Tiger pumps up Bucs

Jon Gruden promised a surprise and, boy, did he deliver.

The Bucs coach arranged to have golfer Tiger Woods meet with the team Tuesday night at the Celebration Hotel, giving players a chance to spend time with arguably the world's greatest athlete.

"I'm the president of this fan club," Gruden said. "He spoke to the team ha had a chance to visit with a lot of the players. If you ask me, it's just my opinion, he is global. He is the No. 1 superstar on all the sports lists (and) on my list.

"And he hits all the shots, all the time. He has complete mental control. He's unbelievable and hopefully some of that rubs off on us. Let's hope it does. He's a high class, high character, great role model for just about every phase of life. I can't say enough about him."

Gruden often arranges for sports icons to impart knowledge on the team, but this might be his biggest get yet.

[Photo: AP Photo]

Comments

[runs with scissors in front pocket]

Rich McKay would have had him here earlier, and washed his club heads in his mouth, while he was speaking to the team.

[Real Sports]

I am so sick of people saying he is the worlds greatest athelete. Golf is not a real sport. Anything you play in slacks is not a sport. Now i know you need to be fit to play and im not discounting his skills, but please lets stop with all that garbage. Any one of those kids who grow up thinking of football, basketball, hockey, etc. would be great golfers if they dedicated thier lives to it like he has.

[runs with scissors in front pocket]

Lawn Darts was the game that took the best athletes to compete. If you were able to bounce a lawn dart off your head after a drunk relative threw it at your end, you were the man.

[StefPox]

Hey Real Sports,

Baseball is essentially played in slacks, especially with how modern players wear their pants. Men's tennis was played in slacks for years, cricket is still played in slacks. Guess all those are not sports either. Since when did clothes define a sport? I can see you emceeing on the red carpet at the Annual Sport of the Year Awards! Far be it for me to question your sexuality, but you seem a bit obsessed with how people dress rather than on their athletic prowess.

[Kurt]

If you don't think Tiger Woods is an athlete; you're nuts! In fact, I bet it is why he is the best of his time and on his way to best ever! That said; Fuzzy Zoeller and Phil Mickelsong aren't much of athletes.

[DR]

He is talking in general about golf not being an athletic sport, it isn't. Tiger is great for the sport because he is an athlete. I do recall him losing a tournament to a fat slob smoking cigars earlier in the year, though. Look at John Daly too. I agree, baseball isn't much more athletic than golf.

[Valrico Rick]

Regardless of this highly intellectual evaluation of golf, the man does what he does better than anyone else and that is the element that matters most. It takes enormous focus and concentration to succeed as a professional golfer, and Tiger Woods has taken success to a new level. In football, of course, you have to play like Kevin Costner in Tin Cup and never lay up.

[Sim]

Real Sports - your post is beyond absurd. The way I see it, you are attempting to recycle a bad George Carlin joke from 20 years ago or you have never played golf, especially competitve golf.

[jeff]

golf is a hobby like bowling ?

[real sports]

I do play golf and am ok at it. But what is the worst thing to happen after a day of golf? A sore back? I never said woods isnt an athlete, i just said you cant call him the greatest athlete in the world! All you people are acting like your related to tiger. My comments are about golf in general like DR said. Its a totally moronic argument that golf is on par with other real sports. and to the fool questioning my sexuality, i wish there was a way to show you how quickly i would take your sister and your girlfriend... i usually try and keep these things civil, but you pissed me off.

[John]

I agree Tiger is not the greatestest athlete in the world, however he is the greatest sports figure in the world.

[Chris]

I played college and pro baseball and also play golf 3 times a week. The last thing I hurt in golf was my pride with an errant tee shot. I have injuries from baseball that I will always be paying for. To compare baseball with golf is hilarious and ignorant.
Now with that said Tiger is good athlete but I would challenge him to a decathalon of athletic events and I would give him golf and he would give me baseball and I would put a years salary on the other eight sports and I would win at least 7 of them. This is not conceit or ignorance. With that also being said I would not challenge Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders with the same bet

[Dave]

If you drink a beer while "playing" it, it's not a sport.

And wasn't it nice of him to talk to the Bucs?

[Rodger]

Golf is a sport just like nascar is a sport. that makes my 89yo grandmother an athlete, just not a professional athlete. next thing were going to be hearing is texas holdem is a sport and not an excuse for alcoholic card players.

