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.
Opinion & Analysis
Brandel Chamblee PGA Championship Q&A: Rose’s huge McLaren risk, distracted LIV pros and why Aronimink suits the bombers
PGA Championship week is here, and Brandel Chamblee did not hold back in our latest discussion ahead of the season’s second major.
In our 2026 PGA Championship Q&A, golf’s leading analyst made the case that PIF pulling LIV’s funding has left its players competing in a state of confusion, called Justin Rose’s mid-season equipment switch a huge risk at 45, and explained why Aronimink will be a bombers’ delight this week.
Check out the full Q&A below.
Gianni: With the PIF confirming that they’re pulling funding from LIV at the end of the season, what impact do you expect that to have on the LIV players competing at the PGA Championship?
Brandel: I would imagine that they have all been thrown into a state of confusion, and will be distracted, not knowing where they are going to play next year and not knowing exactly their road back to either the DP World Tour or the PGA Tour. Or in Rahm’s case, being tied to a sinking ship for the next few years, likely playing for pennies on the dollar in events that no one cares about or watches.
I doubt this would put him in the best frame of mind to compete at his highest level. Keeping in mind, however, that majors are the only time that LIV disciples get to play in events that matter, so never disregard the motivation they have to prove to the world they are still relevant.
Gianni: Justin Rose switched to McLaren Golf equipment mid-season while playing some of the best golf of his career. What do you make of the change?
Brandel: I don’t really know what to make of Rose switching equipment. It seems a huge risk on his part, even though it is likely, in my opinion, that the clubs he’s playing are similar, if not the exact grinds, to what he was playing previously, with a McLaren stamp on them.
Having said that, at best, it is a distraction when he seemed to be as dialed in with his game as any 45-year-old could be and trending in the majors to perhaps do something that would definitely put him in the Hall of Fame. At worst, given the possibility that these clubs aren’t just duplicates of his old set stamped with McLaren on them, he’s made an equipment change that would take time, and 45-year-old athletes don’t have the time to do such things.
Gianni: Aronimink has only hosted a handful of professional events since it hosted the 1962 PGA Championship. What kind of test does it present, and does a course with less recent major championship history tend to level the playing field?
Brandel: Even though Aronimink has only hosted a handful of meaningful professional events, it has been fairly discerning in who can win there. When Keegan Bradley won the BMW Championship on the Donald Ross masterpiece in 2018, he was the 2nd best iron player on tour coming into that week. When Nick Watney won the AT&T at Aronimink in 2011, he was 2nd in strokes gained total coming into the week.
In 2020, Aronimink hosted the KPMG Championship, and Sei Young Kim won. On the LPGA that year, she was first in greens in regulation, putts per green in regulation, and scoring average on the way to being the LPGA player of the year. And then there is the 1962 PGA Championship won by Gary Player, who eventually became just one of a few players to win the career grand slam on the way to winning 9 majors. It is a formidable test, and if it’s not softened by rain, it will bring out the best in the upper echelons of the game.
Gianni: Is there a specific hole at Aronimink that you think will do the most to decide the winner?
Brandel: The hardest hole at Aronimink in each of the three tour events that have been played there since 2010 has been the long par-3 8th hole, with the par-4 10th being the second hardest, so most of the carnage will happen around the turn, but with the par-5 16th offering opportunities for bold plays and the tough closing holes at 17 and 18, the finish is likely to be frenetic.
Gianni: The PGA Championship has always sat in the shadow of the other majors. What does the ideal PGA Championship look like in your eyes, and what would it take for it to carve out its own identity?
Brandel: The PGA Championship, to whatever degree it suffers from the comparison to the other three majors, is still counted just as much when adding them up at the end of one’s career. Almost 1/3 of Nicklaus’ major wins were the five PGA Championships he won. Walter Hagen won 11 majors, five of which were PGA Championships.
Tiger Woods twice in his career won back-to-back PGA Championships, and those four majors count just as much as the other 11 he won. The PGA may not have the prestige of the other three, but it carries the same weight. Having said that, I preferred the identity that it had as the last major of the year.
Gianni: You nailed your Masters picks. Rory won, Scottie finished solo second, and Morikawa surged to a tie for seventh. Who are your top 3 picks for the PGA Championship and why?
