The downfall of Tiger Woods

Published 5:53 pm Saturday, March 6, 2010

One of America’s preeminent sports figures was found lacking. There are many of us who could care less who is the best golfer in the world, or for that matter the best golfer to ever play the game. He is probably not as important for us as Joe Mauer is to Minnesota Twins sports fans. If you measured the depth of feeling regarding both, Mauer would probably win, at least among Minnesotans. Yet if you took a nationwide poll, I bet that Tiger Woods would be the best known. He has dominated his sport for the past decade. His dominance reminds me of the 1920s when Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey and Red Grange were representing their sports.

Many times there are company and competition for the best in each sport. During pro football’s heyday with quarterback Johnny Unitas of Baltimore there was Bart Starr of the Packers. Jim Brown of the Cleveland Browns had Gayle Sayers of Chicago come on the scene. In pro basketball there was Magic Johnson, but Larry Bird was also playing basketball at the same time. Babe Ruth even had to contend with Ty Cobb. And Mohammed Ali had Joe Frazier. Golf has also seen strong competition for the top spot. Bobby Jones in the 20s teed off against Gene Sarazen. Ben Hogan during the mid-century had Slamming Sammy Snead winning more than his share. Getting closer to the modern era Jack Nicklaus was the premier golfer, but faced stiff competition for popularity in Arnold Palmer.

There were a few athletes that stood above the game and helped define it. Basketball’s George Mikan was such a player. He was not only the dominant player, but he changed the way the game was played. Michael Jordan had no peer as he led the Chicago Bulls to championship after championship. Both Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis dominated boxing during their reign.

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If you look at today’s baseball, basketball and football there does not seem to be one overwhelming figure in each sport. No one that transcends his or her sport, with one exception, Tiger Woods. Sure Phil Mickelson is sometimes mentioned as a rival, but Mickelson does not seem comfortable in that role and Woods stood alone at the top of his profession.

Why did Tiger throw it all away? I’m adding nothing new by saying Woods felt he was above it all. That he did not have to conform to the rules of society. That, after all, he was Tiger Woods. His arrogance knew no bounds and it must have been hard for him to be civil to us lesser beings. The Greeks called it hubris, an overwhelming pride in oneself. There is a quote sometimes attributed to Greek playwright Euripides: “That when the gods wish to destroy, first they make mad.” Perhaps more descriptive is this quote by another Greek playwright Sophocles, that states: “Evil sometimes feels good to a man whose mind a god leads to destruction.”

Woods knew what he was doing was wrong, but such was his pride that he did it anyway. In doing so he damaged himself, his wife and family and the game of golf. During his recent press conference he stated that he was still in treatment for his sex addition, but that he would again play golf. It may be that he will and it may be that he will regain his former ability, but he will never regain his former status. If it was just one failing it would be easier to forgive, but his philandering took place over many years with many women.

Perhaps the best thing that could happen to Woods is for a new golfer to come upon the scene challenging him for the title of the best golfer in the world. That contest would provide an emphasis on his golfing rather than his character.