So today is the first day in at least a decade that ESPN Zone in Times Square is shuttered, in addition to five others. Fan reactions differ on the closing.  Personally, I’m not particularly going to miss it – I don’t eat hamburgers, particularly 12 dollar ones – though it will be strange to pass through Times Square and not see it. Others have a more nostalgic view and will be remiss to see it gone.

Tat said, I do have one favorite moment when I think of ESPN Zone, which I’ve alluded to briefly, and it shows just how different things are a decade later.

Disney tried to make ESPN Zone into an “it” place, staging radio shows there and such, and for a while I think the novelty of it made it a reasonably desirable location. As time went on and the economy went to hell, the luster faded somewhat.

But back in 2000, the summer before my senior year at Duke, it was still a hot location. My friends and I were all working internships in the City, and we’d go there once in a while for chicken fingers or whatever. It was probably the only place in the City that somehow honored my shoddily created fake ID and would serve me a beer, so that was a plus.

When the NBA Draft rolled around at the end of June, we all decided to go to ESPN Zone and root for personal favorite Chris Carrawell to get drafted. We had to wait a while; he eventually was taken by the Spurs at No. 41 and didn’t make the team.

But the night itself was a good time – we commandeered a prime table early in front of some enormous TV in the main room downstairs, and had a pretty decent group of maybe 10 people. They had arcade games upstairs we could mess around with while we waited an eternity for Carrawell to get picked.

Then things got random. Right after the fourth pick, when the Bulls picked Marcus Fizer, Elton Brand – fresh off sharing NBA Rookie of the Year with Steve Francis – rolled in with his crew.

Now I knew Elton pretty well at the time, so a few of us went over there to say hello. Elton asked us if the Bulls had picked yet, and asked who they picked. When I told him it was Fizer, he got this bewildered look on his face and said, “Marcus Fizer? Why’d they pick him? We play the same position!”

We didn’t really know what to say. It was a good question. Not only did they play the same position, but Elton seemed like the sort of player you build around, a 20-10 player for years to come with a soft touch around the hoop. And Fizer was unskilled and ticketed for Europe from the start. To watch Brand now, weakened by shoulder and Achilles injuries, it belies just what a problem he was back in the early part of this decade.

Sure enough, after another year in Chicago – in which he again put up 20-10 – he was traded to the Clippers for straight-from-high-school center and habitual bust Tyson Chandler. Why the Bulls gave up on him so soon was beyond me. He averaged close to 25 points in 2006 and very nearly made the Clippers a legitimate threat for a title.

Now, obviously this was sort of a bucket list thing, telling a legitimate NBA star who his team just drafted. But what stands out to me about it is that it’ll never happen again.

Ten years later, everyone has phones that are essentially handheld computers that you can get the Internet on, check e-mail, get Twitter updates and all that.

But back then? A phone was just a phone. I mean, I didn’t even learn how to send or receive a text message until a couple years later. Before I’m branded a complete Luddite, according to Wikipedia, 17 billion texts were sent in 2000 – about three for each person in the world’s population. By 2001, it had ballooned to 250 billion. And it was 500 billion by 2004, which constitutes 100 sent by each person in the world.

It was also a time when a big-time NBA star wanted to spend time in the same place we did, and had the freedom to do that. With the nature of celebrity now, I think it’d be pretty rare to see an NBA Rookie of the Year walk into a place like that and start playing arcade games. I think celebrities now keep themselves sheltered in higher society establishments, when truth be told, a decent amount of them probably would rather play arcade games – as I saw first-hand with Kevin Durant a few months ago.

So I won’t be nostalgic for ESPN Zone in particular; the food was overpriced relative to its quality, and it was teeming with tourists.

But it’s weird to think about how progress has changed the way people get information. Gone is the time when a guy like Elton Brand had to ask a group of former classmates who his team just drafted.

I’m not saying things aren’t better now technologically in a lot of regards. I just think it’s a little sad that something like that will never happen again.

Unless, of course, some NBA player’s phone battery dies.

“Never mistake activity for achievement.” – John Wooden

“If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?” – John Wooden

“Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character.” – John Wooden

Floyd Mayweather’s systematic destruction of Shane Mosley on Saturday night wasn’t the most exciting fight, as per usual. But it was a rare chance to see an athlete at the absolute top of his craft, and one who knows perfectly how to market himself at the same time.

