Tiger Woods, Sports Needs You Like Never Before- Scott Soshnick

Commentary by Scott Soshnick

Feb. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Lost in the hubbub of humiliations, including admissions from Alex Rodriguez, came two words of hope from one of the few untarnished athlete icons left.
“Full-bore,” was the status report delivered last week by a post-operative Tiger Woods, a one-man cure for diminished expectations.
Whether it’s Rodriguez and ‘roids or Michael Phelps and his bong, the best keep disappointing those who so desperately want to believe in athletic supernovas.
Maybe it’s all tied to the recession. Along with a credit crunch there’s a crisis of character. Too many excuses for personal failures. A-Rod, for instance, said the pressure made him do it.
It’s laughable when you consider pressure and Woods, who carries more of a burden each time out than any baseball player. A-Rod has teammates who can pick him up, help him out or perhaps pat him on the back.
Golfers go it alone. Everyone chases The Chosen One. For Woods it’s one man versus the field. If you think that’s an exaggeration, then consider the reason 2008 Player of the Year Padraig Harrington gave for wishing Woods a speedy return.
“He will draw away attention, which is not a bad thing,” Harrington said during a press conference at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. “It’s obviously a lot easier to compete when you’re under the radar.”
Power, Precision
The best of the tennis bunch, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, did their best to fill the greatness gap, but nothing in sports -- nothing -- inspires awe like Woods’s power and precision.
I walked San Diego’s Torrey Pines Golf Course during last year’s U.S. Open, standing a few yards behind a wincing Woods, who blocked out the pain of an injured knee and beat the rest on one good leg.
Take a good look at Woods, who has the same V-shaped physique as A-Rod. Does anyone think Woods is a pharmacological phony?
Remember, back in 2006, PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem decried drug testing without evidence that golfers were using steroids.
One day later, one, Woods, the most powerful man in the sport, volunteered his veins.
“Tomorrow would be fine with me,” he said. That sounds like Yankees captain Derek Jeter, who somehow, as far as we know, coped with playoff pressure and expectations in New York without steroids.
Need Him Back
With a tip of the cap to Simon and Garfunkel, a sports-mad nation turns its lonely eyes to you, Mr. Woods.
We haven’t seen golf’s god since he underwent surgery in June. We need him back.
Woods, 33, didn’t give a time, date or place for his return to the tee box. Right now, he’s focused on improving stamina and spending time with his new arrival, son Charlie Axel, who was born on Feb. 8.
Family first, said Woods, who made it clear that his return date is linked to his ability to dominate.
“Early on, I didn’t miss golf because I enjoyed staying home with (wife) Elin and (daughter) Sam, and I knew I wasn’t physically able to play,” Woods said. “The truth is, I would have embarrassed myself.”
If only Phelps and A-Rod had such insight into forethought.
Fact is Woods’s presence has never been more needed. Emotionally and economically.
Recession Cure
Golf’s television ratings dip without him. Sponsorship dollars fall. To quote Finchem, the recession puts pressure on PGA sponsors, many of whom are slashing marketing budgets. But this is Woods, who commands eyeballs, which leaves advertisers drooling. If he’s there, they’ll spend.
“Tiger brings significant numbers of people to our telecasts that don’t watch all the other weeks,” Finchem told me over the telephone in December. “They’re engrossed in the No. 1 athlete in the sport and the most recognizable athlete in the world.”
Engrossed is the perfect word for watching Woods.
People stop what they’re doing when he lines up a big-time putt or prepares to launch a drive. I’ve seen conflicted travelers, panicked by the final boarding call for their flight, weighing whether to miss their plane or the latest wonder from Woods.
More than one chose Woods, who spent some of his downtime in the nation’s capital, speaking at the ceremonies leading up to Barack Obama’s inauguration.
Woods didn’t give us a date for his return. Only an update. Full-bore. It won’t be long now.
“It’s going to be a hectic spring,” he said.
A hopeful one, too.
(Scott Soshnick is a Bloomberg News columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.)
To contact the writer of this column: Scott Soshnick in New York at ssoshnick@bloomberg.net