Triumphant Returns
Unless you are deaf, dumb, blind and totally unaware
of the world around you - you have already tired of the
turmoil, chaos, plane crash, train collision, eruption,
boil, epidemic, tumour, and simple disaster that is
reflected in all that has been written about the personal
life of one Tiger Woods.
The last thing anyone cares about or needs is my two cents
worth. So here I go....
Will Tiger Woods come back and when he comes back what
should we expect ?
Yes Tiger Woods will be come back and when he returns he
will become an even bigger "star".
Tiger Woods will command even bigger endorsement contracts.
Tiger Woods will continue to do amazing things both on the
golf course and through his foundation.
And when Tiger Woods retires from golf he will be the most
beloved professional athlete of all time.
All of this will come to pass regardless of whether he
remains married to the current Mrs. Woods and whether he
is ever found again to be out playing the tom cat.
The fact is that we love the story of the individual that
picks him/herself off the canvas more than we love the story
of the unblemished hero. Can you think of a modern hero that
is unblemished ? I can't.
The fact is that today we spend ridiculous amounts of time
and money looking for blemishes on our heros.
Celebrity brings with it many ills - but as a society we have
a very short memory where celebrity indiscretion is concerned.
Bill Clinton is likely more of a draw today because of Monica
Lewinski than if "the page beneath the desk" had never existed.
Kobe Bryant, Ray Lewis, Alex Rodriquez - tainted stars who've
eventually emerged unscathed from public scrutiny.
In fact, the only high profile cheater to pay a huge price in
my memory is Pete Rose and that's a blog for another time.
In our society, sadly we casually turn blind as our
policitians daily lie to us and steal from us - if you accept as
theft the grossly inappropriate ways they spend our money.
In our society today we'll be outraged for a week or two and
then another scandal will take over the headlines and the
spotlight on Tiger will fade until he decides the time is
right to return.
I don't beleive that we will see Tiger Woods until he is at
the point where his game - mechanically, emotionally and
intellectually is at a level that no one has ever seen.
When Tiger returns he will win like we've never seen him win
before and that is the only thing that will impact his
legacy.
If Mrs. Woods can ever forgive him - their family will be fine.
Within a year the public will have forgotten all about this.
I have a feeling - and I could be all wet - that Tiger Woods
is every bit the family man he was the day he got married.
Tiger Woods was never a kid - never a kid like most kids. He
made his first golf appearance on national TV before
he was of kindergarten age.He was groomed to be a machine - a
golf machine - the greatest golf machine ever created. He
was groomed to think right, swing right, putt right , treat
the media with undue respect, and to be steely cold in the
pursuit of purpose.
Tiger never learned to be a goof. I would be very surprised
to learn that Tiger ever had the freedom, or for what we know
the inclination, to be a sixteen year old underage drinker
sporting a lovely fresh barf design on the shirt that he wore
to charm any unwitting victim in a skirt at the school dance.
I'm guessing that Tiger lived out his early teens
( and was a goof ) in his late 20's and early 30's only after
his guide, his father had passed on.
Take any 16 year old that I grew up with - give him
Tiger's looks, money and power and the fact that no one would
ever say "no", and - well - that story does not end well.
Jack Nicklaus was asked to comment on Tiger's situation...
He said it was none of his business but that Tiger was an
incredible athlete and that he would figure it all out.
He will figure it all out.
I was watching PBS last night - perish the thought - during
the Leafs game with Washington. PBS Detroit was broadcasting
a special on Peter, Paul and Mary.
I think it was the last special produced before the recent
passing of Mary Travers.
Whether you like their music or not theirs is a compelling
story. Three very distinct voices and styles and after 43
years of performing they still had the ability to hold an
audience. The thing that I respect most - admire the most -
is that they were true to their craft. It was always acoustic based.
Guitars, and three part harmony and the material was always
appropriate for anyone.
I remember seeing them in concert in Hamilton, Ontario probably
30 years ago. I remember becoming emotional watching Peter, Paul
and Mary sing - and watching the entire audience, pre-school to
great grand parent, swaying to and fro singing right along with
them....Puff the Magic Dragon, If I Had a Hammer...
" The answer my friend is blowing in the wind, the answer is blowing in the
wind."
By the way - the Leafs won.
Til next time - Happy Trials.
