“Doctors seek those who ‘fall through the cracks’ - Cape Codder” plus 4 more |
- Doctors seek those who ‘fall through the cracks’ - Cape Codder
- Lubbock paper points to cause with pink paper - KVIA.com
- Recent, vigorous exercise is associated with reduced breast cancer ... - Genetic Engineering News
- Heart-breaking, Wrong, and Not Quite Accurate - ABC News Blogs
- Some friendly competition for Couples, Norman - San Francisco Chronicle
| Doctors seek those who ‘fall through the cracks’ - Cape Codder Posted: 02 Oct 2009 02:01 AM PDT Doctors and breast cancer advocates across Massachusetts are lauding recent advancements in treating the disease - new drugs, new chemotherapy treatments, new screening and biopsy techniques. But even with the large number of advocates and an emphasis on awareness, they say some women are still falling through the cracks. Whether it's cultural issues, socioeconomic levels, or plain fear, doctors say they are still puzzled about how to reach certain women about the necessity of screening and showing up for appointments. For many of those women, it's hard to concentrate on mammograms when worrying about how to put food on the table. Dr. Jane Mendez, a breast surgeon at Boston Medical Center, said the problem is especially prevalent with her patients. As Michael Stone, the center's head of surgical oncology, said, paying $15 to park for an appointment is a major obstacle for their patients. "They're so worried about surviving that going to get a mammogram is not priority by any stretch of the imagination," Mendez said. "We tend to see it at later stages. It might be so advanced that we treat with chemotherapy prior to surgery. In some, it's already way too late and that's metastasized."
Cultural effects Stone said cultural perceptions of cancer arise as well. Many women from Third World countries see cancer as a death sentence, he said. "I had a patient in my office over year and half ago. She had been here for quite a few years and her husband was with her," Stone said. "I told her I thought she had breast cancer. Her husband said to me, 'Have you ever seen somebody survive breast cancer?'" Dr. Ann Larkin, associate professor of surgery and co-director of the high-risk program at UMass Memorial in Worcester, had a similar story about a Vietnamese patient. According to the patient's interpreter, Larkin said, cancer isn't a word used because of the fear associated with it. "The challenges are to find ways to communicate with different cultures and get across that this is not a death sentence and we can treat it," said Larkin, who said she sees many Eastern European, Brazilian, Portuguese and Asian women at her facility. "But how do you talk to a patient about breast cancer treatment if you don't use the cancer word?"
Better screenings, treatments Doctors and advocates say screening is one of the most important components in catching breast cancer before it spreads. New technology such as digital mammography has emerged, and high-risk patients who have abnormalities in breast tissue can receive a breast MRI. In addition, new drugs and chemotherapy treatments make treating the disease more targeted, doctors say. For example, a drug approved in 1998 called Herceptin targets a specific strain of breast cancer that was resistant to other medications. "For a long time, it was slash, burn and poison - surgery, radiation, and chemo," said Carol Matyka, a Boston advocate with the National Breast Cancer Coalition. "There are drugs that are much more targeted now. What we're learning now, the key is, how do we understand the right drug for the right cancer?" Linda Kaiser, a 55-year-old Northborough survivor, said she was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer in July 2007 and a spinal tumor had paralyzed her. Doctors discovered her strain of cancer could be treated with Herceptin, and Kaiser said her tumors are gone. She's now walking with a walker. "That was actually the only treatment that I could get," she said. "Without it, I honestly don't think I'd be here because the cancer had metastasized so much." Developing a new drug can take years, advocates say, because of research, clinical trials, and the approval process. Groups have focused on awareness and large community fundraising efforts, often backed by the 2.5 million breast cancer survivors nationwide.
Socioeconomic issues The American Cancer Society in Massachusetts raised $3.4 million at its 2008 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event, and Cohen-Boyar said Komen's Massachusetts chapter raised more than $2.54 million in the fiscal year ending March 31. But when it comes to awareness, Larkin said her middle-class and upper middle-class patients in Worcester are the ones paying attention. "They tend to keep closer track. But frankly, they don't have as many other incredible stressers in their life," Larkin said. "A lot of the underserved population in central Massachusetts is not getting in because they fall through the cracks." In Boston, Mendez said it's critical to pay attention to other populations. Black and Hispanic women often have worse outcomes for breast cancer than white women, and Mendez said it's important to determine whether these statistics come from biological or socioeconomic issues in order to properly treat these women. Stone said some centers are doing their best to address access to care. Boston Medical Center now has a centralized phone system where workers gather all of a patient's medical information so only one appointment is necessary. In Springfield, Dr. Grace Makari-Judson, who directs Baystate Medical Center's Comprehensive Breast Center, said the center offers mammograms from 4:30 to 8 p.m. for what she calls the "overcommitted woman" - one with a job, children or other concerns.
