COYOTE UGLY

The recent gambling probe into Phoenix Coyote coach(es), wife, general manager will likely get uglier soon. Things like that usually do.

So why would I be writing about hockey? I'm not.

I'm writing about golf.

A few years back at Green Hills Golf Club we had a foursome. That included about 12-14 guys. Oh, we didn't play in the same group, but the same group of guys would consider themselves part of the foursome. And that was fine. We had some of the best times ever on the golf course with the greatest greens I've ever played on.

One day one of the Club's best players asked me if he could play in our foursome. He said we looked like we had so much fun. And we did. I couldn't say no to him.

He told another member of our foursome who wasn't so supportive. He told the good player, "Well, there are three things you need to know about our foursome. We don't drink beer, we don't gamble, and we move (jockey) the ball around to improve our lie."

His response: "Two of the three I don't like. I'll find another foursome." And he did. That ended it.

Moral of the story: I've told and re-told that story probably 100 times when someone wants to gamble a little bit playing golf. And it works. It shuts them up. I've played competitive golf on a small scale: tournaments, men's league, couples' league, the Quinn Open, and a few other venues. None of them ever made me play better or worse. I can still miss a 2-footer with no pressure on me.

Feel free to use my story when you don't want to gamble. Modify it for other sports.