Well, he did it again. Jordan picked up the Bulls on his shoulders and carried them to yet another championship. On the way, he picked up his fifth finals MVP award in five NBA Finals, making Karl Malone look like a SMVP (second most valuable player).

The man is the most amazing player the sport has ever seen (here I go again with my amazing talent of stating the obvious); and he has dominated basketball unlike anyone else has dominated any other sport.

This is easy to show. Look at any sport you wish — there is no player currently or formerly doing what Jordan has to basketball. In football, for example, there is not enough scope for individual brilliance to dominate the sport. Brett Favre cannot dominate because he cannot receive, run or play defense.

In tennis, maybe Rod Laver or Bjorn Borg came close, but neither came close to lasting a decade-and-a-half-long as Jordan has done in basketball. Of late, Pete Sampras, who appeared to be heading for the Jordan kind of domination has faded.

In baseball, again, like football, there is not much scope for individual brilliance, even though players like Hank Aaron and Sandy Koufax have had brilliant careers. Of late, Kirby Puckett, Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens have also dominated, but none like Jordan.

In golf, however, there is someone promising to dominate like Jordan. He, as everyone knows, is Tiger Woods. Tiger’s domination at Augusta in the Masters reminded me of some of Jordan’s performances against the Knicks in Madison Square Garden. And, if it may be said, Jordan’s game five performance against the Jazz was reminiscent (if a trifle more impressive) of Wood’s performance at the Byron Nelson Classic, where he said he won with his C-plus game.

Tiger struggled vigorously at the U.S. Open. It is said that he does not enjoy the type of course Congressional is, just as Jordan does not enjoy playing at the Skydome in Toronto.

Also, Jordan’s teammates can pick up the slack for him on the rare occasion he does not perform. Woods, on the other hand, has to do everything whether or not he is playing well (its not like his caddie can play a hole for him).

To expect Woods to be the Jordan of golf is something of an unfair burden — the expectation of being the next Jordan ruined the career of basketball players Jerry Stackhouse and Felipe Lopez. Woods has not cracked under pressure yet, though.

A fact that may help the Tiger is that he is only 21 in a sport that can give you many years in your prime. Thus, even if he has a few bad years, he will still have plenty of good years.

There are many other pressures plaguing Woods, not least of which is his monstrous multi-million dollar contract with Nike, banking on his continued good performance and deliverance on his great promise.

Others include huge crowds, which can often disturb concentration, and the expectation of perfect public behavior.

Though outbursts should not be condoned, frustration is inevitable in an intensely competitive sport.

If there is anybody who can become golf’s Jordan, it is the Tiger.

Jayadev Athreya is a sophomore in Math from Ames.