This will be the story of '09 - Will Stevie be there when Tiger comes back?!

[PEZGolf]

While I admit Williams was naive to think that it wouldn't get out I can see his point of view.

As a part-time business, I publish a golf magazine, and am also a journalist who has been published in various media. Here are some comments from that perspective: 1. It is the off season for golf, and there is not much to report. So, when a reporter gets a nice, juicy item to publish or televise, the media goes crazy with joy of having "something" to report on golf. 2. Some journalists are great at getting attention by divulging information that is sure to get headlines. Call it "sensationalism" or whatever you want. Celebrities and professional athletes are very used to this, and act accordingly. Steve "Lefty" Carlton and Ted Williams got to the point that they refused to talk to the media, and I do not blame them. 3. Some journalists will report only that information that is truly informative and worth reporting. Are Stevie's comments truly worth the "price of the ink"? I do not think so, and I personally do not care what Stevie thinks about Phil. Stevie is a minor actor in a major play. If Tiger had said it, that would be a different story, but Tiger has too much class to do that. Shakespeare said it best. This is "Much Ado About Nothing".

[Scott_Tee]

Why is Phil M supposedly a jerk? I still can't figure that out..

[mkoreiwo]

Just want to chime in and say I can't stand Williams. He's made a nice life on the coattails of Tiger. He should shut up an carry the bag.

There's no other caddie out there who draws as much attention to himself. BIG EGO!

[Trav]

Oh, and for anyone who called him classless can you honestly say you've never called someone something bad or badmouthed them. You're just lucky it didn't make the papers.

I'm one of the people who called him classless, and I'll tell you why.

First, Williams is entitled to his opinion. Assuming he really thinks what he was reported as saying, maybe he has a legitimate basis for thinking that, I don't know. I admit that Phil smirk gets to me too sometimes even if it's not a reflection of what he really is, and it sounds like he does many very good things. I suspect Williams is right in the sense that while Tiger can play nice when he needs to, he doesn't think of Phil as someone he wants to spend time with. I certainly never expected Williams would get fired over this (although I think it shows that Tiger is not the most consistent person when he fired Fluff for similar behavior, it's his choice to make, and if he likes the way Stevie wipes those clubs, he can certainly choose to keep him, after all it's Tiger's comfort level that's important, not mine), just a private chastisement from Tiger because this reflects on him too. All that said, Williams has shown me he is a boor. In our daily lives we learn, hopefully as kids, to show some self-restraint and to express ourselves in a way that is appropriate to the circumstances. It's one thing to tell your close friends what you think, that's what they are for; it's another to make public pronouncements that serve only to make fun of people or draw attention to yourself. There's a difference between relieving yourself in the woods and doing it in a public street. As a society it seems to me we should be striving to elevate the level of our public interaction, not to make ever-cruder standards of public behavior the new norm. To state it the way my father told me, just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should. Being inconsiderate of others has a way of catching up to you eventually. Making the papers isn't a matter of "luck", it's a result of intelligently assessing the situation, and we're talking about a pretty low threshold of intelligence. It doesn't take much brains to understand that speaking to a large group is an invitation to problems. It takes even less brains to understand that when you've been reported as saying something that common, the best way to deal with it is to decline further comment and apologize for your remarks. Golf is in the interest of good health and good manners. It promotes self-restraint and affords a chance to play the man and act the gentleman. —Taft,William Howard

[zeg]

I'm with those who say it's classless. It takes a lifetime to build a reputation and a second to destroy it. Either you've got enough class not to say that sort of thing in public, or you don't. There are plenty of public figures who don't get caught saying something like that, so it's not an impossible standard.

[colin007]

Not according to better sources than you.

lol...you must be clueless if you dont think that there is a SIGNIFICANT number of tour players who cant stand phil. and this really isnt a story worth the ink it costs to print...as someone pointed out earlier. peace out ladies.

[iacas]

Good advice! I am not going to take the bet now. Tiger's comments at his news conference made it clear that he has talked to Stevie and Phil, and the matter is done and over with.

You shouldn't have made the comment in the first place. Tiger made those comments a day before your "Stevie will get fired" post.

Shakespeare said it best. This is "Much Ado About Nothing".

Wow, a total flip if I've ever seen one. First it was "Stevie will be fired" and now it's "nothing."

[PEZGolf]

Maybe the real stories of the year are Paddy as Player of the Year, Paula as #1 American, Annika's last year (for now) on the LPGA Tour, and Stacy Lewis as medalist at the LPGA Q School--she got the job done, even though the spotlight was on Michelle Wie. The incident with Stevie's comments is not even a minor footnote in what happened this year.

[pcmancini]

Hello from a relatively new member - been lurking for a while here and I have a couple of thoughts on all of this.

One, even though this is supposedly a non-story, this is a Golf discussion Forum and this section is called "Tour Talk" so while this may be much ado about nothing in the overall news of the world, this is one arena where it is a story.

As for Mr. Williams and his continued employment (and it IS employment) by Team Tiger my humble opinion is that Tiger Woods has and will continue to asses how much impact Williams will have on helping him achieve his stated goal of winning majors. If he feels that Steve Williams gives him the best shot at winning major championships then he will stay on the bag. Secondly I also think that Tiger will view his continued association with Williams in light of his overall business (golf, endorsements, Nike, etc.).

One thing I have noticed about "Team Tiger" is that they know how to keep their mouths shut. Tiger is the star and the light shines on him. For the most part you do not see his Doctors talking about his knee or his physical health, you do not read about his therapists and his daily rehab regime, you do not hear from his agent or lawyers about his contracts, or his gardener talking about how Tiger likes his grass cut, etc. And when you do it is all business and carefully crafted and managed - no controversy. In a high-profile situation like his, my expectation is that all public comments related to Tiger Woods are cleared through Tiger's publicist. Anyone else who pulled a stunt like Williams did would probably be fired by now but Tiger clearly feels that Williams has a benefit to him (for now.) Unless Williams really screws the pooch this year he is on Tiger's bag for 2009. But beyond that, who knows. My guess is Williams is on a short leash and Tigers "for 2009" comment may be the most telling one of all.

Paul

[PEZGolf]

Here is my opinion of the stories of 2009---will Paula Creamer win her first Major and complete her rise to the top of American women golfers? Will Paddy Harrington win his third Open Championship in a row and join a very elite group?

[EquipmentJunkie]

Here is my opinion of the stories of 2009---will Paula Creamer win her first Major and complete her rise to the top of American women golfers? Will Paddy Harrington win his third Open Championship in a row and join a very elite group?

Yes to Paula no to Paddy.

[iacas]

Yes to Paula no to Paddy.

Let's get back to topic.

[Cara1975]

I am new to this site so I will give my two cents on this old story. When Steve Williams has been a top 5 player on the PGA for nearly a decade like Mickelson has then he can say what he wants. Until then, keep shining those clubs.