Mike Cullity

NH siblings make life easier for troops

Last week, my reporting for the New Hampshire Sunday News introduced me to MooreMart, a New Hampshire group that is making life a little better for U.S. troops serving overseas.

As my story in last Sunday's paper explains, MooreMart began in 2004 as two siblings' effort to send much-needed supplies to their brother, a New Hampshire National Guardsman serving in Iraq, and his fellow soldiers. It has since mushroomed into an operation that ships about 500 care packages to overseas soldiers every eight to 10 weeks.

MooreMart's founders - Paul Moore, a New Hampshire judge who is also a disabled U.S. Army veteran, and his sister Carole - receive hundreds of e-mails from overseas soldiers requesting hard-to-find supplies. With community donations, MooreMart seeks to fulfill the troops' requests. The group derives its name from the success it has achieved in helping soldiers fulfill basic needs - troops dubbed it "MooreMart" because they said the Moores had more supplies than Walmart.

Last weekend, MooreMart held its annual Christmas stocking drive at the U.S. Army National Guard Armory in Nashua. Several volunteers assembled care packages that would be sent to soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait, as well as to stateside veterans' homes and hospitals.

When I interviewed Paul Moore for the article, he estimated MooreMart's Christmas 2010 shipment would include about 3,000 care packages. I'm pleased to report now that MooreMart actually exceeded that mark, shipping 3,911 packages, according to Moore.

When I asked Moore why he does what he does for men and women in uniform, his answer was simple: "We are doing this as our way of honoring their sacrifice for our country."

 

April writing highlights

Last month, my byline debuted in two national publications, the 2010 Masters Journal and Seton Hall Magazine.

In the Masters Journal, the official program of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, my article "Honored To Be Invited" chronicles the experience of the Masters' honorary invitees. Each year, the Masters invites past major champions who are not in the tournament field to participate in pre-tournament activities such as practice rounds and the well-known Wednesday Par 3 Contest.

In the article, noted pros such as Jerry Pate, Ian Baker-Finch and Andy North reflect on what being an honorary invitee means to them. Discussing his annual participation in the Par 3 Contest, 1991 British Open champ Baker-Finch says it best: "I tell people all the time it's my favorite day of the year."

In addition to its distribution at the Masters, the Masters Journal is available in bookstores and on newsstands across the country. 

In the Winter/Spring 2010 issue of Seton Hall Magazine, my article "The Simple Power of 'Thank You' profiles Daniel Kocsis, a university alumnus who teaches middle-school English in Manchester, N.H. For more than a decade, Kocsis has had his students write letters of thanks to veterans each Veterans Day. The article discusses the rewards both students and veterans derive from this simple exercise while highlighting Kocsis, a humble but engaging character who is an avid marathoner and a church cantor who has sung the national anthem at Fenway Park.

Woods must back up words with actions

After two-and-a-half months on the down low, Tiger Woods yesterday made his first in-person public statements regarding his Thanksgiving weekend accident and subsequent revelations of serial marital infidelity.

In vintage Woods fashion, his public apology was meticulously choreographed, delivered to friends, supporters and selected media with no questions allowed. The golfer kept a stiff upper lip throughout the nearly 14-minute address, channeling his late Green Beret dad by keeping his emotions in check as he delivered his carefully scripted words.

Woods acknowledged that his fame gave him easy access to myriad temptations, and that as a result of his hard work to reach golf's pinnacle, he felt entitled to indulge. He also admitted straying from the Buddhist faith he was taught growing up. He apologized for his failings and the hurt they caused not only his family, but his legions of fans and supporters. He also lashed out at the tabloid media for hounding his family and pleaded with them to cease and desist.

As apologies go, Woods' mea culpa was certainly not the "Oprah" moment many followers and pundits seem to be craving. In the wake of the statement, observers questioned its sincerity and criticized Woods for refusing to take questions.

I came away with the sense that Woods is serious about mending his ways. He confirmed that he spent more than a month in counseling to address his problems, with more to come. And he asserted that for him, golf remains on the back burner pending his personal progress. He left open the possibility of a return to competition in 2010, but implied that it's a ways off. With majors upcoming at Augusta National, Pebble Beach and St. Andrews, three venues where he has dominated in the past, his apparent willingness to forsake them in the interest of personal rehabilitation is a strong statement in itself.

As for his marriage, Woods correctly observed that his true apology to his wife, Elin Nordegren, will come through his actions, not his words.

With the Winter Olympics in full swing, we've been hearing a lot about redemption as athletes with past Olympic failures strive for gold. After his fall from grace, Woods has much to do to redeem himself in the eyes of his wife, his family and his fans. He appears intent on doing so. I hope he can back up his words with the right behavior.

 

Try carpet putting, Mr. Prez

While golf participation in the United States fell slightly last year, our fearless leader didn't have much trouble finding time to hit the links.

Research firm Golf Datatech reported yesterday that rounds played in the United States were down 0.6 percent in 2009 compared with 2008. Meanwhile, CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller blogged recently that during his first year in office, President Barack Obama played 29 rounds of golf.

