Houston Rockets rookie forward Royce White may never play in the NBA, and it has nothing to do with on-the-court issues. White has an anxiety disorder, and maintains that he will not do anything to jeopardize his mental health, even if that means retiring as a professional basketball player before he even gets started.
White and the Rockets have a unique dynamic right now. I'm hesitant to call it a skirmish, but there's certainly a disconnect between the two parties. White feels that the Rockets have not been accommodating toward his anxiety, and the Rockets continue to fine White for every day that he does not report to D-League practice and meet with a team-appointed therapist. While Houston has maintained that they will neither release nor trade White, it certainly would not be surprising to envision White no longer with the team. Will he be able to play for another team, though? It certainly seems doubtful, especially because White has been very public about his anxiety.
Despite the fact that nearly 18 percent of Americans, including myself, have some form of anxiety disorder, it is somewhat of a private disorder. There is a definite level of shame and stigma attached to anxiety, as it is not a visible disease and because it is often associated directly to simply being scared or nervous. For White to be so outspoken on a national level about his anxiety, then, is admirable. However, as someone who has been through some of the same issues as White, sometimes publicly and sometimes not, I wonder if there will come a time that he will regret speaking out.
Whether we like it or not, professional teams are not going to have a large amount of tolerance for White because they will view him as "problem child" with "character issues." Teams are supposed to be bigger than any one person, especially when that player is not a superstar. White wants to ride on buses or trains instead of flying long distances, something perfectly acceptable in general society, but gives off the idea of aloofness and egotistic in the context of team sports. At this juncture, White may feel that being public about his anxiety is the best course of action, but he may not always feel that way, and since he is such a public figure, there is no way to take back the things that he has said. I'm not saying that White has anything to be ashamed about, but there have been times when I have wanted to address a personal issue publicly before ultimately deciding that I should not to do so because I don't want to deal with the potential repercussions. I just hope that White's forthcoming nature does not result in his undoing.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
The Worst Trade of All Time?
The Miami Marlins just traded five players, plus their dignity, to the Toronto Blue Jays for little more than salary relief. In all, the Blue Jays receive all-star shortstop Jose Reyes, ace Josh Johnson, durable pitcher Mark Buehrle, catcher John Buck, and super-utility man Emilio Bonifacio. The Marlins will receive shortstop Yunel Escobar, who is known primarily for his notoriously bad attitude, pitcher Henderson Alvarez, and prospects Jake Marisnick, Justin Nicolino, and Adeiny Hechavarria.
To say this is merely a salary dump is understating the absurdity of this trade. At least when the Boston Red Sox gave up Adrian Gonzalez, they made the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the albatross that is Carl Crawford and his contract. In this case, the Blue Jays instantly become contenders in the tough AL East without taking any bad contracts, while the Marlins entirely rebuild under owner/cheapskate Jeffrey Loria. Reyes is signed for five more years, and he's only 29 years old. Johnson, who when healthy is one of the best pitchers in the major leagues, is signed for one year at $13.5 million. Buehrle is signed for three more years, and has shown no signs of slowing down at 33. Bonifacio is only making 2.2 million dollars in 2013 and is incredibly speedy, and Buck is a catcher with power who is signed for a reasonable contract. So Toronto gains 5 assets and 0 liabilities.
If that isn't crazy enough, what did Toronto really have to give up? Escobar is solid defensively, but he hasn't hit well in three years, and infamously got suspended for writing a gay slur on his eye-black in September. Alvarez struck out an absurdly low 3.8 batters per nine innings, and if a pitcher can't miss any bats, he's simply not going to be effective no matter how effective his walk and ground ball rates are. Hechavarria is only 23, but he doesn't walk, has no power, and is not a good base stealer. Marsnick is a decent prospect, though he had a poor 2012 season after a very good 2011. Nicolino is probably the best player in this deal, as he's 21, struck out nearly a batter per inning, and had a 2.46 ERA in 2012. However, Nicolino has yet to play above A-ball, and he is by no means a guaranteed star. So even if I were being generous, the Marlins receive more question marks than true assets, while giving up every valuable player they have except for Giancarlo Stanton. After moving to a new ballpark, the Marlins look like they might actually spend to contend, but after one disastrous year, they seem content to simply help other teams do so.
