Jack's Record Is Safe

[GreenLightning]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

Definitely seems like he's matured/maturing, and this is the by far the most introspective I've ever heard him be. Very candid. Definitely humanizes him to some extent. It also casts serious doubt that he'll ever be consistently competitive again on the PGA Tour, but thankfully for his sake, that now sounds secondary in his life.

This is a really sad story. Last week he claimed to be feeling better than he has in years so...Guy needs help bad.

[pietasterp]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

Yeah, looks like I spoke too soon....nice grave-digging, by the way!

It's also become obvious now that golf has got to be the lowest possible priority in his life at this point. I think there's increasingly little chance we'll ever see Tiger play competitive golf ever again. Which is totally fine; he's got nothing left to prove in the game and hopefully he finds fulfillment in something other than a fairway. Forget about Jack's record, he just needs to get through tomorrow...

[Matt10]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

Pretty sure he was too medicated, and just made bad decisions from there. Those medications can do a lot of harm. I'm more concerned if he is getting addicted to pain killers than anything.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

[DivotMaker]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

Ahem....Tiger hasn't won yet and may not win for a while, but this is the best I have seen him play since 2013.....

And the ratings and crowds every time he plays since returning tells you all you need to know.

The PGA TOUR needs him and the more he is in contention the sooner he will break through.

[kehlis]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

Shhhhhhhhhhh. We were all waiting to say anything until after tomorrow.

[pk500]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

The PGA TOUR needs him and the more he is in contention the sooner he will break through.

I'll beg to differ. Short-term, Eldrick is good for ratings. But long term, the incredible amount of media attention paid to his fits and starts at age 42 detract the focus from the INCREDIBLE amount of young talent on the Tour right now.

Spieth, DJ, JT, Fowler, Rahm, Rose, Hideki, Koepka, Day, Fleetwood, et al are all better than Eldrick. Yet he inhales so much of the media oxygen that everyone's first question at a tournament becomes, "How did Tiger do, and oh, yeah, who won?"

It's time for a changing of the guard. I don't mind it when the old guard like Lefty wins a tournament. It's fine for Tiger to be competitive. But his era atop the golf world is done, and it's time for the media and fans to focus more on the rising superstars in the ranks who are actually playing great golf every damn week instead of once every six weeks.

[scagwi]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

I'll beg to differ. Short-term, Eldrick is good for ratings. But long term, the incredible amount of media attention paid to his fits and starts at age 42 detract the focus from the INCREDIBLE amount of young talent on the Tour right now.

Spieth, DJ, JT, Fowler, Rahm, Rose, Hideki, Koepka, Day, Fleetwood, et al are all better than Eldrick. Yet he inhales so much of the media oxygen that everyone's first question at a tournament becomes, "How did Tiger do, and oh, yeah, who won?"

It's time for a changing of the guard. I don't mind it when the old guard like Lefty wins a tournament. It's fine for Tiger to be competitive. But his era atop the golf world is done, and it's time for the media and fans to focus more on the rising superstars in the ranks who are actually playing great golf every damn week instead of once every six weeks.

Wish I could agree - Other than DJ, none of those guys even come close the compelling cross sectional transcendence that has been Tiger's whole career.

The Tiger Woods story, to the mainstream, isn't a golf story. That's the issue. The golf part is somewhat ancillary. It's about a phenom with an interesting story busting through tons of barriers, racial and otherwise.

Golf is simply not an interesting sport to the mainstream consumer, sorry.
I love golf, but I am objective and recognize it for what it is.

[Pompeo89]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

When you have to tell people you’re objective that’s probably a sign you’re not


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[scagwi]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

When you have to tell people you’re objective that’s probably a sign you’re not


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

What part of what I said wasn't showing objectivity?

My love of golf would lead me to want and wish for it be more mainstream that it is.

I recognize that it's not, despite my wishes, and the Tiger story really was never about the sport of golf (to average consumers who otherwise don't love golf)

[pk500]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

Tiger's story at first was about breaking barriers. A mixed-race kid excelling in a white sport.

But it eventually became about brilliance and dominance.

