'Golf,' not just another four-letter word
Growing up in the Strickland household, we knew what words were not to be used and which ones were not to be used in vain. The usual suspects were outlawed — not least because my brother was born as I was entering high school and gaining a knack for salty language — and plenty were only to be used with reverence.
"Ma'am" should never be said sarcastically. "God" should never be used as an exclamation. And "golf" was never to be said in a derogatory fashion if Dad was home.
In fact, my mother — to this day — tells me my dad is out playing "golofs" when I call looking for him on a sunny Saturday.
I've played many a weekend round with him on crummy par-3 courses and brutal championship links, but when one of golf's four majors was on television, he passes up all but the nicest days to sit and watch the world's best.
That's why on Monday, the day after Father's Day, I sat at my desk and took a break from editing articles to call home as Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate dueled down the final holes of the U.S. Open playoff. I didn't even consider that he might be at the office or playing a round or even out to lunch. I knew he was watching.
And so he gave me the play-by-play without the five minute lag the "live" Internet updates I'd been reading all morning, right until Tiger tapped in for par and Mediate couldn't sink a miracle putt to save himself.
It wasn't quite the same as the time we watched the Ryder Cup on a 2-inch TV screen from a golf cart in Memphis, but it was about as appropriate a Father's Day as I could have imagined.
Eagle hauls in awards
Last weekend the Montana Newspaper Association held its annual convention to honor papers around the state for the work done over the previous year. Unwilling to make the journey to Billings, I received the results Monday morning and am proud to report that the Eagle brought in a full complement of honors.
Though the MNA awards, like any other trade organization's accolades, can border on a mutual admiration society, it's nonetheless pleasing to see recognition for the long hours and hard work. The Eagle competes against other weekly papers with a circulation of less than 1,500.
A few highlights of the list include first place awards for "Best Editorial Page," "Best Sports Pages," "Best Outdoors Reporting" and "Best Feature Story."
Recently departed sports reporter Faith Moldan collected many honors for her reporting and column writing and former editor Mike Richeson placed in a number of photography and reporting categories.
I'm also particularly proud to say that the late Elmer Sprunger took second place for editorial cartoons, competing not only against other small weeklies, but against every paper in the state regardless of size. This last bit of recognition, while later than it should have been made, is another honor in Elmer's long list of worthy accomplishments.
And while the plaques are certainly flattering (and a complete list of awards can be found on page A10), we don't work long nights and weekends for silly honors. We work for the readers and we hope that you'll celebrate with us and then promptly get back to telling us how to do it better.
—Alex Strickland