Tiger Woods voted Associated Press' top athlete of decade

[Zeph]

Tiger Woods (FSY) was selected Wednesday as Athlete of the Decade by U.S. sports editors, a result that reflects 10 years of greatness on the golf course rather than three weeks of headlines about a shocking sex scandal. Woods received 56 of the 142 votes cast by Associated Press member newspaper editors since last month. Lance Armstrong, a cancer survivor who won the Tour de France six times this decade, finished second with 33 votes. He was followed by Swiss tennis great Roger Federer, who won more Grand Slam singles titles than any other man, with 25 votes.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/golf/...f-decade_N.htm Some positive news on Tiger, at last. It's a good thing this was voted on before the recent events took place. The last three weeks' charade does not affect his accomplishments the last 10 years.

[iacas]

Some positive news on Tiger, at last. It's a good thing this was voted on before the recent events took place. The last three weeks' charade does not affect his accomplishments the last 10 years.

The part you quoted doesn't indicate that to be the case. It says that in spite of the last three weeks he still won, basically.

It says they've been voting for the past month. It isn't clear when voting closed (though I'd imagine it wouldn't have been quite as recently as yesterday). Lance Armstrong was the only other possible candidate in my mind, but I'm still not certain he's as clean as we'd like to think either.

[DaSportsGuy]

He definitely deserved it. I can't think of anyone who had as much of a right to it as he did.

[MI Rob]

He definitely deserved it. I can't think of anyone who had as much of a right to it as he did.

Exactly what I was going to say.

[Silzildrummer]

Even with Tiger's recent events, it shouldn't deteriorate what he has done as an athlete. He really has been, in my opinion, the most dominating athlete since he's been part of the game of golf.

[sean_miller]

I would have voted for Federer over either Tiger or Lance Armstrong. I could say, "maybe that's just me", but 25 other voters agree.

[Black Hulk]

while many people may be more athletic than woods -- although he and many other pro golfers are in good shape -- the title "athlete" in this sense simply means anybody that plays a sport professionally (including NASCAR).

woods' decade - 64 total wins, 12 major championships:

2000- won the US Open, British Open, and PGA Championship
2001- won the Masters (thus he had won all 4 major championships consecutively)
2002- won the Masters (only the 3rd golfer ever to win it back-to-back), won the US Open
2003- no majors
2004- no majors
2005- won the Masters and the British Open
2006- his father died and he took some time off... came back and won the British Open again, and won the PGA Championship
2007- won the PGA Championship again
2008- won the US Open on a torn-up knee and surgery ended his season just afterwards
2009- coming back from injury, he didn't win any majors, but he won 6 tournaments and the FedEx Cup, and went 5-0 in the Presidents' Cup

There aren't too many other athletes who have sustained anywhere close to this amount of success over these 10 years. Winning 12 majors would be good enough for 2nd all time behind Jack Nicklaus' 18. Woods had won 2 major championships in the 90s so he has 14 for his career.

He obviously is having some off-the-course problems right now, but that is irrelevant to his play on the course. He likely will go down as the greatest golfer of all time, as long as he catches Nicklaus. Woods will be 34 at the end of this month. Golfers have typically been successful into their early to mid 40s. Several golfers have sustained success until the age of 48-50. Tom Watson almost won the British Open this year at age 59. Considering Tiger and most golfers keep themselves in better shape nowadays, who knows how long Tiger will play at a high level.

It's hard to argue w/ his success from 2000-09. Other athletes have done well, but not that well.

[golfdad]

just want to bring up one condition, that golf is a sport that can be played competitively much longer than some other sports. having said that, tiger is a one in a million year phenom that cannot be measured by years, let alone 10 years.

[RocketSauce]

Even with Tiger's recent events, it shouldn't deteriorate what he has done as an athlete. He really has been, in my opinion, the most dominating athlete since he's been part of the game of golf.

very true

[MrKadash]

I have absolutely no problem with the voting results. The only thing the last three weeks has done is make the vote closer.

[Shindig]

Lance Armstrong was the only other possible candidate in my mind, but I'm still not certain he's as clean as we'd like to think either.

I think Federer and Schumacher might have been other candidates?

To be clear, I'd have voted for Tiger for this award too. I'm just brainstorming who else might have been a candidate.

[Silzildrummer]

I think Federer and Schumacher might have been other candidates?

I believe ESPN had reported Michael Phelps, Tom Brady, and Usain Bolt were also candidates for the award.

[zeg]

tiger is a one in a million year phenom that cannot be measured by years, let alone 10 years.

Well, I think he's more like one or two in a 50-years or so phenom.. it hasn't been THAT long since Nicklaus.

[golfdad]

Well, I think he's more like one or two in a 50-years or so phenom.. it hasn't been THAT long since Nicklaus.

nicklaus is the other one in a million.

[Grndslmhttr3]

I woulda voted Lance

[misty_mountainhop]

Yawn. Athlete of the Decade and someone like Yelena Isinbayeva isn't a candidate? I think that says everything about the actual value of this.

[Ozweego]

I agree with this. When you consider what athlete accomplished the most in his/her respected sport, you really can't top Tiger.

[blgsgolfer]

I believe ESPN had reported Michael Phelps, Tom Brady, and Usain Bolt were also candidates for the award.

Who is Usain Bolt? No other athlete has dominated or made a impact on his/her sport like Woods. Personal life is just that personal...you can't deny his global impact and accomplishments in "golf".