Fear factor When it comes to fear, Dr. Barbara Stewart, an adviser to the Massachusetts chapter of the American Cancer Society, said sometimes the most effective outreach is a relative or friend. "If they have other people in their lives to help them deal with appropriate visits and screening and really thinking it through and being informed, that's the best way to make sure if anything's there, it's found and found early," Stewart said. And some women are sticking to treatment despite the hurdles. Susan Farris, a Canton bookkeeper, was diagnosed last year at age 38. She hadn't been getting regular mammograms because she hadn't reached the recommended age of 40. After chemotherapy, radiation, and a mastectomy, Farris said she was out of work for eight months. The costs of treatment have become too much, she said, especially with her husband's hours being cut. Farris said she'll have to file for bankruptcy protection. But, she said, she never thought of forgoing treatments to save money. "It's my health," Farris said. "I want to be around for my kids. I hate to leave them without a mom." This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Lubbock paper points to cause with pink paper - KVIA.com Posted: 01 Oct 2009 09:48 AM PDT Associated Press - October 1, 2009 12:55 PM ET Corrected Version LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) - For the second year in a row, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal has made a distinctive statement about the fight against breast cancer. The newspaper published Thursday's editions on pink newsprint to mark the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The paper will print on pink again Tuesday, the day of the 2009 Pinktober women's expo. The newspaper is sponsoring the event benefitting Lubbock's Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization. The newspaper is 1 of several of the 13 dailies owned by Augusta, Ga.-based Morris Communications Co. LLC using pink newsprint sometime this month to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Others in the group will mark the month differently. Advertiser response is strong, resulting in a larger-than-usual Thursday paper. Last year, the response for the Oct. 1 edition was so strong it exhausted the pink newsprint supply ordered several months earlier. Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Recent, vigorous exercise is associated with reduced breast cancer ... - Genetic Engineering News Posted: 30 Sep 2009 05:13 PM PDT Sep 30 2009, 8:00 PM EST Recent, vigorous exercise is associated with reduced breast cancer riskEUREKALERT Contact: Graeme Baldwingraeme.baldwin@biomedcentral.com 44-020-319-22165 BioMed Central Post-menopausal women who engage in moderate to vigorous exercise have a reduced risk of breast cancer. This comes from researchers writing the open access journal BMC Cancer who investigated the link between breast cancer and exercise. "With an estimated 182,460 new cases diagnosed in the United States in 2008, breast cancer is recognized as the most common cancer affecting U.S. women" says Dr. Tricia M Peters from the U.S. National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, who headed up an international team of researchers. Vigorous exercise has been hypothesized to reduce cancer risk for some time. However, this new study is one of the first prospective investigations to look at the importance of various intensities of exercise at different stages in an individual's life. Over 110,000 post menopausal women were asked to rate their level of physical activity at ages 15-18, 19-29, 35-39, and in the past 10 years. It was found, over 6.6 years of follow up, that women who engaged in more than 7 hours per week of moderate-to-vigorous exercise for the last ten years were 16% less likely to develop breast cancer than those who were inactive. However, no link was observed between breast cancer risk and physical activity in women who were active at a younger age. Dr. Peters concludes, "Our findings could help inform the mechanisms of the physical activity-breast cancer relationship. With breast cancer still claiming so many lives, all the information of potential preventive measures we can get is vital". Media Contact Notes to Editors 1. Intensity and timing of physical activity in relation to postmenopausal breast cancer risk: the prospective NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study During embargo, article available here: http://www.biomedcentral.com/imedia/1730807432504032_article.pdf?random=189022 After the embargo, article available at journal website: http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmccancer/ Please name the journal in any story you write. If you are writing for the web, please link to the article. All articles are available free of charge, according to BioMed Central's open access policy. Article citation and URL available on request at press@biomedcentral.com on the day of publication 2. BMC Cancer is an open access journal publishing original peer-reviewed research articles in all aspects of cancer research, including the pathophysiology, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancers. The journal welcomes submissions concerning molecular and cellular biology, genetics, epidemiology, and clinical trials. BMC Cancer (ISSN 1471-2407) is indexed/tracked/covered by PubMed, MEDLINE, CAS, Scopus, EMBASE, Current Contents, Thomson Reuters (ISI) and Google Scholar. 