Last weekend's triumphs by Tiger Woods and Lance
Armstrong at the British Open and Tour de France,
respectively, continue to be praised in the editorial and
opinion pages. The following is a sampling:
TRUE HEROES: A BOSTON HERALD editorial stated, "In a
world short on heroes, these two splendid athletes and ever-
so-decent human beings fill the bill quite nicely" (BOSTON
HERALD, 7/25). The PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER wrote, "One
surprise here is that these Americans who snatched two of
Europe's top sporting prizes seemed so popular with
Europeans, who normally resent American dominance in any
field." Woods and Armstrong "win with class, and that has
universal appeal" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 7/25). The
WASHINGTON POST added that while Woods and Armstrong were
"cheered by boisterous crowds of Americans, ... any
irritation among Europeans at this exuberance ought to be
tempered by the knowledge that these particular heroes are
pretty easy to take -- and both are doing a lot of good for
the sports at which they excel" (WASHINGTON POST, 7/25).
The L.A. TIMES noted, "Lighting up the international sports
world, two superb American athletes delivered lessons in
grit and the sublime. ... What it takes to reach the top is
clear in the careers of both young international champions:
dedication, family support and exceptional talent" (L.A.
TIMES, 7/25). The AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN wrote, "These
two champions are the face of America -- black, white and
blended. They are the soul of the country, too -- intense,
hard-working and iron-willed. More importantly, they are
its heart" (A.A. STATESMAN, 7/25). The S.F. CHRONICLE:
"Both individuals are the gold standard in their fields"
(S.F. CHRONICLE, 7/25). The HOUSTON CHRONICLE: "One needn't
be a sports fan or a Supreme Court justice to appreciate the
feats [of Woods and Armstrong]" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 7/25).
USA TODAY: "Their talents have made Woods and Armstrong
rich. But the quest for perfection draws on different
reservoirs: of integrity, humility and a dedication to the
proposition that you can always improve" (USA TODAY, 7/25).
The WASHINGTON TIMES wrote that Woods and Armstrong
displayed "copious amounts of class and dignity in victory"
(WASHINGTON TIMES, 7/25). The WALL STREET JOURNAL wrote
Woods and Armstrong "entered the pantheon with remarkable
graciousness and grace" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 7/25).
TIGER'S CONQUEST: In London, John Hopkins wrote Woods
"has set new standards for an old game not only by the
manner of his play but also by the dignity and correctness
of his behaviour and speech. ... Woods showed a politeness
to his partners that not all players demonstrated. ... In
short, Woods's victory by eight stokes on the course was
only marginally more emphatic than his conduct off it"
(LONDON TIMES, 7/25). The WASHINGTON POST wrote Woods
"shows the kind of respect for his game that doesn't always
go with a youthful superstar" (WASHINGTON POST, 7/25).
SCRIPPS HOWARD's Jay Ambrose wrote Woods is "simply a
phenomenal athlete, and an exceptionally nice, well-mannered
young man, to boot" (SCRIPPS HOWARD, 7/25). MSNBC.com's
Mike Celizic, noting questions of whether Woods' dominance
will hurt the sport of golf, wrote, "He's not killing golf.
He's making it more popular and exciting than ever"
(MSNBC.com, 7/24). In Boston, Michael Holley: "The most
intriguing aspect of the Woods tale is imagining how the
sport will look when he is gone from it" (BOSTON GLOBE,
7/25). But MSNBC.com's Michael Ventre added, "Tiger's
domination of golf is new and exciting. But without a real
rival, it promises to get dull real soon" (MSNBC.com, 7/24).
In DC, Michael Wilbon wrote, "Even though he is only 24, his
sustained genius since 1997 may have already put him in
another pantheon with Ruth, Louis, Robinson, Ali and Jordan,
men who not only changed their sports but also changed the
world to varying degrees" (WASHINGTON POST, 7/25).
ARMSTRONG'S STANDARD: An AKRON BEACON JOURNAL editorial
stated Armstrong "continues to inspire and to be accessible
to those who struggle with serious illness" (AKRON BEACON
JOURNAL, 7/25). The N.Y. TIMES wrote Armstrong's victory is
"made more significant by the fact that he is a cancer
survivor. It attests not only to his own remarkable talents
but also to a personal courage that he shares with other
cancer survivors" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/25). Armstrong appeared on
the NBC's "Tonight Show" with Jay Leno last night and said
of cycling's popularity in the U.S.: "Americans are set on a
few sports and that's that. I have so many other things to
think about. ... I care about the success of the sport and
the popularity of the sport, but I don't really care about
the popularity of Lance Armstrong" (NBC, 7/27). In CA,
Marcia Smith writes that Armstrong appeared at NikeTown in
L.A. to sign autographs, "accept the congratulations and
hear the life stories of 600 people who came to see hope"
(O.C. REGISTER, 7/28). But in N.Y., Phil Mushnick
criticizes the "large" Nike banner visible at the podium
when Armstrong rang the closing bell Wednesday at the NYSE:
"Not even the most remarkable sporting accomplishments can
stand alone. They all must be draped in crass commercialism.
... Neither [Nike CEO Phil] Knight nor Nike can allow any
accomplishment to supersede the sell. Class is abandoned
because it isn't worth a damn" (N.Y. POST, 7/28).