To say this is merely a salary dump is understating the absurdity of this trade. At least when the Boston Red Sox gave up Adrian Gonzalez, they made the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the albatross that is Carl Crawford and his contract. In this case, the Blue Jays instantly become contenders in the tough AL East without taking any bad contracts, while the Marlins entirely rebuild under owner/cheapskate Jeffrey Loria. Reyes is signed for five more years, and he's only 29 years old. Johnson, who when healthy is one of the best pitchers in the major leagues, is signed for one year at $13.5 million. Buehrle is signed for three more years, and has shown no signs of slowing down at 33. Bonifacio is only making 2.2 million dollars in 2013 and is incredibly speedy, and Buck is a catcher with power who is signed for a reasonable contract. So Toronto gains 5 assets and 0 liabilities.
If that isn't crazy enough, what did Toronto really have to give up? Escobar is solid defensively, but he hasn't hit well in three years, and infamously got suspended for writing a gay slur on his eye-black in September. Alvarez struck out an absurdly low 3.8 batters per nine innings, and if a pitcher can't miss any bats, he's simply not going to be effective no matter how effective his walk and ground ball rates are. Hechavarria is only 23, but he doesn't walk, has no power, and is not a good base stealer. Marsnick is a decent prospect, though he had a poor 2012 season after a very good 2011. Nicolino is probably the best player in this deal, as he's 21, struck out nearly a batter per inning, and had a 2.46 ERA in 2012. However, Nicolino has yet to play above A-ball, and he is by no means a guaranteed star. So even if I were being generous, the Marlins receive more question marks than true assets, while giving up every valuable player they have except for Giancarlo Stanton. After moving to a new ballpark, the Marlins look like they might actually spend to contend, but after one disastrous year, they seem content to simply help other teams do so.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Lance Armstrong is not Satan
To say it's been a rough past couple of weeks for Lance Armstrong is a massive understatement. In addition to a scathing report from the U.S. anti-doping agency about him, Armstrong has lost nearly all of his sponsorships, stepped down as Chariman of the popular charity Livestrong, and has been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. Pretty much, the world has decided that because Lance Armstrong used steroids, he no longer exists. Or at least, they're attempting to render amnesia upon everyone, but it's not possible.
Lance Armstrong doped, that's about as clear as can be, and indeed it's been clear for several years. Fourteen of his former teammates testified against him. FOURTEEN! As in, more than the number of victims that testified against Jerry Sandusky in his molestation trial. However, just because Lance Armstrong cheated in a sport where cheating is routine does not mean that we can just forget everything about him. Here's what happened: Lance Armstrong had testicular cancer. He came back from that cancer that severely threatened his life, went back to being a world-class athlete, and helped raise hundreds of million dollars to fight the world's most hated disease today. And because he doped, we can all act like we're better than he is? Yeah, right. I'm sure if you had the opportunity to have Armstrong's story again, you'd take it. We all would.
We all like to shake our heads and sigh when someone gets caught cheating, forgetting that we want to see the results no matter how it gets done. It was the same as the 1998 home run race, and USC football's 2005 championship. Erasing the titles is a meaningless cop-out. I'm not going to suddenly think to myself, "yeah, 1999-2005 cycling was so lame, I don't even know who won." Lance Armstrong got me to care about cycling. He got me to support Livestrong, he inspired me that you can come back from a near death-sentence and accomplish things that seem nearly impossible even when you're in peak physical strength. That hasn't changed, just because he took steroids. We're not living in a virtual reality here, and we can't choose which events we accept and which we don't.
