Are you a Tiger fan?

[Dunkis]

Incredible player, very kind with his money to help others, just gets a bit grumpy at times but we all do.

[phillygolfer]

Am I a fan? Tough to say yes or no.
I am a huge fan of what he has done to the game of golf. I think there is only a hand full of golfers who had the impact he has.
am I a fan of TIGER him self no. But I repect the hell out of him.

[OnOff]

[quote name='mjtoal' post='1893355' date='Aug 17 2009, 02:58 AM'][quote name='OnOff' post='1893322' date='Aug 17 2009, 09:41 AM'][quote name='mjtoal' post='1893318' date='Aug 17 2009, 01:25 AM']The question is too simple, there are more shades of opinion around than fan/not fan. I couldn't answer the question as asked. I am not a fan like many here, but nor am I against him.[/quote]

Do you pull for him to win?
[/quote]


Depends on the event and who else is playing. If he was playing against Rory Mc or Darren, no chance.

I wanted Paddy to win this weekend (do you see a theme emerging - check avatar), but was fairly indifferent about Yang although he took his chance very well.
[/quote]

You can be a fan of multiple players and rout for them unequally. Many multiple choice questions have more then the answers given, yet you can only choose from the ones given. In short, you are making this harder then it needs to be.

[Mr Mizuno]

I'm a big fan. I'm part of the "Tiger-Gerneration", so he was the first golfer I ever knew. Somehow this stuff sticks in your mind... Even though I really like it when has to fight hard for his wins.

[FCone]

Not really. I am of the opinion that how you play the game is of as much value (to a "fan") as how well you play the game.

[tbowles411]

I am a fan, more out of respect for his on course talent and off course charity work. but I am also a fan of good golf. But he was the reason I took up golf in the first place.

[w8liftr]

[quote name='Veritas ' post='1893147' date='Aug 17 2009, 12:02 AM']I'm definitely a fan. I enjoy excellence in all walks of life and Tiger personifies that in golf. I have never been one to route for the underdog; however, I definitely am happy for Yang and enjoyed him standing up and getting it done. But yes, definitely a fan of Tiger.[/quote]

I agree. I really like watching him play. When his A game is on, it is amazing to watch. I don't get upset if he loses. Yang hit a career defining shot to stamp his victory over Tiger, and I was happy for him.

The media frenzy that surrounds Tiger should not fall on his shoulders. If Jack or Arnold played at the top of their game in this era, we would see them covered as much as Tiger. How many fans of these two greats would have the same opinion of them as they do Tiger?

[Borthwick]

I am a golf fan, and I love what Tiger has done for the game. I honestly don't understand how anyone can "hate" Tiger. I just can't get my head around that concept.

I consider myself privileged to be living during his heyday in the game. I was late to the Nicklaus party and never saw Hogan, Jones, etc play. It is special to witness golf history in the making.

[walts00]

I'm definitely a fan of Tiger...he does great things on the course and off the course (although I'm sure we could all find it in our hearts to help others if we were worth $800 mil).

His records are just stupid...he truly dominates when he gets in contention. I did enjoy seeing Yang win yesterday though. The birdie on 18 was sweet.

[Yanger]

I'm a fan of good golf - I'm a fan of Tiger. I don't treat golf like Nascar or football - I'm a fan of the drama of tournament golf and get revitted by the final 9 on Sunday.

I'm happy as hell YE won yesterday - then again sharing the same last name with the first Korean major winner is icing on the cake lol.

[bepo]

I'm not a fan of the fact that the media acts like hes a god among mere mortals and talks about him way too much. Unfortunately that's what 73.57% of people want to hear (all the tiger fans). What about all the other players who are way more entertaining and interesting? I'd like to see more complete coverage of all the golfers, not just whoever is the most popular (tiger, phil, daly)

I like watching good golf and appreciate the good shots, but I will always be rooting against him. I was pumped that Y. E. Yang came from like 6 shots behind on the weekend to win by 3, that was simply amazing.

