Xenakis
Hall of Fame
Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6943453.ece
Tiger Woods 'the world's best athlete'?, really?, a golfer?. What next?, how about Ted Hankey, world darts champion?...
Tiger Woods; 'the world's best athlete'
- Thread starter Xenakis
- Start date
Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6943453.ece
Tiger Woods 'the world's best athlete'?, really?, a golfer?. What next?, how about Ted Hankey, world darts champion?...
BobFL
Hall of Fame
nyc
Hall of Fame
Golf is one spot above Cheerleading, right after Horse Racing. 'nuff said.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/sportSkills
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/sportSkills
flyinghippos101
Legend
Bridge a olympic spor? whats next? speed stacking or competitive eating?
chess9
Hall of Fame
I love chess and have played it my whole life, including many tournaments, but it's not a sport. LMFAO!
-Robert
LiveForever
Banned
LOL. It requires massive amount of talent but athletic prowess? Not at all. If it did we wont see fat and old golfers at the top of the game.
35ft6
Legend
So the chubby white dudes who beat him sometimes, are they the world's best athletes on those days they out duel him?
Maybe the world's best sportsman. But athlete? Laughable.
tenniskid567
Rookie
The only problem I have with this list is that Martial Arts is as low as it is...surely they aren't referring to Mixed Martial Arts? THOSE guys are the most physically fit and in shape people ever. I started just a Jiu-Jitsu class this year, and after a short while every muscle in my body is tired, and Jiu-jitsu is non-strike. In my opinion, guys in MMA are the best athletes. They have to be tough and fit in every aspect.
I agree with the golf placement though haha.
However, when he's called the best athlete, in many cases, I believe that they aren't referring so much to his physical ability and physique as much as that he's the best at what he does, and he's better at is sport than anyone else is theirs. When they call him an athlete its more like: Golf=Sport, athletes play sports, so Tiger Woods=athlete. Thats what I usually get out of it. I'm not saying I totally agree with all of it, but thats what it sounds like to me. Because there's absolutely no disputing he's not as physically built or capable or whatever as a lot of other athletes.
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ipitythefool
Semi-Pro
If I had a trophy wife like his, I would be losing 5 times more calories attending bedroom olympics than playing golf.
35ft6
Legend
I've seen so many articles about people trying to quantify athleticism. I read one years ago that said tae kwon do competitors were the most impressive athletes at the Olympics in terms of flexibility, explosiveness, cardio, strength, balance and coordination. Etc. It's just how you define athleticism, but for me athleticism is raw skills, not stuff you learn. I know these things can be enhanced with training, but I'm talking speed, coordination, ability, reflexes, and explosiveness. To me, that's athleticism. And I pretty much think the NBA and NFL have the most top raw athletes.
tenniskid567
Rookie
I really like that. Thats a new way of thinking about it, for me at least. Thanks.
tenniskid567
Rookie
YULitle
Hall of Fame
Saying that Tiger Woods is an athlete has little-to-nothing to do with the sport/game/recreation that he plays. The guy is unbelievably fit and could smoke the lot of you on the track and could probably bench twice what you can. He is an athlete, end of story. Just because Babe Ruth was a fatty/alcoholic, doesn't mean that Derrick Jeter isn't an athlete. Same goes for comparing Tiger Woods to the fat slobs that play against him.
Bud
Bionic Poster
What are his sprint times? How much can he lift? What are his reaction times? Have you ever seen him run or throw a ball? Have you ever seen him participate in any (real) sport, outside of golf?
It seems you're just spouting off based on the guys appearance. You've got no clue about how his true athletic abilities (if they even exist).
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YULitle
Hall of Fame
The guy is fit. I can't speak for his 40 times or anything like that, but his reaction times are unparalleled. If you've ever seen him stop a golf stroke in the middle of his down swing after hearing a shutter-click, you know this.
I can't help but wonder if a lot of this golf bashing has to do with a lack of appreciation of the talent and dexterity required to play it well.
Bud
Bionic Poster
We're not saying golf isn't an activity that requires a high-degree of skill or practice. It's not a sport however and the players are not athletes. If they are considered athletes, it's from something completely disconnected from golf.
