Tiger refused to answer the question, but the seed was planted. Lacking any other obvious story line, people were actually pondering that scenario. Then like some terrible sociology class experiment, the idea turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Tiger Woods lost his fourth major of the year. So now he's exactly like every other chump who held the lead on Sunday and folded like a cheap suit.

Isn't it funny how no one ever gets beat in golf? The story line of most of those 14 wins was usually not about Tiger outplaying his opponent—which he did—but how his "mental toughness" put the "pressure" on the challenger forcing them to "wilt" and "fade." It can never just be that he swung the little sticks better than someone else. Golf is a mental war that requires there to be casualties. Since no one plays defense, if you don't win you have no one to blame but yourself.

So at least everyone is being consistent. (Even the hero worshipers.) Sure, it was tough for some people to admit the Tiger Woods could be the choker, but they came around, because that's the way golf works. The guy who won? Yeah, he's okay I guess. But Tiger blew it. Y.E. Yang was not the winner. Tiger was the failure. It was his fault. What a loser.

Yet, still not the worst choke job of the weekend. That's goes to the Irish bookmaker that called the PGA Championship on Saturday morning—before the third-round even started—and paid out all their bets to those who had Tiger Woods to win. Savvy.

The Yin and the Yang: Woods Choked [Jay Mariotti]
Believe it or not: Tiger loses lead in major on final day [CBS Sports]
Bookmaker loses 1.5m euros after Tiger Woods USPGA collapse [Daily Record]
Tiger Woods showed how hard it is to win 14 major championships by losing one [Golf]

Tested the brains of Spain with the corner kick, and despite its sweet intent of the centers, not the thing came out. Picó smart ball over the heads Yanquis (m. 21) and the goal was announced in limbo for over a misuse of Riera. Xavi proposed from a strewn with obstacles, but who arranged Altidore. His goal (m. 27) cracked the water line in Spain. The team is currently in the pinned Xavi, which claimed more weight in the party. Of his left foot twice, neither Torres or Villa advantage.

— Xavi became entangled in the web, ABC.es

For its part, in 'The New York Post' the news of the victory the U.S. shares the stage with devaneos lovers Lindsay Lohan.

— The 'soccer' comes into the U.S. headlines, El Mundo

MADRID .- Spain Everything is gone in Bloemfontein, 'fountain of flowers' in Dutch, the largest source of displeasure that recalls the European Champion, powerless in the most unexpected moment, a star on the wall of a perfect selection in U.S. defense, large style. Yes, Spain bitten the dust after 35 games invicta (2-0) and must conform to share their record with Brazil.

Nobody, not even the most ashen could predict a similar outcome, with a rival ranked carambola, which had only signs of life in Egypt before the last day. But is that the Americans signed the most of its history, with self-assurance of the elect. Bossy and poise to the top then the firm innkeepers in their area and a little luck of addition.

— United States overthrew the legend of Spain, El Mundo

Once again, football was not clear that anyone who respects their codes, which strictly does not meet its unwritten rules, it pays. Spaniards may complain of bad luck from the referee, a lawn in poor condition and even the icy cold, but no excuses worth. Although Iniesta is missing and the team came to South Africa to the limit, you can never lose a shock like that. Del Bosque, flawless so far, will begin to be questioned. The shadow Luis Aragones, the memory of the Championship, are now more present than ever.

— Surprise given the United States and Spain to APEA of Confederations Cup, ABC.es

Previously: El mejor Malestar En La Historia de los deportes (esta semana) [El Deadspin]

Pretty much everyone agreed that the Americans has no business even being in this match after getting lambasted by Brazil and Italy, before a miracle six-goal swing gave them a pass out of the preliminaries on goal-differential. Spain was all over goalie Tim Howard in the second-half, peppering him with shots, but they could not break the seal. The U.S. got two big chances, took advantage of both and sent a message to the entire world. We are not incompetent at soccer!

They'll play in the Confederations Cup final on Sunday against either Brazil (very talented!) or South Africa (very loud!)

