"What I love about golf -- what I think we all love about it -- is the challenge."
ESPN The Magazine is out with its "Perfection Issue," adorned on the cover by Tiger Woods. And if his essay is any indication, it's a real barn burner.
What I love about golf -- what I think we all love about it -- is the challenge. The game is not a game of perfection, it's a game of misses. I guess you could say it's a perfect game played by imperfect people. But that's the beauty and the art of playing this game.
Someone once asked me to describe golf perfection.
Actually, ESPN The Magazine did.
I don't think it exists. And if it does, I wouldn't know it. In 1997, I shot 59 at Isleworth. There was a nine-hole stretch where I was 10-under par. That's probably the closest I've ever come to perfection on a scorecard. Where I was looking is where I was hitting it. When I putted, the cup looked like the size of a paint bucket.
Amazingly, this was "told to" Gene Wojciechowski, whose lively style could turn the most dreary family holiday letter into a must read. But even Genno couldn't save this one.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010 at 10:10 AM
Reader Comments (19)
First, this is Tiger's essay, not Wojo's. Sometimes in this job, all we do is dictaion. You're not supposed to dress it up.
Second, what's so bad about it? It's reached the point now where all everybody is doing is ripping Tiger for everything he does. It's a rote response. Tiger do; we criticize. At some point, this has got to stop. Doesn't it?
Another opportunity to "explain" and connect with the target audience. Lets be honest Tiger, you don't deserve to be on the cover of anything until you do something noteworthy on or off the golf course.
Tiger's the one on a campaign to improve his image and this is simply criticism of that campaign. If he wasn't putting this stuff out there no one would be talking about how dull it is.
This also exposes the real issue with his campaign: No one can tell Tiger, "you want me to spice this up a bit?" He surrounds himself with the same yes-men who peddle a message and then wonders why people don't warm up to him.
These aren't "articles", they are carefully planned and timed public relations moves designed to create buzz and draw attention to the chevron snooze fest... and I guess attract new sponsorship opportunities.
Complete BS. The man has one fourteen major championships; he's the greatest golfer of this generation. He earned the right to be on the cover of sports magazines along time ago.
At some point, this scandal will truly be in the past and you will see Tiger in commercials, Tiger winning again, Tiger on magazines,..... People, the fans, will forget with time. They always do.
He won't be a pariah forever. Haters need to accept that and move the hell on.
And there's nothing wrong with that. Every scandal-ridden celebrity is entitled to this. You can criticize it all you want, but don't act as though it hasn't been done before and that Tiger and his people don't have a right to do it.
Any word you can give us on how Elin and the children are doing? You think they feel like Tiger committed a crime? Maybe, not, but I'll bet it feels like it to them.
For the saps that continue to slather drool upon Eldrick's feet, that's your perogative but spare us the preachy admonitions that "nobody's perfect." A) That's not a news flash. B) We didn't earn hundreds of millions while demonstrating an unparalled level of arrogance that was shaped by a relentless media campaign that served to create an image of a man that simply didn't exist. The level of deceit and hypocracy could be measured with a dumpster.
“A poor excuse for not saying your prayers!” the old man snorted.
Don't know for sure, but I would presume Elin's making new life for herself while raising her children with Tiger involved. You know, like average divorcees. They move on. You should, too.
Then again, I don't feel that what Tiger does in his personal life from now on is any of my business. That's the difference between me and you.
BenSeattle continues to be a small thinker and a sanctimonious blowhard. Nobody condones what Tiger did or "drools" over him. We just recognize the guy has a right to move on with his life while we admire his athletic skills.
Get used to see Tiger on more magazine covers in the future.
And you have the right to continue to be duped and manipulated by IMG's P.R. henchmen who are only too happy to twist gullible twits such as yourself like so much cotton candy. You're aware, I'm sure, that for years Woods' mouthpiece Mark Steinberg was known as "Dr. No," owing to the usual answer he gave to reporters, networks, charities and fellow players. I'm certain you don't connect Eldrick's new-found "accessability" to be part of an orchestrated effort. (Feel free to ignore Steinberg's admission that IMG contracted actual SURVEYS of the public to learn just what they wanted to hear so TW could feed it to the masses.)
By all means, please buy whatever Woods is pushing next. You, too, can pad the pockets of this most undeserving jock. Just be aware that it's not a smile you're buying; it's a smirk
The guy got caught being a closeted serial philanderer. He misled the media into painting him as a good guy, a family guy. He made millions off that false image. He didn't beat anybody up. He didn't kill any dogs. He screwed around, lost his family, had to pay $100 million or so in a divorce settlement, walked away from millions in endorsement and is trying to reestablish his image in the media that have made millions off of his image in the past. The media needs to get over themselves, it seems to me.
cough, sorry?
Millions in endorsement were pulled away from him by companies that may or may not have cared about the cheating, but couldn't endorse a guy that didn't even know how to say one honest word about it to anyone....Tiger does not know how to relate to other human beings.