I understand your question and can relate. I often ask myself why people like what and who they like. I also ask the same of those that do not like someone. Each person has their reasons on both sides. All of them valid, I truly think there are healthier reasons than others but all of them are valid. I actually think its hard for most to articulate their reasons for liking him. There is just a draw, when he playing well. It was great to watch the best at his best. Kind of like MJ when he had the flu and still managed a triple double.

I am glad you asked the question, some of the answers are not what I expected.

Believe it or not, there are a whole lot more non Tiger fans than you think, including myself, who would like to know what the draw is . When Tiger. Was winning so much, THAT became boring to me. So much that I would turn my TV off or to another channel and I quit watching golf for a lonnnnnng time.

There are some really good answers in here. (like Freddie's) and some that irk me.

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I understand your question and can relate. I often ask myself why people like what and who they like. I also ask the same of those that do not like someone. Each person has their reasons on both sides. All of them valid, I truly think there are healthier reasons than others but all of them are valid. I actually think its hard for most to articulate their reasons for liking him. There is just a draw, when he playing well. It was great to watch the best at his best. Kind of like MJ when he had the flu and still managed a triple double.

I am glad you asked the question, some of the answers are not what I expected.

The biggest reason I came to not like Tiger was his dominance. Same thing with the Yankees back in the 60s. I couldn't stand the fact that they kept winning series after series . I guess I'm a fan if the under dog. Hell I hated the big bad wolf story. I pulled for the little fat pig to come out of his straw house and kick wolf's ass. Even when my golf favorite was winning too much, I became bored. I started pulling for Miller and other younger stars to come out and give Jack a back seat to the throne.

Winning is ok by me as long as it's not dominated.


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The biggest reason I came to not like Tiger was his dominance. Same thing with the Yankees back in the 60s. I couldn't stand the fact that they kept winning series after series . I guess I'm a fan if the under dog. Hell I hated the big bad wolf story. I pulled for the little fat pig to come out of his straw house and kick wolf's ass. Even when my golf favorite was winning too much, I became bored. I started pulling for Miller and other younger stars to come out and give Jack a back seat to the throne.

Winning is ok by me as long as it's not dominated.


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Thats interesting OG. What would happen if UGA won 5 national titles in a row. Would you start to dislike?
 
After seeing his performance over the last couple of days, I am not going to say I am a fan, but I was pleased to see him back to being more competitive than he has been. It will be interesting to see how much he can compete with the younger guys and whether his following increases if he manages to step up again

Two part answer ;
1. He came into Golf young and seemingly destined to eviscerate all the records ever set. A golf superman. Then came the off course drama. The mistakes. The very poor decision making... Leading to part 2. He didn't hide from it. He faced it. Faced us. Faced everyone and owned it. Nobody in the sporting world does that, except maybe Favre with the Vicodin addiction. So that actually made me more of a fan and supporter. To see him become human, humbled by the game that made him uber famous. Practically losing everything in one years time... But he did not quit. That's my “Why Tiger”.
*I know some will disagree on the facing it and owning it thing... But that's OK. In my opinion, he did not ever deny anything or outright lie about it all. He may have skirted the issues, remained silent altogether for awhile. But who cares. Its really nunya business anyway. Tiger doesn't owe me jack.

I have to disagree with the bolded part of your statement, I have seen numerous people sit down and give frank interviews about their problems and how they dealt with it - maybe it is sports that you have no interest in, but to say nobody in the sporting world faces the public about their problems is not correct
 
The main thing that attracts me to him is his drive. Tiger was and will probably remain to be a winner. Perhaps not in terms of titles, but definitely in terms of mentality.

I grew up loving football (or as you wish: soccer), but Tiger and Michael Jordan were the first other athletes I started following. I saw a piece on him about 20 years ago. It was about a young, driven prodigy that was going to change golf forever. He hadn’t won any pro-tournaments yet, and he might still have been an amateur. I was just a kid, coming from a country which has no golfing history worth mentioning. I didn’t know anything about golf back then, but he just immediately captivated me - his confidence. His focus.

Over the following years he did what everyone thought; he changed golf. The fear he instilled on his opponents startled me. He had them play for second place, and there was nothing they could to about it. The ease in which he could shift up a gear and destroy the field, time after time... The fact that rarely seemed to get complacent , no matter how many times he won. He was always trying to find ways to get better, and some of those ways came back to kick him in the ass, but at least he tried it, and I applaud him for it.

