Legacy MattersI'm not a big sports fan, though I always the looks and the manner of Tiger Woods, much of which I attribute to his good upbringing. So I was sad to learn of the passing of his father, Earl Woods, at age 74.
CBS news reported
Earl Woods was more determined to raise a good son than a great golfer and became the role model, architect and driving force behind Tiger Woods' phenomenal career
Tiger himself says "My dad was my best friend and greatest role model." "I'm overwhelmed when I think of all of the great things he accomplished in his life. He was an amazing dad, coach, mentor, soldier, husband and friend. I wouldn't be where I am today without him, and I'm honored to continue his legacy of sharing and caring."
From the beginning, Earl Woods guided, nurtured, managed and inspired his child prodigy. Earl, who served as a Green Beret in Vietnam, also gave him the nickname Tiger, after a buddy, a lieutenant colonel in the South Vietnamese army who Earl said saved his life.
Eugene Robinson on Tiger Woods Dad
I found myself unexpectedly moved by the death of Earl Woods, who succumbed to prostate cancer Wednesday at 74 -- unexpectedly, since I never met the man. I knew him only through what the public has been able to see of his relationship with his son, Tiger, arguably the most famous and accomplished athlete in the world. Eventually I realized the reason I feel such a sense of loss is that I'll never get to witness that remarkable relationship again.
Earl Woods did much more than raise a supremely talented golfer. In an age when it's rare to read a sentence with the words "African American" and "father" that doesn't also include "absent" or some other pejorative, Earl and Tiger Woods were the world's most visible, and inspiring, counterexample. "He was the person I looked up to more than anyone," Tiger Woods said following his father's death, and even the world's biggest cynic had to know he meant every word.
Posted by Jill Fallon at May 9, 2006 5:09 PM | Permalink