During his recent visit to the States, the Dalai Lama said he had no idea who Tiger Woods is.
Thank-you Mr. Lama, I think you're awesome. I'd like to have seen Tiger's face when told that his holiness had no idea who Tiger was. Sir Lama, as you must know by now, Tiger claims to be a Buddhist... but gone astray.
Other than being male and living on Earth, I think the only thing I have in common with His Holiness is that I too, have no idea who many legendary athletes are.
In early 1998, while still a rookie bellman at the hotel, I checked-in legendary football player, Walter Payton. I knew Walter Payton played football but that's all I knew. I had no idea what team he played for (his whole NFL career was with the Chicago Bears) and I had no idea what his jersey number was (34). At the time, I really didn't even know what he looked like. My bell captain was shocked at this but thankfully, he told me the license plate number of Mr. Payton's limousine so I wouldn't look like an idiot while waiting at the front door of the hotel.
The limo pulled-up, the trunk popped open, and I grabbed the luggage. Mr. Payton and his wife exited the car. After a few minutes of watching the two shake hands with the execs, I walked them, with luggage in tow, to their room. It was a busy Friday night in the casino and as we made our way to the elevators, people would see Mr. Payton and yell, "Sweetness! Hey Sweetness! It's Sweetness!" Mr. Payton's nickname was "Sweetness." Not only did the word describe his dexterity on the field, but it also described him as a man off the turf. Years later, the nickname would be voted the #1 Gridiron nickname by ESPN.
He smiled and waved to anyone who recognized him. He stopped along the way for a few photos to be taken... and he was gracious. After showing Mr. Payton and his wife to the room, and making sure all was well, Mr. Payton shook my hand and gave me a great tip... and then I left. He was a nice man with a great smile and I remember thinking what a great couple he and his wife made. They were happy.
What really impressed me though, happend a few hours later. I was walking another guest to the elevators when I passed Mr. Payton heading to the casino. Mr. Payton looked at me, pointed, and said with a smile, "There he is! Tyge my man!"
The guest I was walking with turned to me and said, "You know Walter Payton?"
I smiled and said, "Is that who that was?"
Less than two years later, Walter Payton died of a rare disease. A few years after his demise, I walked (then retired) Chicago Bears head coach, Mike Ditka, out of the hotel. Ditka once said of Payton, "He's the greatest football player I've ever seen—and an even greater man." When I mentioned to Mr. Ditka how I had met Mr. Payton a few years prior, Ditka simply said, "I sure miss that guy."
Walter Payton's life, although cut-short, was exemplary. There were no scandals of womanizing, gambling, steroids, or other things that are all-to familiar with today's athletes. I'm almost thankful Walter didn't live to see the day when guns would find their way into locker rooms and the blood of dead pit bulls would be on the hands of players.
Although this isn't very Dalai Lama-like, I say fuck you to Tiger Woods and to all the other sport-icons gone awry. You know who you are. To the media, for giving these athletic heathens too much wasted air-time, fuck you, too. Athletes are role models, and they should start acting like role models. They've been blessed with a talent to play sports professionally and if they screw it up, they should be out of the game—and the spotlight. Just ask Pete Rose. As far as the media goes, it's their job to report the news, not glamorize it.
The Dalai Lama may know the secret to life and happiness, but nothing about Tiger Woods or Walter Payton, and that's fine, but because of this, I feel like I have an ever-so-slight edge over His Holiness.
Unlike the Buddhist Tiger Woods, Walter Payton also knew the secret to life and happiness.
I'm sure of it.
FiN.
