link Mickelson leads Masters; Kim and Westwood 3 back – Yahoo! News.
The right guy won. Of course, it’s only golf and it’s only a game, but given the drama surrounding the playing of this year’s Masters tournament, the victory was indeed special and emotional for Phil Mickelson whose wife Amy is recovering from cancer. It was hard not to join into the emotion as the couple embraced after the victory. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy, a class guy and a credit to the game.
On another note, the other guy who drew so much attention to this tournament gave a pretty terse assessment of his game in post game interviews:
“…That’s not what I wanted,” said Woods, playing for the first time in five months since a sex scandal severely damaged his reputation. “I wanted to win this tournament. As the week went along, I kept hitting the ball worse. It was not very good.”
and,
“…I only enter events to win,” Woods said. “I didn’t hit the ball good enough and made too many mistakes around the green. As a result, I’m not there.”
A particularly arrogant remark given the depth of talent in the field. It’s as if he dismisses them all as mere background fillers for the Tiger show. While Woods certainly is possesed of great talent, humility is certainly not in in his makeup. This fact alone may always tarnish his legacy as much as his interesting personal adventures. After all that’s happened in the past 5 months, the entitlement and petulance still shows through. Noticeably absent were any congratulatory words to the winner as a minimum matter of graciousness, but certainly expected at a place like Augusta. There very much is an I in Tiger. By the way, he did shoot a 69; maybe just a coincidence.
link The Canadian Press: CBS Masters coverage revolves around Tiger Woods.
This whole Tiger circus has exposed a very unsettling realization for me. Men of all ages are in a deep bromance with Mr. Woods. To watch the fawning coverage of his every expression, to report on every expletive he utters, to watch the full screen facial images after every shot, one can easily see that CBS is in love with our hero! Because of the blockbuster ratings attributable to Woods’ return to professional competition and the related financial windfall from these ratings, I can see how CBS executives would be rapturous about his appearance at this year’s Masters Tournament.
But it’s nauseating. The networks are less reporting a golf tournament and more behaving like adolescent groupies at a Jonas Brothers concert. It’s as if you can feel middle aged men swooning when Tiger looks into the camera in rapt concentration. As a matter of fact, if Gillette decided to market a fragrance based on Tiger, men would snap it up like it was free beer. CBS made a point of reporting the many hugs he received from his fellow golfers. Oy.
A while ago, I opined that Tiger is not bigger than golf, but I admit that Tiger does seem to be bigger than the Masters. A scan of google news will show 3 stories on Tiger, but no headlines on who is actually leading the tournament or any of the attendant drama. He may as well be playing by himself, though we know he hasn’t been doing that. It is obvious that CBS is milking the voyeurs not just golf fans.
Sports have always been the ultimate reality show, since most results are unscripted and the possibility of dramatic finishes have a timeless appeal. Now, with all the tabloid style coverage of Tiger’s every move, the spectacle becomes less pure sport and more Dancing with the Stars. The history and tradition of the Masters is not just about skilled players. It is about the dignity of the game and the character of the champions. Past champions like Bobby Jones, the founder of Augusta, to Palmer and Nicklaus were true exponents of the code and ambassadors for the game. Despite the hushed, reverential tones and the syrupy theme music, the Masters risks becoming just another cash stop on the tour.