Tiger's not happy...

First topic message reminder :

...about Hank Haney's new book, just wait til he sees what Stevie Williams has in store.

Unusual to see Tiger voicing strong opinions in the media, maybe he's opening up more... or maybe the book is worth reading!

What do you think, is this poor form on Haney's part?

http://sports.nationalpost.com/2012/01/20/tiger-woods-will-not-be-reading-ex-swing-coach-hank-haneys-tell-all-book-2/

Oh god, you read military books. That explains a lot.

I do not know what Tiger has done, to someone who does not know him personally, for them to generate all this hatred towards him.

He has been the greatest golfer for the last 20 years, not everyone likes him, but cant think of anything he has done on the golf course, or off it to generate such hatred. Ryan Giggs did more damage than Tiger has ever done, yet no one bats an eyelid.

oldparwin wrote:...Ryan Giggs did more damage than Tiger has ever done, yet no one bats an eyelid.

Now that is laughable.

Sorry but please explain!!!

You need me to explain??? I don't read the tabloids but as I understand it Giggs shagged Imogen Thomas (single) and his brother's wife. Woods had I don't know how many women thereby ruining his own marriage and, in all likelihood, countless other relationships. At the least, they're as bad as each other and that's certainly not something to boast about.

And another thing, plenty of people "bat an eyelid" re. Giggs' pathetic behaviour. At least he's a Premiership footballer and therefore it's not surprising.

I think shagging your brothers wife is pretty shocking personally. Yes some people didn't like what Giggs did but there is no clamour for apologies and contrition or embarrassment. In fact as far as I can see most people just wish it was them who'd shagged Imogen Thomas.

...and from what I read around the time of the Woods story breaking shagging around on your is far from uncommon , a lot of players are at it , it's just they it doesn't make good press unless it's Woods.

Diggers wrote:...and from what I read around the time of the Woods story breaking shagging around on your is far from uncommon , a lot of players are at it , it's just they it doesn't make good press unless it's Woods.

Or that they've done as many as Woods. Just because others may (or may not) get up to similar, doesn't make Woods any less worthy of opprobrium. I suspect if any one else was a prolific as Woods, it wood have made the public arena long ago.

Anyone getting the book then? I am, it's out in 2 weeks I'm sure it'll be a great read. Tiger speaking out on it will probably quadruple the sales ironically.

I'll be buying to should make for interesting reading

Not sure if they were already available online (via Golf Digest), but longer extracts from the book are included in the latest Golf World mag.

There's definitely some gushing praise in there, so it's not a total hatchet job as some people thought. Motive for writing / publishing now (rather than after Mr Woods has retired from competitive golf) remains unclear to me though - the obvious but unsavoury answer is money and/or diminishing Tiger's chances of bettering his record whilst under Hank's coaching, but I'd hope that Mr Haney has a better answer. Maybe his friend / former writing partner John Huggan will enlighten us in due course.

Still, the PR/marketing machine has obviously worked, as I thought I had no interest in this book yet have gone to the trouble of reading an extract and commenting on it...

Just had a great idea, print the faces of people you don't like (Woods, Heston Blumenthal, Vanessa Feltz, Devine McCall etc) onto toilet paper. You'd sell millions of rolls.

Super, putting your dislike for Woods to one side for a moment, is there anything you admire him for? For example his achievements, his competitiveness, determination, work ethic, performance under pressure etc etc?

You must admit despite his many flaws he is a very special human being(?)

Why is Woods "a very special human being"?

He's a brilliant golfer, arguably the second best of all time.

But "a very special human being"? I don't think there's any evidence of that.

He's an insufferable human being. 4-5 years ago he was the best golfer in the world, that's all, and it was a long time ago. I understand he has achieved a lot, but there's nothing at all I admire him for. He doesn't handle himself well, his behaviour is poor, he's not very articulate, not very humble has no outward sense of humour and I don't like the swing he has or the way he plays the game.

All fair enough comment I would say.

Super - You imply that Tiger Woods did not have the academic credentials to get into Stanford without his golfing ability. How do know this?

Also, you imply that Tiger has tried to stop Haney from writing his book. You further imply that Tiger was "naive enough to think that no one would". How do you support this claim?

Haney wrote this book for one reason: to make money. The vast majority of people will buy this book for one reason: to find out more dirt on Tiger. Could you imagine how short the meeting would have been between Haney and his publishers if he said "in this book I will only write about what swing changes we worked on during our time together."

