Tiger Woods: The Ebb and Flow of Fame and Fortune

Oops!  We had to remove the hero profile you’re looking for because it will soon appear in our new book Heroic Leadership: An Influence Taxonomy of 100 Exceptional Individuals, to be published by Routledge in 2013.

Our contract at Routledge required us to remove many of our profiles on our blog at this time.  But we do have other hero profiles and information about heroes on the menu bar located on the right side of this page.  Check it out!

In the mean time, please accept our apologies.  Here is more information about our new book.

You can click here to return to our HERO home page.  And thanks for visiting!

— Scott Allison and George Goethals

14 thoughts on “Tiger Woods: The Ebb and Flow of Fame and Fortune

  1. One of the biggest challenges he faces stems from his hidden addiction. Because it went on for so long it created a tsunami which eventually caught up with him. If he continues to work on his addiction and image to the world, he’ll eventually regain the top position again.

  2. It is not avoidable that heroes sometimes make mistakes. But the important thing is how they come back from those mistakes. The fact that Tiger just finished 4th place in the Masters is a sign that Tiger is quickly finding his way back to reclaim his title.

    However, I think the more difficult test that Tiger has to face is living a good personal life and not making the same mistake again. I believe this is more challenging than defeating others on the golf course because while talent may easily make one a hero, to live morally requires much determination and learning from past mistakes.

    Time will tell whether Tiger is a true hero.

  3. I agree with the poster above in that we may not accurately define Tiger as a hero quite yet. He came from a period of epic domination and then was struck down to near rock bottom. We have discussed the journey of a hero and at this point, Tiger is simply still on his journey. How he completes his adventure will tell his true colors. It should be noted that his physical play should not denote his rank of heroism or not. For his ability to remain a moral being is far more heroic than finishing atop the PGA tour.

  4. Human beings thrive on the highs and lows of other people’s lives. Tiger was such an inspiration as a young golfer because of his extreme, raw talent, and because he was different, he stood out. I think many people regarded Tiger as a hero for many years. Clearly, somewhere along the road, the pressure to continue succeeding affected Tiger and his life as a result. He made many disastrous mistakes that will be unforgivable to many people, including his family. But, Tiger’s relationship with the public is technically only because of his golf game. So, if he becomes successful again on the golf course, his status as a golfer may rise again. A lot of people will be unable to ignore his immoral actions, but the golf community may elevate him back to his heroic status. We won’t know until it happens.

  5. I still believe that our sports heroes that fall from grace, but then are able to turn failure into a second wave of triumph are those that truly elevate themselves, as well as sport fans, to the highest level.

    Thatis to say, people don’t ignore the failures, but rather rejoice in the recognition and ultimate personal growth that can result in such renewed success.

  6. The seeds of Tiger’s downfall can be seen in that video. Hubris is a common ailment among those who are highly competitive and he let his great abilities, and his great success, go to his head; he came to believe that having a special talent makes one a better person. Now he needs to learn humility and respect.

  7. I still cannot believe the whole Tiger saga. He was the man who had everything. Money fame and a beautiful wife. You have to really wonder what went through his mind. He lost his wife, half his 1 billion dollars and now he is nowhere near the golfer he used to be. I guess his mind will never be the same.

  8. I will never look at him the same. He hurt the ones who loved him most and the whole world got to watch. He will never be back on top in my eyes regardless of how well he can play golf. The world may be able to destract themselves from what athletes have done wrong if they come back playing well but no one forgets completely and I feel that Tiger had hurt himself pretty badly.

  9. In my opinion, Tiger Woods will never be able to achieve the same status he once held. Even if he is able to achieve his previous success in golf tournaments, this does not take away from the fact that he treated his family unfairly and acted immorally. Playing golf well is not enough to redeem Tiger Woods.

  10. Hands down, Tiger Woods is one of the greatest athletes of all time. However, in my opinion Tiger took advantage of his blessing when he should have realized that he was a huge role model to so many people on and off the course. Athletes have to be aware of everything that they do, especially outside of their sport whether they like it or not, it is part of the profession.

  11. I believe that Tiger Woods will have a comeback and as a sports fan I am rooting for him. I do not agree with his actions off the course, with his family and everything else, but I look at him as an athlete. As an athlete, he was potentially the best golfer ever and one of the most dominant athletes to play any game. He was mesmerizing to watch, and since the scandal hit the news and he took a 4 month hiatus from golf, the world has lost something. We are no longer exposed to such stunning golf. Instead, he came back mediocre and let the rest of the golf field surpass him. In the past few months his golf game seems to have begun to return to him. He has not won any major tournaments yet, but it seems like he is getting closer. Will he ever have that dominance that he once possessed? I’m not sure, but I am rooting for him as a fellow athlete.

Comments are closed.