On Friday morning in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, 85 athletes and celebrities were scheduled to tee it up at the 22nd annual American Century Championship. Unfortunately, that number has been reduced after Jared Allen announced earlier this week that he'd have to withdraw from the event. Allen provided no reason for pulling out, but obviously the unique circumstances surrounding the NFL this summer due to the lockout have complicated things.That's too bad, as Allen would have been hilarious to watch out there.
↵Most of the confirmed field is comprised of legitimately solid golfers -- guys like Tony Romo, Jerry Rice, and John Smoltz, to name but a few. Then there's the comedians who help make the event what it is by entertaining the fans and keeping things from becoming too serious out there. Ray Romano, a fixture at celebrity golf tournaments, comes to mind. So does Kevin Nealon.
↵Finally, there's the comically bad golfers whose fledgling attempts at making it around the course should draw plenty of laughter and attention from the galleries. I'd put Charles Barkley in that category. Same goes for Kevin Nealon. One might even put Minnesota Vikings' defensive end, Jared Allen, in that category. Always one to mix things up with his unique brand of humor, Allen isn't the worst golfer in the field, but he's right up there, certainly amongst the large contingent of NFL players and coaches (past and present).
↵Allen finished 78th in the tournament last year, right near the bottom of the pack. Who knows, maybe his struggles last year prompted him to skip the embarrassment this year, though you'd think that he'd not agree in the first place if that was the case. Something tells me Allen isn't too afraid of having folks enjoy a few laughs at his expense on the links.
↵Anyway, when I think of Allen's hobbies, I think of hunting and hardcore outdoors activities, not frustrating himself on the golf course where he's expected to keep the guns stashed away and the loud, profanity-laden outbursts to a minimum. But hey, he's a true Renaissance man that can't be categorized or contained.
↵