Almost exactly two months after first denying that his position at the club was in danger, Tottenham announced the sacking of their manager Martin Jol on Thursday. Sevilla boss Juande Ramos is set to replace the Dutchman.
According to reports, Jol was informed that he has been fired prior to Spurs UEFA Cup match against Getafe. Although the news wasn't made public, rumors were already widespread, and the White Harte Lane faithful showed their support to Jol by chanting "Stand up for Jol" during the Getafe match. Jol's last match in charge of the Spurs symbolized the season for Spurs, as they took the lead through Jermaine Defoe early on, but went on to lose the match 2-1. When Defoe scored, videos showed Jol uncharacteristically somber, not celebrating unlike his previous demeanor, further fueling the rumors that were flying about at the time that his rein had come to an end.
Whether the change would bring about positive results at White Harte Lane would only be know in the next couple of months, but one things for certain- Tottenham were horrible in their handling of the situation. Back in August, they did no favors to Jol by clearly approaching Juande Ramos and offering him Jol's position, barely three months and a couple of matches after Jol lead them to a second consecutive fifth place position, even threatening to break into the top four. Although the Spur's Board denied any move to bring in Ramos, and said that Jol enjoys 100% support from them, Ramos accepted that he had been approached.
Jol's former colleagues showed sympathy to his removal, with Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson saying that Jol would be rather "relieved" that it's finally over, and added that his impressive record as manager would make it easy for him to find another position quickly. True this season Spurs had the worst start to their campaign in nineteen years, but back in 2005-06 also they never started well, only to finish fifth in the League. The problem lied in the fact that Jol had lost the respect of his players, as a result of being too "light" with them. ESPNStar's Steve McMahon said on a show that Jol was being punished for mistakes made by the players, and not him, since they never showed any drive to perform and improve during their matches this season.
"You can't just turn up and expect to win", McMahon was quoted to have said.
What future are the bookmakers predicting for Spurs? The odds are equally in favor of them getting relegated as they are for them to make the Champion's League. Many experts said that by sacking Jol, Spurs have lost a chance to create a dynasty, similar to Nottingham Forest's back in the 70s, and the ones at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson, and at Arsenal under Arsene Wenger.
"There seems to be a far less patient approach in football now but Arsene has been there 10 years and I have been here 21," Ferguson said in an interview," I think you can see there have been rewards for both managers and clubs."
e shtunë, 27 tetor 2007
e enjte, 25 tetor 2007
You call that insult???
Yet again, Indian sportsmen are being booked for having insulted the national flag. Remember Sachin Tendulkar and Narain Karthikeyan being barred from wearing the tricolour on their respective helmets back in 2005? This time, it's the turn for the Indian T20 World Championship winning squad.
In probably the most ridiculous story I have yet heard related to Indian T20 team's victorious South Africa sojourn, the Chief City Magistrate of Nagpur Nagar accepted a complaint against the team members for "insulting" the tri-colour during their celebrations. The person who filed the complaint was seemingly "offended" when the Indian players wrapped the tri-colour around themselves and rolled on the ground when some of their mates jumped on top of them.
Meaning no disrespect to the complainant and the Indian judiciary system, but, for heaven's sake, does Team India's actions show "disrespect" to the national flag? In 2005, the reason given to Tendulkar on why he couldn't sport the tricolour on his helmet was that, since his helmet was kept in a bag with his other sporting accessories, namingly his pads, guards, and so on, it wasn't fit for something as important to national sentiment as the country's flag to be kept alongside with them.
Rewind to Athens 2004. Maurice Green wore spiked shoes in the colours of the U.S. flag at the Olympics. Germany 2006. Wayne Rooney showcases his boots at the World Cup which had a miniature English flag at the back of the heel section. Both are lauded for their patriotism and passion. What if an Indian sportsman had shown his pride in representing his country in a similar way? Based on the cases that have already occurred, he could have easily faced a jail term or a huge fine.
The judiciary and the government has to realise that sportsmen do get very sentimental when they represent his country, and like to show that to the public. They have major restrictions on the gear they wear, and don't get many options wear to showcase their passion. For a cricketer, all he can personalise is his bat, shoes, helmet, and any additional accessory such as wrist bands. A Formula-1 driver gets no other option but his helmet. When Narain Karthikeyan was told to remove the flag, he did nothing to hide his disappointment at having to do so, and said that now all he can do is sell that portion of his helmet to some sponsor. This in a year when Narain Karthikeyan had spent each Rupee of his income to be able to represent India on the F1 circus, yet was willing to sacrifice some additional earnings to show how much he loved his country.
