Is Tiger Woods the most impactful/important player for their sport?

[Dali]

Before Tiger perception of golf was that it was a boring, fat, old, white man game. He changed that general perception, boosted tv ratings, tournament attendance, and the popularity of the sport in general. I didn't realize how much was written on this until I started making this thread but there are a lot of articles on what he did for the game.

Jordan was pretty big for basketball. Anytime there's a strong heavyweight they draw attention to boxing. Danica Patrick maybe helped NASCAR. Women's tennis was already popular before Venus and Serena. I'm not saying they don't count. If you have an argument for them or anyone else I'd love to hear it but to me it's definitely Tiger.

 

[nihilence]

Gretzky going to LA was huge.

 

[THEVOID]

No argument from me.

 

[mikeys_legendary]

I don't know enough about boxing to go into too much detail, but Muhammad Ali is definitely in the conversation.

 

[HistoricalAnomaly]

Bird/Magic coming into the league pretty much singlehandedly saved Basketball. During the 70s rampant drug use and scandals brought down the NBA ratings big time and the league was on its last legs.

 

[Disco Infernal]

Golf was popular during Nicklaus and Palmers dominance. Neither were thought of as fat and old. Jordan, Gretzky, Tiger all had a huge impact on the popularity of their sports. And Serena gets people to tune in for women's tennis at a time when it seems like no one gives a shit about men's tennis.

 

[Deleted member 16516]

Sir Lewis Hamilton was much the same as Tiger Woods for F1 which was perceived to be a white man's sport. He made waves in his debut season, won the world championship the season after, had a few dry years and then made a momentous move to another team amidst much doubt.

Now he's the most successful Formula One driver of all time and one of the greatest ever.

 

[jchap]

I agree it was Tiger

 

[Kill3r7]

Tiger Woods made me watch golf. The only reason I still tune in.

Bird/Magic coming into the league pretty much singlehandedly saved Basketball. During the 70s rampant drug use and scandals brought down the NBA ratings big time and the league was on its last legs.

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Yep. People forget that college football/basketball was more popular than the NBA during the 70s.

 

[Violence Jack]

I don't want to limit it to only Tiger by dismissing others who have also paved the way to expand the reach of their sport

Jackie Robinson for MLB
Arthur Ashe, Sampras, Agassi, and Billie Jean King for tennis
Bill Russell, Bird, Magic, and Michael Jordan for the NBA
Ali for Boxing
Tiger for PGA
Lewis Hamilton for F1

 

[Disco Infernal]

Bird/Magic coming into the league pretty much singlehandedly saved Basketball. During the 70s rampant drug use and scandals brought down the NBA ratings big time and the league was on its last legs.

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This is true. The NBA was dying, and there wouldn't have been a Jordan if there hadn't been a Bird-Magic rivalry.

 

[DiipuSurotu]

Garry Kasparov

 

[Deleted member 36054]

Anecdotal, but I don't I'd ever get into playing golf if it wasn't for Tiger. I don't think MJ had that same effect.

 

[Strangiato]

Yes. He elevated the sport in a way I don't think anyone else has for their sport except maybe Ali?

That "most important for their sport" Mt Rushmore is probably Tiger, Ali, Gretzky, Ruth.

 

[nekkid]

It's a toss up between Tiger and Adam Sandler tbh.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

OP is correct.

If we're counting wrestling, Hulk Hogan. He was drawing 30 million viewers in the 80s with Andre.

 

[msdstc]

It's either tiger or Jordan.

 

[colorblindmode]

Jackie Robinson or Ali for cultural significance.

Bird/Magic followed by Jordan for basketball.

 

[Astandahl]

Rossi was a game changer for MotoGP.

Also Ronaldo for Football

 

[Einbroch]

Tony Hawk introduced skateboarding to millions of not billions of people through their kids.

