That’s what it is for a child to hear his father taunt him as he tries
to play a sport, to call him a “motherfucker” while he’s trying to
concentrate. Imagine how painful it would be to have your dad tell
you to “fuck off,” or to ask, “How do you feel being a little nigger?” to
try to get a rise out of you. Earl Woods even cheated when they
played together, supposedly to keep his son humble and on his game.
As Tiger reflected, this was all deliberate training to become what his
father wanted him to be: a “‘cold-blooded assassin’ on the course.”
Now, Tiger, who clearly loved his father, said that they had a code
word he could use if his father ever pushed too far—in either their
mental or physical training—and that all Tiger had to do was say it
and Earl would stop. Tiger says he never did, because he needed and
enjoyed the training, but even the word itself is illustrative. It wasn’t
a cute inside joke or some silly word that meant nothing. The word
that Tiger could utter to get his father to stop bullying him, to get
him to treat him like a normal child, was, if you can believe it:
enough.
And not only was it never uttered, but the two of them came to
refer to it almost as an expletive: the “e-word.”
The e-word was something quitters said, that only losers believed
in.
Are we surprised, then, that this talented boy would go on to win
so much? But that those wins didn’t make him happy? He was
imperturbable on the golf course and utterly miserable inside.
Tiger’s mother taught him lessons too. She told him, “You will
never, ever ruin my reputation as a parent because I will beat you.”
Notice the threat of physical violence and what it was over—not
doing wrong but embarrassing her. Earl Woods, as a husband,
showed Tiger early on how to balance this razor’s edge too. He
cheated on his wife when he traveled with his son. He drank to
excess. He even, likely in violation of amateur sporting rules,
accepted a secret $50,000-a-year stipend from IMG, the sports
agency that would eventually represent Tiger Woods.
The lesson there? Appearances are the only thing that matters.
Do whatever it takes to win—just don’t get caught.
A less talented and dedicated athlete would have been crippled by
this abuse. But Tiger Woods was not just naturally gifted, he truly
barry
(Barry)
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