It always fascinated me, and it still does. Even now, when he has a lot of stuff going on which renders him not likely to win, for me, there’s still an aura of greatness surrounding him. A couple of times every round, a touch of sheer class comes out of his body; he gets a look in his eyes as if anything he wants is the thing that is going to happen. And so it does. Not as often as it used to, but enough to keep me captivated.

The fact that the older generation doesn’t embrace him could have to do with a lot if things:
· He was the first real worldwide superstar of golf, which may not be regarded as a good thing in the conservative world of golf.
· His driven nature can come off as arrogance.
· He isn’t really likable in the way some of the older greats were/are.
· Race.
· His infidelity (a lot of members of the older generation always seem to think stuff like that didn’t happen in the old days. I’m willing to bet an arm that it did, perhaps more often than now).
 
I guess it is just fun to watch someone "winning" and kinda feel like your apart of it (being a golfer) . Following Tiger's career from the beginning was a lot of fun for me . I was the same during the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls dominance . Fun to have a hero or winning team to follow for a change . Life can be difficult at times , and having a little escape while following a player/team that enjoys celebrations /dominance and some disappointments was a great experience to be apart of . Very rare to have one golfer who was always on the spot light , some guys are only shown briefly on television . So that was the rare quality that Tiger brought to the television world . I'm not sure we will ever see the exposure like Tiger received in our lifetime again
 
I've always enjoyed watching Tiger play. My boys idolized him growing up. I wasn't that into golf until I watched him play in person at the Master's as a young man. I think I liked watching him because he was just so different from the rest of the field. I saw him as extremely focused on one goal (winning not popularity), fierce, creative, and mentally tougher than anyone I've ever seen. I too like the new friendlier appearing Tiger. For some reason, his indiscretions and stories of rude behavior have never swayed me as a fan. I'm even puzzled by that because I've been swayed with the stories about Patrick Reed. If truth be told, what he's been through makes him more interesting to follow because it's like watching an ongoing soap opera and you wonder how it will end.
 
Thats interesting OG. What would happen if UGA won 5 national titles in a row. Would you start to dislike?

Just got back from walking my dog and heating up a cup of coffee. I would love to see Georgia win 3,4 or even 5 national titles in a row. It's a bit different when it's your home team. People who adore Tiger are from all over the world. The only exception to pulling hard for the home team to win a few, is when they start becoming over bearing. We had a rabbit get in our fence this morning (gawd knows how the little bunny got through the fence but it did) and I heard KellyBo screaming at the cats and our dog. I wasn't pulling for the home team then because that poor little rabbit took the blunt of dominance. Even if UGA could dominate for a five year or more run, it would eventually become boring for me. I like to see the journey not the submit.
 
The main thing that attracts me to him is his drive. Tiger was and will probably remain to be a winner. Perhaps not in terms of titles, but definitely in terms of mentality.

It always fascinated me, and it still does. Even now, when he has a lot of stuff going on which renders him not likely to win, for me, there’s still an aura of greatness surrounding him. A couple of times every round, a touch of sheer class comes out of his body; he gets a look in his eyes as if anything he wants is the thing that is going to happen. And so it does. Not as often as it used to, but enough to keep me captivated.

The fact that the older generation doesn’t embrace him could have to do with a lot if things:
· He was the first real worldwide superstar of golf, which may not be regarded as a good thing in the conservative world of golf.
· His driven nature can come off as arrogance.
· He isn’t really likable in the way some of the older greats were/are.
· Race.
· His infidelity (a lot of members of the older generation always seem to think stuff like that didn’t happen in the old days. I’m willing to bet an arm that it did, perhaps more often than now).

I think some of us older guys would disagree on this point. Arny & Jack were pretty big superstars in our generation.
 
The biggest reason I came to not like Tiger was his dominance. Same thing with the Yankees back in the 60s. I couldn't stand the fact that they kept winning series after series . I guess I'm a fan if the under dog. Hell I hated the big bad wolf story. I pulled for the little fat pig to come out of his straw house and kick wolf's ass. Even when my golf favorite was winning too much, I became bored. I started pulling for Miller and other younger stars to come out and give Jack a back seat to the throne.

Winning is ok by me as long as it's not dominated.


