Opinion & Analysis
In defense of Tiger and Patrick Reed
Recently, I read a fascinating piece on Deadspin about Patrick Reed. I read it twice actually. I may even buy the upcoming book about him when it comes out. I’ve read Hogan by Curt Sampson twice, and The Big Miss by Hank Haney/Jaime Diaz three times.
The unflattering biographical tell-alls can be utterly fascinating to read, whether it be in sports, entertainment or politics. And with sources and information as accessible as ever, and the public’s insatiable desire for immediate details, such works are being produced in rapid turn around time with awaiting appetites. In recent cases, it is happening during an athlete’s career. There are consequences to this, though, yes?
I grew up a huge sports fan as a kid. I still am a big sports fan, although I don’t get as invested in players and teams as much as I used to. Nowadays, I marvel more at an athlete’s skill versus getting behind personalities or teams. Some of this metamorphosis is attributable to my own (purported) maturity, but it’s more than that — sports has changed. Rooting for your teams in the 80’s and early 90’s, I’d argue, was finest era in sports fandom, as most athletes still had that old school, win-at-all-costs mentality coupled with, and this is important, a nonchalance toward a growing media presence.
On any given night, I could take a break from my homework and turn on the MSG channel to watch an everyday-man-turned-warrior like John Starks play with absolute presence and sheer disregard of consequence as he butted heads, literally, with superior opponents like Reggie Miller and Michael Jordan. He didn’t care about creating a “brand” or forming friendships or making nice or being called out on Twitter. He wanted to win.
The ’96 Yankees were like this, too; Cone, Bernie, and O’Neill — you could feel their intensity when the camera was on them, yet they seemed largely indifferent to the lens. Logical or not, I always found it refreshing watching O’Neill hurl helmets into dugouts after meaningless ground outs. The “villains” at the time were just as fun to root against. Rivalries sell, and with its endless attempts to create one, golf knows this very well.
Occasionally, certain sports figures can still conjure up similar sensations of boyhood like enthusiasm and/or vitriol in me. Shouting at the television is not uncommon during Jets games. Tiger Woods could always revive adolescent-like wonderment; not just with his talent but with his in-the-moment fist pumps, roars and press conference call-outs of Steven Ames or Sergio Garcia. He was just such an in-the-moment bad a**.
But now Tiger appears to be a broken man. And perhaps we — the media, and the public that supports it — is at least partially to blame. Diaz, in his latest article “Free Fall” for Golf Digest, wrote:
“I believe it’s fair to posit that the trauma of being publicly shamed changed him.”
He was referencing the exposure of Tiger’s off-course scandal and its effects on his ability to stay fearless on the course. Conveniently absent from Diaz’s theory is the role he, personally, could have had in this free fall in assisting with Miss. This should not be a groundbreaking suggestion.
Even for us lay people, the hypothesis that Tiger is suffering from performance anxiety due to intense media scrutiny should not be hard to understand. I saw recently that the Golf Channel was having a round table discussion concerning Tiger’s prognosis. I considered DVR’ing it, then didn’t. I stopped myself. It felt cheap, like I was the last man climbing onto a meaningless pile-on (and this, coming from a guy who has been part of the problem for too long). I mean, seriously, a roundtable discussion? What’s next, a Task Force? Oh, wait…
Which now brings us back to Patrick Reed and his recent allegations, media depictions and upcoming tell-all. Although I have yet to read the related book, I’m sure it reaffirms damaging accusations mentioned in the article, which, among other things, claim that Reed stole money from fellow golfers and cheated in competition (in golf, the latter is a cardinal sin).
I am not sanctioning Reed’s purported behavior or misdeeds, nor am I necessarily doubting their authenticity. I had heard similar stories about his unlikable nature prior to the Deadspin article, and his “top-5 player in the world” comment following Doral in 2014 was shortsighted and unsportsmanlike. But you know what it wasn’t? Rehearsed. It wasn’t robotic. It was actually what the guy was thinking which, in a day and age in which Belichick-like responses to press inquiries are the preferred status quo for athletes, should be cherished, not chastised.
Let’s all come to the not-so-shocking realization that revealing one’s closet skeletons to the rest of the world may have its consequences towards the performance of athletes we crave to watch; particularly with golf, which, perhaps more than any other sport, commands the highest level of mental conviction and has easily suffered the most high-profile casualties to over-active brains.
Speaking of task forces, the 2014 Ryder Cup was an event that American golf fans would like to forget. But when Reed hushed the European crowd after draining a putt, I initially cringed. But then I thought, “This is awesome.” It showed guts. It got me into it. It showed me that he didn’t need any pod system or personality test to be invested in the process as other golfers apparently required.