[golow]

[quote name='bepo' post='1893569' date='Aug 17 2009, 09:44 AM']I'm not a fan of the fact that the media acts like hes a god among mere mortals and talks about him way too much. Unfortunately that's what 73.57% of people want to hear (all the tiger fans).[/quote]

Don't take that leap. I'm on of the 73.57%, but I agree that the media goes way too far and to the point of being disrespectful to every other pro on tour. I'm sometimes embarrassed for the announcer or interviewer, and I'll bet Tiger cringes when he watches Sportscenter or Golf Central.

golow(tm)

[dpb5031]

I'm a fan in that I think his accomplishments thus far in his career have been incredible. I always enjoy watching him play and admire his skill and discipline.

That said, I always root for someone to stand up to him and battle him down the stretch, particularly in the majors. It seems to me that all too often, the other players in contention can't put a decent final round together when Tiger is in or near the lead. They allow him to cruise to victory without being challenged. I was glad to see Yang play as well as he did and put the heat on Tiger. Hopefully more players will see that he is beatable and develop the confidence to go out there and put a score together when it matters. That will make it more entertaining for anyone who is a true fan of the game, not just Tiger.

[avrag]

[quote name='mjtoal' post='1893405' date='Aug 17 2009, 01:26 PM']The presumption here, from the simple minded, will be that anyone who doesn't tick the box marked 'fan' is a hater.

If only the world can be seen in such simplistic terms, although I have seen Fox News and know they can do so.

There are things I like about Tiger and things I don't. In some events, his game and style of play make me want him to win, in others I prefer someone else.[/quote]

I totally agree with that.

Regarding the topic itself, I must say that the occasions in which I was pulling actively against Tiger have become more and more frequent with time. When he came onto the scene, I was extremely impressed. I am still extremely impressed with the way this man can play golf.
But having started to watch golf on TV in the Ballesteros/Langer/Faldo/Norman/Price era, I simply did not like the fact, that golf got more boring since Tiger.
Major tournaments used to be more exciting then, because there was nobody dominating like that. With Tiger, it is always inevitable, that he chips in from the deep rough or makes a 60ft putt and wins. AGAIN. It gets boring after a while. For some reason, I loved that about the Bulls in the Jordan era, but that was the only time, I ever pulled for favourites.
So no, I am probably not a fan. Especially, when I think about the "fans" who call everyone who does not share their opinion a "hater".

[ROBOPTI]

BIG fan of Tiger ... Even bigger fan of his accomplishments .... I consider myself LUCKY to be able (in my lifetime) to sit and watch in HD - the greatest golfer ever - break every record in existance ... which I think he will do. Just like we got to watch Michael Schumacher & Pete Sampras ( who IMO is the best ever) . YOu get the best of the best beamed straight into your living room and get to watch every shot - HOW GOOD IS THAT !!!!!

That being said ... I DO NOT route against other players - I don't like a few - but if they come down the stretch and take Tiger down - like Yang - I'll stand up and cheered - GOOD for him.

[sandy]

Like his golf game, dogged determination, work ethic, his devotion to kids. Also like the fact he keeps to himself and doesn't embarass himself and his family like many other world class athletes. Jordan , Barkley, Vick etc. etc. heck even Phelps has the sense of a flea..

Don't care for some of his antics cursing he has always done (so what), but his club tossing and spitting are not pleasing (if you go back to his first few years on tour he did neither of those---maybe because Earl was around)..

This is the first post match interview that he was actually giving some praise to his opponent instead of saying it was his lousy play that prevented the win.. While he was very cool during the interview I sure wouldn't have wanted to be on that plane ride home..

He isn't fan friendly, but neither was Hogan, Nicklaus, Snead for example during rounds.. It was nice to see Mr. Yang enjoying the moment and waving to everyone.. The only exception was at the Buick, but he was also winning which I'm sure helped be more outgoing..

He pulled a few questionable moves yesterday. Everybody points to the hole where Yang still had a 6 inch putt to go where Tiger and Steve blatantly walked to the next tee. They did it on two other holes on the back nine where the putt wasn't 6 inches. Don't know if he was trying to game Yang by having the crowd move or not. Either way it made no difference to Mr. Yang.. I can guarantee if someone had pulled that on Tiger they would have heard about it from Steve..

This is the second year without any majors (the other being 2004). As they said Jack had three years without majors so there isn't any worry there. He will still surpass Jack's total (probably not Jack's 19 second place finishes in majors--which Tiger did reference in the press conference--I think he is at 6) major wins. I don't think it will be by as many as people thing however---maybe 20. It is obvious he will pass Jack's win total before he wins his 15 major..