Unless Stevie Williams has contractually agreed to not write a book (highly possible), expect him to be next.

Shot, I said Woods wasn't articulate, which he isn't, clearly demonstrated by his appalling interviews, reluctance to answer anything not pre screened. I didn't comment or imply on his lack of academic credentials.

As for his book, he clearly is naive if he thinks that someone might not consider cashing in on his selacious past. I didnt say anything about Woods trying to stop Haney, but given his dubious past a clever person would write a clause in his contract as to what his coach could disclose. Woods has only got himself to blame for it getting out.

Kwini- Depends how you define 'very special', I would argue that his traits and abilities, and what he has achieved rank him as a very special human being.

Super- I asked you to put your dislike to one side for a moment and you can't even do that. You can't seem to seperate the man you dislike from his incredible achievements.

Shotrock- Haney claims he wrote the book to give people an insight into what it's like to work with greatness, as he was being asked about it all the time. So it's probably 90% money and 10% that. I will buy the book to get an insight into one of the greatest sportsmen in history- if there's some dirt in there then so be it, I don't care either way.

S_R - You did imply his lack of academic credentials on an earlier post (page 1 of this thread). Or at least that's what I inferred.

Where did Tiger Woods state he did not consider anyone writing a book about his past - salacious or otherwise?

Incontinent, I acknowledged his achievements and noted he was once the best golfer in the world. I'm not sure what more you want me to add.


SR if Woods is upset about a book being released about his private life then its his own fault for not setting up an agreement to stop Haney divulging stuff. Surely you can understand that? That is why I think he's naive. If Haney writes a book without one being in place Woods can hardly be surprised.

There's surely no evidence so far that Haney has written about any "private life" matters that weren't already in the public domain, mostly in a book published a couple of years ago that he cooperated on with the author?

incontinent:
What "traits" and "abilities" beyond golf make Tiger Woods "a very special human being"?

"What "traits" and "abilities" beyond golf make Tiger Woods "a very special human being"?"

Could you pull that many women kwini?

In fairness, Mac, I'm almost twice his age.
Trying hard to catch up though.

Mac, Woods is the perfect example of how money/power has more influence than looks amd personality, although many of the women he was with made Mirka federer look like a goddess.

Super you are in deep sh[/b][b]it then.

No money
no power
no looks
no personality (at least not an attractive one)

PS. I have heard a lubed up swimming arm band between a couple of sofa cushions can do the trick.

mac, I don't think you are one to talk about money when you buy balls at jumble sales and get the bus to the course.

super- you are a golf fan and there's nothing you admire Tiger Woods for? Ridiculous.

kwini- determination, focus, self-belief and work-ethic to name a few. These are parts of his character that have allowed him to excel at his chosen sport, and areas in which he is streets ahead of his peers. I think you'll agree that they're beyond golf.

Incontinent, there is NOTHING I admire Woods for. He puts a white ball in a small hole, its not exactly The Victoria Cross is it?

If you start to wonder in awe about that then its a little bit pathetic. I don't find his game remotely interesting as although he went though a stage of getting said white ball in hole in the fewest shots, he did it in a very ugly fashion.

I'll save my admiration for people who actually do worthy things.

incontinent,
I'm sure there are safe-crackers who exhibit the same characteristics, but you've demonstrated nothing that makes him anything other than a one-time extraordinary golfer.

Indeed Kwini, you could probably make a case for Jack the Ripper having those same characteristics. Does that make him extraordinary?

No sportsmen are "special human beings" They just have a talent for playing sport.

I think anyone can see Tiger, Rory, Nicklaus as exceptional golfers much like Best. Messi, Maradona are/were exceptional footballers, but there is nothing they have ever done to make them anymore that outstanding sportsmen.

People to admire are the likes of Johnson Beharry, Lord Kitchener et al military figures that have earned the higest accolades for bravery or scientists that have made breakthroughs to improve our way of life or even though SR hates religion, priests and missionaries that give up their lives for no coin in order to help others.

kwini- I didn't know I had to demonstrate characteristics that are unique to Tiger, that's a tough one.

