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The Year
of the Tiger
CHRIS HUTCHINSON/Emerald
■ OUR OPINION:
Tiger Woods not only
brings new enthusiasm to
the golf world, but to all
sports as well
Look out world, here comes
Tiger. Tiger Woods, the
21-year-old golf sensation,
is America’s newest obses
sion after his record-breaking vic
tory at the Masters last week.
For the people who still
don’t know what Woods
has accomplished,
here’s a quick
, breakdown. Last
week, in his first
year as a profession
al golfer, Woods
achieved victory in what
may be the most prestigious tour
nament in golf—the Masters.
Actually, he didn’t just beat the
competition at the Masters, he
dominated, setting or tying nine
records including lowest score,
youngest winner and widest mar
gin of victory (12 strokes). Not to
mention the fact that he became
the first non-white champion in a
tournament that not so long ago
(unfortunately) wouldn’t even let
minorities play.
While golf fans had known
Woods was something special
b from his days as an amateur,
now the entire world has
caught on to Tiger-mania.
Nike is already off and run
kning with a series of Tiger
Woods commercials simi
lar to Gatorade’s “Be like
Mike” series. A new gen
eration of golfers (and
non-golfers for that mat
ter) are quickly develop
ing a “Be like Tiger”
mentality.
And why not? After
all, Woods isn’t just a re
ally good golfer. He’s a
whole new kind of golfer.
The typical image most peo
ple have of golfers is middle
f aged, white, rich guys. Perhaps
that can help explain golfs limit
ed appeal to most of society.
But with Tiger Woods, those
barriers have been broken. At
only 21, Woods looks more like
your typical college student than
a world-famous athlete. And of
course, he’s not white, which sep
arates him from almost every oth
er famous golfer today. More im
portantly, it gives a whole new
group of people someone in the
golf world they can actually relate
to.
The fact is, right now America
badly needs a Tiger Woods. In an
era where football heroes are
charged with murder, baseball
players act more like business ex
ecutives than athletes and basket
ball players spend more of their
time doing shoe commercials
than signing autographs, an ath
lete like Tiger Woods is a breath of
fresh air.
He seems to represent every
thing that’s right with sports. He
challenges stereotypes and com
petitors alike, while still demon
strating a clear love for the game
of golf. We all know Woods will
make a lot of money at golf before
he’s through, but just the same, he
seems to be in it for the sport, not
the business.
Perhaps the hysteria over Tiger
Woods is getting out of control.
After all, he hasn’t dominated the
golf world yet. But people like
Tiger Woods don’t show up on
the scene very often. And when
they do, it’s only natural that peo
ple will put them on a pedestal of
admiration.
It’s fitting that Tiger’s victory at
the Masters came two days before
the 50th anniversary of Jackie
Robinson’s major league debut.
Both men represent everything
that a sports hero should be. De
termined. Talented. And having
an unapologetic love for the sport
at which they excel.
It’s way too soon to tell if
Woods will go down in history
like Robinson. One thing is for
sure, however. He’s off to a pretty
good start.
This editorial represents the opin
ion of the Emerald editorial
board.
LETTERS
Virtues forgotten
I would like to respond to your arti
cle concerning alcohol-free fraterni
ties (April 14, ODE). First of all, they
are called fraternities, not frats. Your
cover picture appeared to be an at
tempt to make the Greek system look
bad. The picture was a complete con
tradiction of what you were reporting
and had absolutely nothing to do with
the article. The paraphernalia in the
front yard of Sigma Nu was placed
there as a decoration for a theme par
ty
The two fraternities, Phi Delta
Theta and Sigma Nu, going dry
should be commended, not ostra
cized. They are taking a big risk being
the first. Greeks live by certain nation
al rules they must obey, whereas,
most college students do not have any
regulations concerning alcohol in
their homes.
Why not focus on the positive as
pects such as the brotherhood, sister
hood and traditions? Greeks provide a
majority of funds and services for lo
cal and national charity organizations.
They play a big part in events such as
the Munchkin Run, Special
Olympics, Dance Marathon and indi
vidual chapter philanthropies. They
not only aid the community, but also
in the University. I challenge you to
report these positive events in your
paper more often.
Danielle DeBussey
Undeclared
Empty dryness
This whole policy of creating dry
fraternities may create a safe and
healthier atmosphere within the fra
ternities’ walls, but it will only take
the drinking elsewhere. Others in
volved have made this point, but it
should be looked at more carefully.
College students are not going to
stop drinking, and there should be
nothing wrong with that. It is when
students have to deal with all the re
strictions and laws that drinking be
comes such an issue. I am currently
doing an internship in London where
the drinking age is 18. Going to a pub
is not a big deal, they don’t have to
sneak in and drink large amounts in a
short period of time like many end up
doing before they go to a “dry” event.
Speaking from experience, students
tend to drink a lot more before dry
functions then they probably would
during the actual event if alcohol was
involved. Going “dry” may improve a
fraternity’s usual image of being a
bunch of beer bonging, keg standing
guys, and lower insurance rates, but it
certainly won’t solve any drinking
problems among members or partici
pants of parties. The parties will move
elsewhere — golf courses, houses,
places people have to drive to. This is
stupid, but the whole Greek system
seems to be so caught up in politics
and its image that the “higher-ups”
don’t tend to look at the reality.
Natalie Montgomery
London, England
High speed rail \
Crammed, night- i
marishtripsina
Greyhound bus
could be a distant j
memory with this |
proposed railway i
from Eugene to
Seattle. For the
sake of Portland
natives without
cars everywhere,
let this train please I
become reality.
OPS
Representatives
from the Office of j
Public Safety
made good last
week, correcting
an egregious er
ror. At first, offi
cers ticketed cars i
that parked in
spots near Mac
Court where per
mit signs were
missing. After be- I
ing informed of
their error, they
removed all the
tickets and re
placed the signs,
making campus
safer for drivers |
everywhere. j
Last minute
taxpayers
Many people who ]
waited until Tues- \
day’s deadline to j
file their tax returns 1
complained about j
the complicated
government forms j
and figures. Itprob-1
ably wouldn’t have j
been so difficult, or j
as stressful, if they ]
had started a bit
earlier... like a few i
months ago.
Sen. Robert Byrd :
The hard-line
Democrat senator j
from West Virginia ;
filed a complaint
last week when an I
aide for Sen. Ron j
Wyden tried to en- I
ter the Senate
chamber with her
guide dog. Byrd is a
notorious stickler
for Senate regula
tions, but a guide
dog?