ENOUGH...

[Kaos]

I'm sick to fucking death of the collective masturbation over Tiger Woods. 

He was tied for 39th after yesterday but it was a giant picture of his chipmunk ass that dominated ESPN's online coverage.  Through 10 or 11 holes today he's slid back to 40th and is even.  But whose photo blares from the front page again? 

That motherfucker. 

I've never hated an athlete who wasn't a Bama player more than I hate Fucker Woods. 

[Snaggletiger]

So yesterday, we have family over after church and eat until I want to curl up and die.  Afterwards, I watched the Masters until they put the green jacket on Bubba.  First time in forever that I just vegged out and did nothing all afternoon and into the evening.  I know for many, watching golf is like watching paint dry.  For the most part, it can be and I'm not a huge golf fan.  But I do follow it.  However, there's just something about The Masters that's compelling to me.  I had no dog in the fight either but found myself pulling for Bubba over Oosterheizenschnitzel.  Watson claims to have never taken a golf lesson or watched film of himself.  Before I heard that, even I was thinking how this guy looks unorthodox, off balance and seems to follow through different every time.  But the guy can hit it a ton.  And the shot he made out of the woods in sudden death to basically win was good stuff.

BTDub...is Buzz back?  Need a report.
 

[Saniflush]

So yesterday, we have family over after church and eat until I want to curl up and die.  Afterwards, I watched the Masters until they put the green jacket on Bubba.  First time in forever that I just vegged out and did nothing all afternoon and into the evening.  I know for many, watching golf is like watching paint dry.  For the most part, it can be and I'm not a huge golf fan.  But I do follow it.  However, there's just something about The Masters that's compelling to me.  I had no dog in the fight either but found myself pulling for Bubba over Oosterheizenschnitzel.  Watson claims to have never taken a golf lesson or watched film of himself.  Before I heard that, even I was thinking how this guy looks unorthodox, off balance and seems to follow through different every time.  But the guy can hit it a ton.  And the shot he made out of the woods in sudden death to basically win was good stuff.

BTDub...is Buzz back?  Need a report.
 

I did what I always do on Sunday of The Masters, I watched the last three holes of it.  Good stuff.  I'm told in another 5 years or so I should have my tickets.  Been on the waiting list since '97.

[Snaggletiger]

I did what I always do on Sunday of The Masters, I watched the last three holes of it.  Good stuff.  I'm told in another 5 years or so I should have my tickets.  Been on the waiting list since '97.

Do ya' feel lucky?

[Saniflush]

Do ya' feel lucky?

This isn't for the lottery drawing.  This is for yearly ticket till I die.  They opened it up back in '97 and I hopped on the list. 

[Buzz Killington]

Beat down this morning.  I will give a full report later, but I gotta say I had a blast.  We scored badges to teh hospitality tent.  I really don't remember too much about the last 5 holes, to be perfectly honest...

[Snaggletiger]

Beat down this morning.  I will give a full report later, but I gotta say I had a blast.  We scored badges to teh hospitality tent.  I really don't remember too much about the last 5 holes, to be perfectly honest...

Exactly the kind of report we're looking for.

[GH2001]

Agree with K on Tiger. Get sick of no matter where he is, they show him first and foremost. It was much this way with JR in Nascar for the longest time. I think that finally faded away some.

Bubba, Phil and a handful of South Africans and players from the UK just donkey stomped Tiger's ass. Period.

[Snaggletiger]

Agree with K on Tiger. Get sick of no matter where he is, they show him first and foremost. It was much this way with JR in Nascar for the longest time. I think that finally faded away some.

Bubba, Phil and a handful of South Africans and players from the UK just donkey stomped Tiger's ass. Period.

Yep, the incessant media frenzy over his every move is way over the top.  I recall 2-3 years ago at the Masters.  He and Phil were making a late run to get back in the hunt but were still a couple of shots behind the leaders.  They eventually faded but I distinctly remember them following him as he walked down the fairway after a tee shot.  They focused in on him unwrapping and eating an energy bar and drinking water all the way until got set for his second shot...after which they switched to a REPLAY of the leader making a birdie putt.  "This was moments ago...." 