Brandel: I am not a huge fan of majors played on golf courses that have been shorn of most of the trees, although I understand some of the agronomic reasons for doing so and of course the ease with which it allows members to play after errant drives. However, at the highest level, it all but eliminates any strategy off the tee and turns professional golf into an even bigger slugfest. That means that it will likely be a bomber’s delight this week, but fortunately, Scottie Scheffler is long enough to play that game and straight enough to play it better than anyone else.
The major championships give us very few surprises anymore, going back to the beginning of 2012, so the last 57 majors played, the average world rank of the winners has been better than 15th in the world. So look at the highest ranked and longest drivers who are on form coming into the PGA Championship who also have great short games as the surrounds at Aronimink are very challenging. That’s Scottie Scheffler by a mile and then McIlroy and Cameron Young with a far bigger nod towards DeChambeau than I gave him at the Masters.
In this episode of the Club Junkie Podcast, we dive into one of the most interesting flatstick releases of the year with a full review of the new TaylorMade SYSTM 2 putters. After spending time on the greens, I break down what makes this design stand out, where it performs, and why it has me completely torn between loving it and fighting it. If you are into feel, alignment, and consistency, this is one you will want to hear about.
We also take a look at some of the putters in play on the PGA Tour last week. From familiar favorites to a few surprising setups, there is always something to learn from what the best players in the world are rolling with under pressure.
To wrap things up, I walk through the process of building a set of JP Golf Prime irons paired with Baddazz Gold Series shafts. From component selection to performance goals, this is a deep dive into what goes into creating a unique custom set and why this combo has been so intriguing.
This year my 50th birthday. Gosh, where has the time gone?
As a teenager in rural Missouri, some of my junior high and high school years felt interminable. Graduation seemed light years away. But the older I get, the faster life seems to fly by.
I’m also increasingly aware of my mortality. My dad died recently. Earlier this year, a friend and fellow PGA of America professional and I were texting about our next catch-up. The next message I received was news of his unexpected passing at 48. Shortly after, a woman I dated in college succumbed to cancer at 51.
Certainly, one can share perspective at any age. Seniors help freshmen, veterans guide rookies. But reaching this milestone feels like as good a time as any to do one of those “what would I tell my younger self?” articles.
I’ve had a uniquely varied career in golf. I started as a 27-year-old, average-length-hitting, 14-handicap computer engineer and somehow managed to turn pro before running out of money, constantly bootstrapping my way forward. I’ve won qualifiers and set venue records in the World Long Drive Championships, finished fifth at the Speedgolf World Championships, coached all skill levels as a PGA of America professional, built industry-leading swing speed training programs for Swing Man Golf, helped advance the single-length iron market with Sterling Irons®, caddied on the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions, and played about 300 courses across 32 countries.
It’s been a ride, and I’ve gone both deep and wide.
So while I can consult and advise from a lot of angles, let me keep it to a few things I’d tell the average golfer who wants to improve.
1. Think About What You Want
Everyone has their own reason for picking up a golf club.
Oddly, as a professional athlete, I’m not internally driven by competition. That can be challenging, as the industry currently prioritizes and incentivizes competition over the love of the game.
For me, I love walking and being outdoors. Nature helps balance my energy. I prefer courses that are integrated into the natural beauty of their surroundings. I’m comfortable practicing alone. I’m a deep thinker, and I genuinely enjoy investigating the game, using data and intuition to unearth unique, often innovative insights. I’m fortunate to be strong and athletic, so I appreciate the chance to engage with my abilities. Traveling feels adventurous. I could go on.
You don’t have to overthink it like I do. For you, it might be as simple as hitting balls to escape work, hanging out with friends, and playing loosely with the rules and the score.
The point is to give yourself permission to play for your own reasons, and let that be enough.
But if improvement is your goal, thinking about your destination—and when you want to get there—is important, because it dictates the steps you need to take. When I set out to go from a 14-handicap to the PGA TOUR as quickly as possible, the steps I needed were very different from those of a working golfer trying to break 90 in six months. That’s also different from someone who just wants a few peaceful hours outside each week, away from work or family.
None of these goals are better than the others, but each requires a different plan that you can work backward from.