Definitely not a fan of the media adulation, which is not Tiger's fault.. One more description of Tiger's rippling muscles by Faldo and I was going to puke..

Overall a fan with reservations.

[Bucken77]

Big Tiger fan. I love to watch dominance. Phil and Freddie will always be my favorites though.

[tical]

Yes, fan of Tiger. Tiger was the first asian to win a Major.

[DEGOINS]

I'm a big Tiger fan. In fact he is the only person out of all sports that I enjoy that I have really rooted for. I do have to admit though that when he first came onto the scene being a fan of his was the last thing I expected to be. Alot of that had to do with being worried that he was gonna play the race card because of all the hype about it at first. After watching him and seeing that he was the real deal and that all the hype was coming from all but him really won me over.

[Rudders]

[quote name='snkstaff' post='1892906' date='Aug 16 2009, 11:30 PM']I am a fan. I love to watch him play and hit great shots from difficult spots. He has the best imagination on the golf course that I have ever seen...[/quote]

Then you've never seen Seve Ballesteros play.

[Rudders]

[quote name='sandy' post='1894155' date='Aug 17 2009, 01:28 PM']Like his golf game, dogged determination, work ethic, his devotion to kids. Also like the fact he keeps to himself and doesn't embarass himself and his family like many other world class athletes. Jordan , Barkley, Vick etc. etc. heck even Phelps has the sense of a flea..

Don't care for some of his antics cursing he has always done (so what), but his club tossing and spitting are not pleasing (if you go back to his first few years on tour he did neither of those---maybe because Earl was around)..

This is the first post match interview that he was actually giving some praise to his opponent instead of saying it was his lousy play that prevented the win...[/quote]

"Some praise" is a bit of a stretch. Praise would be "he hit great shots, especially the chip in on 14 and the hybrid on 18. With his play, he deserved to win." What I heard was a bit different, more along the line of "I lost it" instead of "he won it."

That being said; he's the greatest player of his era. Time will tell if he's judged as the best ever. And the media does $uck with their "He's a god" coverage. Not his fault of course; but I doubt it bothers him; humility doesn't seem to be a key ingredient in his make-up, but you gotta gather that's what makes him the winner he is.

As Brooks said to pitcher Jim Morris in The Rookie; "All I know is, you're too fast for me." When the Woods' fast ball is coming, take three and head to the bench.

Didn't like the Nicklaus stare as he beat Palmer and everyone else. Ditto on the Woods glare. But it seems to have worked for one, and is working for the other. The golf course is their battlefield; you gotta have the "take no prisoners" attitude or the train will pass you by with everyone else on it waving bye-bye.

And as an aside; had an oportunity to speak with Steve Williams in the hotel Saturday night at The AT&T National. Contrary to all reports, he seems to be a very gracious and friendly chap. Must be a golf-course thing.

[tourpure]

I am a fan of his talent an mental toughness which is to me is his biggest advantage over the other players but no fan of his personality, demeanor and sometimes his antics.It seems to me he now believes what has been written of him that he is bigger than the tour itself(which I dont think any one player is)and really has sort of gotten a swollen head about it.Just that last denial at Firestone about him getting fined for criticizing the officical came off like/" the tour wouldn't dare fine me"!Just my casual opinion is all but talent wise I am a fan of extrodinary talent in everything and he does have that for sure.

[rlynham]

I am a fan of Tiger just like i was a fan of Michael Jordan but i never rooted for either like i do for my home team. I appreciate their greatness but during his last three Finals i was rooting for the other team to beat the Bulls because i just wanted someone else to win. it isn't like i wasn't a Jordan fan any more.

I am starting to feel the same way about Tiger. He has already won so much that it is hard not to root for an underdog like Yang.

As far as Tigers cussing and club throwing that doesn't bother me at all. I have been very guilty of both.

[Danny_Noonan]

[quote name='redfirebird08' post='1893197' date='Aug 17 2009, 12:40 AM'][quote name='Awsi Dooger' post='1893170' date='Aug 16 2009, 11:19 PM']I'm a fan but it's decreased. The TV coverage is disgraceful, specifically CBS. Feherty has no business covering Tiger. Today every putt was great, according to Feherty, stroked exactly as Tiger intended, despite the minor technicality that every one of the 10 foot-range putts looked destined to miss when it was halfway there, or less. Finally it took Brandel Chamblee to point out that Tiger's putting mechanics looked off, causing pulls. CBS wouldn't dare look for anything like that, let alone actually say it, and that type of thing has slowly made me less of a Tiger fan.

