Leave the champ alone

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It started of as a terrible scare. I received an email from BBC News alert at about 1:30 in the morning saying that Tiger Woods was in a car crash. At the time they said he was in critical condition. Then we heard that he was released from the hospital and sent home. This is the point where it should have ended. But as we all know, the circus came to town. Rumors of affairs and scandals started flowing and the tabloid world got to pick on a new priceless victim. Here is my take.

There are people out there who say that they can never see Tiger in the same way. The high standards and expectations he set as an individual have been shattered. They say the perfect athlete is flawed and they can't accept that he turned out to be the way he did. If you are one of these people then I can confidently say that you never understood the man in the first place.

As evidence from my earlier blogs, I am a die hard Tiger Woods fan and after all this nonsense, nothing has changed. I don't care if Tiger has slept with all the women who have claimed to have had an affair with him. Last I heard, the count was up to 5 and trust me, plenty more women will join the bandwagon. The count could go up to 100 and I still wouldn't care. I am not a Tiger Woods fan because he is a good father, husband, citizen, human. I am a Tiger Woods fan because he hits the golf ball better than anyone in the world. I am a Tiger Woods fan because he has changed the way a sport is played. I am a Tiger Woods fan because he has taken a sport with limited viewership and made it in to a sport that non golfers (like myself) stay up all night to watch.

I spoke to a friend yesterday who said his two favorite sports people have let him down recently, Agassi and Tiger. I can understand being let down by Agassi (because of the match tanking issue), but let down by Tiger because he allegedly had affairs? Come on. Let us say for argument sake that Sachin Tendulkar was caught in a similar scandal. Would you stop being his fan? If you would, then I am not sure what standard you were holding these people to in the first place? At the end of the day they are humans. I am not saying that extra martial affairs are alright, but they do happen.

The reason for this madness is that Tiger has been a very private guy his whole life. Now all of a sudden there is a burst of information and dirt about a guy who seemed perfect. I hope this show comes to an end. It is getting boring and is really none of our business. But I don't see it ending anytime soon. People just can't leave these things alone. The press and media prey on every opportunity that comes their way. Some are calling it revenge for all the years that Tiger shut the press out. Either way, I fear we are going to read a lot more nonsense before this thing is done.

There could be a phenomenal ending to this saga though. Something that would put an end to any debate about the man and shut the press up forever. What if in 2010 Tiger Woods tears it up on the golf course? What if he comes out and does things that we have never seen him do before. I can see it now. A green jacket, the US Open, the British Opens and the PGA Championship. If I could write the end of this story, that is how I would script it and it would be a sight to see.

Photo Credit- http://sports.stanjames.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/tigerwoods.jpg

Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 7, 2009 at 3:30 PM

    Well put PRG. Tiger will be back...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sonali..December 7, 2009 at 3:32 PM

    I may be a tad emotional here but I was very upset to read about Tiger. Sorry Pranav, but I don't agree with you at all. Tiger is someone I looked up to in every aspect of life. WHen you view someone that way it is very sad to see that your vision has been shattered.

    I would be upset if Sachin was caught in a scandal like this, and I would not be able to respect him as I do today. Sorry but we differ on this issue.

    Glad you wrote on it though. Please don't take so long between posts anymore

    ReplyDelete
  3. AbhirajDecember 7, 2009 at 3:49 PM

    I dont completely agree with you either. Yes he's changed golf and I'll still be a fan - nothing may change for Tiger the golfer but it definitely will for Tiger the celebrity. For me, there's something about Tiger, Sachin, Federer that puts them in a different league of sports celebrities...its the way they carry themselves on the field and off it. Tiger will now move a notch away (not necessarily down) to the Kobe, Warne, A-Rod, league. It may affect some endorsements and some fans and i think thats okay. Doesnt take away from what he can do with the golf club and i really hope 2010 does end for him exactly the way you want it to.

    ReplyDelete
  4. rajjiDecember 7, 2009 at 4:34 PM

    i agree but the sachin analagy is not valid as india they make them gods

    ReplyDelete
  5. SLDecember 7, 2009 at 4:34 PM

    On a personal level it will not affect my respect for Tiger because hes always been a golfer to me as has Woody Allen always been a filmmaker.

    But I think the biggest effect these scandals have is on the next generation of kids who idolise these sportsmen. We as adults are able to rationalise wrong behaviour in some sense and see through the agenda of the media. And maybe Im making a wrong assumption, but I think kids who take up golf because of Tiger and have a poster of him by the bedside may simply say screw golf, I like Sachin more now so Ill follow Cricket.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousDecember 8, 2009 at 5:36 PM

    there is no issue if he screws 10 night club owners, midgets or transexuals for that matter. It's his personal life. The problem is he gives interviews that include his personal life - the love for his wife, his unborn children, his father blah blah. His life off the course is built to be an extension of his game - that is deliberate and purposeful as per the direction of his PR team and himeslf. So i wouldn't feel so sorry for him being slammed now. In the past PRG you haven't steered clear off SRK or politicians then why make exceptions for talented sportsmen? No one is questioning Tiger Woods game or his talent outside the bedroom - they are however questioning his hard-built brand that brings in billions of dollars. It is that money that he is trying to protect by his apologies and careful consideration of whether he will take on Oprah's tell all show - hardly his game or his unquestionable talent - outside the bedroom.

    ReplyDelete
  7. RAJJIDecember 28, 2009 at 2:30 PM

    INDIA IS A SPORTS STARVED AND SEX STARVED NATION

    ReplyDelete

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