[JR4AU]

Agree with K on Tiger. Get sick of no matter where he is, they show him first and foremost. It was much this way with JR in Nascar for the longest time. I think that finally faded away some.

Bubba, Phil and a handful of South Africans and players from the UK just donkey stomped Tiger's ass. Period.

I understand K's rant on Tiger.  Right now he's barely relevant.  Yet, they still want to hang on to him as the face of golf.  He's not, not right now.  Fact is, though, when he was in his prime, golf was attracting viewers and fans that had never been fans of golf.  I can see where they'd want to hang on to that.  And then there's the "train wreck" aspect of Woods.  Some simply enjoy watching him fail over and over.   

[Godfather]

I understand K's rant on Tiger.  Right now he's barely relevant.  Yet, they still want to hang on to him as the face of golf.  He's not, not right now.  Fact is, though, when he was in his prime, golf was attracting viewers and fans that had never been fans of golf.  I can see where they'd want to hang on to that.  And then there's the "train wreck" aspect of Woods.  Some simply enjoy watching him fail over and over.

This

Bottom line, he still puts butts in the seats, and sells newspapers (so to speak).  = $$$$

[Token]

A lot of the Tiger talk came because he won Bay Hill.  Some thought he'd make a run at Augusta.  He didn't, and once he was out, I thought they did a great job of covering the leaders. Especially yesterday. 

[Snaggletiger]

This

Bottom line, he still puts butts in the seats, and sells newspapers (so to speak).  = $$$$

He definitely does.  But part of it is the golfers' own fault IMO.  I heard some stat this morning about how many different winners there have been in the last 14 majors.  No one has stepped up to be even 1/4 as consistent as Tiger was in his prime.  No rivalries.  They tried deseprately to build up a Tiger, McIlroy, Mickelson battle prior to the Masters but that flopped early on.  There are a ton of talented young guys who could be compelling figures, but none of them are able to stay consistently at the top.  Watson is the type of golfer and/or personality that fans would and do gravitate to.  But something tells me that with his mechanics..or lack thereof, he's not going to get on any real sustained hot streak.   

[JR4AU]

He definitely does.  But part of it is the golfers' own fault IMO.  I heard some stat this morning about how many different winners there have been in the last 14 majors.  No one has stepped up to be even 1/4 as consistent as Tiger was in his prime.  No rivalries.  They tried deseprately to build up a Tiger, McIlroy, Mickelson battle prior to the Masters but that flopped early on.  There are a ton of talented young guys who could be compelling figures, but none of them are able to stay consistently at the top.  Watson is the type of golfer and/or personality that fans would and do gravitate to.  But something tells me that with his mechanics..or lack thereof, he's not going to get on any real sustained hot streak.

Until there's a new face of golf, they will still pimp Tiger for all the reasons you stated.   That said, I still feel like Tiger has one more run in him. 

[GH2001]

He definitely does.  But part of it is the golfers' own fault IMO.  I heard some stat this morning about how many different winners there have been in the last 14 majors.  No one has stepped up to be even 1/4 as consistent as Tiger was in his prime.  No rivalries.  They tried deseprately to build up a Tiger, McIlroy, Mickelson battle prior to the Masters but that flopped early on.  There are a ton of talented young guys who could be compelling figures, but none of them are able to stay consistently at the top.  Watson is the type of golfer and/or personality that fans would and do gravitate to.  But something tells me that with his mechanics..or lack thereof, he's not going to get on any real sustained hot streak.

I think Golf is more competitive now. There are a lot of good, young guys. Not saying Tiger wasn't the shit from 1996 - 2008, because he was very good. But it was a more watered down field than now. He was beating the field so badly then, that it was almost over before Sunday. Top to bottom the field is more stacked now. Youve had how many really good golfers from 1985-2005? Norman, Faldo, Price, Duvall maybe. Perhaps Lehman or Ballesteros. Did you see how many of the world's top 10 golfers were in contention all week? Just about everyone of them. Westwood, Mahan, Oostuzienscholsnitzel, McIlroy, Mickelson, Watson. It is super competitive now. The Phil now is also not the Phil of 10 years ago. He is much better now.

