Tiger Woods e-mails airman

Air Force Link ^ | 7/8/2003 | 2nd Lt. Erin Dorrance

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

7/8/2003 - MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) -- Finishing first four times this year on the PGA tour while ranking fourth on the money list, people hardly ever see Tiger Woods without a golf club in his hand. Recently though, Tiger may also have been seen with a laptop, as he participates in the Jocks to GIs Direct program, run by ESPN.com.

Jocks to GIs Direct is a program that matches professional athletes with deployed troops in an e-mail dialogue, posted on ESPN.com. Capt. Eric Demmitt, a logistician from here deployed to Central Command's area of responsibility, linked up with Woods.

"It is really cool having Tiger Woods as a pen pal," said Demmitt. "Coincidentally, Tiger and I both went to college at Stanford during the same time frame. I didn't know him personally, but we had a few mutual friends."

Tiger found out about the program through his relationship with the Walt Disney Company, the parent company of ESPN.

"I thought it was a great program and it did not take me long to say that I would participate," said Woods.

Receiving e-mails from one of golf's greatest while deployed has helped keep Demmitt's morale above par.

"I have really enjoyed learning about his busy life," said Demmitt. "On the flip side, I have been able to answer some of his questions and educate him on deployed military life."

Woods' e-mails to Demmitt were full of words of encouragement to the troops fighting the war.

"I strongly support all of our troops and my thoughts and prayers have been with them and their family from the outset," said Woods. "I'm extremely happy to have been able to be a part of this program to help the morale of the troops." (Courtesy of Air Mobility Command News Service)

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Cool move, Tiger.

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[speedy]

He is one good guy. Went out of his way to state his support for the war in Iraq. Maybe the most dominant athlete of our lifetime.

[The Hon. Galahad Threepwood]

Yeah, too bad about that slump he's in.

Which I guess is kind of like a quagmire.

[Pahuanui]

He is one good guy. Went out of his way to state his support for the war in Iraq. Maybe the most dominant athlete of our lifetime.

I'm thinking Lance Armstrong, but Sabrina Williams may still do it as well.

[Caipirabob]

Yeah, too bad about that slump he's in.

Still, by my standard for golf, any day is a good day to be Tiger Woods on the links.

Tiger's skill at golf may not last all his life, but the class this gentlemen has displayed throughout his career will resonate forever.

[Bullish]

Do you mean Serena Williams?

[Pahuanui]

Ooopsie......

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

If anybody wants to see text of some of the e-mail messages between Tiger and Capt. Demmitt, ESPN has them posted on their website HERE.

On the right side, you'll also see a list of other sports stars participating in this. They're live links. What with all the news of sports stars acting like total jackasses 24/7, it's good to see these ones doing the right things and thinking about somebody besides themselves.

[mhking]

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[WaterDragon]

Yeah! Tiger Woods, Serena Williams and Lance Armstrong! Fantastic Americans, every one!

[speedy]

Good one. Yeah, here we are in the second week of July and he's only won four tournaments. At this rate, he may only win 8 or so for the year. Time to whisper the Q word. You're thinking like a New York Times reporter.

[onyx]

Way cool! So's your posting of the article. Thanks

[PhiKapMom]

Thanks for posting this. Without Air Force News Service, there would be very few positive articles coming out of Iraq!

Will never forget when Tiger Woods won his first Masters and clinton invited him to the White House -- he refused and went to a baseball game instead! That did it for me -- I became a Tiger fan!

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Isn't it nice to see a sports star getting in the paper for something besides drunk driving, wife beating, and drugs?

[jwalsh07]

Good for Tiger.

[Fred Mertz]

Tiger is for Woods. Who cares who he writes e-mail to?

[Fred Mertz]

I suppose it's kinda nice that Woods is an American though.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Yeah, he's doing something for a guy in Iraq, he made a specific statement supporting the war because so many celebrities were dumping all over it, and he specifically turned down a meeting with Bill Clinton and went to a baseball game instead. He'd be getting his millions of dollars even if he didn't do any of this stuff. Tiger sure sounds like an ass to me. /sarcasm

[Fred Mertz]

He's doing what's good for him.