Lance Armstrong doped, that's about as clear as can be, and indeed it's been clear for several years. Fourteen of his former teammates testified against him. FOURTEEN! As in, more than the number of victims that testified against Jerry Sandusky in his molestation trial. However, just because Lance Armstrong cheated in a sport where cheating is routine does not mean that we can just forget everything about him. Here's what happened: Lance Armstrong had testicular cancer. He came back from that cancer that severely threatened his life, went back to being a world-class athlete, and helped raise hundreds of million dollars to fight the world's most hated disease today. And because he doped, we can all act like we're better than he is? Yeah, right. I'm sure if you had the opportunity to have Armstrong's story again, you'd take it. We all would.
We all like to shake our heads and sigh when someone gets caught cheating, forgetting that we want to see the results no matter how it gets done. It was the same as the 1998 home run race, and USC football's 2005 championship. Erasing the titles is a meaningless cop-out. I'm not going to suddenly think to myself, "yeah, 1999-2005 cycling was so lame, I don't even know who won." Lance Armstrong got me to care about cycling. He got me to support Livestrong, he inspired me that you can come back from a near death-sentence and accomplish things that seem nearly impossible even when you're in peak physical strength. That hasn't changed, just because he took steroids. We're not living in a virtual reality here, and we can't choose which events we accept and which we don't.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
10 Reasons Why People Hate LeBron James
1. He signed with another team as a free agent in a free market.
2. He offered to take less money to play there so that the team would be able to sign other valuable players.
3. He joined the team that he believed would put him in the best position to win a championship.
4. He announced his decision in such a way that he was able to raise 2.5 million dollars for the Boys & Girls Club.
5. He promised cheering fans at a team rally that the team would win championships.
6. He has had two bad playoff games in his career, which are more important than every other game he has ever played.
7. He didn't choose to play for the team that you love.
8. He passes to his open teammates at the end of games instead of trying to take an off-balance 21-footer while being triple-teamed.
9. He's from Akron, which means he should stay in Cleveland, where his top sidekick was supposed to be Antawn Jamison, because everyone must play their entire careers in the state in which you were raised.
10. He thinks he's a great basketball player, whereas in reality he is merely a great basketball player.
2. He offered to take less money to play there so that the team would be able to sign other valuable players.
3. He joined the team that he believed would put him in the best position to win a championship.
4. He announced his decision in such a way that he was able to raise 2.5 million dollars for the Boys & Girls Club.
5. He promised cheering fans at a team rally that the team would win championships.
6. He has had two bad playoff games in his career, which are more important than every other game he has ever played.
7. He didn't choose to play for the team that you love.
8. He passes to his open teammates at the end of games instead of trying to take an off-balance 21-footer while being triple-teamed.
9. He's from Akron, which means he should stay in Cleveland, where his top sidekick was supposed to be Antawn Jamison, because everyone must play their entire careers in the state in which you were raised.
10. He thinks he's a great basketball player, whereas in reality he is merely a great basketball player.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
James clear 2011 - 2012 NBA MVP
The NBA regular season is nearly over, which means it is about that
time when everyone agonizes over the season’s awards. In particular,
fans and columnists alike are debating who should win the Most Valuable
Player.
Some columnists, such as Bill Simmons of Grantland, contend that this is one of those seasons when a player will win MVP by default. The argument goes as follows: it is a strike-shortened season, and the league’s quality of play has decreased, as we can see by the decrease in scoring.
Quite simply, I disagree: LeBron James is very clearly the MVP this year.
The media loves storylines, and as a result it sometimes creates its own. Last year, for instance, when Derrick Rose became one of the top players in the NBA as the Bulls came in first place in the Eastern Conference, the media, who vote on all NBA awards, decided that it was more interesting to name Rose the MVP than to give it to James, who had won the previous two seasons, despite James outplaying him statistically last season.
It is the same reason that Charles Barkley won the 1993 MVP and Karl Malone won the 1997 MVP, both instead of the more deserving Michael Jordan: it is much more interesting when different players win the MVP, and it creates a narrative that those who cover the NBA can use to their advantage. Even though Jordan deserved eight or nine MVPs, he “only” won five because other players needed to be rewarded by the media.
