Tiger's Poor (or Childish or Angry or Unprofessional) Antics

[Trav]

So you've never done either of those things in your life, on the golf course or elsewhere? Or is your house as silica-based as everyone else's here?

I'm afraid we will never agree on this point. IMO his behavior is controllable and he chooses not to control it. I don't tolerate this from other professionals I deal with daily - in my profession it's considered a basis for disciplinary action - and I don't see why Tiger should get a pass because he's a golfer or passionate or any other reason. In younger days I was also extremely competitive (different sport) and accomplished enough that I fully understand the mindset and how one gets there - but I also understand the need to mature out of it.

[iacas]

In younger days I was also extremely competitive (different sport) and accomplished enough that I fully understand the mindset and how one gets there - but I also understand the need to mature out of it.

Your name was tossed about as one of the and possibly THE greatest ever in your sport? I'm gonna go with "unlikely" there. Furthermore, your personality isn't the same as Tiger's.

Like it or not, both of those limit your (and mine, but I've admitted to it) ability to comprehend or understand him, and thus to comment on it.

[roflslice]

The wife and I were watching the second round of the British Open when Tiger hit his tee shot at #10 (and slammed his club). My wife was surprised and even let out a "Jeez" after it.

It was kinda funny because I remember TNT airing his second tee shot saying "And here's Tiger hitting a provisional"...I was confused because I never saw the first shot. They later played the first shot footage again because of the ball-search time. I wonder if TNT was deciding if it was alright to show Tiger's outburst or not lol...

Anyway, my anger expression varies greatly based upon my playing partners. If I'm playing with my buddy and two other dudes I can let some expletives fly and maybe toss my wedge back to the golfbag; but if I'm playing with a female or younger person I try to control myself better. Maybe saying "Jee golly gosh darn! That coulda' been a wee bit better!" over "F***ING STUPID SOLE GRIND ON THIS S**TTY WEDGE CAUGHT THE **** ******* GROUND *****"

But then again I'm not the #1 golfer in the world.

[kris]

the hypocrisy floating around in here is making it hard for me to breathe.

i'm thinking there's got to be something more to this that makes people dislike Tiger to begin with, so his allegedly poor behavior is just another talking point as to why they don't like him. that's my guess.

[Trav]

Your name was tossed about as one of the and possibly THE greatest ever in your sport? I'm gonna go with "unlikely" there. Furthermore, your personality isn't the same as Tiger's. Like it or not, both of those limit your (and mine, but I've admitted to it) ability to comprehend or understand him, and thus to comment on it.

I never said that, and I think it's telling that you resort to facile exaggeration to attempt to make your point. My point is that I have an understanding of the mentality of an athlete who is driven to succeed, at high (international) levels - not 100% of whatever his unique circumstances may be, but of the mindset of someone who loses himself in his quest to be the best. This mentality is not unique to the greatest athlete in whatever sport we are talking about.

Also, as you frequently observe when others try to make observations about Tiger or anyone else, you have no idea what my personality or situation is. I've ackowledged we are not going to agree on this without attacking you personally, perhaps you can do the same.

[Mr. M]

Iacas, I never said I don't like Tiger Woods. I actually enjoy watching him play golf very much. You, sir, need to calm down.

My contentions are that he

1) is outwardly unhappy on the golf course more than he is outwardly happy.
2) is on a path toward an unpleasant episode if he can't learn to control his emotions. He could be suspended; he could crack a shaft or break a club.

I've already suggested elsewhere that I think he'll win the PGA, and perhaps by a wide margin.

And I disagree that screaming the f-word is the direct antithesis of a nod or club twirl.

[trumps4]

the hypocrisy floating around in here is making it hard for me to breathe.

It bothers me that the slightest bit of criticism makes you a hypocrite. Personally, I hate the way Tiger acts on the course. I like him as a person (he does a lot of great things) but hate his little pitty parties. When he pulls that crap I turn the channel. Having said that, I

have done most of the things that I hate to watch him do at one time or another. That does not make me a hypocrite. I hate it when I do it as well and I try my best not to repeat that behavior. He does not deserve a pass for acting like a baby because he's under a lot of pressure or is an intense person. Nor do I for any reason. On a side note, I find the correlation between "pro-tiger antics posts" and "swooshs in the signature" interesting. Almost like more swooshes = more passionate defense of Tiger.

[bogeyhitter25]

I hate it. He's almost (maybe he is by now) a billionaire yet he throws and slams clubs like a child. It's like he's throwing a tantrum. It's not good for golf at all. What about one time he throws his club and accidentally lets go and hits a little kid?

[iacas]

I never said that, and I think it's telling that you resort to facile exaggeration to attempt to make your point. My point is that I have an understanding of the mentality of an athlete who is driven to succeed, at high (international) levels - not 100% of whatever his unique circumstances may be, but of the mindset of someone who loses himself in his quest to be the best. This mentality is not unique to the greatest athlete in whatever sport we are talking about.

And I contend that it is unique to him. I contend that, unless you were one of the world's greatest golfers (or at the top of the world in some sport, or potentially even in some other area of life), you really have no idea what makes Tiger tick, the pressure he feels or faces, the expectations and standards he has for himself, and all that comes with being Tiger Woods.

As a "top athlete" you might know more than the average guy what it takes, but I still think the gap between "I was once extremely competitive" and "I am Tiger Woods" is huge . If the average guy comprehends 2% of what it takes, and you comprehend even 10%, that's still a big gap between you and he... and well outside of the range of "definitively speaking."

Also, as you frequently observe when others try to make observations about Tiger or anyone else, you have no idea what my personality or situation is. I've ackowledged we are not going to agree on this without attacking you personally, perhaps you can do the same.

