Does Winning Really Take Care of Everything?

Tiger Woods is back if anyone has failed to notice yet. The number one ranking in the world once again belongs to him and he has already racked up three victories in five events this season. That winning is what we once were accustomed to seeing from Woods, the indisputable top golfer in the world since the time he teed it up on Tour. The infamous 2009 sex scandal ruined Woods' career, but it seems like everything has turned around.

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?

Tradition is Gone, Nike and Adidas Are In

Every athlete, and even non-athletes for that matter, can admit that at some point in time he or she has been a fanatic over the newest Nike or Adidas gear. Whether it be training gear, basketball gear, rugby gear, you name it and the world's powerhouse corporations have it and provide any color you could ever imagine. I myself even found my Christmas list loaded with new Adidas training gear and, quite frankly, I love the ClimaLite and ProCombat clothing lines.

Nike and Adidas have gained such an influence on sports today that you would be hard pressed to find a team that still has their traditional uniforms and that really bothers me. Traditional programs with absolutely classic uniforms such as UCLA and Indiana are among the few basketball programs that have not yet been taken over by Nike and Adidas' newest "fashions". There are few uniforms better than the classic baby blue and gold or the sharp-looking red and white. They look good, they're simple, and they have been around for generations. They represent programs that have history and have shaped college basketball into what it is today. UCLA and Indiana have not come out with ugly uniforms or ridiculous color schemes to try to make a statement, so why are other teams?

For instance, why does it seem that every team seems to be wearing either black uniforms or grey uniforms, regardless of whether or not it's an actual school color? In my mind, Georgetown and Ohio State are the only teams that should be wearing grey. Travel back to the 70's and 80's and you'll find the Hoyas and Buckeyes donning the grey uniforms. Now Nike wants to give teams like Arizona, Syracuse, Duke, and North Carolina grey uniforms? Why!!! Talk about four traditonal programs that should stick with the uniforms they have, especially Duke and UNC. It's not right that teams have to come out every other week with new uniforms.

That brings me to the newest campaign for Nike and Adidas which, for Nike, means putting the logo on the front above the number while putting the school nickname on the back where the players' names would go. On the other hand, Adidas has gone to either the bright fusha uniforms or the uniforms that are the same color all over (i.e. the NBA's Christmas Day uniforms). I will say this, Nike's idea made a much better impression than Adidas' but both are still stupid. Like Zach said in his blog about players wearing too many sleeves and accessories, the players are there to play ball, not see who can stand out the most. Take Gonzaga for instance, they show up to Hinkle Fieldhouse on the first day Butler has ever hosted College Gameday and break out the new Nike uniforms. The game ended with Butler hitting a buzzer-beater and the students storming the court. But don't worry, Gonzaga looked real good in those new uniforms!

I'm not a fan of all the unnecessary change going on in college basketball; it's pointless. Let the team's keep their uniforms for a few years or just leave the uniforms alone entirely. I think it's stupid that Nike and Adidas feel the need to take away from the game of basketball with all the new uniform schemes. I like the old school feel and that's because I was raised in an old school home. My grandpa is a Hall of Fame basketball coach that always told Zach and I the less fancy you look and play the better. Keep it simple. That is exactly how Nike and Adidas need to treat college basketball uniforms. Just keep them simple!