James is a strongly polarizing figure because he is considered a postseason “choker” and was widely derided for the way in which he left the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat in the summer of 2010. Because of this, many NBA fans and observers refuse to recognize that James is not only the best player in the league, but also is the most valuable to his team in the regular season. Despite the fact that James’ best teammate, Dwyane Wade, missed thirteen games, and despite only two other players on the Heat besides James having an above average Player Efficiency Rating (PER), the Heat are 43-17 and in second place in the Eastern Conference. This Miami team does not have any depth, and does not even have a starting-caliber center.
James is the reason that the Heat is a serious contender to win the NBA championship; Chris Bosh more of a very good third wheel than he is a member of Miami “Big Three.”
Whether you choose to examine basic or advanced statistics, James is clearly the best player this season. In just under 38 minutes per game, James is averaging 27.1 points per game, 7.9 rebounds per game, and 6.3 assists per game. He also averages 1.9 steals per game and is shooting nearly 53 percent from the floor, despite taking more shots than nearly anybody else in the NBA.
In addition, James is first in the NBA with a 30.5 PER, first with 13.6 Win Shares, seventh in Offensive Rating, and eleventh in Defensive Rating. To sum all up all of those statistics, James has dominated both offensively and defensively on a level which no other player can match.
Some people may not like James, but they should at least respect that during the regular season, when the media votes on the awards, he is consistently both the best and most valuable player in the league, and it is not particularly close. Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, and Kevin Love (before he got hurt) have all had great seasons of their own and should be recognized with selection to the All-NBA teams that also are voted upon after the regular season is completed.
However, just because James did not play well in an NBA Finals game last season does not mean that he should be penalized for MVP this season, just as some other player should not be undeservingly rewarded simply for not being James.
Some columnists, such as Bill Simmons of Grantland, contend that this is one of those seasons when a player will win MVP by default. The argument goes as follows: it is a strike-shortened season, and the league’s quality of play has decreased, as we can see by the decrease in scoring.
Quite simply, I disagree: LeBron James is very clearly the MVP this year.
The media loves storylines, and as a result it sometimes creates its own. Last year, for instance, when Derrick Rose became one of the top players in the NBA as the Bulls came in first place in the Eastern Conference, the media, who vote on all NBA awards, decided that it was more interesting to name Rose the MVP than to give it to James, who had won the previous two seasons, despite James outplaying him statistically last season.
It is the same reason that Charles Barkley won the 1993 MVP and Karl Malone won the 1997 MVP, both instead of the more deserving Michael Jordan: it is much more interesting when different players win the MVP, and it creates a narrative that those who cover the NBA can use to their advantage. Even though Jordan deserved eight or nine MVPs, he “only” won five because other players needed to be rewarded by the media.
James is a strongly polarizing figure because he is considered a postseason “choker” and was widely derided for the way in which he left the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat in the summer of 2010. Because of this, many NBA fans and observers refuse to recognize that James is not only the best player in the league, but also is the most valuable to his team in the regular season. Despite the fact that James’ best teammate, Dwyane Wade, missed thirteen games, and despite only two other players on the Heat besides James having an above average Player Efficiency Rating (PER), the Heat are 43-17 and in second place in the Eastern Conference. This Miami team does not have any depth, and does not even have a starting-caliber center.
James is the reason that the Heat is a serious contender to win the NBA championship; Chris Bosh more of a very good third wheel than he is a member of Miami “Big Three.”
Whether you choose to examine basic or advanced statistics, James is clearly the best player this season. In just under 38 minutes per game, James is averaging 27.1 points per game, 7.9 rebounds per game, and 6.3 assists per game. He also averages 1.9 steals per game and is shooting nearly 53 percent from the floor, despite taking more shots than nearly anybody else in the NBA.
In addition, James is first in the NBA with a 30.5 PER, first with 13.6 Win Shares, seventh in Offensive Rating, and eleventh in Defensive Rating. To sum all up all of those statistics, James has dominated both offensively and defensively on a level which no other player can match.
