Well, that was the media template when Tiger turned pro, but sadly for them, Tiger refused to play the race card even when that jerk Fuzzy dealt him a royal flush.
What amazed me was that he turned pro and immediately dominated the field like no one had done since Byron Nelson during the talent short war years. Apparently the pros who followed Tiger as an amateur were not at all surprised. They knew how good he was.
But for all of his talent, I don't think he has has near the impact on the game as Palmer had in the 50s. The vast majority of people who follow Tiger around the course are people who would be following someone else if Tiger weren't there. Arnie brought an entirely new legion of golf fans out.
In gymnastics that happened in 1972 when Olga Korbut competed at Munich. There was an explosion in the interest of the sport that Nadia Comenici and Mary Lou Retton enjoyed but did not cause.
Tiger is a unique talent, and I love to watch him, but there was golf in my house when I grew up and that came from Arnie and Jack.
Gymanstics was an ignored sport before Olga...now the networks, especially during the Olympics, stay with gymnastics hoping to find another Olga. It will not happen. She was once in a lifetime.
Interesting. As for me, I usually don't watch Golf unless Tiger is in contention. If he ain't playing, I usually don't watch. Before Tiger, I never watched.