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02-24-2010 Last Friday morning, everybody stopped what they were doing to listen to Tiger Woods speak. And I was one of everybody. Everybody had their opinion on what he was going to say, how he was going to say it, and had their reaction to his press conference pre-loaded. And I was one of everybody. Everybody has advice for Tiger. And I am one of everybody again. Sort of. Everybody was pissed at Tiger for refusing to take questions and for having a hand-picked audience at his press conference. And... that's where you lose me completely. Members of the media thought Tiger should have answered their questions - thought he owed it to them. Tiger doesn't owe a thing to them. The media didn't make Tiger great. Tiger (and his dad) made Tiger great. Tiger generates income for the PGA, TV networks, companies he endorses, video game makers...all sorts of people, even all the way down to card dealers like myself. In my opinion, Tiger has made two mistakes. One was getting married. Looks like he probably wasn't ready for all that entailed. However, I believe his second mistake is going to rehab. And I'll tell you why. There is something most of us don't understand about the ultra-successful in the sports or business world. True, these people may have been born with talent, but they also wield a mental edge - motivation - the depth of which you and I will never possess or comprehend. It's not good enough to want to be the best at something. You have to go after your goal with amazing focus and tenacity. That's why people think Jordan is a jerk, Kobe is aloof, and Tiger is fake. Most of us know very few people like this personally. Probably the closest we come to brushing up against this level of intensity is with the proverbial guy who takes the game of pick-up basketball a little too seriously. While watching Doin' Work, I felt the same way about Kobe. I almost felt bad for him, as if his teammates felt he was 'that guy' who took the game too seriously. That might be the case, but that's also what makes him great. MJ's Hall of Fame induction speech is another example that drives home this point. Regardless of whether Jordan was drunk or sober that day, I don't believe he went up to that podium with an axe to grind and a list of people to say "F--- you" to. I think he let us in to his mind and opened up to us about what motivated him internally. I think some people understood him. However, those weren't the people who then sat down and wrote about it or went on rampages on TV about it. The motivation behind greatness is mysterious and fascinating - something people claim to seek out like a quest and capture like a treasure, until they find out it's not all rainbows and sunshine; sometimes motivation is a dark swirling hurricane of self-deprecation, talent, and the need to prove yourself. There is a reason both my grandmothers know who Tiger is, and it isn't because he cheated on his wife. It isn't because he's just a good golfer either. There is probably someone who lives on your block who had an affair. And my grandmothers wouldn't know if Kenny Perry ($4.5 million in PGA tour winnings in 2009 - 5th on the circuit) was a golfer, a country music singer, or a guy who guessed your weight at the fair. We all know Tiger because he is one of the greatest ever. Tiger had the desire to be the best at golf. He apparently also has a desire for women. (And from all accounts, he's as talented in the bedroom as on the links.) I don't think you mess with that. I'm afraid turning off that desire for women and sex won't happen without dialing down his focus and drive for golf. Let the dude run rampant with his talents - all of them. Unfortunately, we heard some therapist-speak already coming out of his mouth at his press conference. Naturally, Tiger is re-connecting to his religion, which is something seemingly everybody going to rehab is forced to do (or at least say they're doing). Extra unfortunate is that his religion (Buddhism) features an emphasis on moderation. I wonder if that means he will just show up to golf events and ask if everyone wants to evenly split the whole of the prize money. Will he ease up the final day of a tournament to let someone else win if they haven't won an event in a while? (Settle down, Lefty. I know your ears just perked up.) Another thing Tiger said is that he "felt entitled" to the women and lifestyle he was afforded. Of course. We all feel entitled to things every day. The difference is, we don't have anyone pointing this out to us! That's the way perspective works. As humans, we can't possibly detect all the things we ourselves take for granted. I feel entitled to drive 5-15 MPH over the speed limit. And that's just one thing. Imagine all the things I do that I don't realize. (I'm not asking you to point them out to me, thank you.) This is what worries me that all this counseling is getting to Tiger. He obviously has someone planting these ideas in his head and there is a chance that these ideas are sticking. Like the rest of his fans, I would like to see Tiger back on the golf course. The game of golf and the fact that he is one of the best ever at it is the reason why Tiger is a household name. I don't care what he does in his personal life, and I wish journalists weren't so quick to get on their soap boxes and preach to Tiger what he should and should not do. Don't praise a man one day for his intense focus and passion and desire only to criticize him for exhibiting those characteristics the next day. But go ahead, keep talking shit about Tiger. About how he should live, about how he's a control freak. And then do this. Sit across a table from him while he listens to your interview or reads your article. Then when he reaches the end, challenge him to something. Anything. Arm-wrestling, mini golf, a foot race, I don't care. Just prepare to get your ass beat by one of the most intensely driven individuals in the world. ...Unless a counselor has already drained the motivation out of him. Have fun (that includes you, El Tigre)! -T |
Inside My Brain