As a sport fan and golfer, I can agree with the feeling of disappointment conveyed in Bissinger's (Feb. 2010) article about the short comings of Tiger Woods. Although I feel like my direct feelings towards Tiger are more of sadness and compassion, unlike the remarks made within the article. Tiger Woods is more than an athlete, he is human. As humans, we make mistakes and it is a well known fact that no one is perfect. However, when in the public eye, athletes transcend the normal expectations and become role models. It would be nice to expect all athletes to be perfect role models but is that a reasonable expectation to have? Tiger Woods truly seemed to be a 'perfect' role model until recent events proved otherwise. Now, fans and the sport world have shunned and judged him for his acts. Feelings of disapproval for Tiger's actions I can agree with but the harsh judgment of another human being for their problems and short comings, I cannot support.
One line that caught my attention "...it is hard not to conclude that the only reason he got married was to burnish that precious image even more, family man..." (paragraph 25), really took me by surprise. With his remark, Bissinger is challenging the feelings Tiger has for his family in a completely unacceptable way by implying that Tiger's family was a sham to boost his image. Mr. Bissinger's statement is not only targeting Tiger but also his ex-wife and two young children. What can be gained from a statement such as this except emotional damage for a family already in shambles? It seems to me this article by Buzz Bissinger is a childish outrage with no purpose other than taking the opportunity to scrutinize and judge another human being because that is what Tiger Woods is, human.
I think Tiger has much more serious problems than someone who has made a mistake--especially if he has had multiple (perhaps hundreds) of affairs with different women. I agree that none of us can judge him for that, but I can understand why sponsors do not want to have their products associated with him.
ReplyDeleteI like Bissinger. Friday Night Lights was an amazing book and one of my favorites, but if I have to choose a Bissinger moment from class that was most memorable, it was the YouTube clip we watched of him addressing what he talked about in this article. More specifically, he compared Tiger to OJ Simpson.
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Not only did he compare Tiger's actions of gallivanting around with women outside of his marriage to a murder trial, but he turned public opinion into what he thought to be the court ruling. Agree or disagree with the ruling, Buzz, I hope you understand that the courts equit OJ of all charges, and Tiger was found G-U-I-L-T-Y. Yes, OJ probably did it, but that's besides the point. The comparison was completely off.
I would have to agree with Dr. Spencer that Tiger has some far more serious issues than some "mistakes." What is more amazing to me is how long Tiger was able to keep things hidden before all the girls started coming out.
ReplyDeleteLike many, Tiger was on a pretty high pedestal of mine! I admired not only his ability as a golfer, but also being what I thought such an outstanding representation of the golf world. I guess it was humbling though, when Tiger turned out to not be the "perfect" role model I thought he was. It just reminded me that you can never put any human being on the kind of platform I had Tiger on, because like you said we are human and we are flawed.
I agree with your comments on his family. I don't think we can question or speculate things of that extreme. In respect to his kids and wife, I think it would be best if reporters didn't even go down that road.
I have to agree with your position that we place unrealistic expectations on professional athletes because they are in the public eye. Not condoning Tiger's actions, but as you stated his is human and capable of making the same mistakes that we all are. If Tiger wasn't "Tiger" would this have been such an issue? Sadly enough, this type of thing happens everyday with Joe Nobody and there isn't nearly the same uproar. Furthermore, I always question whether or not "those casting stones" have skeletons in their own closets. Granted, professional athletes and those in the public eye SHOULD hold themselves to a different standard, I do not believe that the PGA Tour pays Tiger to be a role model. They pay him to do his job; which in this case is to hit long drives and sink putts. This does not remove Tiger's moral responsibility to his family, but that is a separate issue that should be addressed in the privacy of his own home.
ReplyDeleteTiger woods made a sham out of his marriage when he cheated on his wife time after time after time. While I know he is human and a role model, he was arrogant and thought he was above all others just because he could play golf better. I do not think it should get in the way of his golf career, I think his character is very poor whether he is a star golfer or not and I would not have him represent anything I wanted endorsements in.
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