2. There Are Lots of Things That Can Work
One of the challenges of golf is that, although there are rules for playing, there aren’t clear, industry-wide standards for how to best play the game. There’s a lot of gray area.
You might hear a top coach or trainer insist that a certain move is the best way to swing or train. Then you dig a bit deeper and, much to your confusion and frustration, another respected coach or trainer says something completely different. I don’t think anyone is trying to confuse you—at least I hope not. It’s just where the industry is right now.
You have to be careful with advice from tournament pros, too. They might be great at scoring, but they’re also human and sometimes just as susceptible as amateurs to believing things that don’t really move the needle. Tour players might describe what they feel, but that’s not always what they’re actually doing when assessed with technology.
I recently ran a test on my YouTube channel (which connects to my GolfWRX article “How to use your hands in the golf swing for power and accuracy”), and, interestingly, two of the most commonly taught hand actions produced the worst results in the test.
Coaches can certainly help. If you find someone you connect with to help navigate, that’s great. But there are many ways to get the ball in the hole. In the current landscape, you may need to seek multiple opinions, think critically, and use your own intuition to discern what seems true and whose advice resonates with you.
I’d recommend seeking someone who is open-minded and always learning, because things constantly change. Absolutes like “correct” or “proper” should raise a red flag. AI can be useful, but it tends to confidently repeat popular advice, so proceed with caution.
3. Get Custom Fit
If you’re serious about becoming a better player, getting custom fit is hugely important. There’s no sense fighting your equipment if you don’t have to. Most better players get fit these days and, if they don’t, they’re usually skilled enough to work around clubs that aren’t ideal.
If you plan to play for a long time, it’s worth spending a little more upfront to get something that truly fits you and your game, rather than continually buying and discarding equipment.
Equipment rules haven’t really changed significantly since the early 2000s. To stay in business, manufacturers keep pushing those limits. If you pull a bunch of clubs and balls off the rack and test them, you’ll find differences. I’ve tested two new drivers and seen a 30-yard total distance gap. Usually, the issue isn’t bad equipment; it’s that the combination of components simply isn’t the best fit.
It’s like wearing a new pair of floppy clown shoes. Sure, they’re shoes—but you won’t sprint your best in them compared to track shoes that fit perfectly.
Be wary of what’s called custom fitting, too. Sometimes the term is used as a marketing strategy rather than an actual fitting. In some retail settings, fitters may be incentivized to steer you toward higher-priced components. That doesn’t automatically mean it’s not the best fit, but you should be aware of potential biases.
I learned a version of this lesson outside of golf. Years ago, I bought a tennis racquet at a big box store from a seemingly knowledgeable employee who thought it would suit me best. The racquet gave me tennis elbow, and I spent months recovering with rest and acupuncture. The next season, I invested more time and money to find what actually fit me, and I walked away with something amazing that I still play with years later.
So if you’re going to get fit, be smart about it.
Find someone you believe has deep knowledge—possibly with certifications, but not necessarily. Make sure there’s a wide inventory across many brands. Check recent reviews for the individual fitter if possible. Make sure you trust that the fitter has your best interests at heart. If they’re wearing a hat or shirt with a specific brand’s logo, proceed with caution. Unless you specifically want a certain brand or look, be wary of upsells, especially if two options perform nearly the same.
Also, while golf is called a sport of integrity, there’s a thread of manipulation in the industry. I once drafted an equipment article for an industry magazine, structured just like one of their previous popular stories, with matching word count and great photos. The assistant editor loved it; it was useful to readers and required little work on his part. But the editor-in-chief nixed the story. When I asked why, I was told it was because I wasn’t an advertiser. It turned out the article I’d modeled mine after was a paid ad cleverly disguised as editorial content.
I really dislike games, clickbait, and fear-based manipulation. I hope this changes, but golfers deserve to know it exists.
4. Distance and Strategy Matter
There’s a real relationship between how far you hit the ball and your scoring average, even at the PGA TOUR level.
I experienced this early in my pro career. I started as a power hitter, swinging in the high 120s and breaking 200 mph ball speed with a stock driver.
Back then, some instructors advised swinging at 80%, so I tried slowing down for more accuracy. That worked fine on shorter, tighter courses. But on longer setups, I was coming into greens with too much club, and par 5s stopped being
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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.