Taking off his black Nike hat and wiping the sweat from his receding hairline, Tiger Woods walked off the 18th hole of the final round of the British open Sunday afternoon. He looked tired, but his presence energized the crowd more than his sixth place performance justified. The reason? Simply because he was there. Because for the first time in at least six years, Woods played well enough to be in contention for a major championship until the proverbial buzzer. The excitement of the crowd was not just for the performance he gave over the weekend, but a hopeful expectation of what the future could bring. All the back surgeries and disappointing finishes in tournaments past had finally accumulated in the inspired performance Woods just put on in Scotland.

On a day when Rory Mcllroy, Phil Mickelson, and Jordan Spieth all competed against Woods to take home the coveted Claret Jug, everyone knew who the star of the show was. This tournament belonged to Woods, even if he did not walk out the victor. True fans of the game understand that another major victory for golf’s fallen titan is exactly what the sport needs. That is why golf fans will continue to cheer for him; because in a world where you might not like Tiger Woods the man, you cannot deny his importance to the sport.

This love-hate relationship exists in other sports as well. Instances where franchises may be hated by half of a country; but the moment they fall from relevance, their respective sport suffers. Its a simple reality, the Lakers winning games is good for the NBA. The Yankees competing for a pennant is good for the MLB and the…

..Dallas Cowboys Winning Playoff Games Is Terrific For The NFL.

Much like an epipen for an allergic reaction or an inhaler for an asthmatic, the Cowboys can be life savers for the health of the National Football League. The Cowboys winning games drowns out unwanted sound for the league. Worried about National Anthem protests hurting the NFL’s health? Fear not. A NFC championship appearance by the Dallas Cowboys will gain back any loss of viewership suffered by the league. Because the only thing that will reunite a divided country is a collective hatred or support for good ole’ America’s Team. The rise in viewership, jersey sales, and overall publicity the world’s already most lucrative sport experiences when the Cowboys are relevant cannot possibly be denied.

It is amazing what star power can do for a sport’s issues. The sustained success of the Dallas Cowboys will do more good for the league than any amount of angry tweets from the president, protests from players, or bad press could ever take away. That is irony in its purest form. This nation may hate the Dallas Cowboys, but if you want the NFL to prosper, it needs the Dallas Cowboys. Sure, Jerry Jones may be a little crazy, but he has installed his franchise into the pulse of this country. This is why the Cowboys are the most valuable sports franchise in the world for the third consecutive year. Don’t you dare believe someone who says they wouldn’t watch a Steelers-Cowboys Super Bowl, they’re lying to you. Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo picked the Jacksonville Jaguars to make the big game. Does that really sound exciting to you? If not, root for the Dallas Cowboys (at least a little bit). After all, they are America’s Team for a reason.

P.S

Congratulations to Francesco Molinari, who on Sunday became the first Italian to win an open championship. Its a shame that wont make more headlines because of Tiger Woods.