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Revision as of 18:27, 29 March 2002 by 24.150.61.63 (talk) (covers controversies)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Eldrick 'Tiger' Woods (December 30, 1975-) Tiger Woods is one of the greatest golfers of all-time. As of 2002, at only 26 years of age, Woods had already won 6 grand slam events on the PGA Tour. He is the only player in the history of golf to hold the championships to all four major tournaments at once. Before joining the PGA Tour, Woods won three consecutive United States amateur titles, and one NCAA championship while studying at Stanford University.
Woods is credited with prompting a major surge of interest in the game of golf, especially among minorities in the United States.
His success has led to three completely different backlashes of criticism from three entirely different groups:
Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune decried the "racially charged, money-linked sports obsession" fueled by a "fixation in which the riches and fame of such sports heroes as Michael Jordan have caused a wildly disproportionate number of young black Americans, in particular, to focus on the brass ring of professional sports at the expense of more realistic and productive career paths." Woods in fact dropped out of Stanford to pursue his golf career.
As Page writes, "That works out fine for his bank account, but, for too many others it only reinforces the wrongheaded notion that academics should take a back seat to athletics."
The second criticism focuses on the ecological impact of golf as a game, its negative social justice impact in Asia, and Woods' paid promotions of an SUV (the 2002 Buick Rendezvous) deemed second-most-dangerous by the IIHS, and of mutual funds implicated in ecological devastation. Woods is sometimes criticized for promoting the game and products that have the worst possible impact on the Earth's ecology, human health, and social justice. In addition, claims the Anarchist Golfing Association, his long drives might cause golf courses themselves to expand onto more land, destroying its ecology.
This last criticism, at least, may be partially undone by the third: "The question has been asked, seriously, and more than once: Isn't Tiger Woods actually bad for golf?" - Bill Lyon, Knight-Ridder
Apparently, some fear that Woods may drive all spirit of competition out of the game of golf, by obsoleting existing courses, and having no competitors.
If that is so, those who oppose golf itself may well have cause to celebrate.