Monday, December 21, 2009

Tiger - You're making me sick!

You know, this whole Tiger woods things makes me want to throw up. There’s no question that he is a brilliant golfer and really does own the sport, but an icon he isn’t. I would argue that he’s more machine than human. He was raised with golf clubs in his hands – and cursed/ threw temper tantrums whenever he got pissed off. That’s not cool – and I don’t care how old he was when he did it.

So, he dominates the sport – so do many other people dominate sports – except they behave like human beings, not animals. They overcame real adversity and they created followingS of real people. For this, I need look no further than Jackie Robinson, Jim Thorpe, Bill Russell, Babe Didrickson, Muhammad Ali, Jesse Owens or Rocket Richard. Those people behaved like humans, not like machines and certainly not like animals.

He’s had brilliant PR people behind him at every step of the way – and to be fair, they have excelled and putting the spin on a tawdry and sordid Tiger, more concerned with being an egomaniac than with being a husband, father or a positive role model. A role model – he is not … just ask the folks at Accenture who (rightfully) pulled their sponsorship, again (rightly) claiming that he was not the right person to represent their brand.

Woods is a shill, nothing more or less. He works for anyone who will pay him. He'll peddle watches, golf balls, automobiles, consulting companies. But not anymore. Nada. No-onwe wants him anymore, not even the women with whom he philandered

Let’s talk about the results of what he’s done. Face it, having an affair is not cool. It just is not – and especially when you are as high-profile as Tiger was – he was sure to get caught. Not only was he caught – he was caught with his pants down. And I don’t feel sorry for him in the least. I feel sorry for his soon-to-be-ex-wife and his family. For Tiger? Nope!

And he has disappointed children all over the world who looked at him as a hero. Having grown up in a sports oriented environment, I know the value of heroes – and being married with 2 kids, I am sensitive to kids needs too.

I want to help my kids find heroes in sport – but will have them stick to figures like Tony Dungy, Marc Trestman, Jean BĂ©liveau, Otis Grant or Clara Hughes.

Remind your children that when Hughes won her gold medal in Turin in 2006, she immediately donated $10,000 to Right to Play, the charity that attempts to help African children through sport.

If Tiger Woods was to donate a comparable portion of his personal fortune, it would come to $200 million or more.

But he won't do it. That is one reason he's not a hero. Never has been, never will be. Because for openers, if you're not a hero to your own family, you're nothing.