YULitle
Hall of Fame
Which is what I'm suggesting, to an extent. He is certainly a very athletic person. There is no denying this if you've ever seen him. Whether or not you consider golf to be a sport, TW is an athlete. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson acts in movies. That doesn't make acting a sport and it doesn't make him not an athlete. They are unrelated.
You guys are all going down a dead end tunnel with this conversation because all of your points are based on your own personal definition of the word 'sport'. Is it harder physically to climb a tree than to play golf? Definitely! Is it a sport? How you answer will reflect your definition of sport.
What is true though is that a lot of people have a completely wrong impression of golf because they watch it on tv and it looks 'easy'. I mean you see a guy hit a few shots here and there. These same viewers might claim to have played golf but obviously not seriously at all. Anyone that has seriously played and practiced and trained for golf will have a much clearer view of golf. It does not mean they will say it's a 'sport'; maybe yes maybe no. It all depends on their view of the word.
What is true though is that a lot of people have a completely wrong impression of golf because they watch it on tv and it looks 'easy'. I mean you see a guy hit a few shots here and there. These same viewers might claim to have played golf but obviously not seriously at all. Anyone that has seriously played and practiced and trained for golf will have a much clearer view of golf. It does not mean they will say it's a 'sport'; maybe yes maybe no. It all depends on their view of the word.
LiveForever
Banned
Yulite, He looks like an athlete but there is no way of us finding out. The sport he plays doesn't require him to put his athletic abilities on display. You said earlier that he is "up there" with all the other top athletes in the world, which I think is an incorrect assessment because, as mentioned before, we never see his athletic performance.
Also, another point I would like to raise. Looks can be decieving. Roger Federer looks like any random skinny 6 ft tall guy (even has a gut!), but in reality he is gifted athlete who can dominate more muscular and athletic looking players.
35ft6
Legend
He does look jacked beneath his Nike shirts, but this is all hypothetical. He may or may not be a great athlete, but he appears to be pretty strong and lean. Bottom line is there is absolutely no proof whatsoever that he's a great athlete, let alone the world's greatest.
In this discussion, it is totally relevant, because Tiger's golfing is the only demonstration we have of his "athleticism." Your analogy is false.
By the way, I heard Babe Ruth was a fantastic athlete. Who knows, maybe he was a better natural athlete than Jeter. This goes back to Tiger Woods "looking" like a great athlete. There usually is a strong correlation between looking like an athlete -- mesomorph with broad shoulders, muscles, and low body fat -- and actually being a gifted athlete, but there have been some great athletes who don't look the part.
35ft6
Legend
Didn't even see this. Basically what I posted but way more concise.
dlk
Hall of Fame
NO! One can bowl and smoke w/same results; strike. I've teed-off and hit a perfect 290' drive with a Malboro hanging. Oh I've attempted to smoke while playing tennis, not so hot. But I digress, the point is the cardio in those sports does not allow it, at least at advanced levels (i.e., Imagine Colts' Reggie Wayne running a full speed stop & go 70 yards & catching a bomb over his shoulder in stride with a smoke dangling from his mouth without burning an eyeball out or inhaling the entire cig). But that's a funny post; I get it, water & extreme speed/lack of O2 prohibits smoking, very funny.
I believe Tiger Woods is a superior golfer in part, from his athleticism. Just like I can beat higher rated players based on my athletic ability superceding their technical talent & experience. Come get some 50 y/o 4.5s:twisted: Sure I lose first set 6-1 or 6-2, but their spent after that!!!
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I don't watch golf, but surely Tiger Woods doesn't have to chase the ball down before hitting it, does he? That would require some agility...
slice bh compliment
G.O.A.T.
They are unrelated, but they do look a little bit alike. ;-)
Why you little.......
EDIT:
ANyway, on topic...for me this is not really about how athletic Woods is. He's athletic. Done. It's just a stretch to say he's ''the world's best athlete''. Maybe ''the top-earner in professional sports'' is closer to what Parnevik was trying to say. I believe we are taking the word athlete a little too seriously here.
I'm just guessing that Tiger would humbly bow out if he had to to strength/speed competitions against an NBA player or an NFL cornerback .... or Rafa. Or even Pete Sampras.
To Parnevik's point, though, I'm sure if he were reading this, he'd laugh because we are focusing on Tiger's athleticism rather than the philandering thing. Have you heard about the philandering thing?
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