Readers, if you have been wondering why you have not been receiving your regular dose of wonderful Head To The Net posts, it is because we here at HTTN are relaunching the website. I have put the articles on hold until the new look and feel is unveiled, but this is too important to wait.
Tiger Woods, the recovering sex addict and best golfer in the world who is set to resume his playing career at The Masters today, is undergoing an image transformation. The new Nike television commercial features the voice of his late father, Earl Woods. Tiger has said that he wished his father was still around to straighten him out (I paraphrase). All voice clips in this commercial are real, and they are put together in such a way that it looks like Woods Sr. is talking to his son about his recent indescretions. And Tiger looks like any boy being reprimanded by the old man.
As you hear the voice of the departed speaking with an eerily omnipotent air, can't you just imagine that Tiger still hears his father speaking to him very often, with words very similar to these? See for yourself:
"I felt entitled."
During his closed door, no questions allowed “public” address three weeks ago, Tiger Woods used this reasoning to explain the choices he had made over the last two years. In his first interview since the incident just released by ESPN on Sunday, March 22, he again cited entitlement as his downfall.
If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the interview here:
The Breakdown
The combination of his previously aired public statement and this seemingly staged interview shows me that Woods continues to feel entitled. Because he is the most famous athlete in the world, he thinks he can answer his own set of questions to his own set of reporters. And he feels entitled to make his comeback at the single most controlled tournament of the year – reporters have been banned from Augusta for life for simply insulting the quality of the grass.
The Eyes
Why does it look like Woods’ eyes were intentionally pepper sprayed prior to the interview? Are we supposed to feel like he’s been crying for 4 months straight? Or that this is what a person looks like after going through 45 days of in-patient therapy? This attempt to evoke a sense of sympathy within only makes people angry.
The Answer
Tiger, until you tell the world how you came to crash your Escalade into a tree, and what it is you’re even being treated for, people are going to guess. They will keep drawing conclusions and continue making jokes. And although TMZ and ET are pretty harsh, you created this monster with your actions. When you were perfect, you were allowed space and put on a pedestal, but it’s gone now.
The time has come to lower yourself to the level of the fans: open up; be real. If you do, the public will open up their arms and help you get back to what you want to be.
It has been well publicized that Tiger Woods is receiving treatment from a Sex Addiction Therapy Clinic in Mississippi. Every patient of the clinic is asked to fill out a questionnaire upon arrival, and Head To the Net's undercover research crew incredibly managed to obtain a copy of Woods'. Our source cannot be revealed, but let's just say a former X-Files superstar isn't too happy that he is not the world's premier sex addict anymore.
Tiger Woods is in so much trouble with his wife that he has decided to take an “indefinite leave” from golf to focus on his family. The mistress count is up to something like 13 or 15 - really, does it even matter anymore? Hopefully for Tiger, his therapist doesn’t charge a per affair rate.
The Woodses are trying to repair their marriage, for the kids. Elin came from a divorced family and doesn’t want her children to go through the same ordeals. But is there really any point now? Not only are there 13+ alleged mistresses, but the latest, Jamie Jungers claims that her affair with the golfer started in the Summer of 2005, just after Woods was married! It lasted 18 months, and was much more than only a physical relationship. Elin wants Tiger to quit golf for the time being, and most likely, to quit other women as well. But really, is this going to make the man happy? He loves golf, and he apparently loves women too. Would he actually be able to be with one for the rest of his life? Doesn’t look like it from this vantage point.
Back to the kids, forcing this marriage cannot possibly be what’s best for them. When they reach the age when they start finding out about their father’s mistakes, how can they possibly understand it and lead a normal family life afterwards? As if being Tiger Woods’ children wasn’t enough to deal with on top of it all, their school friends will be dropping jokes about their dad’s cheating ways.
Tiger, maybe it’s time to retake control of your life. Move on from the woman, spend as much time with the kids as she’ll allow, and get back to golf. As the sponsor who will always stick by you says “Just Do It.”
Many of us have been wondering what exactly led to Tiger Woods' car crash. Lucky for our curious minds, a Taiwanese news outlet created an animated recreation of the events, exactly as they happened! We don't know how they know more about the details than we here in North America, but if this made it on to the TV, it must be real... enjoy!
