Posted on 04/05/2005 12:40:04 PM PDT by jsk10
I have on good word that SI will be doing an explosive story this week about Phil Mickelson. I don't want to get into rumor mongering so I'll let the story itself come out. But any fans here that would quit being fans if it comes out that he's not America's Golden Boy that his image portends? I've been a fan for a long time, and I don't know how the details will affect his reception.
Now that would make me hate him.
Seems other golfers ie Tiger are jealous of his success and have the long knives out for him. Watch your back, Mickelson.
Phil? Mr Squeaky-Clean Mormom boy with the beautiful wife Amy? Who has already won three times on tour this year. Is he hiding some John Daly-esque inclinations? Hard to believe there is some deep, dark secret that is going to emerge on the eve of the Master's.
He must have done something really, really scandalous like express an opinion against gay marriage.
What a tease. Come on tell us. It will be our little secret and the rest of the WWW.
With Tiger's astronomical success, and his own drop-dead gorgeous wife, why would he be jealous of anyone? In the golf world, there's Tiger and then there's everyone else.
Then why did you?
Or he will announce that he is the correspondent in Annika Sorenstamm's divorce.... or he said that 50% of LPGA players are lesbians.....
Is Phil going to be signing autographs with John Daly at Hooters this week?
That's part of what this places is for.
Or didn't you get the memo?
Dean Blevins, is that you?
As of right now, there is no article or memo. It is from a source that works for SI. In fact, there is some debate as to whether there will be one tommorrow now, as one source within Sports Illustrated is now denying that any story will come out (though they won't deny the story itself). I've gotten a few emails from fellow Freepers who have heard the same things I have, so the story is definitely out there. I am a fan, and having met him a time or two, would hope that it's not true or at the least, not that damaging to him.
If you're a fan, then God save him from his enemies.
Better me get this out there than the posts that will follow slamming him.
SI is the sports' equivalent of Newsweek.
I take it back, I am a fan - but the caveat is, if everything comes to fruition, he will be seen differently by almost everyone, including me.
Get over yourself, you've already slammed him by vague innuedo.
Quit being a puss....
Would be interesting to see what sort of dirt they wish to dish on Phil. I've met him more than once and he's a straight up good guy, loves his wife and kids.
My 2 cents...
Look, either post the details of the rumor or piss off. This "I gotta secret" stuff is so 4th grade...
As a former golf pro, I have reliable sources both on the tour and in the media that are confirming a disturbing story set to be released on Phil Mickelson. It involves gambling debts in excess of $10 million dollars and that is why he left titleist for callaway. Callaway allegedly assumed a large portion of his debt as part of a contract settlement, much like they did in the case of John Daly a few years ago. It is a very well-known fact that he has had gambling issues in the past and it appears that it finally caught up with him. Souces feel that the story will break in the weeks leading up to the Masters, perfect timing for a title defense huh? Anyway, the story and rumors are true and everyone will know soon enough. I wish Phil the best and hopefully he will get things straightened out.
the more I talk to people about this (big office discussion here now), and read other boards discussing it; the more I hope I'm wrong (that my friend at SI is severely misinformed.) If the story doesn't break tommorrow as they said it might, I promise not to talk of it again until someone else does here.
totally.
He's a gambler with big debts? Not to make light of it, but that's like the average Joe Schmoe owing $50,000. in gambling debts.....
Yes. I agree. As long as he's not betting on his own golf.
He's been betting on Daly.... ;^)
Thanks for posting the "rumor." I hate playing the "I have a secret game."
What? Is he gay or something like that that shouldn't even matter?
If he bets on himself and wins, is that *really* a problem?! As if he'd go out and purposefully Lose otherwise?!
Golf isn't like a two team or two person game; one person doesn't control the outcome. If Tom Willis bets *against* himself in the Tour de France, would anybody care?! Heck, the only interesting thing about some nobody betting against himself in some sport like cycling or golfing would be HOW and WHO he managed to find a way to do it (not to call Mickelson a nobody).
No. I stand corrected.
If he is a gambler it won't change my opinion of him. Playing golf for a living is gambling. Big deal.
That used to be true, anyway. He just has not been doing as well the past couple of years. I continue, however, to be a big Tiger fan.
Sheesh! That's all?
Certainly won't have any impact on us Nevada Phil fans! Might even raise him up a notch.
Of course, gambling only became a bad, nasty thing to the MSM when they found out Bill Bennett did it.
Losers.
Agreed. There's no there there.
Dang, I had to read this far to find out the "secret" is gambling? Big deal. If I was his wife, I'd care. Since I'm not ... (snore ...)
This sounds like some sort of advertising ploy...a 'viral' ad...
I'll go.
By the way, who are Phil Mickelson and John Daly?
I was at the same craps table as "Mr Squeaky-Clean Mormom boy" in Las Vegas in 1997 and I never knew two people, he and his wife, could put out so many stacks of blacks on so many places on a crap table and keep such good track of it. They made several thousand while my wife was on a streak rolling the dice. To this day she yells for him to miss a putt because they never even acknowledged her great roll.
About two months late...this story has been rumored
for the last two months. It ain't like he's got any
inside skinny.
I've heard this too. I remember a rumor floating around that he dropped out of the Las Vegas tourney in '04 after making the Friday cut because he was up all night playing blackjack and was down several million for the night.
Come back when you have something to say.
I heard this same rumor over from an "insider" very recently. I have no idea if the rumors/allegations are true, but I do know that at least two major publications are investigating the following:
- Mickelson has a 2 year-old child out of wedlock with a black woman, possibly in Ohio.
- Callaway assumed some portion of Mickelson's sizable gambling debts to assorted Vegas casinos (this has been rumored for awhile).
I don't know why these publications are sitting on the story, but I believe they haven't published yet because they are still confirming/researching - not because of scruples or some ethical dilemma.
The rumor on this is that Ford played hardball with SI and said they would pull advertising if SI ran the story.
If you subscribe to SI, the recent flimsiness of the issues tells me that every sponsor is needed.
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