Have you ever seen the statistics of an athlete, but never saw that athlete perform? For instance, you can find anywhere that Alex Rodriguez hit 52 home runs last year. But, what does this do for you if you didn't see him hit the home runs? A-Rod's homers could have been balls that just made it over the wall, or inside-the-park home runs that weren't really monster shots. That was just an example. To clarify that, A-Rod earns every home run he hits.
What I was trying to accomplish by that example was to illustrate what it's like to hear or read about an athlete, but not actually see the real thing. Just like the game telephone- there is an original message, but the story changes after it's been told by a few people. This leads me to my main topic- Tiger Woods. Since 1996, I've heard how this kid Tiger Woods was the most amazing golfer you will ever see. I was never really into golf. I don't know why, but it just never interested me. As twelve years passed, I never watched a single golf tournament, but keep in mind, I knew of a few golf pros. Tiger, Mickelson, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Gary Player were just about the only golfers I knew of. Until, this past U.S. Open. For the last year I watched a little bit of golf here and there, but I never really understood all the rules. I decided to watch the 2008 U.S. Open out of curiosity. Let me tell you, the 2008 Open made me a golf fan for life.
We all know how Tiger and Rocco Mediate went to a sudden-death playoff, in which Tiger won. I've always admired Tiger Woods...I've admired him for his accomplishments. I knew of his accomplishments, but I never lived through them. I never saw him accomplish these feats. I've seen the Yankees win 4 World Series from 1996-2000, which made me appreciate the wins more. It would be different if I read in the papers about the Yankees winning, but didn't witness it. If you're wondering where I am going with this, here's your answer. Tiger Woods won the 2008 U.S. Open in one of the best golf tournaments in history. (The announcers in the event and media have confirmed this!) I witnessed this event! I can honestly say that the only golf event I watched from beginning to end was Tiger Woods' last Major win...
Yes, I said last Major win. Just yesterday, Tiger addressed the issues on his knee injury. He said his left knee has been sore for the last 10-12 years. This would mean that his knee was sore for almost his whole professional career. Now, we aren't going to take this into account to his playing, because anyone could have health problems that contribute to their play. Tiger played how he played in his career, regardless of his injuries. He played through them. I don't think he was making an excuse, he was just being honest. Mickey Mantle was hurt for most of his career and the guy is one of the best baseball players we've ever seen. Not that I've seen the Mick play live...
So, Tiger just had the ACL in his left knee completely rebuilt and the doctors said he should have the leg healthier than it's been in 12 years. But, the million-dollar question is, when will Tiger be back? Tiger said it could be 6 months it could be 2 years... Some are saying that Tiger will retire after his knee recovers because he will have been out of the game so long that he won't want to return. There's no financial reason for tiger to return...he's the highest money-making athlete of all-time. Tiger has a wife and a child. He could enjoy his family if he wanted to. The question I ask is does Tiger have enough love for the game to come back after this injury? Tiger's biggest inspiration is his late father...we all know the story...Tiger was coached by his dad all of his life. And Tiger gets all of his inspiration after his dad's passing in 2006. I think Tiger will be back. After seeing him play for the first time in my life, I would be deeply saddened if Tiger was gone forever. I want to see him win a few more championships and pass Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 Major Championships. Tiger made it 14 Major wins with this past U.S. Open. Some people look at Tiger as the chosen one, or the golden boy of golf. But, I don't look at him that way. You know why? Because Tiger earned everything he has. He plays his heart out every time he steps on the golf course and that is what I respect and love most about him. I give everything my all and so does Tiger. Most of all, I know Tiger isn't playing for fame or money...Tiger is playing for you...and me...and his dad...
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