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Published: 8/5/2012 | Updated: 5/18/2013
By DON O'BRIEN
Herald-Whig Sports Editor
Sports Editor Don O'Brien takes a look at what's going on in the world of sports and gives his take: The not-so great debates What did we ever do before sports talk radio and the Internet? I ask because I really don't remember. Were people always ready to debate if so-and-so is the best ever at what he does? The latest debate popped up last week after swimmer Michael Phelps became the most decorated Olympian ever when he passed Russian gymnast Larissa Latynina. All of the sudden people were trying to equate Phelps' greatness in the pool to Jessie Owens' and Carl Lewis' accomplishments on the track. It was just silly talk. All of them are/were great athletes and should be admired for their greatness. The main problem I have with talk radio -- and I guess I have a problem with myself because I know I've been caught up these silly debates before -- is that we don't allow stories to breathe any more. We have trouble enjoying the moment. Instead, we have to instantly analyze it. Let me bring it a little closer to home. Quincy golfer Luke Guthrie is having a heck of a start to his career. He's been fantastic in all of his professional starts after a sensational college career at the University of Illinois. It would be natural to compare Guthrie's career arc to that of Quincy native D.A. Weibring, who had a long, successful career on the PGA Tour. Yes, Guthrie is piling up the bucks. Heck, he had made more money in his first two PGA Tour starts than Weibring did in his first 120. Does that mean Guthrie's career is going to be better than Weibring's? Maybe. Maybe not. Weibring made a living on the PGA Tour for 25 years, winning five titles in the process. Pro golf isn't an easy game. There are no long-term contracts. Each player has to earn their keep. While Guthrie is on a roll now, there are certain to be some down spots, too, that he will have to navigate. How will he rebound from those? It's too early to stack up Guthrie vs. Weibring. When Guthrie is at the end of his career, we can compare and contrast. Instead of getting into a debate, just enjoy watching Guthrie go to work. Do the same with the Olympics. Enjoy them for what they are now and leave the debate alone. DOBservations While we've all been caught up in watching Guthrie's week-to-week progress, Quincy's aspiring NFL offensive lineman, Jack Cornell, is getting some nice notice in Baltimore Ravens training camp. With Bryant McKinnie unable to practice and some other offensive linemen dinged up, Cornell has seen a ton of quality reps with the Ravens' first-team offense at right tackle during the early days of camp. His play has caught the attention of Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome and the team's majority owner, Steve Bisciotti. "Ozzie actually likes that right tackle that's out there from Illinois undrafted," Bisciotti told Baltimore radio station 105.7 The Fan. When asked by the Ravens' website where he's most comfortable, Cornell simply answered, "on the field," a remark that many who posted to the story enjoyed. If you are on Twitter and want to follow Cornell's progress, make sure to give him a follow at twitter.com/JackCornell73. He does a great job of updating his day on a daily basis. He's been his own public relations firm lately, too, sending out tweets with links to articles about him. As an undrafted free agent, Cornell's hill to climb to the NFL is a tough one, but a full-time job with the Ravens doesn't look like it's out of his reach. And how cool would that be to have someone from the Gem City in the NFL? ------ For more DOBservations, visit Don O'Brien's blog at www.whig.com/dob
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