Rick Reilly Wonders if Tiger Woods is Done

by Ryan Ballengee on Mar 19, 2009 10:07 AM EDT Comment 15 comments

Over at Deadspin, they have a great time remarking on how ESPN got a busted deal when they swapped Dan Patrick for Rick Reilly and a multimillion dollar contract to be with the Worldwide Leader (WWL). From Reilly's dated analogies to the awful delivery on television - he's a writer, for crying out loud - he is an easy target. But since he almost never writes about golf, I figured it wasn't my duty to get in on it.

Now, it is. Reilly penned what is probably one of the dumbest columns of his ESPN tenure. He decided to wonder if Tiger Woods was not going to become the greatest golfer ever in light of the results of his return to pro golf.

Tiger's results so far? A second round exit from the Accenture Match Play and a top 10 finish with improved play in each round at Doral.

Yeah, Tiger should totally throw in the towel on trying to catch Jack Nicklaus.

Sure, Tiger has his wife, kids, enormous boat, skiing and fishing hobbies, and course design business. But, above all of those, Tiger has one goal: 19 major championships. He has 14 at age 33. Nicklaus won majors at 40 and 46, respectively. Golfers are in better shape now and playing more productive golf than even the Golden Bear did in his 40s. Vijay Singh, Jay Haas, and Fred Funk have all shown us that greatness can now be had in golf very late into one's 40s.

I didn't want to spend too much time tearing into Reilly because it's been beaten to a pulp just how awful he is now. But, wanted to pass it along to get your blood boiling this morning.

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renewed respect for Deadspin

Rick Reilly isn’t even a very good writer. He is the junior high school kid who will say or do anything to get attention…not the class clown – people liked him. He is a disaster on ESPN and his books are just awful. (I can’t even get through one on tape making a long road trip)

This is just more proof that he is absolutely clueless and should never be allowed to darken the doors of a golf course, much less a PGA Tour tournament’s doors again.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Mar 19, 2009 10:13 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

The tour will gtive this nut a press credential

and won’t to me, or Hounddog, The Constructiivist etc. The world is truly upside down.

by Bill Jempty on Mar 19, 2009 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

it's not personal

he’s tied in with ESPN – if he was independent, he wouldn’t get one, either. Bob Smiley (author of “Follow the Roar”) couldn’t get a credential for the WGC-Match Play.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Mar 19, 2009 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Meanwhile, Sally Jenkins had a kind of flattering post about Woods’ comeback.

by Ryan Ballengee on Mar 19, 2009 11:01 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Later in the article...

…he says he expects Tiger to get to 22 or 23 majors. So, yes, he asked the question, but he answered it “no”.

He says (sorry for the multiple blocks…it was only block quoting the first paragraph for some reason):

Me, I expect Future Tiger to remain the bloodless, unblinking hit man, but with more vacation time between kills. I used to think he could get to an unthinkable 30 majors. Now I think he’ll end up at 22 or 23. He’ll pass Sam Snead’s PGA Tour wins mark of 82, but I don’t think he’ll get to 100. I think the knee will require at least another operation but I’d cringe at more than that. Because someday I’d like to see Eldrick play golf with Sam and Charlie without a Namath limp.

But it’s possible that we’ve seen the best of Tiger Woods. There’s even a small chance that he won’t pass Nicklaus at all. Which begs the question: Would he still be The Greatest Golfer ever?

I’d say no.

In other words, if he doesn’t pass Nicklaus, he’s not the greatest ever. And he only gave that a small chance of happening. He clearly thinks that he will pass Nicklaus and thus will be the greatest ever – when it actually happens – which I believe is fair.

I’m not sure I read his piece the same as everyone else did. Am I missing something?

by Double Eagle on Mar 19, 2009 12:23 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

That’s how it sounds, even though Nicklaus has said in interviews that he thinks Tiger is already the best ever.

by Ryan Ballengee on Mar 19, 2009 12:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't think it's all that unusual...

for people to be somewhat surprised or disappointed that Tiger didn’t come out with a better showing in his first two events…heck, I picked him to win the match play and I wouldn’t consider myself one of the Tiger Faithful.

He told everyone he wasn’t coming back until he could win…so why wouldn’t people have high expectations?

I haven’t read the whole article, and from what it sounds like it’s probably not worth it, but I don’t think it’s necessarily out of line to wonder…what if? There’s a fine line between wondering and bashing.

by red tees on Mar 19, 2009 3:39 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I don’t mind wondering maybe a handful of events in or so, but not after two. There are too many things different about playing golf with his buddies and the slow pace of the Tour.

by Ryan Ballengee on Mar 19, 2009 3:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Please don’t tell me someone above actually wrote that, “Rick Reilly isn’t even a very good writer…” and, also, “The tour will give this nut a press credential and won’t to me, or Hounddog, The Constructiivist etc. The world is truly upside down.”

Okay, he is not Red Smith, but, puh-leez… You do realize Rick’s tongue is embedded firmly in his cheek, right??

by One-Eyed Golfer Guy on Mar 19, 2009 6:08 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

you’re entitled to your opinion, One. If you like Reilly, that’s fine. I, personally, do not like how or what he writes. I don’t think he is funny. And I don’t know how he got to the position he’s in. I think he’s more like the guy on amateur night at the comedy club who tries too hard to be funny and comes off sounding ridiculous for the sake of being ridiculous.

Just because someone’s tongue is in their cheek doesn’t make them entertaining, informative, or interesting.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Mar 19, 2009 6:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Admittedly...

…I’m not versed in Reilly’s body of work, but I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed “Who’s Your Caddy”. Not saying you’re wrong about him, but I’d say that maybe sometimes he’s over the top, but he’s not all bad.

by Double Eagle on Mar 19, 2009 10:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

“Who’s Your Caddy” was very enjoyable to me, too.

by red tees on Mar 19, 2009 11:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think that was Reilly at his best, to be frank. At his worst, I just can’t read him for more than a few paragraphs.

by Ryan Ballengee on Mar 20, 2009 9:59 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

More often than not, Reilly tries to write tongue in cheek. I think this was meant to be more serious because he does try to qualify his doubts about Woods. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have done the post despite me not liking his dental references :)

by Ryan Ballengee on Mar 19, 2009 8:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He does have that annoying habit of utilizing capitalization, commas, periods and complete sentences. Thank God he has editors for all of those books and award winning magazine articles he has written…

by One-Eyed Golfer Guy on Mar 19, 2009 7:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

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