Sport
Tiger’s best days are not behind him
From TheGRIO – For so long Woods has exemplified focus, determination and intimidation. Never before had we seen an athlete maintain such an impossibly high standard, for such a long period of time…
Arthur Ashe described his life as “a succession of fortunate circumstances.” I think the same can be said for Tiger Woods. After all, he grew up right before our very eyes and became everything his father Earl predicted he would be and more.
So to see his life in peril is not only troubling, but sad. And while there are many who think he has gotten everything he deserves, I have to wonder; did he?
It has always been my feeling that Tiger was an accident waiting to happen. Here was this black man dominating a white sport, chasing Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major championships.
Tiger didn’t have much room for error. And when he married his beautiful wife from Sweden, he really boxed himself in.
But here was Tiger, with a white wife, chasing the “Holy Grail” of records in a predominantly white sport. It’s obvious that he learned the lesson that we have to be twice as good to be considered just as good. But somewhere, someone forgot to tell him that he was not only a black man in American society, but most importantly – he was different.
Tiger’s level of dominance was historic. He made shots no other golfer even dreamed of. Sunday after Sunday, we watched him reduce the rest of the field to mere mortals as he put on a display many of us viewed as super human. Yet today we watch a man struggling to find himself again.
Needless to say, Woods went into exile. I would have too. Shame is an emotion that is extremely hard to shake, especially when your life plays out in front of the world.
It’s not easy, but it’s doable. Ask Michael Vick, or Kobe Bryant.
