Tiger Woods is done, repeat, done

There has always been a great problem for sportswriters when it comes to Tiger Woods. The “Tiger Conundrum” as we call it, means that Tiger is to be praised effusively when doing good, and praised effusively when he doesn’t do as good.

To put it into simple, day-to-day words - Tiger Woods is Barack Obama, with the exception of being able to land a 1-iron on a nickel from 300 yards out. Basically, like Obama, all sins are rendered moot, because for god’s sake, it’s Tiger Woods we’re talking about.

But this is why media giants like The New York Times are starting to fold like 99-Cent stores. It’s time to keep it real, people. And I will start:

Tiger Woods is finished as the best golfer in the world. Done. Kaput.

In fact, to be fair & balanced in regard to all the gushing stories about Woods over the years, I feel I may even have to crank this up a notch - Tiger Woods is finished as a golfer, and will likely end up in jail.

Now, I understand that Woods has already won a tournament since his comeback from serious knee surgery. That he’s playing as well as he is now is actually a tribute to his greatness. But it would be neither fair nor balanced to express it as such.

Because, even in the hallowed confines of this blog, I have kneeled at the gate of Tiger, going as far as calling him “Greatest Athlete Ever.”

I’m not saying that I take those words back, mind you. I’m still pretty impressed by young Eldrick, and all. But I’m just trying to keep the hyperbole pendulum as close to even as I can.

So I say again: After his collapse at The Players Championship, Tiger Woods is finished as a golfer. His mental and physical games are shot, and there’s every chance he may never even contend again in a PGA Tour tournament. He’s done.

Unless he wins again soon. Then the hyperbole pendulum will swing the other way, of course.

–WKW