Picture: Google Images. Man, Tiger Woods once had it all. He was living his dream as the number one golfer in the world, making ridiculous amounts of money, and partying so hard that he could make Sean Combs jealous. But as they say, all good things must come to an end—so then he lost.
I won’t bore you with the retelling of the fated night two years ago when his world came crashing (pun intended) down, because you’ve probably heard the story as much as the Jack and Jill nursery rhyme. I also won’t bother you of how awful he’s been playing lately (it’s bad,) but let me reassure your convictions that the Tiger no longer has a commanding roar, or frightening teeth.
Over the weekend Woods dropped again. The embattled golfer is no longer considered a top 50 player after the Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland saw the arrival of a young cat – Louis Oosthuizen-- who tied for fifth and bumped Woods down in the rankings. The last time Woods was not counted within the top 50 best players in world was back in 1996 (I was like six then.) And so I ask Maybe this is it for one of the greatest athletes from the early 21st Century, and maybe it’s times-up for our generation of athletes in general?
Woods isn’t alone. Remember the Gillette commercials Tiger shot with world tennis star Rodger Federer and baseball star Derek Jeter years ago. Now many critics are expecting their time may be coming to an end as well. Actually, both did pretty well in their respective sports, but there was definitely a drop off. For the second consecutive year "Jeet" finished under .300 batting average, and 2011 is the first year that "Fed" didn't win a Slam since 2002. There are many other examples that suggest maybe it’s time for the superstars we once were accustomed to, to step down and allow new ones to take their place. It happens every two decades or so. Athletes wear out, and its time for a new generation.
Source:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/02/sport/golf/tiger-woods-ranking/
Commercials:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1pGU6xjMjk&feature=fvwp&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6R404c1NB0
It's interesting for people our age to have this time pass. We've grown up with these sports stars on TV, playing and endorsing products.
ReplyDeleteJust like when Jordan retired, it took some getting used to. We're seeing Tiger decline, Jeter is coming to the end of his career, and the list goes on.
It is an adjustment for certain journalists, too, because they are used to fixtures in the clubhouse or on the tour, or whatever the case may be. They now must adjust to new superstars-in-the-making.
It is hard to feel sorry for Tiger at times, but I do honestly think that he is trying to turn his life around for the better. But golf is such a mental game that when you have other things bigger than golf on your mind, it is difficult to concentrate. Tiger has not won in a couple years now so I am not surprised that he has dropped so dramatically in the player rankings, but his confidence is in the toilet right now. If he gets one victory under his belt, he could go on a run.
ReplyDeleteWell written, Liam. When I talk about 'developing your voice', this post is a perfect example of that. Your writing 'voice' comes through in this post. Well done!
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