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Tiger has been in the news for years as an upcoming star and he has
lived up to his advanced billing.
I was in the Fort Worth-Dallas area last month when the Colonial Golf
Tournament was about to be played and the Byron Nelson Tourney was just
being concluded - won by Tiger.
I was impressed by an expression I saw in a newspaper in that area
regarding four young players - slightly older than Tiger but young and
new on the tour - who were dubbed young Lions in the shadow of and in
pursuit of a Tiger.
As the years have gone by, we've seen a number of young players come
along who have been good for the sport and have inspired many to get
involved. If you're old enough, I'm sure you recall the exploits of Jack
"the Golden Bear" Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and his Army of followers, Lee
Trevino and Lee's fleas, Gary Player and the rage before Tiger was The
Shark - Greg Norman.
I'm old enough to remember the man still referred to as the best of all
golfers - Ben Hogan, although I didn't get to see him in his prime.
It is thought that Tiger Woods will eclipse the records of all these
masters of the links. (I love all the nicknames). And he well might as
he is certainly a great golfer. He has obviously inspired a generation
of those who want to be like him.
And he has and is serving to break down racial barriers in a sport like
Jackie Robinson did in baseball and Arthur Ashe did in tennis. It's
unfortunate that such barriers still exist in this modern world but they
do and probably will continue to exist in spite of everything.
Tiger has got a tiger by the tail in that he is under a lot of pressure,
not only to win but to live a lifestyle that is expected of a superstar.
Many superstars crumble under such pressure. It appears that Tiger has
been raised to be humble and to take all this glory in stride. I just
hope it doesn't prove to be too much.
Let's not expect him to win every tournament. That's just not humanly
possible. It's obvious he'll win a bunch. How many remains to be seen.
We admire his ability and his level head and wish him the best of luck.
Don't you know it's frustrating to these young lions have to live in his
shadow?
I'm sure that's true of many others in all sports and that's one reason
I find sports so interesting as you watch stars come and go and remember
what they did and how they did it.
I get amused as some of the sportscasters calling certain people the
best ever in that sport and playing a particular position. About the
only person I know who is probaby the best ever in his sport is Michael
Jordan in basketball.
That's saying a lot because there have been a whole lot of good players
through the years and I've enjoyed watching many of them. However, he
plays on a different level than others have in the history of the game -
a least the ones I've had the opportunity to watch.
Editor's Note: Mac McKinnon is editor and publisher of the Pecos Enterprise. His column appears on Friday.
This January, after many months of hard training and dedication, I
competed for and was chosen as one of five members of the United States
to be on Team USA as the "best of the best" in Tae Kwon Do. The USA Team
will compete at the Tae Kwon Do World Championships in St. Petersburg,
Russia against 100 countries this coming July.
I have managed to go to school and train through the support of myself,
student loans, and grants. Unfortunately, the summer is upon me and
federal financial aid is only available during the Fall and Spring
semesters. I do not have any problems with holding a summer job, but
it's not that easy.
I have applied at and have been interviewed at many places, but no one
is willing to hire me after I inform them that I will be in Russia in
three weeks and unable to attend work.
In order to perform at peak levels and stand a chance against the very
best, I must stick to a rigorous training schedule to have perfect
health, a healthy mind, and unrelenting determination to win. I must
train like an Olympic athlete. There are just not enough hours in the
day to work an eight hour shift and train the adequate amount in order
to win.
We all have necessities to live, like eating, housing, and
transportation, as do I. I am not unwilling to work, lazy, or nor
disinterested. I am simply trying to eliminate distractions and barriers
that keep me from living my dream. You all know what it is like to once
be young and to dream. I am living out my dream, to represent and win
gold medals for my country. I am a winner. I am a champion. I have
beaten the odds. Failure does not exist for me. I train for one reason,
and that is to make my parents, community, and country proud. I will be
victorious.
What would you do if you were in my shoes? Would you have the
determination to push on above everyday problems and live your dreams?
Now I put myself in your shoes: would I help out a young man giving
every day his best, rising up to the top, but pinned beneath the
struggle to support himself? I'd be willing to bet my gold medal on it I
would. Thank you for your consideration and time.
RUSSELL JONES IITeam USA
Why don't you build them a place to roost? Of all the money that has
been spent to plant trees and build sidewalks from the interstate, it
should be a small price to pay for the public, as well as the pigeons.
You could build several places in town, or just make one for them at the
zoo at the old swimming area.
They can be trapped by feeding them and taking them to the new location.
They will have to be fed for a while to keep them at the same location,
but you won't have to feed them forever.
They seem to be pretty self-sustaining. Think about it. Won't it beat
having to worry about getting pooped on next time you go to the post
office or the courthouse? And if that doesn't help, then think about
keeping the tourist safe while they are visiting Pecos. Set an example
for other cities, or check with other cities to see what they have done
about the problem.
Name Withheld By Request
Pecos Enterprise
Mac McKinnon, Publisher
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail: news@bitstreet.com
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Copyright 1997 by Pecos Enterprise
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