Sports

 

A Tiger in the Doghouse

Words by Robby Hudson

 

Nov 23, 2009 was the last time we thought Tiger Woods was perfect. In a National Enquirer report, nightclub hostess Rachel Uchitel had an affair with Woods. She later reported that she provided Woods with other women when he came to New York.

Most people thought this was just another fake story to ruin someone’s perfect reputation. I mean, who would ever think the world’

s greatest golfer of all time was involved with prostitution? We were wrong.

Early on Nov. 27, Tiger Woods crashed his Cadillac Escalade into a neighbor’

s tree and fire hydrant. People speculated that his wife Elin Nordegren Woods ran after Woods with a golf club and attacked him, even though Woods said she helped him get free from the car.

 Then on Dec 2, cocktail waitress Jamie Grubbs said she had an affair with Woods as well. The next day, Woods released a statement:  “I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all my heart.”
The mistress number totals 11, and only Woods knows if it is accurate, but even if half are right, that’

s a lot of mulligans going on.

With the wave of tabloids featuring Woods’ face towering, sponsorships began to drop. Gatorade dropped Woods first; Gillette then distanced itself from him. Consultant Company Accenture dropped him. Next, Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer limited its role with him as well. Golf Digest put Woods on hold by suspending his monthly instructional articles and finally AT&T dropped Woods’

sponsorship. Only Nike and EA Sports have stuck with him. No one knows how much he will lose, but its not just a pretty penny.

 On Dec 18, Woods made the 20^th consecutive cover on New York Post; the previous holder with 19 covers was 9/11. How has Woods become a cover story longer than the biggest attack on America? The media is making this story worse than it is, and it’s a bad ordeal. Woods is not the only athlete to have affairs. Look at baseball legend Babe Ruth, football hero Joe Namath, game changer Wilt Chamberlain, even the greatest basketball player right now, Kobe Bryant. Chamberlain admitted in his biography “A View From Above” that he slept with 20,000 women since he was 15, “1.2 women a day.”

When people say these famous names, no one sees these men as disgusting pigs; they see them as the greatest athletes ever. Woods is in that category, with 71 tournament wins (third all time), 14 of which are majors (second all time).

 Even when Woods is not playing, he still finds ways to win. Woods was voted AP Athlete of the Decade, and most of the votes were sent in after his car accident.

Sex rehab is not going to make people feel sorry for Woods; and neither is he by showing up at organizations to fix marital problems, he needs to win tournaments and move on. He may be scrutinized as a man, but not an athlete.

True sports fans do not want to see Woods like this, we want to see the red shirt on Sundays, hunting for the top of the leader board, and draining the 20-foot putt on the 18^th green for the green jacket.

Senior Bob Arens signs with Wichita State University

Words by Henry Robinson

Senior Bob Arens values a school that is all about baseball. Going into his senior year, Arens shocked many by signing with the Wichita State Shockers.

“It was just a baseball school and I loved the coaches,”Arens said.    

Arens was not alone in making the decision of where to continue his higher education. His parents also played a major part in making the decision.

Being a Division I player is not a top priority for Arens, making his game better is also important. Arens will be sitting out his senior year of basketball in an effort to focus on baseball alone.

“I just need to get better at everything its always room for improvement.”     

Last season, Arens had a .507 batting average that included three homeruns and 11 doubles. Though college is important, Arens is keeping his focus on enjoying his senior year, rather than being a Shocker.

“I can’t wait for college but I just want to live out my senior year,”Arens said.    

Not only is Arens one of the best players in the City League, he received Second Team All City for catching in the 2009, but he stays humble and is considered a great team player.

Senior baseball player Tevin Kendall thinks Arens is one the best players, and hardest workers on the team.

“Watching Bob practice is just like watching him in a game. Everything is going to be full speed and done well,”Kendall said.    

For Arens, being a good player isn’ 

t the only thing that makes him stand out to college coaches. His work ethic and leadership abilities on and off the field are what set him apart from other players. Making the decision to stay close to home will not only make his parents happy, but playing with former teammate Erik Harbutz, who signed with Wichita State last year, will be an enjoyable experience as well.