No sportsman, in their sound mind, would do anything to upset the national sentiment by disrespecting their nation's flag in front of such a large crowd, and when being watched by millions of viewers. Give these guys a break.
In probably the most ridiculous story I have yet heard related to Indian T20 team's victorious South Africa sojourn, the Chief City Magistrate of Nagpur Nagar accepted a complaint against the team members for "insulting" the tri-colour during their celebrations. The person who filed the complaint was seemingly "offended" when the Indian players wrapped the tri-colour around themselves and rolled on the ground when some of their mates jumped on top of them.
Meaning no disrespect to the complainant and the Indian judiciary system, but, for heaven's sake, does Team India's actions show "disrespect" to the national flag? In 2005, the reason given to Tendulkar on why he couldn't sport the tricolour on his helmet was that, since his helmet was kept in a bag with his other sporting accessories, namingly his pads, guards, and so on, it wasn't fit for something as important to national sentiment as the country's flag to be kept alongside with them.
Rewind to Athens 2004. Maurice Green wore spiked shoes in the colours of the U.S. flag at the Olympics. Germany 2006. Wayne Rooney showcases his boots at the World Cup which had a miniature English flag at the back of the heel section. Both are lauded for their patriotism and passion. What if an Indian sportsman had shown his pride in representing his country in a similar way? Based on the cases that have already occurred, he could have easily faced a jail term or a huge fine.
The judiciary and the government has to realise that sportsmen do get very sentimental when they represent his country, and like to show that to the public. They have major restrictions on the gear they wear, and don't get many options wear to showcase their passion. For a cricketer, all he can personalise is his bat, shoes, helmet, and any additional accessory such as wrist bands. A Formula-1 driver gets no other option but his helmet. When Narain Karthikeyan was told to remove the flag, he did nothing to hide his disappointment at having to do so, and said that now all he can do is sell that portion of his helmet to some sponsor. This in a year when Narain Karthikeyan had spent each Rupee of his income to be able to represent India on the F1 circus, yet was willing to sacrifice some additional earnings to show how much he loved his country.
No sportsman, in their sound mind, would do anything to upset the national sentiment by disrespecting their nation's flag in front of such a large crowd, and when being watched by millions of viewers. Give these guys a break.
e hënë, 22 tetor 2007
Sport and Racism
In South Africa, racism and sports have been intertwined right from the end of World War II, largely due to apartheid, which crushed the hopes of so many sportsmen of color (for example, see "The First Great Indian Golfer" below this post). But even though apartheid is long gone, racism is very much still a big factor in South African sport. Post the Springboks first World Cup triumph in 1995, many legislators voiced to the country's rugby federation to take the opportunity to showcase South Africa's racial mix. The debate of racial quotas has been raging ever since.
Sports is undoubtedly an ambassador for a country in its own way, basically because more people tune into watch a mega sporting event than any news program presenting the the visit of an "official" ambassador from another nation. The South African government certainly tried to take advantage of this to show that they were well and truly over apartheid and that blacks from the country had as much scope in sports as the whites. But, in following a selection process that includes race as an important attribute, are they running the risk of fielding teams consisting of players that don't deserve to be a part of it based on their abilities?
This topic first hit the Indian sporting circles back in 2005, when South African-born English cricketer Kevin Pietersen hit three centuries in their tour ODI series on their of South Africa, and in turn picked up the Man of the Series award. Whenever the Barmy Army would give Pietersen a standing ovation for his heroics as he would walk back to the dressing room on being dismissed, the home fans would stand up and show their backs to him, calling him traitor for having left his home country. But Pietersen didn't bother about his reception, and never said he made a wrong decision to change in nationality. He hailed that, despite some amazing performances, including a warm-up match against Naseer Hussain's England side in 1999, when he took four wickets and scored 61runs batting at No.9, he was dropped from his state's first team. He was never shy to say that he believed this was because of the racial quota system. He moved to Britain searching the opportunities he believed he deserved.
Now back to rugby. Unlike cricket, which adhered to the government's desire to field a team of diverse races, the rugby federation never let the officials interfere with the team's composition. Due to their stand, the Government has always been at odds with the federation. At one stage, the head of the parliament's sports ministry even suggested to impound the Springbok's passports till they take a more favorable stand to their desires. Although the team won the recently held World Cup, it wouldn't have gone unnoticed to the President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, that when he congratulated both the English and his country's team, that Engalnd had as many black players as the Springbok's had. Whether that would result in a push by the South African administration to bring in more black players into the team, or accept that the the best crop are the ones wearing the country's colours at the moment, remains to be seen.
