A Spittin’ Image

8 thoughts on “A Spittin’ Image”

1. Good Morning from Omaha,

   I saw a tape of him spitting as he was lining up a putt. I was always told that spitting was rude, even if you were chewing tobacco, which is habit of some from the past. Spitting on camera, you see it in the NFL, and MLB, the old grab yourself and spit, but golf is supposed to be a genteel game. OH well I guess things have changed, not necessarily for the better in all phases of our lives.

   As for tiger, since the “scandal” he has lost the mental part of the game. He has the physical tools and the ability but that mental edge of knowing he can win is gone. He is still not mentally over it and it may take some counseling for him to start living in the new “reality” he has created for himself. the song from the 60’s..”if I could turn back the hands of time” applies here. Tiger made his choice, or choices before that incident in his driveway and now he is paying the price.

   He, with the money he has made, will never be financially hurting but emotionally his pain will last forever.

   Strive for excellence, nothing but your best.

   Gene

2. Dear Drew,

   I never thought i would use the following two name in the same sentence but I think the following statement is fairly comparable.

   In many ways Tiger Woods career is following the same path as Mike Tyson.

   This is what I mean by that statement and I hope it makes sense. At one time both men were the baddest men in their particular sport. Then after a scandal their professional careers started taking a nosedive. Now I’m not saying Tiger’s cheating is on a par with Tyson’s rape convicttion so please don’t think I mean that. However I think this comparison is valid and (I am hoping) makes a degree of sense.

   The only difference right now is that Tiger still has time to pull out of this disaster. Tyson by comparison as a boxer is a used up kleenex.

   All the best,

   Louis

3. Geez Drew, I was sure when I checked in this morning there would be a ‘toon on how Peter Forsberg is making Brett Favre look like King Solomon.

4. I’m not even a little bit of a golf fan, but if you have turned a sports talk radio station in the last decade or watched an episode of SportsCenter, it’s tough not to know and respect the work that Eldrick has done. Watching him today is sad, as he has become this caricature of himself.

   Is there some psychological or physical reason this happens to professional athletes so often? It seems like so many great athletes are taken down by this feeling of invulnerability, like being a great athlete means nothing they do can be wrong. An earlier poster mentioned Mike Tyson, another great example of a great athlete taken down by his own feelings of immortality.

   I guess the question I’m asking might be a somewhat inappropriate question in some circles, but to be a great athlete do you have to be deficient in some Freudian way?

5. Gene,

   While spitting on the green is not the worst of offenses in the world it does seem to be symbolic of the Tiger meltdown.

   Even his explanation of “I wasn’t thinking” is very telling. Until he is able to come to terms with the damage he caused in his relationship with his wife and his children, I’m afraid we will be witness to more of these kinds of moments from Tiger. It is sad to watch someone who seemingly had it all try to grasp what it is he has lost. It’s much much more than a game of golf.

6. Louis,

   That’s a very interesting comparison. The list is long on athletes who have lost their edge or their careers amidst scandal. Pete Rose, Barry Bonds, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Lance Rentzel, and even Michael Vick just to name a few. I know I’m leaving out dozens. They all have one thing in common. Humanity. They all possess some character flaw that comes perhaps with the feeling of invincibility, being untouchable, coddled, that the rules don’t include me. There is some truth that the bigger they are the harder they fall. It’s very common in athletes and politicians. Power corrupts. Sad. But true.

7. Stanbob,

   I almost went that direction, but my syndicate deadline reared its head and I needed something a bit more universal to fill the slot. I still might do something on Forsberg. I’d do all local here if I could, but like I’ve said before, I’ve gotta pay the bills. when I do just a local cartoon (Denver) I’m usually doing those without compensation. Don’t get me wrong. I love what I do. And I love doing it for all of you. And I love drawing cartoons about local topics. It really boils down to time, creative energy and trying to find a way to make it work by still finding a way to make a living. You understand, I hope.

8. John,

   Your comments hit the bullseye. I think it gets down to that simple notion that great athletes, ceo’s, politicians, actors & actresses, even rock stars, feel privileged. They are coddled, protected, told they are great, told they are invincible all from a very young age. They start to believe it. And they believe they are above the common person, above the law, that they are entitled to a certain way of life because of who they are and the talents they possess. In a sense, its a God complex. And it’s worse today than ever before, simply because of the amount of media coverage we place on events and people. I mean Babe Ruth didn’t have paparazzi following his every move. So your comments are right on!