Masters Week - Spring Commences

It's Masters Week, so break out the pimento cheese, egg salad, and prepare to decrease your productivity at work on Thursday and Friday.

AP has a nice piece about Mickelson playing golf with one of the newest members - Condi Rice. Go read the whole thing. Remember back when the boys at Augusta admitted her and Darla Moore?

Condoleezza Rice, right, former Secretary of State and new Augusta National member, laughs on the practice range with members Dave Dorman, left, and Pat Battle, center, Sunday, April 7, 2013, at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. Rice and South Carolina financier Darla Moore were the first women invited to join the home course of the Masters. Ron Williams — AP Photo

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2013/04/07/2712533/augusta-playing-partners-mickelson.html#storylink=cpy

The Masters is one of the markers that Winter has been vanquished for another year. Along with baseball, it's one of the institutions that hasn't changed much. So...if you can sit through Jimmy Nantz one more time, enjoy the official start of Spring.

Augusta National Admits Women

Ok, they finally admitted some women. Nice job, y'all. I'm sure sure this is really as big of a deal as everyone is making of it, but I didn't really think it was a big deal that they didn't admit women before.

It's just a private club. It's not symbolic of anything larger. This didn't solve all the gender and race issues today with this, so let's not blow it out of proportion.

Permanent Press Salutes The Masters

The Masters begins today, and there should be some great story-lines to watch. Will Tiger have a big showing after his long drought? Will Rory McIlroy be able to shake off his terrible collapse last year, and will the female IBM CEO be given an honorary green apron instead of the traditional green jacket?

Every year, we get the same recycled story about how the Augusta National is such a bunch of backwards, sexist, good ol' boys who need to get with the program and start admitting women. Every year, it's a bunch of chattering, and it's always the same.

I like the fact that the Augusta National has decided to take a stand and not admit women. In the face of the relentless criticism and hate, it would have been an easy move for them to admit a few ladies. However, they chose the harder path. They decided that they were going to stand on principle and not give in to the pressure.

Whether you agree with their position or not, you still have to respect their decision to run their private club by their own rules. You won't ever be able to accuse the Members of the Augusta National of being "flip-floppers" or simply catering to the whims of the politically correct folks. For their stand to keep an old tradition alive and maintain their club the way they see fit, Permanent Press raises a golf club in their direction.

No girls allowed: Unless you're going to be in the kitchen making us a pimento cheese sandwich.