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See the original image at sports.espn.go.com —

Tiger Woods "Threatens Harm" On Snapping Photographers

sports.espn.go.com — Tiger Woods is growing more frustrated with photographers snapping pictures of him during his swing. But on Sunday, in a threat punctuated with profanity, he threatened bodily harm to the next photographer who snaps during his swing.

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  • whoreable, on 03/29/2008, -48/+7Tiger Woods.... The quintessential angry black man.
    • cquinnd, on 03/29/2008, -0/+5I'm sure there are a lot of pro golfers of every ethnic persuasion who agree with him.
  • TeflonBubba, on 03/29/2008, -8/+98Can't blame him.
    • mousky, on 03/29/2008, -8/+2Sure we can.
      • varmit, on 03/29/2008, -0/+10When your livelihood depends on you doing well at your sport, then no, I can't blame him. They ask for quiet for a reason. If someone starts to talk or makes a sound during you swing it really does throw you off as anyone that plays the game can tell you. More than once my father has started to talk during my down swing and I ended up not doing so well on that hole.
      • Pake, on 03/29/2008, -0/+1I see it this way. Golfing is his job and people are preventing him from accomplishing his job at the best of his ability. This would be no different than someone walking up to you while your typing up a huge document and deciding they'll just delete a significant portion of it or it someone walks by while your filing paper work and decides to throw it all up in the air. You can't say that someone ruining your work wouldn't piss you off either.
    • danz32, on 03/29/2008, -1/+2Maybe this will remind people to turn off their flash. Not that difficult, and you will no longer get harmed by Tiger!
  • maddog66, on 03/29/2008, -3/+15haha, good
  • billlyboobs34, on 03/29/2008, -7/+39I would pay money to see him kick a photographer's ass...
  • Jenadae, on 03/29/2008, -2/+26The picture goes so well with the article..
    • billlyboobs34, on 03/29/2008, -0/+1It'd be better if it was actually in the back swing
  • RandomGorilla, on 03/29/2008, -3/+11The only time I play golf is with a putter and the possibility of being impeded by a windmill. However, even I know it's very very bad to distract a golfer mid-swing. If you want proof of that, watch Jackass: the movie.
  • mrdiggdude, on 03/29/2008, -18/+3I would love to be punched by him, then I can ATTEMPT to sue him and be rich. OR be rich from the fame I would receive
  • palehorse864, on 03/29/2008, -4/+30They snapped then he snapped?

    Seriously though, I can understand why that would be extremely irritating.
  • VeniceCA, on 03/29/2008, -15/+5Dear Tiger, Buy an iPod, turn volume up and tune out.
    • GreenAlien, on 03/29/2008, -0/+1Or, photographers could let the request sink into their brains and show some respect for a change.
  • delmar14, on 03/29/2008, -4/+20Here's hoping' he follows through. watching pervy assholes with cameras get ***** up by celebrities is awesome.
  • roosterjack, on 03/29/2008, -5/+6Aren't photogs given a certain distance from where the player is?
    Tiger has a point, I would do the same if I were in his position. The number one golfer needs no distraction.
    • varmit, on 03/29/2008, -0/+1It most likely a fan that is taking the picture, or amateur photographer trying to get their first great picture.
    • cquinnd, on 03/29/2008, -0/+1IIRC Most tournaments have rules against taking photos while a competitor is on their swing.
  • Seantacular, on 03/29/2008, -4/+10well he is a tiger.
  • dvdt101, on 03/29/2008, -4/+3Ya Jackass!
  • 335io07, on 03/29/2008, -14/+7I would flip out too if a lot of money was on the line. Oh wait... he's already filthy rich and has a trophy wife. Snap away boys
  • buddypriefert, on 03/29/2008, -7/+3Nature's way of giving the leader a handicap.
    • robdiggity, on 03/29/2008, -1/+4Perhaps if it were a bird chirping loudly in his back swing. No, there is nothing natural about a douchebag photographer.
      • buddypriefert, on 03/29/2008, -0/+1I know what you are saying (and am glad Tiger made the comment), but I was referring to more along the line of as in "natural selection" (example, the Darwin Awards killing off the idiots who do dumb things for attention). I more meant that when you are King of the Hill, you naturally have more adversities.
  • NonLeftistDiggr, on 03/29/2008, -18/+8Golfers are the biggest pussies ever when it comes to sports. There are plenty of sports involving agile athletic movements, angle calculations, etc...

