Mickelson,the most likable guy in sports or the guy you like to hate?

**Illusion** · 06-18-06, 09:21 PM

I really can't see why anybody would hate Phil. The guy is a complete class act.

**Mudcat** · 06-18-06, 10:12 PM

A big surprise to me today was how much my dad dislikes lefty. My dad is a very well-educated, calm, charitable sort of guy. He doesn't go around doing a lot of hating.

But he was actively rooting against Phil today.

I personally don't mind him. He comes across well in interviews a lot of the time. I gained a lot of respect for him since he started winning a few majors.

But I suppose my dad's feelings are no different than mine for Davis Love III. I don't like that guy at all. Not exactly sure why.

**BrentCrude** · 06-18-06, 10:31 PM

I never really liked Raymond Floyd

Ray Floyd always seemed like an anal retentive crabby old son of a bitch.

I heard stories that Ernie Els is the most conceited stuck up asshole that ever hit the golf tour.

It's also widely known by the sportswriters that Lee Trevino is funny and personable when there is a crowd around him but when you are alone with him he's a vulgar asshole that doesn't give you the time of day.

**Seattle Slew** · 06-19-06, 12:39 AM

Right on the money with Trevino. I liked him for years, then had a chance to see him with no media around and he was an arrogant SOB. I rooted against him like crazy for years, and after a couple decent years on the senior tour, he just went south and I was thrilled.

I also heard from someone who goes to event that Justin Leonard is an ass. Although Brad Faxon said he was a "great guy" so I guess you never know.

Despite my dislike for Dick Vitale's announcing and praising everyone, I did meet him once about 20 years ago. Doing a college interview, I went up to him an hour before the game at the announcer's table. He was very nice. Answered all my questions. There's one guy who's not an act. Same way off the air as on.

Originally posted by BrentCrude

It's also widely known by the sportswriters that Lee Trevino is funny and personable when there is a crowd around him but when you are alone with him he's a vulgar asshole that doesn't give you the time of day.

**Seattle Slew** · 06-19-06, 12:44 AM

Some more golfers I dealt with. I also had an interview with Gary McCord, who was also very nice. And the Australian golfer, Wayne Grady. Great guy. I approached him in the locker room (again, just out of college) and he was all by himself. He was very nice, and ended our interview with "anytime, mate."

The next year, he won the PGA championship. I was thrilled.

I heard Mark Calcavecchia was a major A-hole with the media.

**isetcap** · 06-19-06, 09:27 AM

Originally posted by Illusion

I really can't see why anybody would hate Phil. The guy is a complete class act.

Comes off as one of the fakest individuals ever in the sporting world. For many that is reason enough.

**moses millsap** · 06-19-06, 09:29 AM

Originally posted by BrentCrude

He seems like the pro athlete least likely to cheat on his wife.

I thought he cheated on his wife several years ago with an African American stripper in Atlantic City, but perhaps I am wrong.

**moses millsap** · 06-19-06, 09:30 AM

Originally posted by isetcap

Comes off as one of the fakest individuals ever in the sporting world. For many that is reason enough.

Yeah, wasn't it Vijay who said that in an HBO interview a few years ago (something about everybody in the clubhouse knows the real Phil)

**BrentCrude** · 06-19-06, 11:31 AM

I know he likes to gamble and Scotty Peterson claimed him as a friend

I remember during the Scotty Peterson trial Scotty said he was a personal friend of Mickelson from back when Scotty played college golf for a few days at Arizona.Mickelson denied knowing him.It sounded like a Frank Sinatra deal where the Nevada gaming board asked Frank if he knew mob families and when he said no they dragged out a bunch of photos of Frank at all the family occassions.

Montgomery seems like a real euro dink.He reminds me of Clinton.

Speaking of Clinton,Greg Norman is a personal friend of the stain master where the stain fell down a flight of stairs when he was drunk visiting Norman a few years back.Norman kisses Clinton's ass and Clinton is an impeached,disbarred pergurer and Norman narked on a guy for touching a golf ball unintentionally and not even moving the ball to better the lie.

Then you have VJ Singh who got thrown off some overseas tour a number of years back because he turned in a tournament card with an inflated score.

**scottyy11** · 06-19-06, 05:00 PM

excuse me if i wrong but from the reports i've heard phil is thought to be one of the biggest aholes on the the tour and the most fake by his fellow competitors ....i have heard this several times as iset said

http://golf.about.com/b/a/238809.htm

this is one articles but i have heard this samething about 3/4 times that he is a big phony who knows what the truth is, but I can't give him credit for being a nice guy or a idiot when i dont when really know him

**Willie Bee** · 06-20-06, 04:56 PM

Originally posted by BrentCrude

It's also widely known by the sportswriters that Lee Trevino is funny and personable when there is a crowd around him but when you are alone with him he's a vulgar asshole that doesn't give you the time of day.

There are plenty of sportswriters who fall in the same category with Super Mex.

I agree with slew about Vitale. His on-air style is over the top and annoying at times, but everything I've ever heard or read about the guy suggests he is a genuine human being.

**JoshW** · 06-20-06, 07:28 PM

Anyone who is willing to play to the crowd in such a serious sport have to like a little I would think.

Guy is gaining a little weight it looks like. A more successful version of John Daly. Sort of an everyman, but will obviously more skills and balance.

**daystrom** · 06-20-06, 11:21 PM

From GQ Top 10 hated athletes

Seems to quack like an asshole.

