Tiger Woods Should Ignore Rick Reilly's Criticism

Tiger Woods PGA Tour Groupies have added the author of this article - Peter Cady from bleacherreport.com, to our xmas card list. All hail to Peter Cady.

In case you haven’t heard, Rick Reilly recently criticized Tiger Woods for his temper tantrums in an article entitled “Woods needs to clean up his act.”

To sum it up, Reilly basically states that Woods’ frequent curses and club slams after bad shots or poor putts are an insult to the sport and past golfers as well as his current competitors, while also serving as a bad example for kids.

I tend to disagree with the majority of Reilly’s opinions due to the fact that they are usually anti-athlete—I find that the majority of his articles portray athletes as spoiled brats who make too much money, and he’s happy to point out that Woods makes $100 million a year in endorsements in this article, which serves little purpose.

But regardless of how you feel about him, you have to respect Reilly as a powerful name in the sports world.

However, like in most cases, I disagree with Reilly feeling as if Tiger needs to be a poster boy of good sportsmanship in golf, as the sport already has enough of those characters.

How many times do you see Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, and other guys on the PGA Tour so much as merely shake their heads or shrug their shoulders after hitting a ball into the tree line or narrowly missing a birdie putt, or, as a worst case scenario, throw their sand wedge towards their bag after a tough time in the bunker?

And after they nail a shot right next to the pin from 200 yards out or sink an eagle putt, you usually just see a short flash of emotion with a weak fist pump and a high-five from their caddie.

In any golf tournament, you will see players hit amazing shots, regardless of whether Tiger is in it or not.

But aside from the reason that he’s the best golfer in the history of mankind, the reason why we like to watch Woods play so much is because of the fact that he is so willing to publicly display his emotions like a stripper displays her assets at the Body Shop in Hollywood.

He’ll pump his fists in exhilaration after making a crucial putt and curse all over Amen corner when his ball goes astray.

And golf fans like that.

Continue reading this article here:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/224295-woods-should-ignore-reillys-criticism

Demons Be Gone: In Defense of Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods and the Tiger Woods PGA Tour Groupies have been under attack lately from golf fans and the golf media regarding his love of the language of golf, and his Nike golf equipment on-course "toughness test". Since Tiger is busy conjuring up other ways he can convince the world that he might not be perfect, it's up to the Tiger Woods Groupies to defend his honor.

1. We wonder if these "demons" (the ones that dare to doubt, dare to even think Tiger is anything but what God had in mind when he created man) have ever played golf before, because if they had, they'd understand what a bitch (shit, excuse the language) of a game it can be sometimes. Most golfers I know swear, bitch and complain more times in one round than Tiger has in an entire career. Well maybe not, but considering the amount of rounds Tiger has played in his life, the current level of shit, fucks or whatever he's been saying, is quite acceptable.

2. Related to above, you would think that the average hacker, which many of these demons are, would have some kind of understanding as to the level of Tigers frustrations. Most of us play golf at the most once a week and are ready to sell our clubs after the first bad shot and have used every swear word known to man before their first hole is over. I wonder how you'd feel if you'd been playing golf since you could hold a golf club, practice pretty much everyday all day and hit one 100 yards right? And does it not give you ANY pleasure to see the worlds best player, possibly of all time, get a little pissed off and make you feel better about your demon golf game? Shit, I guess not.

3. The demons main argument seems to be that Tiger is in the spotlight and is a role model. He certainly is in the spotlight, and has been since pre-puberty, and how many bad stories or scandals has there ever been written about Tiger? (That's a big fat "shit-bugger-bum get in the bloody hole" Zero) Does this not count for anything? Do you not find it amazing, quite "fuckin get back in the goddamn fairway" unbelievable that Tiger doesn't seem to have even missed the urinal ever? And look, if the club captain drags your kids back from the course because they were practicing up on their golf jargon and playing the golf course version of pin the tail on the donkey, I'm sorry - but that's not Tigers fault. If you can't teach your kids that certain behavior is not acceptable, you might want to spend more time on critiquing yourself rather than Tiger. I can see the Demons turning red now.

Of course, this is just a rather one-eyed view from a bunch of Tiger-extremists, and even if Tiger snorted a few lines off the inside of his Green Jacket then bombed a 6-pack, before lighting up a fattie and making donuts in the azaleas on his exit down magnolia lane, he would still be the greatest thing since the Scotty Cameron, and you would all still be demons. Be gone!

