back four. Mats Hummels has been outstanding and Phillip Lahm has been his usual self, providing stellar defense while helping out with the attack on the wing. Holger Badstuber and Jerome Boateng will probably be in the lineup to complete the German backline. Boateng is coming off suspension and Badstuber seems to be a safe choice than anyone else the Germans have on their bench. Historically, the German defense has been their strength, but this is not the case. The German defense is susceptible to lapses and the Greeks hope they can cash in on one of those lapses.

The Greeks will probably play with five in defense making their lineup look more like a 1-4-5 for most of the game. Vasilis Torosidis has been remarkably solid and Kyriakos Papadopoulis has stepped in admirably for his namesake who went out with an injury earlier in the tournament.  They will play for a low scoring game and hope that they can keep Germany off of the board with sheer grit and tenacity.

EDGE- GERMANY

Goal- The German keeper, Manuel Neuer, is one of the world’s best goalies. He is extremely active and has world class reflexes that allow him to get to balls that other can’t. He will have to be sharp and into the game because the Greeks will not get many chances. He has to be wary and not let the Greeks capitalize on one of their limited opportunities.

The Greek keeper, Michalis Sifakis, played well against the Russians and I anticipate he will get the start against Germany. He is athletic and physically gifted. He will have to play the game of his life in the hopes of keeping a clean sheet to give his team the chance to win.

Edge- GERMANY

Overall- Germany has the skill, pedigree and physical prowess to knock out the Greeks. The Greeks have two things that can keep them in the game for some time though and that is an abundance of courage and heart. I expect the Greeks to try to make this as ugly as possible. They will slow the game down with fouls, stall whenever the can and hope that they can get a 1-0 or extra-time result against the Germans. I just cannot see it happening. It is more likely that the Germans are patient in their approach and systematically break down the Greeks. The Greeks will get desperate towards the end of the game and will get countered to put this game out of reach.

Final- Germany 2  Greece 0

Quarterfinal Game #1- Czech Republic (#1 Seed- Group A) v. Portugal (#2 Seed- Group B)- Last Meeting- Euro 2008- Portugal win 3-1

Overview- These are two teams that many believed would not get out of pool play. Both moved on via their results on the last day of pool play. The Czechs came out of arguably the weakest group. The Portuguese came out of arguably the toughest group. This matchup will be dictated by the pace of play. If the pace of play is quick, the Portuguese have the upper hand. If they pace of play is slow and deliberate, the Czechs have a chance to win.

Offense- The Portuguese and the Czechs play different styles.

The Portuguese like to play off of the wings with their primary creators Nani and Cristiano Ronaldo. They also are lightning quick on the counterattack as not many can match the pace of Nani and Ronaldo. Joao Moutinho and Raul Meireles can create in the center of the field and will have to do so against the Czechs. Helder Postiga is the “X” factor for me. Can he score in big games and help Ronaldo and Nani shoulder the burden of goal scoring? He has a goal in the tournament already and his movement has been good. My answer is yes.

The Czechs like to play slowly and deliberately through Tomas Rosicky. But, Rosicky is an injury concern and his availability is uncertain. If he is not orchestrating the attack, the Czechs will have to turn to Vaclav Pilar and Jaroslav Plasil. Tomas Pekhart could also play a vital role as a playmaker even though he has been used in a striking role. Milan Baros is the “X” factor for the Czechs. He has not scored yet for the Czechs and he needs to prove that he still has it to play at this level. If he cannot produce, they need to be quick and decisive in substituting him and getting a replacement in the game.

Edge- PORTUGAL

Midfield- This game is all about control of the pace of play.

The Portuguese play two midfielders in offensive positions. Joao Moutinho is an offensively gifted midfielder and passer. Raul Miereles can play both offensively or defensively. He can chip in goals or play in a defensive role. Miguel Veloso is the stay-at-home midfielder. If the Portuguese can keep the ball moving forward and do it with blinding quickness, they will have a decisive advantage as the Czechs cannot match their pace. The Portuguese wing backs also serve as additional midfielders in attack. Joao Pereira and Fabio Coentrao provide more width and overlapping runs so Nani and Ronaldo can attack the interior of the defense. This will provide the Czechs with some serious issues.

The Czechs will need Jaroslav Plasil to defensively slow the game down. He needs to maintain control of the ball and get the ball to Rosicky and Pilar to settle play down. If the Czechs can hold onto the ball for longer periods and then take their chances when they get them, they can be effective. They also need their outside defenders to get forward. Theodor Gebre Selassie will get forward and he can be a threat with delivering the ball into the box.

