Quote:
Originally Posted by Russ_Boston
That is unfortunate. I root for the play not the player if that makes any sense. For example I root for the Patriots but I couldn't care less who's on the team - as long as we win! I do root for Tiger because of the immense legacy that he is creating. To me Tiger is like the Patriots - I root for 'that guy who is one of the best to ever play' to win not because he's Tiger Woods.
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I don't necessarily "root" for Tiger, but I enjoy watching him play and win. Babe Ruth was a womanizer and had a multitude of bad habits, yet I would have loved to see him play as I believe him to be the best baseball player ever. The same goes for Woods, I get to watch a player who will likely set records that will last for years, if not decades. Rumor has it that the revered Arnold Palmer was far from faithful to Winnie, yet he has millions of fans. If we judge our athletic heroes based on their faults and missteps, we may have few to look up to. In fact I should not use the term "heroes" , as that implies mythic qualities. Maybe idols would be a better term. This is not to imply that I excuse bad behavior or don't admire exemplary behavior, but try to separate the performance from the character. For example the Royals have an outfielder by the name of Jeff Francour who by all accounts and all appearances is a terrific human being, teammate, and fan favorite. Unfortunately he has played terribly for the past year and a half and I, along with most Royals fans would prefer to see him released.