If it occurs, the revelation that Tiger Woods took Human Growth Hormone during his treatments with recently charged Canadian doctor Tony Galea would complete the greatest downfall in the history of American sports.
Less than a year ago, in fact, less than nine months ago, Tiger Woods was held up as one of the best ever athletes to play any sport. While his public image might have been more concealed than what it is often given credit for, the reality was that he was a sponsor’s darling. He had a beautiful wife, and two healthy children. He even transcended race as he seemed to have a little bit of everything in him. Tiger Woods, it seemed, was simply too good to be true.
Sadly, it turns out that he only seemed too good to be true.
The whole world now knows what Tiger Woods has put himself, his friends, and his family through as extramarital affairs of almost inconceivable proportions have come out. Porn stars, party planners, and breakfast place waitresses came out of the woodwork in droves, and there is, of course, no way of knowing what percentage of the actual total these represent.
Woods’ estranged wife Elin Nordegren Woods is widely reported to be pursuing a divorce and it is clear that Tiger Woods’ public image and long term reputation would never be close to as complete as it was.
The one potential salvation for Tiger, at least within the realm of his public persona, was his golf. Regardless of all of the ‘off the course’ indiscretions that Woods was accused of, he still was arguably the greatest golfer of all time and one of the best competitors the sports world had ever seen.
But now, Tiger Woods’ doctor, Dr. Anthony Galea, has been charged with providing human growth hormone to two National Football League players. Dr. Galea is not even licensed to practice in the United States, and yet Tiger Woods acknowledges that he traveled to his Orlando home. Woods, though, has denied every using any illegal performance enhancing drugs. It is unclear and unanswered why Woods would have an unlicensed doctor travel from Canada to his home in Orlando to treat him with something that is legal.
As Galea faces trial, client records will be revealed and could give specific information as to what he treated each athlete with.
If it is revealed that Dr. Galea treated Tiger Woods with human growth hormone or any other illegal substance, Tiger Woods will be completely beyond repair. While many other athletes, many of them high profile ones, will be named as well, they mostly all would play team sports and likely never were on the same pedestal as Tiger Woods once was.
The country and world have come to grips with the fact that Tiger Woods was a fraud off the course. Finding out that he was a fraud on the course as well, by taking Dr. Galea’s special medicine, will be the final nail in the coffin of the phenomenon that once was Tiger Woods.
Source: Howard Bryant, “Anthony Galea thickens the steroids plot”, espn.com
