I love Jon Wertheim’s quip from his excellent tennis awards post this week: “apparently the off season falls on a Tuesday this year.” Agreed that the off season is too short, but at the same time, what the heck are we going to talk about?
Well Tiger Woods, of course!
I was hoping Tiger Woods’s self-exile would mean a reprieve of Tiger Talk for a while, but the Associated Press had to go name him “Athlete of the Decade” this week. In a poll of members of The Associated Press, Tiger got 56 of the 142 votes. Lance Armstrong got 33 and Roger Federer got 25 (which is considered respectable given the AP’s reputed preference for American athletes.)
Here’s the AP’s explanation:
“For 10 incomparable years, no one ruled a sport like Woods. He won 64 tournaments, including 12 major championships. He hoisted a trophy on every continent where golf is played. And those 56 titles in one decade on the PGA Tour? Consider that only four of golf’s greatest players won more in their entire careers.”
“No one ruled a sport like Woods” heh?
Since 2001 – when he snagged his first on the ATP tour – Federer’s won 61 singles titles, including 15 major championships (Tiger’s won 14 total, but two of those came in the 1990s so aren’t counted in the decade). Roger hasn’t hoisted a trophy on every continent where tennis is played – but that’s just a question of geography. Roger has won multiple titles on every surface where tennis is played. He’s one of only three pros in the Open Era (Agassi and Laver are the other ones) to win a career Grand Slam. And when Rod Laver was playing, 3 of the 4 majors were on grass. Admittedly, Roger’s nowhere near the total title wins of say a Jimmy Connors (109) or Ivan Lendl (94) but he’s broken the record that counts the most with his 15 Major titles. Tiger’s still four away from Jack Nicklaus’s all-time record of 18. The way things are going, Roger may beat Nicklaus’s numbers before Tiger does.
Click here for more awesome stats (Thanks, Judy!)
Crunch the numbers as we may, I do think we’re comparing apples to oranges here (or clubs to racquets.) Do you cramp in golf? Do you sweat on a cold day? Must you ever move faster than a brisk stroll (unless someone yells “fore!”)? Do you face opponents as physically awesome as Rafael Nadal? Guys who can serve at 150 mph like Andy Roddick? Dudes who can slice and dice you like Fabrice Santoro (slice is a bad thing in golf, right)?
There is no doubt that Tiger Woods is terrifically fit – his fitness is a big part of what makes him an extraordinary golfer. In tennis, supreme fitness makes you Tommy Robredo. Tiger’s abilities to concentrate, endure and succeed under pressure are justly celebrated – but does this make him an athlete? Doctors, military personnel and circus performers face the same challenges and much higher stakes. Are EMTs athletes? Fire eaters? Stilt walkers? Big animal veterinarians? Probably more so than golfers.
I’m not hating on Tiger or his chosen profession – I just think golf is more of a game than a purely athletic pursuit. Perhaps this was once true of tennis, too, but Big Bill Tilden changed that in the 1920s.
In the interest of finding common ground, I propose the AP rename Tiger Woods as the Player of the Decade, instead. Heh.
What do you think?
Loading ...Tags: ATP, Federer, tennis, Tiger Woods
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ff, i’m so glad you addressed this issue… this choice is absolutely ridiculous and even pathetic. if golf is a sport than so is making veggie soup. it’s really absurd…
here’s what the guys in tennis.com think of it:
http://www.tennis.com/articles/templates/features.aspx?articleid=2996&zoneid=9
and this one’s just for fun, to hail the greatness:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLvgMOvgOWw&NR=1
Thanks FeddyBear for the links!
I see James Martin brings up the dominance issue, and being “better than the field” vs. “better than your opponent.” I’ve always felt that Tiger’s dominance is more akin to outscoring everyone on a timed test than actually competing against armed and dangerous opponents. Would you rather take an SAT or go 8 rounds in the ring? Okay, maybe some find boxing less terrifying than multiple choice, but do you get my point?
“If golf is a sport than so is making veggie soup” HA!
I have played golf a little bit and think it’s a blast. But I tend to sweat a lot and have only perspired a couple times on the driving range (and that was because of ninety degree temperatures.) Come to think of it, I’ve definitely sweated more in the kitchen over the years (especially when the oven’s on.)
I’m curious – is there anyone out there who wants to defend the athletic attributes of golf vs. tennis?
thanks feddybear for that youtube link……..it was sheer genius. i needed that. i’ve missed seeing rog. 2010 will bring tennis to a whole other level…i’m feeling it…it’s exciting.
I would have loved to see Roger as athlete of the decade! I do like watching Tiger too, but tennis is played on different surfaces and it’s a knock out system. It’s also more physically demanding as you argue. It’s too bad tennis doesn’t get recognition here in the states and since Associated Press is an American news agency, I’m not really surprised Rog came in 3rd. I just wish I could’ve voted though
John McEnroe said words to this effect a couple of decades ago. “Golf isn’t a sport. A sport means you have to at least run around a little.”
