Tiger Tributes, TV Deal Ramifications, Aura Obits And Other Assorted Observations

I can see by the lack of passion in the posts about Tiger's uninspired post-round interview that it's really not a hot-button issue, so let's move on to Monday's range of stories about the 14-time major winner.

Bill Simmons' son sat with him and was excited by Tiger's 8th hole eagle and reaction, and therefore all is right with the world.

If my son needs a role model, and he will, that person should be me. I don't need Tiger to teach my child how to behave. I need him to teach my son that it's fun to watch golf. Yesterday was the first lesson. There was a putt, and a roar, and a fist pump, and then my son screaming "Again!" Only Tiger Woods could have made it happen. It's a gift.

Even with excellent ratings this year, because Tiger did not win, Darren Rovell wonders whether that will impact PGA Tour television negotiations.

As the PGA Tour readies to commence TV negotiations — the six-year deals worth almost $3 billion expire at the end of 2012 — what are the networks going to be paying for? They lost Tiger to injury for the second half of 2008, didn't see him before the Masters last year due to the scandal and now they don't know exactly what they have.

Uh, they know a lot better than they did a few weeks ago. He's back!

So with Tiger not exactly back to being a sure thing — who knows if it will happen again? — what will the PGA Tour do? How long will they wait? Or maybe it's, how long will the networks make the PGA Tour wait?

I don't know what those questions mean, so we'll move to more clever writing. Cameron Morfit goes the satirical route and pens the obituary on the death of Tiger's aura.

The aura of Tiger Woods, which was the picture of health and the envy of millions for the better part of 15 years, died peacefully over the weekend at the home of the Masters, Augusta National Golf Club.

The cause of death was ordinary fallibility.

In this week's Pond Scrum, John Huggan and Steve Elling kick around this year's epic Masters and also touch on the aura issue.

Huggan: I had to smile when I heard people saying that this proves the young guys "aren't afraid" of Tiger. Well, they're not afraid of this Tiger, the one who can't make a putt on the back nine. The old Tiger, the one with some putting teeth, was a bit scarier. If he comes back -- and I still have doubts about that -- watch out.

Elling: Every day that passes, more and more players are saying what Rory said on Saturday night -- "I have beaten every guy on that leaderboard before." Be it Tiger or Phil or the other stars who have carried the weight for so long, we are full-bore into a sea change. The next wave is taking over. That's three straight major wins by players in their mid-20s.