Our society is sue happy. There is the infamous woman who sued McDonald’s for spilling coffee on herself. There’s the Wendy’s patron who planted a friend’s severed finger in her chili hoping for a payout before her plot was discovered. Wayne Gretsky’s wife has said she might sue New Jersey for $50 million dollars for “ruining her reputation” because of her involvement in the multimillion dollar sports betting ring. And now, a golfer in Hawaii has taken legal action against another golfer for being hit in the eye with a stray golf ball. This case actually went to the Hawaiian Supreme Court this past month where it was determined that the golfer was not liable for the errant golf ball and although it is considered good golf etiquette to yell “fore”, it is not a law. The victim, who has permanent vision damage, said that contrary to the courts decision, golfers should be required to yell “fore” to prevent accidents such as the one he experienced.

All I can think when I read this article is, “Are you kidding me?” I realize the man suffered an injury, and for that I am sorry. I am sure the man who accidentally hit him is very sorry. But, if we all had complete control of the direction our golf ball goes, it wouldn’t be a game and it wouldn’t be any fun. It is a sport, and we all know any sport has a risk of injury. If I went to a baseball game and was hit in the face by a foul ball I would not sue the batter. It is a risk you take whether you are a spectator or participant in any sport. It is the exact same thing with this case. This man cannot expect compensation for the ball not going where it was intended to go. Case closed.

John Daly. He is quite the character and it is always fun to watch him play. He has always been open about his fast food eating, Jack Daniels drinking, cigarette smoking and casino-loving lifestyle. And then he decides to show the world a little bit more about his life by having his own reality show which, by the way, is very entertaining if you haven’t seen it. You think he is done exposing his life to the world? Nope. He decides to write a book (My Life In & Out of the Rough) going deeper into detail about his rollercoaster life and addictions along the way. Who does this? Besides the crazed teen idols looking to make a name for themselves on MTV, or old has-beens writing their memoirs, I can’t think of anyone. That doesn’t mean it isn’t entertaining. It is just Daly doing the unexpected and that is what he does best.

By now you probably have heard about the generous donations made by Phil Mickelson and David Toms to the city of New Orleans. Mickelson donated $250,000 after Katrina hit New Orleans. When he registered for the Zurich Classic, he stated that would donate all of his earnings to local charities to help rebuild the city. Mickelson finished at -12, winning $81,000. Phil did not feel that was enough so he and his wife, Amy, made it an even $250,000, totaling $500,000 in donations.

David Toms, a native to New Orleans, has raised $1.6 million through his own foundation to help rebuild New Orleans. This weekend he donated $100,000 to four different local charities to help the children and families that live in the city and were directly affected by the hurricane.

These two players showed a great side to professional athletes. When disasters such as Hurricane Katrina occur, this is an opportunity for those who are more fortunate to step up and make a difference. After hearing what Mickelson and Toms were doing to help the city of New Orleans, I am curious why it did not inspire more players to do the same? Regardless, these two players have been very generous and showed a positive side to sports.