Sports is undoubtedly an ambassador for a country in its own way, basically because more people tune into watch a mega sporting event than any news program presenting the the visit of an "official" ambassador from another nation. The South African government certainly tried to take advantage of this to show that they were well and truly over apartheid and that blacks from the country had as much scope in sports as the whites. But, in following a selection process that includes race as an important attribute, are they running the risk of fielding teams consisting of players that don't deserve to be a part of it based on their abilities?
This topic first hit the Indian sporting circles back in 2005, when South African-born English cricketer Kevin Pietersen hit three centuries in their tour ODI series on their of South Africa, and in turn picked up the Man of the Series award. Whenever the Barmy Army would give Pietersen a standing ovation for his heroics as he would walk back to the dressing room on being dismissed, the home fans would stand up and show their backs to him, calling him traitor for having left his home country. But Pietersen didn't bother about his reception, and never said he made a wrong decision to change in nationality. He hailed that, despite some amazing performances, including a warm-up match against Naseer Hussain's England side in 1999, when he took four wickets and scored 61runs batting at No.9, he was dropped from his state's first team. He was never shy to say that he believed this was because of the racial quota system. He moved to Britain searching the opportunities he believed he deserved.
Now back to rugby. Unlike cricket, which adhered to the government's desire to field a team of diverse races, the rugby federation never let the officials interfere with the team's composition. Due to their stand, the Government has always been at odds with the federation. At one stage, the head of the parliament's sports ministry even suggested to impound the Springbok's passports till they take a more favorable stand to their desires. Although the team won the recently held World Cup, it wouldn't have gone unnoticed to the President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, that when he congratulated both the English and his country's team, that Engalnd had as many black players as the Springbok's had. Whether that would result in a push by the South African administration to bring in more black players into the team, or accept that the the best crop are the ones wearing the country's colours at the moment, remains to be seen.
e shtunë, 22 shtator 2007
Mourniho exit=Players exodus?
The news of Mourinho's exit came as a bolt from the blue to me. Yes, everyone knew that Mourinho wasn't too happy lately at Stamford Bridge, but I never thought that he would leave, or that Abramovich would fire him, whichever the case may be, at such a crucial point in the season. I expected Mourinho to stay at least another season, take another crack at the Champion's League trophy that has so far eluded him in his three full seasons with Chelsea, try to regain the Premier League title, and leave England on a high, justifying "the Special One" name he gave himself.
Where does this leave Chelsea, and the Premier League? That can only be confirmed in the weeks to come. It depends heavily on how the Chelsea players react to their new manager. A lot of them were very close to Mourinho, and his departure could result in many wanting to leave the club. This could be noted in Ricardo Carvalho's statement, "It is a very sad day for me and the team. I had a big offer from Real Madrid but I stayed at Chelsea because of Mourinho." Didier Drogba is known to be furious over Mourinho's sudden exit, and Frank Lampard had put contract talks on hold at the start of the season. Could Chelsea soon be without several players that defined their game during the three seasons Mourinho spent there? Well, at least not till January till the time the transfer widow opens again. Grant, previously the coach of the Israeli national team, has a tough job of gaining respect of his players till then, or else Chelsea will be in turmoil.
As a Manchester United fan, I am elated by Mourinho's exit. For one, it means I no longer have to bear his arrogant antics. Also, this means Chelsea come into the important clash with United on Sunday distracted. I believe this could give United an edge over Chelsea this weekend, although when Ranieri took over in 2000 and faced the same fixture on his debut, Chelsea scraped a 3-3 draw. If Chelsea end up like Real Madrid, hiring and firing their managers every now and again, it could mean that all the hard work Mourinho had put in during his time would be undone. The hierarchy prior to Abramovich's take-over would return, with Arsenal and Liverpool already showing signs of becoming the power teams they previously were. The nature of this season, and maybe even the next few, could well be decided in the next couple of months.
Where does this leave Chelsea, and the Premier League? That can only be confirmed in the weeks to come. It depends heavily on how the Chelsea players react to their new manager. A lot of them were very close to Mourinho, and his departure could result in many wanting to leave the club. This could be noted in Ricardo Carvalho's statement, "It is a very sad day for me and the team. I had a big offer from Real Madrid but I stayed at Chelsea because of Mourinho." Didier Drogba is known to be furious over Mourinho's sudden exit, and Frank Lampard had put contract talks on hold at the start of the season. Could Chelsea soon be without several players that defined their game during the three seasons Mourinho spent there? Well, at least not till January till the time the transfer widow opens again. Grant, previously the coach of the Israeli national team, has a tough job of gaining respect of his players till then, or else Chelsea will be in turmoil.
