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Has the last of our gunslingers hung up his six guns and just become another face in the crowd? After the Masters this past weekend we as sports fans have to let out a sad sigh and realize that the once charging Tiger may have become a purring pussy cat.

Jack Nicklaus was asked before the Masters if he thought Tiger was going to break his record on major victories. Jack said that if Tiger were to have a chance, this would be the year he would have to prove it, with all the majors being set up on courses conducive to Tiger’s swing. He was also asked (this one is for Mr. Neyland) if all the greats could have played during any era. His answer was yes, because not only were they sound fundamentally but they were solid mentally and they had the desire to be the best. But he did reconfirm that he was only talking about the greats, not everyone: Palmer, Hogan, Jones, Player, Snead, and Watson. Interestingly, he did not mention any names on the current PGA. Of course, we do know that Jack would consider Tiger as one of the greats, as we all do, but like Jack we will all wait until the end of Tiger’s career to see where his greatest ranks amongst the others Jack named.

So what happened to our gun slinging golfer? If you go to therapy to have the demons exorcized from your inner being, to discover your true self, do you discover that part of the dark side is that inner strength to be a champion? When you purge yourself, do you lose that desire to win? Research has shown that to reach for success can have negative consequences. Remember though: “good guys finish last”.

I know Tiger said he came to win The Masters, but before he used to come to a tournament with the intention of not losing it, not just winning. Is there a difference? Yes… in trying to win you will give it your best shot and at the end of the day you will throw up your hands and say, “I tried my best”. But in trying not to lose, you will try to pull out the impossible, mentally and physically, which may be too overpowering for the opposition to deal with during competition. How many times have we, as a viewing audience, looked at a few of the truly great players in a given sport and asked ourselves how did they make that basket, catch, pass, goal, shot, recovery of an impending blunder?

Yet, when we as a group, audience, individuals, start talking about that group of elite athletes, we do find a common thread, a dark side. Is it a horrible dark side? Well, the media would like you to think that their mistakes will swallow up the human race and it will be the end of the world. It may not, but it could create more negative consequences, which could create severe chaos for their families as the desire for success grows.

Wait, before you start yelling at me and asking “me what about so and so?” and “look at you know who”, remember, we all saw the good in Tiger and thought he was the perfect image for professional golf. Does that mean that all greats cross over the line? I am sure that there are many great athletes that can control that consuming dark desire and that find non-destructive ways to redirect that desire to a positive plateau. But let us be realistic, that is why some athletes cannot retire, and when they do, their lives crumble right before our eyes because competitive sports is their only outlet for that uncontrollable hunger that helps them win.

So what of the Tiger, can he find that balance of what has made him the greatest of his generation? If he cannot, it will be golf’s loss.  For we, as golf fans, have loved those golfers who stride down a golf course with a swagger and a flare and look at their opponents and have boldly told them “I am not going to lose today.” It may be your golf tournament to win, but it is mine to lose or not.  Jack and Title IX you are so right, the greats could play and win during any era, let us just hope that the Tiger can control his dark side and rediscover his roar instead of a sleeping purr.

Ok, Tiger Woods is back and we, as true golf fans, have to ask is it for the betterment of golf, or is it the fact that at the end of the day he might be taken for half of everything he has made in all his years as a professional.  Some here at Sportsnetusa.net are going to claim that as a traditionalist, I am rooting for the Golden Bear’s record to stand until the end of time. They will even say they saw me gloat when Tiger stepped away from the game of golf for personal reasons.

So let us clear the air, I love the game of golf, it is a game that can be played from when you are a little child until you are a grown person who can barely walk. You can be competitive with your mother, father, sister, brother, grandparents and absolute strangers. You can be perfect or you can be so/so, and for the majority of those you play with, they think it is a heck of a game no matter what level they play at.

Unlike with other sports, golf historians, golf announcers and golf fans celebrate those who were great and those who are great by today’s standards.  Golf fans look at the best of all time and put them towards the head of the pack during conversations. They can talk of the greats at length, and do not look at a particular player from a particular time and try to claim that he is the greatest unless his accomplishments can be validated, with the proof in the pudding. 

So, should it bother us that Tiger is coming back to the game of golf at The Masters?  The Augusta National course was the idea of all-time great Bobby Jones.  Jack Nicklaus won his first green jacket in 1963, and in 1986 became the oldest winner (46 years, 2 months, 23 days) when he picked up his final one in 1986.  In between Nicklaus won in 1965, successfully defended his title in 1966, and picked up victories in 1972 and 1975.  “The Big Three”, Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player won The Masters 11 times from 1960 to 1978.