3. BioMed Central (www.biomedcentral.com) is an STM (Science, Technology and Medicine) publisher which has pioneered the open access publishing model. All peer-reviewed research articles published by BioMed Central are made immediately and freely accessible online, and are licensed to allow redistribution and reuse. BioMed Central is part of Springer Science+Business Media, a leading global publisher in the STM sector.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Heart-breaking, Wrong, and Not Quite Accurate - ABC News Blogs Posted: 30 Sep 2009 08:55 PM PDT « Previous | Main | Next » September 30, 2009 12:50 PM Fact-checking the legitimately heart-breaking anecdotes of real Americans is a thankless task. Health insurance companies make callous decisions that hurt real Americans, and no reporter wants to belittle those outrageous tales of bureaucratic bean-counting. Pointing out inaccuracies in versions of these anecdotes told by the president feels like not seeing the forest for the trees. The larger issue is clearly that insurance companies are making decisions like these. Earlier this month, when the President addressed a joint sessions of Congress to push health care reform, he said: "One man from Illinois lost his coverage in the middle of chemotherapy because his insurer found that he hadn't reported gallstones that he didn't even know about. They delayed his treatment, and he died because of it. Another woman from Texas was about to get a double mastectomy when. By the time she had her insurance reinstated, her breast cancer had more than doubled in size. her insurance company canceled her policy because she forgot to declare a case of acne. That is heart-breaking, it is wrong, and no one should be treated that way in the United States of America." Both stories were shared at a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on oversight and investigation hearing in June. It turns out that while it's impossible to defend the behavior of the insurance companies in either instance, the stories, as the president told them, were not accurate. The White House declined to comment, but White House senior adviser David Axelrod previously told the Chicago Sun-Times about one of the stories that the president got "the essence" of one of the stories "exactly right," and "the point the president wanted to make and did make" was that "insurance companies look for excuses to rescind their coverage just when [a person] needs it the most. ... And that practice has got to stop." But, as the Chicago Sun-Times' Lynn Sweet was first to report, Otto Raddatz, the Illinois man who lost his coverage in the middle of chemotherapy didn't die because of any delayed treatment, as President Obama stated.
Otto's sister Peggy told his story to the House Energy and Commerce Committee earlier this year. "My brother was told he was canceled during what they called a 'routine review' during which they claimed to discover a 'material failure to disclose'. Apparently in 2000 his doctor had done a CT scan which showed an aneurysm and gall stones. My brother was never told of either one of these conditions nor was he ever treated for them and he never reported any symptoms for them either. "After months of preparation, the stem cell transplant could not be scheduled. My brother's hope for being a cancer survivor were dashed. His prognosis was only a matter of months without the procedure. When I called the hospital to see if I could schedule the stem cell transplant for him I was callously told 'unless your brother brings in cash, he is not going to get the procedure without insurance.' "My brother was accused by Fortis Insurance Company of falsely stating his health insurance history, despite the fact that he had no knowledge of ever having any gall stones or aneurysms. Luckily, I am an attorney and was able to aggressively become involved in solving this life threatening situation. I contacted the Illinois Attorney General's office and received immediate and daily assistance from Dr. Babs H. Waldman, M. D., the medical Director of their Health Bureau. "During their investigation, they located the doctor who ordered the CT scan. He had no recollection of disclosing the information to my brother or treating him for it. After two appeals by the Illinois Attorney General's Office, Fortis Insurance Company overturned their original decision to rescind my brother's coverage and he was reinstated without any lapse. Without the help of the office of the Illinois Attorney General, this would not have been possible." I spoke to Peggy Raddatz, who supports President Obama's health care reform push and didn't want to say anything to take away from the fact that Fortis Insurance Company mistreated her brother, who died three and a half years later. That was the important thing, she said, and the fact that she was an attorney who was able to devote her life to his case, and get the attention of the Illinois Attorney General, shouldn't take away from that. "He did indeed receive the stem cell transplant," Raddatz testified in June. "It was extremely successful. It extended his life approximately 3-1/2 years." Peter Duckler, a spokesperson for Assurant Health, the former name of Fortis Insurance, told ABC News that "due to privacy issues we never comment on the case of an insured." President Obama's second anecdote also features an American mistreated by the health insurance industry -- and again, the story is not as he represented it.