The thing that fascinates me about Floyd is that his personality and sheer excellence keeps the mainstream coming back to watch him despite relatively mundane fights. Purists, meanwhile love him; Mayweather is just too good for the game in its current form. And he’s not going to give an inch in terms of his style; he wins the way he always does – methodical, surgical, precise.

But Floyd is just so entertaining. The HBO 24/7 series, which Mayweather gleefully takes credit for pioneering, has given us a glimpse of his personality, and we clearly like what they see.

Mayweather is a lot like Chad Ochocinco in this regard – if you feel like you connect with an athlete on a personal level, you’ll tune in to see what happens with their athletic pursuits. It’s hardly a coincidence that both chose to appear on Dancing With The Stars, putting them in every household in America.

With 24/7, we see the spectacle of Floyd inviting drug testing agents into his home to watch a basketball game (that he gambled on) while they wait for him to hydrate enough to collect a urine sample. We watch him throw his opponent under the bus, in this case alluding to Mosley’s history with steroids, and it’s endearing primarily because Floyd is hilarious.

When you buy one of Mayweather’s fights, you’re almost certainly not going to see a classic. His dominating style simply won’t allow it. But you like Floyd, so it really doesn’t matter. Maybe the fight won’t be competitive, but you’re going to get his introduction with the O’Jays in the ring, Triple-H in his corner, an ebullient postmatch interview.

The event got rave reviews despite Mosley winning just one round in my opinion. The aficionados appreciated Floyd’s brilliance, while everyone enjoyed his quirks, which included shadowboxing before the match while watching himself do that on a big-screen TV.

But Floyd is obviously hardly style over substance. If you pay close attention to the snippets of his training regimen, his workouts are as intense as I’ve ever seen. I had people ask me whether it’s possible to work out so hard that one actually couldn’t satisfy a urine test, which happened to Floyd. It’s rare, but I have experienced that phenomenon – toward the end of a marathon, not so coincidentally in the dry air of Las Vegas, where PBF trains.

Floyd is a naturally talented athlete, but in addition, nobody matches his conditioning. He beats you before you’re even awake, when he’s running the streets of Sin City.

It’s that dedication combined with preternatural ability that has Mayweather reminding me of Michael Jordan in that he’s now an event in himself. The world would watch MJ decimate lesser teams because he was the best in the business. Mayweather can sell fights based on his charisma, and also since you’re seeing the best there is, and someone who can still evolve.

Mayweather threw a completely different look at Mosley, adding a devastating offensive attack to his stellar defense. While maintaining his ability to slip punches and counter powerfully, he was beating Shane off the jab every single time and going over the top with a right cross whenever he wanted.

When Mosley landed a pair of powerful right hands, the second of which actually staggered Floyd, it appeared he might be able to give him a run. But I’ve seen Mayweather staggered before – most notably in a fight I attended against DeMarcus Corley in 2004 that Floyd actually alluded to in his postmatch interview – and if you can’t finish him off, he’ll hone his focus to answer the challenge.

Mayweather began to let his hands go in the third round, and the difference in conditioning became apparent by the ninth, as Mosley hadn’t landed a solid punch since the second round. It was a stark difference from the defensive-minded Mayweather we’re used to. He still countered brilliantly, but he also pushed the issue far more frequently.

Floyd finished several rounds with a right-hand feint, and Mosley was so shook that he flinched nearly out of the ring each time. Floyd figuratively cut the head off a very good fighter.

And in fact, if that’s what PBF is truly capable of, he may be close to unbeatable right now. I had previously thought that Manny Pacquiao would be able to give Floyd problems, forcing him out of his comfort zone by smothering him and being willing to take a punch. But it’s hard not to believe Floyd would cut him into ribbons with straight right counters when Manny tries wild punches from unorthodox angles.

If you believe Mayweather, we may never see that fight since he refuses to compromise on his demand for Pacquiao to be blood-tested. Of course, if the fight happens, Floyd has successfully found a way to stack the deck against the one guy who might have the ability to beat him, a fighter who claims not to want anything to do with giving blood. This makes sense; Mayweather fought both Mosley and Oscar De La Hoya when both were well out of their prime.

That said, I don’t think a 28-year-old Mosley beats Mayweather the way he fought on Saturday night. Pacquiao doesn’t either, at any age. If Manny won’t give his blood, I’d like to see Mayweather go to Middleweight and fight Sergio Martinez, which would be a fascinating clash between two excellent defensive fighters.

