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I don't think it's amazing that he squeeked out a win in sudden death over an unknown player.

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Um, he didn't just beat an unknown player. He also beat the 150 other top players in the world.

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Without tiger the PGA tour would be the NHL, there would be no golf channel or primetime TV coverage, therefore everyone should root for tiger

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Might want to check your pre-1997 facts on this one.

Bob you are correct.

Golf on national tv has to be basically credited to Alpha Poppa One, aka Mr. Arnold Palmer. The Golf Channel also, I believe that he still owns the majority of it, but he did participate in the founding of it.

Lee Trevino probably put it best. "We should all give 10% of our winnings to Arnold Palmer, because without him, we would be still playing for a total of $5,000 a week."

I like Tiger but Bob makes a great point. Tiger is golf's equivalent of the Yankees or Cowboys.

I have heard several people make the Cowboys/Yankees comparison. I disagree with that one. I hate the Yankees because they just throw money at their problems. They don't bother developing young talent, they just outbid everyone else for veteran free agents.

Tiger doesn't outspend people. He just outworks/out-talents everyone else to win a lot.

I will say golf ratings and consequently purses have gone up significantly because of Tiger. That isn't really a reason for fans to like him more or less. I would think the PGA and other tour players who now make $750,000 to finish in 2nd place would appreciate that more than fans would.

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I have heard several people make the Cowboys/Yankees comparison. I disagree with that one. I hate the Yankees because they just throw money at their problems. They don't bother developing young talent, they just outbid everyone else for veteran free agents.

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When the Yankees were winning titles in the 90's, it was due to home-grown talent. They've actually gotten worse as they've tried to buy their way out of their problems.

As far as the Cowboys are concerned, they can't outbid everyone due to the salary cap.

In any case, people have rooted against both teams for decades - before resources were the player they've become these days.

Some people just like to root against the favorites and for the underdogs. Sometimes there are things about the favorite that annoy them (some big, some small) that help create that dynamic, but sometimes it's just as simple as preferring the underdog. That's been going on in sports forever.


[This message has been edited by Bob the Enzyte Guy (edited 6/20/2008 10:35a).]

While Tiger may be the best ever I dont like him.

He's all they talk about. When he doesnt play people dont watch. Well, the reason they dont watch is because they dont know anything about anyone else. TV and the PGA have screwed themselves in the ratings because of how they treat Tiger. Its the same thing that ESPN has done with the Red Sox/Yankees. If they arent playing, the "casual" fan doesnt want to watch. There is a good chance that like Tiger, the Sox or Yanks will be playing for it all, but if they arent, people dont watch because they dont care, and they dont care because ESPN told them to root for the Sox/Yanks and Tigers.

It just terrible marketing imo.

If the Rockies had not won like 345 games in 2 weeks they wouldnt have been the playoffs and no one would know who Matt Holiday is, not that they care anymore because the Rocks are in the crapper.

ESPN would rather talk about the Yanks playing bad and Tiger not playing at all than talking about who is actually playing well or, in the PGAs case, playing at all.

Its not Tigers fault how he is treated, but because I cant hangout with him and see what kind of person he is, I will continue to root against him and root for Phil and Rory and Rocco (who is a family friend...sorta).

I will be watching more golf now that he is not playing, and I cant wait for the British.

I'll bet that Johnny Miller wants to add an asterict by the Open Championship winners name this year because there was no Tiger.

I hope he recovers and returns 100% next season, he is good for golf, but he (by no fault of his own) makes golf hard to watch.

The media will put on whomever brings in the biggest ratings. Tiger is making history with every victory. That puts him on the top of the media coverage pecking order. Until someone else can step up and win like him it won't change.

I agree that compared the Great's of Yesterday today's players do look soft. But how much of that is Tiger just being so dominant? I think this has something to do with it:

The great Bobby Jones said about Jack "He plays a game with which I am not familiar." Jack said the same about Tiger.

...and there it is.

*********************************************************************************************************************
"Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of their women."

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Without tiger the PGA tour would be the NHL, there would be no golf channel or primetime TV coverage, therefore everyone should root for tiger

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I'd like to go back to this point, and points similar to it - that the golf world should be thanking Tiger for bringing in more viewers, $$$, etc. - so that automatically means he must be good for the game. It's certainly been good for those with their pocketbook linked to the game, like the networks and the other players.

However, for the golf nut like me who was a golf nut prior to Tiger, I don't see how this increased attention and $$$ has improved things. In fact, I think it's done almost the opposite. The purses and endorsements are so large now that we are seeing unprecedented levels of tournament "cherry-picking" by the top 20-25 players in the world. If you are a top player, you can still get filthy rich playing a limited schedule, and as a result, many are doing just this. So as a golf fan, I'm stuck watching weekend-after-weekend of tournaments that are missing a large portion of the best players in the world. That sucks.

