Tiger is back for Augusta!

[rthomas]

I'm for it. Go Tiger!

[Ping Lin]

It's a little early -- I'd be utterly shocked if he makes top 20, honestly.

[allenmurray]

He sets his return for golf's most prominent event.

How humble.

[rthomas]

He sets his return for golf's most prominent event.

How humble.

It's probably easier knowing that the old white patrons of Augusta National have enough skeletons in their own closets.

By the way, the 2010 Masters will be produced and broadcast live in 3D.

[Duvall]

He sets his return for golf's most prominent event.

How humble.

Whatever event Tiger picked for his return would be, for this year, golf's most prominent event.

[JasonEvans]

It's a little early -- I'd be utterly shocked if he makes top 20, honestly.

Recall his comeback from his last big emotional break, when his father died in 2006. Tiger took about a 2 month break from golf then and when he came back at the US Open, he utterly bombed and missed the cut.

Still, he always seems to do well at The Masters and I won't be shocked to see him around the top 10 or so during the weekend.

--Jason "I also won't be shocked to see him miss the cut" Evans

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Recall his comeback from his last big emotional break, when his father died in 2006. Tiger took about a 2 month break from golf then and when he came back at the US Open, he utterly bombed and missed the cut.

Still, he always seems to do well at The Masters and I won't be shocked to see him around the top 10 or so during the weekend.

--Jason "I also won't be shocked to see him miss the cut" Evans
Nothing he will do will surprise me, from winning to missing the cut. He's used up all his "surprises". But I am rooting for him to win.

[YourLandlord]

Get in the hole, tiger!

[allenmurray]

But I am rooting for him to win.

Here is what he has to do to win:

No longer embarass his children by having multiple affairs.
No longer treat women as though they are disposable objects.
Remain faithful to his wife.
Not embarass his sponsors who pay him big money to represent them.
Be honest with himself, his family, law enforcement, and the public who supports him.

Or did you mean at golf? ;)

[duke79]

Here is what he has to do to win:

No longer embarass his children by having multiple affairs.
No longer treat women as though they are disposable objects.
Remain faithful to his wife.
Not embarass his sponsors who pay him big money to represent them.
Be honest with himself, his family, law enforcement, and the public who supports him.

Or did you mean at golf?

Amen, Allen !!

[DUKIECB]

Can someone add a poll to this thread? Something along the lines of when Tiger return will you root for him, root for someone different or root for everyone in the field but him? Might be interesting.

I was a huge Tiger fan but I now will be firmly entrenched in the root for everyone in the field but him camp.

[allenmurray]

Can someone add a poll to this thread? Something along the lines of when Tiger return will you root for him, root for someone different or root for everyone in the field but him? Might be interesting.

I was a huge Tiger fan but I now will be firmly entrenched in the root for everyone in the field but him camp.

Not to venture too far into RPB (religious policy board as opposed to PPB) but I do believe in the transformative power of forgiveness. I don't want Tiger to suffer for the rest of his life. I won't root against him, though I may not root for him (actually I never rooted for him, and not because I didn't like him. In an individual sport dominated by one person it was like rooting for the sun to rise in the east. I rooted for the underdog).

It seems to me that all-in-all very little time has passed since Tiger made a complete train wreck of his life, and damaged many people in the process. To make his grand re-entry at the Masters (ironically on Easter weekend) seems too quick and too much like aiming the spotlight at himself. Has he really had time to do the work necessary to repair his own life, as well as to make amends with, and help to heal those who he damaged along the way? It seems very soon. It seems very self-centered. To burst back on the stage at such a major event, rather than through a slower, more gradual process seems like someone who wants to continue to live in the spotlight and make everything about him. It doesn’t seem to be the way someone who had really been self-reflective would handle things.

[JasonEvans]

Can someone add a poll to this thread? Something along the lines of when Tiger return will you root for him, root for someone different or root for everyone in the field but him? Might be interesting.

I was a huge Tiger fan but I now will be firmly entrenched in the root for everyone in the field but him camp.

Do folks want a "root for him" poll or a "how will he do at Augusta?" poll? I enjoy polls where there is something substantive that we can measure at the end. We can measure how he did. We cannot measure how folks will root for him. Does that make sense?