I hope Reed’s confidence — much like Tiger’s — does not become the next takedown project of the public and the media. And so, I’m doing the unthinkable in 2015. I’m becoming a Patrick Reed fan. I hope he continues to p*** people off, if that is what comes naturally to him. I’m not so much endorsing him, personally, but I’m supporting his freedom of expression and comfort in his own skin.
Heck, this is America. What golf doesn’t need is another personality-less block of cheese, regurgitating mind-numbing responses and masking his emotions. And if he is a villain, so what? At least he’s true to himself. Besides, villains are far more interesting than sticks in the mud.
As the editor-in-chief of this website and an observer of the GolfWRX forums and other online golf equipment discourse for over a decade, I’m pretty well attuned to the grunts and grumbles of a significant portion of the golf equipment purchasing spectrum. And before you accuse me of lording above all in some digital ivory tower, I’d like to offer that I worked at golf courses (public and private) for years prior to picking up my pen, so I’m well-versed in the non-degenerate golf equipment consumers out there. I touched (green)grass (retail)!
Complaints about the ills of and related to the OEMs usually follow some version of: Product cycles are too short for real innovation, tour equipment isn’t the same as retail (which is largely not true, by the way), too much is invested in marketing and not enough in R&D, top staffer X hasn’t even put the new driver in play, so it’s obviously not superior to the previous generation, prices are too high, and on and on.
Without digging into the merits of any of these claims, which I believe are mostly red herrings, I’d like to bring into view of our rangefinder what I believe to be the two primary difficulties golf equipment companies face.
One: As Terry Koehler, back when he was the CEO of Ben Hogan, told me at the time of the Ft Worth irons launch, if you can’t regularly hit the golf ball in a coin-sized area in the middle of the face, there’s not a ton that iron technology can do for you. Now, this is less true now with respect to irons than when he said it, and is less and less true by degrees as the clubs get larger (utilities, fairways, hybrids, drivers), but there remains a great deal of golf equipment truth in that statement. Think about it — which is to say, in TL;DR fashion, get lessons from a qualified instructor who will teach you about the fundamentals of repeatable impact and how the golf swing works, not just offer band-aid fixes. If you can’t repeatably deliver the golf club to the golf ball in something resembling the manner it was designed for, how can you expect to be getting the most out of the club — put another way, the maximum value from your investment?
Similarly, game improvement equipment can only improve your game if you game it. In other words, get fit for the clubs you ought to be playing rather than filling the bag with the ones you wish you could hit or used to be able to hit. Of course, don’t do this if you don’t care about performance and just want to hit a forged blade while playing off an 18 handicap. That’s absolutely fine. There were plenty of members in clubs back in the day playing Hogan Apex or Mizuno MP-32 irons who had no business doing so from a ballstriking standpoint, but they enjoyed their look, feel, and complementary qualities to their Gatsby hats and cashmere sweaters. Do what brings you a measure of joy in this maddening game.
Now, the second issue. This is not a plea for non-conforming equipment; rather, it is a statement of fact. USGA/R&A limits on every facet of golf equipment are detrimental to golf equipment manufacturers. Sure, you know this, but do you think about it as it applies to almost every element of equipment? A 500cc driver would be inherently more forgiving than a 460cc, as one with a COR measurement in excess of 0.83. 50-inch shafts. Box grooves. And on and on.
Would fewer regulations be objectively bad for the game? Would this erode its soul? Fortunately, that’s beside the point of this exercise, which is merely to point out the facts. The fact, in this case, is that equipment restrictions and regulations are the slaughterbench of an abundance of innovation in the golf equipment space. Is this for the best? Well, now I’ve asked the question twice and might as well give a partial response, I guess my answer to that would be, “It depends on what type of golf you’re playing and who you’re playing it with.”
For my part, I don’t mind embarrassing myself with vintage blades and persimmons chasing after the quasi-spiritual elevation of a well-struck shot, but that’s just me. Plenty of folks don’t give a damn if their grooves are conforming. Plenty of folks think the folks in Liberty Corner ought to add a prison to the museum for such offences. And those are just a few of the considerations for the amateur game — which doesn’t get inside the gallery ropes of the pro game…
Different strokes in the game of golf, in my humble opinion.
Anyway, I believe equipment company engineers are genuinely trying to build better equipment year over year. The marketing departments are trying to find ways to make this equipment appeal to the broadest segment of the golf market possible. All of this against (1) the backdrop of — at least for now — firm product cycles. And golfers who, with their ~15 average handicap (men), for the most part, are not striping the golf ball like Tiger in his prime and seem to have less and less time year over year to practice and improve. (2) Regulations that massively restrict what they’re able to do…
That’s the landscape as I see it and the real headwinds for golf equipment companies. No doubt, there’s more I haven’t considered, but I think the previous is a better — and better faith — point of departure when formulating any serious commentary on the golf equipment world than some of the more cynical and conspiratorial takes I hear.