To think of the history associated with the golf course, to think of the greatness of Tiger Woods and to watch the immortal Golden Bears record withstand a charge from a Tiger of any generation, why wouldn’t we want Tiger to start his comeback at The Masters?

There are so many events that I never think I will see.  I did not think I would ever see Tiger Woods looking so ordinary like he did last Friday.  I know this story has been covered from about a billion different ways.  People saw his apology from about the same number of viewpoints.  I figured it was time to add mine.  I am not a golf fan but I am a Tiger Woods fan.  If Tiger was in a final I found myself tuning in for a while and sometimes for hours.  I do not play golf and what I am about to write is just my opinion.  This is not about facts but just my opinion and questions I have now more than ever.

It is fun for some to gossip about what women Tiger had affairs with.  It may not be right but sex always and I say always sells.  It has been that way forever and ever.  I do not care who he slept or sleeps with.  It is not my business and it is not your business.  I was amused by all of the fuss about what type of conference he had and who was or was not there.  The guy did not owe fans nor any media people an apology.  So why all of the grousing about not being allowed to ask questions?  Get over it.  Some were upset that he read it.  You’re kidding me right?  People write and read speeches all of the time.  Have you ever been to a funeral?  Should a minister not be allowed to read from his script?  How many great political speeches have been written and then read.  Does that really make them less sincere?  I think not.  All of this stuff is just plain silly to me.  Most is not my concern nor do I care.

My concerns have to do with another question that may get larger down the road.  I cannot shake it yet.  Has Tiger Woods ever used any PEDS?  I know that he said no in his speech.  All athletes deny they have ever used steroids or peds.  Marion Jones denied over and over and then admitted so and went to prison.  I was a Marion Jones fan as well.  For me that is the real question and concern.  I think Tiger will come back and he may once again dominate golf.  People have and will forgive him.  He now looks more mortal and like one of us (not really but you get what I mean right).

This is not an accusation; just a concern and his apology brought it up more for me.  When the story of Tiger’s infidelity came up his agent Mark Steinberg did not deny and said little.  When there was mention that one of Tiger’s doctors was known for using HGH.  There was a strong denial from Steinberg that Woods had ever used steroids.  So keep the name Tony Galea in your memory bank.  He treated Tiger for his knee injury and has worked with numerous athletes.  He has also taken HGH personally.  He does unique treatments like the platelet-rich plasma injections he used on Tiger’s knee.  This is not against PGA rules.  The FBI and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are investigating him.  His employee, Mary Anne Catalano is said to be co-operating with the FBI.  This is similar to how BALCO came about.

Now let’s go back in history.  One day I turned on my TV and saw Woods strolling down the course and I thought I was looking at an NFL defensive back not a golfer.  I could not believe how big he was.  The announcer said that Tiger puts so much torque on his swing with his upper body that it put much stress on his knees.  We all know by now that peds build a person up and then eventually they tear a person down.  Everyone has talked about Tiger and his competitiveness, his super desire to be the best ever.  There is that and then his own words at his apology announcement.  Woods said, “I stopped living by the core values that I was taught to believe in.  I knew my actions were wrong but I convinced myself that normal rules didn’t apply.  I never thought about who I was hurting.  Instead I thought only about myself.  I ran straight through the boundaries that a married couple should live by.  I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to.  I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me.  I felt I was entitled.  Thanks to money and fame I didn’t have to go far to find them.  I was wrong.”

Tiger is the one athlete that may be bigger than the game.  In his fourteen years, the PGA purses have gone from 65.9 million to 277.3 million.  Is CBS going to do an investigation?  How about the PGA commissioner?  Take a look at the previous paragraph. “I knew my actions were wrong but I convinced myself that normal rules didn’t apply.”  I hope Tiger finds peace and I hope my concerns are unfounded.  Whom Tiger cheated with is none of my business but if he cheated in golf, that is a question that is fair game.

The Tiger Woods meltdown, we all know how it started.  News bulletins stating he collided with a fire hydrant and a tree leaving his driveway after 2am.  One of my first thoughts was how do you do that with the front of your car?  Perhaps if your wife is running down the driveway swinging a driver at your SUV, trying to “rescue” you it could happen.  Shouldn’t she have picked a rescue hybrid wood?

I thought it was interesting that many fans initially dismissed the National Enquirer’s report of Tiger’s mistress.  They called the paper a rag, a toilet paper and other slurs.  However, once again the Enquirer (much as they were with the John Edwards affair) nailed one inches from the pin.  Then the dam broke loose.  It was two women, then three.  Then the Tiger infidelity story took the turn after 9, and got to 10.  Now it sounds as if his round of infidelity could be on the 13th. 

