beevomav
V.I.P.
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2011
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- 2,956
Tim Tebow was a diversion for a few months and is still compelling but imagine if he goes to NY and fails. In a short period of time he will be a blimp on the NFL radar. Then there is Jeremy Lin of the NY Knicks. For a few weeks he became Linsanity and the world was taken by storm. These two players had one thing in common and that is they had to win to be compelling.
That is what makes Tiger Woods so amazing. He jumped into the headlines and took the world by storm in 1997 when he destroyed the field at the Masters. That 1997 Masters had the highest rating since at least 1977. His 2001 Masters was the second. He attracts viewers and the casual fan unlike any athlete since Michael Jordan. Unlike most compelling stories and athletes who have to win to be the story, all Tiger has to do is show up.
When Tiger went down with a knee injury in 2008 he missed half the season and ratings fell by 47%. There was a recent poll asking what golfer they wanted to see on TV and Tiger won with 53%. New sensation Rory McIlroy got 15% and Phil Michelson got 7%. No other golfer got more than 2%. Like Jordan in the NBA, Tiger is the PGA.
He won Sunday for the first time in over 2 1/2 years and the ratings will be off the chart again. His fourth round 62 at the Honda Classis was watched by 78% more people than the previous year. Tiger doesn't have to win but if he is in contention people watch.
You can make a case he is more a story now than he was before the injuries and his personal life failures. Now people who never liked him in the first place can openly show disdain and blame it on him being such a horrible person and husband. It's open season for ex-caddies and previous swing coaches. All this just adds to his drawing power.
Woods has also driven the PGA in terms of money. When Tiger appeared on the scene the tour was $70 million in 1996. This season that will jump to over $300 million. He has been the highest paid athlete for 15 years and though his money dropped after sponsors left him during the scandal, they have come back and now Tiger's team turns away companies wanting to hook onto a star.
In two weeks we get the Masters and you will hear buzz about Rory and Phil but only in the context that how wonderful it would be to see them in the final round with Tiger. Like Jordan before him, when Tiger decides to put his clubs away the PGA will suffer. For those who say someone else will emerge I ask this question. Who has emerged to be the next Michael Jordan?
That is what makes Tiger Woods so amazing. He jumped into the headlines and took the world by storm in 1997 when he destroyed the field at the Masters. That 1997 Masters had the highest rating since at least 1977. His 2001 Masters was the second. He attracts viewers and the casual fan unlike any athlete since Michael Jordan. Unlike most compelling stories and athletes who have to win to be the story, all Tiger has to do is show up.
When Tiger went down with a knee injury in 2008 he missed half the season and ratings fell by 47%. There was a recent poll asking what golfer they wanted to see on TV and Tiger won with 53%. New sensation Rory McIlroy got 15% and Phil Michelson got 7%. No other golfer got more than 2%. Like Jordan in the NBA, Tiger is the PGA.
He won Sunday for the first time in over 2 1/2 years and the ratings will be off the chart again. His fourth round 62 at the Honda Classis was watched by 78% more people than the previous year. Tiger doesn't have to win but if he is in contention people watch.
You can make a case he is more a story now than he was before the injuries and his personal life failures. Now people who never liked him in the first place can openly show disdain and blame it on him being such a horrible person and husband. It's open season for ex-caddies and previous swing coaches. All this just adds to his drawing power.
Woods has also driven the PGA in terms of money. When Tiger appeared on the scene the tour was $70 million in 1996. This season that will jump to over $300 million. He has been the highest paid athlete for 15 years and though his money dropped after sponsors left him during the scandal, they have come back and now Tiger's team turns away companies wanting to hook onto a star.
In two weeks we get the Masters and you will hear buzz about Rory and Phil but only in the context that how wonderful it would be to see them in the final round with Tiger. Like Jordan before him, when Tiger decides to put his clubs away the PGA will suffer. For those who say someone else will emerge I ask this question. Who has emerged to be the next Michael Jordan?
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