A couple of days ater John Daly’s admissions of major gambling problems, Charles Barkley admits the same. He’s lost $10 million, but has no intention of quitting… and perhaps not even of slowing down.

“It’s not a problem,” Barkley said on TNT during halftime of the Pistons-Bucks game. “If you’re a drug addict or an alcoholic, those are problems. I gamble for too much money. As long as I can continue to do it I don’t think it’s a problem. Do I think it’s a bad habit? Yes, I think it’s a bad habit. Am I going to continue to do it? Yes, I’m going to continue to do it.”

I think Barkley’s problem is completely different than Daly’s, though… Daly gambles because of a subconscious urge to do something destructive and risky. For him, it’s about his addictive personality. If it’s not gambling, it’d be something else, as Big John has demonstrated very well.

For guys like Barkley and Jordan (and if you don’t think Michael Jordan has a gambling problem, you’re nuts… Reggie Evans nuts), it’s all about competition and the thrill of victory. I don’t think you’re going to catch these guys at slot machines. They’ll play blackjack, where they think they have a competitive advantage by being smarter. It’s all about winning. And a game like blackjack provides them an opportunity to win very often, in a very short period of time.

I’ve got a friend who’s the same way… He’s so absurdly competitive that I can’t throw a game of darts with the fucking guy in his garage without wanting to punch him in his dirty Greek face. And he loves to gamble… blackjack, craps, poker, anything. It’s the same principle.

I’d wish Charles luck in getting his problems straightened out, but I think he’d rather I wish him luck when he hits a 16 against the dealer’s 10.

The man largely responsible for the dominant force that is Tiger Woods has passed away. Earl Woods, Tiger’s dad… has been having major health problems for the last few years. Earl Woods succumbed to cancer this afternoon, a cancer he’d been battling for 8 years.

This is not a man who is lacking in contributions to the world. Anything Tiger does, particularly off the course, owes quite a bit to Earl Woods and how he chose to raise his son.

An excellent read on Earl Woods here, from Golf Digest. Condolences.

After yesterday’s revelations that Daly’s gambling makes Michael Jordan look like a little bitch, this thorough AP article finds some more gems from Daly’s book. I think a bulleted list is in order…

• He was disqualified from a junior tournament when a bottle of whiskey was found in his bag.

• In college, he had to lose 60 pounds to be on the golf team. So he went on a whiskey/cigarettes/popcorn diet that sent him to the emergency room. But he did lose the 60 pounds.

• His father, in a drunken rage, once held a gun to his head.

• He named his second daughter after a rehab center.

Goodness gracious.

In a new book that’s coming out next week, John Daly discloses that he’s lost between $50 and $60 million in his life through gambling. That’s… Goodness gracious. That’s a “holy fuck” kind of a number. His gambling problem appears to be not only addiction, but he also seems to be a really, really bad gambler.

In one episode, he won $750,000 for his finish in the World Golf Championship… then drove immediately to Vegas and lost $1.65 million in five hours. The most bizarre part of the story, at least to me, is that he lost that much playing $5,000 slot machines… which aren’t even fun. To each his own, I guess, but… if you’re going to lose that much lumber, at least make it enjoyable. At least do more than pull a lever. Some blackjack, some craps, some poker… I dunno. That might just be me.

There are other stories just like one in the article. It’s really just staggering… I can’t relate. And this, which frightens the hell out of me, is his plan for the future:

He said he plans to start at the $25 slots in the casinos and set a “walkout loss number,” which would tell him it’s time to leave.

“If I make a little bit, then maybe I move up to the $100 slots or the $500 slots, or maybe I take it to the blackjack table,” he wrote. “It’s their money. Why not give it a shot, try to double it? And if I make a lot, I can…

“Well, that’s my plan.”

I think that’s a very bad plan. I’ve got a better plan, I think: stay the hell out of the casino. Walkout loss numbers are good, but… you can’t finish the sentence without talking about upping your bets and trying to double your money. That’s a pretty good sign that you don’t have a handle on this problem. It’s like a heroin user saying, “You know, I think I’ll just shoot up a little bit.”

Don’t get me wrong, I realize that it’s not as easy as just stayout out of the casino. The man is clearly the all-time heavyweight champion of addictive personalities. While talking to former Cowboys linebacker Hollywood Henderson in rehab for drinking, Hollywood told Daly to be careful, because he’d find something sooner or later that he loved as much as drinking. It’s gambling… and, you know, if it goes too far with gambling, you don’t start shaking and need help walking off the green. You get Joe Pesci clamping your head in a vice.

I really wish the best for John Daly… some major therapy is in order here. PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem has offered the help and support of the Tour, and I hope they can do something for the guy.