Robin Lynn Beaton of Waxahachie, Texas, testified: "In May 2008, I went to the dermatologist for acne. A word was written on my chart and interpreted incorrectly as meaning pre-cancerous. Shortly thereafter, I was diagnosed with Invasive HER-2 Genetic Breast Cancer, a very aggressive form of breast cancer. I was told I needed a double mastectomy. When the surgeons scheduled my surgery I was pre-certified for my two days hospitalization. "The Friday before the Monday I was scheduled to have my double mastectomy, Blue Cross red flagged my chart due to the dermatologist report. The dermatologist called Blue Cross directly to report that I only had acne and please not hold up my coming surgery. Blue cross called me to inform me that they were launching a 5 year medical investigation into my medical History and that this would take approximately 3 months. "I was frantic. I did not know what to do or where to turn. I knew I could not pay for the surgery myself Shortly thereafter I turned to my Congressman Joe Barton for help. Mr. Barton and Christy Townsend worked tirelessly to help me. Next, I found out that my insurance was completely cancelled; this was devastating. I had to completely refocus on what to do where to turn because my insurance cancelled me. Cancer is expensive and no one wanted to pay for it. This is America and we deserve good Health Care. "Earlier in my life off and on I had a fast beating of my heart which was not a current problem, just something that happened when I was upset. I truly did not even think about this when I applied for insurance; I even offered to go take a physical they said no. The sad thing is Blue Cross gladly took my high premiums and the first time I filed a claim and was suspected of having cancer they searched high and low for a reason to cancel me. There is a nurse who attends my church who works fulltime for Blue Cross and all she does is read medical records looking for reasons to cancel people. After she heard what happened to me, she told me how very sorry she was. "Blue Cross will do anything to get out of paying for cancer. Another sad fact is anyone who has a catastrophic illness who is not part of a group stands a great chance of being left out in the cold without insurance." Again, the story is horrific, the actions of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Texas indefensible. Margaret Jarvis, a spokeswoman for Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Texas told ABC News that privacy laws preclude her discussing details about a client's health insurance. But President Obama's description that Beaton's "insurance company canceled her policy because she forgot to declare a case of acne" is not accurate. As Beaton's congressman, Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, testified, the Blue Cross/Blue Shield letter "informed Ms. Beaton that an investigation into her claims for benefits resulted in the company reviewing her medical records in which they discovered she had misinformed them on several pieces of information. One of them was that she did not list her weight accurately, and the other, that she failed to disclose some medication she had taken for a pre-existing heart condition." Blue Cross discovered the previous condition after her visit to the dermatologist for acne, but her insurance was not canceled because she didn't declare a case of acne. "It's become a political imperative to find real-life examples of people helped or hurt by the issue of the day," the Associated Press's Calvin Woodward writes. "People relate more easily to a story than to abstract policy. But such stories often suffer in the retelling. Corners are cut, complicated situations made sound-bite simple." -- jpt
September 30, 2009 in health care | Permalink | Share | User Comments (158) The Dead Leading The Dead It makes very little difference whether or not Mr. Obama "tells the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth." One lie more or less at this point is irrelevant because the whole mess of politics and politicians on the floor now is a Failure of Leadership. That monstrosity of unintelligible language called The Healthcare Bill is one more example in a long line of corrupt, conniving legislation designed to enrich the few at the expense of the many. From the White House and both houses of Congress today we have the dead leading the dead. We The People need to start pushing back harder against the Zombie Politicians. We The People deserve to be represented by living Souls. They may not tell the truth all the time but at least they will be warm-blooded. Rahm Emanuel, David Axelrod, and Barack Obama bear uncomfortably close resemblance to hooded cobras in their respective facial features. Posted by: John L Jordan | Oct 2, 2009 2:46:42 PM in reference to the first paragraph: It seems to me that one possible point to draw from this is that if inaccurate stories are the best the research staff of the White House can do, perhaps the evil insurance companies are not rescinding so many policies without justifiable cause as the forces for "reform" would have us believe. Of course, these people believe that the government should mandate that private companies cover those with pre-existing conditions, then regulate what they can charge for it so