But past that, I don’t think Floyd has much more left for him. Backing up his postfight comments, he’ll draw big for a few more fights because people are conditioned to wanting to see him, and rightfully so.

And at some point soon, whether it be Pacquiao or Martinez in the ring with him, Mayweather will go for one last big payday, and potentially a Jordan-over-Bryon-Russell moment.

Even then, I think Floyd is destined to be a part of our lives long after he’s thrown his final punch in the ring. He could obviously be a boxing commentator, or maybe he succeeds in going mainstream where Tiki Barber failed.

Any way you slice it, Money Mayweather has willed himself into so much of a star to never be off our radar going forward.

As longtime admirers of Jay, we’ve been ecstatic about his efforts as CEO of Rising Stars, a program that mentors youths to help them succeed in education and in life. We were honored to be in attendance for a star-studded night that saw a group of good people gather together to support a friend and his dream of helping others.

The guest list – which included Knicks guard Chris Duhon; Giants Michael Strahan, David Diehl and Jesse Palmer; former Yankees pitcher and current MLB.com commentator Jeff Nelson; and longtime Vermont coach (and outstanding master of ceremonies) Tom Brennan – were all united for a common goal: to help Jay with a mission he deeply cares about.

“I was very fortunate to have my mother and father – my father worked for AT&T and American Express for a long time, my mother was involved with education for 20-plus years – and they instilled those values in me from a young age,” Jason told the crowd. “I wanted to be something different. Being here tonight, and being surrounded by all you guys, really makes me feel good, because you guys can all help make a difference.”

Strahan, a friend of Jason’s and a supporter of the program, brought the house down as usual, unable to resist taking a shot at his basketball-playing counterparts.

“You know one thing I noticed taking pictures out there,” Strahan told the group, “we have Chris and Jason out there… the football players are taller than the basketball players! [Laughter] That’s funny to me, I’m sorry!”

Joking aside, Strahan was excited to support Jay’s endeavors. He didn’t become a Super Bowl champion – and a truly terrific person – on his own, something he’s completely mindful of.

“We’re not the product of ourselves. We’re not the product of just waking up and saying, ‘We’re great.’ We’re the product of belief of someone else in us,” Strahan said. “If it’s your spouse, if it’s your kid, if it’s your parent – someone believes in you. You represent something. That right there, in itself, is why we are blessed. Because we have those people who stood behind us, who pushed us, who guided us, even when they didn’t know they were doing it.”

The evidence was right in front of us, as several successful graduates of the program took the microphone to detail their experiences, discussing how Rising Stars allowed them to work with people who encouraged them to be their best.

One of the foremost influences for Jason was his mother, Althea, who has always reminded me of my own mother with her energy and positivity. I’ve known Althea for about a decade, dating back to when she called a Duke radio show I hosted the night Jay was a guest to make sure he was doing his homework. We all had a good laugh – except for Jay, who blushed like there was no tomorrow – but it was obvious that even from New Jersey, Althea was actively reminding her son to remain on the right path for success.

Althea, who serves as the National Director of Public Relations for Rising Stars, reminded the crowd that though the money raised was extremely helpful, it’s just as important to take an active role in children’s lives.

“I’m asking each one of you to look into your hearts, to look into your souls,” Althea said. “I thank you for your contributions to this beautiful dinner – it wouldn’t have been anything without you – but it’s so much more. If you care with your heart for an organization that is willing to reach out and really make a difference, to look into the eyes of a child and tell them, ‘You can.’ Not ‘You cannot.’

“Tonight means an awful lot to me. I saw faces I haven’t seen in a while. It’s just about what we can do, and I’m asking you tonight: It’s more than just coming out. It’s about being involved.”

Her point was well taken. We spend so much time thinking about our own situations, our own concerns. And yet there are so many younger people in the world that could benefit not just from a gift of money, but from the type of guidance we’ve received from our parents, our teachers and others who inspired and supported us along the way. In that spirit, I let Althea know that I planned to find time to take a more active role with the organization’s programs in the coming months.

I’ve always known Jason to be a caring and thoughtful person, but he has a perspective that not many people possess. He’s always been grounded, but the accident that cut Jay’s playing career short after his first year in the NBA cemented how the people in his life had helped give him opportunities to reach his goals and become the person he is today – someone who’s made it his life’s mission to help other people.

