Tiger: "I’m a lot better off."
Not really.
The press conference to launch this year's AT&T National at Aronimink offered yet another less-than-pretty look into the world of Tiger Woods' post accident media management. Instead of simply appearing, answering questions and doing his part to promote an event that his name clings to by a thread, Woods used a probably planned-for $1 million foundation donation as a backdoor way of showing the deep rage he holds toward a golf media that once kissed his feet and now which poses straightforward questions about his game and physical well being.
Tiger and his flunkies inexplicably continue to struggle to hide their lingering scandal hostility toward the golf media, even though many golf outlets resisted initial coverage of his accident or the cavalcade of mistresses coming forward with sordid details.
It's not a stretch to imagine that based on yesterday's Tweet from TW Foundation head Greg McLaughlin, that today's $1 million stunt was the concoction of Tiger's braintrust as a way to discourage or embarrass the press out of asking questions. Naturally, it backfired with neverending probing about Tiger's game and health (AT&T must be thrilled!) and more importantly, reveals a hostility that no corporation seeking a pitchman wants any part of. Nor would such negative injury be a recipe to healing injuries and playing good golf.
McLaughlin, he of the bloated six figure Foundation salary, not surprisingly was pleased that Tiger announced he would be donating another $1 million to the Foundation. But you do have to wonder what Team Tiger thinks there is to be gained with the jabs and taunting.
Nothing of course, but apparently their inexplicable rage toward the media needs an outlet somewhere.
Anyway, onto the news of today. Bob Harig on the primary revelations about Tiger's upcoming schedule:
Although Woods did not officially rule out playing next week's Memorial Tournament, his comments suggested he would not be able to play Jack Nicklaus' annual event in Ohio. He also admitted that he "probably" returned to golf too soon by trying to compete at the Players.
"I'll start probably by the end of next week some strength training ... and try to get in golf shape again," Woods said.
An unbylined AP report, presumably from Doug Ferguson:
That means Woods would go to the U.S. Open with little competition, although this is nothing new for him. In 2008, he had arthroscopic surgery after the Masters and didn’t play again until the U.S. Open. Doctors discovered a double stress fracture in his left tibia in the weeks before the major. Going against his doctor’s advice, Woods not only played the U.S. Open, he won it at Torrey Pines in a 19-hole playoff.
Now, he says his left leg is not nearly as bad as it was then. His golf, however, is a different story.
In the 11 tournaments Woods played before the U.S. Open, he won eight times, was runner-up twice and didn’t finish out of the top five. In the 11 tournaments before this U.S. Open, he has only five finishes in the top 10.
Woods said he was more worried about his health in 2008.
“I’m a lot better off,” Woods said. “I feel that in the next week or so, I can start getting back toward that and start practicing pain free. That’s where I’m at.
Jim McCabe also is having a hard time seeing the parallels to 2008.
That is where the proverbial fork in the road shows up. On the one hand, people will say Woods has been this way before, in 2008 when he played just 22 rounds and five tournaments through the Masters, took two months off, and won the U.S. Open. So no big deal about the five tournaments and 17 rounds played through this year’s Masters.
But if you choose to take the road in the other direction, there is this reality: The state of his current golf game can’t compare to what it was in 2008. Three years ago when Woods was hobbling around on that left leg, he teed it up just five times, won three, and had $4,425,000 in prize money. His 2011 season, thus far, is pretty much a shell of what we’ve come to expect of him: six starts, 17 1/2 rounds, no wins, just two top 10s and a mere $571,563.
Asked to explain his golf woes, Woods said: “I love to practice. I love to prepare. I haven’t been able to do that.”
Soon, he will. “I’ll start the end of next week. I’ll begin spring training and get in golf shape,” Woods said.
Steve Elling thinks any golf at this point will be a victory.
Woods noted that he used to jog 6 miles sometimes before competitive rounds, and nowadays, his knee "has atrophied" because of a lack of exercise. He hopes to resume strength training by the end of next week, by which time the Memorial will have started, so you can pretty clearly see where he is, and isn't, headed. The Nicklaus event in Columbus, Ohio, being in the latter category.