they must do so at a loss, and cut a deal with those companies not to object to this arrangement by dangling a "mandatory coverage" provision that will transfer those costs to healthy people who otherwise would have CHOSEN to forego health insurance. If you think that one's cost for health insurance should have nothing to do withthe cost of providing one's health insurance, then you cannot properly be said to "think" at all. Posted by: Robert | Oct 2, 2009 10:28:30 AM I find it ironic that the only cases of "bureaucratic bean counting"that are being reported in Washington are those involving private insurance companies. Everyone knows that private businesses treat people badly and government officials are all heart right? Posted by: Jubal Biggs | Oct 2, 2009 3:38:17 AM I'd like to revise and extend my comment . . . I just re-read the piece by Mr. Tapper. Yes, it is totally slanted in favor of government health care - but it is still a departure from the lies of omission and flat out propaganda that have become SO prevalent in the major media (we ALL know which outlets). Maybe ABC is reading the polls and looking at the political weather vane and is deciding to try to come back off the ledge upon which it has so firmly stood in support of Mr. Obama. Posted by: Kevin | Oct 2, 2009 1:05:15 AM So let me understand, Jake, it's ok to do inaccurate reporting if your intentions are good, where "good" is defined by WHOM ? Oh, I get it, it's the new way to report. Posted by: bill | Oct 2, 2009 1:00:16 AM Jake Tapper just turned down the volume of this contentious debate. Thank you, Jake! Did Obama "lie" about these anecdotes - yes and no. I recall (but have not specific information) of this kind of "truth stretching" from other presidents. An honest critique of a president's address (as done by Tapper here) is what is needed for the "right" to feel it is not being told bald-faced lies from a collusive media, and for the left to admit that Mr. Obama is a politician, cut of the same cloth as so many others (and not able to walk on water if he weren't so criticized by the "right") Posted by: Kevin | Oct 2, 2009 12:51:26 AM Insurance companies *must* deny care for pre-existing conditions. If they didn't, many people would not purchase insurance until they were already sick. The entire system would collapse within a couple of years as the only people with insurance would be those with illnesses and it would bankrupt the insurance companies. It is like buying auto insurance and expecting the company to pay for a wreck you had a year before you bought the policy. Posted by: Ken | Oct 1, 2009 11:30:28 PM Accuracy matters. Freely improvising stories to make a point is fairly called lying. Mr. Obama loses credibility when he lies. Of course, some of us noticed that when Mr. Obama was saying that he would withdraw the troops from Iraq on a schedule that was physically impossible, his campaign was instructing its opeeratives to admit "We know we can't do this." It's lying. I did not vote for Obama because I knew him to be a liar. Posted by: Valerie | Oct 1, 2009 10:16:08 PM My kids have had major health issues. Without private insurance, we'd be $200,000 in debt. They got the best care available in the world and I am so grateful. The poor can get medicaid, everyone can receive care in the ER, anyone can buy insurance if they are willing to pay for it (and that might mean doing without cell phones, new cars, big screen TVs, etc.) For many years people survived without insurance. Medical care is not a right, but something that anyone can buy in our country. Just have to pray for our country at this point, I guess. Posted by: BJP | Oct 1, 2009 9:53:21 PM Are you insane, or what! You want to limit health care to loved ones of a fully armed citizenry? What do you think "Bubba" will do when some bureaucrat tells him his Mama's only choice is to get in line and die? Before we get to that point a more peaceful rebellion would be to simply boycott the 16th Amendment. Since Obama loves unions, taxpayers should go on strike! Here's a new motto: if they pass it we will not obey; if they tax it we will not pay. Live free of die comes later..... Posted by: devan | Oct 1, 2009 9:42:19 PM Accurate or not, the theme of these stories is one of individual needs being crushed by the uncaring insurance bureaucracy. It hardly, follows, however, that the answer is to exchange the private insurance bureaucracy for the larger government bureaucracy. You have no individual legal rights against the government. Because of sovereign immunity, you can't even sue the government in most instances. In most states, however, you not only have a cause of action against an improperly behaving insurance compnay for breach of the insurance contract, you also have have the ability to sue for bad faith claims handling and a whole host of common law theories entitling you to recover not just actual but punitive and exemplary damages. Juries, reflecting the local community mores, also love to stick it to the abusive insurer in the right circumstances. Seems to me the uncaring bureacracy against which the individual does have legal rights and recourse is infinitely preferable to the large bureaucracy against which he or she has no such individual power. Why isn't that a newsworthy topic or issue for discussion by ABC and you, Mr. Tapper? Posted by: RDAVIS | Oct 1, 2009 9:34:59 PM Guess which insurer denies a higher % of claims than any in America in 2007-2008? Medicare. Go look at the AMA reports. The vast majority of claims denied by private insurers are administrative mistakes when a person changes jobs. We have all probably had that happen. Far less than 1% of private denials are for pre-existing conditions. 