It’s not fair to Phil Mickelson to say it, but… he’s kind of lost his charm since he won the Masters in 2004. I’ve never found anything particularly likable about him… at least back then, he was a lovable loser. Now, he’s just a polite guy with a smile he can manufacture at any second. I dunno. I wasn’t rooting against him or anything, but almost anyone else winning would’ve made for a more interesting day.

He was impressive, though. No bogeys until 18… on a Sunday at The Masters, when the greens are dry and the course is longer than it’s ever been, that’s pretty fucking amazing. It’s too bad that such an outstanding performance didn’t have a serious challenger to put a little more shine on it.

Between the NCAA tournament and the Masters, though, I gotta tell ya… I am fucking tired of Jim Nantz. If I end up in hell, Jim Nantz will be following me around through the flames jabbering in my ear about a tradition unlike any other. I hate him.

Starting today, Jim Nantz is back where he belongs: Butler Cabin. My buddy Danks thinks Jim Nantz should be locked in the Butler Cabin at Augusta National and never ever allowed to leave. I agree completely, and I’ve contacted Craig Stadler to see if he’d accept $20 to knock Nantz out and chain him to a pipe in the boiler room. No word yet.

If you’re looking for something to do on the Internet, and themightymjd.com just isn’t doing it for you, you can had on over to Masters.org and watch everyone play Amen Corner. Coverage of that begins at 10:45. You can also watch live coverage of the practice tee all long, if you’re the kind of person who would be into that thing. Of course, if you’re the type of person who’s into watching golfers practice, I’d also recommend some LSD.

My pick to win is, of course, Tiger Woods. My second choice is Tiger Woods. My third choice, just to mix things up a little bit, is Eldrick Woods.

It didn’t seem to get a lot of attention - mainly because it involves golfers named Greg Owen and Rod Pampling - but what Owen did was positively brutal.

He had never won before on tour, he was playing great golf, he seemed to have it wrapped up… he had a three shot lead with two holes to play. But on 17, he lipped out a 10-footer for par, leaving him with 40 inches for bogey, and still a two-stroke lead. His next putt did not touch the cup. He rushed to the next two-footer, and lipped it out. Ooooomph.

The list of things that are gone:

• His first tournament win
• An invite to the Masters
• $396,000
• Any reputation he was hoping to build
• All self-esteem

I hurt for the man. I hope he finds a way to win next week at The Players Championship. But if he does come to 17 on Sunday with a lead… well… the 17th this weekend will be an island green that has historically caused people to shiver in terror. It could be ugly.

Best of luck to Greg Owen. Really.

Recent changes to Augusta National have the golf course sounding like a spam e-mail… it has safely gotten longer and harder. It’s greatest champion, though (for another few years anyway), has some issues with it.

Someone asked Jack Nicklaus whether or not it was still possible for someone to make a miraculous Sunday charge on the back nine. Here’s what the Golden Bear had to say:

“I know what Augusta is trying to do,'’ Nicklaus said. “Whether they’ve gone overboard, I’m not sure. But they’ve eliminated a lot of guys who are able to do that. Could Tiger (Woods) do that? Or Ernie Els? Or Vijay (Singh)? Yes. Could Mike Weir or Jose Maria (Olazabal) — one of those guys of moderate length — could they do that? Probably not. That’s the change at Augusta I have a hard time with.'’

And I agree wholeheartedly. In adding and adding and adding to their golf course, it seems like Augusta National has lost something. As much as I hate the culture that surrounds the club, there is something special about the course itself that just shouldn’t be fucked with.

I just don’t want to see it become like a U.S. Open course–ungodly length, punishing rough, greens as hard and undulating as Mark McGwire’s bare chest. Those things are fine at the U.S. Open, but it used to feel like Augusta was about something completely different.

I don’t care if the scores there get lower. I don’t care if -20 wins it. It’s still a test of golf that’s equal to everyone, and I’d rather see the shortknockers have a chance to get close to Tiger at -20 than see only a handful of guys who have the length to win the tournament at -7 or -8.

I think they should just make everyone play the damn thing with wooden clubs.

Someone asked Stephen Ames if he thought he had a chance to beat Tiger Woods in he first round of the Match Play Championship. “Anything can happen,” he said. “Especially where he’s hitting the ball.”

Playful little jab at Tiger’s lack of driving accuracy this year? Maybe. Enough to piss Tiger off and ensure a severe ass-beating? Oh yes.

Tiger proceeded to humiliate the guy, Michael Jordan-style… Tiger won the first nine holes of the match, and halved the tenth, winning 9-and-8. That’s just unheard of. Tiger could play match play against your local club pro ten times, and I’d still say it’s unlikely for him to ever win 9-and-8. That’s just absurd.

Someone asked Tiger about Ames’ comments after the match. Tiger just said, “Nine and eight.”

Tiger plays Robert Allenby tomorrow. Say something, Robert Allenmiby. Talk some shit. I dare you.