Isn't it sort of ironic that all the sudden we cheer for a guys success, after years of watching him be a pretty bad dude? It feels like the media, golf fans, sports fans, and even the PGA Tour are all largely (with exceptions) cheering for Tiger Woods to succeed. This phenomenon can only be explained in one of a couple ways:
- It could be the comeback story aspect. We certainly are suckers in this country for a good comeback story. I mean, if we can watch the movie 'I, Tonya' - I think I rest my case. Tiger was at the lowest of lows...for someone worth almost a billion dollars...but still, his family was broken, his legacy was broken, and even his favorite breakfast restaurant closed down. It was a rough few years for Tiger, and we all watched from the outside looking in. We build you up, we break you down, and we build you back up again - that's the American way.
- Golf needs him. Just look at the Valspar in Tampa. They had to add an additional 50,000 parking spaces to accommodate fans that wanted to see him play. The ratings for the event were up 190% from the previous year on television. He generates real income for a lot of people and a lot of businesses. So maybe you're not cheering for Tiger as much as you're just cheering for what Tiger brings to the table. An ends to a means sort of thing.
- He's actually likable now. Tiger was a guy years ago, in his hay-day, who wasn't very accessible or kind. He would often snub the media, walk right past fans, and just has an arrogance about him that he got away with at the time, but only because he won so damn much. Well, many people that cover Tiger and know him well say that he's a changed man. They say his struggles have humbled him. Maybe that's what it is.
- OR maybe, everything I just wrote is BS in your eyes. Maybe you can't wait to see Woods fall flat on his face again. If so, the last option on the poll is the one for you.
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