18% of Medicare denials are because the procedure is not deemed "medically necessary." Get used to that phrase. As Obama says "Maybe you should just take painkillers instead" 65% of a Social Security claims are denied. If you appeal, they will deny you 87% of the time. Insurers can get sued for their sins. Competitors can steal their customers. Try suing Medicare. Good luck with that... Posted by: Matt | Oct 1, 2009 9:08:55 PM "Therefore, there is NO profit to be gained by denying people's claims for a BC/BS plan or a self insured plan!" Then what motivates them to do it? Posted by: WWW | Oct 1, 2009 6:56:12 PM From what little I know of the subject, the French healthcare system costs only half (as a percentage of GDP)as American healthcare costs, and French citizens are usually treated by private doctors. The great majority of French find the system to be flawed, but they don't want to abolish it for the private insurance of the USA. This is true of most of the people in Europe, even Britain: They think their system sucks at times, but they want to keep it. Posted by: John Brown | Oct 1, 2009 6:41:49 PM Ah, the emotional anecdote, the Democrat's friend. Supposedly, these stories happen all the time. "All too often," it is said. But really, how often? We are a nation of 300 million. Doctors, who usually do a pretty good job, sometimes cut off the wrong leg. My dentist drilled the wrong tooth one time. Bad stuff happens. Along with millions of sucessful treatments paid for by the evil insurers. The majority of people being happy with their private insurance, you could assume that these stories are not quite common enough to suit the Dem's purposes. So drag them out. Not heart-wrenching enough? Enhance. Posted by: Big mac | Oct 1, 2009 6:23:08 PM What both stories tell me is that you should be very careful about the Insurace Companies you do business with. Cheapest is usually not the best. I would not do business with either company mentioned, and a little research would lead most people to the same conclusion. Posted by: Mike Brown | Oct 1, 2009 6:17:48 PM Mr. Tapper Posted by: Ron Roth | Oct 1, 2009 6:14:25 PM Nice to see your article linked to Real Clear Politics. Pax. Posted by: SjB | Oct 1, 2009 6:06:12 PM More than stretching the truth, this man tells outright lies. You cannot trust him or his corrupt administration or Congress. We need to replace them all. Posted by: Independent60 | Oct 1, 2009 5:25:07 PM So Obama lies and lies and lies and, and lies some more. That is the story of his entire life. Including, now we know, that he didn't write his "famous" "Dreams" book. The terrorist Ayers, whom Obama claimed he didn't know (only a guy in his neighborhood), ghost wrote it. Next book by Obama: "Yes, I Am.. A Compulsive Liar; But I Needed the Votes." Speaking of compulsive liars, Sarah Palin's memoir "Going Rogue" is scheduled to be released in November but has already hit #1 at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. It's rumored that the book was actually ghost-written by the Rev. Jerry Falwell. Posted by: Rudy | Oct 1, 2009 5:03:44 PM Post a comment  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Some friendly competition for Couples, Norman - San Francisco Chronicle Posted: 02 Oct 2009 10:44 AM PDT Fast forward to 2009, and find Couples and Norman as opposing captains in the Presidents Cup, the international match-play event set to unfold this week at Harding Park; Couples leads the U.S. team while Norman guides the International team. They've frequently appeared together to promote the event over the past 19 months, showing a striking camaraderie - especially for two men with polar-opposite personalities and vastly different perceptions among their peers. Couples, who turned 50 on Saturday, has always been chummy and easygoing, the human personification of his smooth, free-flowing swing. He remains one of the most popular players on tour, quick with a playful quip and eager to engage his colleagues in good-natured banter. Norman, 54, was widely viewed as aloof in his playing days, a strapping Australian who stood atop the world rankings for 331 weeks. (Couples made it there for 16.) He mostly kept to himself, punished the ball with an athletic swing and then dived into business with equal vigor, building an empire with Great White Shark Enterprises. Couples acknowledged Norman, given his meticulous nature, is probably "crossing more T's and dotting more I's" as they tackle their Presidents Cup duties - ranging from choosing two players apiece to arranging team attire and player gifts. They share a strong bond; each man, before agreeing to take the job, asked PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem the identity of the other captain. They both endorsed the choice. Norman traced his connection with Couples to those long-ago, locker room talks