Tiger’s sorry statement

I’m not pretending I’m not curious about what Tiger Woods will say in his big press conference, Friday. A statement of this magnitude, after all, needed to be announced two days in advance and I’m guessing that wasn’t done to make sure they had enough time to get extra bagels and coffee. So, yes, I’ll want to hear it.

But do I really require an apology, as all of us – fans, media, family, friends, sponsors, mistresses – are sure to get one? And if I do get one, does it mean anything? It kind of reminds me of when kids are toddlers, still in that biting/hitting phase (except for mine, of course) and no matter what a child does, up to and including taking a large chunk out of another child’s body, there is always the same reaction.“Say you’re sorry,” the mother or preschool teacher will implore of the biter.The little monster will dutifully comply, of course, usually with a big grin, until he gnaws on his next victim five minutes later.

So no, I don’t need to hear Tiger say he’s sorry unless, perhaps, it is accompanied by racking sobs and so convincing a performance that it moves me to tears as well. And somehow I don’t expect that.He does owe his wife an apology but sorry, I don’t really care that much about that either. Certainly, I do not celebrate another woman’s pain. But I have to wonder, aside from marrying a professional athlete in the first place, if there wasn’t some sign, some warning, some little indication before this past Thanksgiving that something was amiss. Say, I don’t know, the fact that your husband always spoke in a husky whisper whenever he answered his cell phone on the road.They are saying that Elin Woods’ presence or absence will be very telling, Friday. I’m not so sure. I mean, even if she is planning to stay with her husband, why go through the indignity of standing there next to him when she could be hanging out on the yacht or something? I’d be on the yacht in a heartbeat.Friday’s apology/statement (naturally, there will be no questions allowed) is really not as big of a deal as it appears.

Rather, it was inevitable unless, of course, Woods planned to live underground for the rest of his life. There was going to be a re-entering into public life and onto the PGA Tour and thus, there was going to have to be THE press conference. I just wonder if Woods is actually naive enough to think this will put the whole situation to rest.And I wonder if his fans are naïve enough to buy it.

6 Responses to “Tiger’s sorry statement”

  1. billy

    I already feel it will be a McGwire like apology…he better not be surronded, as he gives it, by lawyers and handlers, reading from a prepared statement, and not taking questions. I already suspect he will be guilty of at least one if not all three of those.

    The best apology he can give will be one with a change in behavior…as in when he comes here to play the Tour, if that is part of his future—and still treats the local young women who used to work the events in the PGA tent, as he has—rude, demanding, non tipping and with sexual jokes and advances, then I’ll know he wasnt really sorry about anything.

    Do get used to getting called out while on the Tour—comes with the territory big guy..you used to get a reprieve and complete reverance because you were the man, now you’re just the Cad.

    Reply
  2. Tom

    This is… word for word… what I told my wife, like, five hours ago. I mean… verbatim.

    So… needless to say, you’re column COMPLETELY freaked me out. 😉

    Reply
  3. Don

    Very well said. Who cares. I will never watch PGA golf again and cheer Tiger Woods. He has lost all credibility.

    Reply
  4. Paul

    With all due respect, I suggest that we folks are often too unforgiving, and do not fully appreciate what super-stars go through. That is not to condone such actions, but look at others, like Judy Garland, Michael Jackson, etc….they had no child-hood and no opportunity to “try before you buy” or whatever.

    American’s are, essentially, forgiving people, especially when one admits their “guilt” and asks for understanding. AND, for a woman, deciding to stay with a “super-star” with a background of parental super-vision form earliest years….and understanding how lots of people literally throw themselves at super-stars…well….we can blame changed times and movies and TV and Cable TV for “setting the standard”?!

    What’s the biblical saying? — “Let he/she who is without sin, let he/she cast the first stone.”

    Tiger Woods is a super-human athlete, as was Michael Jordan. As a man who is married to his wife for 35+ years, I would not give Tiger a medal for whatever he has done in his human-life, but can we not understand that such things happen?

    Forgiveness and love should rule the day, and I, for one, hope that Tiger and his wife reconcile and deal with the past and make their marriage even stronger then before…and for the benefit of not only Tiger and his wife, but for children.

    We need to look at many changes in our culture, among them being single “children”….woman in their teens, who decide to have a child without the benefit of a man in the household, generally requiring the leaving of school, the end of education for most of them, and a life probably changed forever….where did this come from? How badly has society changed?

    These are hard times…depression is rampant due to the terrible economy, threats of atomic warfare from people that just want to blow up other people, lost and no jobs…..a very difficult era we live in for sure…..but if we have any hope, it is from: faith; networking; as positive a mental attitude as we can have; giving to others, and; forgiveness, for we all have faults, do we not?

    Let us move on to solve more significant problems and let us give Tiger the chance to overwhelm us again with his prowess as a professional athlete who has provided, in sports, a role model (but for this one failing). And, he appears to have done it without steroids!!!!!

    To me, athletes, who serve, and always have, as role models, who did it on steroids, deserve permanent condemnation….for they disappointed all of us when we were children who were taught that hard word, commitment, consistency, and living a good life were the keys to athletic excellence, and not STEROIDS!

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  5. J W

    Right on Missy — A hole in one — oops!

    Reply
  6. Frank

    Melissa –
    Only his wife needs the apology, but now that it is over I guess she did not attend. What good is it? He is going through all of this because of what happened to him. Had nothing happened he would be doing the same thing. Since his Dad died I see him as a complete different person.

    Frank

    Reply

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