Tiger Woods (official thread)

[Best Buckeye]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNation27

golf isn't a sport

What he said.

[OH10]

Originally Posted by Bleed S & G

Most of the time in sports, the "great one's" are decided by championships..

Babe was a bad example to illustrate that point

No he's not a bad example. He's the perfect example. He was a great athlete, no doubt. But I notice that you didn't cite any stolen base records or fielding percentages. What you noted is that the guy could stand in the batters box, swing a bat with tremendous proficiency, and using exceptional hand-eye coordination to hit the better than anyone else in his day.

He also did a pretty damn good job of standing on the mound and throwing the ball.

I'm baffled how that takes more athleticism that what Tiger does. The only difference is that the ball is moving and its bigger. In fact, when Tiger hits the ball, he actually has to have touch, some finesse - like a shooter in basketball. As with a pitcher, he has to use intelligence and creativity.

But make no mistake about it: To hit the ball like Tiger does, you have to be a tremendous athlete. If you don't think so, you haven't truly played the game of golf beyond simple hacking.

So John Daly is a top athlete?

I could show you a picture of Babe's fat ass chewing on a cigar and ask the same question. The only difference is that Daly "could" have been really good and the Babe was great.

Tiger is great.

golf isn't a sport

Your definition simply differs from mine. I understand that your point though. You hate golf. You hate Tiger Woods. I get it.

[jwinslow]

Still waiting, Stadium: #126

[OH10]

Originally Posted by jwinslow

Could you explain some times he has shown tremendous athleticism? Not skill, raw athletics.

Players in basketball, football, baseball come along all the time who are tremendous athletes but not great technicians. Some, like Hester, are superstars without even being capable of playing CB or WR at the ACC level.

So where is the sign of his tremendous athleticism?

It's semantics really. For me, pure athleticism doesn't make you a great athlete. It means you have the potential to be a great athlete. You have to take the talent and develop it in a sport, and become great at. I no doubt consider golf to be a sport - and a difficult one at that. So the fact that Tiger is the G.O.A.T. means to me that he's great athlete.

If you don't think so, then I doubt you could ever have an appreciation for what he does on the tee box. And its not worth debating further if you don't see that as a sign of his tremendous athleticism. No one else in the world - even if they spent all day, every day, trying - can do what he does on a consistent basis. And that's not like saying he's Bobby Fischer or the Black Widow. If you don't know the difference, it's really inexplainable.

Find me a guy who can hit trick shots in pool. Unreal control and skill in his craft doesn't make him an athlete.

If you don't see that it's not the same thing, then again, its not really worth debating.

Are there not fat men in golf who can make similarly ridiculous shots?

Yes, and there are fat men that can play basketball too. (Hello Oliver Miller and Tractor Traylor). But very few, and even those few are good athletes that simply do not fit the stereotype on the exterior.

I think his athleticism for his sport is outstanding, and he's perfected his craft and body about as far as can be done. But that doesn't put him in the same zipcode of the complete freaks like Lebron. Conversely, his high potential and athleticism doesn't put him in Tiger's galaxy.

It's simply a different kind of athlete. Maybe its just a difference of opinion, but issue isn't as black and white as how high one can jump or how fast one can run.

[fourteenandoh]

Raw athletics is the shot Tiger hit in the 2000 US Open at Pebble Beach on the (i believe) 7th hole. He was about 180 out, the green was about 50 feet above the fairway and he was in 6 inch rough. He smoked a seven iron out of there and ran it up onto the green. That was strength and athleticism at its best. There may be one or two other people on the planet that could have hit that shot. Another one that comes to mind is the US Open at Olympia Fields in Chicago. He was about 250 out and had a big oak tree about 50 yards in front of him. He hit a three wood that started 100 yards left of the green and sliced it around the tree within 10 feet of the pin. These are shots that take an unbelievable amount of strength to pull off. I played olympia and tried that shot. I got it around the tree but came up 80 yards short.

I tried to find a video but couldn't.

[jwinslow]

It's semantics really.

I guess so. When you watch Tiger sink a 30 ft putt do you honestly stop and think, "boy, that sure was athletic"? I don't. I think how remarkably gifted, difficult, clutch (and a number of other "sports" terms) that was, but it wasn't athletic. He himself possesses athletic qualities in his game, and there was athleticism required to make every shot on the course... but it's a different kind of adjective for 'athleticism' imo.

If I see a high schooler who can do remarkable things with a bowling ball, or a bow and arrow, or other precision sporting events, I am impressed by their skill and excellence. That is the type of reaction I have when watching remarkable golf.

If I see a high schooler who glides effortlessly through a sport as though everyone else is in slow motion, whether it be basketball, football or whatever, I marvel at his athleticism. Perhaps he also possesses a great deal of skill, precision and other talents, but watching his sheer athleticism (quickness, grace, natural ability, instincts) is a far cry from what I see from the greatness taht is Tiger Woods.

Yes, and there are fat men that can play basketball too. (Hello Oliver Miller and Tractor Traylor). But very few, and even those few are good athletes that simply do not fit the stereotype on the exterior.

Except that you're hoisting up said shots as evidence of him being a great "athlete", where these fat men are able to hang with Tiger with very pitiful physical fitness, even if only in spurts.

In absolutely no way are these fat basketball players ever going to hang with Lebron, Howard or others.