Why Does Tiger Woods get more media coverage than Floyd Landis?

Question

Yes, we know Tiger's dad died. It's sad, but eventually everyone has a family member that passed away. So why does Tiger get all the attention? This is just another major tournament for him, where as Landis won the second biggest sporting event in the world (second to Golf)..

I mean to say (second to World Cup Soccer)

Answer 1

For the same reason Lance Armstrong got more media coverage the last couple of years than Floyd Landis this year--because more people knew who he was since he had been known for a longer period of time.

Winning the Tour de France is a major accomplishment but doing it repeatedly will always be covered more than doing it only once.

Now, if Floyd gets his hip replaced and comes back and wins it again next year, that will be big news!

Answer 2

First, golf is more of a mainstream sport than cycling, esp. in the US. Ask most Americans about any another bike race, and you'll get a blank stare.
Second, Tiger has been on top of the game for many years, and this is the first year Landis has won a big race.
Third, Tiger is more of a marquee name than Landis, i.e., he sells more cars, clubs, clothes, etc.
Let Landis win a few more big races and he might begin to approach Tiger's fame and world stature.
I think a more germane question would have been a comparison of the achievements between Lance Armstrong and Tiger Woods. 11 major golf tournaments and numerous others vs. Lance's 7 TdF wins plus more when he was younger. That would be an interesting debate.

PS. I watched as much of the TdF as I could for the entire race, and saw very little of the British Open

Answer 3

To answer your question: Tiger Woods is a cultural phenomenon, a golf prodigy realizing his vast array of talents, owner of eleven Major championships currently and only seven Major championships shy of Mount Everest a/k/a Jack Nicklaus's eighteen (and just to think someone could even approach Nicklaus even twenty years ago was heresy) and a walking license to print new money, while Floyd Landis could probably shoot the President in public and still not get picked out of a police lineup.

And I would dispute your calling the Tour the second biggest sporting event in the world, not as long as the UEFA European Football Championship is still making book. In all parts of the world not called the United States, the pecking order is relatively simple: World Cup footie, UEFA Cup footie, footie from any of the following First Division leagues - the Premiership (England), Ligue 1 (France), 1. Bundesliga (Germany), Serie A (Italy), SuperLiga (Portugal), and Primera Liga (Spain - and Formula 1 Racing...but I digress.

Quite simply, golf matters in the U.S the way that cycling doesn't, and Tiger Woods matters the way few athletes of any generation have ever mattered, while Floyd Landis will have to settle for wearing a nice yellow jersey in Lance Armstrong's shadow as the answer to a Trivial Pursuit question: name the guy who won the Tour after Lance hung his spurs up.

Finally, if you're a cynic, follow the money. If you're ever lost in the desert, pray you're with Tiger Woods because all you have to do is stand still and endorsements will find you. (There is a reason, after all, that only the Tour de France and the NHL were shown live on OLN...somehow, even last year's poker re-runs and the WNBA manage to outdraw them...)

So, light another candle in front of your Miguel Indurain poster, keep saving those pennies for that genuine Selle Royal gel saddle, and wear your old-school Campagnolo painter's cap proudly, but until Floyd Landis learns to swing a golf club with consistency, he's relegated to the agate type, right next to the baseball waiver wire transactions and the finals at Pimlico.

Answer 4

First, golf is a more popular sport than cycling here in the States. Second, Tiger is an established star and he received more publicity prior to the British Open. Third, it helps that ESPN, the largest sports media outlet in America, is a broadcast partner for ABC, the network that broadcast the Open. Fourth, Tiger does benefit from his association with Nike, especially, and other commercial sponsors (I'd argue that even if you don't watch golf you still know who Tiger Woods is, but the same can't be said about cycling and Floyd Landis). As I write this I'm listening to a Lasik radio advertisement; guess who is promoting the procedure? Yes, it's Tiger Woods. C'est la vie!

For me, and I think for most fair-minded people, Floyd's achievement is more compelling and he does deserve more press coverage. I watched both events. Well, I watched all the live coverage of Stage 20 on OLN, but I only caught the last couple of holes of the British Open.

I must say, it was disappointing to see so few Americans lining the Tour route this year as compared to years past when Lance won. I hope Floyd recovers quickly from his off-season hip surgery and is able to challenge for the yellow jersey next year. I also hope interest in cycling continues to grow in the States and that doors continue to open for talented, young American riders like Floyd, Levi Leipheimer, etc. to join professional European-based teams and compete in world-class events like the Tour. I also wish more American companies would support cycling and sponsor teams. I think they're missing a great opportunity to put out their brand for a world audience, especially for an event like the Tour de France

Answer 5

Well, I think that the reason Tiger is getting more attention is for several reasons. First, the passing of his father makes for a more emotional story and news organizations love those types of stories. Secondly, it was Tiger's first win in many months, so people were interested about that. And his movement up the ranks of golfing elite was noted with his 11th win at a major golf tournament.

I think Floyd Landis was at a disadvantage because most people don't follow cycling, and what they do know is almost only about Lance Armstrong. I think if he is able to maintain a winning streak much like Armstrong, he'll gain in popularity and media coverage.

Answer 6

Tiger Woods is more popular in this country, and is also a much more well known celebrity. He is the highest paid athelte in the entire world (Michael Schumacher was second last year). In addition, he is a dominant player of his sport, whereas Landis is a relative unknown, since Lance Armstrong retired. Heck, a better question would be why I have I seen more of Lance Arstrong this past month than Floyd Landis? At least Tiger is still competing and in a major event. Lance is retired and not in any events currently, yet still gets more airtime than Landis.

Answer 7

My curiosity got the better of me so i google floyd landis just to see who he is, oh right its the cyclist guy.
So you are claiming that cycling is the third biggest sport in the world, what you basing that on?

Cricket is bigger.
Rugby is bigger
Athletics is bigger
Tennis is bigger

Cycling is a provincial sport and the only major cycling tournament that anyone knows is the tour de france and thats it.

And correct me if im wrong but the tour de france hasn't finished yet so its not even as if he has won it yet.
The reason tiger woods gets so much media coverage is not because his dad has just died, but it is because he has won a major tournament contested by people from all over the world, it is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the sport of golf and sport in general.

Answer 8

Consider yourself corrected Alistair, the final stage was Sunday, but the win had been determined 1 stage prior.
Just because any 1 of you hasn't heard of Landis doesn't take anything away from the fact that he just won the single most greuling athletic event that anyone would ever subject themselves to, while on the verge of having hip replacement surgery. If you look at cycling on the global scale, the major events (Giro D'Italia, Paris-Roubaix, Tour de France, Tour of Flanders, etc...) draw more people to watch each stage than a World Cup soccer match, AND there are millions more watching it on TV. While the TV audience might be a bit smaller for cycling than for soccer, the live audiences are far larger.
Cycling isn't popular in our overweight, who needs to excersize because I have 3 cars that all get 7MPG culture, but it doesn't mean it isn't popular in many other countries.
Tiger is playing a sport that Americans can understand, (swing at ball, go sit in little car, swing at ball, go sit in little car, swing at ball, go sit in little car, etc...) and many waste their money attempting to be like Tiger, but failing horribly.
Cycling takes discipline and dedication, golf takes money, and that's about it.

Answer 9

Because this is Mr. Landis' first ( and probably only) win. Mr. Woods however is close to breaking a record for most professional wins.

Also, just because cycling is a big sport worldwide, that does not translate into U.S. interest (i.e. World Cup.)

Answer 10

Because Tiger is god and one day he will be the next President of the United States if he wanted to. Also, ever see the white character Dave Chappele does on his show? That's really just his Tiger Woods impersonation.