Two weeks ago would you have imagined that Tiger Woods could be any bigger than he already was? His face was already one of the most recognizable in the world as the planet's premier athlete and sports superstar, but the truths that been exposed recently about his unfaithfulness will make him more famous, if that is even possible! Surely, a lot of it is negative press, but in the end, more people will be compelled to follow his life and story.
If you are thinking that the negativity surrounding his actions will make him less 
popular, think again. The core fan-base he already had – 20-50 year old male golf fans – who loved to veg-out in front of the TV for a 6 straight hours on Masters Sunday will not be any less inclined to watch. They are sports fans, who became Tiger fans because he is an incredible golfer,.and they will still be there, useless as lumps on a log for a full day. The difference is that now they won’t be alone. Wives, girlfriends, sisters, those who used to dismiss the man as a part of the couch, an inanimate object that could not be stirred on those golf weekends, will actually sit down next to him. As Tiger makes his charge at a green jacket, they will be booing him and hurling curses his way: “A**hole! Cheater! Jerk!” But the fact is, they will be watching. Upon winning, will he go immediately to his wife and kids for the hug and kiss? During his victory speech, the camera will cut to a close-up on her face to see if she’s muttering swear words under her breath, or if tears are running down her cheeks. This is compelling reality TV, and it’s better than anything else out there, hands down.
As the story was revealed, the first thought of many sports outlets was if 
Woods would retain his endorsements. Would Nike, Buick, Gatorade not be opposed to align themselves with such a sinner? That’s pretty dumb. If anything, they should be over the moon. Tiger has just made himself the number 1 news story in North America: his face all over every news website, newspaper, and any media outlet, and what’s that little symbol on his hat? Nike’s loving it. And don’t forget General Motors, who paid a reported $40 million for five years for Tiger to endorse Buick. The shot of Woods’ wrecked car is everywhere, and although it’s a Cadillac and not a Buick, that shot alone is worth more than the $40 million for GM. What’s a more memorable image, Woods on a boring TV commercial with a Buick, or the beat up SUV, with the word “Escalade” clearly visible on the side?
Angry ladies on The View, as furious as you are with Tiger, you just made him more legendary.
The above statement is jarring enough. In a statement released on Wednesday in reference to the many allegations he has faced in the past two weeks, Tiger Woods admitted to “transgressions” and being “far short of perfect”. ESPN’s report can be read here. We don’t know the details, and Woods would prefer to keep them within his family, but these statements are enough of an admission to the many rumours that have been swirling regarding his infidelity.
The scary thing is that Woods is a role model to children and adolescents around the world. They want to be like him: strong, in full control of their emotions, able to perform their best under pressure. And now he’s a cheater, allegedly. Unfortunately, he’s not alone. Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, David Beckham, and countless other sports superstars have all been caught being untrue to their wives.
But this is not about them, it’s about Tiger. We were not surprised when Kobe’s story came out – after all, he was married at the age of 22 to an 18 year old! Beckham was the world’s playboy, did anyone expect his marriage to Posh Spice to last this long?
Woods was on a different level. He learned to handle scrutiny when he was just a child. He never said anything to anyone that would raise eyebrows or cause a stir. He had the PR thing down pat. And what about the fact that he was married to a beautiful Swedish model? Shouldn’t that be enough to keep him from straying?
But let’s take a moment to feel sorry for Tiger. Not only is he dealing with his wife finding out about his “transgressions” this week, as she realizes she can’t trust him anymore. The entire world has just found out the same harsh truth. Though at the end of the day, none of the ire he faces from the world will matter compared to the heat he has faced and will continue to cope with at home.
I am a born and bred Canadian from Vancouver, BC. I love my hockey, it is a part of me. I’ve been raised watching the B.C. Lions and Vancouver Canucks, and I’m a die hard fan, no matter who’s on the rosters and how little success they have. So why the hell should I care about the NFL – the south of the border football league?
I guess it’s the same reason I love watching golf, tennis or even basketball, the personalities and the storylines. Tiger Woods against Phil Mickleson, Roger Federer versus Rafael Nadal – when they play, I watch, in the hopes that I may witness that rare unforgettable sports moment.