Maybe the accident, as terrible as it was, was a blessing in disguise in that Jason truly figured out who he was, and it’s so much more than just a basketball player.

His ultimate goal is to build a charter school in Harlem, and I’ve never known Jason to be someone who falls short at anything in life, and he doesn’t take a single day for granted.

“You know, my dream turned out to be something different [from basketball],” Jason said. “But I’m still here today. I didn’t have to be here. I could have passed away at the age of 21 years old, seven years ago.

“Every day I wake up, I have a smile on my face. I was in a hospital bed for a year and a half, pretty much not being able to move. I was pretty fortunate to have my mom who was helping me, my dad who was helping me… I had family around.

“And if we can build that same kind of environment for my kids, that’s what life is all about.”

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If you’d like more information on how you can get involved with Jay Williams’ Rising Stars Foundation, visit their site: http://www.jaywillrisingstars.org/

Kyrie Irving, Duke: What can I say that I haven’t said this year? Jay Williams said Irving was a combination of himself and Chris Duhon and that sounds about right. So creative, so smooth in transition, with a feathery jumper. He completely took over the game and the crowd in the final three minutes, when nobody could stop him going coast to coast. He’s the total package, and when Mike Kryzewski gets him playing that hard man-to-man defense, you’re looking at a future Chris Paul in the making.

Harrison Barnes, North Carolina: As much as I don’t wish to admit it as a Duke graduate, Barnes is going to be a problem right away. He attacks the boards tenaciously (15 rebounds), handles the ball well for 6-foot-8 and has a nice jump shot with three point range – he’ll thrive in UNC’s uptempo system. I can only continue to think that Barnes should have considered playing with an elite lead guard like Kyrie Irving…

Josh Selby, Kansas: Most impressive guard in the Classic aside from Irving. Selby’s speed and explosiveness allowed him to get to the line at will. He’s going to Kansas, but as a clear one-and-done talent, I’m actually surprised he didn’t end up at Kentucky – his style and talent resemble John Wall’s far more than…

Brandon Knight, Kentucky: I didn’t hate Knight’s game, but I didn’t love it either. He was clearly an above-average passer and had several moments where he demonstrated abundant speed, but he’s more a pure point guard than an absolute game-changer. He shot 3-for-11 in the game but did have a 6-1 A/TO ratio.

I asked him after the game why he chose Kentucky and got: “Just the chance to get better. It’s a great program, with a great coach.” Does he compare himself to Wall in terms of making a name for himself very quickly? “Not really, everyone has their own path. Not really, I don’t compare myself to him.” Very safe, very steady – it’s obvious he’s going to Kentucky just, well, because it’s the thing to do when you’re ranked the top point guard in your class.

Jared Sullinger, Ohio State: I loved his game; he reminded me of Carlos Boozer the way he took up space and had a soft touch around the rim. He hit 9-for-11 from the field and blocked four shots. When he gets some work in on his body, he’s going to be near impossible to handle.

Josh Smith, UCLA: He had a soft touch, but he must lose weight. Most high-level opponents would run him right off the court if he’s playing at 300 pounds, which I suspect he is. If he gets to where he’s playing at 265, maybe even 270, I think he’d be a force like Sean May or Glen Davis.

Terrence Jones, undecided: Kind of like Barnes West. He’s picking between three Pac-10 schools, Oklahoma, Kentucky and now says he’ll visit Kansas. (Are Kansas and Kentucky on everyone’s lists?) He has handle, hits the boards, decent one-on-one game… pretty much the total package, just not quite as good as Barnes.

Tristan Thompson, Texas: Lots of solid big forwards in this game. Thompson’s a pure 4, but the lefty has some handle, rebounds and finishes well. He was 1-for-6 from the line, but almost nobody hit their free throws, to be fair.

CJ Leslie, Undecided: I think he has a world of athletic talent, plays above the rim and has some polish to his game. I hear he’s sort of eccentric, but I’d imagine there are teams out there that view him as the final piece. If I’m John Calipari, I want him to put me that much closer to being a true contender even with a super-young team. If I’m Sidney Lowe, I want to reclaim him for State because he’d be the best pure player they’d have since Julius Hodge. If I’m Roy Williams, I want to get involved – pronto.