The explanation is simple, of course—they need to sell tickets. It's hard enough to fill the Breslin Center for a regular MSU game, but try doing it for four teams that no one in East Lansing could give a rip about. So the Spartans (and some other teams that did not necessarily deserve it) got to play at home for rounds one and two, despite being the lower-seeded team in both games. So what happened? Two wins, including a sweet, sweet smackdown of top-seeded Duke, now led by State's former coach.

Joanne P. McCallie left East Lansing for Durham in 2007, one month after signing a $500,000 contract extension. She actually tried to sell it as a good thing for women's basketball, because the fact that one school would pay out big bucks to pinch a coach from another program means that the ladies' game has finally arrived. Yay, headhunting! Just like the men! I think the fact that a coach who took a team to its only Final Four appearance was booed on her return to campus probably says something too.

So yes, it's totally unfair that a No. 9 seed got to play two postseason games at home, but honestly ... no one cares. Spartan fans will take it.

Spartan women knock off Duke, McCallie, 63-49 [Lansing State Journal]
Duke's Coach P stands on way she left Michigan St [AP]
Losing Joanne McCallie to Duke was blessing in disguise for Michigan State [Gang Green]
2009 Women's NCAA Tournament Bracket [ESPN]

Everyone just assumed last weekend's 3-2 victory by the Dutch team was a fluke, probably helped by the D.R.'s bad hotel arrangements. When they met again in last night's elimination game, surely the better team would prevail. Then Ubaldo Jimenez struck out 10 in the first four innings and then he got replaced by Pedro Freakin' Martinez who started mowing down batters himself and it seemed like that should have been enough. But somehow it was the 11th inning and the score was still tied at zero? Then former Oriole Gene Kingsale—one of the few Dutch players to have actually seen The Show—let a routine base hit get behind him and Jose Reyes scrambled around from first and all was right in the world.

Yet, here we are this morning and the Dominican Republic is eliminated from the WBC before it even really started. Kingsale drove in the tying run in the bottom of the inning, scrambled to third on a wild pickoff throw, then scored the winning run on an error by Willy Aybar. It's not a fluke anymore. The Netherlands is the greatest baseball country in the world. The Dominicans might as well just close up their whole island. (Yes, Haiti too.)

Seriously though, that's pretty impressive. Randall Simon? Gene Kingsale? Yurendell de Caster?

Netherlands' prayers answered [ESPN]
No excuse for Dominican performance in WBC [Fox]
Hail to the Dutch [Seattle Times]
The Netherlands is Known for Bicycles, Clogs, Windmills, Cheese, and OWNING THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC! [Vent About Sports]
Jimenez sets Classic strikeout record [MLB]
Dutch Fans Celebrate WBC Performance [Gunaxin]

Michael Bertin writes regularly about soccer for Deadspin.

A funny thing happened on the way to the San Siro. Actually, it wasn't funny at all, but with the Special One lining up his charges against the Boys from Brazil (Pato, Kaka, Ronaldinho), Milan v. Inter seemed the likely footy fodder for the week. Until 1:23 on Saturday when I got a text message that read: "And you're losing to something called Hull." It wasn't quite "I need to talk to you about my brother's cock picture" territory, but for simple improbability it was easily in the same area code.

First off, my buddy who sent the text watches about as much soccer as he watches gay porn, which is none. I'm guessing. I don't troll around his closets or his hard drives. How would he even know? Second, it's simply not possible for Arsenal to lose at home to a side that just won promotion to the EPL (suck it, Barclays) this season. Finally, I had flipped away from the game not seven minutes before to get up to speed on the early college football games. Arsenal had gone up 1-0 and were pounding the Tigers' box. A second was inevitable and Carolina v. Miami was getting watchable. Even with a backline that has been shakier at times than Michael J Fox after a weekend meth bender, there is no way the Gunners could have conceded two goals in that time. To Hull. At home. Shit, the last time Hull had beaten Arsenal (1915) the world didn't have pop-up toasters, traffic lights, or Communists.

Oops. Fuck. It was no fluke either. Almunia had no chance against Geovanni's strike from 30 (uniform notwithstanding that thing was awesome). And more shit defending on a set piece, a staple of the Gunners' San Andreas backline this season, meant a 2-1 loss and six points dropped between Hull and Fulham, two teams targeted for likely relegation before the season kicked.

