For those of you lucky enough not to suffer Butch Harmon's slavvering over Tiger on SKY Sports I envy you. Fred Bloggs hits it to 3 ft, good shot. Tiger hits a wedge to 15 ft and it is awesome yada yada yada. Are commentaotrs in a secret deal not to criticise Tiger no matter how poor the shot is? They can even make an excuse for him being 60 yards off line with a drive or missing and easy putt.
I love watching Tiger but when he hits a crap shot please don't make excuses, just say what you think.

I think you've done a great job combining the threads hating on golf commentary with the threads hating on tiger. Well done.

is there anyone who generates as much hatred in sports as the media and Tiger?
People start seeing things they don't normally see. It is quite incredible and they post it because there are a million more who feel like they do. Amazing what zones anything Tiger hits in people's psyche...

last week it was changing the rules because he was hitting from the wrong fairways..LOL..
this week, he is hitting fairways so it's something else. sicko..

I think this thread will end up with an early closure.

+1

buttsecks

LMAO

Funny. I had to Google it though.

It is respect. Not even consciously done, I think. Tiger's greatness just commands it. Even on poor shots, they think "who am I"
to criticize the greatest golfer in history.

How is that for man love?

I agree .
No one criticizes his bad shots.....small ooooh or ahhh..., but no detailed analysis . He deserves respect as a great golfer , but it is too much at times .

As soon as you are ready to bet the farm against him for 18 then criticize, until then, probably wise to hold it back.

Ask Peter Kostis. Even he soft peddles every mediocre shot. They want interviews. He is evidently now off the Tiger "no interview list" I had to laugh today with all the drooling by Nick Faldo over Tiger's big guns from working out. Sounded like a body building commentary on ESPN..

Tiger, like many others has some faults that many don't like. His spitting is probably the most repulsive of the bunch. This is something he DID NOT do at the beginning of his career. He can curse and throw clubs all he wants (everyone has done that from time to time). The thing that bothers a lot of people more than the spitting, club throwing, and cursing is something he does share with the Williams sisters. Nobody ever beats them or plays better than them---it is always they are off their game and that has allowed the other person to win.. In that area he could take a lesson from Nicklaus and his good friend Roger Federer both of who give or gave full credit to the opponent for whipping them..

Many golfers have done things worse or the same as Tiger over the years, but the coverage wasn't there. My brother almost got beheaded by a bullseye putter thrown by Tommy Bolt over the heads of gallery at a tournament. Palmer in his younger days was a significant club abuser. Many used to wrap their club around a tree branch when it misbehaved. Hogan used to flick lit cigarettes at people in the gallery that were making too much racket.. Many would toss a glass of whatever (water/beer/pop) at annoying people in the gallery. A few like Norman have offered to duke it out right there in the fairway (of course Tiger has Stevie for that)..

Before people start to jump on the OP calling him a Tiger hater/basher - or whatever the latest phrase is, how many of you are watching the Sky Sports coverage with the Sky Sports commentary?

I did not see the incident the OP talked about, but I have seen this happen on several occasions at Firestone during this week. A shot I remember was when Woods was in a greenside bunker about 25ft from the flag - just a simple bunker shot for a pro, and hit his shot 7ft past the flag and there you have Butch Harmon singing Tiger's praises saying how it was a 'shot executed superbly' - can't say I'd hear the same words if it was an average Tour player who played the same shot.

blah blah blah....

Gosh ... fans, and even commentators, are not, like, totally objective when it comes to talking about a guy that is by far the greatest golfer of his generation, and may ultimately turn out to be the best man to ever play the sport.

Really, they should all be shot.

It happens. Michael Jordan's routine moves were applauded. Joe Montana's average completions were praised. Gushing galore when Barry Bonds hit a mediocre length HR. Superstars get special treatment.
That said, what Tiger has accomplished is far more impressive than Jordan, Montana, and Bonds put together. Tiger is that good, he is incomparable to any sports star except for Nicklaus.