 

[Scottoest]

Ali, Gretzky, Jordan and Tiger were all huge impacts on their respective sports in the sense that they almost single-handedly elevated them in the public consciousness.

 

[sanstesy]

It's either him or Tony Hawk.

 

[bionic77]

In modern times it is probably Tiger. He was actually bigger than the sport.

I agree with the other mentions as well. The NBA Finals were not even live before Magic and Bird came into the league.

Ali might be the right answer though. He was not only bigger than his sport, for a moment he was bigger than sports in general.

 

[collige]

Skateboarding without Tony Hawk and/or Rodney Mullen would be completely different. Tony for the cultural relevance and Rodney for the technical advancement.

 

[RockmanBN]

Tony Hawk

 

[Jombie]

No doubt. He brought golf into the mainstream, and there may be no one that ever tops him when he was in his prime.

 

[Jarrod38]

Tom Cruise for Nascar.

 

[TheGoshDarnBatman]

Jackie Robinson or Tiger Woods

 

[Tom Penny]

As far as ratings. Tiger. They started televising golf all the time because of him and when he's not playing the ratings have been flat out much worse. Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier was more important though.

 

[bionic77]

Tiger really didn't last long. But his entrance into the game (6 straight amateurs and then winning the Masters by a record) was mind blowing and then his dominance from 1999-2005 was ridiculous. In 1996 when he was dominating the Masters it was hilarious because no one knew what to make of it.

He was so good it felt like he could just pull off any shot, any put and just make the game bend to his will.

I liked golf before and after Tiger but that was must watch tv for me and a lot of others.

 

[Dali]

Tiger Woods made me watch golf. The only reason I still tune in.

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Anecdotal, but I don't I'd ever get into playing golf if it wasn't for Tiger. I don't think MJ had that same effect.

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Right. Sundays went from dad in the den watching golf on tv by himself to mom sort of paying attention, asking "how's tiger doing," and my brothers and I showing passing interest as well. It's all anecdotal but these anecdotes add up and lead to the explosion in popularity of the sport with his appearance.

 

[Deleted member 4461]

I mean, just reading the thread about his kid convinced me the man is probably the greatest influence on any individual sport.

It was funny seeing how good he was, and then people saying that the odds his kid touches his old man's dominance are still near 0.

 

[GalvoAg]

It's a toss up between Tiger and Adam Sandler tbh.

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I laughed but there is no doubt Happy Gilmore got a lot of people into the sport. Still remember doing that swing as a kid, probably why I sucked back then as well.

Tiger did make me get more into golf though, thankfully I stuck with it because it's the best sport.

 

[Smash-It Stan]

Skateboarding would not exist without Tony hawk and/or Rodney Mullen

 

[GalvoAg]

It was funny seeing how good he was, and then people saying that the odds his kid touches his old man's dominance are still near 0.

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I mean it's true, the chances of another golfer stringing off that many majors is pretty much gone, hell it probably wouldn't even happen again today if Tiger himself was coming up.

It's just way more competitive now and the athletes are better, this is all thanks to Tiger. Guys like DJ and Kopkea probably wouldn't be playing the sport if he didn't lay the foundation.

 

[FusedAtoms]

Lewis Hamilton and his story made me a Formula 1 fan. He totally dominates as a black man in a historically white sport. And it feels like he has so much more to do. He's already shattered most records , but his influence on the sport will be felt for a long time.

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

Tiger Woods pretty easily. As you said, he transcended the sport and literally transformed it before our eyes. The advancements in training he ushered in and the athleticism we're seeing from the best athletes today is all thanks to Tiger, the game literally had to change because of him and courses rushed to "Tiger-proof" themselves due to his dominance. The purses that increased by over 1000% almost overnight, the massive spikes in attendance, viewership and endorsements, the acceptance of golf into the mainstream zeitgeist... all thanks to Tiger Woods.

