April 11th, Sunday/ Okay, now that some time has passed since the Tiger Woods fiasco, when will it be realized that the "Tiger Woods Experiment" is a complete and utter disaster? Somewhere along the line, it was determined that a "super golfer" was needed to propel the sport to higher heights. Tiger appeared on Johnny Carson, billed as the next phenomenon of the golf world and BOOM, there he was, Tiger Woods! Tiger showed up and was treated like Moses parting the Red Sea (or the fairway as it were). He was dynamic and majestic and, well... "Super Golfer!" Tiger stormed golf courses like the American troops stormed the beaches of Normandy. OMG! His swings, his putts, his fist pumps...! His money(?). He is (was) truly a talent. Other golfers feared him. When he showed up on the greens, the question became, "Who is going to win second place?" And then it happened...Tiger became a man! A cheating man. A disrespectful to his family man. He committed a transgression that has existed in our society since "time in memoriam." It wasn't so much what he did as it was he got caught because of what he did.
Entitlement is a nasty thing. When achieved, it makes you feel invincible, powerful, indestructible! You can say anything! Do anything...You can be arrogant and insensitive. So what? But, when something happens to bring it all down, you become exposed like a junkie with a habit and no means to support said habit.
Role model? Was he ever a role model? Of course he was and still is; but, for all the wrong reasons. To reach the level he achieved as a professional golfer requires a certain kind of grit that does not speak to being warm and fuzzy. You have to be ruthless and callous. You get paranoid and private and you "want to ba alone!" (Except when you want the company of your own kind!) Others want to be with you, touch you, shake your hand and vow to never wash that hand again.
The "created" Tiger is long gone! The "real" Tiger is here now! He is who he has always been and it is time for those longing to be like him (or be him, basically) can "just do it!" You won't have his game but you can easily channel his personality. It is easy... Just act like you are "entitled" and the rest is easy. And, if you don't get all caught up in it, you will come to know that you can "be like Mike" too!
