The Building of Myth

To build a real-life person or animal into astronomical proportions to the point that their very lives are passed around like a folk tale is not an easy task. As seen with athletes such as Babe Ruth, the concept is not far off as the stories surrounding them can build to the likes of Jesus as someone recounts an interaction that changed their life forever. As many attempt to construct the story of their heroes to be God-like, the expectations can also cause their downfall. Two different cases of this myth building escapade comes from Tom Wolfe's article, The Last American Hero, about NASCAR legend, Junior Johnson, and Gary Smith's article, The Chosen One, about Tiger Woods.

From Wolfe the legend that is Junior Johnson is one that had helped to popularize stock car racing in the early years. To paint the portrait of Johnson Wolfe states, "In this legend, here is a country boy, Junior Johnson, who learns to drive by running whiskey for his father, Johnson, Senior, one of the biggest copper-still operators of all time, up in Ingle Hollow, near North Wilkesboro, in northwestern North Carolina, and grows up to be a famous stock car racing driver, rich, grossing $100,000 in 1963, for example, respected, solid, idolized in his hometown and throughout the rural South". This frame gives an understanding as to what the legacy of Junior Johnson is all about as the discussion was less about what he had done in the sport of NASCAR, but how he had gotten there and what that had meant for those that had admired him. Despite his criminal upbringing he was a hero to the people of the rural towns as they had felt that they too could achieve greatness and relate to his situation. Although his legend has faded with the commercialization of NASCAR rising from that point on, the pride that the people felt for him is what had allowed the sport to live on in the future. The story of Tiger Woods diverges from the hometown kid to the prodigal son.

Smith's usage of Tiger's father, Earl, to help formulate the story of Tiger is what makes the legend of Woods very clear as rise and fall of a great golfer is like a Greek Tragedy instead as opposed to an Epic. A quote from Earl says a lot about the building of a legend as he states, "My heart . . . fills with so . . . much . . . joy . . . when I realize . . . that this young man . . . is going to be able . . . to help so many people. . . He will transcend this game . . . and bring to the world . . . a humanitarianism . . . which has never been known before. The world will be a better place to live in . . . by virtue of his existence . . . and his presence . . . I acknowledge only a small part in that . . . in that I know that I was personally selected by God himself . . . to nurture this young man . . . and bring him to the point where he can make his contribution to humanity". The line makes Earl sound like he is preaching at a sermon as he tells the story of Jesus Christ. Although he may have thought of this as praise to his boy, the statement comes off as something that Tiger will accomplish with his guidance as this is what God demanded. As this article is over twenty years old, the audience can now tell that this phrasing is what caused Tiger to fall instead of achieving a legendary status like that of Junior Johnson. Now instead of wanting to be like Tiger, people are trying to avoid his style nowadays. 

The freedom to achieve one's dream seems to be a significant difference in the stories of Junior Johnson and Tiger Woods as Johnson never thought to diverge from his goal while Tiger was susceptible to temptation. That brings up the argument of putting too much pressure on athletes nowadays as many will make career ending decisions because they have flown too close to the sun or have gotten a taste of freedom after being controlled for so long. Even though this does not apply to every athlete, the idea of receiving power and admiration can drive many to the brink of destruction in this digital age.