Does This Disgraced Sports Player Deserve A Comeback?

The world of sports is much like politics when it comes to its winners and losers, and even its heroes and anti-heroes. Some of the biggest names in many different sports have seen both a dramatic rise and fall in their careers, like Olympic cyclist Lance Armstrong in his doping case. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey back in 2013, Armstrong confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France several times. He said that his "mythic perfect story" was nothing but a lie and that he's a "guy who expected to get whatever he wanted, and to control every outcome," per the Guardian. 

Likewise, tennis ace Maria Sharapova also found herself stirred in controversy when she failed a drug test after using a substance called meldonium in 2016, according to Vox. "I had been legally taking the medicine for the past 10 years, but on January 1 the rules had changed, and meldonium became a prohibited substance, which I had not known," she told reporters at a Los Angeles press conference at the time.

And while some athletes have felt a sharp slap to the wrist for cheating, others have felt the public's wrath for what they've done. However, there is one athlete in particular that a lot of people are willing to give a second chance.

According to our Nicki Swift survey, over 32% of 617 respondents believe that golf legend Tiger Woods deserves a comeback, despite his past controversies. As many his fans know by now, the disgraced athlete was left humiliated after his infidelity scandal made headlines, which resulted in his divorce from his wife, Elin Nordegren. Woods was also speeding in his SUV before it crashed into a tree and rolled over in 2021, according to Us Weekly, and in 2017, he had five different drugs in his system when he was arrested for reckless driving, per NBC. 

Another 21% said they'd like to see Maria Sharapova back on the tennis court. That same percentage also said that Lance Armstrong should be given another chance in the world of cycling. Over 13% said Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte should hit the pool again while 11% of those surveyed think Olympic track and field star Sha'Carri Richardson deserves another chance at gold, too.

Woods did admit to Golf Digest that he has a lot of work ahead of him because of his 2021 accident. "There's a lot to look forward to, a lot of hard work to be done — being patient and progressing at a pace that is aggressive but not over the top," he said. It sounds to us like Woods is definitely thinking about his future in the sport that he loves so much.