-Jason "trust me, much of America will be back in his corner quickly-- just look at Kobe and Clinton" Evans

[A-Tex Devil]

Why is he coming back? Because Augusta is the one place where he doesn't have to deal with hecklers, cell phone cameras, etc. etc. From what I understand (and please correct me if I am wrong), cell phones are not allowed on the course when you are watching the Masters. Now I bet TMZ, et al will try to get their spies in there to take some pictures, do some papparazzi style harassing, but they will get shouted down by the crowd and swiftly kicked out by the officials.

No other course or tournament has that much control. I wouldn't be surprised if he took another month long break after the masters and came back a week before the US Open.

[elvis14]

For me, Tiger=UNC

GTHT GTH

I hope he never wins another tournament. BTW, I felt that way before we learned that he's not the guy corp America payed him millions to be. I respect his ability and recognize that he's arguably the best player ever but I have always disliked him in interviews and thus have wanted him to lose and that will continue. ABT at the Master's this year, just like very year. I'll watch because I'm a fan of golf, despite the Tiger focus that's sure to happen.

[BlueDevilBaby]

Why is he coming back? Because Augusta is the one place where he doesn't have to deal with hecklers, cell phone cameras, etc. etc. From what I understand (and please correct me if I am wrong), cell phones are not allowed on the course when you are watching the Masters. Now I bet TMZ, et al will try to get their spies in there to take some pictures, do some papparazzi style harassing, but they will get shouted down by the crowd and swiftly kicked out by the officials.

No other course or tournament has that much control. I wouldn't be surprised if he took another month long break after the masters and came back a week before the US Open.

Cell phones were not allowed on course for Tiger's tournament in DC but they did no checking at the gate.

[diablesseblu]

To me it seems too soon for him to return. However, if he's intent on doing so, I wish he had chosen to do so at Bay Hill.

Always enjoy watching the Masters. Am concerned that this year's tournament and its coverage may now turn into a circus. I know the members at Augusta exert lots of control over every facet of the week. However, I'll bet they underestimate how this will all develop.

Wonder how the other pros feel about this choice?

[YourLandlord]

To me it seems too soon for him to return. However, if he's intent on doing so, I wish he had chosen to do so at Bay Hill.

Always enjoy watching the Masters. Am concerned that this year's tournament and its coverage may now turn into a circus. I know the members at Augusta exert lots of control over every facet of the week. However, I'll bet they underestimate how this will all develop.

Wonder how the other pros feel about this choice?

I think it will only become the circus you wish it to be. If you watch the coverage of just the golfing, it will be pretty much a regular Masters. If you subject yourself to sportscenter/good morning america/etc., then yeah -- it'll be a circus.

[Indoor66]

Sanctimony does appear rampant in some posts in this thread. What happened to charity and forgiveness?

[DUKIECB]

Sanctimony does appear rampant in some posts in this thread. What happened to charity and forgiveness?

Tiger doesn't owe me or any other fan anything. However, I just choose to pull for someone who isn't an adultering jerk. I don't like to be lied to and I feel like Tiger put on this whole image that was totally fake. Therefore, I choose to pull for someone else instead. He doesn't owe me an apology and I don't have to forgive him either.

[hurleyfor3]

I think it will only become the circus you wish it to be. If you watch the coverage of just the golfing, it will be pretty much a regular Masters. If you subject yourself to sportscenter/good morning america/etc., then yeah -- it'll be a circus.

Except the way cbs covers it will be: show Tiger, then show someone else, then show Tiger, then show someone else, then show Tiger, then go to a commercial, then come back showing Tiger.

Oh, wait. That's what every golf tournament with Tiger in it is like.

[Duvall]

Except the way cbs covers it will be: show Tiger, then show someone else, then show Tiger, then show someone else, then show Tiger, then go to a commercial, then come back showing Tiger.

Oh, wait. That's what every golf tournament with Tiger in it is like.

And it's what the viewers want, except for all the airtime wasted on the other golfers.

[ncexnyc]

Tiger doesn't owe me or any other fan anything. However, I just choose to pull for someone who isn't an adultering jerk. I don't like to be lied to and I feel like Tiger put on this whole image that was totally fake. Therefore, I choose to pull for someone else instead. He doesn't owe me an apology and I don't have to forgive him either.

I like your avatar, but from your post it seems that you never bothered to follow it's advice.

You feel you were lied to and that Tiger's image was a sham. I person who uses their brain should have been aware that a image projected by an ad isn't necessarily reality. It's marketing my friend, if you bought into it blame yourself.

