On tuesday July 1st, Osi Umenyura DE of the Superbowl Champion New York Giants was co-hosting on nationaly broadcasted ESPN radio show Mike and Mike in the morning. ESPN produces a annual awards show for various catagories in the sports world. Tiger Woods who currently holds 18 ESPY awards (most awards of all time) was again nominated for Male athlete of the year along with MLB 07MVP Alex Rodriguez (sell out, sorry im from Seattle), 2008 NBA MVP Kobe Bryant, and 2007 NFL MVP Tom Brady. Umenyura stated that a golfer is not an athlete. I found this appoling. I would like to see him play in the toughest golf tournament of the year on a fractured knee and still WIN!!! I also see it as a act of jelousy. Tiger is in the same physical shape if not better than Umenyura, has a supermodel trophy wife, has a s*** load of endorsments, oh and is famous globaly. In my opinion i do think Tiger should win the ESPY for best Male Athlete of the year. Let me know what you guys think.

It is the same debate... what is a sport and what is a game?

That said, if all Tiger has going for him is what I emphasized in your post, he certainly shouldn't be Athlete of the Year. Aside from being in shape, none of those things have anything to do with athletics.

Tiger's knee was not fractured by the way, and Tiger may have been on his way to another record year, but his year was cut short. Im not sure he deserves Athlete of the Year this year for that reason, not because golf is, or is not, a sport.

I'd have to see who else was in the running and what they had accomplished this year. What has Tiger accomplished this year?

This award is for last season. And Male athlete of the year of awarded to the person who had accomplished the most in there sport the previous sports season. As i did state in my first post, Alex Rodriguez, Kobe Bryant, and Tom Brady were also nominated. And yes Tigers knee was fractured during the U.S. Open, while taking a jog last season Tiger was wearing a 40 pound vest, and did fracture his knee. Its called a stress fracture.

Who?

Never heard of 'em, NEXT!

I think the stress fracture was in his shin...

I thought it was his tibia that had the stress fracture.

i thought it was his knee, but im no doctor. All i know is he had a fracture in something, and that has to be painful.

The stress fracture isn't in his knee. It is in his shin. He had other issues with his knee.

I didn't realize it was for last season since you did mention it as a sort of rebuttal to what was said. From the list, what did Alex Rodriguez, Kobe Bryant and Tom Brady accomplish? You have to answer that before you can discuss it in relation to what Tiger accomplished. Where they the only other athletes nominated?

In any case, it is always going to be a subjective award.

That’s a great question! The short answer is in a season cut short by injury, he has played in only 6 events. In those few tourneys, has won 4, including a major, finished second in another (which was also a major), and was in the top five as his weakest showing this year.

Most professional golfers would call that a career.

as stated in my initial post, all of these players were nominated to the award because of there Player of the Year or MVP award from the last sports season.

"Tiger Woods who currently holds 18 ESPY awards (most awards of all time) was again nominated for Male athlete of the year along with MLB 07MVP Alex Rodriguez (sell out, sorry im from Seattle), 2008 NBA MVP Kobe Bryant, and 2007 NFL MVP Tom Brady."

If the MVP status is not enough.

Alex Rodriguez: .314 Batting average, 54 Home runs, and 156 runs batted in

Kobe Bryant: 28.3 points per game, 5.4 assists per game, and 6.3 rebounds per game

Tom Brady: 4806 passing yards, 117.2 passer rating, 50 Touchdowns (NFL record), led NE Patriots to undefeated Regular season.

Tiger Woods: 16 of 16 cuts made, 7 wins, 12 Top 10 finishes, 15 top 25 finishes, Fedex Cup champion


The stats if you know sports are mind blowing. Growing up and playing all of these sports i can tell which ones are more difficult. I do think that football and golf were the most difficult. I did state in my first post that i think Tiger should win the award, but i think Tom Brady should come in a close second.

Sportstalk radio is stupid and most of these awards are pretty meaningless.

Osi should be more concerned about life without Strahan on the field. Guarantee you that whole Giants D-Line will drop in productivity with Mike Strahan gone.

He has a not so great knee and he is jogging with a 40 lb vest? Huh? Are you sure he wears this vest?

No I am not a Tiger hater, yes he makes $100 million a year and is the best but is this a smart idea?

Who does he have for his doctor? Drs. Howard, Fine and Howard (3 Stooges). I mean if he is jogging with a 40 lb vest then he is asking for trouble.

I have seen 2 old guys trying to be iron men jogging with a rope tied to their waist and at the other end is spare tire (no rim) running up a bridge towards the beach. Jogging can beat the hell out of your knees ad a 40 lb vest would not help.

I was amazed that Strahan was a 15 year vet and was pressuring Brady at 100% for the entire Super Bowl. What a a player. These awards are dumb but Strahan probably deserves it.