Some people may not like James, but they should at least respect that during the regular season, when the media votes on the awards, he is consistently both the best and most valuable player in the league, and it is not particularly close. Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, and Kevin Love (before he got hurt) have all had great seasons of their own and should be recognized with selection to the All-NBA teams that also are voted upon after the regular season is completed.
However, just because James did not play well in an NBA Finals game last season does not mean that he should be penalized for MVP this season, just as some other player should not be undeservingly rewarded simply for not being James.
Guillen’s suspension undeserved
How many times have you heard some variation of the following from a
baseball manager: “We just need to work hard and play solid, fundamental
baseball for nine innings, and then we’ll be in every game.” How cliché
and how boring, you think. Can’t a coach act more like a person than a
robot? Well, he certainly can, but why would he when he inevitably gets
punished directly for his statements?
Last week, in his typical stream-of-consciousness, Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen remarked: “I love Fidel Castro,” and went on to say that he “respect[s] Fidel Castro, you know why? A lot of people have wanted to kill Fidel Castro for the last 60 years, but that motherfucker is still here.” Guillen could not have chosen a worse person to talk about: He is managing in Miami, which is full of immigrants from Cuba who despise Castro and consider him a brutal dictator. After public outcry among Latino-American groups in Miami, Guillen apologized for his remarks. The Marlins organization also suspended Guillen for five games for his comments.
But wait a minute, what exactly did Guillen do wrong? He voiced his opinion. It is a controversial opinion, certainly, but why should that matter? Every person has opinions. No matter what opinion you have, there will be many others who disagree with you, sometimes vehemently. However, that doesn’t mean that you should be discouraged from voicing them. It is much more dangerous for society to censor and excoriate unpopular opinions than it is for a person to actually utter such beliefs.
Ultimately, the Marlins’ decision to suspend Guillen is entirely business-related. If the organization did not punish the manager in some way, the Marlins would risk severely straining its relationship with much of the team’s fan base. And as a private organization, the Marlins have a legal right to suspend Guillen, but it does not mean that they were right for doing so.
Recently retired St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa was arrested in 2002 for driving under the influence when he was found asleep in his car in the middle of an intersection. La Russa later pled guilty to the DUI charge. He was never suspended by the Cardinals or by Major League Baseball. In 1995, former Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox was accused of punching his wife and pulling her hair in a domestic dispute. Though the criminal charges were later dropped, Cox was ordered to complete violence counseling and an alcohol evaluation. Not only was no action taken by the Braves or the MLB, but Cox managed the team to a World Series victory that year, celebrating with the team as was traditional: with as much champagne as one can imagine.
However, maybe Guillen’s comments were worse than committing a crime that endangers others’ lives. Words can be hurtful, right? Imagine if Guillen said that “Sneaky goddamn Jews are all alike,” or that he banned his players from wearing earrings because “only fruits wear earrings.”
Those remarks would be hurtful and offensive to entire groups of people. I’m sure if someone uttered those remarks, he or she would be punished immediately. Oh wait, someone did say those exact things: former Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott. She also made derogatory comments against African-Americans and Japanese people. However, she was able to stay owner for two years after making these remarks before Major League Baseball decided that she might not be in the league’s best interest and suspended her for a year. Of course, she was reinstated, continued to make derogatory and insensitive remarks, and fired her manager because he was living with his fiancé, all within the next three years.
Ozzie Guillen’s comments had no impact upon Fidel Castro’s leadership. He never endorsed violence nor did he insult a group of people. All Guillen did was casually voice his opinion that happened to make national headlines. Since when is that worthy of a suspension? When Guillen returns, don’t be surprised if he utters clichés about a “team” and “playing hard the whole game.” Because people aren’t allowed in a clubhouse anymore.
Last week, in his typical stream-of-consciousness, Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen remarked: “I love Fidel Castro,” and went on to say that he “respect[s] Fidel Castro, you know why? A lot of people have wanted to kill Fidel Castro for the last 60 years, but that motherfucker is still here.” Guillen could not have chosen a worse person to talk about: He is managing in Miami, which is full of immigrants from Cuba who despise Castro and consider him a brutal dictator. After public outcry among Latino-American groups in Miami, Guillen apologized for his remarks. The Marlins organization also suspended Guillen for five games for his comments.