[Yoshi]

I guess we're not talking football today lol. I think the correct term is icon rather than athelete. Like Real Sports said, theres not a whole lot of athletics in golf to name him the best athelete in the world. Maybe the calmest or most poised athelete. I dont agree with DR saying that Baseball isnt really that much more athletic either. Baseball is way more athletic than golf. I really dont know what he could have said to the players that is really worth while other than some football cliches like "you men have to stay focused" or "you need to keep your head in the game". In the end it really doesnt matter because golf is lame and boring unless you're actually playing or you're retired from another sport.

[Krutch]

Does anyone remember the Publix "Ask the Bucs" on gameday asking if they could be another athlete for a day, who would you be? About 80% said Tiger Woods. Good goin Gruden!

[joeh]

All you guys are funny. Wait, I mean in a humorous way. Leave my sister out of this. So do we include cycling and soccer in deciding who is the greatest. I think Tiger is right up there and that is with a capital T. My vote is Ali but what do I know.

[James]

you are all arguing on the definition of an Athlete. from dictionary.com "a person trained or gifted in exercises or contests involving physical agility, stamina, or strength; a participant in a sport, exercise, or game requiring physical skill". Tiger uses all of those. You can't argue with that. It does not matter how many sports one can play, or how much pain you are in at the end of the day. It's how you master the sport you have chosen. When considering Agility, Stamina, strength, coordination, focus, determination, etc... Tiger is #1.

[Andy]

You could make viable greatest athlete cases for Michael Phelps or Rafael Nadal, as much as you could for Tiger. The difference is more Americans care about golf than swimming or tennis, so that makes Tiger number one. Not that I care one way or the other, and I highly doubt his visit will in any way translate to wins or losses for the Bucs. Another nice but pointless Gruden gesture.

[Jake]

Is this the Tiger Woods Free Agent that Bruce Allen promised?

[Tuck]

Tiger Woods is an incredible ATHLETE!!! Sure, golf requires amazing hand/eye coordination, but no running or jumping ability...so what? Golf also requires performance under immense pressure.

Yes, some golfers are fat, lazy, and goofy. But, so are some Offensive Lineman, kickers, and QB's.

By the way, Tiger Woods bench-presses over 320 pounds! I think that it is safe to say that he would be very good at numerous sports.

[Bruce Allen]

We never made him an offer.

If golf's not a sport, then go out and play it and line your pockets with millions.

[Tim in Seattle]

I am not a fan, but golf is a legitimate sport. It's not in the same category of physical intensity as hockey or football, but the torque the players deal with on a consistent basis is pretty tough. Also, the mental challenges are pretty impressive and the dealing with the pressure these guys handle so well is respectable at least. Tiger is a great athlete who has the physical attributes that rival athletes in "real" sports. I believe his bench press is around 350lbs. There's no way I can get anywhere near that. Anyways, for Tiger to take time out of his day to motivate my favorite football team is pretty cool. I think this makes up for his Stanley Cup Finals remarks. Thanks again Tiger and GO BUCS!

[Larry]

Real Sports: Golf is a hobby when you show up 15 minutes before your tee time, get in a cart, and drink beer throughout the round. Next time you play, try this instead:

Get there 60-90 minutes early, hit a bucket of balls, spend 20 minutes on the practice green, another 15 chipping. Walk the course. Play in front of somebody other than your playing partners (who probably can't bear to look anyway). When you're finished go back to the range, and spend another hour beating balls. Then go to the gym and work out of another hour or so.

Now come back tomorrow and do it again, 5-6 times a week. Oh, by the way, you can only shoot about 69 while on the course (after 18, not 12).

Admittedly it ain't the marathon, but it's physically draining and requires you to maintain your mental concentration for about 5 hours while (in Tiger's case) about 15,000 people are milling randomly around whatever it is you're doing, some of them only 3-4 feet away.

Every sport requires a different set of skills. Some folks are special at what they do. Tiger's in the category.

[Vince]

Real sports -- you are a meathead. You equate athletics only with muscle soreness and injury?

Tiger dominates the PGA precisely because he is an incredible athlete. Besides being physically stronger than everyone else on the PGA (the only trait that you seem to equate with athleticism), he is incredible under pressure, incredibly fit, has incredible hand-eye coordination and great imagination. Last time I checked, these were the same traits that people associate with Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth, Brett Favre, Wayne Gretsky and more.

