Monday, October 28, 2013
Tiger in the Rough: Corey Krupa
It seems like Tiger Woods used to be on the same level as Michael Jordan in terms of athletic dominance. Tiger had countless endorsements, was winning majors, and had a happy family. This was until his infamous infidelity scandal in 2009. When you are as dominant as Tiger Woods, LeBron James, or Michael Jordan you are going to have a lot of pressure on you on and off the field. It seems like some of Tiger’s success has gotten to his head, because to me he seems to come across as arrogant. He is one of the greatest golfers ever but that does not give him an excuse to cheat on his wife or cheat in golf courses on the PGA Tour. Also, since his scandal he is not winning as much as he used to. I remember he would dominate the competition on Sundays or at least finish high on the leaderboard. He used to regularly win majors but now he is nowhere to be found on Sundays and instead newcomers like Rory McIlroy have emerged as the best golfers in the world. Tiger was an extremely entertaining competitor to watch but ever since that scandal he does not seem to be playing like his old self. I remember people used to think that Tiger would easily break Jack Nicklaus’ amazing record of 18 major championships. Now it seems like Tiger will never win another major ever again. It is difficult to watch superstar athletes such as Woods struggle and I do not think that Tiger Woods will ever regain his once dominate form.
-Corey Krupa
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I agree with Corey in the sense that I too get the feeling that Tiger is an arrogant person. I say this because of his actions in 2009. I understand, in tigers defense, that his privacy was invaded and his problems were broadcasted internationally. For that to happen to anyone it just does not seem fair and I pity him when looking at the situation in that light. All the same this thought is not what matters, what matters is what he did prior. Cheating is something that has been done by men with power for a very long time. Tiger was criticized for his behavior because, even though the standard for concern towards adultery has been lowered, it was the wrong thing to do. When someone has such an influence on people all over the world they in return are left with a great amount of responsibility. The public sees him as more than a golfer. It is sad to see Tiger didn’t get that.
ReplyDeleteJay Clark
Corey,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that Tiger Woods could have been compared to Michael Jordan in terms of athletic dominance. His early rise to becoming one of the best golfers in the world is what solidified him as a great athlete, but was also probably one of the catalysts for the events that happened off the course. I disagree that Tiger will never regain his dominant form, but I highly doubt people will ever view him as the great role model we all thought he was. Although none of us have made millions as professional athletes, and can’t possibly relate to everything Tiger was going through at the time of the scandal, the fact that he was pretending to be such a great person while, at the same time, was cheating on his wife with multiple women, is unforgivable. I hope Tiger can change for the better, and I hope he continues to achieve success on the golf course, but no matter how well he does in the future, I will never have the same respect for him as I once did.
Evan Sechler
I can certainly agree with the comparison between Jordan and Woods. Both were at the top of their games in terms of their respective sports as well as in the media and endorsement worlds. Obviously, these two men went down separate paths as Woods has lost so much of the respect he once had. I cannot, however, agree with you about the play of Tiger. Saying that Rory McIlroy has become a better player is not true. Rory has had an awful year, while Tiger has consistently been in contention. While Tiger may not be nearly as scary on Sunday’s as he once was, he is still an incredible golfer and in my opinion, the best in the game. If there is an area that he needs to improve on, however, it is his conduct on the course. He is a very angry golfer. That, however, just makes him even more like Jordan. Each of these men are so competitive and do not accept failure.
ReplyDeleteShaun Higgins