The ultra-overdone, around the clock worshipping of Tiger Woods by the media is often justified by claiming that they are simply reflecting his popularity.
That is a lie, as anyone who follows golf knows. Tiger draws large and somewhat enthusiastic galleries, but is not as popular as Fred Couples, John Daly, Greg Norman, and Champions Tour golfers such as Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, and Gary Player.
And Tiger is dwarfed in popularity by Phil Mickelson. If anyone doubts that all they had to do was watch the FBR Open (formerly called the Phoenix Open) this past weekend. The huge galleries were one hundred percent rooting for Phil, and they were loud and boisterous. It is like that everywhere Mickelson plays. The Masters has adopted him as their favorite son, as have the people of Arizona, where Mickelson attended college.
Tiger would probably be more popular if the media hysteria and reverence were more in proportion to the way other top golfers are treated. Tiger is respected, but everyone knows better than not to respect him, and many fans resent the overkill media hype he receives.
Tiger is also pretty much of a cold fish when it comes to personality. He smiles occasionally on the course, which announcers always instantly attribute to his alleged peerless charisma, but fan-friendly golfers like Mickelson, Daly and Couples are a lot more fun to follow.
That is a lie, as anyone who follows golf knows. Tiger draws large and somewhat enthusiastic galleries, but is not as popular as Fred Couples, John Daly, Greg Norman, and Champions Tour golfers such as Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, and Gary Player.
And Tiger is dwarfed in popularity by Phil Mickelson. If anyone doubts that all they had to do was watch the FBR Open (formerly called the Phoenix Open) this past weekend. The huge galleries were one hundred percent rooting for Phil, and they were loud and boisterous. It is like that everywhere Mickelson plays. The Masters has adopted him as their favorite son, as have the people of Arizona, where Mickelson attended college.
Tiger would probably be more popular if the media hysteria and reverence were more in proportion to the way other top golfers are treated. Tiger is respected, but everyone knows better than not to respect him, and many fans resent the overkill media hype he receives.
Tiger is also pretty much of a cold fish when it comes to personality. He smiles occasionally on the course, which announcers always instantly attribute to his alleged peerless charisma, but fan-friendly golfers like Mickelson, Daly and Couples are a lot more fun to follow.