Why do we not love Tiger?

[Atticus_Finch]

Is a question I've been asking myself recently.
Sure, we respect and admire him, but "Love?" I don't think so.
In the past there have been players that have been loved. Like Arnie,Trevino and Seve. Hell, even Monty. But not Tiger. Why is that?
It's difficult to pin the reason down because you can't truthfully say that his golf isn't spectacular (because it is).
Is it because of his attitude/behaviour on the course? (aloof/throwing tantrums,swearing,spitting)
He also takes great offence if someone dares to say that he can be beaten. (Ames, Sabbatini)
Is it because we don't know him well enough? Sure he does the after-round interviews, but we never see him on Parky or Letterman or any of those kind of shows.
Perhaps if he just let us in a little bit we might grow to love him a little more.
Or I could be wrong and everyone DOES love him and I don't see it.

 

[BunkerMentality123]

I'm not sure what the program was called, but I saw something on sky (repearted from a couple of yrs ago) in which he did a sort of open day, coaching kids and giving a fun demonstration of wacky shots and also some darn good ones too.

I have to say that he came across as a top bloke and it definitely softened my opinion towards him. Also watching the skins stuff he does with Arnie, Jack and sometimes John Daley you get to see his fun side more (and to some extent the huge respect/almost awe) in which he holds those living legends.

Will he ever be like Jack (I doubt it), but as he gets older we may see that people learn to love him more.

 

[GB72]

I saw some of those programs and saw that they are from a few years ago. He used to do similar displays for Nike all over the world and did a couple in the UK. I think that Tiger used to be OK but the bigger he has become, the more he has had to protect himself from the public and the media and the less of his 'human' side we get to see. As such, it is easy to admire his skill but difficult to go beyond that. For Tiger to go out and do demo days and now would be almost impossible.

He is not helped by the crowds of ignorant americans shouting 'in the hole' at his every shot.

 

[birdieman]

Was fat Jack not unpopular for a long time when he started whipping Arnie, the people's guy. Tiger is similar in that people admire but maybe don't warm to that much but I think he'll be really popular when he's older and achieved his goals.
He has a whiter than white image that he defends and is afraid to get tarnished if he lets his guard down - did he never get rat-arsed and have fights when he was a Stanford student - I thought thats all students do?? Pity we never hear about it if he did - maybe his agents have paid off any 'kiss and tell' types?

 

[ace_in_the_pack]

Personally I always stand up for Tiger because I think he is awesome and is often unfairly accused of being arrogant and aloof when it is really not the case. The problem is partly that there is such interest in him that he has to hide away, and also the reason he rarely signs autographs unlike Phil, Daly, etc is because when he does stop he can't move and becomes surrounded.

His game is brilliant and the overall control is superb, there is no doubt he is (or will soon be) the greatest player to ever play the game nd the way he has played recently, what odds the Grand Slam in 2008?

Tiger Woods the 'man' is a great guy too, like the Nike things he used to do and did anyone see those Buick adverts where he tackled people, and messed around with random groups on a par-3 to give away cars. These things show the real Tiger, not golfing Tiger who refuses to be distracted on the course.

That was long actually, my apologies.

 

[rgs]

Its hard to see the real tiger because he does not let his private side interfere with his golfing side, I may be wrong but i don't believe we would see little Sam Woods run onto the green like young Paddy Harrington did at the open before the playoff-we may see her do it after a tiger win. Each to their own-Harrington believed it helped him-others take a different approach.

personally i think the man is a genius and is a gentleman to his fingertips-who treats people like he expects people to treat him-cross him like Ames or Sabbatini and he will put you in your place.

Respect to his parents they raised a fine human being especially given his ethnic background and the travails and racist taunts he experienced growing up playing Golf in America-I love the tiger.

 

[John_Findlay]

So far, no-one has answered Atticus' question.

We don't love him, judging by the answers so far. Yes, we respect him, undoubtedly but he's not like us. Nor does he have Seve's charisma and warmth, Monty's frailties or Trevino's ability to make us laugh. Faldo has more humour and charm, for God's sake (ok, I expect to get battered on that one, but it's true)

Who, genuinely can say they have jumped up and cheered at a putt he has holed?

Maybe one day, but not yet. Birdieman's right. It was the same for Nicklaus. He was the antichrist in his early days but who didn't get emotional when he retired at St Andrews in 2005?

 

[RGuk]

Interesting one....
It's only very recently that I have actually wanted him to win anything. I admire/respect him massively, of course, but somehow never quite got into Tiger mode.....

He is a golfing god...no doubt...but I think that because he "is" so brilliant many of us prefer to see a player come through who "can" be brilliant.
Also, he takes himself very seriously at times when we would like to see the real man, which I'm sure is a thoroughly nice guy.

Passion for a hero means to see ups and downs / failings and success. If Tiger goes out and plays his best...he wins...can you say this about any football team?
Time will tell....I hope he becomes more loved and less admired as he grows older (if you know what I mean).
Dave

 

[John_Findlay]

I agree, Dave.

