I have to admit that I was hoping he'd dump it in the lake. Deep down I probably knew that he would hit the type of shot we have come to expect from Tiger Woods, but a 218 yard 6 iron over water with a slight fade, from a fairway bunker, has disaster written all over it.

It's a funny thing, but put any other golfer in the field from last week's Canadian Open in that bunker, under those circumstances, and I'd be on the edge of my seat hoping against all odds that he'd pull it off and hit the miracle shot of his career, albeit probably with something more like a 3 or 4 iron.

But for some reason, whether it was because I wanted to see more of Tiger in way of a playoff with Grant Waite, or because I was looking for evidence that Woods is capable of making a mistake under pressure, whether it be a breakdown in his swing or in his course management, it would not have bothered me one bit to see his ball go to a watery grave.

As great a golfer as Tiger Woods is, some of his earlier public and on-course behavior still influences my opinion of him in a negative way, and I sometimes find myself wishing to see him fail.

I realize this is not fair to Tiger, as a 30 second sound bite or a television shot of Woods ignoring autograph seekers as he makes his way into a clubhouse, does not necessarily represent the true individual, but unfortunately those short snippets of time are often all we have to go on to form an opinion of someone.

There is no doubt that Woods is on line to become the greatest professional golfer of all time, and we are all fortunate to be able to witness his phenomenal talent as he rides the crest of Tigermania, but something inside of me is still preventing my jumping onto his bandwagon.

Perhaps one of these days I'll be able to forget about the time Woods lapped the field in an event and then showed disrespect to his fellow professionals by telling the world he could still beat them even though he "didn't have his A game".

Hearing stories about young fans waiting hours for a chance at an autograph, only to be ignored in silence and coldly brushed off certainly does not enhance his public persona.

Obviously there are not enough hours in the day for Tiger to sign everything that is thrust in front of him everywhere he goes, but unfortunately when he doesn't, he risks appearing as a obscenely rich young man who doesn't appreciate those who appreciate him.

Would it be asking too much for Tiger to stop for a moment among his throng of hero-worshippers, and rather than signing autographs, merely address the crowd for a minute, thanking them for their support and apologizing for not having the time to begin signing?

I would suggest that type of gesture would go a long way to satisfying those who are seeking some form of recognition from Tiger in return for their adulation.

Obviously, some of Tiger's faux pas in public can be attributed to immaturity or momentary 'brain fade', however as Arnold Palmer suggested to Woods a couple of years back, he has a responsibility not only to the public but also to his fellow professionals to always strive to act in a businesslike and respectful manner.

The public is hungry to know what our sports heroes are really like, away from the golf course, arena, or baseball diamond. Our perception of their true personalities is often defined by what we witness in the few seconds they are among their fans on their way into the clubhouse, or when spotted by a television crew while coming out of a late night establishment.

A few years ago the Seattle Mariners baseball team was in Vancouver to play an exhibition game. The late night sports report on television caught Ken Griffy Jr. coming off the field at the end of the game and verbally abusing some young fans for having the 'audacity' of politely asking for his autograph.

That image of a wealthy, spoiled ball player has stuck with me to this day. Ken Griffy Jr. may be the nicest man in baseball, but my perception is that he is anything but that.

One time when the Chicago Bulls were in town to play the Grizzlies, a local television crew had staked out a local restaurant where Michael Jordan was having dinner along with a few teammates. Also waiting patiently outside were about half a dozen young Air Jordan fans. This was not a mob scene, but merely some youngsters who were happy to quietly bide their time waiting for their hero to appear.

His Airness finally emerged after a couple of hours. The young boys did not rush up to him, but waited by the sidewalk as he approached his limousine. For all of their patience and polite behavior, rather than an autograph, Jordan's fans received a curt "out of my way, I'm not working tonight". In the next moment he disappeared off into the night, leaving behind some very disappointed and disillusioned young people.

Once again, Michael Jordan may be a wonderful human being, generous to a fault, however I, along with tens of thousands of others who watched that sports report, may be inclined to form a something less than flattering opinion of his true character.

I was fortunate enough to have been living in Edmonton back in the early 80's when the Oilers and the Eskimo's were winning everything in sight. The Oilers would practice on occasion at West Edmonton Mall. These public practices were watched by hundreds of shoppers and loyal Oiler fans, all appreciating the opportunity to see their hockey heroes up close and personal.

After practice, Wayne Gretzky, along with his buddies Paul Coffey and Mark Messier in particular, would sit literally for hours in the Mall, signing autographs and having their pictures taken with anyone who asked.

Common sense would dictate that even Wayne Gretzky did not sign every autograph he was asked for throughout his career, and I'm sure he turned a lot of people off by having to decline requests, but my personal experience has been that of only witnessing Gretzky treat the public with patience and respect, time and time again, and my positive opinion of Wayne Gretzky reflects that fact.

It is somewhat ironic the very existence of modern technology which enables an athlete such as Tiger Woods to be seen instantaneously around the world via television and the internet, and which of course leads to 100 million dollar endorsement deals, can also be that athlete's nemesis.

If Woods hits a poor tee shot in the U.S.Open, on the 18th hole at Pebble Beach, and utters a defamatory word or two in anger, everyone in the world watching that broadcast live hears it and immediately forms some opinion, probably negative, about Tiger's conduct on the golf course.

If Walter Hagen, or Ben Hogan, or Bobby Jones had laced the air with a string of profanities over a poor shot, it is likely that only those within earshot on the golf course would have been aware of their social indiscretion, and their reputations for gentlemanly conduct would remain essentially intact.

Perhaps it's human nature to pull for the underdog, see David topple Goliath, Grant knock off Tiger, but whatever it is I know that when Woods lined up to go for the green from that bunker, I got excited because for a moment I envisioned Tiger having to accept second place, in a tournament which most of the media had him winning from the time his entry was announced.

I wanted to see how he would handle it. A couple of years ago he may have chosen to explain how he would have won if not for the distraction of a camera or unruly spectator, totally disregarding the low round shot by his competitor.

I have a feeling the new 'more refined' Tiger would have congratulated Grant Waite and admit that he was beaten, no excuses. Yes, Tiger even seems to be showing signs of humility, now and then.

I'm not on the Tiger bandwagon yet, but I will admit that if Wood's continues to show signs of less ego and more respect toward his followers and fellow professionals alike, I may soon begin looking for that first step to jump on board.