[JR4AU]

I think Golf is more competitive now. There are a lot of good, young guys. Not saying Tiger wasn't the shit from 1996 - 2008, because he was very good. But it was a more watered down field than now. He was beating the field so badly then, that it was almost over before Sunday. Top to bottom the field is more stacked now. Youve had how many really good golfers from 1985-2005? Norman, Faldo, Price, Duvall maybe. Perhaps Lehman or Ballesteros. Did you see how many of the world's top 10 golfers were in contention all week? Just about everyone of them. Westwood, Mahan, Oostuzienscholsnitzel, McIlroy, Mickelson, Watson. It is super competitive now. The Phil now is also not the Phil of 10 years ago. He is much better now.

Gonna have to kind of disagree in part.  There were a shitload of good golfers during Tiger's prime, some you mentioned, plus Ernie Ells, Vijay Sing, and some others slipping my mind.  The thing is, it was Tiger and everybody else.  It's just now, the good/great golfers are competing for 1st instead of 2nd place, and in that sense it is more competitive. 

[GH2001]

Gonna have to kind of disagree in part.  There were a shitload of good golfers during Tiger's prime, some you mentioned, plus Ernie Ells, Vijay Sing, and some others slipping my mind.  The thing is, it was Tiger and everybody else.  It's just now, the good/great golfers are competing for 1st instead of 2nd place, and in that sense it is more competitive.

There weren't that many at any one time though. There are a SHIT load right now.

[Kaos]

This

Bottom line, he still puts butts in the seats, and sells newspapers (so to speak).  = $$$$

But here's the conundrum.  Is Tiger news because people want to read about him and root for him or because he's pimped non-stop day after day after day?  In other words, as he slid into irrelevance is it public interest or ESPN driving the bus? 

90% of the people I know can't stand the bastard.  90% of the people I know watch him only in hopes of seeing him fail. 

If ESPN/CBS/Whoever didn't continually show his fucking mug, put up "TigerWatch" apps and icons and other ridiculous shit like that, would anybody even think about him any more?

It's my contention that they wouldn't.  They "hype" is artificial and created by the networks themselves.  They aren't feeding a public appetite, they're inventing one to fill. 

[Godfather]

But here's the conundrum.  Is Tiger news because people want to read about him and root for him or because he's pimped non-stop day after day after day?  In other words, as he slid into irrelevance is it public interest or ESPN driving the bus? 

90% of the people I know can't stand the bastard.  90% of the people I know watch him only in hopes of seeing him fail. 

If ESPN/CBS/Whoever didn't continually show his fucking mug, put up "TigerWatch" apps and icons and other ridiculous shit like that, would anybody even think about him any more?

It's my contention that they wouldn't.  They "hype" is artificial and created by the networks themselves.  They aren't feeding a public appetite, they're inventing one to fill.

Whether they create the hype or don't you kind of answered your own question?

People love him or hate him and watch and read because of it.  I know I always look to see where he is in the field just out of curiosity and I don't care for him.

I will tell you when he announced to play the Honda Classic down here in Palm Beach Gardens, the next day they sold over 20,000 tickets.

[Snaggletiger]

The media is 100% to blame because they choose what and who to focus on and how they'll go about it.  I never was a big fan of his in terms of pulling for him, but I definitely tuned in to watch him perform.  The guy seemed to approach every shot, no matter where he was, as if he was going to do something great with it.  You'd see him with a down hill lie on the lip of the bunker where he had to stand with one foot in the sand and the other 3 feet above him....250 yards out...and you knew full well in your mind that this son of a bitch is going to put this 3 feet from the cup. 

Despite all the rules..written and unwritten...about behavior on the course in pro golf, Woods tends to appeal to the average Joe who plays the occasional round as well.  Hit and errant shot....%#&*ing piece of #@%& sorry sack of %^&*#...  If you think about it, in his interviews through the years, he doesn't draw attention to himself.  Very reserved and guarded about talking about anything other than his day on the course.  And other than doing Buick commercials, he's never seemed to be one to try and put himself out there publically to draw attention to himself.

Now, I'm not trying to paint Tiger Woods as a victim or a saint.  The dude obviously loves him some strange and his former swing coach's book (Forget his name) apparently paints him in a far less than flattering light when it comes to his personality.  But as far as the way he's basically shoved down our collective throats, that's all media.