With the month of March quickly coming to an end, people across the country are packing away their winter wear and surveying the aisles at malls and department stores in search of the newest spring fashions.
Although I like the warmth of the sunshine and the ability to wear shorts and flip-flops on a regular basis, the weather reports are not what have kept me in the habit of picking up the Kearney Hub on a day-to-day basis and tearing open the front page like a child opening presents at Christmas-time.
What draws my attention and has me teeming with anticipation is the fact that Spring not only means enjoyable weather, it also signifies the fact that golfers around the world are hitting the driving range in preparation for the Masters Tournament that will be held on April 8-11 at Augusta.
The tournament that is not only the Super Bowl of golf, but also one that will mark the return of the sport's favorite and most controversial son, Tiger Woods.
In a press conference held last Tuesday, Woods made it known to the public that he has planned his return to the sport, which is a moment I have been looking forward to since his scandal-ridden leave of absence in mid-January.
"The Masters is where I won my first major and I view this tournament with great respect. After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I'm ready to start my season at Augusta," Woods said during the conference.
His decision will no doubt bring forth many jeers from fans across the world, especially due to the fact that the tournament is one that requires only one thing of it’s participants aside from the ability to swing a club and knock a little ball into a hole…they must have a penis.
The Augusta National is a tournament that is all male, meaning that the Michelle Wie’s of the world will have to once again sit this one out.
There have already been reports of female protesters citing that Woods’ decision to return is one that suggests a continued lack of moral standing, and many have problems forgetting the fact that Woods refused to boycott the Master’s Tournament only a year ago for it’s refusal to allow a woman to play in the tournament, a decision made ironically to keep Woods out of the oft judgmental eyes of the controversy-hungry media.
Although this decision is one that is slowly coming back to haunt him, especially after his exploits in dalliance and infidelity, people need to remember that Woods' mere involvement in the game, let alone his prowess, is a positive mark for the sport that at one time only held color beneath the weight of a bag of clubs on a caddie’s shoulders.
When the tournament kicks off in a few short weeks, there is no doubt in my mind that all eyes will be focused hard on Woods, and although it is near impossible for him to play the course without any jests and jeers, I say that its about time we let Tiger out of his cage, so that he can get back to doing what he does best, which is continually changing the face of golf.
Showing posts with label Tiger Woods. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tiger Woods. Show all posts
Monday, March 22, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Infidelity Happens: Should we really punish Tiger so much for bringing the wood?
Its a long par 5 to forgiveness, and for golfing sensation Tiger Woods, this may well be the toughest hole he's played in his entire career.
Just type in his name on YouTube and you might be surprised at what you find. Surprised, that is, if you have been hiding under a rock for the last two months.
The popular website is overflowing with videos in which people 'bash' the superstar for his moral wrongdoing. I actually had to do a detailed search just to get a video of Woods actually golfing, and what’s worse, the barrage of negativity that has fallen upon him shows no signs of slowing down, as everyone in the world thinks that you and I, the consumers, want to know their take on the situation.
With new media surfacing daily dealing with his infidelity, it's going to take a lot more than a good golf swing for Tiger to get out of the woods this time, as Americans seem hard-pressed to let him get back to living his life.
But why is it that we care so much about his cheating? Did he cheat on us as fans? Did he not give it his all in every competition that we watched him play? It seems to me that the only thing fans love more than cheering on their favorite athletes is watching them fall from grace. Why is it that we are so surprised by his actions, its not like this is something we haven't seen before.
Wayne Gretzky did it, as did Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, and no, I am not talking about winning championships here. These superstars have something in common with Tiger in that, yes, they are professional athletes, but more importantly (at least in the media's eyes) they have all cheated on their wives and been publicly scorned for it. The three also, however, stand testament to the fact that time does in fact heal all wounds...time and a hefty amount of cash.
Namely the only difference between their stories and Tiger's, aside from the number of mistresses, is the fact that Tiger stands to lose a great deal more than any of them, and he isn't the only one taking a blow to the pocketbook.
According to ESPN, Nike stands to lose somewhere in the market of 400 million dollars this year due to the scandal. The PGA will suffer too, as Tiger accounted for roughly 40% of their total revenue through merchandising and endorsements.
It seems to me that the only ones benefiting from this whole thing are the employees at the sex addiction clinic that Tiger recently was reported to have checked in to.