As a Manchester United fan, I am elated by Mourinho's exit. For one, it means I no longer have to bear his arrogant antics. Also, this means Chelsea come into the important clash with United on Sunday distracted. I believe this could give United an edge over Chelsea this weekend, although when Ranieri took over in 2000 and faced the same fixture on his debut, Chelsea scraped a 3-3 draw. If Chelsea end up like Real Madrid, hiring and firing their managers every now and again, it could mean that all the hard work Mourinho had put in during his time would be undone. The hierarchy prior to Abramovich's take-over would return, with Arsenal and Liverpool already showing signs of becoming the power teams they previously were. The nature of this season, and maybe even the next few, could well be decided in the next couple of months.
e martë, 28 gusht 2007
To Sledge or not to Sledge
There was a lot of talk during the recently concluded India-England Test series over the volume of the stump cameras. The English team wanted the broadcaster to lower the volume so that when they sledged an Indian player, it wasn’t heard by the million of viewers following the match on their television sets. But, really, is sledging that important part of the game?
People defending sledging would say that it is integral, a modern strategy to your rivals all tensed and makes it easier to cause them to make mistakes. It shows aggression, it shows a burning desire to win, it shows that you belong here and are confident enough to be a part of the sport. But should verbal abuse (yes, sledging is nothing more than verbal abuse in more common terms) really be used to such a great extent in a sport which is called ‘The Gentleman’s Game’?
Don’t get me wrong here, I’m not attacking cricket alone. I am a critique of sledging in all sports. The players are looked up to by young adoring fans and it most certainly would not send out the right signals to them if you say that the secret behind your success is hard work, practice, physical fitness and a vocabulary of F-words used in various forms to have a go against your opponent’s moms and dads. It was a horrendous experience for me to recently play a small football match at school where every time during a corner there was some or another altercation with an opposing player where I had to bear insults to my family.
Athletes must realize that they are the ambassadors for good sportsmanship. I’m sure you can show your aggression in ways other than by sledging. If you remember the Chelsea-Manchester United game towards the end of last season, there was an incident involving Didier Drogba and Rio Ferdinand. The stare Drogba gave to Ferdinand made even a rough-and-tough guy like Ferdinand cower. Nobody can deny that Ferdinand was shaken by that look. If Ferdinand can be scared off by a mere gaze, anyone can be. And at least this way, we spare the kids vocabulary of some, well, unneeded words.
e mërkurë, 27 qershor 2007
Glory, Glory Man United!!!
If ever in my blogs you feel that I am favorable to Manchester United, in relation to their performances, or their dealings in transfers, or for that any matter where you may have a negative opinion of the club, you must forgive me. The problem is, I am in love with the team and the football that they play, and as any man can't bear to hear anything spoken against his Lady Love, I can't bear anything said against the Red Devils, and to me they would never be in the wrong.
It all began back in 1997, when I was introduced to the computer game FIFA 1997 on my mom's ICQ account. I didn't know a God damned thing about football back then, didn't even know that players play at different positions. All I knew though, was that United was the team with the best attributes in the English League then, which I chose because it was the first option given to me while choosing the region of the League I want to play. Neither did I know that that Number 9 who would always be at the centre when the game was about to kick off was not just another Number 9, that it was Eric "the King" Cantona. I didn't know that that Number 11 who I always for some reason found on the left side of the pitch from my goal was who I would later call Giggsy. To me, it did not matter back then what there names were, all that mattered was that they played decent, kicked the ball in the right direction, and won me the matches, which they somehow always did.
But, alas, for some reason I couldn't play the game any longer, since ICQ for some reason decided not to provide it any longer. I was separated from the lads for years, until, one fine day at a boarding school where I was then studying, Liverpool vs Manchester United was being aired. There were two reasons why I was rooting for United that day, one was of course my previous liaison with them, and because there was this bully that I loathed who was supporting Liverpool. Almost everyone in that room was in fact on Liverpool's side, scared to be on the wrong side of the bully, but it helped me a great deal that United got all three points, and, mor importantly, won the most bitter rivalry in the English game.