[rthomas]

Tiger doesn't owe me or any other fan anything. However, I just choose to pull for someone who isn't an adultering jerk. I don't like to be lied to and I feel like Tiger put on this whole image that was totally fake. Therefore, I choose to pull for someone else instead. He doesn't owe me an apology and I don't have to forgive him either.

Why would he need your forgiveness?

[allenmurray]

Why would he need your forgiveness?

Perhaps it had to do with the fact that this is the post he was responding to:


What happened to charity and forgiveness?

[DUKIECB]

Why would he need your forgiveness?

Like Allenmurray said, I was responding to an earlier post.

As far ncexnyc's comment, first of all thanks for calling me an idiot in a round about way. Secondly, it is your opinion that I shouldn't have bought into his image. Look, I know everyone has faults and no one is perfect. Heck, even if he would have had a single afair I probably would have still pulled for him if he acted like he truly regretted it. But his behavior was far from making a single mistake.

[hurleyfor3]

And it's what the viewers want, except for all the airtime wasted on the other golfers.

I'm waiting for an Onion story to be written with the headline Area Man Unaware Game Of Golf Played By More Than One Person. They could interview some DBR posters if they wanted.

[rthomas]

I'm waiting for an Onion story to be written with the headline Area Man Unaware Game Of Golf Played By More Than One Person. They could interview some DBR posters if they wanted.

I don't buy that. I like watching golf; I like watching Tiger in the mix. I like watching tight matches because it brings out the best and worst in a golfer. Maybe the networks show him too much, but from a golfer's standpoint, I like watching swings in different situations and then I try to emulate that when I'm on the course. Tiger's is always the best to try to learn something from. It's just that simple.

[sciencegeek]

As a sports fan, I pull for those that I like, and usually that has a personal aspect tied to it. I used to pull for him, but now I cannot, as I feel like he is a jerk.

That being said, I wish him the best in pulling his life together.

[JasonEvans]

I watched the interview with ESPN this morning. He is saying the right things. He seems pretty focused on getting his life under control and "doing the right thing" as opposed to talking a lot about how much he wants to get back on the golf course. He said he missed competition and being around his friends on the Tour but I think he knows he has only begun to repair his relationships with the people who trusted and loved him.

One more comment-- I thought he looked fatter than I recall. We should not be at all surprised by that because I doubt he could go through his normal training regimen while in rehab but I was struck by the fact that his face looked chubbier than I am used to.

After seeing that, I won't be at all surprised if he bombs out at Augusta.

--Jason "I think he would be thrilled to just make the cut" Evans

[elvis14]

I watched the interview with ESPN this morning. He is saying the right things. He seems pretty focused on getting his life under control and "doing the right thing" as opposed to talking a lot about how much he wants to get back on the golf course. He said he missed competition and being around his friends on the Tour but I think he knows he has only begun to repair his relationships with the people who trusted and loved him.

One more comment-- I thought he looked fatter than I recall. We should not be at all surprised by that because I doubt he could go through his normal training regimen while in rehab but I was struck by the fact that his face looked chubbier than I am used to.

After seeing that, I won't be at all surprised if he bombs out at Augusta.

--Jason "I think he would be thrilled to just make the cut" Evans

Tiger and his team of PR guy$ did a nice job with that interview. They were obviously very well rehearsed and very well prepared. They said all the right things, as usual. I wonder if they gave ESPN the questions the night before the interview or that same day.

I also thought Tiger looked a little soft. I may not like the guy but I'm usually very impressed by his amazing physique. I'm not being sarcastic. There have been times where I've pointed out not just that he was in good shape but that he was flat out ripped and huge. He obviously puts in serious work in the gym and I can respect that.

It would be great if he missed the cut at Augusta and the networks were forced to cover the entire tournament.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

After seeing that, I won't be at all surprised if he bombs out at Augusta.

--Jason "I think he would be thrilled to just make the cut" Evans
Saw the Kelly T. interview on CBS this morning, and then they interviewed both Kelly and announcer David Flaherty. Flaherty thinks Tiger will win The Masters because he will be so focused. I think he'll make the cut/contend. He'll only win if he putts very well, because he likely won't have his A game. Of course, that's like saying Duke will win if we shoot well. If we do, we win! If he does, he wins!