Month: May 2010

Okay, one more post about Tiger Woods (hey he’s doing it to himself). He’s withdrawn from The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra, Florida, blaming an injury he fears might be a bulging disk in his upper back. Again: Really?

He has set himself up for so many one liner responses (mark our words, you’ll hear them on Letterman and Leno this week). But we’ll keep it clean and just go with this one: Tiger, it’s really the monkey on your back that’s tampering with your ability to play. Seek out the wisdom in your dogs’ eyes. Re-group with the pack. Your family needs you. Golf doesn’t.

Read about a golfer the media should be following for inspiration in the latest issue of The New Barker: Dog lover and professional golfer, Ken Green. Pick up a copy at any independent dog boutique, veterinarian and bookstore in Florida.

And truly, best of luck to Tiger and his family.

Sarasota Farmers Mrkt Dog Parade this a.m. too. Pups on the Patio @ Gaspars Grotto in Ybor, 5ish. Bark @the Ballpark 6p Dunedin Stadium.

Tiger Woods has a bad day in Ponte Vedra Beach on the TPC Sawgrass course and says, “It’s just a matter of getting my mind where it needs to be. And certainly I’ve made a lot of adjustments in my life, and I’ve gone through a lot…”

Really?

Read the story in the current issue of The New Barker about how another professional golfer is having to make adjustments in his life, after what he has been through. Ken Green has set his sights on being the first professional golfer to play with a prosthetic leg. Green, who is always surrounded by dogs at home told The New Barker, “There is no time to feel sorry for yourself with a dog around.”

Good words to live by.

Sunny Florida skies with balmy Bay breezes made this past Sunday the perfect day to kick back with an ice-cold beer and catch a great game of baseball. Enhancing the afternoon’s experience was the presence of dogs, lounging in the stands with their owners. It was Bark at the Ballpark II at Bright House Network Field in Clearwater, where the Clearwater Threshers trounced the Daytona Cubs, 8-4. Co-sponsored in part by The New Barker, proceeds benefited the Humane Society of Pinellas County. Special Events Coordinator, Twila Cole and a very capable group of volunteers put on another cool event with contests, prizes and vendors. We ran into Executive Director Barbara Snow, who was making sure everyone was having a good time.

Part of what makes baseball fun and entertaining is the music, radio and/or television excerpts and a plethora (plethora?) of sound effects interspersed throughout the game. One of the sounds was a doorbell. Ding Dong. Guess what happened each time that was heard? About two hundred or so dogs started barking, right on cue.

And as good friend of The New Barker, Cory Cooper says, “You can never predict what your dog or your spouse will do in public,” comes Toby, a three year-old Yellow Lab. Toby snuck away from his owner, ran down the stadium steps and jumped over the dugout onto the field during a play. We caught the “play-by-play” on camera, then ran across the stadium afterwards to interview Toby’s owner, who said, “He loves to play catch and just went after a ball in play. When I realized he was gone and saw where he was heading, I thought for sure he’d stop at the fence.” Catch the photos on The New Barker Facebook page.

At the end of the game, everyone and their dogs were invited onto the field to run the bases. What a great sight. Kids, adults and dogs – smiling and laughing as they rounded the bases. The Humane Society of Pinellas will have more Bark at the Ballparks and The New Barker highly recommends this dog-friendly outing. For a complete list of Bark at the Ballpark events throughout Florida, visit the Social Calendar link on http://www.thenewbarker.com

Benefits Dunedin Dog Rescue. Noon-4p. *You have to pay for a dog bath in order to get that free beer. But it’s well worth it. Delicious beer too. Fun group of hard working volunteers. KuDOGs to Dunedin Brewery for opening the place up for the dogs.

Clearwater Threshers vs. Daytona Cubs today @ Bright House Field, Clwtr. Bark @ the Ballpark. Gates open @ noon; game starts @1. Benefits Humane Society of Pinellas. Sunny day, baseball and a dog by your side. Then, run the bases with your dog @ the end of the game. Woofalicious fun.