I am not in an NFL Fantasy Pool, so I’m not personally invested in any of the individual or team results, yet every year there are story lines that make me want to sit down and watch. Two years ago, after head coach, Bill Belichick, was caught and reprimanded for cheating – spying on other teams practices – his New England Patriots, led by quarterback Tom Brady, attempted to complete a perfect 19-0 season, with zero losses and a Superbowl championship. Every week, as they inched closer to the goal, the drama heightened and more and more tuned in. That same season, Brett Favre was playing in what everyone presumed would be his last season following an amazing career, and he was having a renaissance with the team, finally producing a winning season after a long down cycle. Favre’s apparent last games as a pro football player were watched by all, as he took the 13-3 Packers to the NFC Championship against the eventual Superbowl Winners – the New York Giants.
As another season is almost set to begin, the NFL has produced more storylines than ever. Favre comes out of retirement for the second time in two years to play for the Minnesota Vikings, allowing him to face his former Green Bay Packers for two revenge filled matches. Chad Ocho-Cinco (he officially changed his name from Chad Johnson last year) has demanded a trade for 2 years from the Cincinatti Bengals, and yet the loudest trash talker in sports is set to return to the team. Terrell Owens will be given yet another chance to be a good teammate for the Buffalo Bills, after three failed attempts with former squads. And of course Michael Vick, he who funded an illegal dog-fighting chain and allegedly participated in the torture and killing of many of the animals, is returning to play for the Philadelphia Eagles. Drama like this can’t be found anywhere else on television, not on Big Brother, Gossip Girl, or even The Hills!
But I am Canadian and I care not for the NFL. I will only watch about 8 hours of that crap every week.
On the morning of Sunday August 16th, two of the worlds premier athletes were preparing. Tiger Woods held the three round lead at the PGA Championship and was planning to win his 15th golf Major, while Usain Bolt was setting up to once again be the world’s fastest man. Bolt, the boisterous Jamaican, knowing that Woods has conquered that pressure countless times in his career, placed a telephone call to him that morning, and here is a transcript:
Tiger Woods: Usain. How do you feel?
Usain Bolt: Hey Tiger man! Yah man, I’m feelin’ great. How about you? How you feelin’?
TW: Fine. Just concentrating. Visualizing. Focusing.
UB: Tiger man, why you always lookin’ so angry on the golf course? Relax man! Be more like a Jamaican and just enjoy life! When someone yells “in the hole!” after you tee off on 600 yard hole, turn around and point him out to everyone, so they can all laugh at his dumb ass.
TW: I don’t think so. I have to stay emotionless and in the moment. And I always have to think about my next shot.
UB: Emotionless man? You look like you wanna kill someone out there! Anyways, I have a huge race today. The whole world is gonna be watchin’. How do I handle the pressure?
TW: Just put the spectators out of your mind. Concentrate on what you need to do. You can smile and celebrate after the race is over.
UB: But Tiger, I want to have fun! I love talking and joking with the people before I run!
TW: Geez, you sound like Phil Mickleson. I hate playing golf with him.
UB: Hey! Don’t compare me to that choker! Ok, so what are you gonna do if you win today? You need a signature pose, man!
TW: Signature pose? I don’t have any ideas for that.
UB: No worries man! You can use mine!
TW: Ok maybe I will. Thanks Usain. Good luck today.
Unfortunately Tiger didn’t win the PGA Championship, but we did catch him practicing:
The 2009 PGA Championship, the year’s last Major golf tournament, came to a stunning conclusion on Sunday, as South Korean, Y.E. Yang, a man no one had heard of, managed to take down the world’s best golfer in the final round. While the record books will have to wait a little longer for Tiger Woods to rewrite them, the finale was wonderful, and we should hope to see more finishes like this one in the future. The true test of greatness in an athlete is how well he responds to pressure.
It remains to be seen if Y.E. Yang will be but a splash in the pan, but there are some strong candidates emerging who will challenge Woods in the upcoming years. The first name that comes to mind is Padraig Harrington. Although he had a disastrous Sunday at Hazeltine – a quintuple bogey on the 8th hole put him out of contention – he has shown consistency and mental fortitude over the last two years, the likes of which few golfers can claim. There are others as well, but the name you should remember is Rory McIlroy.