and occasional tournament rounds. "We went head-to-head and developed respect for each other," Norman said. "Freddy is a good competitor; he respects you if he beats you and if you beat him. That's how our friendship grew." Their friendship also grew out of the icy reception Norman often received from other PGA Tour players. He was a picture of charisma in his prime, from his snow-white hair and wide-brimmed hat to his long, booming drives and his six-year run atop the rankings, the gold standard until Tiger Woods came along. For all his success, Norman also became a symbol of anguish on the course, known for frustrating finishes (eight times a runner-up in majors). That probably didn't bother the many American players of the era who never really clicked with Norman. He was the anti-Freddy in some ways, as distant and detached as Couples was approachable and well-liked. "He was an international player, so back then we kind of looked at him like an alien," Couples said. "I think people were a little jealous of Greg - look at this guy coming over here and beating everybody and not talking to anybody. He chose a handful of guys he played with all the time, and that was it. People didn't quite have a feel for him." Norman didn't dispute his lack of popularity among his peers. But here's a fresh twist: He credited Couples for helping ease the tension - making jokes, embracing Norman and prompting other players to eventually accept him. "I felt the jealousy and resentment because of the success I had on tour, and not being an American," Norman said. "Freddy supported me behind the scenes. By his respect and support, he showed the other players there's nothing wrong with this guy. He knew I was doing the game of golf a world of good. Fred doesn't have a jealous bone in his body." Couples wanted to learn from Norman, so he initially sought him out for Masters practice rounds as a way of improving his own game. They both were long off the tee, so they frequently faced similar second shots. Plus, as Couples recalled, he loved watching and hearing how "pure" Norman struck the ball. They didn't play together especially often in tournaments, despite perpetually planting themselves in contention during the primes of their careers. (Norman won 20 times on the PGA Tour, including two British Opens, and Couples won 15 times, including one Masters.) Couples recalled marveling at how hard Norman hit the ball, even in whipping winds, when they were paired together in the third round of the 1993 British Open, which Norman later won. Their history also includes a more lighthearted moment: They played alongside each other in the old Kemper Open one year, when Norman rolled a putt about 4 feet past the hole. He marked his ball and meant to flip it to his caddie - but instead nailed Couples as he squatted down to line up his putt. Norman, chuckling at the memory, pointed out his ball would have gone into the water if Couples hadn't unwittingly gotten in the way. Off the course, they both discovered life can throw some nasty curves - especially at Couples. His first wife committed suicide in 2001, eight years after she and Couples divorced. He was estranged from his second wife, Thais Baker, when she died of breast cancer in February. He now lives in Palm Desert and has been dating Julie Barnett, who accompanied him to the White House last month, when he and Norman briefly visited with President Obama. Norman also went through a messy, public divorce from his longtime wife, Laura (who won a $103 million settlement). Norman married former tennis star Chris Evert, with whom he lives in Florida, in June 2008. Professionally, Couples still finds himself chasing Norman, in some ways, in their roles as Presidents Cup captains. They routinely traded text messages this summer, keeping each other updated on preparations for the competition at Harding Park. The captains spent most of the buildup scouting potential players; this week, their chief duty will be deciding the pairings, i.e. who will play alongside whom in the 22 two-on-two matches Thursday, Friday and Saturday (there are 12 singles matches next Sunday). It requires no grand insight to see which captain is more organized and efficient. "I take the initiative. I'll take the challenge to somebody or challenge myself," Norman said. "Freddy is not that way. He's not the same as me." Couples figured he'll get everything done, ultimately, before the first shot sails into the air Thursday. Norman might have the edge in running a business - useful background as captain, no question - but Couples should require less effort to form a bond with his team. He's still a semi-regular on tour, and his mere presence doesn't figure to rattle young players. Couples recalled how "on edge" he and other players sometimes were around onetime captains Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, given their exalted status in the game. "No one will be edgy because I'm the captain of the U.S. team," Couples said. "If anything, they'll laugh. I'll try to be serious and they'll laugh."
E-mail Ron Kroichick at rkroichick@sfchronicle.com. This article appeared on page S - 17 of the San Francisco Chronicle  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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