Reilly: Tiger Woods needs to clean up his act

Reilly: Tiger Woods needs to clean up his act

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My Man Crush on Tiger Woods

From a zimbio.com user:

This is a totally great 10 day period. I was very vocal about the MDF rule and the Tour has announced that they are going to take another look. I said last Sunday morning that Tiger needed to not shoot another low number or the USGA would pull their hair out, trying to figure a way to change Torrey into a non-playable course for the Open. He went out and shot only one-under to win by only 8 strokes. Add those to my being lucky enough to introduce the new Nike Sumo Drivers this Saturday; getting to watch Tiger play two weeks in a row; four days of number 16 at the FBR; plus a little thing called the Super Bowl and you see why I am flying high.

Ok, so I had nothing to do with the Tour decision. It might have been all the players screaming about the new cut policy. Either way, Tim Finchem announced that the Policy Board would review their decision next month. Look for a change; I don’t think they will totally abandon the idea. It is, however, good to be on the right side of a story for once. Lately it seems every time I drop a “hot sports opinion” I am standing alone on an island.

I know many of you assume, and rightly so, that I have some sort of “Man Crush” on the world’s number one. I do. And why not? It has nothing to do with being a leader junkie. I admire any person that takes his God given ability and makes it even better. So many of us are satisfied with mediocrity. Tiger continually asks the question, “What can I do to get better?” See, I believe there should be a couple of players chasing Tiger. It just seems that “no one wants to really pay the price.” If that means practice 24 hours a day, then do it. If it means hitting 1000 putts a day then do it. Why is it that the best player is also the best practicer? A rhetorical question. Enjoy what you are watching. Embrace it. I remember my father talking about Lou Gehrig. Gehrig probably did not have the talent of Tiger, but he made sure no one played better.

Any chance we get to watch TW two weeks in a row is icing on the cake. As I sit here writing, I am watching the 32 year old, who just traveled halfway around the world, lead at Dubai. He shot a remarkable 65.

What I love to watch, and try to learn from, is his confidence. No matter what the shot, Tiger Woods focuses on the task at hand. The sameness in timing and in routine is staggering. Put a stopwatch on him. You will not believe what happens. Want to teach your kids how to get better? Not at golf but at life? Sit with them and watch Tiger. Watch the practice swings. I wish my children would study for exams the way TW focuses on a golf shot.

The Media's Man-Crush On Tiger Woods

By FRANKLIN PIERCE

Golf Analyst, Real Man Magazine

ORLANDO, Florida (RM) -- Tiger Woods may someday be the greatest golfer who’s ever played the game. However, let’s be clear about one thing: he’s not yet. This should be obvious to anyone who has even a remote understanding of the history of the game. It certainly should be obvious to sports writers and analysts. And it definitely should be obvious to sports writers and analysts who specialize in golf. However, as unbelievable as it sounds, it’s not obvious to these self-proclaimed golf ‘experts’. Nearly all of these so-called expert golf writers and analysts have anointed Tiger as “the greatest to ever play the game.” It’s about time these ‘professionals’ manned-up and got rid of their man crushes on Tiger. Making such a statement isn’t insightful – it’s just plain silly. It makes them sound like 12 year-old girls after a Jonas Brothers’ concert. It’s also ignorant.

I understand that sports writers are human. And as humans they get caught up in the emotion of the moment. When they witness something in person, it carries more weight. When they witness something more recent, it carries even more weight. For example, Jack Nicklaus won his last major in 1986. Tiger just won his most recent major in June 2008. Tiger’s recent major victory carries much more excitement and emotional attachment for these writers and analysts than Jack’s victory some 22 years ago.

Another problem is that many of these golf ‘experts’ have only known Tiger Woods and his contemporaries like Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, and Ernie Els - who, by the way, are the only other active players with at least three majors. Most of these writers haven’t seen Jack Nicklaus or his contemporaries like Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Lee Trevino, and Tom Watson. No offense to Mickelson, Singh, and Els, but they are no Palmer, Player, Trevino, or Watson – who, by the way, have 30 major tournament wins amongst them. But regardless of their biases due to living and watching golf during the Tiger era, these so-called professionals should be able to do some basic research and some simple math. A second grader could do the analysis and see, plain as day, that Tiger Woods has a long way to go to be “the greatest to ever play the game”. As a matter of fact, there is so much data showing that Tiger is clearly NOT “the greatest to ever play the game”, that it’s hard to know where to start, and it’s hard to believe anyone could be anointing Tiger as “the greatest to ever play the game” in the face of such overwhelming data. So let’s take all of the emotion out of it and look at just the raw data – you know, like men.

How about if we start with major victories?
Jack Nicklaus – 18
Tiger Woods – 14
Oops. Tiger’s not the greatest golfer there.