Born and raised in Northern Ireland, the 20 year old McIlroy has long been touted as the future of golf, and with his development this past year, the future may come sooner than expected. In 2009, McIlroy played in the first four Majors of his career and incredibly made the cut in all of them. It started in April at The Masters where he finished the weekend in a tie for 20th. In June, he followed that up with a 10th place tie at the U.S Open. July’s Open Championship (commonly known as The British Open) was tougher for him, as he only managed a t-47th place finish, but keep in mind that Tiger Woods didn’t even make the cut at this tournament. Finally, this past weekend, McIlroy put together his best performance yet at a Major tournament, finishing tied for 3rd at -3.
The youngster also won his first professional golf tournament this year at the Dubai Desert Open in February. At the tender age of 20, McIlroy has achieved his success so far based on mental strength and god-gifted power. With only a few months left on golf’s 2009 calendar and then an off-season before the next Major, he will have some time to work on the variety and maturity of his game, and he will likely improve by leaps and bounds in 2010.
Woods, Harrington and the rest better be careful when they look in the rear-view mirror: objects are closer than they appear.
At the Bridgestone Open last week, as Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington were battling it out for the championship on the final few holes, the pair was told that they were taking too long to play before they teed off from the 16th. At this juncture, Harrington held a one shot lead over Woods, but a disastrous few strokes would land him a triple bogey to Woods’ birdie, turning the lead into a 3 shot deficit. After winning the tournament by four, Woods spoke about the rule’s enforcement, “"I don't think that Paddy would have hit the pitch shot that way if he was able to take his time, look at it, analyze it. But he was on the clock."
That “pitch shot” was the one that Harrington dropped straight into the water in front of the green. Much has been made of Woods’ comment, including debates about whether he should be fined or not, or if the rule should be enforced when the final pairing is slugging it out for a championship. The problem is, too many people have completely missed the point of Tiger’s words. Quite simply, he was only trying to take some of the sting off Harrington’s devastating collapse. A humble and gracious move by a consummate champion was unfortunately misread by too many.
Moving past that, isn’t it great to see that after day one at the PGA Championship, the two are once again at the top of the leaderboard, with Woods at -5 and Harrington at -4? Although watching Woods scorch the field and run away with victories has its merits, it’s always fun to see him get pushed and challenged, and the three-time major winner, Harrington, has what the mettle to do so.
When Tiger Woods returned from his ACL injury, a Nike commercial was released, depicting the PGA Tour in Tiger’s absence. The song “Sunshine and Lollipops” is playing, and the players are enjoying a fun filled party complete with success and fame. Near the end of the commercial, the players are relaxing in the locker room and Woods walks in. The music dies and the players realize their party is over. To see the commercial click here.
Tiger Woods won his 70th PGA Tour victory (sitting three behind Jack Nicklaus at #3 all-time) yesterday at the Bridgestone Open, his second victory in two weeks after winning the Buick Open last week. With the PGA Championship, golf’s fourth major of the year, beginning this Thursday, he appears ready to perform. The Bridgestone was won on the 16th hole, when, down by a stroke to Padraig Harrington, Tiger hit an approach shot within two feet of the hole. In answer, Harrington knocked his approach into the water, and that was the tournament. Woods will likely need a bit of luck this week, as his game still doesn’t appear to be where it was pre-injury, but if anyone can grind it out, it’s Woods.
Because of all the news Canadian Mike Weir made over the weekend at the U.S. Open, a fellow countryman’s story was overshadowed. Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, BC, is the number one ranked amateur golfer in the world, and he played in his first Major tournament this week.
At just 21 years old, very young and inexperienced for a golfer, most first timers are happy to just be playing in their first Major championship tournament, let alone attempting to make the cut. Taylor was able to do just that after two rounds based on an incredible second round score of 65. Put in perspective, Mike Weir tied a U.S. Open single round score record with his first round 64, and the best round Tiger Woods turned in was a 68.
In the end, Taylor finished at +8 for the championship, placing him in a tie for 36th – first out of the amateurs. Near him on the leaderboard were pre-tournament favourites, Jim Furyk and Camilo Villegas, at +7 and Vijay Singh at +6. Playing so well under the pressure of golf’s largest stage is an affirmation of Taylor’s number one ranking, and this young man will soon be making Canadians very proud.
