Pavin, Gray, Poor Play: Tiger Woods Should Go Away

If we can feel sorry for a man who threw away something close to a perfect life, just so he could sleep with bimbos, then this is the time. Eldrick Woods -- I no longer see anyone resembling Tiger -- is so lost as a golfer and discombobulated as a human being that he now must rely on a captain's pick to make the U.S. Ryder Cup team, the ultimate acknowledgment of failure in his profession. That fate, of course, is dependent on whether team captain Corey Pavin actually will choose him.

It seemed a fait accompli Tuesday, when sportscaster Jim Gray, working the PGA Championship for The Golf Channel, reported that Pavin told him he would choose Woods because "he's the best golfer in the world.'' But a day later, Pavin was shooting down the report on his Twitter account, writing, "For the record, Jim Gray has misquoted me re:picking Tiger. I never said such a thing and will not say a thing until 09/07.''

Yes, journalism marches on.

After Pavin's press conference Wednesday at Whistling Straits, Gray angrily approached Pavin, wagged a finger in his face and said, "You're a liar. You're going down.'' This is the same Jim Gray who helped organized the LeBron James TV debacle last month, telling James' people that they should petition ESPN to televise the eternally infamous informercial called "The Decision.'' When ESPN unfortunately agreed to the business deal, the network inherited Gray as James' questioner. He took nearly 25 minutes to pose the question of where James would play, even asking him the logic behind the decision before inquiring what the decision was.

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In other words, Gray is not a journalist as much as a dealmaker. He is not to be trusted. "If I had chosen anyone to tell this to, you wouldn't be 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5,'' Pavin told Gray. Later, the captain tweeted, "There was a lot more you didn't hear or see. But Gray waited til cameras were off ... gee, I wonder why? I'm sure you all will find out soon!''