The NBC announcers got a little excited during the playoff broadcast on Monday, several times exclaiming that we were watching one of the best golf tournaments ever played. Hey, they're fans, too, and they get caught up in the moment just like the rest of us.

And that's why I wasn't willing to write anything yesterday about the 2008 U.S. Open's place in history. I was caught up in the moment. Better to let a day go by and consider things more clearly.

And so I've been thinking about whether this tournament really was one of the greatest - perhaps the greatest - U.S. Open ever. My short answer is: I don't know. But probably.

The reason I say "I don't know" first is this: How are we supposed to compare this tournament to, say, any of Bobby Jones' Open wins? There's no way. Most golf fans know nothing about Jones' wins, except that he did win. Almost nobody who saw Jones' wins is still alive to testify. There are very few newsreel clips.

What about the 1931 Open? Billy Burke and George Von Elm played 144 holes before a winner was decided. Tied after 72, they played a 36-hole playoff. Still tied, they played another 36. And even after all that, the winning margin was one stroke.

How on earth are we who are here today supposed to compare that to what happened on Monday? It can't be done.

Francis Ouimet's upset win in 1913, Jack Fleck beating Ben Hogan in 1955, Nicklaus vs. Palmer in '62 and Trevino vs. Nicklaus in '71. These are entries in the history books for most of us.

The reason I say "probably" is that the 2008 U.S. Open had everything a storybook tournament should have. David vs. Goliath. Or David vs. Willis Reed (an injured Tiger Woods), which might be an even better story. The all-time greatest player making miraculous putts when he had to. The laughing, popular underdog refusing to go away. Huge cheers on the back nine. A course that seemed perfect for what was unfolding, in fact contributed mightily to that unfolding.

I can't compare, with any confidence, compare this U.S. Open to the 1913 or 1931 Opens, to the 1955 or 1962 or 1971 Opens. But I can look back the Opens I clearly remember. And none of those compare.

The 2006 Open was pretty memorable, but for the wrong reasons. Meltdowns rather than heroics. The 2000 U.S. Open was pretty memorable, but a 15-stroke victory qualifies as one of the greatest individual performances, not one of the greatest tournaments.

The 1999 U.S. Open - Payne Stewart sinking the winning putt on the 72nd hole to beat Phil Mickelson - has become somewhat iconic. But in large part because of the tragedy that befell Stewart shortly afterward. Had Stewart not died young, it's doubtful there'd be a statue of him at Pinehurst now, it's doubtful that every time the U.S. Open returns to Pinehurst we'd see clips of that birdie putt on a constant loop and paeans to the greatness of that Open.

So looking back over the past 20 or so U.S. Opens, I can say that I believe the 2008 one is easily the greatest of those. And that's good enough for me.