A Friendly Game

If you play professional golf or professional tennis whatever slim chance you did have of becoming the world's number one just went out the window.

Why?

Because Tiger Woods and Roger Federer were already only competing against one thing: history.
But now they have a new competitor:
each other.

Tiger and Roger have mutually admired each other from afar for some time as they both have dominated their respective sport and in turn been endlessly compared to one another. They also share the same agency and are both endorsed by Nike.

Both men have won 8 titles this year. Both men are number one in the world in their sport. Both look bored in the face of pressure. Both are chasing history.

But the scariest thing is that they now are friends.

Roger said he roots for Tiger and always wanted to meet him. Tiger said he is a big tennis fan always admiring Sampras and now pulling for Federer. At Sunday's U.S. Open final the two finally met and Tiger ended up watching the game from Federer's box. After Federer dealed out his most recent tennis lesson to Andy Roddick, Tiger and Roger celebrated over a bottle of Dom Perignon in the locker room [ESPN].

And on the night where Federer - who has won 3 straight U.S. Open's, 4 straight Wimbeldon's, finished his third straight year as the world's number 1, who has been called "a genius with the racket," "an artist," and has already been heralded at 25 years old as the best to ever play the game - won his 9th Grand Slam, it was his new friend Tiger Woods who playfully reminded him that he was still 3 behind his 12 major titles.

Tiger has 5 years on Federer and yet it is still just a matter of time until either man becomes officially the best to ever play their sport. Tiger is only 6 off of tying Jack's record of 18 majors. Roger is only 5 off of tying Pete's record of 14 grand slams. Fans in both sports project that either man could win an unheard of 20 major titles.

Thus, what we have here is a colossal game of "anything you can do I can do better" between two of the world's elite atheletes. And it leaves all of us who are fans of dominance and dynasty's salivating because the biggest concern with all dominant superstars is: can they sustain the level of competition, self-motivation and not grow bored after so much success? Tiger and Roger were probably already an exception to that rule but now the question can officially be buried.

Not because they have anyone in their own sport to challenge them but because they have bragging rights with each other at stake and when was the last time either man liked to lose?

"He [Tiger] says I'm three behind," Federer said. "I wouldn't be surprised if I get a message next time he wins. I wouldn't be surprised at all. [ESPN]"

We already got the message: Everybody else in tennnis and golf is playing for second place.