Don't forget LeBron. If he has a game the night before, he's guaranteed a spot in the top 3 of Sportcenter's Top 10 the next morning. Win or lose, same as Tiger, the only "highlights" of the game are those of James.

I needed a good laugh, man what would i do with out WRX at work.

Tigers been a Pro since August 27th 1996. And the media hype around him has been a crazy circus since long before that date ! Thats 13 years plus.... absolute bare minimum.So all of us have had just a little bit of fore-warning of what to expect when Tiger gets his sticks out to play......

But,if any of us turn on an event in which Tiger is playing in,and expect to hear no single commentator sucking up slightly to the rightful current World Number 1,we would be grossly mistaken,and a little naive.Go ask any 10 year old kid from a Shanty town in Brazil,the slums of Mumbai or a plush residence in Monaco about golf,and Tiger will get mentioned.Thats his impact on the World.

If you cant handle the commentary or the constant screening of Tiger,try turning the sound off or switching over to crown green bowls

i think I need to open an I HATE TIGER FORUM...oops...someone beat me to it.
it is quite incredible the posts that Tiger generates..Kinda like Obama on the web. Or the William Sisters.
You cringe when you read the commentaries, but I suppose it is good for keeping things real.

Nobody criticizes his bad shots? So when he hits a driver in the the next fairway (where most Tiger haters are saying that should be a penalty shot BTW) the commentators are fawning over his swing?

No detailed analysis? Please, they most certainly do talk about his swing flaw with the driver. And, BTW, when was the last time you saw the Minolta swing cam or heard detailed analysis for a bad swing of any PGA player?

Do you suppose people talked trash about Byron Nelson after he won 11 in a row? Or Jack Nicklaus after he won his 18th Major Championship? Or is this just a current phenomonon...I've heard people say "I'm not a big fan of Tiger"...that's like saying I never liked Sam Snead or Ben Hogan, or Bobby Jones was entirely overrated. Tiger has gotten where he is today by hard work and dedication...nobody works harder than that guy, and he deserves everything he gets.

If you can't see the magnitude of what Tiger is doing in the game of golf then you are not a fan of the game, you're just some d-bag with a computer and some time to waste.

100% agree- but because TW is such a polarizing figure for many, the anti- crowd takes their arguement way too far and the pro- crowd refuses to see even the slightest of possibility there might be some truth to it. EVERY single thread involving TW (and PM for that matter) seemingly morphs into a fan vs. non-fan event- and lockdown is usually right around the corner...

Ahh, frozen_rope. Always good for a quick chuckle. This one however, had my sides splitting! Nice and loose now as I had off to the gym in a few!!

^^^^ speaking of Jordan, remember the Bob Costas interviews with him after games? That was some of the biggest slobbering over a professional athlete I think i've ever seen. It tends to happen with the all time greats in every sport. Jordan could do no wrong either in many people's eyes. But when it was all said and done, he , like Tiger, is in a class all to himself and i guess has earned it

Must have been great being a Chicago guy during the Jordan years though Hogans!

Elin,

It's you again. Why am I not surprised? JK

Actually, I don't know about Sky Sports but I think they are pretty fair on the networks, especially Johnny Miller. He'll tell you when Tiger missed the 3rd groove.

They generally do embellish his great shots, but compliments are well deserved when you can backspin an 8-iron from 182 out (carrying water, downhill lie) to a foot while the field had a hard time checking the balls with their wedges.

Yes ... who the hell hits an 8i off a weird lie from 180 ... and puts it a foot from the hole. Who the hell ever tries to do such a thing? This isn't even human.

PS. You still playing 32s? I moved to 62s, but still have my 32s, and am thinking of switching back. (The 32s may have been one of the most perfect players clubs ever made, yes?).

Still are you drooling as much as I am over the 68s?

I'm still bagging the 32s but will jump all over the 68s when they come out. Can't wait.

I am a Tiger fan. Broadcasters typically treat his shots differently than other players. Comes with the territory. It's easy to be in awe of him, which they often are.

I used to love to watch golf on TV.

