The Tiger Woods quote: "Winning Takes Care of Everything"

The Tiger Woods quote.

Did anybody see it? Did anyone not see it?

If you don’t follow sports or sports news you probably didn’t see it. So let me catch-up those of you who are the latter. Nike released recently a spot add (shown above) with the quote “winning takes care of everything” with the new rating as world #1 golfer cited. What do you think?

This apparently caused a crud-storm in the media where everyone and their mom have to input their opinion on the subject: I’m offended, or, I think its fine. Cocky would be the word everyone would choose regardless of opinion. That’s the way we are in this modern age. Free speech is a right but nobody has the right to be heard. That being said let me quickly tell you about my relationship with Woods.

When I was 7 my dad, a regular golfer, bought me a 9 iron and a putter. I dug a hole in my backyard to putt the ball into; I don’t think he cared. In my family, all four of us kids played the same sports but we all also had one thing that we individually competed at be it music, wrestling, all-star baseball, golf, or hockey. My dad gave me golf and I like to think it was mine and his “thing.” So one day back in the 90’s guess who shows up all over golf – Tiger Woods – a phenom. He is responsible for almost my whole generation getting into golf that much we owe him. He won, what, 14 majors until 2008? A beast. Anyone can watch his Youtube clips and be inspired – he made it look easy.

And we all know what happened next – the scandal. I will not revisit that, we all know what happened. So then he gets back into the PGA tour a couple years ago, with a new swing, a new caddy, and … is needless to say a 50% player. Arguably among the worst. He won three times in 2012 but they were only snapshots of the stardom we saw; reminders of great chips, sand-shots, and a couple putts – oh his putting was terrible as was his driver. So this year, he has 3 wins for 5 tournaments as #1, most recently winning at Bay Hill – an outstanding performance.

Then this add comes out, “winning takes care of everything” and like I said, it has created a storm. Think Nike didn’t think of this? Think Tiger didn’t know it would? Think they care?  If anyone knows Tiger Woods they know that meticulous is an understatement: this man probably knows how many dimples are on a golf ball, or how many threads are in his laces, and can probably think through a PR response to his own Nike ads. Nike. Of course it's Nike. We know they have their times of smug cockiness. The Charles Barkley 90’s add “I’m not a role model” or whatever it was.  So does anyone who has an opinion not think they knew exactly what they were doing?

Needless to say, there are many reactions on can choose to have. Many interpretation of the meaning.

Catholic Answers has this to say.

ESPN had this.

One can find every opinion, every side to root for and better develop their take on it. I played golf with a Priest from North Dakota all last summer (2012), and when I made a bad shot he used to ask me “now Shaun, how does that shot look in eternity?” Of course the shot looked insignificant, if not completely forgettable. So I apply that though to this issue and perhaps the reader can get where I am coming from. Try taking a completely philosophical look at the quote. All of us know winning doesn’t solve problems. But really, what does it matter? What is the intrinsic effect on an individual?

Athletes are formed to think this way: I must win. Its a required frame of mind in order to serve as a motivation to win. One must accept no other alternative. Failure and the fall are imminent, they're both guaranteed but even then, the athlete must get up and tell themselves that they wont do it again. Does this not also apply to the Christian in a sense? You can tell St. Paul loves sports as a Roman citizen, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race." Can we not see our relationship with our sin as somewhat likened to a competitive spirit? "I will not sin again" or "I must not sin again." For Catholics, does our act of contrition not end with "I firmly resolve, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin." In our minds there must be no alternative. Surely, we live with the sensbility that we will fall short and we will need help.  

I don’t think I have much else to contribute to the discussion, other than the fact that we are called to love our neighbors and pray for our enemies. I still love watching Woods. I do not have a desire to replicate or imitate his life, nor will I defend him. I, like the priest I told you about, do pray for him. I think he would make a great Christian as does anyone, really. Personally, I don’t buy into the saucy little PR tricks the world puts out there for us. My take: if you follow Tiger and his press conferences over the last two years, he has been asked over and over again, “what will it take for you to get back into #1” and he has repeatedly said “winning is how it is done, you have to win.” So this really is not anything new. Do I have some sympathy for Tiger? You bet I do. I have sympathy for everyone who fails, because I have failed countless times. Do we choose to believe those empty promisses? NO!

Point is, dont prey; pray instead.