After almost a year in prison, he spoke with Golf Week's Jeff Rude about what life was like "on the inside"... and how it feels to be out. It's a video interview, Thorpe's first since being released from a Federal Prison Camp in Montgomery, Alabama into a Florida halfway house last month... and it's surprisingly candid. ~ The affable golfer was pragmatic about his mistakes and reflective about what the future would bring. At 62, he's had a brilliant career. In addition to three PGA Tour wins he's chalked up thirteen victories on the Champions Tour... and he hopes add to that number once his suspension is finished.
The last tournament Jim Thorpe won was the 2007 Charles Schwab Cup. Shortly after that win, I made this video at a highly entertaining event he hosted at Foxwoods Casino. Watching it again I remembered just how graciousness and engaging Jim Thorpe was. He'll be free to play again in April and it looks like the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am will be where he starts... and I'm quite sure he'll receive a warm welcome back.
Golf Girl's Note: It's weird how much things have changed in the three-and-a-half years since this video was made: In November 2007 Tiger Woods had reached an other-worldly plateau of perfection; as an athlete, a role-model, a multicultural symbol and a global brand. Lorena Ochoa had won 7 times that season, including her first major championship, the Women's British Open, on the Old Course at St. Andrews. Wages and salaries were still going up and many of us were still happily living beyond our means. ~ And we were I was proudly documenting it all in these long, corny, over-edited, low-definition videos with crappy sound quality. Life was sweet back in the day.
I remember that video and it seems like yesterday. It good to see Jim Thorpe out of prison.
ReplyDeleteWhat Thorpe said in the GolfWeek interview made total sense. The government is wasting money on country club "prisons" for white collar criminals. These guys would be much more useful doing their time on the outside. They should get two years of full time community service instead of two years of imposed relaxation in a comfortable environment surrounded by pleasant people. For there to be any deterrent value in the prison sentence they'd have to be put into a normal prison with a normal prison population, and that wouldn't be quite right as tax evasion isn't quite on a par with homicide. That said I think Jim Thorpe is good for the champions tour and it's good to see him back.
ReplyDeleteJim Thorpe was banned from the PGA Tiger should be too for bringing shame on this prestigiouse sport.
ReplyDeleteThat was the days before Flip cam I guess. :) It's still a good video though. We played a Lake of Isles last summer, it's a beautiful course.
ReplyDeleteI hope he can stay away from the gambling, if he does I'm sure he'll be fine.
ReplyDeleteI really love the guy's swing it's pretty weird, but it seems to work.
ReplyDeleteI'm ready for some warm weather here in New England. I'm going to try to get down to Lake of Isles this year.
ReplyDeleteGood for him. I hope he does well now.
ReplyDeleteWow. Golf courses, swimming pool, and a movie theater... where can I sign up for prison? Still, good for him to talk about how he had made mistakes... Thanks for sharing.
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