Watson, Cink, Burns, and random observations on the wonderful world of sports

In the words of the great San Francisco Chronicle sports columnist Scott Ostler, here are my deep thoughts, cheap shots, and bon mots:

---Well, the story was too good to be true. Tom Watson thrilled sports fans with his incredible play over the weekend at the British Open, only to collapse down the stretch and lose in a playoff to Stewart Cink. Too bad, because if the 59-year old Watson would have won, it would have been one of the most memorable moments in sports history. But Cink's victory made for an anti-climatic ending to a great tournament.

---No disrespect to Cink----he seems like a nice guy and he is a deserving winner----but he was the unquestionable villain on Sunday. Everybody outside of Cink's direct family was pulling for Tom Watson. As Bill Simmons opined on his Twitter page on Sunday, Stewart Cink is going to follow his win at the Open Championship by punching Santa Clause in the face.

---Tom Watson should be rightfully disappointed at the way he fell apart yesterday, but he should ultimately be proud of his accomplishments over the weekend at Turnberry. He may not have won, but Watson still gave a valiant effort that deserves to be applauded.

---Roy Halladay threw another gem yesterday in Toronto, dominating the powerful Red Sox lineup. Blue Jays G.M. J.P. Ricciardi is asking for a lot in return, but I would be surprised if Halladay isn't traded to a contender before the July 31 trade deadline.

---That Mets-Braves game last night was ugly. The Mets have looked terrible this year, and it is quite baffling. I know Jerry Manuel's team is playing without Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, and Jose Reyes, but they still have enough talent to compete. Panic time has officially arrived in Queens.

---I'll end by offering an appreciation of San Francisco Giants owner Sue Burns, who passed away yesterday at the age of 58 from cancer. Burns, along with her husband Harmon and Peter Magowan, helped save baseball in San Francisco when the city was in danger of losing the Giants in 1992. For the past sixteen years, Burns was clad in orange and black at every Giants home game. She was one of the most passionate owners in all of sports, and she will be missed.