The Masters golf tournament is just around the corner, which means we will once again ask and try to answer the most burning question in all of golf.
What about Tiger?
The other question is, how much longer are we going to ask "What about Tiger?"
Tiger Woods is, for good or ill, still the biggest name in the world of golf. The fact that he hasn't won in forever, or the fact that he's not even close to being the best golfer in the world anymore, doesn't seem to matter.
The other thing is that I don't get a feeling there is much emotional attachment to Woods and his return to golf. People may be interested, intellectually, but as far as desire for that return coursing through the veins, I don't get that feeling.
Simply put, I don't think anybody loves Tiger Woods. And I think it's his fault.
After his bizarre private life became a public spectacle and debacle Woods fell to the bottom. He went to therapy. He told everyone he had changed. He said he had learned how to be more open, more friendly, more honest. Deceit, he said, had disappeared from his life.
On a hot August day in 1996 at Brown Deer Park, Tiger Woods turned pro. I was there that day, watching this skinny 20-year-old sit behind a table with that famous grin. The first words out of his mouth were, "Hello, world."
A good friend of mine, Terry Evans, was standing with me. "He seems a little ... a little ... programmed," Evans said. I chided Evans, saying he should give the kid a break.
As it turns out Woods has never been able to seem like he's telling the whole truth, even if he was. His expression never cracks, either in sadness or joy. He's not a robot, but he's close.
Even now, after all he's gone through, after his adoring public has stood by him and rooted for his return, he still greets the applause with just a nod, a small tip of the hat and a grin that might as well be a grimace.
His coldness suffers badly by comparison with his main rival, Phil Mickelson. Mickelson shows his joy and wears his emotions on his sleeve. He's easy to love, and easy to hate. He signs countless autographs. Woods has guys around him who tell fans to "leave him alone."
I know many people who say it's not important whether an athlete is friendly to fans or not. The only thing that matters is how he performs on the field. And there is a part of me that agrees.
In Woods' case, however, I do think it's important. He is much more than just a golfer. He's a brand. And his brand is badly tarnished. If he can't find a way to seem more ... I don't know what ... he'll soon become one of those about whom we say, "I don't care."
In both his public and private lives, Woods has always had only a nodding acquaintance with the truth. How many times has he been asked on the course how he was doing and he has replied, "I'm close. Very close." It didn't matter. He has always said his injuries were minor, when he knew they weren't. He is not a truth teller.
And I think that's what keeps people from loving Tiger Woods. I think people get the feeling the guy's a phony. And nobody loves a phony.
With a history in Milwaukee stretching back decades, Dave tries to bring a unique perspective to his writing, whether it's sports, politics, theater or any other issue.
He's seen Milwaukee grow, suffer pangs of growth, strive for success and has been involved in many efforts to both shape and re-shape the city. He's a happy man, now that he's quit playing golf, and enjoys music, his children and grandchildren and the myriad of sports in this state. He loves great food and hates bullies and people who think they are smarter than everyone else.
This whole Internet thing continues to baffle him, but he's willing to play the game as long as OnMilwaukee.com keeps lending him a helping hand. He is constantly amazed that just a few dedicated people can provide so much news and information to a hungry public.
Despite some opinions to the contrary, Dave likes most stuff. But he is a skeptic who constantly wonders about the world around him. So many questions, so few answers.