    How do you know you are a douche bag? When you honk when you pass golf courses like me.
  • MikiMac, on 03/29/2008, -7/+2they have silent cameras today! and should be forced to use those, when quite is required/wanted!
    • billlyboobs34, on 03/29/2008, -0/+8Not many DSLRs are silent and a photographer would only use an SLR camera.
      The Canon 40D can open the shutter before the swing and allows you to capture the shot without a sound. You can release the shutter after the swing is over.
    • cathpah, on 03/29/2008, -0/+1yep....not really viable/doable. Even when shooting classical music, cameras are usually DSLRs in what is a basically a giant styrofoam box that dampens the noise by quite a bit, but there's still a noise. With something surrounding the camera like that, it can be pretty difficult to work with, and thus pretty darn tough to shoot sports with (even if it is slow moving golf).
  • iamth3g, on 03/29/2008, -4/+0can't wait to see what happens next at the next tourney. photographers (including myself) sometime just need to respect other people's space--especially tiger woods.
  • mediabaron, on 03/29/2008, -3/+17Get a grip people we're not talking about the professional photographers covering the PGA tour. There are strict rules for pro photographers that prohibit them from taking photos of a golfer before they contact the ball unless they're so far away he can't hear a click (some newer cameras are almost silent due to Live View). A pro photographer would have their press pass taken away and banned from the tournament by officials. Tiger's caddy is notorious for getting pissed at photogs in the crowd and even threw a fan's camera into a lake once. When Tiger's playing bad they find blame with anyone except Tiger.

    And photogs hate it when Tiger's losing anyway because they have to cover the leaders AND cover Tiger even if he's way back in the pack. He's the story if he's winning, he's the story if he's losing. Must piss-off the pro golfers that don't get any coverage on TV newscasts when they only talk about the first few leaders and Tiger back in the pack.
    • AGraybosch, on 03/29/2008, -1/+2I've been to many tournaments and from Th-Sun cameras are banned to the public. I can't speak for this particular tournament but I suspect they were not allowed as well. Imagine if the public were allowed to bring them to the course? OMG We already have idiots sitting 50-60 yards away at football games snapping photos with their flashes going off when the flas is goo to maybe 20 feet at best. If they were allowed on the course during tournament play, we wouldn't be able to hear the announcers.
    • mediabaron, on 03/29/2008, -0/+3I'm a photojournalist and have covered pro-golf. We sign a paper with PGA rules before the start of the tournament. It says the photographer:
      1. Must shoot with at least a 300mm lens
      2. Must stay within arm's length of the rope
      3. No shooting of photos during the back and downswing before contact with the ball
      4. No shooting video (since PGA has a contract with TV networks)
      5. You cannot be in the direct sight line of the golfer and hole when on the green

      These are just some of the rules we abide by. Breaking these rules can subject a photojournalist from getting their pass revoked. Sure, there are exceptions to these rules. If I have an 600mm lens and shoot a photo from far away I could get away with shooting during the swing. If there is no rope in the area, well I wouldn't be an arm's length away from it. If I had an absolutely silent camera taking a photo would be fine.

      Note that most of the rules don't apply to network TV folks broadcasting the event, money talks.
  • gr0ss, on 03/29/2008, -3/+7Honestly, why do people have to do that *****?

    They should just make rules that if you snap during a golfers swing then you and your camera are removed. Its the same as being an overly rude crowd member at a basketball or football game.
    • Aensland, on 03/29/2008, -0/+3Exactly. Some people behave like douchebags and then get upset when ***** happens. Wtf. You ***** called it on yourself.
    • Cerebral, on 03/29/2008, -1/+1WTF are you talking about with the Basketball/Football game? ***** you. I'll be a pain in the ass fan if I want. I don't go to golf tourneys but I know that I would follow the rules if I were there; and taunt the ***** out of him after he hits the ball and until his next swing :)
  • nahsrocketeer75, on 03/29/2008, -1/+3Great job by the writer explaining the nuances involved, especially as apply to the rules governing the photographers. Woods had every right to react as he did and those who criticize him for it simply do not understand the nature of the game or the nature of the relationship between the players and the press.
  • solarman78, on 03/29/2008, -3/+3This isn't basketball, golf has rules! If he doesnt want people snapping pictues I agree. I am no Tiger Woods but when I play golf people talking, even moving distract me, nature of the game.
  • Samsauce, on 03/29/2008, -2/+5Tigers worst nightmare.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyoZNV0HO6k
    • Gogogo111, on 03/29/2008, -0/+1Thats funny as ***** hahahahah.
    • Cerebral, on 03/29/2008, -0/+1I would pay money to have them do that to Tiger :)
  • nullcodes, on 03/29/2008, -4/+3Cut the dude some slack people. He wasn't acting out violently, that's a plus. There could be probably other ***** going on in his life causing him to burst out like this. Stuff in his marriage, financial stuff? who knows. It can have mood altering effects. It's wrong to even speculate. It's no excuse to lash out, I suppose but unfortunately self control isn't always easy when u have disrupted personal crap going on. I am not excusing it, but people shouldn't be quick to cast judgement on others.
  • havokzero, on 03/29/2008, -2/+5I like how he never budges when the reporter hints that he should apologize. Instead, he replies with a logical, reasonable explanation.
    I'm so tired of celebrities who bend over backwards to do what's "socially responsible" as a cheap attempt to save their own reputation.
  • edebolt, on 03/29/2008, -7/+3when I was a kid we would ride our bikes on the path near the golf course and when the guy was swinging we would make loud noises or blow an air horn. Good fun at age 13.