I'll venture to guess that most people are pretty colorblind when they see Tiger on course now. Most fans want him to return to his brilliant pinnacle not because they want a mixed-race golfer shattering more glass ceilings in a predominantly white sport but because they want to see him rule the golf world again.

[DivotMaker]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

I'll beg to differ. Short-term, Eldrick is good for ratings. But long term, the incredible amount of media attention paid to his fits and starts at age 42 detract the focus from the INCREDIBLE amount of young talent on the Tour right now.

Spieth, DJ, JT, Fowler, Rahm, Rose, Hideki, Koepka, Day, Fleetwood, et al are all better than Eldrick. Yet he inhales so much of the media oxygen that everyone's first question at a tournament becomes, "How did Tiger do, and oh, yeah, who won?"

It's time for a changing of the guard. I don't mind it when the old guard like Lefty wins a tournament. It's fine for Tiger to be competitive. But his era atop the golf world is done, and it's time for the media and fans to focus more on the rising superstars in the ranks who are actually playing great golf every damn week instead of once every six weeks.

Six weeks ago, no question. Now? I am not sure you can make that argument.

One thing is for sure.....we will see how he compares in Augusta very soon and then lets see how the rest of the season goes. He's jumped from a OWGR of 668 to 149th in 5 tournaments. He's now ranked 43rd in the FedEx Cup Standings after starting the year off the standings completely.

Over the past several years I thought the guy was done, especially after the DUI. Never thought I would see him competitive again, much less playing for a win on Sunday. Lee Trevino said recently "if Tiger is healthy again....he might be even better than before". His words, not mine.

Either way, PGA TOUR Golf is in a greater place this season WITH Tiger than sans Tiger.....he matters again and many of those you listed above are pulling for him to return to form. They might be careful what they wish for.......

[scagwi]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

Tiger's story at first was about breaking barriers. A mixed-race kid excelling in a white sport.

But it eventually became about brilliance and dominance.

I'll venture to guess that most people are pretty colorblind when they see Tiger on course now. Most fans want him to return to his brilliant pinnacle not because they want a mixed-race golfer shattering more glass ceilings in a predominantly white sport but because they want to see him rule the golf world again.

The bold part is the key (fans = golf fans = not mainstream)

You just made essentially the same argument I've been making.

It was really never about the game of golf.
To use your words, it was about the barrier breaking, excelling in a white sport and then brilliance and dominance.

But it never had specifically to do with the game of Golf.
The sport could have been any number of sports with exclusionary and/or racial challenges.

Other than golf fans, the mainstream was never really tuning in for the game of golf itself.
This is why none of the newer/younger golfers you named in this post are captivating anyone but golf fans (which is how we got on this tangent).

The coverage over the weekend really spoke for itself in this regard.

The broadcast was essentially "NBC Sports presents Tiger Woods is Back!!
(we hope - fingers crossed -ratings gold!!)"

Hell - My wife was even glancing at it just to see him out there and the crowds and the story and scene and roars. It was exciting!

That said - he is of course on the "back nine" of his career no matter what and the bigger and more interesting and cross sectional story is mostly over with.
That's likely why we see things like Nike being basically out of golf and EA out of golf games, etc.

[scagwi]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

Fully agree with the first point Matt makes here in the OS Roundtable about the Future of Golf Games

[DivotMaker]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

Fully agree with the first point Matt makes here in the OS Roundtable about the Future of Golf Games

I do not own EG, but I can say that is not the answer for me. At all.

TGC 2019 appears to creep closer to what I am looking for with licensed courses and I am going to speculate they may add a licensed PGA TOUR Golfer or two down the line as there appears to be some licensed content in the game that might lead to licensed golfers in the near future.

[scagwi]

Re: Jack's Record Is Safe

I do not own EG, but I can say that is not the answer for me. At all.

TGC 2019 appears to creep closer to what I am looking for with licensed courses and I am going to speculate they may add a licensed PGA TOUR Golfer or two down the line as there appears to be some licensed content in the game that might lead to licensed golfers in the near future.

Hi Tim
Sorry that wasn't more clear

When I said "the first point Matt makes", I meant literally the first line about Tiger

(I just couldn't figure out how to screen shot only that part)