Monday morning rants

Here are a few quick impressions of events that have unfolded since last we spoke:
— Karl Rove resigns: This is a monumental event. I would venture to say that never before in the 231 years of this country has an unelected person had as much power over national affairs as this man. And when he leaves Aug. 31, he will leave his good buddy George with an approval rating below 30 percent, a war in disarray and an economy headed towards another recession when it never really recovered from the first one. Right now it's not looking good for his legacy. History will not be kind to him or his "boss," at this point, at least. But maybe 9/11 was a big enough event that Bush's lasting legacy will be his speech on the rumble. Only time will tell.
I bet GW wishes he had just been commissioner of baseball now.

— Tiger blows away the field for PGA: No shock here. Wouldn't you be more surprised if he didn't? Now, with just five to go before he shatters Nicklaus's record of 18 majors (I say he'll do it in St. Andrews in 2010, more on this in a second), it's time to start thinking about his place in history. I say he is the greatest golfer of all time, but is that fair? Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, Arnie or even Nicklaus didn't have the equipment (or human growth hormone) that Tiger has at his disposal. What if the Golden Bear had titanium, squareheaded drivers aand low compression balls? Would the record be 30? He did finish second in the British Open a record seven times. Maybe an extra 40 yards on one drive, and his record is at least 25...And Bobby Jones, who Tiger tied Sunday with his 13th major win (granted, six of Jones' were Amateurs), gave up on golf at 28 to become a lawyer (isn't that pretty much the same thing? Golfer and Lawyer?) What if he had kept playing?
Look, it's a given that Tiger will blow past Nicklaus, though. As sports fans found out last week, records are made to be broken. He's 32 now, and if he remains a force until 46 (when Jack won his last major at the Masters in 1986), he'll have at least 52 more chances to win six more. I think he'll wind up with at least 25, if not 30. And I think he would dominate with a persimmon driver just as easily. But those factors are worth mentioning when talking about the greatest of all time.

— Barry Bonds breaks the record: I'm tired of hearing about it. Yeah, he took steroids. And he broke the record. Enough said.

— Gordon wrecks, Stewart wins at Glen: I think Stewart is firmly in the driver's seat for the Chase now. It will be a nice prelude for when Gibbs switches to Toyota next year. The bigger question is if Dale Jr. will make the chase. He has been a factor in about every race this year, but hasn't won yet because of some terrible luck.

— I flew a plane on Thursday. It was incredible. If I had an extra $10,000 lying around, I would go to flight school tomorrow.