Mods: Tiger Woods threads should no longer be automatically moved to the Sports forum.

[11 Bravo]

The man transcends sport. Anyone who watched him make his way around a brutally tough Torrey Pines track ON ONE LEG, surrounding an impossible chip-in from deep rough on 17 with a 70 foot eagle putt on 13 and a 30 foot eagle putt on 18, was witnessing much more than a mere golf tournament. As his body attempted to betray him, Tiger's will would not allow it.
I'll say it again ... Tiger Woods transcends his sport.

[Faygo Kid]

1. Agreed. He does transcend sport.

Yes, the Mods should allow today's U.S. Open final round to be discussed here at GD.

[MikeNearMcChord]

2. I think it was Friday, where Tiger had a ball on the

other side of the walkway, and it looked pretty ugly. Yet he shoots the ball within 6-feet of the hole! He is a sorcerer.

[Catch22Dem]

3. Agreed. He makes Jordan, Gretzky, Ruth, et al look average in their respective sports

I know it's blasphemy, but I stand by my statement. Even at their greatest, they could look human too. Woods is not human. How can anyone dominate a sport in which there are about 300 of the best in the world so consistently? It's not natural. I'm just glad I can witness it live rather than read about it in history books. The only comparison I can think of MIGHT be Babe Zaharias.

[texasleo]

17. Compare him to a chess player, not to athletes, please.

[Catch22Dem]

25. You don't think he's an athlete?

[Awsi Dooger]

33. Very weak

Golf at highest level is incredibly difficult. The average moron sitting at home sees the ball going exactly where it's planned, where the announcer says it needs to go, and decides it's like chess or tiddlywinks, the other brilliant comparison in this thread.

Let's see, 14 different clubs. An outdoor physical activity with dozens of variables and clubs at least 35 inches from grip to face. There is literally zero comparison between driving and putting. Nor a sand shot and one out of a tight fairway lie. The elements get in the way and have to be factored in every shot. You beat 150 players in a given event, not merely the guy sitting across from you. That's why the comparisons to tennis are also somewhat invalid.

Yet posters here decide it's like chess. Can I hear darts? LOL. That's another one that shows up frequently. I say it often but it still applies. I just wish thought process like that made the daily betting lines.

[DavidDvorkin]

4. Would the same argument apply to a Tiddly Winks champion with an injured finger?

[kestrel91316]

5. I don't even turn the tv on most weekends. Did I miss something?

Tiger is missing a leg????

[pt22]

6. I gotta go with George Carlin on the golf thing.

;-)

[taterguy]

7. Does the same principle apply to George Gervin threads?

[rAVES]

8. Golf is a game, not a sport...

[11 Bravo]

9. Ridiculous. Ever try to blade a wedge off a hard pan lie?

It requires a degree of hand-eye coordination you can't even imagine. But by all means,continue to cling to your misperception.

[Faygo Kid]

11. I'm with you. It's a sport, and the purest this side of boxing.

God damn little white ball trying to find a god damn little hole.

Sounds simple, but it isn't. Plus, you get to hang out with good friends outdoors in beautiful surroundings, hopefully with a cold beer and a see-gar.

Double hopefully, in northern lower Michigan. Doesn't get any better than that.

[rAVES]

20. its liker Snooker, a game, a skillful game, but a game non the less.

[thewiseguy]

22. How far do your drives go?

[BlooInBloo]

12. Of course it's not. It's hilarious when people say it's a sport simply because it's difficult though

[opihimoimoi]

10. Despite pain in left leg...he hung on to get a bird on final hole to tie Rocco

for a playoff Monday

Awesome....

[Bozita]

13. Rocco Mediate wore a "peace sign" belt buckle today. ... A big one.

Hope he wears it tomorrow!

[opihimoimoi]

14. Them players oughta donate a portion of purse to Peace

[dorkulon]

15. Sorry, but golf is sports.

There are true greats in every sport--Jordan, Gretzky, etc... it's still sports.

[Iggo]

27. And just barely...lol. (n/t)

[JackRiddler]

16. Golf is a way to lock up real estate for richies. Only baseball matters.

[ColbertWatcher]

18. Why not?

Until he can walk across a water hazard, he transcends nothing.

[hfojvt]

19. yeah, he so much greater than a bunch of mere doctors and teachers

and stuff. By putting a little white ball into a hole in the ground in fewer shots than most other people, he practically solves all of humanity's problems. He's like totally more important than anybody else on the planet. The rest of us mere mortals.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11190559/

[Bill McBlueState]

21. That's a pretty high (and unoriginal) horse you're on there.

Nobody here actually thinks any athlete "solves all of humanity's problems" or is "more important than anybody else on the planet."

DU sports fans are pretty good at simultaneously enjoying sports and continuing to care about the real problems we all face.

[Upton]

23. Golf is a game nothing more

just because one man excels at it doesn't mean he should be worshiped like some kind of God. I mean, how politically aware is Tiger? As he ever spoken out on the many barriers people of color, without a talent for some sport, still face in this country?

[Nipper1959]

24. Move on to a different forum

Upton, feel free to go to the game forum, or create one if needed. for those that have played golf for years it is a sport, especially the way that the pros play.

[Upton]

26. You misunderstand me

I'm not saying golf isn't a sport, I'm saying all sports are games. That's not to belittle them, I'm a big sports fan myself, it's just a fact. I'm also suggesting that just because an athlete excels at their particular sport, be it Tom Brady, Kobe Bryant, Albert Pujols, Cristiano Ronaldo, Alex Ovechkin or Tiger Woods, does not suddenly make them large enough or relevant enough to, as the OP suggests, transcend the sports forum.

[Captain Hilts]

28. How does he transcend sport? Golf is about selfish individualism.

I prefer team sports.

[bigwillq]

29. You can't really blame an athlete

for which sport they enter into. Some people are just blessed with the talent to play one sport and not the other. I am not a big Tiger fan, for reasons sometimes I can't even explain, but I would never call Tiger selfish.

[northzax]

30. selfish? maybe

but he's made more millionaires than anyone this side of Bill Gates.

let's go to the stats:

in 1996 (the year Tiger joined the tour after the PGA) the 125th spot on the money list was Dickey Pride, at $167,852. the top money earner was Tom Lehman at $1,780,159. not bad. at the time, the career money leader was Greg Norman, with $10,484,065. nine millionaires on the season, only one 8 digit earner in his career. 199 players had made at least $1m in their careers.

let's skip forward to 2000, when Tiger completed the mini-slam. he lead both the the Career money list leader was Tiger Woods at $20,503,450 (yes, he won more in 3.5 years than anyone had ever won cumulatively before.)and the season list at $69,188,321. Norman's $10,484,065 would have been good for 15th on the career list, Lehman;s $1.7 good enough for 23rd on the annual list. oh, and on the other end? no. 125 was Bob Burns at $391,075. Ol'd Dickey would have been 173rd. 45 players made at least a million in prize money.

now let's hop to 2007. Tiger still leads all the lists, with 2007 earnings of $10,867,052 (yes, he made more in 2007 than any play had made, in toto, before 1996) and career earnings of $76,579,376. Norman's $10,484,065 from 11 years before is now good for 72nd on the career money list. Tiger's $20m from 2000 is only good enough for 17th. 99 players made at least a million dollars on tour. no 125? Matthias Gronberg with $785,180. 75 players have made at least $10m in their careers. and 381 have made at least a million in their careers.

[trumad]

32. selfish individualism.

You're a fucking moran.

[Oeditpus Rex]

31. I'm really enjoying the irony here