Those thoughts were crossing my mind when I stopped in the supermarket on the way home.  As I was going into the checkout line, I saw the cover of the latest National Enquirer.  It mentioned a love child and a sex tape.  This is something I was discussing with a colleague when the count was at ten women.  The nay Sayers may once again question the Enquirer, but what if they are right again?  What if Tiger Woods has fathered at least one child outside his marriage?

A new report from ESPN has a Canadian doctor busted for allegedly trying to smuggle HGH and another banned drug into the U.S.  The doctor has links to American athletes including Tiger Woods.  Does this mean Tiger buffed up using HGH?  No.  However it does lead me back to a report from the first day when he hit the hydrant.

There was a “report” from an unnamed source that Tiger had been taking powerful painkillers such as Vicodin at the time of the crash.  The fact was some law enforcement officers on the scene wanted Tiger’s blood tested.  It didn’t happen.  Prosecutors felt there wasn’t enough evidence. 

I think this points to something new in the saga.  Has Tiger Woods really ever recovered from his knee surgery?  Is he still taking powerful prescription painkillers to deal with the pain?  Even worse would be if Tiger has come to rely on them just to be able to compete on the tour. 

His marital affairs are separate from Tiger Woods’ triumphs on the golf course.  They shouldn’t affect his standing on the PGA Tour or his place in golf history.  However, the specter of drugs, whether legal prescription or illegal performance enhancing ones will probably be scrutinized.  Hopefully for the PGA, the fans and the game of golf, Tiger is clean.  If not, then we may see the total unraveling of a legend.  SportsNetUSA.net’s Mark Pavlovich said long ago that Tiger Woods would not beat the record for most career major championships held by Jack Nicklaus.  And just like that story of Tiger’s mistress in the National Enquirer, many people scoffed.  We may all owe Mark an apology.

We’ve been inundated throughout these years with all kinds of factoids regarding Tiger Woods in Major Tournaments.  He’s never lost after having a 36-hole lead.  He was unblemished on American soil when leading by more than one shot. He’s a perfect 14 of 14 when leading heading into the final round of a major.  Well, make that 14 of 15 now after not being able to make putts Sunday at Hazeltine.  We all know about the 20 come-from-behind wins, none of which have come in a Major.
 
Can anyone explain what happened yesterday?  I was listening to someone recap the event, and they mentioned yesterday’s final round was just a carryover of Saturday’s third round.  On Saturday, Tiger played an extremely conservative round of golf.  I concur.  Not many birdies.  He played it safe …or so it appeared.  Maybe just maybe the misreads on the greens resulted in what we viewed as Tiger playing a “safe” round of golf were actually just the beginning of his demise.  Honestly, have we ever seen Tiger play it “safe?”  I don’t recall.  I want to say of course not!  Tiger is like Kobe and Michael Jordan in that regard.  One of the greatest competitors in the world.  If he smells blood, he attacks and attacks some more. The ‘never let up’ approach. 
 
What was more out of the ordinary, Tiger missing the cut at The Open or blowing it in the final round of the PGA?  Both so uncustomary of the greatest golfer in the world today.  Tiger came out swinging last weekend.  It was his tournament from the beginning til nearly the end. 
 
Two weeks ago we talked about it on Friday Nite Mics, how Tiger’s focus was changing and how he was making an effort to not to put too much pressure on himself to attain more Major Championships.  Tiger was ..well, vintage Tiger through the first 36 holes at Hazeltine.  He held on to take the lead into the final round.  All of a sudden, dare we mention the ‘C’ word and Tiger in the same sentence, but did he choke? Is it safe to say that the world’s best golfer folded under pressure?  Is it fair for us to say that one of the greatest competitors the game of golf has ever seen, in his red shirt, in the final pairing of a Major on a Sunday, succumbed to the pressures of the then 110th ranked player in the world?
 
Dare any of you say Y.E.(S).  Regardless, of how you view it, if there’s a tournament tomorrow, I’m taking Tiger.  The next time Tiger steps foot in another Major Tournament, you already know my prediction on FNM.  Eldrick all the way.  However, give credit to where credit is due.  Y.E. Yang did not back down.  He took it to Mr. Woods, in superb fashion on his way to becoming the first Asian-born player to win a Major. 
 
So many have tried, yet so many have failed.  So how did Mr. Yang get it done?  Through his interpreter he summed it up saying, “It’s not like you’re in an octagon where you’re fighting against Tiger and he’s going to bite you, or swing at you with his 9-iron, ….The worst that I could do was just lose to Tiger. So I really had nothing much at stake.”
 
Au contraire Mr. Yang, there was a lot at stake, you just played it cool.

