Tiger Woods: 20 Reasons He's Still Right With Manny Pacquiao and Other Greats
Tiger Woods will return to work next week at Torrey Pines.
Woods announced that he will begin his season at the Farmers Insurance Open, which will be played at a course where he has won six times. Fans will remember perhaps one of his greatest career victories came there in 2008, when he defeated Rocco Mediate to win the U.S. Open.
Woods, who has been working on his game, enters a completely new chapter in his career with a host of new challenges. Besides losing his No. 1 world ranking, Woods is also looking for his first victory since the Australian Masters in November 2009. Some have said he's lost his mystique, but there's no doubt that he remains one of sports' greatest athletes and champions.
The average sports fan may think it's absurd to mention him in the same sentence with the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Georges St-Pierre, Roger Federer, Anderson Silva, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Josh Hamilton or Albert Pujols. Look closely, however, and you'll see they all have plenty in common.
Consider it a look at greatness. Here are 20 characteristics Woods shares with that group:
20. Competitive Side
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If there's one thing you can't argue, it's that Tiger has a competitive side. Want to bet he'll use all the talk and doubters to fuel him even more this season? There have been numerous stories in the past of how opponents misspoke and said something flippant, then got carved up shortly thereafter.
Michael Jordan was much the same way, whether in practice, games or in his spare time gambling at casinos. Manny Pacquiao also loves to compete in pool, and has been known to gamble up to $30,000 per game.
The greats never lose their edge.
19. Facing Setbacks
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If you think about it, what Tiger's going through is part of the territory. Everyone faces setbacks, struggles and adversity, but the greats find a way to overcome it.
Tom Brady's done it with his knee surgery, and after disastrous playoff losses. Manny Pacquiao lost to Erik Morales in 2005, but has since responded with 13 straight victories.
Josh Hamilton's story perhaps is the most incredible when it comes to this subject. The former No. 1 pick saw his career derailed by drug and alcohol abuse, but has since returned to baseball and won the American League MVP last year while leading the Texas Rangers to their first World Series appearance.
Tiger has persevered through changes with his swing, bounced back from knee surgery and now is looking for a win after a nightmarish 2010 season. Judging by what he's done before, it's safe to say he will likely be adding to his legacy.
18. Criticism Will Always Be There
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Like any other great athlete, Woods will remain under the spotlight and have every constant move discussed by throngs of reporters and fans who can be quick to criticize. Sometimes it's legitimate, and other times it can be ridiculous.
Woods saw this up close last year following the news of his multiple affairs he had. He's also received criticism as well for his vulgarity aimed at photographers taking photos during his backswing.
Other greats have been in the spotlight recently too: New York Jets coach Rex Ryan took aim at Tom Brady for taunting opposing sidelines, and Manny Pacquiao also came out and defended himself for choosing to face "Sugar" Shane Mosley in his next fight.
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17. Mutual Admiration
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Athletes are just like musicians, writers or anyone else: They tend to admire other peoples' work.
Everyone knows about Tiger and his time spent with Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan. He's also befriended Roger Federer, and the two have been spotted rooting for each other.
He's not the only one. Recently Georges St-Pierre and Manny Pacquiao met for the first time. Before they became teammates, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were friends who went at each other in some incredible matchups. That also happened to be the case with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.
16. Great Coaching
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Find any great athlete, and usually they've been helped by great coaches.
Tiger has worked with Butch Harmon and Hank Haney and turned to Sean Foley for advice late last year. Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan have both won championships under Phil Jackson, and Tom Brady's legacy has been helped by Bill Belichick. Manny Pacquiao has also had Freddie Roach in his corner.
15. Chasing Legends
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All of Jack Nicklaus' records still loom out there for Woods.
Greats always get stacked up and compared with past legends, which can be unfair but also is to be expected. Bryant, of course, has been compared with Michael Jordan, a topic that stirs plenty of controversy, especially with older NBA fans.
Federer has been compared with Pete Sampras and Pacquiao with some of boxing's greatest legendary champions.
Fans love to debate. Athletes naturally love to try and top their predecessors.
14. Delivering Beatdowns
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When they're on, great athletes like Woods punish the competition. In some cases, like when Manny Pacquiao beat Antonio Margarito (pictured), the results can be gruesome.
13. Facing the Best
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Would Tiger Woods be where he is if he hadn't beat golfers like Phil Mickelson?
