2 up through 2… He looks very good.
Nope. He brings the same old plot and reduced excitement - at least in terms of who will win. 50% of the tourney’s Tiger enters he wins. Ho-hum. Yes, impressive as all hell, but nothing I care to watch.
Hell, I used to be a huge NBA fan and I felt the same way after The Bulls’ 3d or 4th championship. Yeah, MJ was the best player at the time, one of the few best ever. But I didn’t need the lead of EVERY story to be about him. In my opinion, that type of dominance makes things far less interesting.
Your (and the majority) opinion, that’s all. Certainly not demonstrable fact.
The demonstrable part is the ratings bump and increase in media coverage and corporate sponsorship. I’d say that’s the definition of increased success in the business of sports.
That aside, I can appreciate your point of view. I don’t share it. Even after all these years I still find Tiger’s level of performance transfixing. But I can understand wanting the focus to be on the game and the skill of the players instead of on one dominant personality that shifts everyone else’s odds of success so dramatically.
One other - minor - probably downright petty - factor I remembered while watching a couple of hours of coverage last night.
I know that what I dislike are manifestations of his drive for excellence and uncompared concentration/focus/determination - but when I see him on TV he looks like a dick.
I know he is being critical of no one but himself when he complains following a bad shot, but not every golfer whines “Oh come on!” after a bad shot. (Tho he - and Steve - have on occasion whined over camera clicks and movement.) And his unparallelled focus has him barely acknowledge the crowds or his competitor.
Like I said - minor and petty. And I acknowledge and praise his charitable efforts, and that he seems to be very affable and well spoken during press and business events. And I realize that with the incomparable demands on his time he undoubtedly has to maintain a stronger “wall” around him. Heck, the fact that he excels despite the unprecedented distractions/demands is further proof of his excellence.
If he weren’t as determined and focussed, I have no doubt that he would not be as dominant as he is. Just saying, another reason I don’t enjoy watching him. Reminds me of every uber-competitive jerk I’ve ever played/competed with.
It’s Tiger’s *off-course *behavior, specifically in interviews and press conferences, that I don’t like.
His on-course behavior…the self-talk and the fist-pumps…the steely gaze…has always struck me as an authentic extension of his competetive personality, and I think it’s a big part of why the networks follow his every move so slavishly. I also like his approach to commercials, which are often send-ups of him as much as they are celebrations of his success.
But put a microphone in front of him and ask him a question and I will wince and reach for the remote. He is the least honest, most coached, most image-savvy golfer ever, and I cannot staaaand the way he talks.
I’ve watched this movie before, so I know how it turns out.
But w/ Tim Clark up 3 thru 13, I’m still gonna be smiling on the train ride home. 
No comment, huh?
MAN - golf threads are a tough sell around here!
I’m somewhat curious about how prominently Tiger’s ABSENCE will be played as the lead story this weekend, while a bunch of unworthy also-rans go about their business of trying to win a tourney. 
God knows the networks have all their sappy montages in the can . . .
I wasn’t surprised that Tiger fell out. But yeah, the silence here is almost as deafening as the (lack of) coverage of the rest of the tourney will be! 
Today’s paper had just a tiny blurb in the “Spots Bits” column, and that focused on Lefty’s exit. :rolleyes:
Like I said, the danger of match play …
Let’s see how Kevin Na and Briny Baird are doing down South of the border way …
Every year, when they have this tournament, I’m reminded of why the PGA Championship changed format in 1958. 