Thanks Tiger


Like the rest of the sports world, and maybe the whole world, I’ve been watching Tiger Woods. Everyone’s paying attention to his play at the Masters.  Considering what he’s been through, all of this is quite amazing.  The fact that Tiger is even walking is unbelievable. And to watch him actually play golf is unthinkable.  He has said that we can’t imagine what he’s gone through to get here.  I agree. 


 As we soon learned after his automobile accident, Tiger came  close to losing his life, and very close to losing a leg. I believe if the person in that accident had been anyone but Tiger Woods, their leg would’ve been amputated. And let’s don’t forget he had major back surgery in December.  After the accident, Tiger spent 3 months in a hospital just trying to relearn basic motions.  And now a little over a year after his release, he’s playing golf in the Masters. Hollywood couldn’t write a story like this. 


I think the accident has changed Tiger - not only physically, but  emotionally as well. It seems that he’s a different person now.  He’s thankful, appreciative.  Tiger just seems more… human.  Maybe that’s what happens to a man who looks death in the eye.  We saw the new Tiger when he became a doting Dad playing in the father - son golf tournament with Charlie.  Woods acknowledges the galleries now. He’s much more relaxed with the press.  He laughs. He will even sign some autographs. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still fiercely competitive.  There is nothing Tiger would rather do than whip his fellow professionals like a rented mule.  But, now he’s become likable.


Tiger’s not the only one who’s changed. A lot of us have  changed too.  When Tiger was at the height of his power, so many people didn’t like him.  Count me as one of them. I felt the same way about Tiger as I felt about  Jack Nicklaus when he took the crown from my hero,  Arnold Palmer.  It took a while for me to become a Jack fan.  And I think it’s the same way with Tiger.  It  was impossible not to admire his talent, even though for years he seemed like an emotionless assassin. Tiger was, in my mind, arrogant, unapproachable, and unlikeable.   For example, a friend of mine said he would never root for Tiger after he saw him ignore a kid who asked for an autograph during a practice round.  


But my, how things have changed. Now, so many people are pulling  for Tiger to make an improbable comeback.  If you think about it, this is nothing new.  All Americans, regardless of skin color or political affiliation, love a redemption story.  That’s why movies like Rocky, Rudy, and The Cinderella Man have been big hits.  From Seabiscuit, to Richard Nixon, to Harry Potter, there’s just something in our collective fabric that loves stories like these.  We’re all suckers for the noble quest.  


And now one of the most recognizable people in the world in the world is trying to make a comeback against all odds. It has actually bound all of us together.  And with everything happening in our nasty ol’ world right now, this is a breath of fresh air.      


So Godspeed, Tiger.  Keep on fighting the good fight.  You need to do this for you - and for all of us. 



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Follow me at: Joe Hobby Comedian - Writer


Check out my other posts at: mylifeasahobby.blogspot.com



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