As numerous surgeons who haven't worked with Woods have noted in broad generalities offered from afar, with a knee that's had that much trauma, there's no such thing as a minor injury. Woods admitted as much, but thinks it's nothing he can't handle.
"As far as the future of it, I've had four surgeries on it, so obviously it's not what it was when I was little and I'm sure down the road it may be a little more difficult," he said. "But hopefully I'll be in a cart by then on the senior tour.
"Between now and then it should be pretty good."
At this point, pretty or good would be a huge step forward.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 11:13 AM
Reader Comments (34)
The very same could be asked of you Geoff. What answer about his health would you like that he's not providing. When he initially announced the injury - you mocked it because he hit some balls and was walking in China. Now, it appears that until he says he's either going to play next week or shut it down for the year you won't accept any other answer.
Good thing he appears to be getting hazard pay with those kinds of non-profit erectile disfunction burnout rates.
"Woods, one of the winningest golfers of all time, is founder of the Tiger Woods Foundation, which has helped educate more than 10 million kids."
I am guessing that math is not a strong suit at TWF. Or they define "educate" or "ten million" differently than anyone else.
Woods has probably "educated" a lot more than 10 million kids. He has taught them that if you bang pornstars and cocktail waitresses while married, you will likely be eventually caught and your family will be ruined. It is a good lesson for tomorrow's adults to learn.
As a prof I tend to think of education in a more traditional sense, but I must agree that Tiger has educated the youth in many non-traditional ways. I suppose another lesson as well to be learned is that you can do all that, destroy your family, and still be the highest paid athlete in the world.
Tiger has historically not been forthcoming about injuries, and has brought a lot of the skepticism on himself. Athletes, even golfers, not being forthcoming about injuries is pretty par for the course though.
Tiger and some members of the media seem to currently be at war with each other. Regardless of how legitimate the media (and Tiger's) complaints are, I think it reflects poorly on everyone.
Poor old Tiger. The boy's handsome, but clearly NOT very bright - the lift, one might say, doesn't quite reach the top floor. (Did you see the spelling of those texts his girlfriends released? You couldn't make it up...)
I think it's no wonder that his relations with the media are spiralling down so badly just when he could really use some good coverage . I don't imagine he reads very much, so he's unlikely to enjoy good relations with the press. Imagine him drinking for an evening with Dan Jenkins - poor Eldrick would never catch on to the gags and quickly feel uncomfortable. Moreover, he's a frat brat who was raised to revere the military, so I'm sure that from both those points of view he sees journalists as a contemptible and potentially dangerous part of the pinko-fag anti-US conspiracy. We know that generals and many politicians convince themselves - and declare in private, or to their friends in the media - that the manipulation or bullying of the press is both legitimate and in the national interest (though of course they can't say so in public "because the New York TImes would launch a vendetta"...) To me, Tiger handles his press conferences much more like Norman Schwartzcopf than Arnold Palmer.
Nevertheless through his career the broadcast media have treated him with fawning, toadyish reverence. Far from earning his respect, they have gained only condescension from a deep well of disdain. Feherty, for one, has done everything to suggest that he and his tribe are grateful to be the eunuchs serving at Tiger's court. Thus the slightest hint of criticism and Tiger is genuinely outraged - to him, these people are suddenly not doing their job. It's only the logic of the way Tiger has been trained to think...
Butch could straighten him out with some simple fixes. Most of us on here would agree on them, and they're mostly common courtesy so I won't list them. After all, Steiny gets paid to sort it out, doesn't he? And he must be doing a great job because they pay him the big bucks...
Because per their tax filing he only works 15 to 20 hours per week in this position and in my mind probably far fewer consider the other jobs he has. Furthermore, look at the filing and see his croonies that work for him as well as follow the money to IMG.
Here's a health question: Who introduced you to Dr. Galea and were you aware of his reputation? And knowing his reputation now, would you fly him in from Canada to spin blood in your home?
beagle,
Form 990s are your friend. Go to Guidestar. Check out the salary of Mr. McLaughlin, far more than $100-200k.
