At Least One Champion Still Shows Some Grit

We live in an age of lessening expectations, as the recent NBA Finals reminded us. In less than two weeks, the pressing question went from “Can the Lakers sweep?” to “Can the Lakers make it back home without embarrassing themselves, their families, their franchise, their conference and their community?”

At least the answer was consistent -- in both cases, a resounding “no.”

Move the television cameras to Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y. Train them on another sporting dynasty disintegrating before our eyes.

Once, the big media speculation surrounding a U.S. Open was: By how many strokes will Tiger Woods win this one?

Friday, the question instead was: Will Tiger Woods make the cut?

As NBC prepared to hand off its second-round afternoon coverage to ESPN, with Woods still on the course with five holes to play, Bob Costas uttered words not often heard at a Grand Slam tournament: “We leave the air not 100% certain Tiger Woods will make the cut.”

With fives holes to play, Woods was three over par. At the time, NBC estimated the cut would be four over par. This was not good news for either Woods or NBC, which will handle live coverage of the third and fourth rounds today and Sunday, but ESPN scrambled nicely, opening its two-hour Friday afternoon stint with Karl Ravech teasing, “See if Tiger makes the cut!”

Unlike the Lakers, Woods rallied. He closed well. He finished. He put the ball in the hole, carding consecutive birdies down the stretch to end the day with a round of 69, one over for the tournament.

For much of the day, it was a struggle, causing NBC analyst Johnny Miller to wince and wistfully recall better times as he watched Woods blow another short putt.

“We just were spoiled with that year 2000 and the spring of 2001,” Miller said, referring to Woods’ run of four consecutive majors won. “Golf’s never seen anything like it.”

We were all so much younger then. Miller lamented that Woods’ approach to the game since then has grown up too fast too soon.

“He works so hard at his putts and getting the right reads now and worrying about the wind,” Miller said.

“He’s starting to turn into an adult. And that’s a problem in golf.”

Miller was asked whether he thought Woods was thinking about making the cut.

“There’s not much he doesn’t think about, let’s put it that way,” Miller replied. “His IQ, I think, is the highest of anybody on the tour, and, maybe, sometimes that works against you if you’re thinking too much.

“There’s a lot to be said about the caveman-type golf. ‘Me hit ball at pin and make putt.’ ”

Woods’ last major championship only feels like a relic from prehistory. In truth, it was two years ago, the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage, N.Y. That’s a long timeout as far as dynasties go, but unlike a certain locally based dinosaur that once trampled the NBA underfoot, Woods will play this one out to the finish.

“He could have cashed that whole thing in,” Roger Maltbie said on ESPN after Woods concluded his round. “A lot of guys, if they’d have hit the ball the way Tiger did the last two days, would have missed the cut. That says a lot about him.”

Having seen what we saw this week in Detroit, we know, we know.

Also available for viewing this weekend:

TODAY

* Nike Prefontaine Classic

(ESPN2, 6:30 p.m., delayed)

Not live, from Eugene, Ore., it’s a sports entity even more dysfunctional than the Lakers! That’s right, ESPN2 brings you, on tape delay, perhaps to give everyone enough time to scrutinize all the polygraph results and legal briefs ... American track and field!

Top attraction, men’s division: A 100-meter showdown between Maurice Greene and Tim Montgomery that was nearly scuttled by Nike’s reluctance to invite Greene, who set the world record while sponsored by Nike but now runs for Adidas. Imagine the bowl championship series not inviting USC to the Nokia Sugar Bowl because the Trojans didn’t use the right kind of cellphones.

Oh, right. Something like that already happened.

Meanwhile, Montgomery is under investigation by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency for possible drug violations. So is his girlfriend, Marion Jones, who will also compete in Eugene and prepared for the meet by undergoing a lie detector test this week.

Jones recently drew criticism from International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge, who noted Jones’ former husband, C.J. Hunter, was suspended for steroids and her former coach, Charlie Francis, once worked with Ben Johnson, also banned for steroids.

“To have a link with someone like Charlie Francis is not a criminal offense,” Rogge told the Times of London. “But it is damn stupid.”

Or, to put it in tabloidese:

Rogge: You’re no smarty, Jones.

* College World Series

(ESPN, 11:30 a.m.)

Cal State Fullerton makes its 13th appearance in Omaha, opening play against South Carolina. Can the Titans win their fourth College World Series title? Here’s a sign-of-the-times clue: In games in which Fullerton has scored nine runs or more, the Titans are 29-0. But in games in which they’ve scored fewer than nine runs, the Titans are 13-21.

Fullerton is also 9-10 in games decided by two runs or fewer. For the Titans, it appears, it’s blowout or bust.

SUNDAY

* New York Yankees at Dodgers

(ESPN, 5 p.m.)

This series marks the first meeting between the Dodgers and the Yankees since the 1981 World Series. There’s a reason for that. The Dodgers have not won a postseason game since 1988. Over the same span, the Yankees have won 68 postseason games. Don’t blame the Yankees.

* Angels at Houston Astros

(Fox Sports Net, 11 a.m.)

In honor of the Olympic torch relay now making its way across the country, this series matches the Angels and the Astros, two teams that passed along a flamethrower called Nolan Ryan as if he were a baton.