From the Tiger Beat

Tiger, Tiger, Tiger

The beat goes on for Tiger. Some media members have really sunk their teeth into Tiger Woods, and they are going for the kill. As Marlin Perkins taught us at an early age, it is not likely they will let go anytime soon. Public opinion will certainly follow.

Tiger has now, along with many other high profile athletes, been linked to a Canadian doctor who has a litany of links to performance enhancing drugs. Dr. Anthony Galea was arrested by the Canadian Police for possessing human growth hormone and Actovegin in October. Actovegin is a drug comprised of, but not limited to, calf blood. Mind you this is “calf” as in the calf that goes “moo.” This is not “calf” as if to say, “Did you hear that fat-ass Jimmy pulled his calf muscle in the beer league softball game last Tuesday.”

Hopefully, Tiger comes out of all this o.k. Already, and for good reason, he is being punished pretty thoroughly in the court of public opinion for his “other transgressions.” Technically, he has done nothing more to draw the public’s ire, but his past has given the critic in all of us more fodder. His Q rating is falling like an “over-served” salesman’s wife at a Christmas party. Maybe he can get his family and life back together. If he cleans up his “affairs,” he will undoubtedly be forgiven. If there is anything that Americans like to do more than forgive our celebrities, it is to forgive our celebrities quickly.

This latest scenario however is quite troubling. “Arrested Canadian doctor” does not have a nice ring to it. Sometimes having a national adjective is good. We think of positive associations when we use clichés like, American ingenuity, French cuisine, Argentine beef, German engineering. On the other hand Canadian doctor has suspect connotations like unnamed Chinese government official or Iranian hair stylist or Serbian pacifist. Apparently, the Canadian doctor made multiple visits to Tiger’s home during the golfer’s recovery from a 2008 ACL tear and subsequent surgery. Why do we not conjure up the image of the 1960’s friendly, gentle family physician paying a visit to Wally and the Beaver’s house? Maybe this is because Galea has acknowledged taking HGH himself for a decade. Apparently, Galea admits to performing a procedure on Tiger called blood spinning. Blood spinning involves removing blood from the body, increasing the amount of red blood cells and then injecting the concentrated blood back into the body. This process speeds recovery. Tiger may not have done anything technically improper here, but these accounts will embolden his detractors. Anytime we hear “injections” in sports, we are conditioned to draw fateful conclusions.

As if it was needed, there is plenty more material for Tiger jokes. What some may not find funny is just bizarre. For example, the Associated Press is reporting that Galea is under investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. We now have Tiger linked to the Mounties. Tiger, Mounties, what could be better? David Letterman must be thrilled. Not only did he just get to induct Tiger into his club of Rich Guys Who Like to Cheat A Hell-of-a-Lot, he just got another week’s worth (at least) of jokes that practically write themselves.

Before Thanksgiving, Tiger was considered one of the world’s most mentally strong athletes. He has made reportedly over a billion dollars by his unequalled ability to will a golf ball around a course better than anyone. He has demonstrated an uncommon ability to eliminate distractions and remain focused, with millions on the line, for thirteen years now. He does not have a track record of cracking up or mental gaffes (see Phil Mickelson 2006 U. S. Open). He has shut down distraction to win 14 major golf tournaments and seventy one PGA events. Vijay Singh, Padraig Harrington, Ernie Els and Mickelson have won 12 majors combined.

Now, we see him differently. He has repeatedly acted as someone that is above inspection. Tiger does need a break to correct his course. His choices have been bad; he has shown no concern for potential negative consequences. Before we saw him as a work of art, a complete man; now we inspect his methods and movements in the past, present and even future with apprehension. It will be interesting to see Tiger's endgame in the court of public opinion. Is he the great champion and seeking every possible advantage of cutting edge science to return from injury and compete? Or, is he corrupting golf’s lily white reputation with PEDs? Ultimately, his legacy will be decided over time. But for now, he is just a cheater.