If Tom Brady had won the game that actually counts then he should get the award but ............... Tiger earned it

I wouldnt be shocked it Osi was in as good as shape as Tiger. And I listened to the show, he wasnt bashing Tiger. He was saying what a lot of other athletes would say. Your comparing Golf to Football. NO comparison. Its called "The Game of Golf." Not the Sport of golf. Im a die hard golfer, I dont consider it a sport.

If somene says something about Tiger people go nuts, its the same as when people talk about Scotty Cameron, the boards light up! Rediculous. Were worse than the media.

did you watch Sportscenter last night? They said the exact same thing as i said. Actually the segment titles on the right side of the Sportscenter screen said Tiger bashed. I wasnt saying that Osi isnt in great shape. He is in amazing shape, a lot better than me. Probly 100 fold. There are elements of golf that makes it a sport and some elements that dont. In my eyes it is a sport.

Then you don't watch football. Which is fine. He is one of the main reasons the Giants D was so good down the stretch last year. I think he had something like 6 sacks in one game vs. the Eagles and ended up going to the Pro Bowl.

Not defending the guy and his comments, just stating the obvious.


-r.

That's true and it is certainly impressive for what it is, but is that enough for an AoY award?

Although I think we are talking about last year, so that is a different issue.

Unless he feels that jogging with the vest is part of what makes him the best. Take it away, and you take away part of his training, part of what he does that others don't.

There was just an article about it - Tiger adopted part of the Special Forces fitness routine, and part of that is jogging with a weighted vest.

Why bash his physicians? Don't you think they told him it isn't a good idea? They don't run his life, they only share what they know and make suggestions. Tiger is still free to do what he wants...

I was only pointing out what he did this year, and responding to your question. I'm not saying that he is or should be a shoe in, or worthy given the accomplishments of others. It’s just so darn impressive someone had to say it! Heck someone should say it again.

Also, in general I think awards shows are DUMB! But that’s just me. The cool thing about sports is that awards are given, winners and losers are found, and not by some stupid trophy given out by some association or business trying to make a name for itself! But I’m jaded!

I only thing I remember about Osi is when he didn't tackle that qb and Coughman went nuts!

im glad my topic got so much interest.

The ESPY awards are stupid and meaningless anyways. The only thing that matters is wins.

By this logic, you must consider "sport fishing" to be a more athletic endeavor than golf. Oh by the way, it is called a football game.


In my opinion, if you can wake up and forget how to play (like most of us do on a regular basis) it requires athletic ability and therefore is a sport. Golden Tee is not a sport. Madden Football, not a sport. But, I have worked up a sweat playing golf, ping pong and frisbee golf. Without athletic ability, coordination and focus; you can't play these "games" well. (Even Football)

I've been to plenty of football GAMES. I don't balme you for sticking up for a player from your favorite team. I'd do the same, but I'm a Dolphins fan.

Golf is a game if:

1 - You ride instead of walk.

2 - You puter & pater ur drives <180yds.

3 - You feast and snack or have a beer during rounds.

4 - You don't care about your score. Just enjoy the day.


It is a sport when:

1 - You train your physical fitness for it (run gazillion miles, do stretching, yoga etc)

2 - You walk..sometimes 36 holes

3 - You pound it >280yds consistently without feeling sore after the round.

4 - You expect to score well. (whatever your ability)


Now bowling(indoor or lawn) and snooker...those are games. NEXT!

You have our sympathy !!!

it's been debated before but had Tyree not made the miracle catch, the game would have gone the other way and we'd all be praising Tom Brady as the Athlete of the Year. It's humorous to me that the 1 play that decided it against Tom Brady (in your mind and many others) was a play that he wasn't even involved in and was a miracle play!

You'll never know if he wasn't involved in that play. He caught it...they went down the field...they scored and won. Case Closed. Doesn't matter how ya do it, it's done.

Don't worry about the Dolphins, with Parcells around I expect them to change over the next few years.

Well, the guy also claimed that Tom Brady wasn't an athlete, rather he is a quarterback. He claimed he could do everything better than Tom Brady but throw the ball.

So much for his opinion mattering.

Tiger should buy Osi and sell him on Ebay. Everyone has a price. I doubt he would outsell the apple core...go Bucs.

First of all, I don't know what a New York Giant is. Does the dude from Jack and the beanstalk play for them or has he retired after the infamous golden egg incident?

Secondly (without trying to start an argument), I think the guy's right. I agree that golf is both a sport and a game but I don't agree that golfers are athletes. Many people will now refer to the dictionary definition of the word but that would also qualify darts players and ten-pin bowlers as athletes.

Is Tiger in peak physical condition? Yes. Is he currently the most dominant golfer in the world? Yes. That's all well and good but does that make him an athlete? For me, no.

Take the U.S Open play-off for example. Personally I can't bring myself to call Rocco an athlete so I can't comprehend how one of the participants is, but the other one isn't. Tim Herron, Carl Pettersson, Colin Montgomerie, J.B Holmes, Bubba Watson, John Daly. Are these guys athletes or golfers?

Exactly my thoughts. If you define the terms being debated...I think you can come to your own conclusion. Defintions provided by www.thefreedictionary.com.

