When people talk about Tiger Woods they don’t talk about his 14 Major Championships or the 16 World Golf Championships. Not even winning the PGA Player of the Year award 10 times, seven of those in a row. Nah…they don’t mention breaking records and stereotypes or changing how golf was perceived by black men and the world as a whole. Growing up myself as a kid, I never heard the fellas in the hood saying they were going to go “Tee it up.”
Eldrick made it cool to wear the golf gear and not be mocked by his peers, before it was just on old white man’s game. That’s how black men viewed it. Tiger made it a popular pastime for everyone around the world to enjoy, to learn the lingo, to take lessons, then to purchase those expensive clubs.
Some of us, like Barkley skipped a couple steps but never the less, we didn’t read about or watch coverage of other athletes like Jordan and Charles attempting to play a round.
Eldrick Tont “Tiger” Woods had the “Power” before Kanye made the song. The world gravitated to him like Terrell Owens to a camera. We were “Tiger Woods” like Nike wanted us to believe.
For everything Tiger was, the one thing he couldn’t stop being was human and like all humans, we have our shortcomings. The difference for him was we placed him in a glass tank with the world tuned in.
So when that dreadful night took place in November of 2009, the world was taken back. As more details leaked and rumors circulated, the more Tiger sunk deeper into his abyss and he remained there for 20 weeks before he entered another major tournament.
As for the infidelity thing, Tiger made one BIG mistake and The Mad Fan was in agreement with me for once, never leave your name on any voicemail when it’s not your wife.
But unfortunately, it was a $100 million dollar mistake that is still costing not only Tiger, but his fans that have to sit by and watch painfully as he tries to figure out his next swing in life as well as his next swing on the green after an abysmal divorce.
Look at the way Tiger has handled the whole tracasserie from the beginning, it isn’t shocking to see how the outcome has played out so far. Tiger recently fired his swing coach Hank Haney of six years after having one of his worst performances in his legendary career. A few days later Haney threw Tiger under the bus like a disgruntled employee always does. Not much came from it, but Haney did draw up the blueprint for Dan Gilbert to follow.
What remains to be seen is if this is the middle of the end of Tiger’s career? Does he have something left in the tank or is the stress and pressure to be “Tiger Woods” too much to bear?
As a father we all struggle with some form of insecurities hoping our children grow to be better than we were and not make the same mistakes we did. But sometimes, they will follow in the same footprints unintentionally, than what do we do? Forgive them or turn our backs on them?
The Mad Fan
The Run Down
I never cared for the NCAA for the racist fact that they get paid tons of millions of dollars off these athletes yearly and the athletes don’t see a dime of it. So if and when they’re presented with cash in a brief case, I would tell them to take it and keep they’re mouth SHUT. Most won’t make it to the NFL and times are rough so secure yourself and your family.
Just look at the loyalty USC showed to Reggie Bush during the stripping of their title. USC turned over their version of his Heisman Trophy that Bush won and distanced themselves from anything that had Bush’s name on it. I feel if USC is going to take it that far, they should return the MILLIONS of dollars they benefited from when Bush was destroying the college football game and they praised him like a god on that campus.
But like all good slave owners, they use their work horses up, then sell them down the river when they are no longer of value.
Left Jab
Fellas Im’ma just say it and be done with it. When I look into the eyes of Pacquiao, I see Mayweather dead. I see death around the corner for Pretty Girl Floyd. Boxing is a man’s sport, no playing with little balls, no pads to absorb a hit like football.
Nothing but two men in a square roped of ring with nothing but time and opportunity.
As long as I’ve been following boxing I’ve never seen a self proclaimed "pound for pound" fighter dodge any fight the way Mayweather is dodging this fight right now. NEVER! If Mayweather wants to be considered the best he has to fight the best in the business.
Pac-Man is a complete polished fighter to which Floyd has never seen before. That’s the hold up, SACRED. Luv it or hate it, it is what it is and the only thing that can change it is the fight of all fights. But Floyd is busy hangin’ with Queen James.
