By MONTE DUTTON

Based on my experience, some athletes belie their public image and others reflect it.

One of the better examples is Bill Elliott, whom I like. Elliott, though, is far from his Huck Finn image. He is one of the moodier athletes I’ve ever known.

Sometimes Elliott would tap me on the shoulder in a NASCAR garage and kid around for five minutes. Sometimes he had what my mother would call “his butt on his shoulders.”

Another driver I like – and once made the subject of a book – is Tony Stewart. Stewart is similar. I guess one reason I got along well with both was that I felt like a knew them. I don’t think a camera would reflect it, but when Stewart is annoyed, his eyes turn black as coal.

Sometimes both needed their space.

What is the reason for this musing?

Scottie Scheffler, who won the Olympics on Sunday, seems so much like a regular guy that I believe he is one.

Everyone who ever played golf tries to imagine what it feels like to win on a grand stage, even though the notion is ridiculous. I remember when I was a teen, pulling a cart or carrying my clubs (if I was broke) at the Rolling S, and playing each hole as if a double bogey was a par.

Yes! I shot 4-under double bogey. Made the turn at 50. Played it conservatively on the back nine. Shot 104.

Scheffler has golf’s marvelous combination of a playful personality and a burning fire. He can relax when he’s standing over a crucial shot.

It’s a gift not many have.

For every golfer of generational dominance – Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Nick Faldo, Tom Watson and others – are dozens who dominate for a short period or remain somewhat competitive for a long time.

Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Jason Day, Jon Rahm, Mike Weir, Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler, Greg Norman, Raymond Floyd, Billy Casper, Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia … and many, many more.

Scheffler might be a keeper.

After the serious matter of Olympics golf, naturally, I watched Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, which deserved an award it won for the worst movie title of 2007 because Talladega has neither a night race nor is there an actual ballad.

It is delightfully stupid, and there’s a market for that.

Hell, I laughed. I don’t laugh nearly as much as I ought to these days.

I don’t know why I watched. I might be Olympicked out. Sure. I could’ve watched India play Great Britain in men’s field hockey. I didn’t even know men played field hockey.

I could’ve watched the men’s singles table-tennis finals. Or the women’s badminton singles.

Instead, I reevaluated Spaceballs. I saw nuances I hadn’t noticed before.

It is going to be great on Thursday evening when Clinton tangles with Belton-Honea Path and Byrnes at Wilder Stadium, and Laurens travels to scrimmage Union County.

Or, everyone will enjoy a nice, invigorating tropical storm.

When it gets close, everyone go out in the front yard, take a deep breath and blow. Synchronize your watches.

The final newcomer to the Presbyterian College women’s basketball team almost sounds fictitious.

Adout Ring is a 6-2 forward from Sydney, Australia, who played at a school called Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Fla., and logged 18 games as a freshman and 14 as a sophomore.

She once scored 14 points versus Florida State College of Jacksonville.

“[Adout] will give us much-needed depth in the forward position. I believe Adout’s determination and work ethic will fit in well with the culture we are building. We can’t wait to get started with her on the court,” stated new head coach Tiffany Sardin.

I guess it’s Adout time to leave the Santa Fe trail.

The Olympics made me giddy.

As football season approaches, I expect to streamline the site name. Since the coverage – Furman and Laurens County – is difficult to convey in a word, I may stick with Wellpilgrim (com, net, et al.). Or, if anyone thinks of anything snazzy, I’ll take it under advisement.

A shorter name makes it more likely that readers go directly to the site without linking through social media (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

Advertising alone will not keep me going, but there’s room for a few more. Every ad is inset in every story.

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