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You do realize that there is no underdog without the dominate figure. The people and teams you dislike create the need for an underdog. You should embrace TW and the Bronx Bombers..lol
 
You do realize that there is no underdog without the dominate figure. The people and teams you dislike create the need for an underdog. You should embrace TW and the Bronx Bombers..lol

haha I suppose you are right buddy :D
 
I think some of us older guys would disagree on this point. Arny & Jack were pretty big superstars in our generation.
In the US, absolutely, but globally as well?

I think Tiger Woods brought golf to an international audience that wasn't really in to golf. I might be wrong as I haven't been around long enough to comment of on the impact the big 3 had on the world.
 
In the US, absolutely, but globally as well?

I think Tiger Woods brought golf to an international audience that wasn't really in to golf. I might be wrong as I haven't been around long enough to comment of on the impact the big 3 had on the world.


Yea the Euro's addopted many of my generation's stars while playing in the Open championship. Heck when Tom Watson was winning his Open tournaments. they adopted him as one of their own.
 
Yea the Euro's addopted many of my generation's stars while playing in the Open championship. Heck when Tom Watson was winning his Open tournaments. they adopted him as one of their own.
In that case I'd like to retract line 1 from my list. ;)
 
I imagine some would argue that Bobby Dodd was the first international superstar in golf, my understanding is he was extremely well liked world wide.

As far as Tiger goes I have always enjoyed watching him play and have a deep appreciation for what he did for making golf a game that appealed to the masses, I don't believe any golfer had ever appealed to every race and economic class as he has. I really dislike things he has done in his personal life that affected his family and ultimately his game but when he is playing well he is the one golfer that always moves the needle as they say, he can do things I have yet to see anyone else do with the exception of Bubba.

I wonder why so many love Tiger for his unique game and ignore his personality and habits and dislike Bubba so much when he is very creative and a devoted family man who also can make shots unlike anyone else. If folks say some of Bubba's ways make him a jerk, so IMO do some of Tiger's ways.
 
I imagine some would argue that Bobby Dodd was the first international superstar in golf, my understanding is he was extremely well liked world wide.

As far as Tiger goes I have always enjoyed watching him play and have a deep appreciation for what he did for making golf a game that appealed to the masses, I don't believe any golfer had ever appealed to every race and economic class as he has. I really dislike things he has done in his personal life that affected his family and ultimately his game but when he is playing well he is the one golfer that always moves the needle as they say, he can do things I have yet to see anyone else do with the exception of Bubba.

I wonder why so many love Tiger for his unique game and ignore his personality and habits and dislike Bubba so much when he is very creative and a devoted family man who also can make shots unlike anyone else. If folks say some of Bubba's ways make him a jerk, so IMO do some of Tiger's ways.

I feel like this is a very solid statement. However, who ever accused the mass populous of people of being rational?


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I never understood the whole dominance thing:

Tiger Woods winning percentage is 26.2%
He lost 222 events

Tiger Woods winning percentage in Majors is 21.2% as a professional.
He lost 52 Majors.

If anyone's favourite player was someone other than Tiger, they had ample opportunity to win even more than he did.
Perhaps people should be more upset at their player NOT winning enough, as opposed to Tiger winning a low percentage of the tournaments he played in.

Which gets back to my point about other golfers. Too many of them play "oh well" golf. "Oh well, todays not my day". "Oh well this years not my year". "Oh well, my swing is off".

The greatest thing about Tiger was not how he played when he was on, but how he played when he was off! There is no "Oh well" in his vocabulary.

*I hope I got the numbers right :)
 
I never understood the whole dominance thing:

Tiger Woods winning percentage is 26.2%
He lost 222 events

Tiger Woods winning percentage in Majors is 21.2% as a professional.
He lost 52 Majors.

If anyone's favourite player was someone other than Tiger, they had ample opportunity to win even more than he did.
Perhaps people should be more upset at their player NOT winning enough, as opposed to Tiger winning a low percentage of the tournaments he played in.

Which gets back to my point about other golfers. Too many of them play "oh well" golf. "Oh well, todays not my day". "Oh well this years not my year". "Oh well, my swing is off".

The greatest thing about Tiger was not how he played when he was on, but how he played when he was off! There is no "Oh well" in his vocabulary.