I think I'll probably be egging him on when (not if) he wins his 18th then 19th Major, but at the moment my heart is still with other guys when they're in contention for the big ones.

 

[madandra]

I think it is because his life is so methodical. We love John Daly because we have witnessed some dirty linen being washed in public but with Tiger, we only see what HE wants us to see. I didn't even know he liked a fly puff 'til recently.

Re the Buick Ads, he is not giving away his own money, I agree the ads were fantastic but it is a contractual obligation to do these ads.

Another reason we are detatched from him is because I think if he made donations into charities 'we' can relate to instead of his 'foundation' it would be more visible and we would probably warm to him more.

 

[Atticus_Finch]

I think it may be that we don't see Tiger as a "man" but more of a "corporation".
I mean he's just a money making machine. Whether it be from winnings or sponsorship/advertising.
We never see him unless he's getting paid to be there.
He lives in a different world from us. And before anyone says that it's not his fault and he would be mobbed if he dared, say, go to the pub for a pint when he was in Carnoustie (a la Furyk, Ames etc.) IT IS HIS FAULT! If he had been more open and accessible at the start of his career instead of whoring himself to the Nike buck, then there wouldn't be as big a fuss when he does go out in public.
The more autographs he signs, the less valuable they become.
As far as I'm concerned, He put himself in this position with his actions at the start of his career.
He wanted to be special. And now he is.
Sure, he's got 13 majors, 60+(?)tour wins and countless millions in the bank, but can he go for a pint when he wants?

Only if Budweiser are paying it seems.

Rant over.

Sorry.

 

[birdieman]

You can't really love a machine, if there's no emotion there's no love. When you watch him he doesn't appear to enjoy golf, he just enjoys winning, when he does come second it's always what he did wrong and not what the other guy did right.
Fist pumping isn't the kind of emotion I'm talking about, I think Atticus has hit the nail on the head in the post above this one, Tiger is already turning into a kind of myth rather than just a person, a lot of that myth seems to be being created by the Woods corporate machine by limiting his off course activities and interviews to things they can control. His wife and kid are hidden away like the rest of his life in some compound in Florida. His obsession with privacy is unhealthy. He needs to find the common touch and become a human being rather than just a sports superstar by interacting with people better. Get down the pub at Lytham? at next years Open with the rest of them instead of obsessing over a 3 footer you missed earlier for 4 hours.

 

[ace_in_the_pack]

The points about being more accesible are right actually and that would explain why he now cant do the 'normal' things. However, could this be the reason he wins all the time? The fact his life revolves, a lot of it anyway, around golf and winning golf tournaments, in particular majors, is why he is never seen in a pub outside the venue immediately afterwards. Instead, he is working at what was wrong with his game that day and that is his arguably his best attribute. He he refuses to accept that he cant get any better.

I got to take exception to the he should donate money to charity rather than his own foundation point. The guy sets up a charity (foundation) that he donates massively to and takes part in events for all over the place to raise more money, he even runs the Target World Challenge for it (of course he wins that too). What more can you want the guy to do?

Also although he is a product, much like Beckham is a product, you must remember that Nike had no interest in golf before they signed him (with a lot of cash) and he has helped them in the creation and design of their clubs and equipment.

....and in case you cant already tell, I do jump around and get excited when Tiger rolls in a 30-footer as I think he is already the best of all-time and want him to prove it.

 

[thebelgie24]

is it not that we all prefer the underdog,and tiger is no underdog !!

 

[Atticus_Finch]

Don't think that's the reason Belgie.
I know that I certainly wasn't rooting for Curtis or Hamilton to win and you can't get mush bigger underdogs than them.

 

[madandra]

After the palaver last year when he put his ball in the air con of the clubhouse I lost faith in his indefectibility. He abused his position to gain unfair advantage. He would have received oodles of repect if he called a penalty on himself and declared his ball OB.

To put it bluntly .. HE CHEATED !!!!!!!!


AND SO DID THE USPGA.

 

[muttleee]

That's a pretty serious accusation to make!

I don't think you can "declare" a ball OB, can you? As far as I remember there were no white stakes round the clubhouse area, which is why there was no suggestion that his ball was actually out of bounds. The rules officials made a decision and Tiger accepted it....hardly cheating, in my book!

Just googled this topic and found this page which has the USGA's answers to questions about this ruling. In a nutshell, the clubhouse wasn't OB and an outside agency was seen to lift the ball. In those circumstances, anyone would be entitled to a drop.

 

[Basher]

When playing, he gives the game 100% focus. I used to think him a bit ignorant (not acknowledging the crowd etc) I've since come to the conclusion he is 100% pro as well as a perfectionist in his game.

 

[lefty74]

well said atticus, tiger wanted to distance him self from the common man and he has done that with the help of the nike dollar, if he went for a pint isn't that a joke, a tiger walks into a bar....etc

 

[ForeThought]

is it not that we all prefer the underdog,and tiger is no underdog !!

Hear! Hear!