well if we're going for that angle, either Joe Paterno or Gerald Sandusky takes the cake. While NCAA may be amateur for players, it's definitely big time and well paying for coaches.
Is Tiger Woods' decline the worst in professional sports?
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well if we're going for that angle, either Joe Paterno or Gerald Sandusky takes the cake. While NCAA may be amateur for players, it's definitely big time and well paying for coaches.
SoRuffShoNuff
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Seems like the injuries sustained from the Navy Seal training had more to do with it than the swing.
Also saying someone isn't going to break any given record isn't exactly going out on a limb.
Drifter_InA_Cage
Member
Plus Tiger changed his swing like 5 times, that rookie Tiger swing lasted all but 2 years.
As a Bulls fan I still cannot believe what happened to him and the franchise. It goes to show you that tomorrow is promised to no one.
I'm a terrified Chicago fan because of this. When he won MVP, he was my favorite athlete since Mark Prior, but this one's for real. Then about the same age boom. I'm already guarded for Arrieta to drop off
I was shocked by his decline. wasn't ready for it. But really when his physicality was going to gi, that was it. AI was 6 feet flat with shoes maybe. Basketball was just going to become brutal once among the trees, and he couldn't make the moves he could
Was just thinking about him the other day. Dude fell off the face of the planet.
Ninja Scooter
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Roman Reigns
Simply Sami
Member
What about them?
One got a virus and never played again. Hardly a decline. He actually won his last tournament despite being ill.
The other has had like three wrist operations. You try playing tennis with dodgy wrists.
Ninja Scooter
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Nah if anything he got into insane shape in the years after his father died. For some reason he thought getting yoked would help his golf game. I can remember when Tiger was young and killing it hearing people worried that his swing was too violent and was going to wreck his knees and back and it seems like that's exactly what happened.
Doesn't even come close to Lance Armstrong. Went from god-status to the most hated man in America overnight.
Oscar Pistorious, though not nearly as famous as Armstrong or Woods, was also pretty huge. Everyone loved him after those Olympics and then he went and fucking murdered his girlfriend.
Oscar Pistorious, though not nearly as famous as Armstrong or Woods, was also pretty huge. Everyone loved him after those Olympics and then he went and fucking murdered his girlfriend.
DarkJediKnight
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People need to stop mentioning him. 29th overall draft pick. No one gave a shit about him until he started playing with Joe Thornton.
We're not talking about one hit wonders here. Tiger Woods is a once in a generation type of athlete.
damn Del Potro would have been such a beast if he wasn't injured all the time. What a shame.
He went on to have a great career in Brazil after his time at Milan.
Ninja Scooter
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I mean, it could be PEDs, I mean at this point it there is no athlete I would be surprised to find out was on PEDs, but it could also just be that he's a 40 year old pro athlete? It wouldn't be that unprecedented. I know people assume that golf is a fairly easy sport physically and guys should be able to play well into their 60s, but Tiger is a guy that relied a LOT on his physical ability, and on top of that he put his body through a lot of wear and tear with his training. Plenty of guys that people swear never used PEDs (Griffey Jr comes to mind) fell apart in a similar way.
Andrew Korenchkin
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I think this will always apply to Lance Armstrong. Fuck Lance Armstrong.
I figured Griffey used PEDs, too.
Ninja Scooter
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Wouldn't shock me.
Would Tyson deserve a mention in this thread? Dude was washed up a lot earlier than people probably want to admit.
Jerm411
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I will truly be heartbroken if that were ever the case....my favorite all time player. I still hold out hope....
Jerm411
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I considered mentioning him, I think he does...crazy how one KO loss just completely wrecked him mentally.
Lance Armstrong retired at the top of his game. The comeback was a bad idea but that was hindered by a couple of crashes and injuries.
This. Most athletes mentioned here didn't completely dominate their sport like Tiger did for as long as he did; not to mention the the fact he singlehandedly saved/built the modern PGA. There are very, very few athletes who were on par with him in the public zeitgeist the last twenty years. While still in the midst of his prime, injuries and scandal ravished him. People like OJ and Lance didn't have athletic declines so much as public declines. More falls from grace rather than athletic decline.
The only one close that I can agree with off the top of my head who would be comparable would be Tyson.
Not that the steroids helped him do those things you mentioned, but if he was using them (and I would not be surprised if he did) it would lead to his body breaking down the way it has.
FYI the reason why I say I wouldn't be surprised is because he obviously was into fitness (SEALS training) and was up there with Jordan in being competitive personality and self-improvement.....
I honestly think it's a combination of factors:
Body broke down for whatever reason(s)
Golf is mental and the scandal affected that
Not to sound like a grumpy old man but during his run of majors there weren't any other consistently great golfers. Duval was a flash in the pan; Sergio never did it; Phil was a headcase. The same time he started his decline the field started improving- thus making the relative fall even more so.
