Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Tiger Woods is back

For the last couple years, golf fans have seen a lot of new faces emerge on the PGA tour. Whether it's young guns from the US, Europeans, Asians, South Africans, Australians, or anybody else -- it's been kinda cool. Who amongst you didn't like the story of Rory McIlroy, the young Irish kid, winning the US Open?

All that just came to a screeching halt. Yep, the elephant, one Eldrick Tont Woods, has lumbered back into the room.

All his personal problems aside, this guy hasn't done diddly squat as a golfer for about 2 years, yet just announcing he's going to play in a tournament brings the media out in hordes. What is it with this guy? Better yet, what is it with the media? He hasn't even teed off on the first hole yet and there's been a press conference, and wall-to-wall coverage by the talking heads.

If he happens to win the tournament, which I doubt, they'll probably rewrite the Bible to include another verse about the Second Coming. If he merely finishes, it will be called a minor miracle, and we'll hear all about his leg injuries, over and over and over and over again. If he bombs out? Get ready for an endless media buzz loop about how much he must have been suffering, came back too fast, and is heroic for even trying.

In the meantime, while he's on the course, we won't get to see as many of the other talented players anymore. It will once again turn into the Tiger Woods show. See Tiger drive. See Tiger walk. See Tiger take a divot. See Tiger eat a banana. See Tiger putt. See Tiger 10 shots behind on the leaderboard. See Tiger in another press conference while the tournament is still going on. Etc, ad nauseum.

How much is enough of this guy, anyway?

Kind of ironic he's making his highly trumpeted and ballyhooed return at a tournament called Bridgestone.

Aren't those the Japanese tires that were blowing up on cars a few years ago?  Remember that? They smoothed that over, but like the tires, Eldrick coming back to the tour blows up the coverage of so many other talented people. You won't see much of them anymore and that's a shame, because these guys are really good. They're friendly too, and don't think they're some sort of royalty. Imagine that.

Just when I was starting to get back into watching golf, Tiger's going to hog the spotlight again and mess it up.

He has enough money and I wish he'd consider an alternative.

Like maybe playing on the Swedish circuit.

Now THAT would be interesting.

1 comment:

  1. Sweden is good. Afghanistan would be better. The Taliban invitational. Perfect.

    ReplyDelete