*I hope I got the numbers right :)


The nature of the game of golf is it will not allow you to dominate it for very long. Now I do believe Tiger dominated the tour for a decade, like no other golfer in his generation. So dominate golf in itself no, dominate the golfers in his era yes.
 
it's interesting how many stories are out there like this, and how few (if any) stories are out there about him being a great guy who went out of his way to be really nice to somebody.

Agree. He definitely reminds me of Michael Jordan in this regard. The Nike machine tries ( tried ) to portray the perfect image - but I know ( first hand stories ) of how much of a jerk Jordan was. But I still follow Tiger, and for some reason, still like when he is in the hunt and playing well.
 
I am confused by your post. Are you a fan of Tiger or not. You point out his record but then say he never quits.
I never understood the whole dominance thing:

Tiger Woods winning percentage is 26.2%
He lost 222 events

Tiger Woods winning percentage in Majors is 21.2% as a professional.
He lost 52 Majors.

If anyone's favourite player was someone other than Tiger, they had ample opportunity to win even more than he did.
Perhaps people should be more upset at their player NOT winning enough, as opposed to Tiger winning a low percentage of the tournaments he played in.

Which gets back to my point about other golfers. Too many of them play "oh well" golf. "Oh well, todays not my day". "Oh well this years not my year". "Oh well, my swing is off".

The greatest thing about Tiger was not how he played when he was on, but how he played when he was off! There is no "Oh well" in his vocabulary.

*I hope I got the numbers right :)
 
Tiger happen to be the dominate player in the era of world wide broadcasting of golf. This was not the case when the jack and Arnie played. If the two of them played in the same era with their dominance it would have had the same effect.
In the US, absolutely, but globally as well?

I think Tiger Woods brought golf to an international audience that wasn't really in to golf. I might be wrong as I haven't been around long enough to comment of on the impact the big 3 had on the world.
 
I am a fan of golf, not necessarily a fan of any given specific player. However, I must also admit that golf, at times, can be rather boring to watch. Therefore in order to make it more interesting and entertaining, it helps to have some sort of "back story". Tiger is a "back story" unto himself via his talent and dominance and unfortunately some of his life decisions and actions. For some, Tiger was the hero of the story, for others, he may have been the villain. But in either case, he entertained. This weekend, Jordan began to create his story that hopefully will provide a level of entertainment.

There is also the factor that many think that Tiger transitioned golf. He raised the bar, he changed golf from a rich man's game to an average Joe's sport.
 
Not a big tiger fan but he has done alot to get more people watching and playing....but he's pushing 40 and it's now time for the McElroy's and Spieth's to take over. The way tiger's stressing his body, I don't think he has the control he needs to win another major.
 
I am a Tiger fan because of the passion he brought to the game and the things he can do with a golf ball when healthy are simply amazing. Some of the shots he's hit throughout his career are shots only he could pull off simply because only he would attempt them. The replay of the chip in at Augusta was replayed many times this past weekend, look at the focus he had on that shot. I was talking with a friend the other day, and let's say I just can't imagine being Tiger. EVERYTHING he does is critiqued. Imagine that pressure. No other athelete has EVER been critiqued as harshly. I read an article a couple weeks ago that Sean Foley wrote saying basically that Tiger won 5 times on tour a couple years ago when he was healthy and he had some reporter come up to him and ask him at the PGA, "is this the tournament that Tiger comes back?"...no other has those expectations, and maybe those expectations are self inflicted from Tiger...I would love to see him treated equally by the media, but that's just not going to happen...let me be clear, I like Tiger the GOLFER, I liked his swagger, his attitude, his creativity...it never bothered me about his personal life...he isn't my role model, that's my parents, he wouldn't have been my kids role model, that should be me...I believe the short game woes that he went through got his competitive juices flowing again, he wants to prove people wrong...when he wins that next major a MAJOR burdon will burden will be lifted off his shoulders and you better watch out!

All this being said, I enjoy the new guys now too, Spieth, Fowler, Rory, etc, all those guys will do just fine carrying the torch for the golf world.
 
Initially I was NOT a big Tiger fan.However, I grew to appreciate what he was doing on the course, and just laughed as his competitors could not even get close to him. He simple out powered the field, and he had touch. Amazing to watch. More amazing was the intense scrutiny surrounding him. Never remember that much even for Arnold, or Jack. He was being treated differently.
The past few years took their toll on him, and I honestly felt bad for him. He will always be a larger than life personality and golfer. His record speaks for itself.
 
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