Agree? Disagree? Think I’m worthy of an Adam Hadwin-esque security guard tackle? Let me know in the comments.
@golfoncbs The infamous Adam Hadwin tackle ? #golf #fyp #canada #pgatour #adamhadwin ? Ghibli-style nostalgic waltz – MaSssuguMusic
Episode #16 brings us Cliff McKinney. Cliff is the founder of Old Charlie Golf Club, a new club, and concept, to be built in the Florida panhandle. The model is quite interesting and aims to make great, private golf more affordable. We hope you enjoy the show!
Last week, I came across a reel from BBC Sport on Instagram featuring Scottie Scheffler speaking to the media ahead of The Open at Royal Portrush. In it, he shared that he often wonders what the point is of wanting to win tournaments so badly — especially when he knows, deep down, that it doesn’t lead to a truly fulfilling life.
View this post on Instagram
“Is it great to be able to win tournaments and to accomplish the things I have in the game of golf? Yeah, it brings tears to my eyes just to think about it because I’ve literally worked my entire life to be good at this sport,” Scheffler said. “To have that kind of sense of accomplishment, I think, is a pretty cool feeling. To get to live out your dreams is very special, but at the end of the day, I’m not out here to inspire the next generation of golfers. I’m not out here to inspire someone to be the best player in the world, because what’s the point?”
Ironically — or perhaps perfectly — he went on to win the claret jug.
That question — what’s the point of winning? — cuts straight to the heart of the human journey.
As someone who’s spent over two decades in the trenches of professional golf, and in deep study of the mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of the game, I see Scottie’s inner conflict as a sign of soul evolution in motion.
I came to golf late. I wasn’t a junior standout or college All-American. At 27, I left a steady corporate job to see if I could be on the PGA Tour starting as a 14-handicap, average-length hitter. Over the years, my journey has been defined less by trophies and more by the relentless effort to navigate the deeply inequitable and gated system of professional golf — an effort that ultimately turned inward and helped me evolve as both a golfer and a person.
One perspective that helped me make sense of this inner dissonance around competition and our culture’s tendency to overvalue winning is the idea of soul evolution.
The University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies has done extensive research on reincarnation, and Netflix’s Surviving Death (Episode 6) explores the topic, too. Whether you take it literally or metaphorically, the idea that we’re on a long arc of growth — from beginner to sage elder — offers a profound perspective.
If you accept the premise literally, then terms like “young soul” and “old soul” start to hold meaning. However, even if we set the word “soul” aside, it’s easy to see that different levels of life experience produce different worldviews.
Newer souls — or people in earlier stages of their development — may be curious and kind but still lack discernment or depth. There is a naivety, and they don’t yet question as deeply, tending to see things in black and white, partly because certainty feels safer than confronting the unknown.
As we gain more experience, we begin to experiment. We test limits. We chase extreme external goals — sometimes at the expense of health, relationships, or inner peace — still operating from hunger, ambition, and the fragility of the ego.
It’s a necessary stage, but often a turbulent and unfulfilling one.
David Duval fell off the map after reaching World No. 1. Bubba Watson had his own “Is this it?” moment with his caddie, Ted Scott, after winning the Masters.
In Aaron Rodgers: Enigma, reflecting on his 2011 Super Bowl win, Rodgers said:
“Now I’ve accomplished the only thing that I really, really wanted to do in my life. Now what? I was like, ‘Did I aim at the wrong thing? Did I spend too much time thinking about stuff that ultimately doesn’t give you true happiness?’”
Jim Carrey once said, “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”
Eventually, though, something shifts.
We begin to see in shades of gray. Winning, dominating, accumulating—these pursuits lose their shine. The rewards feel more fleeting. Living in a constant state of fight-or-flight makes us feel alive, yes, but not happy and joyful.
Compassion begins to replace ambition. Love, presence, and gratitude become more fulfilling than status, profits, or trophies. We crave balance over burnout. Collaboration over competition. Meaning over metrics.
Interestingly, if we zoom out, we can apply this same model to nations and cultures. Countries, like people, have a collective “soul stage” made up of the individuals within them.