Sport

1. a. Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.
1 b. A particular form of this activity.
2. An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.

Athlete

A person possessing the natural or acquired traits, such as strength, agility, and endurance, that are necessary for physical exercise or sports, especially those performed in competitive contexts.

Based on the defintions, I would say that Golf is a sport...it's a physical activity that is DEFINITELY governed by a set of rules...is played competitively and involves physical exertion and skill.

If golf is a sport then Tiger is an athlete as he possesses natural and acquired traits necessary to perform competitively (exceedingly well) in his chosen sport.

Someone may have their own perspective on which sports require more skill or physical exertion, but it doesn't eliminate the fact that golf is a sport and Tiger is an athlete.

How athletic do you have to be to play on the line in football.......offense or defense???? Golf is definitely a sport......as much so as playing on the line in football. Is Sumo wrestling a sport? If so, then I guess the lines guys can be considered athletes but.............I wonder.

golf is a sport like nascar racing is a sport




Osi's entitled to his opinion, and I'm sure he's not alone in his thoughts. People outside the golfing world have a very different view of what we do than us.

We're getting slightly off topic guys.

Osi didn't say that golf wasn't a sport. He said golfers aren't athletes.

I agree and disagree

...a foundational piece to the definition of an athlete is in the determination of what constitutes a sport. For someone to be termed an athlete, he or she has to possess and utilize traits/skills necessary to perform competitively in physical exercise or a "sport".

So if golf ceases to be a sport, Tiger ceases to be an athlete. When people are justifying golf as a sport, they are justifying Tiger as an athlete.

If it really came down to brass tacks only Olympians would be considered athletes.


Everything else would be a game with players.

That wasn't Osi. That was Kiwanuka...and it's Coughlin.


-r.

Offense? Bench 225 25 times in a row.

Defense? Be 270 and run a 4.9 40.

In edit:

wan't to see a guy play hurt?

do a google on "jack youngblood" "broken leg"

Osi is Wrong(had to edit cause I used the I word), Tom Brady is not AoY he wasn't the best player on his own team last season it was Randy Moss. Golf IS A SPORT not as demanding as Football but then at the same time football isn't as demanding as Tennis or Soccer or Swimming or Track and field etc etc. if you must train yourself physically to perform and excel at your profession you are an athlete, and Tiger does those things. Even officials are athletes they have to train just like the players to keep up and perform their duty, maybe not as much but they still have to. and even the argument of how much a person has to train cannot separate the athlete from non-athlete, that would mean in any given sport the people who win are athletes and the people who lose or not. bottom line everyone is entitled to their own opinion but OSI is Wrong(same reason as above)

You're kidding right? You'd be surprised to know that a lot of those 300lb+ guys can run a faster 40yd dash than the average male in the US, dunk a basketball and still be able to bench press 225lbs over 25 times. If that isn't athletic I don't know what is.

-r.

Osi is a bonehead if you guys listened to the broadcast with Mike and Mike he also stated that Tom Brady wasn't an athlete either and how he is a good Quarterback but he is not an athlete osi is misinformed.

so out of all those guys up for the athlete of the year, how many of them won a championship??? if i cant count, only ONE.




guess who.

I'm Voting for him too but not only because he won a championship, remember it is a team game in all the other nominees cases; so it's not fair to only use that criteria.

I give you the benefit of a doubt and assume you simply don't realize how out of line your statements are.

I admit, I've never been a Sumo but I do know there is quite a bit of training that goes into the sport.

As for lineman, they are actually in peak physical shape. You are assuming because one is large they can't be in shape and can't execute athletic moves. Watch a lineman pull sometime, or chase down a running back from behind. Watch the moves they put on a running backs and defensive backs to gain an advantage.

I was a quarterback and safety once upon a time and I was always amazed at the work lineman did in preparation. They did more physical work than I did and often with more gear on n practice. At game time they were able to keep up with me to lay blocks and on defense they often chased down a running back in the open field.

Don't kid yourself, they are athletes. I know you didn't have the intention, but what you said is as uninformed as what Osi said. Maybe you understand how he could say such a thing now.

Just a thought.

Awards that cross sport disciplines are sort of goofy anyway. Yes, Tiger won a Championship, but the whole setup is so far removed from what football or baseball has that there really is no way to compare.

The FedEx cup would be a more apt comparison.

I played football in high school - fullback, cornerback, and quarterback (I had a good arm). I even gained 169 yards in a game once upon a time. My statements were meant to be somewhat provocative. I think this Osi guy is completely wrong by saying golfers are not athletes. In particular, Golf's best player - Tiger Woods - is most definitely an athlete. Osi is probably a great athlete in his own right but degradating golfers makes him seem uninformed - atleast to me.

out of all the guys up for the nomination, how many have sit out half the season?

I hope you won't be judging any spelling bees..anyway, the year's not over, what if Phil wins the remaining two majors, the FEDEX cup and a few other tournaments???