The Front Row with MARK NELKE June 12, 2011

Item: Tiger Woods announces he will not play in this week's U.S. Open because of lingering issues with his left leg.

Reaction: The way he's played - whenever he's actually played - he probably wasn't going to win anyway. But if he was in contention at any time, it would have at least made it worth tuning in.

As it is, the tournament will probably be won - like most of the other majors recently - by Some Random Foreigner. Someone we've barely heard of that comes in, has a hot week, then is seldom heard from again.

So unless Phil gets hot, the only other mystery this week will be wondering how tough they will set up Congressional Country Club, and how much they will make the pros suffer for wayward shots.

Item: Leading the finals three games to two, Dallas can win its first NBA title tonight in Miami.

Reaction: Why is this series even still going on?

If Miami had any clue how to execute with the lead, any clue how to keep scoring at the end of the game, instead of jacking up wild shots with the shot clock running down, the Heat may have swept this series.

As it is, the Mavericks are playing better team ball late in the game, moving the ball and throwing it to teammates who aren't afraid to shoot.

And now Dallas has the momentum, and if you thought Miami was tight before, weighed down by the expectations of winning "not five, not six, not seven ... " titles with the most recent Big 3 ...

Then again, we thought Boston was in pretty good shape last year when the Celtics headed out to L.A. with a 3-2 lead.

Item: Wide receiver Michael Crabtree did not exactly endorse the notion that Alex Smith should be the San Francisco 49ers' starting quarterback next year.

Reaction: Like we should care about what comes out of the mouth of a wide receiver who has underachieved in his first two years as a pro.

He’s caught all of eight touchdown passes in two seasons with the 49ers. He’s caught 103 passes, which sounds like a lot, but few of them have come in meaningful situations. Mostly, he has a hard time getting open — but then again, other than Vernon Davis, most of the Niners’ receivers are like that.

True, Alex Smith hasn’t shown much over the years to inspire the belief that San Francisco can win a Super Bowl with him. But, the 49ers need more help than just at quarterback to even just make the playoffs.

Alex Smith is a free agent, but the fact he’s leading the 49ers’ player workouts this summer during the lockout says something.

So maybe under new coach Jim Harbaugh, Smith can make the 49ers a little better on offense. And unfortunately, with the choice of available QBs out there, unless San Francisco gets better in other areas as well, Smith might be the best option they’ve got — unless the 49ers think rookie Colin Kaepernick from Nevada is ready to lead them this year.

Back to Crabtree. Earlier this week, he showed up one day to these player workouts. The next day, he skipped them. Apparently his feet were sore after practicing in new cleats on the field turf at San Jose State.

Item: BCS strips USC of national title in football in 2004 because of violations, many involving Reggie Bush, who returned his Heisman Trophy before he possibly could have been stripped of it.

Reaction: USC won two AP national titles and one BCS title during that run, and would have had another if they could have found a way to get Vince Young of Texas off the field on that final drive at the Rose Bowl in 2006.

So was it worth the eventual tradeoff of having a national title vacated, and a Heisman winner give back his trophy, and the players currently in the program punished by not being able to go to a bowl after the 2010 and 2011 seasons? All while the people who were there at the time are long gone?

Sad to say, but yeah, probably.

We will still remember the great run USC was on at the time, all the great plays made by Bush, Matt Leinart, etc.

Just like we’ll remember all the NCAA basketball Final Four teams who had to eventually vacate their finishes — Memphis (2008), Ohio State (1999), Minnesota (1997), UMass (1996), Michigan (1992, ’93), Memphis State (1985), even UCLA (1980).

Those memories will just be followed with an “oh, yeah ... ”

Not that we condone breaking the rules. But USC just happened to get caught. Ohio State just happened to get caught.

I find it hard to believe they are the only ones.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via e-mail at [email protected].