I think everybody remembers the story that was so big this past summer. Lebron James was running his summer skills camp and got dunked on in a scrimmage. As a result of his getting dunked on, Nike, or Lebron, or both, had all the tapes of this game collected so that nobody would see King James get dunked on because that sort of thing is never allowed to happen!!! It was something that gave Lebron's image a bit of a blow. People have started looking at him as more of a whiner now because of that.
Which is why I was very happy to see Tiger Woods's response to a similar situation. Tiger was out in North Carolina making a public appearance at what is to be his first golf course design. Well, I came across this story on Yahoo Sports, I'm sure you'll be able to find it. Tiger took the opportunity to hit a ceremonial golf shot, off a mat, towards what will be the first fairway but is currently a bunch of dirty with trees lining the side. Shot #1 went wide into the trees. So Tiger decided that this would be an okay moment to take a mulligan. Shot #2, same result. So Tiger asked if anybody wanted to step up and take a shot so that they could do better than he did. He chose the 12 year old son of a local country club co-owner. Totally cool on Tiger's part, since this would have to be the biggest moment in this kid's life! Getting to take a ceremonial shot on Tiger's first golf course, with Tiger! I mean give me a break! The ball was teed, he took his back swing, and BOOM! The kid knocks it straight down the middle! Tiger gave an appreciative clap and said he had to see that again! Shot #2, another one, straight down the middle of the fairway.
This is the Lebron test now. Tiger just hit 2 drives straight out the trees, and a 12 year old kid came out and knocked it straighter than Tiger did. What did he do? Did he quickly have everybody with a camera tackled and restrained for questioning? Did Nike helicopters come swooping in to steal the kid's club so that he couldn't hit another one? No, Tiger clapped for him. Gave him a high five, and told him that he was proud of him. A guy like Tiger has to know that what is more important than anything, than winning all those majors and shooting in the low 60s, is encouraging those who idolize him for the future. This doesn't just encourage this 12 year old North Carolina boy to keep playing golf, this makes every kid look out know they can make their own heroes proud.
So before the Nike van comes to take me away for revealing what happened to Tiger, and before King James comes to steal my computer for reminding people that he got dunked on, let's all remember that golden rule of sports. It doesn't matter whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game. And Tiger has, once again, played flawlessly.
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