I want a real world portrayal, not cheerleading, same reason I'm not always thrilled with MSNBC despite their lean being identical to mine.

Besides, in the early years I could often get 3/1 on Tiger, sometimes higher. That made me a huge fan.

Those digits aren't available today.[/quote]

Agreed on the TV coverage. Sometimes you just wish they'd shut up and let it play out how it's going to play out instead of trying to manufacture a story or trying to draw attention to themselves (cough...McCord, Feherty, Miller, Nantz, Hicks, Faldo...cough). The best announcers in golf tend to be the guys with a more understated approach like Gary Koch or Bob Murphy.
[/quote]


You guys need to be careful not to let the network coverage of Tiger influence your view of him. He has nothing to do with that, and, I'm sure if given the choice, he would prefer it be toned down significantly. Having said that, I think it's hard to blame any of the networks for covering him like they do. Tiger is [i][b]the[/b][/i] story any time he's on the course, whether you like it or not. The networks understand that and go with it. People are tuning in to see him, and that is just a fact. Remember, this is not the journalism business, it's the entertainment business, and Tiger brings ratings. We should appreciate the exposure he brings to the game and the other players. I promise you Y.E. Yang has more fans today because of Tiger Woods. Think about it; if the final showdown yesterday had been between Yang and say, Tim Clark or somebody, the sound of televisions clicking off would have been deafening.

Now, in response to the poll; YES I am a Tiger fan. I'm just a few years younger than him and came into the game right when he was coming along. I root for him to win every time he plays. I consider myself lucky to be able to watch the greatest player play the game.

[ITBVolks]

I'd rate myself a fan. If nothing else, even people who aren't fans can/should appreciate him for what he is. The guy can flat play. Every aspect has been honed and his dedication/worth ethic is second to none. I don't think there is a single player of any era that has influenced the game like he has. With as many distractions as people have today it's amazing to see how many are truely insterested in a sport that isn't mainstream. I'll go out on a limb here and say Tiger Woods "might" have something to do with it....

Now, I won't say I'm fanatic. What I appreciate is competiton. What I like to see is competitors bringing their "A" game to the table when it's all on the line and performing. I like to see guys pushing each other. Makes for drama. Keeps me interested. I'd love to see Phil or Vijay or Paddy battle Tiger week in and week out. Seeing Paddy bring it to Tiger a week ago and seeing Y.E. this past weekend makes it all the more interesting/entertaining. I'd guess the ratings were up for both events. Some of that is probably due to the lead into a major but I'd bet some of it stems from someone bringing it to Tiger for a change.

It's good for golf. Competition drives people. It'll be very intersting to see how the field reacts to this. I'd bet it's show the field Tiger's not invincible. I'd also bet it'll fuel Tiger moving forward. I think the balance of 09' and 2010 is going to be very very insteresting.......

[PlatinumNike]

[lagwagon23]

I root for him all the time, got his autograph, a member of Tigerwoods.com, have donated money to the TW foundation.... But, one time I criticized something he did so I think I may be a hater.

[Jibrown77]

I am a Tiger fan. It hurt to see him lose on Sunday, but all the greats got beat at some point in their career in a major. I am also happy for Y.E. Yang. Its good to see players get that first Major just wish it didn't have to be against Tiger like that. I guess it has always been the norm for Tiger to fight back and hit incredible shots when the pressure is on and find a way to win, but it just wasn't his day. I don't think anyone can argue with his ability and great moments so far and those to come.

[Tylanthus]

I'm a fan. There are quite a few people I'd root for over him...Cink, Couples, Kim, Harrington, Poulter, etc

That said, I really hope we get to see history made and he breaks Jack's record. I think it's pretty great that I've had the good fortune to watch Tiger, Federer, Gretzky, and Jordan do their magic.

[GolfDunnyGolf]

[quote name='sosinsurr' post='1893185' date='Aug 17 2009, 01:34 AM']Yup...always have been, always will be.[/quote]


Nope-Never Have, and Never Will Be!!!