While Obama is certainly entitled to some fresh air and recreation once in a while, 29 rounds is a pretty healthy amount of golf for the president of a nation awash in problems. I understand and share Obama's golf jones, of course, as have other presidents, most notably Dwight D. Eisenhower, who snuck down to Augusta National frequently and was pals with Arnold Palmer.

Eisenhower took his share of ribbing from Americans for his golf habit. But at least he was stepping out during the prosperous 1950s. As much as I would enjoy teeing it up with our southpaw commander-in-chief, he might want to stick to carpet putting in the Oval Office until the U.S. economy improves. 

Prediction: Tiger's "break" won't be long

There's been a lot reported in recent days about how Tiger Woods'  "indefinite break" from professional golf will affect the business of the game. In this week's Sports Illustrated, Alan Shipnuck observes that Tiger's absence figures to depress PGA Tour TV ratings, which won't help the Tour attract sponsors in an already tenuous economic climate and will weaken its position in negotiating its next TV deal with the networks. Meanwhile yesterday's Boston Globe reported that Tiger's leave has left many golf-related businesses "worried about the future of a sport that has already been hurt by the recession."

I agree with the notion that a Tiger sabbatical, if extended, will exact a financial toll on the golf industry. But I also have a sneaking suspicion that golf's No. 1 player won't be gone long. In yesterday's Globe article, sports marketer Marc Ganis is quoted as saying, "Golf needs Tiger Woods more than Tiger Woods needs golf." While this may be true in a business sense, in an emotional sense Tiger may need golf now more than ever.

With speculation swirling that Tiger's wife, Elin Nordegren, will seek a divorce following revelations of her husband's rampant infidelity - ABCNews.com yesterday quoted a source close to Nordegren as saying the "divorce is 100 percent on" - Tiger's best escape from the personal turmoil that will no doubt accompany divorce proceedings will be between the ropes, the inevitable hecklers aside.

And let's face it - Tiger's now-revealed behavior behind closed doors tells us he's looking out for No. 1. His lifelong mission has been to eclipse Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 professional major titles. With 14 under his belt, he has to be licking his chops over this year's major lineup, which includes Augusta National (Masters), Pebble Beach (U.S. Open), and St. Andrews (British Open). He's won four times at Augusta, and he romped by 15 and eight shots, respectively, at Pebble Beach and St. Andrews in 2000.

The damage Tiger has caused at home is likely irreparable. Sitting on the sidelines won't change that. My prediction: After a few months away to tend to the personal and financial mess his actions have wrought, Tiger will re-emerge on the golf scene - possibly in March at Bay Hill, where he's the two-time defending champ and has won six times - in time to hone his game for the Masters. And instead of worry, the PGA Tour will likely have a TV ratings bonanza on its hands, especially if Tiger works his Augusta magic (see video).

Colorful Kaprielian a recession casualty

I was saddened to read yesterday that the recession has taken yet another casualty, wacky weatherman Al Kaprielian. For 26 years, Kaprielian has been a staple on MyTV, a Derry, N.H., cable station formerly known as WNDS (Channel 50). Kaprielian's job, along with those of five other employees, will be eliminated come year's end.

Kaprielian carved out a following with his squeaky "Good eeeeevening!" greeting and perpetual enthusiasm. He was far from polished, but he won over viewers with his quirky but earnest manner. He was also active in the community, often speaking about meteorology at local schools. A few years into his career, in fact, he spoke to my junior-high class. 

Though some dismissed him as a goofball, Kaprielian brought color to the airwaves and will be missed. Here's hoping he lands on his feet.

Tiger scores double bogey with "transgressions"

It's been an interesting week for Tiger Woods, to say the least. From his bizarre, middle-of-the night car accident to tabloid reports of his alleged marital infidelities to his Internet mea culpa copping to unspecified "transgressions," America has emerged with a new picture of the world's No. 1 golfer that tarnishes his previously squeaky-clean image.

While nothing has been proven, Tiger's apology certainly leads us to believe that the reports of his alleged indiscretions contain some truth. Should we be surprised? No. Tiger would not be the first (nor would he be the last) all-world athlete to commit adultery. We should know enough by now not to hold our sports heroes up as paragons of moral virtue.

Should we be disappointed? Absolutely. Sure, Tiger is entitled to a personal life. And the tabloid culture of our country, frankly, turns my stomach. But whether he likes it or not, Tiger is a role model. He positioned himself as such when he established the Tiger Woods Foundation to inspire youth through, among other things, "character-development programs."

"Transgressions" such as cheating on your wife run counter to everything Tiger's foundation stands for. And they betray the spirit of golf, a game that calls upon players to abide by rules and show integrity.  

I think Jesper Parnevik, the Swedish PGA Tour player who along with his wife introduced Woods to his future wife, Elin Nordegren, summed it up best in an interview with the Golf Channel. "We probably thought he was a better guy than he is," Parnevik said of Woods. "It's a private thing, of course, but when you are the guy he is, the world's best athlete, you should think more before you do stuff, and maybe not 'just do it' like [Woods sponsor] Nike says."

Amen, Jesper.