Dan_Miller's Blog

If you are a frequent reader of this blog or if you have seen some of my reports on tv, you know that I love golf and have a serious case of man-love for Tiger Woods.  Simply put he is one of the most charismatic sports figures in my lifetime and I would venture to say anybodys lifetime.   He is Jordan, Montana, Sanders, Magic, Ruth, Mantle, Bird, The Bird, or even Rocket or Bonds before we knew or strongly believed they were cheaters.  Like those guys he understood the moment.  More importantly he thrives in the moment. Perhaps it was a career full of moments or just a flash like a shooting star moving accross the sky.

Tiger is Edwin Moses.  Tiger is Micheal Phelps.  Tiger is the best and proves it over and over like the best have to do.  Tiger has made golf cool.  Tiger has taken the sport and helped it rise above sansabelt pants.  Tiger has let black people know that there are no limits to what they can accomplish in this sport and hopefully in life.  Tiger has let anybody regardless of color know that you don't need to be a country club baby to play the game.  Heck, if you were watching or paying attention, Arnold Palmer showed us that back in the 50's.  Tiger has shown that if you work harder than everybody else, you can be better than everybody else when it really counts.  Tiger has taken a generation of golfers and left them wondering if they will have any place in history.  A place they would certainly enjoy if they weren't playing against him.

See, that's the thing.  You hear so much about the lack of competition he faces and how Jack faced better players.  i think thats highly debatable.  Nobody has ever done what Tiger has done in such a short period of time.   Jack Nicklaus was 35 when he won his 14th major.  Tiger is 32.  Do you really think that Mickelson, Els, Furyk and Goosen wouldn't have a notable number of majors were it not for Woods?   Don't you think the fact that he is simply better, far better than his competition has made them appear less worthy?  I would submit that his advantage over the golfers he has competed against is much more significant than the advantage Nicklaus enjoyed over his peers.  That doesn't mean you should consider Tiger less worthy, it means he is more deserving.

Finally, stop with the golf isn't a sport and Tiger isn't an athlete talk.  It comes up every time he wins a tournament and once again moves to the top of the sports pages.  Think what you want but who cares.  Is that the best you've got to tear him down?  He's not an athlete?  Stupid.  Dumb.  Change the channel.  Move on.  Hey, I know, go watch the WNBA.  They're basketball players right?

I'd rather call my sons into the room and make sure they watch a once in a lifetime phenom.  I've been in this business for 27 years and been watching sports for nearly 40.  I've never seen anyone better at anything and will do my best not to miss a moment.              

kSure there are times where he loses, times where he appears human, even if just for a moment.  Tiger