Tiger Woods and the Media
Tiger Woods finished second in the 2008 Masters. Here is a sample of the headlines:
- Sports Illustrated: Tiger’s Masters Fallout
- Arkansas Sports: Tiger’s Failure Occupies the Experts’ Post-Masters Thoughts
- FoxSports: Tiger’s rally-less streak still a thing of mystery
These are just some examples - perhaps milder examples. The theme seems to be that Tiger Woods failed. When did coming second at the Masters become a measure of failure?
It seems that Tiger Woods is held to a different standard. Not winning is considered a failure. There seems to be some delight in highlighting Tiger Woods’ flaws. For example, many have pointed out that Tiger Woods has never chased down a leader at a major and won in that fashion. The writers failed to mention that Tiger Woods’ opportunities to do so are limited because he is leading and winning.
If Tiger Woods were to go on a winning streak, there still would be criticism. Arguably, he could win many tournaments in a row. Then there would be headlines decrying how he is ruining the sport.
Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster: http://flyinghamster.com/
Tags: tiger woods, media coverage, golf
I have heard bad about Woods. Like stiffing kids for autographs. I have heard no good about him. He reminds me of Tom Watson who has the same rep. As far as not having opportunities to come from behind, he hasn’t won every tournament that he has played. He’s had his chances. He can’t handle pressure. I gave up golf when my back gave up so I haven’t watched it in a long time. I watched Sunday in hopes of seeing what I saw. He’s a choker. The other guys need to start playing instead of being intimidated by Woods.