Being an outstanding sportsman demands repsect from my pov. Obvioulsy not in the same way as people giving they life to help others- but anyone that has excelled in his craft comands my respect whatever they are like as a person, and that would incude a shop assistant rising to a area manager to an astronaut stepping on the moon. Any person that works had to excel is a good role model- working hard is what its all about, tiger,nicklaus and rory are all very gifted however worked tirelessly to get to there level, there are possibly 100's of amatuer golfers out there that could have got to that level yet are either sitting in some prison cell or shuffling paper in some suburban office instead, others that didnt make use of there abilities like daley for instance shouldnt be seen in the same light(and obviously the jury is still out on rory)

Its all about maxing ones potential- and i think woods acheived that, that commands respect, nothing else- but then nothing else matters does it, so what if he likes sex, so what if he is boring.

what i hate is the american networks facination with him. i wanna watch golf, not watch tiger scratching his ass

Why would you admire Kitchener ? Jesus his own troops said he had no soul and he created machine warfare to butcher tens of thousands of people without batting an eyelid and I bet he enjoyed it. People like that disgust me.

its like people admireing che i suppose.

If TW turned up at my house, scowled at me, spat on my lawn and tried to shag my wife I reckon I would struggle on the respect front.

I do not in anyway deny he has been a truly extraordinary golfer in terms of success and achievements. That said, there are swings I covet more, but it's hard to argue with his record. It's very very impressive - admirable even, but that in itself does not demand respect. Ronaldo (the fey Portuguese one) has an impressive and admirable record..and he doesn't get my respect either.

In short, respect is a much misused and abused word.

Bob its quite simple- you can respect people for certain things, and you can not like them for others.

Can you respcet tiger as a top lad- in short . NO

can you respect him for the golfer he is and for the dedication he has shown to his craft- offcourse you can

Guys, i was away in Amsterdam from Friday morning so i missed what happened. Did it look like a serious injury? and up until that point had he been playing well? cheers.

Yes monty, its very serious, looks like he might not play again.

Fader

Not sure how military actions are any more worthy than sporting ones?

Mac. I suggest you read up on people like Maj Robert Cain, Operation Chariot, The Norsk Hydro, Monte casino, north Africa etc, raid if you don't think that there is more worth, endeavour, bravery, valour and admiration in military operations.

Spoken like a soppy hand wringing liberal as usual Mac.

Is rather be a hand wringing liberal than get a boner reading about military valour. Whether or not the actions themselves are worthy is one thing, why professional soldiers like doing what they did is another.
What Kitchener did and what Britain was doing in Africa is comparable to pretty much anything the Germans did in either war and yet he is held up as a hero for fighting for king and country. Rank hypocrisy at its finest.

Diggers, I think you'll find many heroic actions were undertaken by conscripted soldiers. It was Mac who questioned the validity of military actions, I didn't raise it for no reason, but if he really thinks an action which changes the course of a war, saving hundreds of thousands of lives is worth the same as someone tapping a ball into hole 72 times in a week then he's got a pretty skewed idea of what is important and what something is worth.


I think he did it for effect anyway, but it fits into his socialist worker 'ban the bomb' agenda.

I agree with him, by and large most military action is a waste of life. I'm far more likely to admire good diplomacy rather than military action that inevitably costs innocent life.
It's like the idiots who say withdrawing from Afghanistan would be disrespectful to the dead soldiers who fought there. Yeah, let's wait till another 100 lads die for no good reason whatsoever instead.
Madness.

I'll agree with your modern interpretation of military action but something like ww2 where the action of a single soldier could have such an effect on so many peoples existence being worth the same as a world snooker title is frankly absurd.

Depends which snooker final we are talking about, there have been some corkers.

super_realist wrote:I'll agree with your modern interpretation of military action but something like ww2 where the action of a single soldier could have such an effect on so many peoples existence being worth the same as a world snooker title is frankly absurd.

I don't think anyone actually said that though, did they?

You're just arguing over the semantics of the word 'special'.

Dj, mac said that he couldn't separate the worthiness of a military action from a sporting one. I've never heard anything so ridiculous.

Some military actions are worthy , some are not. Many are massacres dressed up as heroics, depends what side you are fighting on as to what you think.
Should we admire ww2 fighter pilots on either side or where they jolly hockey sticks ego maniacs who liked the kill ?
Would there have been a WW2 and a Fuhrer if the Allies hadn't been so hard on the Germans after WW1? So who is really to blame for the war anyway.
Often the motives of sportsmen are a lot more simple and admirable.