On the positive side, there's no need to worry about a collapse in March. That's probably out of the way in September (Is this what it's like to be a Mets fan? God, who would choose this?). And I've probably placed out of Purgatory after watching the last 20 minutes of the match. That was maybe the biggest disaster I've ever seen that didn't star George Kennedy. Judging by his gestures, I'm pretty sure Arsene Wenger feels the same way. Let me translate his body language: "It's so beautiful, why doesn't it score?"

When Arsenal is clicking, the way they play, it really does look like art, like Coltrane and Miró on grass. But like art, it is also practically useless. Almost anyway. I suppose you could set fire to the Mona Lisa in a pinch if you needed a couple minutes of warmth. The fact is there is no correlation between aesthetics and goals. And that's the problem with being an Arsenal fan. You know that's true, but you still can't bring yourself to believe it. It's so pretty to look at—and it usually creates plenty of chances—it should produce more goals. It's doesn't but it should.

The manager thinks it too, which is why he often looks he's the oldest person yet to graduate from Special Ed. The worst part is that it works just enough to convince you that you're right to be delusional. Arsenal rolled out a squad of kids midweek (average age 19, oldest player 23) in a Carling Cup match against Sheffield United. They hung a six spot on them. It could have been 10.

Why wouldn't they do the same to Hull? How didn't they do the same to Hull? Arsenal could have been easily up 2-0 or better at the break. They weren't and they lost to a team managed by Eddie Izzard out of drag. And for the next 24 hours I felt like I had been kicked in the shin, nuts, face, and kidneys all at the same time (probably accentuated by the fact that almost every sports team I pull for lost this weekend... except USC, they can't lose enough) The sad fact is, though, that I'll be back next week, even though I was already plenty worried about going to Sunderland before Saturday's mini-catastrophe, and I'll still believe in Wenger because, well, because I'm a big pussy, which is why I work at Initech in the first place.

All the one touch passes through the midfield, all the movement into empty space your opponent didn't even know was there, all that beauty is effectively useless if you don't score. So, just a tip for the team when heading to the Stadium of Light next weekend: Somebody just fucking shoot the ball. Please.

Oh, and Milan beat Inter 1-0 on a first half header from Ronaldinho, which is only slightly more likely than Arsenal losing at home to Hull. Yet, both happened.

Arsene Wenger felt physically sick after watching Arsenal beaten by Hull [Telegraph.co.uk]
Milan 1-0 Inter [Goal.com]

-Tennessee and Butler finished off a fantastic game in overtime where it belonged. In the end, the Vols were able to hold off the charging Bulldogs...
(ed. note: awww)...

...Tennessee went on to win 76-71 and they'll face the winner of the upcoming Louisville/Oklahoma game next week.

-San Diego never did make much of a charge on Western Kentucky, so the HIlltoppers will move on to play UCLA. So we're looking a blowout or an extremely close game with a controversial ending. It's just like boxing!

-Memphis and Mississippi State are doing southern things down in Arkansas while Arkansas' team is waiting for their chance to take out UNC. Beating ACC teams is all the rage with these college kids these days.

-Everybody's using the David vs. Goliath headline, but I greatly prefer my religious imagery.

-Hey, Arkansas finally scored! 11-2 UNC.

-Memphis has taken a 33-25 lead on the Bulldogs...
...of Mississippi State.

-Yes, I did have a pet bulldog as a child, why do you ask?

-Lawson is on fire, this is getting ugly for Arkansas.

-Louisville has jumped out to a 30-16 lead over Longar Longar's Sooners.

I wouldn't even keep Michigan in my Top 25 after this. (Wait: Can I put a 1-AA team on my Top 25 ballot? Why not? A win at the No. 5-ranked team is a win at the No. 5-ranked team. For this week, at least, Appy State deserves the placement.)

Meanwhile, Michigan's season is over. Finished. Done. Kaput. At least in terms of being considered a national contender. O-V-E-R.

You heard him Michigan, pack up your shit and get the fuck out—NOW! Meanwhile, let's all give it up for those Appalachian victors, it's good to see Miss Teen South Carolina smiling again.