Kendall Marshall/Reggie Bullock, North Carolina: I think I caught these guys on a bad night. Marshall was very ordinary and couldn’t finish on the rare times he got to the rim, but I heard later he had a wisdom tooth issue, so I’ll give him a pass. But I think he has a very tough time with Kyrie Irving a few times a year. I didn’t even know Bullock was there until I looked up at the scoreboard late and he had 11 points. I have no idea when those baskets happened. I just have to assume these guys are better than I saw last night, especially Bullock.

Doron Lamb, Kentucky: I watched him score 49 points in an upset loss to St. Peter’s Prep back in February, all on jump shots. Sort of strange player for Kentucky; his athleticism isn’t off the charts or anything. Mostly he’s just a shooter, though a very good one.

Cory Joseph, Undecided: Solid, tough player – unselfish and good passer, played tenacious defense. I think his gritty style would be a great fit for Villanova and I could see him doing very well there, but lure of family in Connecticut and Findlay Prep teammate Thompson going to Texas may be bigger potential lures.

Perry Jones, Baylor: Relatively ordinary game (8 points, 6 boards) for a decidedly unordinary player. I see him stepping in nicely for Ekpe Udoh well, though he won’t play at that level right away.

Roscoe Smith, UConn: Very quiet game, feeding into what I’ve come to expect from Roscoe. He’s either going to impact the game greatly, or drift a bit. I still would have enjoyed watching him play for Duke, but seeing him on the same court as Barnes makes it stark how there’s simply no comparison between the two players, though Smith would have you believe there is.

Will Barton, Memphis: Pure scorer and a terrific addition for Memphis, who lose Elliot Williams to the NBA Draft. I talked to Barton’s mom outside for a minute, and she was simply ecstatic after he slashed his way to 15 points. He’s part of a top-notch recruiting class, and I see him as a solid scorer in college.

Please visit www.jaywillrisingstars.com for more information on how you can get involved!

When a player is “tired,” I expect to see shots being missed short, resulting in generally sub-par field goal percentages as the season progresses.  So, how are Jon Scheyer’s shooting percentages holding up?  Let’s take a look…

A few interesting notes:

• Over the last 1/3 of the season (11 games), Jon has shot below his season average on 2-point FG’s on 8 occasions; however,
• he has also shot above his season average on 3-point FG’s 6 times in the same period.
• Disturbingly, he has shot below his season average on both 2-point and 3-point FGs in his last three consecutive outings.

This “tired” debate has undoubtedly arisen because Jon’s 2FG% is substantially worse over the last 1/3 of the season.  If his 3FG% continues to slide as well, this argument will gain additional merit; however, the “tired” label cannot be justified if his 3pt shot starts falling again.

So I ask again: Is Jon Scheyer tiring?

The jury is still out.

The latest blow to the golf deity is sports beverage powerhouse Gatorade’s decision to cut ties with him entirely. Until November, the two were so interwoven that there existed “Gatorade Tiger,” a special design that claimed to somehow cram even more electrolytes than their regular formula into the drink. I still have a few bottles lying around since Costco used to carry it for cheap. I’m unaware as to whether it boosts my athletic potency, but the purple flavor does taste pretty good.

This comes on the heels of the previous corporate sponsors to cut ties with Tiger, Accenture and AT&T. Nike and Gillette remain on board, though they’re obviously not using him in ads at the moment.

The thing is, provided someone’s still good at his sport, there are very few transgressions an athlete can perpetuate to get to the point that he can’t bounce back. Though we look down our noses at Tiger’s rampant streak of adultery – as well we should – it simply doesn’t strike me as anything he can’t recover from.

The same thing will apply to Kanye West. Everyone hates him now for harassing that little country singer, but I guarantee when he drops his next CD, and it’s terrific, you’ll hear that coming out of everyone’s car systems.

Remember: The media and public love to build people up. Then they love to tear those same people down.

But I think what they love the most and make the most money off is when they create the opportunity to build them back up again.

And there’s a long line of precedents for Tiger (and ‘Ye) to base a comeback on, demonstrating that second chances are not just possible, but commonplace. Witness:

*****

Americans love dogs, right? Of course we do, for the most part. But even though Michael Vick killed a bunch of dogs in heartless and heartbreaking fashion, after a few years he was back out of the bing and playing football. After the requisite initial tongue-wagging and hand-wringing, we honestly barely even remember he’s around.