I do wish his success as the GOAT in a predominantly white sport had been able to drive more grassroots initiatives that were able to subsidize less affluent minority communities into the game however. Golf hasn't become any more accessible, in fact it's become less so, and the sport is still blindingly and offensively white due to the barriers it imposes. Perhaps after he retires, alongside his golf course design business, Tiger will make more of a concerted effort to work on bringing more people of color into the game. It would be a great legacy for him to add onto his already legendary success.

In tennis I think you have to mention Serena and Venus. Not only is Serena the GOAT but her and Venus have opened up so many doors of opportunities to tennis players of color to not only dream of playing tennis but succeeding in doing so. They are trailblazers, again, in a predominantly white country club sport.

The same can be said for Lewis Hamilton. Predominantly white sport and he is now the most successful F1 driver of all time. The run of dominance by him and Mercedes over the past 7 years may never be replicated again.

 

[digita1alchemy]

Danica Patrick maybe helped NASCAR.

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For NASCAR, the answer is absolutely, 100% Dale Earnhardt. NASCAR's popularity peaked in the 90's, and Earnhardt's blue-color, everyman image was a huge part of that. People could relate to him (and many other drivers at the time), which was a big reason NASCAR blew up in the 80s/90s. It grew from a mostly regional motorsport into the top series in the country, to the point of running some exhibition races in places like Japan. The sport has dwindled in popularity almost as quickly since Earnhardt's death in 2001. While not the sole reason for NASCAR's surge and subsequent decline, he played a huge role and one that wasn't truly apparent until he was gone.

I wouldn't put him over Woods or Jordan, but just sayin'.

 

[Lobster Roll]

I think this all depends on the definition of the word "impact" as it relates to sports.

Defined as "causing the greatest boost in popularity / visibility for a sport":
Tiger Woods - Golf
Venus / Serena Williams - Women's Tennis
Tony Hawk - Skateboarding & X-Games as a whole
Michael Jordan - Basketball, globally

Defined as "causing the strategy of the game itself to completely shift":
An almost endless list of players. Some are more impactful than others, but there are tons of players who forced the rules of the game to change because they impacted the sport so much (e.g. Shaq, Jordan in NBA).

Defined as "breaking down barriers and dominating historically white sports":
Jackie Robinson - Baseball
Lewis Hamilton - F1 Racing
Tiger Woods - Golf, again
Ali - Boxing

Defined as "complete & utter domination of a sport in a window of time":
Don Bradman - Cricket
Tiger Woods - Golf, again
Wayne Gretzky - Hockey
Lewis Hamilton - F1 Racing, again

I know I'm leaving off plenty of people from each of those lists, but I'm just trying to frame how I'm weighing things in my head ... and Tiger Woods is definitely a player that falls under several category headings for me. It's tough for me to think of somebody who caused as much impact for their sport as Tiger.

 

[parfait drizzy]

I don't want to limit it to only Tiger by dismissing others who have also paved the way to expand the reach of their sport

Jackie Robinson for MLB
Arthur Ashe, Sampras, Agassi, and Billie Jean King for tennis
Bill Russell, Bird, Magic, and Michael Jordan for the NBA
Ali for Boxing
Tiger for PGA
Lewis Hamilton for F1

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Boxing was second only to Baseball before Ali, and Boxers were often the most popular men in the country and/or world(Sugar Ray Robinson, Rocky Marciano)

 

[UltraMagnus]

I think this all depends on the definition of the word "impact" as it relates to sports.

Defined as "causing the greatest boost in popularity / visibility for a sport":
Tiger Woods - Golf
Venus / Serena Williams - Women's Tennis
Tony Hawk - Skateboarding & X-Games as a whole
Michael Jordan - Basketball, globally

Defined as "causing the strategy of the game itself to completely shift":
An almost endless list of players. Some are more impactful than others, but there are tons of players who forced the rules of the game to change because they impacted the sport so much (e.g. Shaq, Jordan in NBA).

