Tiger is giant baby when it comes to cameras
Posted on March 26th, 2008 – 10:56 AMBy Michael Rand
A basketball player has to deal with fans swaying back and forth while trying to shoot a free throw. A baseball player has fans heckling him unmercifully. A hockey player gets taunted in the penalty box. But heaven forbid somebody tries to take a picture of Tiger Woods — or any golfer, for that matter — while a pretty precious swing is in progress. From ESPN:
Tiger Woods is growing more frustrated with photographers snapping pictures of him during his swing. In an interview on ESPN’s First Take on Wednesday. Woods addressed an incident at last week’s WGC-CA Championship at Doral, Fla., when he reacted to the click of a camera in his backswing with an obscenity-laced threat.
Woods’ intense competitive streak is well-known, and he’s also been known to curse when his results don’t meet his high expectations. But on Sunday, in a threat punctuated with profanity, he threatened bodily harm to the next photographer who snaps during his swing.
“It’s been frustrating because that’s what been happening lately,” Woods told ESPN’s First Take. “It’s one of the things that comes with playing in the last group, one of the distractions we have to deal with.”
What’s more, Woods said, the distractions have affected his play.
“Each time it’s happened, well three out of four times, I made bogey,” Woods said. “At the time I needed to make birdie, I flinched on it. [The photographer] got me in transition on my downswing. You have no idea what’s been said on the golf course all the time, in any sport really,” Woods added. “It was the heat of the moment. That one shot took the momentum that I had built on No. 8.”
Boo. Hoo. Yes, golf takes concentration. So does every other sport. Suck it up, shut up and play through.
20 Responses to "Tiger is giant baby when it comes to cameras"
Maybe golfers should go the way of the poker player and sport an iPod and sunglasses so nobody can distract them. I bet Tiger would listen to Styx or Air Supply.
I see him as more of a Lionel Ritchie fan…
Do the birds chirping and the crickets bother Eldrick as well?
Why did he never go by Rick Woods?
Gatorade would never call it’s new drink Rick.
I was at the SAP Open in Germany once and snapped about 20 pictures of Tiger. The way I look at it, if he really gets pissed enough to hit me with his club, I will soothe my pain with the pile of cash that it would bring.
I meant its. Sorry.
Those who know me — as an unapologetic Tiger-Worshipper — might find this surprising, but I totally agree with RandBall on this one. I don’t think fans should have noisemakers on the tee, but I also don’t think players should FREAK OUT when someone makes a little click during their swings. Announcers absolutely fawn over Tiger’s focus, his ability to “tune out distractions.” So those superhuman abilities don’t exist on the teebox, Tiger. Whatever. You’re great. You’re the best ever. Don’t sully it by being a crybaby about photographers.
Tiger needs a sports psychiatrist if a camera noise affects him that much. Does he realize that those fans taking pictures of him are also buy products with his name. Tiger sounds like a prick to me, he needs to lighten up.
Sometimes I think golf takes less concentration. If you think about your shot too much it goes all wacky. I just walk up to the ball and hit it. I think Tiger and most golfers just want the attenttion when they do all of that “concentrating” before they hit the ball.
Does the increase in comments from LQ presage the return of RandBites?
Why doesn’t Tiger practice his tee shots with someone clicking a camera during his backswing? He spent all that time re-working his swing knowing that it will pay off, but he didn’t have the foresight to know that he should practice hitting a ball with some of the typical distractions?!
I find it hard to believe that he’s this surprised by all of the distractions that come with being one of the most successful athletes in the world?
I mean, I do understand that golf is generally a quieter game than some of the others that you listed Rand, but rather than clinging to the past, you’d think that the players would do a better job adapting to the changing landscape of their sport.
Does the increase in comments from LQ presage the return of RandBites?
You’d think the streets would be running with a lot more blood of the nonbelievers. Still, a fair question.
Jon, Stu - Love where your heads are at. Let’s threaten some sort of protest to make this happen. Maybe even take a cue from the Sports Guy where Rand calls up Stu from time to time and Stu pitches new movie ideas.
Does the increase in comments from LQ presage the return of RandBites?
Human sacrifice…Dogs and Cats living together…MASS HYSTERIA!
I still don’t know what Tiger is whining about. Shooter McGavin had a beachball bounch in his line on the green, and still sunk his putt without even needing to line it up again, and threw it in the guy’s face. Granted this example is in movie land, but you didn’t see him crying to the media.
Gives new meaning to “Ohhhh, SNAP!”
Rand calls up Stu from time to time and Stu pitches new movie ideas.
Thor Hnadjob: Rogue Beekeeper
Thor’s a beekeeper who keeps bees by his own set of rules. Allergic to honey. Racist against Swedes. Last name is pronounced nigh-YOOB. Sidekick’s name is Rusty. Rusty is actually just a shoebox filled with old rags that Thor carries around. Thor and Rusty are currently fighting, but neither one will say what about.
Thor and Rusty are currently fighting, but neither one will say what about.
So Thor and Rusty are teenage girls?
That’s a Shyamalan-esque plot twist right there…
Why is someone named “Rusty” in a movie where the main character’s last name is “Handjob”? Seems pretty overtly sexual to me, yes, Stu?
UofM2010: You’ve been stricken with temporary dyslexia…
Stu obviously picked that name to drive out the inner pervert in us all
UofM: as Dave notes, that’s not his name. As you can imagine, though, junior high was pretty rough for Thor.
I know it isn’t, but way too close for comfort there.
I, for one, am totally down with Tiger. Last year I was in the final group for some local charity event. During my tee shot on the 11th, the other three players in my group (Mike Redmond, Wally The Beerman and Josh Hartnett’s dad) loudly (and in unison) passed gas” in the middle of my backswing.
I was on a roll, man. Went on to bogey the next three holes. Ended up losing by a stroke to Ragnar.
