DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post

**dfuzioniag** · 11-02-2010, 09:49 AM

I was never a fan, although I appreciated his special golfing talent. He may be remembered as the greatest golfer ever, but I never enjoyed his tantrums, fist pumps, his language, his ego, etc...

JMO, but I thought of him as a spoiled child who lived a VERY good life, and one who was blessed with unbelievable athletic talent. I give him credit for couplng that talent with a great work ethic.

Whatever other trouble he's gotten himself into recently, really has had no impact on my perception of him, positive or negative. Although maybe unparallelled in his profession, he is still a professional athlete, nothing more, nothing less.

You hear this now and then about Tiger, and it's a valid point in some aspects, but let's put it in perspective.

What great pro athlete DOESN'T show similar traits such as Tiger's?

Just about any great athlete I can think of has a big ego, shows their emotions, yells at teammates, etc etc. Of course you need God given talent, but to be really great, I believe you need that big ego to drive you ahead of all the rest. Anyone as competitive and fired up as Tiger gets is going to show emotion during the heat of the moment. At the same time, if he didn't have that high strung, highly competitive persona, he wouldn't be as good.

Look at Michael Jordan. He barked at teammates. Showed emotion on the court all the time. Got in the faces of competitors. He wanted to win, period. Kobe Bryant comes to mind when I think of someone else w/ this kind of persona as well.

Nobody calls those guys out and says they need to cut down the swearing, or try to be nicer to teammates and competitors.

"Hey Michael, I know you just dunked over Patrick Ewing in a big game in the Eastern Conference Finals, but did you have to yell and do a big fist pump after doing it? I mean, think of the children watching you." As rediculous as that sounds, it's similar to saying Tiger shouldn't fist pump after he makes a putt to win a tournament.

Yes, I realize golf isn't basketball but I'm correlating the kind of athlete we're talking about. You're not just going to tell Tiger to "tone" it down. It's who he is.

11-02-2010, 09:49 AM	#17
dfuzioniag Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 597 Senior Member	I was never a fan, although I appreciated his special golfing talent. He may be remembered as the greatest golfer ever, but I never enjoyed his tantrums, fist pumps, his language, his ego, etc... JMO, but I thought of him as a spoiled child who lived a VERY good life, and one who was blessed with unbelievable athletic talent. I give him credit for couplng that talent with a great work ethic. Whatever other trouble he's gotten himself into recently, really has had no impact on my perception of him, positive or negative. Although maybe unparallelled in his profession, he is still a professional athlete, nothing more, nothing less. You hear this now and then about Tiger, and it's a valid point in some aspects, but let's put it in perspective. What great pro athlete DOESN'T show similar traits such as Tiger's? Just about any great athlete I can think of has a big ego, shows their emotions, yells at teammates, etc etc. Of course you need God given talent, but to be really great, I believe you need that big ego to drive you ahead of all the rest. Anyone as competitive and fired up as Tiger gets is going to show emotion during the heat of the moment. At the same time, if he didn't have that high strung, highly competitive persona, he wouldn't be as good. Look at Michael Jordan. He barked at teammates. Showed emotion on the court all the time. Got in the faces of competitors. He wanted to win, period. Kobe Bryant comes to mind when I think of someone else w/ this kind of persona as well. Nobody calls those guys out and says they need to cut down the swearing, or try to be nicer to teammates and competitors. "Hey Michael, I know you just dunked over Patrick Ewing in a big game in the Eastern Conference Finals, but did you have to yell and do a big fist pump after doing it? I mean, think of the children watching you." As rediculous as that sounds, it's similar to saying Tiger shouldn't fist pump after he makes a putt to win a tournament. Yes, I realize golf isn't basketball but I'm correlating the kind of athlete we're talking about. You're not just going to tell Tiger to "tone" it down. It's who he is.
	Quote