Monday, July 24, 2000
Tiger fits just great next to Jordan, Ali
By George Diaz
The Orlando Sentinel
(KRT)
There is no context in which to compare his majestic dominance,
no words of defining wisdom from Mr. Webster's nationwide bestseller
to put this in logical perspective.
You do not try to explain life's wonderful mysteries.
The resonance of Sinatra's voice. The scent of a baby's hair.
The kaleidoscope of colors in a rainbow.
Tiger Woods' amazing grace on the golf course.
“He is the chosen one,” professional colleague Mark
Calcavecchia said.
Perhaps that explains it as eloquently as any mortal can.
We are witnessing something beyond the realm of comprehension.
Cue in the eerie Rod Sterling voice-over, for we are entering
a world in which Tiger controls the vertical and horizontal.
We are all spectators, including those unfortunate souls who happen
to list “professional golfer” as their form of primary
income on their tax returns.
May we suggest a career change, Mr. Duval? Plenty of opportunities
remain at community colleges throughout the United States. Dental
hygienist. Computer programmer. Sports columnist.
I'd consider anything that doesn't include the numbing realization
that your best never will be good enough.
It will be this way for a very long time.
At 24, Tiger is at an age when many people still consider deciding
on pepperoni versus extra cheese as one of life's major accomplishments.
While you were on the telephone with the guy from Domino's on
Sunday, Tiger won another major golf tournament.
He finished at 19-under 269 to win the British Open by eight strokes,
the lowest score in relation to par ever at a major championship.
He became only the fifth player to win all four majors, the first
since Jack Nicklaus won the 1966 British Open at 26.
He became the first player since Tom Watson in 1982 to win the
U.S. and British Opens in the same year and the first since Nicklaus
in 1972 to own three major championships concurrently.
I suppose a cynical voice will rise from the justified hyperbole,
complaining about Tiger destroying any semblance of competition
on the pro tour, as if his reign is a scripted WWF story line.
I also suppose that these are the same nimrods who complain that
there is not enough “action” when a pitcher throws a
perfect game.
Forget the discrepancies between Tiger and the rest of the field
(a k a the Washington Generals).
Tiger needs no asterisks attached to his legacy.
Today, Tiger Woods stands primed to supplant Muhammad Ali as the
greatest athlete of our time.
Why not?
He combines ability, work ethic, plus a magical touch that few
athletes have possessed in our lifetimes. After Ali, Michael Jordan
and Wayne Gretzky, I struggle to find any others worthy of consideration.
Jordan and Gretzky were fortunate to have teammates to help shoulder
their tremendous expectations. Jordan once deferred to Steve Kerr
for a shot to win an NBA title.
Tiger defers to no one, embracing all pressure and expectations
without a safety net. And he won't have to worry about the punch-drunk
mileage that tarnished Ali's daunting legacy.
Despite the disconcerting final chapters, Ali remains the highest
standard of which to judge others. There is a reason why we called
him “the Greatest.”
Ali always will hold a certain reverence for his ability to transcend
social and cultural lines, establishing himself as an icon on
a worldwide stage. Tiger likely will do much of the same—and
not just because of the clout of the ubiquitous “N”
on his baseball cap.
Beyond the far-reaching tentacles of Nike's marketing prowess,
Tiger also has established a significant cross-cultural impact
in a sport that had a pathetic racial scorecard not so long ago.
As we reflect on Tiger by-the-numbers, Tiger only needs time to
wrest the most cherished record in golf from Nicklaus' grasp.
With four major victories already in his pocket, Tiger eventually
will catch Nicklaus and his 18 major career victories, filling
in the blanks on a record that will not be surpassed in our lifetime.
Or barring future shock, any other. “He is something supernatural,”
Watson said.
“Not explainable by the known forces of laws of nature,”
Tiger Woods continues to amaze in ways beyond comprehension.
History awaits.
The rest of us are fortunate to have front-row seats.
(c) 2000, The Orlando Sentinel (Fla.).
Visit the Sentinel on the World Wide Web at http://www.orlandosentinel.com/.
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Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
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