Edge- PORTUGAL

Defense- Both teams are somewhat suspect in defense although their tournament record will show that both have not let in many goals.

The Portuguese defense has two very solid center backs in Pepe and Bruno Alves. Both are physical and tenacious. The problem with the Portuguese is that they are susceptible to counterattacks if their wing backs get forward. Veloso will have to hold in the midfield and provide them with an extra defender if Coentrao and Pereira get forward.

The Czechs have been solid in the back as Tomas Sivok and David Limbersky have solidified since they were ambushed by the Russians in the first pool play game. The Czechs face a similar problem if Selassie gets forward against the counterattack. With the pace the Portuguese possess, I can’t see Selassie getting forward often without the Czechs paying the ultimate penalty for it.

Edge- PORTUGAL

Goal- Both goalies have had moments that they would like to forget in this tournament, but both are proven professionals.

Rui Patricio is a competent, solid goaltender that does not have much of an international presence due to his playing in Portugal for club football. He is agile and usually is in sound positions. He is not the most physically gifted goalie and that could prove a problem.

Petr Cech is one of the best goalies in the world. He is a game-changer and has the ability to steal a game by playing outstanding. He is also prone to making boneheaded mistakes. He has an international pedigree, his record at the club level speaks volumes and he is a big man who moves well laterally.

Edge- CZECH REPUBLIC

Outcome- I see a tight contest early as each side feels each other out. The Czechs will try to slow the game down and drag out this contest into the later stages where they will try to score in the limited opportunities they will get. Portugal has too much talent and will run them ragged on the counterattack. If Ronaldo plays like he did against the Netherlands, he can place this team on his back and move them forward. Look for Nani to also get on the scoresheet. The Czechs will make it interesting, but look for Portugal to go through to the semifinals.

Result- Portugal 2  Czech Republic 1

England won Group D today with a 1-0 victory over Ukraine. Ukraine played very well and controlled the game for long periods of time, but England’s Wayne Rooney scored in the opening stages of the 2nd half to allow England to advance. Rooney, who suited up for the first time in the tournament due to a two game suspension earned during qualifying, scored on a back post header in the 48th minute. England then settled in defensively knowing that a draw would allow them to advance and Ukraine took advantage by launching attack after attack into the England half of the field. The Ukrainians outshot the English 16-10. The game was not without controversy as Ukraine thought they had scored in the 62nd minute, but the officials deemed that the ball did not completely cross the goal line. England will have to play more offensively to defeat the better teams as the tournament continues.

France was defeated by Sweden today by a score of 2-0, but still advanced to the 2nd round on the strength of earlier performances during pool play. Sweden’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored a majestic goal in the 54th minute and Sebastian Larsson scored in the 91st minute to allow the Swedes to go home with their heads held up high. France’s Jeremy Menez wasted their best chance with about 10 minutes left to go and now the French move on to the quarterfinals with their confidence that has to be rattled. The French will have to play much better to advance past the quarterfinals.

The quarterfinals are now set. Play will resume on Thursday.

Thursday, June 21- Czech Republic v. Portugal- 2:45pm EST

Friday, June 22- Germany v. Greece- 2:45pm EST

Saturday, June 23- Spain v. France- 2:45pm EST

Sunday, June 24- England v. Italy- 2:45pm EST

Over the past three days, drama of the highest caliber has taken place in Poland and the Ukraine. Teams that were favored to go through have gone home and teams that seemed to have the slightest of chances to go through have lived to fight another day.

Group A was absolutely flipped on its head when the Czech and the Greeks both won on the last day of pool play pushing both squads into the quarterfinals. The Czechs looked very convincing in defeating a desperate Polish team by a score of 1-0. Petr Jiracek scored his 2nd goal of the tournament allowing the Czechs to continue on. The Greeks needed a win and a ton of help to go through and they were able to complete the dream by defeating Pool A favorite Russia 1-0 on the final day of pool play. Giorgios Karagounis scored his most important goal for the national side in his career right before halftime. The Greeks were able to hold off the massive pressure that Russia placed on them in the 2nd half to advance. The Czechs win the group and the Greeks advance as the number 2 seed. Russia and Poland go home when both looked promising earlier in pool play.

Group B’s drama was just as riveting. Germany, a winner of its first two games, was not secure in advancing going into the last day. A win or a draw would allow them to advance and the Germans again played stellar football in defeating a Denmark squad which had everything to play for, by a score of 2-1. German Lukas Podolski opened his account for the tournament only to be matched by Michael Krohn-Delhi for the Danes in the 1st half. The 2nd half was a battle of wills as the Germans were able to push ahead thanks to a counterattacking goal by Lars Bender with about 10 minutes left.

