#Let's talk about phenoms. Some people just don't know how to stay out of the news or simply have the force of character, the skill-sets and mindset which do not allow them to live in the grey area outside of the public consciousness. This weekend showcased two such men - one who has been a phenomenon since he first started draining putts in front of Bob Hope at age 2 and the other who, while he has been a sensation to this point in his football life, many believed would be subjected by the NFL to a career of clipboard carrying, waterboy duties and the role of Team Chaplain on weekends. Many's the detractor who at this moment is scurrying to erase tweeted entries of how Mr. Woods will never win again and Mr. Tebow will never ever make the grade as a pro quarterback. Such is the nature of being the armchair critic.

Photo: Contributed

"Birdie birdie feels pretty damn good. Fans made it feel better than great" - @TigerWoods. Not one to spend a lot of time out there in the twittersphere, safe to say that TW needed to send out that little nugget to all the nay-sayers after finding the winners circle once more at the Chevron World Challenge. OK sure, he only beat 17 other guys but they were some of the best in the world and most of them ranked higher than him going in. OK sure, he almost owns Sherwood Country Club and yes this is a tournament he hosts for his foundation but when it’s been 749 days since your last victory fist-pump then a win is a win is a win. And yes, the crowd roared in approval, while TW roared in relief.

Here’s the thing – you can have a long list of reasons for not rooting for Tiger’s inevitable return to the pinnacle of his profession – some will cite moral grounds for his preference for Perkins’ waitresses and porn stars over his marriage. Others, trolling blogs from the safety of their driveable homes, more often than not, south of the Mason-Dixon in the Lower 48, cite racial grounds or religious ones and often in the same sentence. I prefer to take the stance of one who has never judged a man by the colour of his skin or his God and whose own moral compass may have been a tad askew from time to time. I think I rooted against Tiger for all the right reasons in his hey-day – I always rooted for the underdog – the Bob May, the Rocco Mediate, even and especially the Phil Mickelson. I can’t say for sure if this is going to be a new incarnation, a more huggable, humbler Tiger but I will continue to say that golf needs him. Like Palmer, Nicklaus and Watson before him golf requires that its true champions refuse to age gracefully but instead battle the incoming generation for every yard on every fairway until the Senior Tour finally extinguishes their competitive spirits and they golf cart into the sunset of lucrative Resort Golf Course Design. It is the way it has always been Young Grasshopper and so it must remain. For his part TW threw down the gauntlet with “Who’s up for some LL Cool J?” Yup, kinder, gentler Tiger – Mama Said Knock You Out!

Photo: Contributed

Meanwhile, in Minneapolis the story of Little Timmy Tebow was continuing as the Denver Broncos, led by a man said to be purer than both driven snow and Mary Tyler Moore (my best 2 Minneapolis references!), were going to 6-1 with wunderkind #15 under centre. Every single sports journalist/blogger (bar Woody Paige at the Denver Post) is trying re-spin their initial Tebowisms to save public face in light of this young man’s ability to lead a team to victory in the NFL.

“Another all-around awesome team win! I thank the Lord to be lining up every Sunday with such great men. GB^2" - @TimTebow. Here’s the thing – everybody knew when he came into the League he threw the football about as well as Roseanne sang the Anthem and at Florida he had spent even less time under centre than Peyton Manning has this year. So what, he’ll learn. Truth is, he’s a winner and the men he plays with believe in him. I can’t stand the whole “Football Is War” analogy that gets bandied around weekly by Ray Lewis clones but the one time it stands up is here – when you have to follow a man into battle, you had better believe in him. When Kyle Orton was at the helm everybody in that locker-room said the right things but now, when they talk about leadership, they believe it.

James Freeman Clarke once said: “All the strength and force of a man comes from his faith in things unseen...Strong convictions precede great actions.” Like TW, Tebow has polarized the sports world, his religious fervour intimidates many and alienates those who feel he attempts to impose it on the Sports Fan. If that happens to be you then please – give your head a shake. Tebow’s personal convictions mean as little to me on a day to day basis as my love of peanut butter and banana sandwiches means to him. He just has a better forum for expressing it. And if you don’t like it, change the channel – it really is that easy. The amount of time and energy that has been devoted to TT cyber-hatred could have been better spent attacking world hunger or poverty. Or just taking a nap. Either way Sports Fans, enjoy the ride because these two guys are likely to keep you entertained for a while to come. #Until next time.