6 January 2010
The Real Tiger Woods
Posted by Dan DeMuth under: PIM Articles .
Tiger Woods has made a name for himself as a fearless competitor and the world’s top golfer. Many sports fans, young and old alike, have come to idolize him for his ‘greatness.’ Ask youngsters who their favorite golfer is two months ago; it would have been Tiger Woods by default. Ask average Joe hackers which golfer’s game they most desire; it would still likely be Tiger’s.
It’s not a bad thing for the public to gain inspiration from a great athlete like Tiger. Yet if Woods’ now public transgressions teach us one thing, it’s that we must be careful about the extent to which we idolize athletes. It’s easy to assume that just because an athlete like Tiger approaches perfection in sports that he is flawless in life.
Surely television has played some role in this unfounded assumption about Tiger. Take for instance the former Accenture slogan “Be a Tiger” or the commercials about the Tiger Woods Foundation making a difference in the lives of children. Indeed, the foundation has broadened the horizons of thousands of youngsters but this does not mean Tiger is a saint.
Those who have followed Tiger closely on TV or in live events know that he has a bit of an anger management issue. Network television has had to censor Tiger’s language many times and the PGA tour has fined him for slamming clubs, and once having raked a green with his putter at the 2005 U.S. Open. There are many other accounts of Tiger swearing at cameramen for taking a shot while he was swinging—for example the “jackass comment” caught on tape at Doral.
Clearly this sort of behavior is absurd, but both the media and public have written it off as tenacity that Tiger leaves on the golf course. The line of reasoning has been if Tiger is a devoted family man, who works hard to achieve his goals and gives back to the community, this behavior on the course is tolerable. But what will people make of Tiger’s antics now that they “know” about his other imperfections?
Chances are when Tiger comes back to the PGA tour after his hiatus, some people will boo him. Others may still cheer him on. But one thing is certain: everyone will realize that he is not perfect.
If we are to idolize Tiger now, it will be for his great golf ability and rightfully so. Tiger is still the greatest golfer of the last decade. But he is far from perfect.
What we can take away from this is that our idols are not always as they seem. It’s important to realize athletes are people too, and they make mistakes. As such we must be careful not to live through them vicariously, and develop an identity based on who they are. It’s much better to develop happiness within and play your own game. We should also ask ourselves if we and our role models have balance in life.