How about total victories?
Sam Snead – 82
Jack Nicklaus – 73
Tiger Woods – 65
Oops. Not the greatest golfer there either.

How about Ryder Cup matches won?
Nick Faldo – 23
Arnold Palmer – 22
Bernard Langer – 21
Seve Ballesteros – 20
Colin Montgomerie – 20
Billy Casper – 20
Lanny Wadkins - 20
Joe Maria Olazabal – 18
Jack Nicklaus – 17
Tiger Woods – 10
Oops. Not the greatest golfer there either. Tiger is way down the list there.

However, there is one thing Tiger is close to being the best at when it comes to the Ryder Cup. Tiger Woods is tied for second for the most Ryder Cup matches LOST by an American. In other words, Tiger Woods is almost the WORST American golfer ever to play in the Ryder Cup.

How about most top ten finishes in majors?
Nicklaus – 73
Woods - 15
Not the greatest there either – by a long shot. Sure Tiger has a long career ahead of him and may log many more top ten finishes; however it’s highly unlikely that he’ll ever come close to Nicklaus’ record.

How about runners up in majors?
Nicklaus – 19
Woods – 5
Not the greatest there. He’ll likely add a few more. But it’s highly unlikely he’ll surpass Nicklaus.

I’m a big fan of John Feinstein’s golf books – especially A Good Walk Spoiled. If anyone could put “the greatest to ever play the game” into perspective you’d think it’d be John Feinstein. Think again. John recently told National Public Radio that Tiger Woods was “the greatest golfer to ever play the game”. Even a professional like John isn’t immune from overlooking the simple facts and relying on his bias in favor of a more recent golfer. No offense John - you’re just the latest and most high profile example.

CONTINUED - THE MEDIA'S MAN CRUSH ON TIGER WOODS

Comcasts Tiger Woods Man Crush

I have a man crush on Tiger Woods. Seriously. Not a man crush as in, “I totally want to scrub his biceps with a loofah sponge.” But as in, “I want to be a superstar athlete who always comes through despite astronomical and often unrealistic expectations.” The only thing I don’t want is one of his Buicks. Does anyone really believe that when Tiger is deciding which of his cars to take for a drive he thinks, “Yeah, the Bentley is nice and everything, but I really like the feel of the bench seat in my LeSabre. The Buick it is!”

His other-wordly performance at Torrey Pines completely justified all of the praise that he receives, and shame on the pundits that suggested that Tiger was being “soft” for taking nine weeks off between the Master’s and the U.S. Open. Turns out he should’ve never gotten back on the course at all.

Urban dictionary.com defines a man crush as "when a straight man has a 'crush' on another man, not sexual but kind of idolizing him." Fair enough. I'd also like to provide a couple of real-world guidelines:

It is okay hang up a poster with Michael Jordan flying in mid-air before one of his signature dunks.

It is not okay to tear out a page from Esquire with MJ sporting a pair of Hanes briefs. If you also tear out a picture of Cuba Gooding, Jr., and tape it next to that MJ pic as if they’re starring in a Hanes commercial together, seek immediate help.

It is okay to watch Kobe Bryant drop 81 points on the Raptors and think, “Unbelievable. That’s my man, right there.”

It is not okay to watch the same game and think, “His shorts are too baggy. Show some leg, boyfriend. You’ve earned it.”

Continue reading here

Tiger Woods Groupies Mourn Open Tragedy

One of the saddest days for Tiger Woods groupies as they mourn the recent tragedy at the Open

The Golf Channel on Tigers Open

TURNBERRY, Scotland – Sandy Lyle has spent the better part of the week digging himself into a hole. Tiger Woods spent the better part of Friday afternoon trying to dig himself out of one. Both proved about as effective as an umbrella against a Scottish gale.

For the second time in a historic career Woods has missed the cut at a major championship, dropping to 47-for-49 in weekend Grand Slam play as a professional.

The world wasn’t coming to an end on the Firth of Clyde on Friday, it just felt like it, if one glanced at an upside down leaderboard. A 59-year-old was tied for the lead with a first-time Open participant at intermission and a T. Wood (that would be 28-year-old Timothy from Australia) and a T. Woods (the 14-time major winner) were headed for the same place – the airport.

It’s not as though Woods made a complete mess of things. Dressed in all black, which seemed about right, and under menacing gray skies that matched his mood, he opened his second round with the type of ball control that was missing on Thursday when he signed for a 71 and headed to the practice range looking for answers.

“I was playing well the first seven holes, hitting good shot after good shot,” said Woods, who last missed a cut at a major at the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot shortly after the death of his father, Earl. “The way the guys were all coming backwards, I would have figured if I would have shot 2-under par today I would have been right there.”