I wasn't a die hard United fan till I began playing FIFA 2002. Till then, I only preferrde to read in the newspapers that United won a game, but it didn't matter much to me, the same way right now I would like to read the Dallas Mavericks performing well in the NBA. But things changed with the new FIFA game. I started knowing players names, also learnt from my sister that there was this bald guy who plays for United who all girls drool while thinking of him. Now, with the ability to transfer players in the game, I also learnt of the talents that lay beyond the English borders. Soon, I was a football addict. All of us at my school were. We used to play football, or footsie or footer, as we called it, for about four or five hours on the sundays at our school. And I started following United's performances more seriously. The first United match I watched live was United vs Liverpool in December '02. It was at Anfield, and United won 2-1, with Diego Forlan scoring both. Maybe that's why I always liked Forlan, and that I did not really like to see him depart for Villareal.
Although they won the League that season, the next three seasons, where they only had an FA Cup and League Cup victories, were hard to bear. But, nonetheless, they were still by far the best team in the world to me, because when they played well, they made the good sides look like teams that should be playing in lower divisions, and smaller teams like they consisted of a bunch of guys picked up at a local club and thrown onto the pitch with a jersey. And, finally, last season United's real abilities came through as their newer players finally found their feet. Rooney finally began performing more consistently, though more often providing goals than scoring them, and Ronaldo by far was the player of the season. Long time players Giggs, Scholes and Neville provided the team with leadership, and the Vidic-Ferdinand combo at the centre defense positions provided the backbone. Result? United dethroned Chelsea in the League, narrowly lost out to the London team in the FA Cup final, and lost to eventual winners AC Milan in the Champions League. With new recruits Nani, Hargreaves and Anderson lined up for next season, I'm looking forward to more than one new addition to the trophy cabinet, and some more breathtaking games to savour.
It all began back in 1997, when I was introduced to the computer game FIFA 1997 on my mom's ICQ account. I didn't know a God damned thing about football back then, didn't even know that players play at different positions. All I knew though, was that United was the team with the best attributes in the English League then, which I chose because it was the first option given to me while choosing the region of the League I want to play. Neither did I know that that Number 9 who would always be at the centre when the game was about to kick off was not just another Number 9, that it was Eric "the King" Cantona. I didn't know that that Number 11 who I always for some reason found on the left side of the pitch from my goal was who I would later call Giggsy. To me, it did not matter back then what there names were, all that mattered was that they played decent, kicked the ball in the right direction, and won me the matches, which they somehow always did.
But, alas, for some reason I couldn't play the game any longer, since ICQ for some reason decided not to provide it any longer. I was separated from the lads for years, until, one fine day at a boarding school where I was then studying, Liverpool vs Manchester United was being aired. There were two reasons why I was rooting for United that day, one was of course my previous liaison with them, and because there was this bully that I loathed who was supporting Liverpool. Almost everyone in that room was in fact on Liverpool's side, scared to be on the wrong side of the bully, but it helped me a great deal that United got all three points, and, mor importantly, won the most bitter rivalry in the English game.
I wasn't a die hard United fan till I began playing FIFA 2002. Till then, I only preferrde to read in the newspapers that United won a game, but it didn't matter much to me, the same way right now I would like to read the Dallas Mavericks performing well in the NBA. But things changed with the new FIFA game. I started knowing players names, also learnt from my sister that there was this bald guy who plays for United who all girls drool while thinking of him. Now, with the ability to transfer players in the game, I also learnt of the talents that lay beyond the English borders. Soon, I was a football addict. All of us at my school were. We used to play football, or footsie or footer, as we called it, for about four or five hours on the sundays at our school. And I started following United's performances more seriously. The first United match I watched live was United vs Liverpool in December '02. It was at Anfield, and United won 2-1, with Diego Forlan scoring both. Maybe that's why I always liked Forlan, and that I did not really like to see him depart for Villareal.
Although they won the League that season, the next three seasons, where they only had an FA Cup and League Cup victories, were hard to bear. But, nonetheless, they were still by far the best team in the world to me, because when they played well, they made the good sides look like teams that should be playing in lower divisions, and smaller teams like they consisted of a bunch of guys picked up at a local club and thrown onto the pitch with a jersey. And, finally, last season United's real abilities came through as their newer players finally found their feet. Rooney finally began performing more consistently, though more often providing goals than scoring them, and Ronaldo by far was the player of the season. Long time players Giggs, Scholes and Neville provided the team with leadership, and the Vidic-Ferdinand combo at the centre defense positions provided the backbone. Result? United dethroned Chelsea in the League, narrowly lost out to the London team in the FA Cup final, and lost to eventual winners AC Milan in the Champions League. With new recruits Nani, Hargreaves and Anderson lined up for next season, I'm looking forward to more than one new addition to the trophy cabinet, and some more breathtaking games to savour.