If you have work today, skip it! But if that’s impossible, NBC.com has live streaming coverage for you to stay tuned, while your unsuspecting boss is none the wiser.
The U.S. Open is always golf’s toughest test, requiring mental toughness, physical strength, and this year, incredible adaptability. Due to an unbelievable amount of rain in New York, Thursday’s first round was almost completely pushed to Friday, and the players have been attempting to catch up ever since. Three full days of golf later, and the co-leaders, Lucas Glover and Ricky Barnes, are on the second hole of their fourth and final round, both at -7. If either of these two, who have absolutely no PGA Tour victories between them, can hold on to their emotions and win, good for them. But there are a few players directly below them on the leaderboard who have been there before and are ready to pounce if they can’t hang on.
Phil Mickleson:
“Lefty” sits in third place at -2, five shots back. He is playing in his first PGA tournament since his wife, Amy, was diagnosed with breast cancer two months ago. The world’s number two ranked golfer, who is always a fan favourite in New York, certainly has received the largest cheers this week, as he is the sentimental favorite as well.
Tiger Woods:
Before the light failed on Sunday night, Tiger popped in a birdie on the 7th hole at Bethpage Black. Even though he’s been off his game for three rounds, he has a chance. If he can get dialed in for the 11 holes he has left to play, the seven shot deficit he faces may very well be overcome.
Mike Weir:
Canada’s best golfer is once again showing that he is one of the best in the world. His first round score of 64 tied an all-time U.S. Open Record and forced the others to catch up. Unfortunately they did, and three holes into the final round, he sits at -1, six shots off the lead. After his second round, Weir wrote on his blog,
“Before I won the Masters if you'd asked me what major I thought my game was best-suited for, I'd have said the U.S. Open. I like the difficulty, like the challenge both mental and physical, that's presented.”
Sitting between Woods and Mickleson on the leaderboard, if Weir plays like he did on Friday morning, his U.S Open dreams may finally come true, and America’s Championship trophy may very well travel north of the Border.
GO CANADA!!
After years of following golf, attempting to recognize and understand talent and to figure out which players will perform well in any given week, I have realized that trying to predict who will win a PGA tournament is like playing roulette. Instead of choosing from 38 numbers, you can choose anyone ranked in the world’s top 50 and most have an equal shot at winning.
Of course, heading into the 2009 US Open Championship, there are a few players with higher odds than the table’s 1 in 38 chances. Picking Tiger Woods or Jim Furyk this week can be equated to choosing the “first 12” spot on the roulette board. Woods’ game is rounding into form at the right time, and he showed this by winning the Memorial Tournament two weeks ago over a strong field. Perhaps the most promising aspect of the win was the fact that he was hitting straight and true with his driver, the club that failed him repeatedly at the Masters earlier this year. Jim Furyk finished second at the Memorial, but more impressive is his consistency of late. He has three top 10 finishes in the last 6 weeks, including a fifth place finish at the Players Championship on May 10th; a tournament in which Woods finished eighth. Quality performances at this one, the tournament the players consider to be “the fifth Major”, hold a lot of weight.
Picking from the rest of the field is a gamble, but you know what they say – high risk, high reward. A few other players have been playing well recently: Zach Johnson and Vijay Singh are past Major champions and both could be in the mix this week.
Canadians may be wondering what’s going on with our two enigmatic hopefuls. Both Stephen Ames and Mike Weir have the ability to beat the best and win a Major and they’ve been playing fairly well lately. Ames finished ninth at the Valero Texas Open on May 17th, and then 27th two weeks later at the Crowne Plaza Invitational, while Weir has three top 20 finishes in the past six weeks, including placing 14th at the Players Championship. It may be hard to see these seemingly average results as positive, but in golf, where one never knows who will win a particular tournament, the ones who have the best chance are those who put themselves in the mix consistently. That being said, it looks like Weir has tuned his game to peak for this year’s US Open Championship, and Canada should put their hopes behind him.
Other than that, look for breakouts from the young gun, Camilo Villegas, and the extremely young gun, Rory McIlroy. It shouldn’t be long until these two are winning tournaments.
Armed with this information, make your bets. Choose your players and book your wagers. Then just sit back, enjoy the ride, and wait for the ball to drop on Sunday evening.
