"Tiger helped golfers, like me, who passionately love the game but am ashamed of the its 'history.'"
John Strege first noted the passing of golf pioneer Bill Powell and while I don't want to look past his amazing life accomplishments as documented lovingly in this Richard Goldstein NY Times obituary, but reader Hugh noted my post last week asking what Tiger Woods had done to influence the everyday sport and offered this:
The passing of Bill Powell should be a reminder of why Tiger is important to everyday golfers. Golf in America, and elsewhere, was "exclusive". "Exclusive" meant white and male. When Tiger came along not only was he instantly an overwhelming force but he provided a sense of modernity to the game. I think a comparison to Arnold Palmer might be appropriate. When Arnie, and his army, stormed the golf scene, it ushered in era when the game did not have to be played or sponsored by rich country clubbers but that a woking man could achieve success at the pinnacles of the game. It pushed the envelope of who could play and the build-up of munis across the country. Tiger helped golfers, like me, who passionately love the game but am ashamed of its "history".
Thank god for the Bill Powells. Lee Trevinos, Lee Elders, Cal Peetes, and Nancy Lopez's that were willing to challenge the tradition of the game and show that golf can be about hard work and honoring the sport - not its traditions.
Saturday, January 2, 2010 at 08:38 PM
Reader Comments (13)
Are you serious? Woods has done next to nothing to promote the game to minorities or anyone else for that matter.
Bill Powell, by contrast, committed his entire life to minority golfers.
There is no comparison between the two men in that regard.
Tiger Woods is 34 years old - Bill Powell (a great guy) just died at age 93! . . . I think we can agree they grew up in totally different worlds . . . Woods has become the greatest golfer of our time (and likely of all time) and given more of his own money to charity than any other athlete in history! . . . Until his recent "issues" he was the best known (and highly regarded) athlete in the world. . .
Hopefully, Tiger's current "problems" will end once and for all the myth that athletes should be "role models" to our youth because they are rich, famous and perfect in their private lives. . . Tiger Woods has demonstrated to our youth what is possible in his sport and in charitable work (and attracted tens of thousands of youngsters to the game of golf.)
Hopefully we can stick to that and stop worrying about the "credit to his race" crap that should have ended 50 years ago!
You've stated that TW has given more of his own money to charity than other athlete in history.
What are you basing that on?
I read that several of his (lately departed) sponsors also donated big bucks to his foundation .."in Woods name" .......another nice tax dodge.
Obviously, I do not have access to Tiger's income tax filings for the past decade (it would likely take a forklift carrying them on a pallet). . . But, it is common knowledge that he regularly "donates" his winnings from various "silly season" events to his Foundation - including $1.35 in 2007 when he won "his event" at Sherwood CC. . . Yes, he would have taken a tax deduction - just like everyone except you, MTB. . .
The point I was trying to make - evidently poorly - is that he has raised tremendous amounts of money (including his own) for charitable causes far in excess of any other athlete - especially one who just turned age 34. . . Here is a link to more info.
. . http://taxdollars.freedomblogging.com/2009/12/23/tiger-woods-charities-raised-50-million-what-now/46715/
I agree that Tiger's done little intentionally for "minorities" in golf. What he's done has mostly been done because a) he's not 100% caucasian, and b) he's good.
But to bash a guy for tax deductions everyone on the face of the planet would take? Wha?