Defined as "breaking down barriers and dominating historically white sports":
Jackie Robinson - Baseball
Lewis Hamilton - F1 Racing
Tiger Woods - Golf, again
Ali - Boxing

Defined as "complete & utter domination of a sport in a window of time":
Don Bradman - Cricket
Tiger Woods - Golf, again
Wayne Gretzky - Hockey
Lewis Hamilton - F1 Racing, again

I know I'm leaving off plenty of people from each of those lists, but I'm just trying to frame how I'm weighing things in my head ... and Tiger Woods is definitely a player that falls under several category headings for me. It's tough for me to think of somebody who caused as much impact for their sport as Tiger.

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I think Jordan deserves to be in the "utter domination" category.

He won 10 straight scoring titles in every full season he played and six championships in the last 6 full seasons he played for the Bulls, not even Gretzky has 6 championships (Cups).

 

[Yerffej]

Tiger was it for me for golf. Same as Federer for tennis. I wanted to play both obsessively because of those two.

 

[ahoyle]

Could say Tito Ortiz for the UFC. He brought it through a dark period and into main stream popularity.

 

[RecRoulette]

Jackie Robinson would probably be all time (if not Ali) but for recent times it definitely has to be Tiger

Anecdotal, but I don't I'd ever get into playing golf if it wasn't for Tiger. I don't think MJ had that same effect.

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Same

 

[XaviConcept]

Impactful and important are almost separate metrics I think. Well see bigger impacts made in soccer and basketball in terms of tangible dollars and participation.

As far as importance, it could very well be Tiger but probably Robinson in baseball. Seeing how they broke some barriers along the lines of "people of a certain race arent allowed here". Would Bill Russell count as well? Im notknowledgeable in the subject there.

I think Steffi Graf also belongs in the conversation, her reign along with other top players at the tkme signified a big change in womens tennis. Serena is more dominant but it hasn't come with increased interest in the WTA, I dont think.

Oh and big ups for the USWNT, it feels like they single handedly created interest in the worldwide spread of womens soccer.

 

[UltraMagnus]

Anecdotal, but I don't I'd ever get into playing golf if it wasn't for Tiger. I don't think MJ had that same effect.

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Jordan made the NBA massively popular worldwide, there are tons of people that wouldn't be into basketball without that massive impact. Popularity of the sports has exploded in Europe and Asia (China) and I don't think that would've happened without Jordan.

Golf still struggles with broad appeal and is a predominately white sport still

Golf’s Historic Problems With Race Aren’t Getting Better

The golf world has long been a bastion of whiteness in America, and the number of Black golfers only continues to fall. Why? And are steps really being taken to make the game more diverse?

www.theringer.com

Tiger lifted a lot of the stigma off the sport but I don't think today it's like one of the "go to" sports for POC still, if you have a group of kids they're almost invariably going to be more interested in basketball more likely than golf.

I do agree it's probably Tiger, but golf still has a ton of issues. I think mainly what he has accomplished is it's no longer such a big deal if you're a POC playing golf. He normalized that from the completely fucked up racial dynamics it had before.

 

[parfait drizzy]

Im shocked how anybody can realistically say Ali over Joe Louis in terms of Boxing.

He was Undisputed Heavyweight Champion from before WW2 all the way to the Korean War, The first Commercial Black Heavyweight Superstar, The Longest reigning Heavyweight by title defenses, and a 70-3 record. Ali was popular in the commercialization world of the late 60's, but Joe was THE heavyweight.

 

[Good4Squat]

Didn't Bobby Fischer make Chess a big thing in the US for a while?

 

[Servbot24]

This is not the correct answer overall, but on a personal level Steph Curry got me back into the NBA after feeling a lull for several years

 

[Trunchisholm]

Only one mention for Ronaldo. None for Messi. Those two have been breaking records like there's no tomorrow and have boosted the popularity of their clubs and of their sport for almost two decades. Probably the two most dominant players in football history.