SI Gary Van Sickle rips into Tiger Woods–and The Golf Blog’s partial defense of Tiger Woods
Image tarnished? Yes, according to SI Gary Van Sickle in a recent article, in which he writes:
“This unseemly episode may impact Tiger’s long-term image. He is chasing the record 18 major championships won by Jack Nicklaus, but he may never get close to Jack’s legacy. Nicklaus was a beloved champion, a paragon of sportsmanship and the game’s most popular icon. Woods, who plays head-down, emotionless, ruthless golf, appears headed down a path more like that of Ben Hogan, a hard-edged loner who became reclusive after his playing days. Hogan was feared on the course and admired for his unmatched skill and dedication, but he wasn’t beloved and rarely granted interviews. Few really knew the man.”
“Tiger’s image will never be the same. Neither will his life. All we really know for sure is, this was all his fault.”
The Golf Blog Take: All we can say is: wow. Yes, this is all Tiger’s fault, and we’re not defending what he did. But the guy has done a lot of good for golf and the kids at his learning center, perhaps even more than Jack Nicklaus. Not sure Tiger Woods has ever been “beloved,” but he certainly has been admired. That he appears to have had sexual affairs with possibly several women (cheating on his wife Elin) is no worse–but no better–than what so many famous men in positions of power have done in their worst failings. Bill Clinton, John Edwards, Eliot Spitzer, Newt Gingrich, Gary Hart, Jesse Jackson, Michael Jordan, Mark Sanford, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, David Letterman, you name it.
Perhaps we all we’re hoping that TIger’s squeaky clean, family man image was all true. But that it is not should surprise no one in the least, given the track record of other celebrities and athletes.
Tweet