McEnroe comment for the win.
I hate this, I really do. Why, in that article, is Roger’s record only compared to male players??? Female players have also achieved career Grand Slams (Steffi managed to win all for in the same calendar year!) yet they are not mentioned while Agassi and Laver are.
And while Roger may have won 15 Grand Slam titles, Martina Navratilova has won 18, yet no-one is labeling her the GOAT. Doesn’t seem fair to only look at Roger’s accomplishments with regards to other male players, it’s a sneaky way of devaluing the achievements of women in the sport.
Navratilova and Graff’s achievements are amazing, but let’s not forget they play best of 3 sets in the Grand Slams.
Hi Jane! I’m totally with you on respecting women’s contributions in sports. My one caveat in this discussion is that the AP’s poll was not about the GOAT but about the best athlete of this decade. I’d say Serena Williams is probably one of the best athletes of the decade, male or female, although she hasn’t yet come close to beating Martina’s or Steffi’s records.
Something cool I learned about the AP in researching this story – they do a similar poll called the Athlete of the Year award, which honors both the top male and female sportspeople of the year. They’ve been awarding this honor to both sexes since its inception in 1931 – a time when very few women were taken seriously in sports or anywhere else outside the domestic sphere! It’s kind of a cool list on the women’s side, and of course tennis is duly represented as the premier sport for women: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associated_Press_Athlete_of_the_Year
Thanks FF for bringing this subject up.Nice Post btw….I agree with everybodys sentiments.I respect Tiger tho im not a golf fan, his contribution in golf was amazing but to be voted as Athlete of the Decade?I dont think he deserved it.Roger deserved it best.His accomplishments far outweighs Tiger’s.Too bad, those AP’s distinguished panel of judges didn’t see that.Or they just specifically adhered to their one major criteria in choosing their recipient of that very special award.First and Foremost, their recipient must be an American Citizen, right AP???IT sucks to be Swiss for Roger right?James Martin was right.Roger was robbed.Tiger may have won on paper but for majority of Sports/ Real Athletes fans, Roger is the TRUE WINNER AND THE TRUE ATHLETE OF THE DECADE!
I LOVE YOU ROGER FEDERER !
Woman should be recognized in sports just as much as men yes. But when judging their achievements its only fair to compare them with other woman or men. Woman in tennis have been able to dominate there sport to greater extent then men have. especially in grand slams. For example the most grand slams in womans tennis is 24 titles by Helen Moody. In the mens game, its 15 by Roger Federer. This is no reason to belittle what hes accomplished, which is more than any other man.
Every one is getting their picks wrong (Yeah! I haven’t got over SI naming Jeter) Time Magazine naming Ben Bernake ????
The only thing I like about the AP, is that Roger is the only person not born in the US, and that means a lot…
What else could one expect frome a country that calls a bi-national league ‘World Series’?
Wow, I totally agree that Federer should be the athlete of the decade without a doubt. I am sorry but he has had higher numbers and he did get married… to have children.
Unfortunately, these are US-dominated media groups, and therefore Roger is not going to win, as much as he deserves it. That’s too bad, because to me tennis seems like the most intense and difficult sport to stay at the top — generally single elimination, requiring the ability to withstand intense psychological pressure, with the slightest lapse in concentration sometimes the difference between victory and defeat (see Wimbledon 2009), and a brutal rankings system. It makes Roger’s achievements all the more amazing. Derek Jeter, feh!
Well, Woods is a great athlete, but I don’t think he should have gotten the award. However; when his personal life fell to pieces, the votes had already been made and the ballots were being counted. So, I don’t know how I feel about it right now.
Federer should have won it, especially since he completed a career slam, which very few have done….I say a recount!
roger all the way! ff, you know how i feel- rog was robbed! and it’s not just because we are mighty fed fans, it’s because of his 15 majors, slam semi record that continues, many other unbelievable records and achievements, longevity and consistency. his game is absolutely beautiful and he’s the most complete player ever. he’s had to face so many #1s and adversaries during his career and has triumphed over all (except for nadal, mostly on clay). he absolutely finished off the decade with style and on top of that, he is an incredible ambassador for the sport. he also lifted the sport to new heights and transcended tennis. there is no doubt that he brought more fans to the sports as well. he is also well respected by many top athletes in various sports. we will never see another player like him. i hope he wins a different athlete of the decade award. he totally deserves it!
I have to say the AP award is b*ll sh*t. How can you argue with the numbers. This is an exact science. Roger is the best of all times in tennis. All accomplished since 2003. Woods is not the best golfer of all times, and he has been going at it longer than Roger.
I agree, not being american was the reason of this shamefull act. I am not feeling very proud of being an american right now.
Roger Federer, you are the best athlete of the decade in my book.