The wins are starting to pile up like the old days and Tiger recently announced that he is dating U.S. Olympic skier Lindsay Vonn. Forgive me, and I'm sure several others, if the sex scandal has been pushed to the back of the mind. Tiger has pushed those memories out of our minds by returning to his former self. We're guilty of that often. The best players and coaches can make us forget their mistakes with one simple thing: winning. That's exactly what Woods has done this year and as the Masters gets underway tomorrow he seems like the clear favorite.
Winning takes care of everything. Everyone knows it, but for Woods to broadcast it, well that takes some arrogance that only the best possess. Following his win in Orlando a few weeks ago, Woods and Nike released an ad with a photo of him and the caption "Winning Takes Care of Everything." What a bold statement to make. There are so many people that may agree with Woods, but what about those that don't? What about Elin Nordegren? Do you think that she believes that winning takes care of everything after her ex-husband slept with so many women behind her back that you would need more than 10 fingers to name them off? Tiger's kids probably don't think that this winning has taken care of everything either. The reality is that their father wasn't doing the best job he could for them. Does winning automatically make him the father he should be for them? Steve Williams and Tiger probably won't rekindle their friendship just because Tiger is winning again either. So let's be honest: winning may make us forget some things, but it sure won't fix the relationships that once were at the forefront of Woods' life.
There is an arrogance that comes with being the best -- and arrogance that only men like Woods, Ali and Jordan have had. This ad released by Nike is a perfect display of that arrogance from Woods and it shows that he truly has returned to his form. Yes, he is winning and has a girlfriend that seems like a great girl, and right along with those things comes that arrogance that the best possess.
Hate it or love it, here he comes. He's back and he's looking for another green jacket. Respect the player that is Tiger Woods because he is the greatest that our generation will see. We've tried to make others the "next Tiger Woods" but that's not going to happen. This is it. And so there has to be appreciation of Woods' golf game, but that doesn't mean there has to be an appreciation of anything else he does. One of those things would be the Nike ad. It's so off base and wrong that its laughable. Does Woods really believe that? It's sad if he does.
So as The Masters begins on Thursday there will be Woods with his three victories, new girlfriend and old swagger back in his step. There will be Nike basking in his greatness and counting up the dollars. There will be the fans that have since rediscovered their adoration for him. And surely we won't get through the weekend without a mention of that 2009 scandal. Yet, who really cares if that scandal does get brought up?
Because winning takes care of everything right?
WINNING DOES TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING!!!! WOOO!!!!
ReplyDeleteBut seriously you have to respect the many things you have heard about him becoming a better person. I had a chance to meet Webb Simpson who is a strong Christian and colleague of Tiger and he talked about Tiger's differences on and of the course and many of the things he had to say were very positive. Even though nothing will ever change the past, Tiger seems to be in a much better place with his personal life.
ReplyDeleteTrue, it is hard for me to be a judge of the man since I have no interaction with him at all. I want to believe he has improved and tried his hardest to become a better man. That is encouraging what Simpson said. I do want to see Tiger succeed, but I just wish Nike wouldn't have done this ad. I felt like there was a good thing going and they kind of did a set back with this.
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