And I didn't have trouble finding golf on TV before Tiger, including The Golf Channel which launched 2 years before Tiger hit the Tour.


[This message has been edited by Bob the Enzyte Guy (edited 6/23/2008 1:02p).]

im sure the players on tour hate that the purses are so large...the golf channel may had been around but golf did not have anything close to the amount of tv coverage they have now...and why do you care anyway, theres not any great golfers playing today according to you

I'm still confused why people take it personal when someone doesn't "root" for Tiger. Since when is "rooting" for the underdog wrong?

Just because I don't "root" for Tiger doesn't mean I can't appreciate his greatness. And those that chose to root for Tiger, good for you. Nothing wrong with that either.

What's funny is I probably would have rooted for Tiger in the Open if I had known he had a torn acl. Because then he would have become the "underdog" story to me.. As it stands I was pulling for the oldest first time champ in history.. Yeah, but I must be a huge bigot.


[This message has been edited by Aston04 (edited 6/24/2008 10:57a).]

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im sure the players on tour hate that the purses are so large...the golf channel may had been around but golf did not have anything close to the amount of tv coverage they have now

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Did you even read my post? I acknowledged that his fellow Tour players and the networks, both of whom are enjoying fatter wallets due to Tiger, are happy. Hence:

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It's certainly been good for those with their pocketbook linked to the game, like the networks and the other players.

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[This message has been edited by Bob the Enzyte Guy (edited 6/24/2008 11:12a).]

I'm not saying this is every case, but those I've personally talked to that dont root for Tiger is for one reason.

He is boring. Guys like Rocco, good golfers with great personalities tend to become fan favorites if only for just the tourney. Tiger will always be a favorite because he is winner, period. But give him an approachable personality, even just in the media tent (getting much better as he ages) he would get that much more support.

These are simply my views on him, and why some people do not root for him. I dont think I've met one person who does not respect what he has done in his career.

Boring? You must not have watched the US open then, because what he did was certainly not boring. I don't watch golf to see what the players do in the press tent or how that interact with the gallery. Its all about what you do on the course, but I guess sinking 40-60 foot putts and chipping in from off the green are not as exciting as Rocco's interview in the press tent to some folks.

The guy that's 'boring' is the only reason why 2/3 of American golf fans actually watch the sport. He will also be the world's first billion dollar athlete.

I'm sorry but 'boring' absolutely does not apply when you have transcended your profession and are one of the most recognizable athletes in the history of sports.

"Boring? You must not have watched the US open then, because what he did was certainly not boring. I don't watch golf to see what the players do in the press tent or how that interact with the gallery. Its all about what you do on the course, but I guess sinking 40-60 foot putts and chipping in from off the green are not as exciting as Rocco's interview in the press tent to some folks."

Actually I did watch the Open and his 13 other Major championship wins and some others along the way. And I still say that he is boring.

I am very much a fan of his game and appreciate what he as done for the sport.

However my statement was not about his abilities as a golfer, my statement was about personality.

Jack Nicklaus was arguably the greatest golfer of all time (including Tiger), however Arnold Palmer will almost always be the first name mentioned when discussing that era of golf, why Arnie's Army. Nicklaus was a great golfer, but Palmer had the charisma to match his golf game.

Even today after he is retired, there are fans of Jack and fans of Tiger, but it is still Arnie's Army.

Long story short, people watch the tourney to see how Tiger is doing. If he showed his charisma (not just 40 foot eagles that we almost expect him to make now) he would be the single most influential person on the planet.

I admit that Tiger's presence has made me watch more of the Sunday broadcasts. As a former athlete, I love to watch the competition. However, the over-the-top fawning for him "hobbling around on barely one leg" to complete some miraculous victory recently has kind of soured me on the whole "Tiger Wuss" media frenzy. I'm sure there are players in numerous other contact sports that have participated and excelled in their "contact" sports with more serious knee issues than his. He didn't bring it out, the media did. I know he's in terrific shape, but with golf having no testing that I know of, is there anybody else that thinks that his strength might not be all "natural?" Being the competitor that he is, nothing would surprise me.

july 8th the drug testing policy will be forced

So then you are saying that he has never been tested? And he undergoes season-ending surgery or recuperation, or whatever, a few weeks before this testing is to begin. I love a great conspiracy!!! HMMMMMMMM...... Very interesting..

I don't understand why people complain about tiger's "lack of personality". Golf is his job and he treats it like its business. He works his butt off and has worked his way to the top. He doesn't get into trouble like most of the world's best athletes.
His injured leg has become such a big story because of how hard it is to swing on a leg like that. You can play football a little banged up but golf requires so much precision. He's a nice guy and is the greatest golfer ever. I don't understand the hate either.