Comments on: Well, This is Awkward. Tiger is Decade’s Top Athlete. http://www.sportsnetworker.com/2009/12/17/well-this-is-awkward-tiger-is-decades-top-athlete/ Fri, 30 Jul 2010 08:04:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Sam Taggart http://www.sportsnetworker.com/2009/12/17/well-this-is-awkward-tiger-is-decades-top-athlete/comment-page-1/#comment-4333 Sam Taggart Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:37:04 +0000 http://www.sportsnetworker.com/?p=2061#comment-4333 Colin, thanks for your comment. I think you are dead on, the American public (and media to an extent) has a short memory span. Winning cures everything. We'll have to see how Tiger comes out and plays this season, whenever he comes back. Colin, thanks for your comment. I think you are dead on, the American public (and media to an extent) has a short memory span. Winning cures everything. We’ll have to see how Tiger comes out and plays this season, whenever he comes back.

]]> By: Colin O'Keefe http://www.sportsnetworker.com/2009/12/17/well-this-is-awkward-tiger-is-decades-top-athlete/comment-page-1/#comment-4332 Colin O'Keefe Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:52:45 +0000 http://www.sportsnetworker.com/?p=2061#comment-4332 "...but if he starts winning, the audience, sponsors, and positive attention will follow." I certainly agree, at least with the audience and attention. It's a tired cliche but the American public has a short memory span. Obviously, golf is going to suffer when he's not on the course. But what happens when he comes back? Is that first tournament (conceivably The Masters) going to get more or less coverage because of this scandal? I think the answer is obvious. It's only an anecdote and small slice of the market but Bill Simmons makes an interesting point in his observation that millions of women will tune in to root <em>against</em> Tiger. Other casual sports fans will tune in to see how he responds. This is why this coming season and the ensuing 18 or so months will have a large impact on Tiger's lasting legacy in the world of sports. He could come out on a mission, hellbent on this false pretense of revenge (against people who never really wronged him). How insane would a grand slam be this year?He would receive untold praise for succeeding int he face of adversity, even though it was his fault in the first place. And if he crumbles? If mental demons prevent him from putting his game back together? It's karma, it's payback. Instead of being the greatest people will say "if only he hadn't cheated." Maybe he still breaks Jack's record but if he stumbles now people will wonder if he could've been better. Obviously, it'll be interesting to see how this plays out. “…but if he starts winning, the audience, sponsors, and positive attention will follow.”

I certainly agree, at least with the audience and attention. It’s a tired cliche but the American public has a short memory span.

Obviously, golf is going to suffer when he’s not on the course. But what happens when he comes back? Is that first tournament (conceivably The Masters) going to get more or less coverage because of this scandal? I think the answer is obvious. It’s only an anecdote and small slice of the market but Bill Simmons makes an interesting point in his observation that millions of women will tune in to root against Tiger. Other casual sports fans will tune in to see how he responds.

This is why this coming season and the ensuing 18 or so months will have a large impact on Tiger’s lasting legacy in the world of sports. He could come out on a mission, hellbent on this false pretense of revenge (against people who never really wronged him). How insane would a grand slam be this year?He would receive untold praise for succeeding int he face of adversity, even though it was his fault in the first place.

And if he crumbles? If mental demons prevent him from putting his game back together? It’s karma, it’s payback. Instead of being the greatest people will say “if only he hadn’t cheated.” Maybe he still breaks Jack’s record but if he stumbles now people will wonder if he could’ve been better.

Obviously, it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out.

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