A steady start and a deft birdie at No. 7 lifted Woods out of the black for the week. But from there, as they say here on the craggy coast, things went pear shaped.

He missed the fairway left at the eighth – bogey. His 3-wood into a savage gale adjacent the ancient lighthouse found the right rough on the next hole – bogey. And at the 10th another wayward 3-wood prompted Woods to use a rarely-used word, “provisional” – double bogey.

From there, as the old baseball bromide goes, it was getting early late for the three-time Open Championship winner.

Five holes ultimately decided Woods’ Open fate, a run from Nos. 8 through 13 he played in 7 over. By the time Woods turned for the downwind run he was three shots outside the projected cut line and playing catch up on a course that was giving little. He made a game of it. Always does.

Birdies at Nos. 16 and 17 gave Woods and the huddled galleries hope, but his chip for birdie at the last turned away at the last and emptied the field of the game’s top draw.

“I just haven’t put together all four rounds,” Woods said of his 0-for-3 run in the season’s biggest events. “You have to play clean cards and I just didn’t do it.” Although he said he was comfortable with his swing, there was no room for error as the wind began to ravage the Ailsa Course, just ask Ben Curtis who went from contender to count me out in 80 strokes on Friday.

One can only imagine the text message waiting for Woods from Grand Slam stablemate Roger Federer: “And I never lose in the second round of a major. LOL.”

What happened? Scotland happened. Golf’s oldest major championship is also its oddest.

“You don’t often see him play shots like that, but everybody is entitled to a bad day,” said Lee Westwood, who played alongside Woods on Friday. “The wind can play havoc with your swing and he hit a couple bad shots at the wrong time.”

The best fix for Woods’ swing is Hazeltine National, site of next month’s PGA Championship and about as far from the capricious and windswept Scottish fairways as one can get.

“You can break down his swing all you want,” cautioned one longtime Tour swing coach, “but it’s just links golf. It happens.”

Just not very often to Woods.

Don’t expect a post-mortem from the Woods Camp when he arrives in central Florida early Saturday. The world may be asking what’s wrong, but the world No. 1 will only be interested in what’s next?

Open Shocker: Tiger Woods Misses Cut

Pre-championship favourite to win his fourth Open title, Tiger Woods, is out of the Championship.

Another uncharacteristically wayward round as the wind picked up over the Turnberry links led to a score of 74 and a half-way total of five over par, one shot beyond the projected 36-hole cut. It would be only the second time that he had failed to play the final 36 holes in a major. The other was in 2006 when, shortly after the death of his father, he missed the last two days of the US Open.

At seven over par with three holes to play he looked dead and buried, before birdies at the 16th and 17th holes heightened his chances. But one more birdie at the final hole was a necessity if he was to be sure of his place on Saturday morning.

His second shot to the final hole ran just through the back right edge of the green and his make-or-break pitch pulled up three agonising feet short of the hole.

More Shocking Than Michael Jackson's Death

Tiger Woods is fighting for his place in the final two rounds of The Open.

Two-over-par as he stood on the 10th tee, he blocked his drive so far right it cleared the watching spectators and plunged into knee-high rough — never to be seen again. Having played a provisional ball from the tee he then came up short with his fourth shot, pitched to within four feet and holed out for a six.

He now stands nine shots behind clubhouse leader, fellow American Steve Marino, and at four-over-par must not drop another stroke if he is to have any chance of remaining in the Championship over the weekend. He, at least, has the benefit of some downwind holes to come on the run back towards the finish

The Somewhat Concise Tiger Woods Dictionary

As Tiger Woods Groupies increase in numbers around the world, a whole new language is emerging that may significantly impact the way language is taught throughout the world. A complete listing would interfere with our Tiger time and be further evidence we need a Tony Robbins intervention, so here's the essential list of words you'll need to carry on conversations with other Tiger Woods Groupies regardless of where are in the world.

Tigersexual
def: Term used to describe male golfers with a Tiger Woods man-crush, either brokeback, or non-brokeback
usage: "Damn G, the cats over at The Golf Channel are raging Tigersexuals, but not that there's anything wrong with that"

Tiger Wood
def: state or feeling of euphoria that a Tigersexual experiences when watching Tiger Woods play golf
usage: "Even Johnny Miller got Tiger Wood when he drove that 630 yard par 5"

Poultergeists
def: those members of the gallery that shout out "you da man" and "get in the hole" after Tigers layup on the 1st hole of a practice round
(from and related to, golf stylist and fairway stud Ian Poulters comments regarding Tiger being "the man")