Indeed, form 990s are my friend. I'm just lazy :) It's funny how "educating 10 million kids" is a part time job.
For the most part, there is a massive chasm between Woods as he presents himself in these stilted press conferences and Woods as he really leads his life.
There's a small charter school at 12th and Vine Streets in downtown Philadelphia called the KIPP School (Knowledge is Power Program). The KIPP high school in Philadelphia is, for this year, only ninth grade, with the school planning to add a grade each year. The school leadership has been talking to the Tiger Woods Foundation about financial support. The heads of the school, Marc Mannella and Aaron Bass, knew several representatives from the Tiger Woods Foundation would be coming Tuesday morning. With about 20 minutes notice, they were asked if they could bring one more: Tiger Woods.
The school is in an old office building. There are 100 kids in the ninth grade, all on the fourth floor. Ninety percent of them are African American and 84 percent of them live below the poverty line. The school is tuition-free and meant for kids bound for college. Woods came off the elevator with his Nike hat and his golf shirt and Mannella said to himself, "It's Tiger Woods. That's Tiger Woods walking toward me."
And then he saw a side of Tiger Woods and we never see.
There were no cameras around, no autograph seekers, no reporters. Woods popped his head into Mollie Smith's science class. The boys were in their khaki pants and white shirts and blue-and-gold ties. The girls the same, except skirts and collar ties. The class lesson was about electric cars and how to market them.
"So this is a science class but they're talking about marketing?" Woods asked aloud. He's curious that way. Any courtesy-car driver who has driven Woods will tell you the same thing. Woods seemed impressed that the teaching wasn't just dry, out-of-a-book teaching about fossil fuels. It was experiential. KIPP's talks with the Tiger Woods Foundation are ongoing.
"There's a lot to be learned from Tiger Woods, who he is, how he got where he is," Mannella said.
Woods stayed for about 20 minutes and left for Aronimink. He made one quick mention of KIPP School in his press conference. Turned out to be the most interesting thing.
/s/ Pollyanna
New Zealanders were still interested in Michael Campbell's game when he was 1300 in the OWGR.
So possible answer: When he is no longer in the OWGR. Don't hold your breath.
You really hate Phil, don't you. What has he ever done to YOU personally?
I like how the Woods Buttkissing Contingent answer their own rhetorical questions before they've finished writing the first paragraph.
Predictable.
Why not lie back in your longjohns on your sofa in Canada, chill out with a Molson and pray for the salvation of all those lost souls who have committed adultery? Or better yet, why not relieve your anger by going for a shiatsu like Taliban Jack?
You really hate me, don't you. What have I ever done to YOU personally?
Ha ha!
Like I said, Woods Buttkissers/sychphants/apoliogists/ are sooooooooooo predictable.
I'm glad to read your post Thankyou..
I've always been not a Tiger hater but a fan who has found Tiger's media conduct and conduct to fans bitterly disappointing, insulting, and ultimately even contemptible.
Funnily enough I ALMOST posted that I WISHED, when all the blondes-on-pancakes stories came to light, that a second secret life would also emerge - stories from kids, golfers, whoEVER, who could testify to being lifted by that beaming smile, that aura, those victories, those billions (much of it free to dispose as he wishes thanks to tax laws). In some ways the scandal has only consolidated the opportunity that Tiger STILL has to be a force for good - especially as a black American operating in a world of golf that is patent proof that in many supposedly meritocratic and emancipated areas of the West there still exist glass ceilings and walls that exclude many of his brothers. (I am the only golfer in both my workplaces here in London, and my black colleagues who know of my sad golfing obsession are forever telling me that Tiger will be BACK). If Tiger really spends time with inner city kids he will also be happier - he will soon find that he notices and appreciates hotel and restaurant staff, gets better service and quality of life in return for deductible tips, and starts to realize that giant appearance fees for playing golf, and for answering the press with grace, are really not such a bad life. The kids will tell him, if he is genuine enough to let them.
So thankyou Dan. Let's hope for more stories - genuine, as yours evidently is.
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