Take the United States, for example. I’d place it as a mid-level soul: highly competitive and deeply driven, but still learning emotional maturity. Still uncomfortable with nuance. Still believing that more is always better. Despite its global wins, the U.S. currently ranks just 23rd in happiness (as of 2025). You might liken it to a gifted teenager—bold, eager, and ambitious, but angsty and still figuring out how to live well and in balance. As much as a parent wants to protect their child, sometimes the child has to make their own mistakes to truly grow.
So when Scottie Scheffler wonders what the point of winning is, I don’t see someone losing strength.
I see someone evolving.
He’s beginning to look beyond the leaderboard. Beyond metrics of success that carry a lower vibration. And yet, in a poetic twist, Scheffler did go on to win The Open. But that only reinforces the point: even at the pinnacle, the question remains. And if more of us in the golf and sports world — and in U.S. culture at large — started asking similar questions, we might discover that the more meaningful trophy isn’t about accumulating or beating others at all costs.
It’s about awakening and evolving to something more than winning could ever promise.
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THONG
Mar 8, 2015 at 12:46 am
Always room for another POS on he PGA tour!
Del Capslock
Feb 16, 2015 at 11:19 pm
Who is a better winner, Patrick Reed or Jason Day?
leo
Feb 17, 2015 at 4:12 pm
patrick reed
Tony
Feb 16, 2015 at 6:52 pm
Thinking its a good idea to tell the crowd “Shhhh” when your team is getting their ass handed to them is sure sign of pure arrogance and selfishness. No surprise there is a book coming out that has bad things to say about him, I imagine they couldn’t fit it all in.
Patrick
Feb 15, 2015 at 12:40 pm
John Iaciofano, the details of your writing isn’t a problem, but I wish you would have considered writing two separate articles. Implying an equivalency between addiction and stealing/cheating/bigotry is inappropriate and I hope you take this into account in the future. It’s quite offensive to those who are working to recover from addiction or have had addiction severely impact those we love.
Brad
Feb 18, 2015 at 11:27 am
As I read the article, personally, I felt it was well written, and a pretty good piece. I think he was trying to correlate their demeanor, not their transgressions. Both Tiger and Patrick have a case of “If you aint’ first, you’re last Ricky…”
Growing up in a household where dependency issues were the norm, taking offense to this article was never even a thought. Sometimes it feels like no correspondent can write an article on here without being blasted?
Donnie
Mar 4, 2015 at 8:22 am
Addiction?? Addicted to what?? Did you mail in your TW fan club check for 2015. Addiction.. Pffft!
Awedge333
Feb 15, 2015 at 12:35 pm
The article was enjoyable – a good read regardless of ones perspective. However, the comments are a hoot.
Tiger will be done when the endorsement train stops running. He got a ton of people to watch golf. When he is yesterday’s news, no one will really care – I don’t now. He is responsible for where he is in life.
Regarding Reed, fun to watch. Putting the “hush” on the Ryder Cup gallery was fun also. Here’s hoping for him that he’s not as bad as we are lead to believe – if he is, his endorsements will dry up too.
leo
Feb 17, 2015 at 4:20 pm
if they do so be it he will still be making several million a year in prize money and will continue to be his own man not cow towing to what tthe politically correct a-holes want him to be.stay as you are patrick and you will continue to be my favorite tour player
farmer
Feb 14, 2015 at 11:41 am
If the author is going to accuse Reed of stealing and cheating, there needs to some sources cited. How did he steal the money? From whom? Where and when did he cheat? Otherwise, meaningless drivel.
Donnie
Mar 4, 2015 at 8:24 am
This is fairly well known accusation, not something this author brought to light. Media will beat the crap out of a dead horse…
Travis
Feb 14, 2015 at 11:34 am
I met Patrick Reed last year before the self-incriminating gay comment…one thing that flashed thru my mind when I met him was an episode of Family Guy when Stewie turned to Lois, “this guy don’t sit right with me Lois…he don’t sit right with me”
I crack myself up…
Jack Wullkotte
Feb 14, 2015 at 10:05 am
I have been inside the ropes of the PGA Tour for nearly 68 years. I have been privy to many stories of indiscretions, infidelity, wild Parties, altercations and many other misguided or stupid acts that are frowned upon by the general public, but, will never be revealed, because, these things happened in a time when there were more important things to worry about or talk about, like depressions, wars, inflation,diseases, Babe Ruth, Lou Gherig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays, the original big three, Hogan, Nelson and Snead, then Nicklaus Palmer and Player. Years later, when there was a lack of really important issues to write about, the media began to investigate notable personalities more thoroughly, apparently looking for something that would shock the people and cause great concern and lots of controversy. In the case of Tiger Woods, overnight, after his incident with the car crash and the revelation of his indiscretions off the golf course, in the minds of many people, he became the most evil person on earth. My wife was a good example of the switch.