That's what I think often got overlooked in all the Jack vs. Tiger comparisons is that Jack also played against other all-time greats that won majors preventing him from winning even more. To go along with this compare top-3, top-5 and top-10 finishes in majors between Jack and Tiger and it tells a lot. Hell not only does Jack own the record with most Majors but also the most runner-up (19) which Tiger wasn't close to. Even in his prime if Tiger wasn't leading going into Sunday, he was usually a non-factor. And out of Jack's runner-up finishes take a look at who beat up in some of those and how they stand on the all-time greats list
Yeah it's not all the surprising.
Just like with Derick Rose. He does things with his legs that shouldn't be done. Maybe his muscles can handle the quick movements and powerful drives to the basket, but his joints, ligaments, etc... sure can't.
Not exactly an amazing prediction to say that someone won't go on to become the GOAT.
Got the Shakes
Member
Yes and it's not even close.
Tiger was 12-13 years into his career, in what was his prime as a golfer, and the had already cemented his place as no worse than the 2nd best golfer in the history of the sport. Then he had his cheating scandal at the same time his body was breaking down on him. I know he snuck in a 5 win season a few years later, but there is no comp of someone in his position in their respective sport, ending up where Tiger did after so many dominant years and still in their prime.
Tiger was 12-13 years into his career, in what was his prime as a golfer, and the had already cemented his place as no worse than the 2nd best golfer in the history of the sport. Then he had his cheating scandal at the same time his body was breaking down on him. I know he snuck in a 5 win season a few years later, but there is no comp of someone in his position in their respective sport, ending up where Tiger did after so many dominant years and still in their prime.
ViperVisor
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Tiger is strange because he did sorta bounce back and was relevant at the end of 2011 to early 2013. And since then mostly out of action due to injury related problems.
Derrick Rose is in the discussion
2009-2012 279 games 30 win shares
2012-now 127 games 1.4 win shares
Derrick Rose is in the discussion
2009-2012 279 games 30 win shares
2012-now 127 games 1.4 win shares
PHOENIXZERO
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Your body doesn't break down like that in your late 20s/early 30s from using steroids.
Tyson's downfall started with King convinced him to dump his trainers (and I think manager?) for King's people some years after Cus D'Amato died.
Tyson's downfall started with King convinced him to dump his trainers (and I think manager?) for King's people some years after Cus D'Amato died.
Atomic Playboy
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Tiger Woods' decline happened after he'd already firmly established himself as at least the second best golfer in history without question. So... no. It's not the worst in professional sports. How about Derrick Rose, who was poised to become the next great thing, and even won an MVP award, only to deal with injuries and eventually getting traded, with people figuring he'll never regain his top form? How about Penny Hardaway, who was poised to be the next big thing post-Jordan before he got injured and his career completely fell apart? Picking someone who is unequivocally the second best ever as the "worst decline" just seems absurd given all the people who were heralded as the next big thing only to become at-best borderline hall-of-famers. Hell, look at Len Bias; he was going to be the next big thing and died before he even went pro. That's a much worse decline than "maybe he's better than Jack Nicklaus... no, he's not."
But that's the point of the decline.
Tiger was there, at the top, for a long time, then quickly was gone while still theoretically in his prime years. The all-time greatest of the greats, of which Tiger is one, don't decline like he did. It is unprecedented. Derrick Rose may have had some potential; but as you listed, there are a lot more could've beens than had beens.
Suddenly dying is not really a "decline"--it is a career-ending injury.
Did Tiger play on a different course than his competition? And it could be argued that the changes were not only bad but silly and pointless. And since you say plural courses which major course besides Augusta was "Tiger-proofed?"
And does your question somehow nullifies the runner-up, Top-3, top-5, top- 10 differences?
Doubtful since he had some great seasons after his injuries. If he wasn't injured he would have the all time homerun record easy.
LiveFromKyoto
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Have you ever seen the word "worst" before? If not, you should definitely check it out! Really versatile.
EdwardTeach
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It's relatively common in football for a player to completely lose their form after a transfer, especially strikers.
Fernando Torres moving to Chelsea is a great example, he went from being one of the most lethal strikers in the world to totally useless (now recovered to be a mediocre level player).
Seems to happen to Spanish players especially often. Soldado was incredibly poor after moving to Tottenham and negredo's form dropped off a cliff at Christmas in his season at man city and neither have recovered after moving back to Spain.
Fernando Torres moving to Chelsea is a great example, he went from being one of the most lethal strikers in the world to totally useless (now recovered to be a mediocre level player).
Seems to happen to Spanish players especially often. Soldado was incredibly poor after moving to Tottenham and negredo's form dropped off a cliff at Christmas in his season at man city and neither have recovered after moving back to Spain.
IchigoSharingan
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Why is Lance Armstrong hated so much?
Zepp Twofist
Member
He didn't deny women his essence
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Dash_Riprock
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Nothing compares with Lance Armstrong. At least tiger still has his past wins
On top of being a cheater, he was also a self-righteous hypocrite who sued people who accused him for slander and libel, ruining many lives, and he set up a cancer charity foundation that was entirely built around the lie
On top of being a cheater, he was also a self-righteous hypocrite who sued people who accused him for slander and libel, ruining many lives, and he set up a cancer charity foundation that was entirely built around the lie
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