89

Since this is the White Sox Magic Number Update, we'll take care of business and tell you that the Sox, despite dropping two out of three to the N.L. worst Colorado Rockies over the weekend, managed to cut the Magic Number to 89 and are clinging to a 4.5 game lead over the Twins. Watch out for the Indians, only 5.5 behind the Good Guys, and the Tigers, just a half-game farther back. But what we really want to talk about is not the Tigers, but Tiger. Woods, that is.

If you missed his performance at the U.S. Open, start kicking yourself now. Rinse and repeat. Playing on one good leg -- his left knee underwent surgery just eight weeks ago, in case you've been in a sensory deprivation tank for the last two months -- Tiger limped and grimaced his way around Torrey Pines South yesterday, alternately playing poorly (another double bogey start) and well. It all came down to the final hole. Rocco Mediate was the leader in the clubhouse at one under par for the tournament. Tiger and his playing partner in the final pairing, Lee Westwood, were tied for second one stroke back. Both of them wound up on the 18th hole with birdie putts to force a playoff, Woods having gotten there the hard way -- tee shot into a bunker, horrible second shot into the rough, and an approach that left him a tough 12 foot, side-hill putt to tie. Westwood, who was a bit farther away but had a better angle, committed the unpardonable sin of leaving his ball short of the hole. That left it to Tiger, who curled his ball into the cup and moved himself into a tie with Mediate.

Unlike every other golf tournament, the U.S. Open breaks ties by playing a full 18 hole round the next day -- only if there's a tie at the end of that extra round does it go to sudden death. And while we think that Rocco becoming the oldest golfer to win the Open at 45 would make a good story, we love Tiger. But love him or hate him -- and why would any sports fan hate him? -- just hope he didn't do permanent damage to his knee on Sunday and doesn't do so on Monday.

Speaking of ties, remember Nate Silver? Probably not, but there is a White Sox connection here. He's the University of Chicago grad and baseball stats guy who correctly predicted the Sox's precise record in 2007, when nobody else thought they'd be that bad. Well, he's turned his statistical analysis to political prognostications, and while he's forecasting Obama as the winner, he's also talking about a realistic scenario where the electoral votes are split down the middle -- it requires the Democrat to pick up a few more states than Kerry did and a split of the Nebraska delegation, which is apportioned based on Congressional districts -- and the election gets thrown into the House of Representatives. Fortunately, the United States Golf Association isn't running things or they'd have them do the entire election over.

So, Go Sox! Go Tiger! And since The Update has already endorsed Obama based not on his politics -- we keep that stuff out of it -- but on his being a White Sox fan, Go Obama!