She watched his U. S. Open win at Torrey Pines and thought he was the greatest thing since sliced bread. When the bad news came out, she absolutely hated his guts and put a hex on him that will last forever. My thoughts were, it was no worse than what our former president, Bill Clinton did in the oval office of the White House and all the other things he was accused of and probably rightfully so. In fact, I don’t think it was anywhere near as bad. As far as Patrick Reed’s comments are concerned, it’s a common occurrence and not about to end soon. I’m sure gays make derogatory comments about heterosexuals, also. My thought about Tiger is, “What a waste of talent.” I don’t think anyone will ever dominate any sport the way he did golf.
Jack Wullkotte
Feb 15, 2015 at 8:08 am
Sorry Bubba, but when an amateur can dominate a sport, the competition is not there. Bobby Jones was a great golfer, but comparing his record with Tiger’s is like comparing apples and oranges. Jones did not compete weekly with the likes of Gene Sarazen, Walter Hagen, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan. True, he probably would have held his own, but no way would he have dominated.
leo
Feb 17, 2015 at 4:37 pm
sadly tiger reacted to his situation the way he was” supposed” to.he was more concerned with public opinion and corporate sponsors than being true to himself.had he come out and said this is what i did this is who i am and if you don’t like it tough his bank account would have suffered but his golf game probably would have recovered much quicker.this whole thing about public shaming is a joke it is only effective if you allow yourself to be ashamed.if you do something own it and if the public doesn’t like it too bad for them.his air of invincibility was shattered not only on the golf course but in his own mind and that is harder to come back from than a bad back
LH
Feb 28, 2015 at 4:18 pm
d
LH
Feb 28, 2015 at 4:20 pm
I find it funny how you/many others, refer to things as being “Tiger’s concern”. This is about business. Dollars and sense.
LH
Feb 28, 2015 at 4:27 pm
When you’re in the public eye, you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Why is that so hard for the average person to comprehend? I don’t feel sympathy for Tiger but I do have empathy. At the end of the day, we are all in search of one thing. To be happy. Yet we all judge each other for it.
Daniel
Feb 14, 2015 at 8:00 am
Great article. Very interesting view on on course behavior that some view as disrespectful and obnoxious. I really enjoyed your John Starks reference and it really shed a different light on to PReeds on course antics. I feel his personality is precisely what makes him so good. Hopefully he truly does have enough self confidence to endure the incoming media onslaught that he will soon be faced with. He is definitely a compelling figure in golf.
obo
Feb 13, 2015 at 9:58 pm
If this kid Reed would loose 25 Lbs. he might get into the top 5. Clearly he lacks self discipline on and off the course.
leftright
Feb 13, 2015 at 10:38 pm
Must be nice to be a perfect human being. I’ll be looking for “obo” on the leaderboard.
Retro
Feb 14, 2015 at 1:23 am
Your the frickin loser who’s probably 50 lbs overweight. People like you are a real drain on society.
smart aleck
Feb 15, 2015 at 1:13 pm
You’re.
Jon Silverberg
Feb 13, 2015 at 9:53 pm
I couldn’t disagree more, even if you are also a Jets fan…focusing on media images is a red herring…someone who does things which could reasonably be seen to be risking destroying his family, or someone who steals and cheats, is what he is, and it is a major error for us to allow ourselves to be distracted from that by caring about competitiveness or struggles to regain form…Do I believe I know much of what these two paragons actually did? Yes, I do (in Reed’s case, I believe it is quite telling that no one in the golf world has risen to deny he did these things…it’s a case of the dog that didn’t bark…)…the world would be a better place if he hadn’t cheated and stolen and had lost his Ryder Cup singles match, not the other way around…
Dpavs
Feb 13, 2015 at 5:40 pm
I agree that it’s time to turn the tables on the media indulging the overly politically correct elements of the US and elsewhere.
But I do still believe in a pretty simple axiom. You do stupid stuff, you get stupid results.
LH
Feb 28, 2015 at 4:29 pm
The word stupid is irrelevant when you have x-amount of money. Trust me on this.
Rich
Feb 13, 2015 at 5:03 pm
I for one do not give concession for the age of sports stars as a reason for poor behaviour. If you are going to be in the public eye and consequently a role model whether you like it or not, you better behave or be cut down for it. Anyway, fact is that everyone is different. Some people like a villain and some don’t. I quite like a villain but they’ve got to have some class, of which neither Reed nor Woods possess. If the USA want to build their Ryder Cup team around Reeds attitude and by default, his behaviour, go right ahead. A bit of fire is one thing but being an a$$hole is another.
