This fatal tragedy that happened on Sunday when a helicopter flying near Los Angeles crashed killing Kobe Bryant and 8 other people, was not all about Kobe Bryant. It is extremely sad and heartbreaking that a 41 year old accomplished basketball player, who seems to have become a better person, lost his life. But it was also incredibly tragic and sad that his 13 year old daughter, Gianna, 56 year old John Altobelli, a highly successful junior college baseball coach, his wife, Kerri, 46, and their daughter, Alyssa, 13, lost their lives along with 38 year old Christina Mauser, a top assistant on Bryant’s travel basketball team that Gianna was a star on, pilot Ara Zobayan, 50, Sarah and Payton Chester, 45 and 13 respectively, mother and daughter also had their lives cut short.

There was a lot of outpouring of sympathy for Bryant, but there were 8 other victims who deserve just as much sympathy and for the losses to their families. The question I don’t have the answer to that may be answered in the next week is why were they flying in those conditions with intense fog, enough for the LAPD to ground all their helicopters that day? Either it was a pilot error, or Bryant made the pilot fly the copter. I lean more to the second explanation.

Kobe Bryant seemed to have gotten his act together, but the incident in 2003 where he raped a woman in Colorado was still a mark on his life. He seemed to become a good father and a better husband, but there was still an arrogance about him that was always pervasive. That’s why I would gather that he forced his pilot to fly that day against the pilot’s better judgment. That may not ever be discovered or revealed, but Bryant was a tyrant on the court, which did make him highly successful and allowed him to win 5 NBA Championships, and also a bit of a tyrannical person. It cost him dearly along with 8 other innocent people if he did in fact order his pilot to fly last Sunday. Maybe it was pilot error, but one would think a responsible pilot would not want to fly in those conditions. The guy could have been wanting to please Bryant. Maybe that’ll be discovered in the near future

What was kind of unreal too was Tiger Woods’ response to Amanda Bulianis of CBS Sports’ question after his final round at the Farmers last Sunday about what he thought about Kobe Bryant as a player, but moreso as a man, a husband and father. Woods just talked about what a great competitor Bryant was and just talked only about his basketball game. There was not a word about Bryant as a person. It was kind of an unbelievably bad response.

On the other hand, world No.1 Brooks Keopka was asked about him in Saudi Arabia where Koepka is getting ready to compete in the Saudi International, and Keopka said he was brought to tears, and was devastated for the 8 other people who lost their lives in the crash. It was so polar opposite of what Woods said. Richard Simmons, the famous Birmingham author in his book the True Measure of A Man, talks about humility and empathy as key characteristics of a true, mature man. Keopka showed a lot of sensitivity and showed how much better of good person he is than Tiger Woods, who can’t seem to grow up and become a good person. He can say all he wants in the media and charm them and all the fans, but he’s still a questionable person. He’s still got a long way to go.

So a really sad day Sunday. Sorry for all the victims and their families. Pretty difficult thing to take for the people involved, but unfortunately and sadly that can happen in life. It can be unfair. You just need to enjoy every day and be careful in your decisions. That decision Sunday by Bryant or his pilot was a fatal one. Very tragic.

Predictions for this week

Winner at Waste Management

This is an excellent field with Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm , defending champion Rickie Fowler, the controversial and obnoxious Bryson DeChambeau, 2 time back to back winner Hideki Matsuyama (2016, ‘17), Brandt Snedeker, who finished tied for 3rd last week at Torrey where he’s won twice , and the now No.51 Jordan Spieth, who’s stock has dropped precipitously, all playing.

The 16th hole which houses 16,000 people in a Coliseum like setup is a spectacle. People loud, drunk and enjoying themselves make for an interesting 161 yard par 3. A good shot is cheered loudly and a bad shot is booed intensely. There’s a lot of commentary. Some of it probably over the line. But it’s fun for spectators and viewers though it can get too rowdy and the hole itself is nothing great. It’s all about the crowd.

TPC Scottsdale is a nice setup. No. 11 with water down the entire left side is a tough one, 483 yard par 4. And now the 17th, a driveable 336 yard par 4 has the Coliseum setup also which should also be wild. 18 is a 434 yard par 4 with water down the entire left side. Will be nice theater on the 72nd hole on Super Bowl Sunday.

The PGA has instituted a slow play policy that will go into effect at the RBC Heritage the week after the Masters in mid April. Players will be assessed a 1 stroke penalty for 2 excessive times in a tournament not just a round. Any player who takes more than 120 seconds (2 minutes) to play a single shot will be assessed. And there will be an observation list that players will go on and off of based on a 10 tournament rolling period and will be subject to 60 second averages per shot. Bryson DeChambeau probably got the ball rolling on this after last year’s debacle at the Northern Trust in the Fed Ex Playoffs when he took 2 minutes to hit an 8 foot putt. He was irate and whining about it afterwards, but it was without a doubt his fault. The guy is just a lightning rod for controversy and is a pretty unbearable guy. Very good move by the PGA Tour.

Something that was horrifically bad last Sunday at the Farmers Insurance Open was Jon Rahm’s decision at 18, trailing leader Mark Leishman by 2 shots heading into the, to not check the leaderboard to know where he stood, thinking he only needed a birdie to tie Leishman and send the tournament into a playoff. I’ve never heard of such stupidity. Leishman definitely earned the title making over 150 feet of putts on Sunday and leading the field in strokes gained putting averaging over 8 strokes gained putting on the field. That’s a wow. But it’s just mind blowing that Rahm didn’t check the leaderboard when he arrived at 18. There have been several brain dead moves on the tour with some of these present players, but that may be as bad as it gets.

I’ll take the 41 year old from Bagdad, Florida as my winner this week. He finished tied 6th last week at Torrey and had a T-4 at the WM last year. Give me the quirky and colorful….

Bubba Watson

Weather perfect in Phoenix, sunny highs in the high 60’s low 70’s all 4 days wind 5-8, no problem.

TV: Thursday-Friday, Golf Channel 2-6 PM CT. Saturday-Sunday, 12-1:45 PM CT Golf, 2-5 PM CBS.

Saudi International winner

There are several big names playing at Royal Greens Golf Course in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia, that’s a mouthful, including World No.1 Brooks Koepka who tore a tendon in his knee in the fall, had surgery, fell on it again later in the fall and hasn’t played much. An amazing thing besides Keopka owning 4 major championships, 2 U.S. Opens and 2 PGAs, is last year he finished tied for 2nd with DJ and Xander Schauffele at the Masters behind Tiger, he won the PGA at Bethpage Black, he finished 2nd to Gary Woodland at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, and he finished tied for 4th at the Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, which Irishman Shane Lowry won. That is some seriously impressive stuff. I would take Keopka any day in most tournaments but he’s a little rusty. Dustin Johnson is another I’d take a lot, except in majors, but he’s been hurt too and is rusty. Mickelson is in it too. Little tired of his act. Lowry is playing as is the annoying Sergio Garcia. Patrick Reed is also in the field. I’ll take a haymaker and go with the 35 year old from Dusseldorf, Germany.

Martin Kaymer

TV: Thursday-Friday. 2 AM-8:30 AM CT Golf Channel. Saturday-Sunday, 3:30-8 AM CT Golf Channel.

Super Bowl preview/prediction coming up Friday.