e diel, 24 qershor 2007
Tiger, King of the Fairways
There's a joke in the golfing circles which goes like this, "What do you call three hundred white men, chasing one black man? Answer? The PGA TOUR." It's been over a decade since Tiger joined the most elite golfing Tour on the professional circuit, and truly turned the game on its head. Tiger's raw power, his aggressiveness, and his ability to do things with a golf ball that nobody before him ever could, made him a favorite amongst the spectators. They loved to see his 300+ yard drives, his precise approach shots, and his clutch putting, which would all be followed by his trademark fist pump to celebrate a birdie, or like on some occasions, an eagle.
When he first arrived, he was something the golfing world had never seen. When he drove a the green of a long par 4 green at Augusta National during the Masters, this news was passed onto Jack Nicklaus, hailed as one of the greatest players to have played the game, and the player with the most major victories. Nicklaus reply was"He what?" That's what Tiger Woods did, he accomplished feats that even the greatest players of all-time never thought could be done. Tiger went on to win the Masters by a record 12 strokes, his first of four green jackets, and first of twelve major wins. He is currently tied for second with the most number of major victories, six behind Nicklaus, all at the age of 31.
After Tiger, several other top youngsters came in, all with a solid game. Yet, nobody made an impact as much as Tiger did. Woods has held the top of the world rankings for almost the whole 21st century, only briefly losing it to Vijay Singh, when Tiger felt that his game could get better and sacrificed temporary success to take his game to a new level with a new coach and a new swing. But there's more to Tiger than his swing mechanics and his power, he has an unbelievable control over his mind and an extremely high level of concentration. Nobody is better down the stretch in a tournament as he is, which explains why he has won all the majors he led at the third round. And his playing partners on Sunday ore often than not for some reason play worse than they usually do, maybe just because of the aura of playing in the marquee group on the final day of a Major. Some of you may have seen at this year's Masters an occasion when, Tiger, during his tee shot, miraculously pulled out of it just as his driver began its trip down to the ball, when it would peak at over 120mph. Apparently, at the top of his swing, a bird flew overhead with its shadow being cast down from just behind the ball and through his legs, distracting him. I have see all kind of amazing shots, hole in ones from far far away, unbelievable hole-ins from out of nowhere and even trick shots that nobody could have ever even imagined, but that instance when Tiger quit his drive remains the most amazing sight I have ever seen in golf. If anyone could do that, it has to be Tiger. That is why he is by far the top player in the world, and one of the legends of the game. Long live Tiger.
When he first arrived, he was something the golfing world had never seen. When he drove a the green of a long par 4 green at Augusta National during the Masters, this news was passed onto Jack Nicklaus, hailed as one of the greatest players to have played the game, and the player with the most major victories. Nicklaus reply was"He what?" That's what Tiger Woods did, he accomplished feats that even the greatest players of all-time never thought could be done. Tiger went on to win the Masters by a record 12 strokes, his first of four green jackets, and first of twelve major wins. He is currently tied for second with the most number of major victories, six behind Nicklaus, all at the age of 31.
After Tiger, several other top youngsters came in, all with a solid game. Yet, nobody made an impact as much as Tiger did. Woods has held the top of the world rankings for almost the whole 21st century, only briefly losing it to Vijay Singh, when Tiger felt that his game could get better and sacrificed temporary success to take his game to a new level with a new coach and a new swing. But there's more to Tiger than his swing mechanics and his power, he has an unbelievable control over his mind and an extremely high level of concentration. Nobody is better down the stretch in a tournament as he is, which explains why he has won all the majors he led at the third round. And his playing partners on Sunday ore often than not for some reason play worse than they usually do, maybe just because of the aura of playing in the marquee group on the final day of a Major. Some of you may have seen at this year's Masters an occasion when, Tiger, during his tee shot, miraculously pulled out of it just as his driver began its trip down to the ball, when it would peak at over 120mph. Apparently, at the top of his swing, a bird flew overhead with its shadow being cast down from just behind the ball and through his legs, distracting him. I have see all kind of amazing shots, hole in ones from far far away, unbelievable hole-ins from out of nowhere and even trick shots that nobody could have ever even imagined, but that instance when Tiger quit his drive remains the most amazing sight I have ever seen in golf. If anyone could do that, it has to be Tiger. That is why he is by far the top player in the world, and one of the legends of the game. Long live Tiger.
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