Amazing one of my counter parts at SportsNetUSA.net made a statement in a blog that rules are not fair. He also stated that life isn’t fair and then proceeded to tell those individuals who are mistreated by collegiate rules to suck it up.

So my big question would be, “would he tell Tiger and Paddy to suck it up, rules and life aren’t fair and just play on …?”, most likely not. Then again, why would he? We don’t always play by the rules when we are on the golf course.

So what do rules really mean today? Well by dictionary standards the word rule is just stated as jurisdiction, regulation, edict, order, not pick and choose what fits your needs during a competition.

You see I am quite confused listening to sporting fans all over the country. If it is okay to cheat, to break the rules, then this means Ken Lay and Bernie Madoff shouldn’t be vilified. They were simply taking every advantage so they could to get ahead.

This means you shouldn’t be angry at Wall Street fat cats. And when your loans come due on your home don’t even try to be upset about mortgage lenders. No whining about republicans, democrats or independents taking money from lobbyists. Stop complaining about all the CEO’s and numerous types of fraud. Get comfortable with colleagues sleeping their way to the top.

These people are all just trying to gain an extra advantage, so what if they bent this rule or that rule. They were all just doing for the great mighty dollar.

If you accept cheating in sports, you accept it everywhere. You abdicate your outrage and muddy your ethical discernment. So spare me the ‘hypocritical’ tripe.

In retrospect, most in-game cheating is viewed with a tip of the hat, a nod — even a chuckle. TitleIX and The Franchise can laugh about espionage in their beloved sports. Spitball pitchers and steroid users are considered a colorful part of the game. Same with floppers in basketball, stick benders in hockey, divers in soccer and football players who specialize in holding.

Yes you fans have always talked a good game about wanting our athletes to be fair and honorable. You grew up believing in the world of sports, and in the premise of trying to compete the right way. Winners never cheat, and cheaters never win. But somewhere you, the preachers of the rules, got lost in your own convoluted game; “rules should be for everyone but not necessarily for the team I root for, at least not today.”

So sports fans please do me a favor and pick a side, watch the game with a rulebook sitting next to you and choose which rules apply to that game you are watching that day and stick by them for both teams. If you are that fan that is looking at the real world and how all the outside influences effects all athletes, high school, college, pro, take a hard look at yourself. Ask yourself if you were put in the same positions as some of your favorite athletes, not so favorite athletes, young, old or indifferent, what would you do? Would you live and die by the rules, or would you break the rules for your own benefit or the benefit of your team? Make a choice, and when you do, realize it should be a choice that would be acceptable to everyone ….be it cheating, then it’s cheating, if not, then it’s not, but what is fair for one is fair for all. Rules are rules.

WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITES CHEATERS ESPECIALLY THOSE YOU TURNED A BLIND EYES TO, these might start your mind thinking:

1. Danny Almonte: Anyone who watched the 2001 Little League World Series will recall the way Almonte dominated the international competition, whiffing guys over and over with unprecedented heat. We overlooked the fact that he pretty much had a mustache and instead focused on that rocket arm…until about a week after the Series when SI let us all know that Almonte was actually 14 years old.

2. The 2000 Spanish Paralympics Team: This story never got much attention, but it’s pretty outrageous. At the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney, the team from Spain cleaned up, winning several gold medals including a blow-out of Russia in the gold medal basketball game. Unfortunately, it turned out many of the team members weren’t actually disabled at all. Perhaps having Johnny Knoxville starting at shooting guard should have tipped us off.

3. Rosie Ruiz: Just 23 years old at the time, Ruiz won the women’s division of the 1980 Boston Marathon in a scorching time of just over two and half hours. This was surprising to pretty much everyone involved with the Boston Marathon, as nobody had seen her running until the final mile. As it turned out, this was because she only ran the final half-mile.

4. Joe Niekro: This was probably my favorite cheating scandal of all time, just because it happened so publicly. After being a dominant pitcher in the late ’70s — he finished second in the 1979 Cy Young voting — Niekro’s career was on the downside in 1987. While pitching for the Minnesota Twins, Niekro was accused of doctoring the baseball. The umps came to the mound, checked his glove and then asked him to empty his pockets.

5. Ben Johnson: During the 1988 Summer Olympics, I was caught up in the hysteria, cheering hard for the American athletes to do their best. I was a particularly big fan of Carl Lewis, who seemed to be able to run and jump past everyone else involved. Then, in the 100 meter finals, a buff Canadian named Ben Johnson sprinted past everyone to win the title and set a world record. Then he peed in a cup and everything changed. He now has a clothing line with the motto “Catch Me.” They already did, Ben.