Today was just another booooring Sunday afternoon of watching the Tiger Show.

One of the best solutions I have heard is that whenever he is entered in a tournament, just give him first place money before he tees off; and then let the other guys play for second place. That would give us at least some drama.

IMHO very few fans hate Tiger .....the hate is aimed at the less-than-objective media

Agreed, Its interesting that the op was critisising the commentary rather than the player. Didnt take long for him to get jumped over as if he had personally attacked tiger.
It seems that perhaps its not just the commentators who are blinded.

Didn't he just win the tournament? I may be wrong but if he won, wouldn't that mean he pretty much hit better shots than most of those in the tournament? Look at my sig, I have no Nike and I really could care less. I am a big tim clark fan and I love Steve Stricker, but the people who are constantly hating on tiger are hilarious to me. He wins and people moan, he loses and people say he's over rated. I have an idea, show me a better player now and how he doesn't complain after bad shots or show me a player who plays more consistently week after week or a player who is playing poor to his standards and still wins by 3 or 4 strokes.

To all Tiger Haters:

Get over it and root on "your guy" to up the ante and start playing better so you can start rants...errr....threads about how your guy is the next coming.

Actually, I (and a lot of others) answered the original intent of the OP. (Want an exact quote? "Gosh ... fans, and even commentators, are not, like, totally objective when it comes to talking about a guy that is by far the greatest golfer of his generation, and may ultimately turn out to be the best man to ever play the sport. Really, they should all be shot.").

Seems like anyone actually answering him gets jumped on ... and that perhaps maybe it isn't just people that admire Tiger that are ... er. ... 'blinded".

You are completely correct. It's just depressing to see that he has no challengers at all. No one, no one at all.

It makes a tournament look like a clinic Tiger is holding for the others. Hey guys! Stand back and watch me win!

wwwwait a minute, i see what you did there, lol, I assume you were watching sky sports coverage, Even you must agree that it was getting sycophantic surely.

Guys please answer a question I have? First off let me say I do like Tiger Woods, but he's not my favorite golfer. I like to watch him because of his ability and his intensity. The question is why do so many of you create negative topics about Tiger? What is it really about him that bugs you? Or is it the way the media handles him that bugs you? Just curious to hear the reasoning behind the madness.

If you can't appreciate the golf history being made by Tiger Woods then you shouldn't be watching golf anyway.

The man is just amazing.
At times i get irritated by the media , specially Golf channel.

Bingo

They so obviously slurp this guy's wand, that it is impossible for me to overlook. Nice thing about a DVR is the fast-forward works beautifully.

DVR? That might work. I probably do not get that upset about the "media" because (if I'm honest) it has probably been two decades since I actually have watched golf without the mute button being on. I do not get all cranked by the media because it doesn't occur to me to even listen to them.

Still ... yeah ... they probably cover Tiger more than the average golfer ... then again ... that 8 iron on 16 (and the fact that the guy seems to do that almost predictably when the pressure is at its most intense) is the reason why they cover every shot.

Not rocket science here ...

First off they do GUSH over Tiger. Secondly, you can always cut the sound off if it bothers you. God knows you can figure out what's going on without the comentary. I can say that I'm not a big Tiger fan but I recorded the tourney today and ended up just fast fowarding through everyone except Tiger and Harrington. He's what everyone is watching and they are just playing to their audience.

Midas, I'm not referring to the fact that they cover his every move and shot. That's just good business....and that I understand. What I have a problem with is that they all to a man, line up to smooch his can. I think the man's accomplishments can travel on their own. No embellishment, or obvious biased comments needed.

Not sure i would call it a negative topic about tiger, definitely for me its negative on the press, imo it shows disrespect to players who do not receive there due credit.

First and foremost it is impossible to be a golf fan and not respect the man immensely, it is no fault of his that he is fixated on so heavily but it can get annoying for viewers who are interested in seeing other players and well and this can lead to resentment towards tiger that isnt warranted.

