Reverse Tiger question

Tiger broke Jack Nicklaus' record as the youngest golfer to 50 PGA wins. It's part of the equation.

 

Right...but I'm asking a bigger question...because he wins so much, is he rendering himself decreasingly newsworthy when it's not a major? A philosophical deal. Forget this tournament. I'm talking generally.

 

Winning more events doesn't diminish Tiger's success. If anything, it enhances it. The TV networks all report higher ratings when Tiger's in contention. That's because people follow his success. Having him on the cover for a "minor" tournament acknowledges that.

 

Yes. Unless Tiger does something jaw-dropping spectacular (i.e. shoots a final round 58), it is ho-hum that he wins the Buick Open by a few strokes. Casual golf fans expect Tiger or Phil to win a tournament....and when they do, it does not increase the tournament's newsworthiness to the point that it becomes an automatic 1C.

 

Here's another interesting thing...in no version through what I presume is the final writethru we just received is there a mention of somebody throwing an apple on the green after Woods hit his putt on No. 17. That just a case of not giving any attention to the apple-thrower, since it didn't affect anything one way or another?

 

If you want the casual golf fan to read your section, you stand a better chance if you have some mention of Tiger winning on the cover. And this event isn't occurring in a vacuum, when you take into account the death of his father and what Tiger has done since.

 

You're kidding yourself if you think that Tiger's 17th conseuctive victory at the CoCo Crisp Invitational would trump any "southern" (i.e. Nascar, pigskin) sport in the south.

 

Here's the thing, Pope. It IS ho-hum when he wins the Buick Open by a few strokes. But what Joe Casual Sports Fan wants to be able to say at the water cooler tomorrow is, "Ho-hum. Tiger won another tournament yesterday."

 

I say it's still newsworthy. I think Tiger transcends any ho-hum tournament. When Tiger does something -- anything -- people pay attention. People care. And people want to know.

Why do you think it's such a big deal when Tiger plays a particular tournament? TV ratings go up that week, the galleries double in size, the interest is higher and the exposure is greater. And it's all due to the fact that this one man is playing in this one tournament. The "Tiger effect" is real.

Love him or hate him (and very, very few people seem to hate him), he transcends everything in the sport. When he plays -- and especially when he wins -- it is newsworthy. Absolutely.

So generally, when Tiger wins a tournament, that story should garner some kind of mention on the cover -- even if it's in fucking Dubai, or a random John Deere/Buick/Bay Hill/Western Open-type event, and even if it's not preceding/following a major.

I would even argue that, at this point, Tiger's transcendence in his sport is even greater than Michael Jordan's was/is in his. I think Tiger is No. 2 to only Muhammad Ali among living professional athletes in worldwide cultural and social appeal.

 

A Granny Smith, no less. My favorite.

I'd get it in there somewhere, since it happened right before he made a par putt that essentially clinched it.

I'm not working today -- not officially, anyway -- but I'd guess my shop won't be putting the story on the cover. I am guessing that he'll be the teaser at the top of the page.

 

I think a Tiger win is still reason to elevate the importance of a non-major golf; however, I *do* think it's less of a reason than it was in the first few years when he was a curiosity of great potential as opposed to "merely" the best golfer on Earth. Ultimately, short-term issues will have a greater impact on how a golf story gets played (big comeback? big choke? just Tiger or Vijay or Garry Golfball taking his 5-shot lead into the final day and cruising? and what the hell else is going on in your world today?

Shot: The issue isn't whether to significantly downplay the events, I think (like briefs rail or agate only). I think Joe Casual can still get the information he needs with a 1C tease -- it may have all the info he needs anyway.

 

A point, MM. But if we get down to that, what importance does section-front play have on anything?