The game of the day came as the Portuguese defeated the Dutch by a score of 2-1. Cristiano Ronaldo answered many of his critics, delivering both goals for the Portuguese after they fell behind early to the Dutch courtesy of a goal by Rafael Van der Vaart. Ronaldo was a man possessed as he was absolutely scintillating for the entire 90 minutes. He made the Dutch defense quiver every time he possessed the ball in space and created multiple chances. The Portuguese have been much maligned over the years for poor performances when it really counted and they finally answered the bell and will advance finishing 2nd in the group.

The Dutch will go home extremely disappointed after losing all 3 games. They were a pre-tournament favorite of many prognosticators (including myself) and for them to not win a game is unconscionable. People lose their jobs in the Netherlands over performances like this.

You feel bad for the Danes, who were not expected to do much in this group, but looked very good throughout pool play. They had every chance to advance and being as young as they are, will be a team to be reckoned with in the future.

Group C today saw two more teams go home as Croatia joined Ireland in being eliminated. Spain and Italy will proceed to the quarter final rounds after both teams put in workmanlike displays of toughness today in winning their last pool games. Spain got an 88th minute goal from substitute Jesus Navas to defeat the game Croatian squad by a score of 1-0. Croatia had a couple of chance including a golden opportunity off of the head of Ivan Rakitic in the 59th minute that was brilliantly saved by Spanish goalie Iker Casillas. Italy received goals from Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli that helped see off a determined Ireland squad who wanted to go out of Euro 2012 on a high note. Unfortunately, the Italians needed this game more and dominated the vast majority of it seeing the Irish off 2-0. The Spanish win the group and the Italians will advance as the number 2 seed out of the group.

Two quarterfinal games are already set. The Czech Republic will take on Portugal on Thursday, June 21st in the first quarterfinal matchup. The Germans will take on the Greeks on Friday, June 22nd in the second quarterfinal matchup.

Spain and Italy will wait to see what happens tomorrow as 3 teams will battle for the final 2 spots in the quarterfinals. France, England and Ukraine are all in action tomorrow with England-Ukraine being the marquee game of the day. Wayne Rooney returns for the English as they seek to advance by defeating the host nation Ukraine.

After the completion of two pool games, the only teams that have no chance of advancing to the quarterfinals are Sweden and Ireland. Sweden have lost both of their games (2-1 to Ukraine, 3-2 to England) in tight fashion while the Irish were completely outclassed in their first two contests (3-1 to Croatia, 4-0 to Spain).

In Pool A and Pool B, all four teams have the chance to advance going into the third and final game of pool play.

In Pool A, Russia (4 points)  is in the driver’s seat and will go through with a win or a draw. The Czech Republic (3 points) and Poland (2 points) will each go through for certain with a win. Greece (1 point) needs to win and need the Czechs and Poles to draw.

Final Pool Games- Russia v. Greece, Poland v. Czech Republic- June 16th

In Pool B, Germany (6 points) is in control and will go through with a win or a draw. Portugal (3 points) will go through with a win and Denmark can still go through if they win against Germany and Portugal draws or loses. The amazing fact is that the Netherlands (0 points) still have the ability to go through if they defeat Portugal by two goals and the Germans defeat the Danes. It is very plausible that this takes place and while the Netherlands have not played good soccer early in this tournament, no country wants a quarterfinal match-up with the World Cup finalist from two years ago.

Final Pool Games- Germany v. Denmark, Netherlands v. Portugal- June 17th

In Pool C, Croatia and Spain (4 points) sit up top. They play each other in the final game and a draw will probably see them both through. Italy (2 points) plays Ireland and can go through if they beat the Irish and no draw occurs in the Croatia-Spain contest. If a draw takes place between Croatia and Spain, goal differential will come into play and the Italians will have to make up 2 goals on the Croats and 4 goals on the Spanish.

Final Pool Games- Croatia v. Spain, Italy v. Ireland- June 18th

In Pool D, England and France (4 points) share the spoils at the top of the table. Both go through with a win in their final pool game. Ukraine (3 points) has the ability to continue in the competition if they can defeat the English in their final pool game.

Final Pool games- England v. Ukraine, France v. Sweden- June 19th

Shocking news of the tournament

1. The Netherlands may get knocked out in pool play. I would have never imagined a team so talented and with their recent pedigree in big tournaments on the verge of elimination early in this Championship.