I’d say the only thing preventing Vick from reclaiming his position in the pantheon of big-time sports celebrity is that he’s not as good a player as he was before his two years of paid debt to society. But he’s still cashing those checks. And make no mistake: Atlanta sports fans still adore the guy. After all, he learned a grave lesson, I guess. He even does anti-dogfighting events now, presumably to educate the public or something, and to boost his earning power. And he did win that playoff game that time.

*****

Alex Rodriguez has a laundry list of black eyes to his credit. There was the “Curse of the Bimbinos” (see left) that broke up his storybook marriage, his trusty agent opting him out of his Yankees contract in the middle of a World Series game, and of course, his crazy cousin forcing him to take steroids. Not to mention, he just happened to be an unlikable diva.

But A-Rod overcame his tragic addiction to performance-enhancing drugs and Canadian strippers, hitting 30 home runs with 100 RBIs, dating relatively wholesome Kate Hudson for a while and for the most part, staying out of the tabloids. Most importantly, the Yankees won a World Series, disproving the prevailing idea that you couldn’t win a championship with Rodriguez involved.

I get the feeling that most Yankees fans still don’t really like A-Rod – and he was, of course, named the Least Coolest Athlete of the Decade by this very site. But he’s oblivious to all that, and it’s near impossible to still call him a loser – at least in a literal sense.

*****

The most significant example is the tale of Kobe Bryant. Kobe was vilified six years ago when he was accused of rape by a woman who worked in some resort hotel in Vail. Even if the rape allegations were never proven to be explicitly true (they ended up settling a civil case after criminal charges were dropped), Kobe was obviously cheating on his wife regardless.

Nas subsequently ethered him in brilliant fashion as he is known to do. On top of that indignity, Bryant lost nearly all his sponsors, most notably McDonald’s. (Note that though the Golden Arches had moral discrepancies with Kobe, they have no problem giving half of America heart disease with their horrible cuisine) Even Nutella dropped him, though the big surprise there was that he actually endorsed them in the first place.

The big one that stuck with him was Nike, though they stopped featuring him in ads until the situation died down. When that happened, Kobe went out and began dominating, scoring 82 points in games and winning titles. He bought his wife a $4 million ring (how is a ring that valuable even possible?) and smoothed everything over in that regard. And Nike picked right back up with a national marketing campaign for him, most recently featuring him in puppet form. He’s now on his fifth signature sneaker.

And though I still don’t like Kobe – I honestly never have, even before the rape case – I’m copping these stone-cold Duke joints right here on March 13, believe that.

*****

There are, of course, too many of these examples to name them all specifically. I mean, Ray Lewis basically killed someone, and that was never a big deal – he was back on video game covers and shoe advertisements in no time at all.

And it’s not just athletes. Bill Clinton performed such a focused, precise brand of adultery that he was impeached, and yet he came out of it a lovable caricature. Eliot Spitzer was a spectacular failure as a husband (and a lousy governor, for that matter), and as recently as a few weeks ago, I heard talk that there was a faction that wanted him to run for Senate.

Of course, Clinton for one has something that Tiger doesn’t – charisma and a modicum of likeability. Just look at Tiger’s pathetic, scripted apology to the media. But he’s presumably still got all that natural talent, and he’s got a bigger buzz now than back when that was all he had. Not to mention, as I said, there’s very little an athlete can do that he won’t be forgiven for, and I don’t believe Tiger crossed that line.

You think his gallery was huge before? Imagine that first tournament when he’s back, it’ll be four times the size. Suddenly, he’s not just the best guy in his sport, but the most notorious in any sport. You’ll have TMZ right there next to SI. The demographic will change – for example, I’ll certainly be watching, and I’ve seen parts of maybe three golf tournaments in my life.

When Tiger starts winning events again – which he will, because he’s got nothing better to do – he’ll suddenly have found his redemption. Tiger will have seen the light! Once he conquers the demons of sex addiction, golf will push him as hard as humanly possible because he’s like 85% of the sport.

And Nike – who stayed in the background with Tiger the way they did with Kobe – will be positioned to get right back in the game. He’s their cash cow for a whole sport; they aren’t going anywhere. And Tiger 2.0 will be in full effect. Accenture and AT&T may be gone. But Deloitte and Verizon are waiting downstairs like the Knicks for LeBron.

Tiger will be just fine.