8. Phil Mickelson

Last August at the PGA Championship at Baltusrol, in New Jersey, a reporter turned to a golfer on the tour and said of Phil Mickelson, “Man, the fans here love Phil.” The golfer replied, “They don’t know him the way we do.” It blew our minds a little when we heard this, since Mickelson ranks among the most admired golfers in America. But today the same reporter makes his case bluntly: “Phil Mickelson literally has no friends out there. He annoys everybody.”

Mickelson has earned many nicknames on the Tour, but our favorite is FIGJAM (****, I’m good—just ask me). “There are a bunch of pros who think he and his whole smiley, happy face are a fraud,” another reporter says. “They think he’s preening and insincere.” Mickelson has aggressively pursued a family-man image that is crucial to his success as an endorser. In 1999, when he nearly won the U.S. Open, Mickelson wore a beeper onto the fairway to alert him when his wife went into labor. If the beeper went off during the ﬁnal round, he announced, he would simply walk off the course. Some of Mickelson’s peers, smelling a PR stunt, badly wanted to call his bluff. “Everybody’s saying, ‘Oh God, I want that beeper to go off,’ ” recalls one writer. (It didn’t.)

In 2003, Mickelson violated multiple taboos when he told a reporter that Tiger Woods was playing with “inferior equipment” and that he envied Mickelson’s longer drives from the tee. Woods was infuriated. “You just don’t say shit like that in golf,” says a reporter. (To be fair, another reporter says, “Phil was right.”)

Shortly before the 2004 Ryder Cup, though, Mickelson abruptly switched from Titleist to Callaway equipment. He left himself little time to get used to the new balls and clubs. “It wasn’t in the best interest of the team,” says a reporter. “The only thing that it was in the best interest of was his ﬁnancial gain.” The contract paid a reported $7 million to $10 million annually. “What it did was set up a bull’s-eye on him if he played poorly,” says a different reporter. “Which he did.”

Most recently, Mickelson blew off the 2005 Tour Championship, though the PGA was in the midst of negotiating its new TV contract. One reporter says, “The Tour was trying to come up with a plan that would make the networks happy, so it wouldn’t have to give back a lot of money, and here’s the number three player in the world skipping the premier season-ending event. Other players said, ‘How about helping the rest of us who aren’t as rich?’ ” Adds another reporter: “It’s like not showing up for somebody’s wedding.”

**jesushchrist** · 02-09-09, 12:39 PM

could be true

Originally posted by Willie Bee

There are plenty of sportswriters who fall in the same category with Super Mex.

I agree with slew about Vitale. His on-air style is over the top and annoying at times, but everything I've ever heard or read about the guy suggests he is a genuine human being.

there is this story circulating about mickelson having an altercation with Michael Jordan the day before the ryder cup in 2004 at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham, Michigan. Alledgedly, phil walked in on MJ and phils wife having at each other. it has been said in the past that they have an "open" relationship. This was around the same time that phil switched from Titleist to Callaway to cover a 9 in change marker to the house. At first i totally didnt believe it but then i remembered how shitty some of the shots phil hit that week and it kind of made sense. i guess i would be blowing it all over the map too if my wife was getting plowed by a 6' 8" black dude. The story was set to be printed in Sports Illustrated but Ford Motor Co. who sponsors phil is also the largest purchaser of advertising in SI. The story then made its way over to Golfweek where it was intercepted by Phils agent who threatened to sue on the basis that there was never any police reports filed or anyone who could come forward to backup the story. its already known that he has a tad gamlbing problem, an illigitimate black child, drinks like a fish, and has an "open" relationship. it didnt seem true at first but when the details started to unravel, it kind of made sense.

**wtf** · 02-09-09, 01:43 PM

^ man i love reading that!

hope its true

**fiveteamer** · 02-09-09, 01:52 PM

**fiveteamer** · 02-09-09, 05:11 PM

**Sinister Cat** · 02-09-09, 05:18 PM

Never liked the guy. Comes across as really pompous to me. Never understood why anyone would like him.

**c-rok** · 02-09-09, 05:20 PM

bigger than woods? i love phil and he's a tremendous golfer, and could have been even better, but he is NO WHERE CLOSE to Tiger, no where close.

Tiger is to golf what MJ was to basketball, or what Gretzky was to hockey. They are the best athletes of all time in their sport and nobody is even close to them.

**durito** · 02-09-09, 05:22 PM

Mickelsons public image is completely fake.

The guy is a complete asshole in real life and the other players hate him.

Tiger on the other hand is supposed to be quite nice.

**CaneDawg** · 02-09-09, 05:22 PM

not only do i like him

he is my favorite pro

i encourage anyone who dislikes him to read "on any given sunday"

not the football story

**durito** · 02-09-09, 05:30 PM

Originally posted by CaneDawg

not only do i like him

he is my favorite pro

i encourage anyone who dislikes him to read "on any given sunday"

not the football story

lol, a book

let me guess, it talks about the public phil that gives super bowl tickets to little kids.

does it mention the bookies he's stiffed out of hundreds of thousands of dollars?

**CaneDawg** · 02-09-09, 05:50 PM

to each his own

**wtf** · 02-09-09, 05:52 PM

so the bookies let him slide?

**durito** · 02-09-09, 05:54 PM

Originally posted by wtf

so the bookies let him slide?

locals in the USA don't exactly have a legal recourse and believe it or not, many are not interested in violence.

breaking someone's legs or killing someone tends to land one in jail. write it off and move on.