2. Spain, while looking somewhat safe, still is a doubt to advance. I think they will proceed , but did not think that their last game would even matter in pool play. They got their tactics wrong against the Italians and fixed them against the Irish. If they are going to win this tournament, they need to play with a recognized striker up front (Torres, Llorente).

Best Team So Far

Germany has looked the best so far. Both games have been clinics and while there were some tense moments late against the Dutch and the Portuguese, they achieved the result they desired in both games. They are playing really sound soccer.

Over the past three days, I have been fortunate enough to go out to The Olympic Club, site of this year’s U.S. Open, to watch the festivities of our National Championship firsthand. The United States Golf Association, the overseer of this tournament, have set the already difficult course up in a manner that will make it almost impossible for someone to come in under par over the four day event. The fairways are shaved and undulating and will roll out into the rough ruining good drives. The rough is 4-5 inches long and thick. It is unforgiving and brutal. The greens are lightning fast and are hard and don’t hold very well. This will lead to missed greens and a lot of tricky chip shots. It will lead to a winner who has all the shots and the ability to execute them in the most difficult of situations. This man will be Tiger Woods.

I am not harping on the USGA for the course setup.  I actually like the fact that they make our national championship extremely difficult. It is nice that you see some of the world’s best struggling with their games like the average golfer would at his local muni. But, when the course sets up as difficult as it has been over the past couple of days, you eliminate a lot of the field when we talk about potential winners of this championship.

After Day 1, Michael Thompson holds the lead at 4-under par. Thompson, a 2nd year PGA professional played outstanding golf today. He played so magnificently, that no golfer is within three strokes. His putting (22 putts in 18 holes) was pristine. Tiger Woods, Grahame McDowell and Justin Rose are among a group at 1-under par chasing Thompson. Most of the other top players in the world have some work to do to bring themselves back in striking distance of the lead and will have to play flawlessly to have any chance to win (Fowler +2, Westwood +3) . Other big name players are more concerned about making the cut after virtually playing themselves out of the competition after one day (Mickelson +6, McIlroy +7, Watson +8, Donald +9).

If the wind kicks up and any other inclement weather settles in, the winner of this tournament will come in over par. Is that good or bad for golf? Is a war of attrition and high scoring what the golfing public wants to watch or do they want to watch an abundance of birdies and low scores?

I am a fan difficult golf and that is why I think Tiger Woods will win this tournament. When conditions are tough and the course is difficult, Woods has shown the ability to be able to handle it better than his competition. Many will scoff at this notion, but when Woods is on his game (as he was during Round 1); he is extremely difficult to beat.

Others will claim that he is not even in the lead after the first round. I know he’s not and I know it’s early, but when he strikes the golf ball like he did today and putts fairly well in the first round of major’s, he has shown that he is incredibly tough to overcome. If you are telling me that Michael Thompson will hold this lead for the remainder of the tournament, I have some beachfront property in Phoenix to sell you. Others will challenge, but Woods will outlast them and finish the Championship in first place.

When Tiger Woods hoists the trophy up at the end of this tournament, it will mark the true beginning of his return to dominance on tour. Sunday’s result will put Tiger within true striking distance of Jack Nicklaus’ major tournament record and the talk will begin again about Woods and his golf game becoming fearsome and revered.

The recent deal between the City of Glendale and the prospective owner of the Phoenix Coyotes, Greg Jamison, looked to put an end to the crisis over the possible relocation of the team. Now, that deal has been thrown into doubt as the conservative group, The Goldwater Institute, had filed a lawsuit to invalidate the City Council’s vote approving the lease agreement with Jamison. If the court concurs, it could stop the sale of the team and re-open the potential deal to examination over documents that have not allegedly been turned over to the group who have asked to see them under public records laws.

In a separate filing, Goldwater argued that the City of Glendale should be held in contempt of court for not following a court order that asked the city to disclose pertinent documents to Goldwater. This could reignite the controversy over the sale of this team and force another potential owner to get cold feet. Matthew Hulsizer, a Chicago businessman, bailed out of a potential deal to purchase the team two years ago when Goldwater threatened to get involved.

Goldwater says if they get what they want (full disclosure of documents regarding the lease agreement and arena operation), they will be fair and balanced about what their next step is. Goldwater is suing on the behalf of two Glendale residents who did not feel that they were being told the entire truth by Glendale regarding the overall cost that taxpayers would be burdened with due to the finalization of the deal with Jamison.

Stay tuned to see how this all plays out.