Don
of the world around you - you have already tired of the
turmoil, chaos, plane crash, train collision, eruption,
boil, epidemic, tumour, and simple disaster that is
reflected in all that has been written about the personal
life of one Tiger Woods.
The last thing anyone cares about or needs is my two cents
worth. So here I go....
Will Tiger Woods come back and when he comes back what
should we expect ?
Yes Tiger Woods will be come back and when he returns he
will become an even bigger "star".
Tiger Woods will command even bigger endorsement contracts.
Tiger Woods will continue to do amazing things both on the
golf course and through his foundation.
And when Tiger Woods retires from golf he will be the most
beloved professional athlete of all time.
All of this will come to pass regardless of whether he
remains married to the current Mrs. Woods and whether he
is ever found again to be out playing the tom cat.
The fact is that we love the story of the individual that
picks him/herself off the canvas more than we love the story
of the unblemished hero. Can you think of a modern hero that
is unblemished ? I can't.
The fact is that today we spend ridiculous amounts of time
and money looking for blemishes on our heros.
Celebrity brings with it many ills - but as a society we have
a very short memory where celebrity indiscretion is concerned.
Bill Clinton is likely more of a draw today because of Monica
Lewinski than if "the page beneath the desk" had never existed.
Kobe Bryant, Ray Lewis, Alex Rodriquez - tainted stars who've
eventually emerged unscathed from public scrutiny.
In fact, the only high profile cheater to pay a huge price in
my memory is Pete Rose and that's a blog for another time.
In our society, sadly we casually turn blind as our
policitians daily lie to us and steal from us - if you accept as
theft the grossly inappropriate ways they spend our money.
In our society today we'll be outraged for a week or two and
then another scandal will take over the headlines and the
spotlight on Tiger will fade until he decides the time is
right to return.
I don't beleive that we will see Tiger Woods until he is at
the point where his game - mechanically, emotionally and
intellectually is at a level that no one has ever seen.
When Tiger returns he will win like we've never seen him win
before and that is the only thing that will impact his
legacy.
If Mrs. Woods can ever forgive him - their family will be fine.
Within a year the public will have forgotten all about this.
I have a feeling - and I could be all wet - that Tiger Woods
is every bit the family man he was the day he got married.
Tiger Woods was never a kid - never a kid like most kids. He
made his first golf appearance on national TV before
he was of kindergarten age.He was groomed to be a machine - a
golf machine - the greatest golf machine ever created. He
was groomed to think right, swing right, putt right , treat
the media with undue respect, and to be steely cold in the
pursuit of purpose.
Tiger never learned to be a goof. I would be very surprised
to learn that Tiger ever had the freedom, or for what we know
the inclination, to be a sixteen year old underage drinker
sporting a lovely fresh barf design on the shirt that he wore
to charm any unwitting victim in a skirt at the school dance.
I'm guessing that Tiger lived out his early teens
( and was a goof ) in his late 20's and early 30's only after
his guide, his father had passed on.
Take any 16 year old that I grew up with - give him
Tiger's looks, money and power and the fact that no one would
ever say "no", and - well - that story does not end well.
Jack Nicklaus was asked to comment on Tiger's situation...
He said it was none of his business but that Tiger was an
incredible athlete and that he would figure it all out.
He will figure it all out.
I was watching PBS last night - perish the thought - during
the Leafs game with Washington. PBS Detroit was broadcasting
a special on Peter, Paul and Mary.
I think it was the last special produced before the recent
passing of Mary Travers.
Whether you like their music or not theirs is a compelling
story. Three very distinct voices and styles and after 43
years of performing they still had the ability to hold an
audience. The thing that I respect most - admire the most -
is that they were true to their craft. It was always acoustic based.
Guitars, and three part harmony and the material was always
appropriate for anyone.
I remember seeing them in concert in Hamilton, Ontario probably
30 years ago. I remember becoming emotional watching Peter, Paul
and Mary sing - and watching the entire audience, pre-school to
great grand parent, swaying to and fro singing right along with
them....Puff the Magic Dragon, If I Had a Hammer...
" The answer my friend is blowing in the wind, the answer is blowing in the
wind."
By the way - the Leafs won.
Til next time - Happy Trials.
Don
posted by Don Grose at 7:10 AM
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