If i were to start a topic saying "Tiger hit a couple of bad drives today" then within 10 mins i would be completely lambasted as a "tiger hater" and it is impossible to get a balanced discussion going.

Having said all that i personally wouldnt mind if he stopped spitting on the greens.

In summary i am going back to the swing/fitness section where things are a bit more balanced, goodnight all (and good riddance i hear Midas call)

Yes ... see .. here's the thing ... of course they gush over Tiger. He is a once a generation player! (Good grief ... why the hell is this so hard to understand?). Should they gush over the guys that miss the flippin' cut? The guys that finished 10th? I mean, folks, WTF?

Tiger did today what he does so bloody often it is almost sick. Three down going into the final day. Didn't just win, but toasted the field. Won (his 70th freaking tournament) by 3. Shot two straight 65s in a row. Was behind ... and on a single hole, hit a positively impossible golf shot to one foot from the hole. Who should they be gushing over? Phil's 53rd place finish? Rory's 61st place?

Should announcers be "objective"? Cover everyone "equally"? Pretend to not notice that there is someone playing that has played in 12 events, made 11 cuts, and WON 5 times this year (after coming back from an injury)? Finished in the top 10 in 10 of the 12 events?

What the hell kind of golfer wins nearly half the tourneys he enters? This isn't even real! No one has played at this level. Ever.

And people are surprised (and actually critical) because commentators "gush" over him? If you know anything at all about the history of golf ... how can you not gush over him? Good grief ... Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer "gush" over him ... with the sort of genuine awe and complete understanding that only people at that have played at that level can have.

The best golf "commentators" are people that have either been following golf for a long time, and/or people that have actually played at its highest points (Say what you want about Faldo, or Ian Baker-Finch ... the guys know what the game is). They know what Tiger is (at levels probably far more complete than the people complaining about them - or Tiger - ever will).

Haters ... really .. leave the Dark Side. Luke Skywalker is your son. Cherish him. Love him.

true, it is the 21st centiry. Postmodern times and all that. Totally hip to hate anything the media loves.

But damn, if you love this game ... and cannot appreciate a guy that is playing at levels none of us have ever played it ... well ... your loss. Jack and Arnie have no problem gushing about this guy. Why do you?

Sorry ... would never say good riddance. Have no problem with someone disagreeing. But have reached a point where I'm gonna get a bit agressive about people that speak without "balance".

oh sorry, i didnt realise you were getting aggressive, should i be worried. I'm sure your very successful in whatever line of work you do and thus you seem to believe that your words carry more weight than the rest of us. You are exactly the reason why these threads descend into pointless arguements as you are so arrogant that you believe no ones opinion holds the gravitas of your almighty words.

Please just go away and start your own Dontsayanythingnegativeabouttiger.com site. where anyone who doesnt hold your exact opinion cant be a member. You can tell people the fascinating stories about all the places you have played even though completely irrelevant to the topic and the time you got drunk with angel cabrera, guess you had to be there to see the point of that one.

I am sure you wll have a great and witty comeback for me but unfortunately i wont be reading it. quite frankly you bore me. goodnight all

Agree! Seems people always try to find a reason to somehow hate one Tiger and through dirt on what he has accomplished. The guy that started this thread is a hater.

Totally love your rhetorical tactic. So ... any "comeback" to you has been completely delegitimized (in your mind anyway) by your clever words.

Actually ... you will be reading anything I say (sorry ... people that try the cheap tricks you do cannot help but read the "comeback").

You want to believe your words are powerful? How's about if you don't resort to cheap little tricks more appropriate to a high school debating team. 'Kay pumpkin?

I'd say "please go away and start your own little "ihatetigerandifyoudontthinkhesucksthenYOUsuck.com" site. But ... why? You aren't a threat ... you're just a little boy. Fun to play with. (Of course, it doesn't matter, because you're, like, SO not reading this).

Run along little boy, run along. Take your ball and go home. You may be bored ... but I'll bet more than one person will be giggling when you find you cannot help but respond to this response that you're claiming you won't read.