The American Spectator

p> OFF COURSE br> Re: R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.’s Another Imus Outbreak : /p> p>I am unable to decide if this article is based on subtle satire or the possibility that you have jumped the shark. br> — Tom McDonald br> Huron, Ohio /p>

R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr. obviously does not watch much golf or at least does not watch much golf where Johnny Miller is an analyst. If he did it should be obvious to him as it was to me and probably 99.9% of other people of even mediocre intelligence that Johnny Miller has honest dear affection for Rocco Mediate. He was constant in his praise for him and his play during the U.S. Open and was especially excited for the great positive effect winning the Open might have on a guy like Rocco as opposed to Tiger who would simply add another notch to his belt.

p>Johnny Miller is consistent in his praise, and frank assessments when players seem to choke or hit bad shots, regardless of who the player is. But it has always been my impression that he holds a special regard for the hard-working, lesser-known players who sometimes rise to the occasion to challenge a golf demi-god like Tiger Woods or to challenge a momentous test like the U.S. Open. I would be absolutely dumb-founded if Rocco really was offended because he knows Johnny Miller better than that; and his reply bears that out. In this case, Mr. Tyrrell is the one who is sticking his foot in his mouth because he is talking about something he really doesn’t know enough about. Johnny Miller’s comments were all about Rocco the common man (at least as far as golf professionals go) and were nothing about Rocco the Italian-American. br> — Robert Madsen