Rich
Feb 14, 2015 at 5:50 pm
Could just as easily left out “fact is that” and it would have said what I intended. Basically, everyone is different and likes different things but I think PR and TW are a$$holes so I don’t like them. I would be happy if both of them disappeared and were never to be seen in the public eye again.
leo
Feb 17, 2015 at 4:42 pm
fortunately a-holes like you are invisible and have never been in the public eye
Martin
Feb 13, 2015 at 4:10 pm
I watch sports and go to concerts because the people I am watching can do amazing things be them physical or musical.
I don’t really care that much about them personally, I don’t want to hear their political views or their thoughts on global warming.
Tiger is a rare sports figure that I intensely dislike as a man. He built an image that was completely fake, his on course persona is not really an issue to me, the deity has became in the media which then blew up when he hit the fire hydrant and has now become kind of sad is something I no longer feel anything about.
I think of him in the same thought as ARod, an incredibly talented but massively flawed person who is incredibly so unaware of the world around him doesn’t understand why people react the way they do to them.
Rich
Feb 14, 2015 at 5:53 pm
How can you go to concert for a musician and say you have no interest in their views or politics etc etc? Most, if not all artists write/perform songs about their thoughts or political views or something similar or don’t you listen to the lyrics?
leo
Feb 17, 2015 at 4:46 pm
flawed according to you and based on what you’ve read. do you know these guys personally?
Foreleft
Feb 13, 2015 at 3:27 pm
I watched the Ryder cup and a poorly led and motivated United states team crash and burn.
I didn’t like Patrick reed until his singles match with Stenson. His attitude during the best match of the day was outstanding. Aggressive and full off vim and fight. The U.S. Ryder cup team needs to find another 11 to match him and I’m from ireland!.
BigBoy
Feb 13, 2015 at 3:18 pm
Karma is a big bus that doesn’t discriminate.
LH
Feb 28, 2015 at 4:33 pm
I would assume it’s ok, that some don’t believe in Karma.
Jon
Feb 13, 2015 at 3:06 pm
Very well written and to the point. The polarization of these high-profile players must take it’s toll on their performance. The constant attention given by the media and swarming him wherever he goes asking to many questions has to take a toll. Every move, mistake, missed shot, shanked practice shot has to be exposed and analyzed.
I agree.. I think people (media) should lay off. We need characters out on the tour not just robots.
Kevin
Feb 13, 2015 at 2:29 pm
I can’t agree with anything you say about liking to watch Tiger’s fist pumping and hopping around greens, cheering himself on. I never felt like that resonated with the majority of golf fans. I always had the utmost respect for his game, and I still consider his to be the greatest short game ever (before all of the recent yips), but I never particularly liked him and I don’t think he cared all that much if anyone did. He was phony. He was with his wife and kids, and a dog, licking their faces, probably a staged dog at that, in People magazine right before the scandal broke, selling an image that could not have been further from the truth. His entire life was a persona, a ruse. He wasn’t one of your Yankee and Knicks heroes, the comparison is offensive. He wasn’t what you see is what you get. He was the guy who has slipped by with his dirty association to A-Rod and the Canadian doctor (both well known for designer steroids), and who crafted an image and possibly a physique built on lie after lie. It’s really hard to feel sorry for him . I agree that the public shaming has taken the edge off of him. He does seem almost desperate to be liked in some way now. I have a strange feeling watching him, that once his playing days are over, he might actually be a great color analyst for golf. He has shown a little self deprecating humor recently, though he’s also incredibly defensive, but I think when the pressure of expectations are gone, and he can finally be himself, his intellect and sense of humor might win some people over, not unlike what Nick Faldo has done.
Bert
Feb 13, 2015 at 3:51 pm
Yep! But I do not wish bad times on anyone (not that you did). I too never liked his or Steve’s conduct on the course or during interviews. However he could really play and could intimidate his competitors, the media and his coaches. My hope would be for him to regain the competitive level he once obtained, be himself and not so defensive and compete with the Patrick Reed’s of the tour.
Mike
Feb 13, 2015 at 2:21 pm
First let me say that I think you totally underestimate the ego of a professional athlete to think that what the media writes about them has much, or anything to do with what’s going on under the hood. Rightfully or wrongfully, these are a supremely confident group of people, not unlike CEO’s. You should try hard to avoid confusing coincidence with causality.
