Like most people I used to be a Tiger fan but unlike most I haven’t jumped off his bandwagon because of his private transgressions. It actually started a while before that, sometime after his long layoff due to knee surgery and the damage he did on it after willing himself to win the PGA (which was incredible).
I don’t have time to watch golf anyway but seeing the highlights, I was amazed at the difference between happy slim Tiger from years ago to the angry hulking guy he is now. He just walks the course and brushes through fans and the media like they are something he found at the bottom of his shoe.
I realize it’s popular to trash the guy these days but I love sports and while I don’t expect athletes to be heroes or role-models in their private lives, it’s really important to me that professionally an athlete has the right attitude towards fellow teammates, the other team, the referees, and of course the fans. I’m not saying it should be one big lovefest or that they stop to sign every single autograph thrust their way, but there is a feeling of entitlement to a lot of these athletes which ruins my good opinion of them.
There is a genuine lack of gratitude or a sense of joy that they are doing what they do. The classiest ones, no matter how many years they have been playing, still convey that gratitude and the understanding that they are not bigger than the game they are playing. You can be confident without being arrogant, focused while remaining respectful. Above all it’s about the game you are playing.
More examples of this:
Christiano Ronaldo who plays soccer for Real Madrid - pouty, whiny, thinks only of himself and how to look good while playing.
In sharp contrast to Lionel Messi of Barcelona - who always plays with a smile on his face, passes to his teammates and loves the game.
