Tiger, Part 2

[dlgood]

The generally hit or miss Bill Simmons has put forward some interesting (to me anyway) thoughts on Tiger, some of which I agree and disagree with.

Bill Simmons on Tiger: Part I, Part II

Comments

[hjcallipygian]

I thought you were going to talk about Simmons's theory that Tiger was drugged up on painkillers and sleeping pills when he crashed. I thought that was pretty interesting, too.

But Tiger's comeback story is really pretty inevitable. It's more a question of when, I think.

That said, I think that Peyton Manning has the ultimate public persona going for an athlete. He's competitive, but not afraid at all to make fun of himself. (I read that the whole, "Get in the portapotty!" bit on his SNL scene with the kids was ad-libbed by Manning with no one else's input. Makes it ten times funnier, I think.)

[dlgood]

Oh, I totally buy Bill's sleeping pill theory.

Yeah - Tiger can come back as a golfer, but I don't see him coming back nearly so far as an Icon. Kobe survived the rape trial, and in many ways, is much more liked now. Before the trial, he was seen as a dickish prima donna 0 after the trial you say "he's a jerk, but he's not that bad and he's really suffered" so there's some sympathy he'd never had before.

Shaq has this giant rep as a funny, fun-loving party guy. No matter if he's someimes a big baby, or cheats as much as Tiger did. (Which I'm sure he did.) Heck, Shaq's been sleeping with Gilbert Arenas' long term girlfriend/wife (and that's an F-ed up story of it's own) and nobody cares.

Tiger never had any of that in his image. I think he's stuck here, unless (as one of Bill's readers suggested) he wants to come back as a Heel.

[hjcallipygian]

It all comes back to being willing to talk about stuff. The media doesn't want to crucify Shaq because he's fun, he's a good interview. What's Tiger going to do, become more silent? There's nothing to lose and everything to gain by making the story huge.

Also, there's the game they play. Everyone loves a good teammate -- they're able to relate to that. Most people have a bad mental image of that guy at the golf course, except the guys who are always out at the golf course, and they are very image-conscious. They certainly don't appreciate that every time they say, "Honey, I'm going out to the golf course," for the next five years, their wife is going to say something about Tiger, cheating, and beating him with a golf club. That's no fun. Especially as, law of averages, probably a decent portion of them *are* cheating somehow or another.

[dlgood]

True - though aside from the country club aspect, most golfers come across as kind of anonymous. (Outside of John Daly) Which is why golfers have to have epic levels of success to get huge outside of the sport.

That's no fun. Especially as, law of averages, probably a decent portion of them *are* cheating somehow or another.

Some of them. Most of them are only cheating at golf.

[marenfic]

People will get over it soon enough when the novelty has worn out. Who in this world is really surprised when a powerful man is revealed as an adultering bastard?

No one. Not really. People are only interested because instead of standing quietly at his side like a good betrayed wife, his wife took it public in a very "Cops Episode X" way. I bet there are a lot of old school white-bread golf fans who were just waiting for it.

After he wins again, no one will mention his however many affairs and excesses. He'll just be another spoiled rich athlete who takes advantage of his status and power to be a dick in his personal life.

(Hi, btw!)

[dlgood]

Who in this world is really surprised when a powerful man is revealed as an adultering bastard?

...hey Jamie. This is Superman. You need to change the name on your phone, because I think Lois is looking at my BlackBerry....

Yeah. That comic will f'ing shock people...

After he wins again, no one will mention his however many affairs and excesses.The golf press certainly won't. They're terrified of and almost totally beholden to him for his success

[marenfic]

Hee! Superman is such a man whore.

I'm jaded about high-profile men these days when it comes to infidelity. Now maybe some of the other stuff will stick, but only because it is the sport of golf and Tiger is black and that old school crowd will eat that shit up even though 10:1 they're doing the same thing. People in this country clearly don't care about sexual exploits beyond the immediate sensationalism. Your neck of the woods is proof enough of that for me, when men who are elected on "family values" platforms are the worst of the worst offenders and come out of it reelected.

Cynical woman, that's what I am.

[dlgood]

This now has me thinking. I feel like we need to have a Top 10 list of 'Fictional Character Scandals' that would be on par with this one. (i.e. Superman is a man whore