I’d like to say that Tiger's wife could benefit from it due to the settlement check she will likely see should divorce papers get filed, but the shame and embarrassment she has faced from all of this, added to the prospect of seeing her family fall apart before her eyes is not something I would ever call a win.
I almost feel inclined to go as far as saying that she could potentially be the cause for all of this. Maybe she is a terrible lay, or maybe she just didn't put out enough. Regardless of the cause, its time to let it all go and move on to more important things, like when Platte Valley will be able to start selling their micro-brews to their slews of thirsty patrons.
In the sports world, big name stars are synonymous with infidelity and scandal, and society seems ready to point a finger at the drop of the pants.
I say pants or no, it's about time we stop concerning ourselves with their home lives and start let our athletes do what they do best…entertain.
Just type in his name on YouTube and you might be surprised at what you find. Surprised, that is, if you have been hiding under a rock for the last two months.
The popular website is overflowing with videos in which people 'bash' the superstar for his moral wrongdoing. I actually had to do a detailed search just to get a video of Woods actually golfing, and what’s worse, the barrage of negativity that has fallen upon him shows no signs of slowing down, as everyone in the world thinks that you and I, the consumers, want to know their take on the situation.
With new media surfacing daily dealing with his infidelity, it's going to take a lot more than a good golf swing for Tiger to get out of the woods this time, as Americans seem hard-pressed to let him get back to living his life.
But why is it that we care so much about his cheating? Did he cheat on us as fans? Did he not give it his all in every competition that we watched him play? It seems to me that the only thing fans love more than cheering on their favorite athletes is watching them fall from grace. Why is it that we are so surprised by his actions, its not like this is something we haven't seen before.
Wayne Gretzky did it, as did Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, and no, I am not talking about winning championships here. These superstars have something in common with Tiger in that, yes, they are professional athletes, but more importantly (at least in the media's eyes) they have all cheated on their wives and been publicly scorned for it. The three also, however, stand testament to the fact that time does in fact heal all wounds...time and a hefty amount of cash.
Namely the only difference between their stories and Tiger's, aside from the number of mistresses, is the fact that Tiger stands to lose a great deal more than any of them, and he isn't the only one taking a blow to the pocketbook.
According to ESPN, Nike stands to lose somewhere in the market of 400 million dollars this year due to the scandal. The PGA will suffer too, as Tiger accounted for roughly 40% of their total revenue through merchandising and endorsements.
It seems to me that the only ones benefiting from this whole thing are the employees at the sex addiction clinic that Tiger recently was reported to have checked in to.
I’d like to say that Tiger's wife could benefit from it due to the settlement check she will likely see should divorce papers get filed, but the shame and embarrassment she has faced from all of this, added to the prospect of seeing her family fall apart before her eyes is not something I would ever call a win.
I almost feel inclined to go as far as saying that she could potentially be the cause for all of this. Maybe she is a terrible lay, or maybe she just didn't put out enough. Regardless of the cause, its time to let it all go and move on to more important things, like when Platte Valley will be able to start selling their micro-brews to their slews of thirsty patrons.
In the sports world, big name stars are synonymous with infidelity and scandal, and society seems ready to point a finger at the drop of the pants.
I say pants or no, it's about time we stop concerning ourselves with their home lives and start let our athletes do what they do best…entertain.
A lion wouldn't cheat but Tiger Wood
Ok, we get it already. Tiger Woods, the best golfer ever to set foot on the fairway, is living a life teeming with infidelity, but should that really be grounds for him to lose sponsorships, have his personal life displayed on the front page of every newspaper and have to resort to taking a brake from the sport he essentially helped make so popular. Tiger alone accounts for a major portion (somewhere around 40%) of the PGA's yearly revenue. He achieved god-like status and brought much needed diversity and excitement to a sport that before him got very little attention. Sure it is popular, but the ratings soared once Tiger clinched his first tournament win. The emotian he displayed on the course touched people. His trademark fist pump has been mimicked on the links for years, and now that is gone because he couldn't keep it in his pants until he got home to his wife and kids. Ok, ok, I know that it is wrong what he did, but it happens everyday. He didnt kill anyone, he didnt cheat on the course, so why should he take a break? Do people remember that we fell in love with him for his skills on the course, not for his skills with the ladies? Nike is the only one who has stood behind him through all of this, and they stand to lose an estimated 400 million dollars in the 2010 calendar year because of all this. Tiger isn't the only on with something to lose here...and if something doesn't change fast, the golfing world could fall into obscurity...Can't we talk about something more important now...like health care or the super bowl?
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