Earliphany
def: a tribute to Tigers Father, this is an intuitive perception or belief that Tiger will do something incredible. At the time it will seem outrageous, even impossible, but more often than not turns out to be true
usage: "Jack had an earliphany that Tiger would like would win more Masters than him and Arnie put together"

Weapons of Mass Destruction
def: Tiger's golf clubs
usage: "As long as Nike keep building Weapons of Mass Destruction, golfers are going to keep getting hurt all over the world"

Poor Bastard Pairing
def: of or referring to being in the unfortunate final pairing with Tiger Woods on Sunday at a major
usage: "Look Kenny, Tiger might have just have turned 93, be blind and only have 1 arm, but nobody in the last century has been in the poor bastard pairing and come out on top"

Sobel Prize in Literature
def: term to describe an unusually adoring article on Tiger Woods, referring to ESPN's Jason Sobel's ability to craft masterpieces on Tiger Woods
usage: "that cat deserves a Sobel Prize in Literature for his article on Tiger Woods"

to be cont...

The Tiger Woods Man Crush

After extensive psychiatric analysis of over 2.....well only 2, Tiger Woods groupies, we've managed to identify three, that's right 3, types of Tiger Man Crushes:


"The Jerry McGuire" Tiger Man Crush: He had you at "hello world" and you've been living happily ever after since. Nothing stands between you and "your man" and you don't think twice about showing him the money when it comes to $10,000 Tiger memorabilia.

"The Brokeback" Tiger Man Crush: His impeccable grooming and Nike outfits are your source of inspiration. You wish you could pull a Bruno/Eminem on Tiger at the next ESPY's

"The Closet" Tiger Man Crush: Your life of mediocrity makes you envious of Tigers greatness but you secretly dream of hiding in Tigers wardrobe and watching him sleep (peacefully, oh so peacefully). His "shocking" outbursts make you ashamed to be a golfer but only the truth will set you free: You're Tigersexual, you just don't know it yet.

Let us know of your Tiger man crush and win...um... the adoration of other Tiger Woods groupies

The Man Behind Tiger Woods

Mark Steinberg interview on Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods Sits Down with People

Everywhere Tiger Woods goes, he draws a huge crowd. While recently promoting his video game, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, he saw firsthand how crazy the throng could be. "This is abnormal," he confided to PEOPLE after navigating through a sea of fans who were trying to give him high-fives and snapping his picture. "Everything else about my life is very normal. I do the same things everyone else does."

(Note to Tiger: "Everyone else" doesn't play video golf with Jimmy Fallon in Times Square, backing up traffic and drawing more than a thousand screaming fans.)

In a rare quiet moment, Woods sat down with PEOPLE for a candid interview to discuss family and fatherhood, including the lessons he learned from his late dad, Earl Woods, who died of cancer in 2006.

Family Bonding
Woods, who missed much of the last golf season due to a knee injury, tells PEOPLE that he used the break to spend time more solid, quality with his then 1-year-old daughter, Sam.

"We're different than other sports in the fact that we don't spend half our season at home. We're always on the road," he explains. "I got a chance to be around her all the time, so that was a huge bonus."

While rehabbing his knee, Woods played games with Sam, whom he describes as "very active." They also sang songs and even tried to play video games. ("It didn't work," says Woods. "She was too young.") And the video games weren't simply for fun: Woods credits the hours he spent playing his own computer game on the Wii Fit with getting him back in shape.

Despite the time off from golf, Woods recalls the forced hiatus as a happy time: His wife Elin was pregnant with son Charlie Axel, now 4 months old. Sam was going through the cute toddler phase, and Woods got a chance to reconnect with friends and family. "I would have missed a lot," says Woods, who won the AT&T National earlier this month.

Lessons from Dad
The only downside? The absence of Woods's father, Earl. "I think of him every day," says Woods simply. "He taught me everything." Including golf.

When Woods was a toddler, Earl would put him in a white high chair in the garage while the elder Woods practiced his swing. "I grew up in Southern California," says Woods. "There was El Nino that year, and all the storms lined up. He couldn't play golf outside, but he wanted to continue working on his game. I just happened to be around. I got enthralled with it; absolutely loved it. I didn't want to come out of the high chair." Soon, Earl put a club in Tiger's hands, and a golf superstar emerged.

As for his own children, Woods plan to encourage them to pursue their passions. "Whatever they want to do is fine with me," he says. Are they athletic? Woods isn't sure yet. "They're so young," he explains. "Sam is very active; she loves to run. She runs a lot. [But] Charlie is only 4 months old. Who knows?"

For more on Tiger Woods, including what he learned from his father and what he hopes to teach his own kids, pick up this week's PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.