always a fredeeky fave...

Despite treading along with someone who finished at 3-over-par 75, try finding a gallery member to say it wasn't well worth a Thursday morning to walk of 7,500 yards with John Daly -- golf's beloved anti-hero whose occasional volcanic temperament is offset by his lovable Barney Rubble appearance.

Admired for his long drives, respected for owning up to his well-publicized vices and revered for letting his flaws protrude beyond the belt line, Daly's universal appeal attracted an eclectic group to the first round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

There's the guy wearing the "Big Dog" T-shirt next to the guy donning an equally faded "Livin' Large" shirt, stuff a little too casual for Talladega let alone the TPC of Louisiana. Scattered about are those who came from as far as the Pacific Northwest -- easy to recognize because most of their attire features Daly's lion head logo while their hair looks like it was dyed in a bag of Skittles -- following golf's most compelling soap opera with Dead-Head fanaticism.

Then here's this older guy talking about playing Quarter Keno at the casino Wednesday night. Won big, he said, won big.