But wait a minute, what exactly did Guillen do wrong? He voiced his opinion. It is a controversial opinion, certainly, but why should that matter? Every person has opinions. No matter what opinion you have, there will be many others who disagree with you, sometimes vehemently. However, that doesn’t mean that you should be discouraged from voicing them. It is much more dangerous for society to censor and excoriate unpopular opinions than it is for a person to actually utter such beliefs.
Ultimately, the Marlins’ decision to suspend Guillen is entirely business-related. If the organization did not punish the manager in some way, the Marlins would risk severely straining its relationship with much of the team’s fan base. And as a private organization, the Marlins have a legal right to suspend Guillen, but it does not mean that they were right for doing so.
Recently retired St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa was arrested in 2002 for driving under the influence when he was found asleep in his car in the middle of an intersection. La Russa later pled guilty to the DUI charge. He was never suspended by the Cardinals or by Major League Baseball. In 1995, former Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox was accused of punching his wife and pulling her hair in a domestic dispute. Though the criminal charges were later dropped, Cox was ordered to complete violence counseling and an alcohol evaluation. Not only was no action taken by the Braves or the MLB, but Cox managed the team to a World Series victory that year, celebrating with the team as was traditional: with as much champagne as one can imagine.
However, maybe Guillen’s comments were worse than committing a crime that endangers others’ lives. Words can be hurtful, right? Imagine if Guillen said that “Sneaky goddamn Jews are all alike,” or that he banned his players from wearing earrings because “only fruits wear earrings.”
Those remarks would be hurtful and offensive to entire groups of people. I’m sure if someone uttered those remarks, he or she would be punished immediately. Oh wait, someone did say those exact things: former Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott. She also made derogatory comments against African-Americans and Japanese people. However, she was able to stay owner for two years after making these remarks before Major League Baseball decided that she might not be in the league’s best interest and suspended her for a year. Of course, she was reinstated, continued to make derogatory and insensitive remarks, and fired her manager because he was living with his fiancé, all within the next three years.
Ozzie Guillen’s comments had no impact upon Fidel Castro’s leadership. He never endorsed violence nor did he insult a group of people. All Guillen did was casually voice his opinion that happened to make national headlines. Since when is that worthy of a suspension? When Guillen returns, don’t be surprised if he utters clichés about a “team” and “playing hard the whole game.” Because people aren’t allowed in a clubhouse anymore.
With PGA win, Woods regains form
Last Sunday, Tiger Woods won the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando,
Fla. Three years ago, there would be no point in typing that previous
sentence: Woods was by far the No. 1 ranked golfer in the world, and
seemingly well on his way to becoming the greatest golfer who has ever
lived. However, as we all know now, appearances can deceive. When news
outlets first reported that Woods was involved in a car crash on
November 27, 2009, I remember being concerned about whether he was
physically injured. After all, Woods did tear his ACL the year before
and was still in somewhat of a recovery mode. While the car crash caused
only minor injuries for Woods, it was merely the first of many setbacks
that brought Tiger further down than we thought possible.
Under speculation that Elin Nordegren, Woods’ wife at the time, was chasing him with a golf club in anger right before he crashed, the media and tabloids began digging into Tiger’s personal history. Soon, mounting evidence appeared that Woods was involved in multiple extramarital affairs. For the first time in his life, Woods was a villain rather than a deity. As famous as he had been, he always had a true squeaky-clean image: Never did fans hear about him partying recklessly, saying anything controversial or doing anything that might antagonize anyone. On February 19, 2010, Woods publicly apologized for the pain he caused Nordegren and their two young children, and soon after entered rehabilitation for sexual addiction.