    • noots, on 03/29/2008, -0/+2you watched Jackass and made that up ey?
  • digitinfinity, on 03/29/2008, -1/+10I like the fact that Tiger never apologized for what kept being referred to as an overreaction. People are way too damn sensitive about words. God forbid those words are put together into sentences, which form ideas that they don't like.
    • K31TH3R, on 03/29/2008, -0/+1Ugh i was thinking the same thing. Anyone who cries like this over someone getting pissed off and dropping a few swear words and threats while playing a sport needs to realize they are an overly sensitive complete and utter toolbox who has absolutely no understanding of common human nature or competitiveness.
      Seriously, if you're over 30 and profanity/threats offend you, time to start riding the short-bus to work. (by work i mean daycare, because you clearly have the mental capacity of a 9 year old)
      • Cerebral, on 03/29/2008, -1/+2I agree with your thought on older people (and people in general for that matter) being upset by "words". I've even tried to rationalize with people that if you get offended by the word "*****" and so I replace is with, say "fudge" then the connotation of the word is still the same. Same if I made up a new word like "flim-flam"... different word same meaning.
    • Yond, on 03/31/2008, -0/+0Perhaps the person that chose to flash his camera at tiger midswing should apologize. It is not nice to do so, and it literally can make or break a golfer's swing.
  • Play, on 03/29/2008, -0/+1I thought it said "thetans harm" for a second there. That means it's time to get some sleep. >_
  • gnomead, on 03/29/2008, -0/+4http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID= ...

    This article puts everything in perspective.
    • Aensland, on 03/29/2008, -0/+1Unfortunately the morons who think it was fun to airhorn golfers as kids and are digging down the reasonable comments in this thread don't get it.
  • mr5150, on 03/29/2008, -14/+8Boo Hoo....***** you Tiger! It's been fine for years and now when your on a ***** streak you make out as though it's the underlying problem to your failures...screw you and hope you fail dismally you abnoxious ungreatful *****. Time for a more gracious champ to sit in throne.
    • noloveIII, on 03/29/2008, -1/+6***** streak? Don't even comment on golf because you clearly have no clue. He is the best golfer ever and has finished 1st 1st 1st and 5th in the tournaments he has played this year, and yes picture taking can seriously effect a swing.
    • AGraybosch, on 03/29/2008, -1/+3Go climb under a rock Mr5150 - what an idiot
  • electroWildWood, on 03/29/2008, -6/+1that photog idiot deserves a driver to the skull.
  • CheeseburgerBro, on 03/29/2008, -0/+1Dear submitter: In English we say "harm to" not "harm on."
  • pentak, on 03/29/2008, -0/+3way to work your black side cuz
  • zoomtechtv, on 03/29/2008, -4/+2The photographer was not doing anything wrong. He or she was just doing their job. They have a right to be there. It's just part of the game. There are sport photographers that have permission to be on the golf course. These sports photographers are not paparazzi. Maybe it would be a good idea, if they stopped covering golf tournaments. It would be interesting to see if Tiger Woods would be complaining that golf needs more coverage to get people interested into the sport.
    • thurows, on 03/29/2008, -0/+4I have photographed golf and the rules strictly say not to photograph during the golfers swing. Dave Black is a creative sports photographer and gets around it by using a point and shoots, because they are shhh, to obtain pictures unlike others.
    • logosx1, on 03/29/2008, -0/+0You make a good point, and it's the photographers who enable the fanboys here to follow Tiger's every move in the first place.
  • Hawksman, on 03/29/2008, -7/+3"I made bogey," Woods said
    Awwwwww.... To freggin bad ya big baby..!......... REAL people have way more SERIOUS issues facing them.
    Afraid maybe u starting to stink at ur game..?
    Lash out at others cuz u suck..!....... Good Plan..!
    Loser he iz...Arrest him the way regular people would be arrested if they said that....!
    • cleverdiggname, on 03/29/2008, -0/+1ummm what the hell? Saying "I made bogey" wouldn't get anybody arrested. If your talking about cussing out someone because they messed with your shot... then you still won't get arrested. Also, making boogie for a sport that you are payed millions upon millions of dollars to play, and you also must consider that this is a tournament in which a single mistake can cause you to lose; he had every right to be pissed.
  • ziffel, on 03/29/2008, -0/+5"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I break your concentration?"
  • pinguwin, on 03/29/2008, -1/+2I'm not a golfer, so might not understand the distraction if causes and would find it annoying having people take my picture all the time. Yet I say, "Tough luck." That's the hardships and hassle of fame. He choose the life of a golf pro, live with it. I actually have more sympathy for him being hassled with photos when he is out to a restaurant but photos on the job for a person pulling in tens of millions, it's an occupational hazard.
  • thurows, on 03/29/2008, -3/+1Why do golfers and tennis players get to be prima donnas? If you can't concentrate and do your job under pressure than go home. Could you imagine stopping basketball fans from heckling the opposition during free throws? Stopping fans from cheering so loud that a quarterback can't communicate was his team on a last minute drive? It's sports people, not psychotherapy, or nap time.
    • davbmn68, on 03/29/2008, -0/+4You're mixing apples and oranges here. Basketball is a noisy sport so noises tend to be a non-factor unless they are to the point of not being able to hear on the court. Golf and Tennis are quiet sports in which any sudden noise can be distracting. If there was a constant noise i'm sure there would be no problem but a sudden clicking noise can be distracting to any golfer. I think if you want to try and distract a golfer you should be escorted off the course. Golf is about letting each person do the best they can on any given day, the course is supposed to be the obstacle, not the gallery.
    • catachip, on 03/29/2008, -0/+2Sport is a Gentleman's sport. It required concentration, and is meant to be played in a silent environment. There are very strict rules about talking, picture taking and things like that while the game is going on. Hockey, for example, can be a very loud sport, at times. But, if you've ever been to a game, you'd see that they never play music or anything during game play and it is actually very quiet (in comparison to baseball, football etc.) in the area (at times when the the players are away from the net, that is)
  • bossm4n, on 03/29/2008, -1/+5I always thought Tommy Lasorda's take on this subject was amusing, and I paraphrase, "How is it that golfers get so upset about the slightest noise when they're trying to hit a ball sitting still right in front of them, but baseball players are expected to hit a ball coming at them at 95 mph with 50,000 people screaming at him."
  • blankoboy, on 03/29/2008, -2/+2Fire up your iPod and ignore them altogether Tiger. I can be your iPod caddy! =)
  • coolflea216, on 03/29/2008, -2/+3Golfers are pussies. Barry Bonds can hit a 95 mph fastball 450 feet in front of 50,000 screaming fans, cameras flashing ererywhere, and this guy cant handle a camera flashing trying to hit a ball that's just sitting on a tee? If woods stepped to him the photogropher would probably kick his ass.
  • furbyboy, on 03/29/2008, -4/+2be careful, he's black......he may have a gun/drugs on his person!!! also watch ur wallet!!!

