Phil Mickelson - the Anti -T.O.

Congrats to Phil Mickelson, winner of the 2005 PGA Tournament. And adopted son of New Jersey?

Yes it's true: NJ and the NY-NJ Metro area apparently love Phil. And why wouldn't they? He's a classy guy, gracious in defeat or victory, and he actually appreciates and embraces his fans. You know, classy, like most people from NJ.

There are stories similar to the one above from the U.S. Open in Pinehurst and probably every tournament Phil plays in. I think Phil is sometimes just as amazed as the rest of us would be if we were suddenly thrust into fame. That's the thing that I think Joe Sixpack (ok, in this case it's probably Preston Stolichnaya) can relate to: he's a real person.

Nice to see a guy that's at the top of his game not forgetting what helped put him there. Hey NFL/NBA/MLB/NHL: Start taking some notes.

And I'd expect to see the "Phil Mickelson" special in alot of NJ diners pretty soon.