Gods on Earth

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What a week for sports! Besides the obvious (Welcome back NFL!), it was also Arnold Palmer's 80th birthday & Michael Jordan's Hall of Fame induction.

These two men are not only great ambassadors for their respected sport, but they continue to live with passion and fervor in all aspects of life.

Watching Arnie chip-in a shot behind the studios of ESPN exemplified his desire to impress his Army even when Palmer thought the cameras weren't rolling (fortunately, we live in a YouTube era and someone was smart enough to record this amazing moment)

And what else is there to say about Your Airness? Hell, Jerry West even admitted that he thinks Jordan should be the NBA logo. His emotional and powerful speech during his induction moved the crowd in a way that his fans were accustomed to- simply in awe of his presence.

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These icons challenge us everyday to be more like them- whether they realize it or not. Their accomplishments in the world of sports are impressive, but their ability to impact and influence the non-sporting culture is what blows my mind. If Arnie could have a drink named after him and MJ could get millions of kids to spray his patent cologne, they've clearly done something right.

Cheers to The King & Your Airness! The world is forever grateful.

Tiger's Jaded World

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A lot of people give Tiger crap for not winning every tournament he enters- but there's a good reason for it. While 5 victories in a single season usually means success for most Tour players, Tiger demands excellence and perfection and his latest tantrums give credence to it.

Sure... he says all the right things by stating he's content with those wins and multiple Top 10s (especially after coming back from a serious reconstructive knee surgery), but if you really know Tiger, the man wants to win by a landslide and pummel his competition (does the 2000 US Open at Pebble Beach ring a bell?).

Living in a time where a legend walks among mortals, Tiger has no one to blame for this outside pressure than himself. Golf's a game where no one can be perfect. Even the best players in the world will find themselves chunking wedges and shanking shots into the abyss (Sorry Weir, but that double on the easiest Par-5 18th at TPC Boston was pretty amateur status).

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So why must Tiger slam his club and constantly drop F-bombs? Isn't this game hard enough? Well...because he's Tiger! A man that expects nothing but the best in every tournament, every shot.

If Tiger ever slowed down, we'd see a much more happy-go-lucky Eldrick and probably a lot less victories. But the man's a machine and when his systems getting overridden by unexpected outcomes, it's like the anti-virus software notifying you that your computer's under attack.

Tiger's not used to losing...ever. So every time something surprising happens, everyone freaks out and doesn't know how to handle it- including Woods.

While many fans and media members (such as ESPN's Rick Reilly) want Tiger to "grow up" and stop his outbursts, it's just not possible with a man this driven and determined. A lot of guys on Tour are happy to make the cut and get their check- Woods isn't one of these.

So before fans and the media give him a hard time, let us realize Tiger's mission. He's out for perfection- even when most know that this isn't possible.

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