Are You Kidding Me by Rocco Mediate & John Feinstein
June 17th, 2009Title: Are You Kidding Me?
Authors: Rocco Mediate & John Feinstein
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company (2009)
Do you remember where you were the day after Fathers Day in 2008? I was driving my stupid Chevrolet Cobalt Coupe rental car from San Francisco to Los Angeles (which was a fun vacation by the way). The previous day, after doing the San Francisco touristy stuff, we came back to the hotel to catch the last 2 holes of the US Open. It was intense…Tiger Woods had to make 2 clutch putts to force an 18 hole playoff with Rocco Mediate. It was so intense that my wife actually was interested in it (or at least pretended). Naturally, Woods made the putts and the playoff was scheduled for the next day.
So there I was driving the car, listening to the golf match on Sirius radio. My wife had at this point stopped pretending to care and was sleeping in the passengers seat. So I drove for hours listening to the greatest golf match of my life. I should probably stop to tell you here that I don’t really like golf. I like the idea of it, I am just so terrible that I am turned off of the game. Unless Tiger Woods is involved. Then it’s like watching history…and I like history. You may remember an earlier review I wrote about Tiger Woods 2008 season. If you do not remember…shame on you.
So this match was incredible to watch (listen to). Rocco Mediate, the 158th ranked player in the world, took the GOAT to the limits of his game. Of course, it probably didn’t hurt that Woods was playing on a torn ACL and a double stress fracture in his left tibia…but great story nonetheless.
Are you Kidding Me: The Story of Rocco Mediate’s Extraordinary Battle with Tiger Woods at the US Open, which is written by one of my favorite writers, really isn’t just a recap of the 2008 US Open. It is actually a biography of Mediate, obviously focusing on the US Open. Like all Feinstein books, it is extremely well written and descriptive. I really feel like I know what Rocco was going through during his career and especially that tournament. Mediate is a very funny guy, so there is plenty of humor in this book. He has had a roller coaster type career and you find yourself rooting for him to win.
The interesting thing about that tournament, that I don’t remember being brought up in the book, is that Mediate is probably more popular BECAUSE he finished second. If he would have beat a gimpy Woods, people would have dismissed it as a fake win because Woods was hurt. But because he ALMOST triumphed he became legend (kind of). I would be interested to hear what the 7 readers I have who are golf fans think of that theory.
This is a great book…and would make an excellent Fathers Day gift for dads who a) like to read and b) like golf. I know that’s what I am getting my dad! (but don’t tell him…please!)
Rating: 5 out of 5
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June 17th, 2009 at 10:56 am
haha – you didn’t finish your story, so I will. Then, while my wife was sleeping soundly, I woke her up! She asked me if I wanted someone to talk to and I told her no and to shut up b/c I was listening to the golf game!!!! Then my wife, who could not get back to sleep b/c I kept poking her, was mad at me the rest of the way down… I wonder why???
ps – can I change my “secret” screen name to puppylover3 now???? I think Sham would feel left out if I didn’t
June 17th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
i think i agree that mediate became more famous by not beating tiger. although you couldn’t help but root for him that day as the major underdog, there was also something amazing about tiger overcoming his physical problems. I think i actually rooted for EACH shot by BOTH players–it was an amazing match to watch. (ha ha–i actually got to WATCH, although on the internet at work)
p.s. i’m assuming you told your wife “quiet please” as they do on the golf course, rather than ‘shut up’.