I didn't "attack you you personally." I said that I believe that unless you're in Tiger's class - and it's a fairly safe assumption that you are/were not - you can't possibly understand what it takes to be him or to perform at his level. Even Tiger's peers admit they can't fathom how he operates.

Furthermore, given that there's no one "best personality" and that people of varying personalities have excelled at sports, it further limits your (and my) ability to speak definitively on Tiger's personality, particularly when you admit to having played a different sport (which, if I were to guess, sounds like a team sport). My position is simple. Nobody in the world, save for about ten people still alive (and Jack Nicklaus is one of 'em, Roger Federer another), have any clue what it takes to be Tiger Woods. Given that, all we can talk about is how we as individuals feel about his behavior, his reactions. I don't like them, but I don't dislike them either. And that's the entirety of my feelings. So why respond to you? Because it struck me as mildly immodest that you'd claim to know better than the rest of us, rendering our opinions somehow lesser. If you're done conversing, I can respect that, and "I agree to disagree." Happy? (And that last part may come off as sarcastic or curt, but that's not my intent in the least.)

What about one time he throws his club and accidentally lets go and hits a little kid?

Has that happened? No, so let's not speculate or hypothesize. "Should we sell baseball bats? No, what about the one time someone kills their wife with one?!" It's a cheap way to try to make your point. You don't like Tiger's antics - that's fine - please don't cheapen your point by saying something ridiculous and hypothetical.

[kris]

lol

I hope Tiger wins 10 more slams.

[Big_M]

I think this may have been covered in the past but wasn't sure what to search for.

I do think he goes a bit overboard with his throwing and banging clubs around and his swearing. I've done it too, but not every round... and yes he is under extreme pressure, but so are a lot of other guys who don't do what he does.

I didn't care if Tiger swore. He's toned down the use of the f-word and has, for a few years, limited himself to "goddammit." I was okay with him flipping clubs - even "throwing" clubs though certainly not as defined by Tommy Bolt et al. - at his bag after a shot.

personally I find saying GD to be the worst thing he does... but that's just me. I will drop pretty much any other word in the book, but I stay away from that one... I don't expect everyone else to do the same, but I am surprised with the regularity of his swearing when it offends so many people.

His tantrums make me like him a bit less, but many other things make me like him... so in the end, I like Tiger (but don't always root for him) and I think he could control himself better.

[Cara1975]

Tiger wants to win, all the time, he has extremely high standards for himself. That being said he is also an admitted control freak. He is no different than any other guy on the tour except his behaviour gets passed over in the press more often. He has probably cleaned up his mouth alot because he does have young children now. That changes you.

[Lemay427]

LOL. When Tiger does this then we can talk about his antics.....

[Lemay427]

LOL This is good....

[ControlJunkie]

It bothers me that the slightest bit of criticism makes you a hypocrite. Personally, I hate the way Tiger acts on the course. I like him as a person (he does a lot of great things) but hate his little pitty parties. When he pulls that crap I turn the channel. Having said that, I

OH, IT'S LIKE THAT?????

I am a TW fan, and I am a Nike fan, but I do not play Nike because of TW. I've always used Nike equipment, from baseball, basketball, and football, so when I began playing golf, I went with a brand that I've always been comfortable with. It seems that's much the same reason a lot of people play Titleist, Callaway, Ping, etc. They grew up with it, and they're comfortable with it. I guess having played other sports for the better part of my life, I've seen childish antics, and what he does is nothing close to what's seen in other sports. I know there are other perceived standards for behavior in golf, and I definitely respect that. That's why it doesnt bother me personally. I'm not "pro-tiger antics", it just doesnt bother me, and as I said in an earlier post, to me, it makes him more relatable, to a degree. BTW, stereotyping people is bad, mmmkayyy??? P.S. I speak only for myself, and the messages posted here are not intended to reflect the opinions of others that may or may not play Nike equipment. Oh, and Lemay, those are two of the funniest videos I've seen in a while! No, that doesnt make their actions ok, but they're funny as hell!! Thanks for posting!

[Chas]

Yes, but golf is something else again,
(*David Niven accent*) a game for Gentlemen don't you know old chap .

Repeat after me:

"golf is not ice hockey"
"golf is not wrestling" (hmm, I don't think they swear much in wrestling actually)
"golf is not roller derby"
"golf is not ......." well, you get the idea

Mind you, if there were as many video cameras littering the track in the Good Old Days as there are now, we'd probably discover that things haven't changed as much as all that .......

[LongballGer]

lol, I love it when 30+ handicappers that play golf for fun compare themselves to golf pros that are under a ridiculous amount of pressure and every shot decides between 10000s of $$$. One bad shot could mean the end of your career (not making the cut, running out of money) etc...

It's different when you are a hacker and shank a shot. After the round you'll laugh about it with your buddies and have some beers and then go back to your 9-5 job the next day.

If Tiger Woods makes a bad decision it may cost him a major. Of course I'd get pissed if I hit millions of golf balls, have put in 30000+ hours of practice, work my ass off in the gym everyday and then hit a bad shot which I practiced so many times that may result in me losing a major and me having to justify myself to the whole world and having even more pressure for the next tournament.

Imagine taking all the money you have out of your bank account, all your savings etc, then go to a casino and put everything on red.

And then, you lose everything.

That's what it's like for Tiger when he hits a bad shot. Some of the internet saints on here would act like they have tourettes, jump in a water hazard and try to drown themselves if they were in the same situation as Tiger.

All tiger does is slam a club once in a while and curse a little bit. Big deal.

It's not like he shot himself in the leg in a gay bar while snorting cocaine off a stripper.

[Shorty]

lol

Unlikely, given that he has yet to win one.

Let's not start this habit that tennis players started recently, by call major titles "slams". "The Grand Slam" is a singular thing, it refers to the definite article; winning all four majors in a calendar year.