    /sarc
  • cathpah, on 03/29/2008, -1/+2blah blah blah....every other damn sport deals with a loud crowd and photographers snapping away.

    Why does Tiger need utter silence to hit a non-moving ball, when you don't have it when you need to hit a fastball, throw a 30 yd pass through coverage, stop a puck coming at you at 100mph, or shoot a 3 pointer with someone in your face?
    • Yond, on 03/31/2008, -1/+0The problem is golf is different that other sports. It is about a delicate precision that requires calm, quiet and concentration to make a perfect golf swing, or an accurate put. In basketball, there is a lot of noise all the time and is a LOT easier. The ball in basketball is a LOT larger and so is the hoop. In golf it is very tiny, as is the hole. Worlds more difficult. And you have to put it farther than a three point shot sometimes, and you have terrain distortions built into the sport.
  • tenneseetuxedo, on 03/29/2008, -2/+1that's really a shame. maybe the media and fans could just ignore him, and this game, and he could go wash cars for a living. he'd eat my lens if he even got close to me.
  • icewater, on 03/29/2008, -0/+0Suggestion - Any photographer who takes that type of picture, while knowing full well they shouldn't:
    1. Will have their camera checked for the infraction.
    2. If a non compliant picture is found, the camera is confiscated from the photographer as the photographer is being escorted from the course.
    3. A huge fine will be imposed on that photographer to help insure that it doesn't happen again.
  • Fantom05, on 03/29/2008, -0/+1This reminds me of when Calvin blamed Hobbes for "distracting" him when Calvin broke the beanie he ordered from his favorite cereal...
  • SonicAD, on 03/29/2008, -0/+2Next time this happens, Tiger needs to go Happy Gilmore on someone.
  • chaserm, on 03/29/2008, -1/+1Tiger Woods is an arrogant person and soar loser. You would never see Roger Federer swearing and threatening fans win or lose.
    • Yond, on 03/31/2008, -0/+0And Roger Federer is nowhere near as good as Tiger also. Tiger is a big big target because he is clearly the best.
  • jellygraph, on 03/29/2008, -1/+1Good for Tiger, I totally see where he is coming from
  • morouxshi, on 03/29/2008, -0/+1This is not news.
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