With its most marketable athlete out of the public eye, the PGA was somewhat of a side event for casual fans. People were just waiting for Woods to make a comeback. I think it’s fair to say that most golf fans wanted Woods to start dominating again, because people tend to appreciate greatness and believe in giving public figures second chances. Certainly, most people who followed golf believed Woods would come back with a vengeance; he was the proverbial machine, and nothing could rattle him. Yet, when he returned, Woods was shaky. “He’ll dominate soon enough,” we all thought. “He has just been away from the game for a couple months.”
Except that, for the most part, Woods continued to struggle. When he did happen to have a great round, he inevitably followed it up with a shaky performance. Woods’ trademark consistency appeared to be a thing of the past; his putting worsened rather dramatically from his peak, and other golfers were finally able to catch up. Indeed, on November 1, 2010, Woods relinquished his No. 1 ranking that he had had for the previous 281 weeks. No particular golfer rose to Woods’ level; instead Woods fell to that of his competitors. Three years ago, we all wondered when Woods would win his next major. Suddenly, we questioned if he would win at all.
As a result, the public’s interest in golf continued to fade. The only times casual fans followed the PGA were during the four Grand Slam tournaments and any tournament in which Tiger Woods was among the leaders. Yet no Sunday afternoon after November 2009 ended with Woods hoisting a trophy for his PGA victory—until last Sunday. Those who were rooting for the return of Woods finally got their wish, albeit far later than they would have hoped or expected.
Woods, at 36 years old, is no longer the young hotshot that he was for a decade. However, his issue was never age; rather, it was whether he could mentally recover from his personal life falling apart in the most public way possible. Winning isn’t everything, even for Woods, but you better believe that this was the best reward he could have expected. And, perhaps just as importantly, it was the best reward for us, too, because, for once, we no longer took an athlete’s dominance for granted.
Under speculation that Elin Nordegren, Woods’ wife at the time, was chasing him with a golf club in anger right before he crashed, the media and tabloids began digging into Tiger’s personal history. Soon, mounting evidence appeared that Woods was involved in multiple extramarital affairs. For the first time in his life, Woods was a villain rather than a deity. As famous as he had been, he always had a true squeaky-clean image: Never did fans hear about him partying recklessly, saying anything controversial or doing anything that might antagonize anyone. On February 19, 2010, Woods publicly apologized for the pain he caused Nordegren and their two young children, and soon after entered rehabilitation for sexual addiction.
With its most marketable athlete out of the public eye, the PGA was somewhat of a side event for casual fans. People were just waiting for Woods to make a comeback. I think it’s fair to say that most golf fans wanted Woods to start dominating again, because people tend to appreciate greatness and believe in giving public figures second chances. Certainly, most people who followed golf believed Woods would come back with a vengeance; he was the proverbial machine, and nothing could rattle him. Yet, when he returned, Woods was shaky. “He’ll dominate soon enough,” we all thought. “He has just been away from the game for a couple months.”
Except that, for the most part, Woods continued to struggle. When he did happen to have a great round, he inevitably followed it up with a shaky performance. Woods’ trademark consistency appeared to be a thing of the past; his putting worsened rather dramatically from his peak, and other golfers were finally able to catch up. Indeed, on November 1, 2010, Woods relinquished his No. 1 ranking that he had had for the previous 281 weeks. No particular golfer rose to Woods’ level; instead Woods fell to that of his competitors. Three years ago, we all wondered when Woods would win his next major. Suddenly, we questioned if he would win at all.
As a result, the public’s interest in golf continued to fade. The only times casual fans followed the PGA were during the four Grand Slam tournaments and any tournament in which Tiger Woods was among the leaders. Yet no Sunday afternoon after November 2009 ended with Woods hoisting a trophy for his PGA victory—until last Sunday. Those who were rooting for the return of Woods finally got their wish, albeit far later than they would have hoped or expected.
Woods, at 36 years old, is no longer the young hotshot that he was for a decade. However, his issue was never age; rather, it was whether he could mentally recover from his personal life falling apart in the most public way possible. Winning isn’t everything, even for Woods, but you better believe that this was the best reward he could have expected. And, perhaps just as importantly, it was the best reward for us, too, because, for once, we no longer took an athlete’s dominance for granted.
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