COLUMN: The golfer formerly known as Tiger

From Jamil Smith's, "Invisible Man," Fall '96 From Jamil Smith's, "Invisible Man," Fall '96Golf sensation Tiger WoodsFrom Jamil Smith's, "Invisible Man," Fall '96Golf sensation Tiger Woodsmust be more than Nike'sFrom Jamil Smith's, "Invisible Man," Fall '96Golf sensation Tiger Woodsmust be more than Nike'snew $40-million man.From Jamil Smith's, "Invisible Man," Fall '96Golf sensation Tiger Woodsmust be more than Nike'snew $40-million man.___________________________From Jamil Smith's, "Invisible Man," Fall '96Golf sensation Tiger Woodsmust be more than Nike'snew $40-million man.___________________________My father is one of the only people I know who thoroughly enjoys watching golf on television. As much of a golf enthusiast as he is, I have rarely seen him as excited as when Tiger Woods, the now-former amateur golfer extraordinaire, won his third consecutive PGA Amateur championship -- a feat legends like Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer never accomplished. "Eventually" became "now" when -- one day after his August 25 victory at the Amateur -- Woods announced his plan to leave Stanford after two years to play golf professionally. He stood at the press conference, justifiably proud. His father sat nearby, wearing an equally proud expression. Woods began his professional career with the words: "I guess it's 'Hello World,' huh?" At the time I thought it was a perfect line to introduce Woods to the realm of the PGA, which waited for him with feverish anticipation. In the talent and form of Woods, the PGA had its marketable athlete for the turn of the century, confirmed by Woods's first pro tournament win at the Las Vegas Invitational on October 6. Apparently, someone else figured that out, too -- Nike CEO Phillip Knight. "Hello World" was not simply an introduction to the PGA. It also signaled the loss of the old Tiger Woods and the birth of the Golfer Formerly Known as Tiger. You see, as Woods spoke that line he was wearing his new Nike polo -- just one piece of his new $40-million endorsement contract with Nike. Before Woods even stepped onto the course to play his first professional tournament, the endorsement powers that be had already swallowed him up. Titleist, a top golf equipment manufacturer, also signed Woods to a multi-million dollar deal. While he has accomplished things that no one else has on the amateur level, Woods was, at the time, unproven on the pro circuit. Woods's contracts and decision to turn pro come in the same year as former Lower Merion High School basketball star Kobe Bryant's decision to forego college for the pros and sign a multi-year endorsement contract with Adidas. Bryant, who signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, hasn't even hit the boards of an NBA court yet. He presently sits sidelined with a broken hand? but he is a millionaire at 18. Woods, Bryant and the healthy sums offered to them to sport certain products are symptomatic of the recent trend of taking athletes who haven't reached their prime and attempting to capitalize on their popularity early. This way, companies like Nike and Adidas (and Reebok, New Balance and others, for that matter) make money off these young men now -- just in case they don't fulfill their potential later. Nike has taken Woods, stamped its infamous Swoosh on his hat, shirt and golf bag, and made us quickly forget about the well-mannered young man behind the logo. As much press as there was about Woods' entrance into the pros, there was just as much publicizing Woods as the new Nike frontman. The memory of Woods' touching press conference was obscured when Nike began airing its commercial featuring the "Hello World" quote throughout Woods's first pro tournament. Not only was it apparent that Nike told Woods to say those words, but the commercial also mentioned the fact that there are still courses in the United States that Woods cannot play because of his skin color. Nike has chosen to pimp Woods' race to appeal to the multitude of Woods' black fans -- including my father and myself. If Nike believes people will fall for this ploy, the company doesn't seem to think much of black Americans' ability to detect bullshit. It is tragic when sports can't be played and enjoyed without considering who's getting paid by what shoe company and how much that money will influence the athlete's career decisions. Deion Sanders, for example, left the San Francisco 49ers for the Dallas Cowboys a year ago because he and the Cowboys get a large check from Nike every month for endorsement rights. (The only thing keeping the Cowboys from putting a Swoosh on their helmets is the fact that their star running back and best player, Emmitt Smith, endorses Reebok.) It seems to be reaching the point now where teams are on their way to wearing corporate logos instead of their own. A matchup between the Niketown Cowboys and Reebok Ravens can't be far off if this trend is permitted to continue. More importantly, individuals -- particularly young men like Tiger Woods and Kobe Bryant -- cannot allow their personalities to be subjugated to a logo like a Swoosh, three Adidas stripes or that Reebok thing.