You, Me and Tiger’s Transgressions
When the story of Tiger’s ‘problems’ first broke, I vowed to myself I wouldn’t write about it. But I find that I can’t resist (et tu Tiger?) because there is something valuable to think about here besides the possibly lurid details that may come to light.
First, do any of us really know Tiger the human being. The answer for at least 99% of us has to be NO. What we know is Tiger Inc.
Mr. Woods has been packaged and presented to us as a corporation since he turned pro (I won’t argue if you say it began even sooner).
For those of you who were dismayed when the story first broke, relax, this isn’t about Tiger the person because he really only exists for a close circle of family and friends.
What’s really happened is betrayal of the brand. It’s like finding out that Starkist doesn’t only use the best tuna, they actually have packed Charlie and a lot of his closest friends in there.
How can I prove to you that Tiger is a corporation, because individuals can’t make a billion dollars, only corporations. Both Arnie and Jack were individuals because they played when professional golf was still a sport and not an industry. Tournament purses are obscene these days.
It’s a slap in the face of every fan that their sports heroes can make more in a season than many will in a lifetime, all for playing what is ostensibly a kids’ game while regular people, who do the heavy lifting in real life, labor in obscurity and wonder if they can retire before they die.
But what about Tiger - the human golfer in this mess? I, as many others, have believed that Tiger’s greatest strength in competitive golf was his mental toughness. How else can you explain his uncanny ability to come through time and again in the clutch. As Earl Wood’s once remarked, you’ll never meet anyone mentally tougher. How does that jibe with someone who may have cheated on his wife – and kids?
Is he not as tough as we thought or did he – gasp – do this willfully instead of just giving in to the siren of temptation? Perhaps we’d better not go there, but we can conjecture about his golfing future. If Tiger has excelled because of his own belief in his father’s words, will he now show a chink in his armor?
Could this be the fatal blow to his quest to top Jack’s records in the majors? If nothing else, thinking about this can keep us busy until Tiger decides it’s time to tee it up on Thursday sometime next year.
And, lastly, what about Golf? Have Tiger’s problems only hurt himself or will it bring down an entire sport? I know a lot of people who enjoy watching professional golf who have never played the game. I always thought a significant part of the attraction was golf’s image as squeeky clean.
Will fans continue to watch if they think it’s really being played by the same guys that play baseball, football and basketball, where too many players use too many drugs, have too many tatoos and treat too many women poorly?
Maybe we should just put it all out of our minds, put that old coffee cup on the living room carpet and focus on improving our putting strokes for next season!
Related posts:
- Tiger – Forgive or Condemn?
- Tiger Woods – Golfer for All Seasons
- Shame On Golf Journalists in Augusta
- Tiger Needs To Retool His Game
- Could It Be That Tiger Smells Blood In The Water
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Comments
I just wonder if golf’s image as a sport with more ‘gentlemen’ like players will be tarnished and effect the number of viewers?
wow, this is really well put..
if it’s something that reality shows have taught us is that we are all human and even more is that when it comes to these celebrities, nothing is what it seems..
these celebrities are real people.. we don’t know what goes on in his house, personal life, if he is really happy or not.. and temptation is a bitch, specially when you’re a superstar.. let’s keep it real people..
i know it hurts, specially for the family but he is human.. some of us are weak at one thing and strong at others.. it is what it is..
we know tiger from golf and that’s it.. that’s what people should care about in the end.. somehow he will be judged but it should not be from us the fans.. and the days of idols or heros are gone.. you can like somethings from a person and not others, guess this is one area that are not liked and it shouldn’t..
we are our own person and it’s a matter of pick and choose.. i want to be like tiger when it comes to golf but not like him when it comes to this.. we are our own person.. c’mon people, this is not a soap opera, this is real everyday situations..
WE ARE ALL HUMAN, he needs to deal with his own so-called demons in his way if he even looks at it that way and deal with it with his family and not with fans getting all up on his business without knowing the real man or the situation that led him to do where he is now..
i’m not defending his ways, what i am saying is, people need to get a live and worry about their own problems, and we have enough of those.. if it’s one thing i have learned is not to judge anyone without talking a walk in their shoes and even then it’s not up to me to judge anyone cause deep inside we all have major faults!!!
like i said, we are all human, and even if he has a little alien in him based on his golfing abilities, then that’s ok too.. LOL
It will indeed be interesting to see how this affects golf going forward. As you say it seems many could be turned off by this because it will never again be as thrilling and heart-warming to see Tiger Woods win again. And lots of peripheral fans tuned in just to see that. There are others who feel there will be new fans aquiered as scandalous stars tend to attract crowds. I’ve got to admit I won’t be so quick to say “golf has the best athlete in the world” anymore. It just won’t feel the same.