Greats take on the best and keep excelling. Sometimes they lose, but more times than not their games rises to the level of competition. Think about Tom Brady and his matchups with Peyton Manning, or Kobe against LeBron. Or Federer and Nadal.
They may not be best friends, but great athletes realize that great competition only makes them better.
12. Pressure Packed
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When you're on top like Woods has been, there's no room for a letdown. You remain the hunted, you're the one everyone wants a shot at and the slightest mistakes get picked apart.
Anderson Silva saw this first hand after barely beating Chael Sonnen. Tom Brady got it especially after losing to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, and again last week to the Jets.
The pressure's back on Woods now to return to form, and regain his spot atop the world rankings in 2011.
11. Improving Their Sports
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Greats like Woods come along and only improve their sports. Golf has improved significantly since Woods burst on the scene, and many have followed his example and taken to weight training in an effort to increase their strength and overall performance.
It's like the old saying goes: If you take a day off, keep in mind there's always someone else out there putting in that extra practice.
10. Incredible Platforms
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While it hasn't made him a better athlete, Woods' greatness has been followed on a global scale. Massive attention tends to follow great athletes.
Georges St-Pierre is beloved back home in Canada, and most in the Philippines usually stop what they're doing when Manny Pacquiao fights. Josh Hamilton has also garnered a huge following in religious circles, especially among Christians.
9. Drive To Improve
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Greats like Woods are never satisfied and constantly seeking to improve and sharpen their skills.
In a May 2009 article in the London Telegraph, trainer Freddie Roach said that Manny Pacquiao still hasn't reached his full potential.
"The scary thing is we still have not seen the best of Manny Pacquiao," Roach said. "I have never trained an athlete like Manny who after more than 50 fights is still willing to learn new techniques and is able to apply them. One of the reasons Manny is so hard to fight is because you never see the same Manny two times in a row.
"He always has a new style making him totally unpredictable and impossible to anticipate. Plus his conditioning is supreme to anyone in the sport. He is an athletic phenomenon. I get a lot of credit for his success, but it’s Manny who does the work in the gym and does the fighting in the ring. He’s incredible. His last four fights have been at four different weight divisions."
8. Clutch Performances
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You'll find them over and over, especially with Woods.
There was his showdown with Rocco Mediate, as well as plenty of other great moments. Michael Jordan had "The Shot." Manny Pacquiao had a razor thin victory over Juan Manuel Marquez in their rematch. Anderson Silva came back to beat Chael Sonnen.
Dominance is one thing, but succeeding under pressure takes you to another level.
7. Dedication
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They work harder, they invest more and they're simply never satisfied. In basketball, the term is "gym rats." There are stories of how Kobe Bryant picked the brains of past players in the offseason, and how Josh Hamilton arrived early at spring training before the Rangers did to improve his swing.
The last thing you question with players like these is their work ethic.
6. Complete and Well-Rounded
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What makes athletes like Woods incredible is that they don't just rely on one strength or tool. They'll find a variety of ways to win, and they're just as strong mentally as they are physically.
When they find their groove, that's when you often hear the phrase about being "in the zone." Once that happens, few stand a chance.
5. Incredible Consistency
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Watch any great athlete, and you'll always see consistency at some point.
Woods spent 281 consecutive weeks as golf's No. 1 player, and 623 overall at the spot. Georges St-Pierre (pictured) has won an astonishing 30 consecutive rounds (a UFC record), and Tom Brady threw his first interception last week in 340 pass attempts.
4. Pride and Passion
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Want to find an athlete with some intensity and passion? Look no further than Woods.
You've seen it with him, plenty with Brady and of course with Jordan. It wouldn't be as entertaining to see such great athletes perform if they didn't seem to care so much.
3. Leaving You Guessing
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Great athletes like Woods stand out also, because you're often left wondering what they'll do next to win, or what incredible moment you'll witness that you thought would be impossible.
2. Dominance
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No, they won't always win, but great athletes like Woods can also put on performances that are so dominant you think for a second that it may be something you'll never see again in your lifetime.
1. The Wow Factor
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Even if he's no longer golf's No. 1 player, you'll tune in when Woods plays because he's fun to watch. And when he's on, there's no guesswork about whether or not he will win.
Chances are you'll be left shaking your head, just like with any other great athlete, going, "Wow. I can't believe I just saw that."
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