Second, I’m not sure why we care, or even why we’re surprised that pro-athletes aren’t perfect human beings. OF COURSE they have non-PC views of some kind (who doesn’t), OF COURSE they say stuff they wish they hadn’t (who doesn’t), OF COURSE they exhibit behavior that a lot of folks think of as questionable from a moral standpoint (who doesn’t). SO WHAT? I care about how they play, not how they live. I care about how they behave under pressure, not under media spotlights. I care about the good things they do throughout their careers in public, not the bad things they do in private. Grab 125 people off the street and I’ll guarantee you there are “bad apples” in the bunch….why would the PGA Tour be any different?
Next, I wish I had a few do-overs for some of the dumb stuff I did in my teens, AND my early twenties, and I suspect most people do. And yes….golf is not a team sport, so who cares if Patrick’s mates weren’t really mates. Cut ’em some slack folks. Glass house and stones stuff comes to mind. I’m sure glad no one wrote a book about the dumb stuff I did, even if no one would read it.
Finally, this negative media crap has gotten out of control because we (the fans) love to consume it. We are all a bunch of media rubberneckers, which certainly makes our behavior somewhat moralistically questionable. Take a minute to post a comment, or send the writer/author/journalist an e-mail when you think what they’ve written is crap. The only thing we have in common with these pro’s is that we’re supposed to be adults too.
Christian
Feb 16, 2015 at 11:29 am
Preach!
Brian
Feb 16, 2015 at 4:15 pm
The negative press is just as much a part of the celebrity life as the positive press is. It’s an accepted part of being famous and very wealthy from the sport you play. If Tiger, or his fans don’t like that, then all Tiger needs to do is give back all the money and get a real job where he can live in virtual anonymity like most of us do.
DB
Feb 13, 2015 at 2:02 pm
It’s our fault. Consumers read these books and articles, just dying to find out more than they should ever have access to about a person they don’t really know, writers see what types of articles are getting the most mileage, so they feed the hungry consumers what they want. It’s too bad we (consumers) can’t just watch athletes play their sports and leave it at that. We have this insatiable desire to get the dirt on someone and bring them down to our level. It’s no wonder Marshawn Lynch has taken the stance he has against the media.
bosse
Feb 13, 2015 at 1:09 pm
reed was 17 when he allegedly did bad (as illegal/cheating) stuff. i can come up of a zillion bad things i did at that time.secondly, when he said he was top 5 in the world, if we hadnt this silly 2 year OWG cycle, he probably had been, and probably will be soon. I am swedish and i know first hand how norlander and team really disliked lots of reeds sides. but hey, golf isnt a team sport.. i think reed is awesome. plays well under pressure, good putter, good irons, good wedges (good all around really) and a heck of a match player. with tiger gone we should really encourage some animosity between reed-rory-fowler-spieth-koepka. and if you ask me, reed will probably be second after rory in that bunch. ofcourse jimenez and stenson will trump them alll but that is another story…
Johnnie McFarland
Feb 13, 2015 at 12:42 pm
I’ve often wondered if the future will eventually be colorless and soulless with minimal displays of emotion in all walks of life since all of our actions are endlessly under surveillance, scrutinized, and subject to disdain and ridicule. Will any form of independence versus groupthink be acceptable? Can a person have “character,” be it good or bad? And will that character always be in question for someone else’s personal gain and/or agenda as is such the media’s need and desire and “duty” to expose the truth and facts about a person, no matter how private those facts maybe? So why risk being decadent chocolate when you can stay under the radar as plain Jane, ho-hum vanilla? Today’s endearing hero will eventually be tomorrow’s despised villain.
Jim
Feb 13, 2015 at 12:36 pm
What an honest, fresh viewpoint.
sam
Feb 13, 2015 at 8:24 pm
What a predictable thing for a golfer to say.
Timbleking
Feb 13, 2015 at 12:31 pm
AMEN! Definitely a Reed’s fan, for his game and behaviour on the course.
Tom Bowles
Feb 13, 2015 at 12:20 pm
Everyday here I read how there are a lot of perfect people who like to judge the behavior and actions of people they don’t know and who are personally unaffected by their actions. They like to pile on and hold people accountable for things that “normal” people do. It doesn’t make the actions of the accused right, but everyone deserves a break. If the intense scrutiny of an indiscretion at any level were shone on one of these people, they’d wilt under it. Many people say, “I’d never do anything like that…” But what have you done where you needed someone to cut you a break? Would you like to be constantly reminded of your mistake every day? How sanctimonious would you think we’d be if you were the target of that reminder? That messes with a person’s emotions and psyche no matter how strong you think you are.
Whether it’s Woods, Reed, Sabbatini, or any other golfer who runs afoul of the “Moral Authority Police” no one deserves treatment like that. In fact they’ve resorted to attacking other golfers who they see something on TV they don’t like, they run to a thread and proclaim their distain and the pile on begins. Bubba Watson comes to mind.
