What's a hero?

I don't care about Tiger Woods. I don't follow golf. I don't care if he wins or loses. Really, I don't.

But like everyone else I still know who he is. I don't care about the game. I don't care about the man. And yet I'm bombarded with information about him.

Which is the power of advertising, branding and the media. Even though I don't follow the sport, I still know that he is the superstar of the game. Because of Tiger Woods, the game is now recognized and acknowledged by people who never used to care. And at the same time he has, if you will, evolved beyond that which created him. He's not just a *golf* superstar -- He's Tiger Woods!!

And because of this he endorses and endorses and endorses -- and is paid millions and millions and millions -- everything from cars, running shoes, watches, cereals, sports drinks and other fun stuff that was willing to give him cash in order to hang onto his coattails and ride the gravy train of love.

But then it turns out that Tiger was more naughty than nice and the golf world and the advertising world was shocked!

As the news broke and the tabloids had a feeding frenzy, he took a sabbatical from the game he revolutionized, some companies finished their dealings with him and the public now has to decide to re-embrace him (a la Hugh Grant and Rob Lowe) or turn them back on him (a la Woody Allen).

My favorite part of the whole mess came yesterday.

Billy Payne, who is some bigwig in the game (and who obviously thinks he's a better person than Tiger Woods), said...

“It is simply not the degree of his conduct that is so egregious here. It is the fact that he disappointed all of us and more importantly, our kids and our grandkids. Our hero did not live up to the expectations of the role model we saw for our children.”

So, my question is this...

Why would anyone ever refer to Tiger Woods as "our hero" for our children and grandchildren?

He's changed the sport of golf for a lot of people and is a champion of the game, but should that make him a hero?

Isn't the very definition of a hero someone who has made a sacrifice or, at the very least, acted in the service of others?

If nothing else, it takes a major accomplishment in sports to be a hero. An argument could be made that Sidney Crosby is a national hero in Canada because of the winning goal he scored in the Winter Olympics. Crosby is a brilliant player, but it's because of the circumstances of his accomplishment and the timing of the goal that earns him Hero Status. Otherwise, he's just a genius on the ice and one of the best players of our time -- but not really a hero.

Tiger Woods is a brilliant golfer and, like Crosby, also one of the best players of our time, but has he ever done something for anyone besides himself? Has he ever said anything controversial or politically challenging?

Or put it this way... Did he ever face court action for his beliefs? Was he ever stripped of his title and barred from the sport? Did he ever take a stand on anything that wasn't based on a product endorsement?

Golf needed Tiger Woods the same way that baseball needed Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire: both men served their sport and made people care about it in a way they hadn't before.

They were in it for the sport and they were in it for the money. They made the sport greater than it was, and, in turn, the sport made them richer than they could have dreamed.

But as for accomplishments they would inspire anyone... Well, I'm drawing a blank.

At least they made a ton of money in the process. And perhaps that's why they're seen as role models and heroes.