There are very few things that can overshadow an event like March Madness, even if it is just for a moment. One of those things is the return of one of the most dominant athletes ever to the sport that has been dying to have him back: Tiger Woods' return to golf.
It seems like yesterday that Woods crashed his car into a tree outside his home, and the previously squeaky-clean, private golfer was thrust into the spotlight. His biggest problem went from throwing the occasional temper tantrum on the golf course, to being on the cover of the New York Post a grand total of 20 straight days, beating out 9/11 for the most covers in a row by any person or event, and having to look on as his mistresses were revealed, one after the other.
After a separation from his wife, a stint in rehab, a public apology, and a four month hiatus, Woods is coming back to golf, on April 8, on the sport's biggest stage: The Masters, which is both a good and bad thing for Tiger.
The decision to make a return at the Masters has a lot of advantages for Tiger. The biggest advantage is that Augusta is his home away from home. He won his first major there in 1997, and has won there a total of four times in his career.
The Masters is known for protecting its golfers from the media and fans. Media credentials are heavily limited, and fans risk being banned for life if they violate the Masters' strict rules. As a result, Tiger will probably only have to field golf-related questions at press conferences, and should receive little to no heckling during play.
Another advantage is that The Masters is golf's biggest event, and Tiger is known for his clutch play. Winning such a prestigious tournament after such an emotionally tough part in Woods' life would allow him to show the other golfers that he is still the same old Tiger, still able to dominate, still able to win every tournament out there.
The eminence of the event can also be a bad thing for Woods. The best of the best will be competing in the tournament, and even though Tiger left the game on top, it is tough to know whether he will be able to play as well as he did before his troubles. Hitting golf balls at his home in Orlando is one thing, but competing in the biggest golf tournament in the world is another.
If he performs poorly, the media, other golfers, and fans will begin to question if Tiger will ever be able play like the Tiger of old. Even worse, Tiger himself may question his own ability to play the sport he has dominated for such a long time.
If Woods is his usual robotic self he should not have too many problems. He knows himself well enough to know when he is ready to play. Woods has always been known as one of the hardest working athletes around, so one has to assume he has been preparing for this moment arduously for the past couple of months. If he is confident enough to make his return at The Masters, he must be ready to play.
Woods is not the first start athlete to have to come back from a major scandal. Kobe Bryant's 2003 adulterous scandal with a hotel employee in Colorado has been mostly forgotten about. Alex Rodriguez had a punishing start to 2009 after admitting steroid use, but his wonderful performance in the 2009 playoffs and his first World Series win has helped him put that in the past. These two are some of the best athletes in their respective sport, and even though Tiger's problems may be larger than theirs', he will eventually be forgiven, and should be able to come back and play as well as before the scandal, if not better.
The United States is a forgiving country, especially when it comes to forgiving celebrities. A win in the Masters for Tiger would put him back on top of the world, as almost everyone, from golf zealots to teenage girls will probably watch at least one round of Tiger's return to golf.
Tiger Woods was the greatest golfer and arguably the greatest athlete in the world not so long ago. For the past four months he has been the subject of the greatest tabloid story ever. Now it's time for Tiger to make the greatest comeback ever.
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