There is a double standard. If you’re not an “approved” player, it’s OK to be attacked. However, those very same people will rush to the defense of an “approved” player because they’ve never run afoul of their standard. This is a fallacy. Every man has a skeleton in their closet; something that cannot see the light of day or they’ll be just as embarrassed as anyone else. But they forget that when they choose to criticize someone else. And don’t try to defend someone unapproved. You’ll be lambasted for everything from cancer to not being a “real golf fan.”
We like to believe our heroes are faultless. This too is a fallacy. My father spoke of the exploits of some of his heroes in the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, etc. that the press kept relatively quiet, or it was swept under the rug because that’s how men were then. Some names are legendary, but they’re still considered a hero. Do indiscretions need to be exposed? Sure. Do we need to keep them alive and the constant judgment going? No. It no longer is about the person and indiscretion itself once it sees the light of day and an apology made. It’s now about the one judging them and simply bringing it up because of a bias, often venomous, that that person should no longer be credible because of a mistake or flaw, or something that someone thought they saw. For every bad story or experience about someone posts, there is someone who has a 180 degree experience. But their opinion or experience isn’t important. You’re clearly wrong and a “fanboi.” What does that even mean? It’s a throwaway insult that means nothing.
If people spent less time being perfect and judging others they’ve never met, just maybe this place will get more cordial. But I guess as long as people continue to think they’re superior to others, we’ll always have it.
glennithy
Feb 13, 2015 at 10:51 pm
If there was a like button, I’d be pounding it into pieces right now. I can’t tell you how many times when I’m golfing with a stranger and the subject of Tiger’s indiscretions comes up and the incredulous stares I get when I ask them, ” how did something that really was between Tiger and his ex-wife have anything to do with you or affect you in any way? ” I don’t understand how everyone is so judgmental of some they don’t know.
Well written. Thank you.
D Louis
Feb 13, 2015 at 11:54 am
In America and the UK, there seems to be insatiable desire to rip down your “hereos” and watch them publicly suffer and bleed and then wonder in the end why they dissappear. I often wonder how bad it will get and if it will affect the very sports that everyone loves to watch. Will it change, I’m not sure it will with the power people have now through social media. Is it jealousy and vindictive behavior, probably….and how many of these so called “perfect” critics lead virtuous lives…not all I’m sure
Ilsompati
Feb 13, 2015 at 12:16 pm
Mr. Woods pretty much ripped himself apart. His issues are no fault of the fans.
Rando
Feb 13, 2015 at 11:53 am
Being fiercely competitive, unrehearsed, un-PC, etc. is all great. But Reed’s homophobic comments last month were despicable and inexcusable. The world seems to have let this one slide, but imagine if he had used the N word instead. (Sad that the world doesn’t equate these types of bigotry but I do.)
I am not a fan and will likely never be.
Ilsompati
Feb 13, 2015 at 12:07 pm
It isn’t healthy taking the actions of others so seriously……
bosse
Feb 13, 2015 at 1:14 pm
it was stupid, but once again, he was 24. its bad language which is probably due to culture and peer group language in the upbringing. he needs to get the bad attention for it, so he learns and understands and changes. once again. the gay jokes we made when i was young (between friends, never to gays) was never understood as really bad ugly habit until i got older. let the guy learn and change. i wonder if we expect these guys to be so grown up at such a young stage
Jay V.
Feb 13, 2015 at 1:19 pm
The intentions of what he said were definitely not homophobic. The analogy would be to replace what he said with “p***y” or “Sally” or whatever. I get what you’re saying and it’s absolutely not appropriate or excusable in any way… but I guarantee you that he didn’t mean it as anything more. I consider myself a fan of his just because the other 99% are usually cookie-cutter personalities with cookie-cutter swings and cookie-cutter responses.
Joe
Feb 14, 2015 at 7:53 am
The pussification of America.
Sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me.
Ryan
Feb 13, 2015 at 11:48 am
I would love to see more athletes simply own what they say. Publicists and teams make these guys apologize for what they really think and want to say. It’s absolutely ridiculous. If you say it, own it. If it ticks people off, oh well. Stick to your guns. So what if Patrick Reed is arrogant or swears at himself; it shows he cares about winning and not just walking away with a paycheck.
Tommy Bolt
Feb 13, 2015 at 11:43 am
Great article. Positive or negative, the guy is real. Props.
sam
Feb 13, 2015 at 11:41 am
Like the guy for his opinions if you want, but why would you sacrifice your integrity by admiring someone who is a buttface?
frendy
Feb 13, 2015 at 11:39 am
What an old, tired assertion.