[tradewinds loser boy moser]

tiger is like jordan and no others either they dont feel pressure or they thrive on it.

[Tony]

Now if he could catch a football and run with it, the Bucs could really use him.

[Kevin]

did Gruden sign Tiger as a qb?

[Jack]

Go hit thousands of golf balls a day every day, and then tell me Tiger isn't an athlete. All of these guys, except maybe Daly, do that. That's why they can be as precise when on the course. They don't just roll out of bed, step on the first tee, hit 70 or 80 balls and go home. THOUSANDS a day. Try it "Not real Sport".

[Dave]

80% said Tiger Woods because they all the nude photos of Ellen in their lockers.

This sure did cause a Tesosterone spray. Tiger has pretty mean ping pong game and i hear he is dead on with an XBOX.

Gruden loves Tiger because Tiger pulls 99 million year on endorsements alone. Gruden don't pull squat.

[Truck]

Real Sports...your argument is now nil. You showed everyone what a dirtbag you are with your last comment. Take the high road next time and be a good sport...notice I didnt say athlete.

[e]

good one larry. and let's not forget they WALK those 18.

[shane]

hey dave you can drink a beer and play hockey. Just play for a few minutes or until the next rotation then while on the bench just ask the salesman walkin through the isle for a beer then go back in on the next rotation. Now tell me hockey isn't a real sport.

[M]

I'm embarassed for 90% of what has been said on this post. Are you really arguing whether or not golf is a sport?? Wow. Golf does involve much more of the mind than the body, but it takes more practice, precision, and focus than any other sport.

[Golf ball]

This story makes my golf balls tingle. I really want to caress my 1 wood as I dream of paring off against Tiger in a long, hard match.

[runs with scissors in front pocket]

nicely done G Balls, nicely done....
Rich would be proud! He may clean your 1 wood too.

[DR]

There is no question that golf is a sport, but it isn't much of a sport when compared to football. I don't see 80 year old women tossing a football around. 90% of the PGA players couldn't out run an offensive linemen in the NFL, so don't give me that crap. NFL linem run 40's in 5 seconds which is still really good, especially for 300 pounders.
Nobody can play golf at Tigers level, but Tiger couldn't play at any position at JUCO level. Try running a slant pattern at full speed and concentrate on catching a fastball while waiting to get laid out.

[Yoshi]

Everyone needs to get off his nuts! How do you even find out random facts about how much he benches. Golf is lame whether you consider it a sport or not. I mean i consider it a sport and i give him his props for being the best that ever lived but its still a lame one. It may take poise, mental toughness, or whatever, but if you were to ask any self-respecting man, they would tell that they would rather win a superbowl any day of their life than win a PGA tour.

[DR]

Hey Yoshi, imagine if all the football fans had to be quiet while the game was on, haha! How gay would that be? If the game you play requires fans to be quiet, it isn't much of a game. You think Tiger could shoot a free throw with people yelling and screaming at him with the game on the line? I don't think so.

[Pete]

Falut Gruden in many areas... but he does a nice job motivating the troops.

[Yoshi]

DR, Thats the damn truth. How do people even become golf fans? That junk is so whack!

[Steve L]

Clearly golf is a sport; Real Sports did not dispute that, he was merely arguing about the validity of naming Wood’s as the World’s Greatest Athlete. To say so you have to use some useful parameter. If it’s wins, most tennis players (an admittedly more strenuous sport) would trump that. Any other non golf parameter you use would also have numerous contenders. Regardless, it’s such a subjective argument as to render it moot. Let’s agree that Wood’s is a great golfer and a good athlete. I would think that by most accepted parameters he would generally be considered a great golfer (obviously) and a good athlete (given the strict definition of the word). Physical agility? Check. Stamina and strength? Fine, though far from elite (but great for golf). And I’ve got news for you, I’d love to see Tiger bench 350! Not happening…

[real sports returns]

First of all, let me apologize for my last post. Like another person said, i should have taken the high road.

With that said, its nice to see some people agree with me, and the ones who didnt provided some good counter arguments.

Didnt mean to turn this into a golf argument. I was just bored at work and since i never post anything, i decided to rile things up.

Its been fun guys. thanks.

Lets see if we can duplicate our good efforts against the fins against the pats... now that would be something to write home about, even though its the preseason.

[Bob]

Smooth Shiney Balls!

[jon gruden]

i will not speculate on signing tiger woods as qb. i know nothing about it