I talked to my sister today about Tiger Woods. If you have read Outsports for the full 10 years we’ve been around, you may remember that she’s dabbled with pro athletes more than once. She told me all the talk about Woods is ridiculous. “Of course he cheats. Ninety-five percent of pro athletes cheat.” It’s a sad statistic, but it’s probably true. Rich, often attractive (or at least fit) men flying around from city to city, away from their wives for long spans, start looking elsewhere.
I’ve never been one to say that because someone fits a statistic it makes it “OK.” But I’m certainly not going to judge Woods for his “transgressions.” If he cheated on his wife, he’ll have to deal with her and his family. It doesn’t change Tiger Woods the golfer in my eyes: I’ll still be planning my spring and summer Sundays around whether he’s in the hunt or not. He didn’t call me a faggot. He didn’t kill someone. He didn’t get caught taking performance-enhancing drugs. So he gets a pass on this one from me. Though I’m sure his wife has other thoughts.
What did bug me, though, was part of his statement today. In fact, it was the majority of his statement.
But for me, the virtue of privacy is one that must be protected in matters that are intimate and within one’s own family. Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family shouldn’t have to mean public confessions.
Sorry Tiger, but no. You lost your claims to privacy when you won the Masters in 1997 by a million strokes. And even if you didn’t lose it then, you did when you signed your countless endorsement deals. And even if you didn’t lose it then, you did when you got into your car at 2:30 in the morning and smashed it into a tree. These were decisions you made. You know how our culture works. You know how the law works. And you have chosen to give up your claims to privacy. You certainly don’t mind when you’re strolling the sidelines of a Colts game and a camera’s in your face. So don’t try to play the victim here. You’re not.
BTW, I wonder if the National Organization for Marriage is going to be protesting Woods at his next tournament…
on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 2:13 AM
Its pretty simple:
either make millions a month in the spotlight, do stuff and tell the truth
OR
fill up shelfs in your local supermarket for a few bucks, do stuff and say whatever you want.
There are alway resposibilities in life. Everyone has a choice. No one has forced Tiger to be an international sports hero. I don’t like to read sports heroes complaining about media, twisting stories and acting like victims.
While I like watching Tiger whenever he plays, if he wouldn’t be around, I would still watch golf or maybe something different. Who knows. Life goes on anyway.
on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 8:20 AM
I agree with your sister’s assessment. I’ll never forget my “Aha” moment about professional athletes and cheating.
It was about 20 years ago when someone I regarded as one of the classiest athletes of the time, James Worthy of the LA Lakers, was caught with two hookers in Houston as part of a ‘sting’ operation.
Worthy had been recently married and had young children at home. When I heard about him I realized they all must be doing it.
on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 8:24 AM
I’m with you Cyd. I have little patience for rich powerful celebs who try to have it both ways. Once you’re thrust in the public eye you can kiss your “right to privacy” goodbye.
Or as Joan Rivers once said, “Once you leave the driveway you’re fair game.”
on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 10:24 AM
God we’ve come a long way since O.J. Simpson’s affair. What changed?
Woods doesn’t murder his wife after she apparently goes after him with a golf club so he remains an American hero?
I don’t think 95% of athletes cheat but it is probably a lot higher than the average Joe who doesn’t have the opportunity or cash.
So how many athletes does your sister think lie about ‘sexuality’?
on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 12:17 PM
Men are not monogamous creatures. Men cheat. Rich famous men have more/better oppotunity to do so.
Tiger’s wife is a beautiful blonde model who married a millionaire celebrity; she knows how this game is played. She’s not angry because he cheated; she’s angry because he was stupid and indiscreet — she’s now publicly humiliated (and he’ll pay for that). Tiger could’ve cheated much further up the food chain; if he had we wouldn’t be having this conversation. But no: he f—ed bimbo cocktail waitresses who were all too happy to tell their story to TMZ. In that sense, he’s an idiot, but he’s hardly unique. In my book, infidelity is only news if it’s committed by someone who makes a living condemning other people’s lifestyles (Ted Haggard, John Ensign, etc).
on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 12:32 PM
I cannot begin to say how profoundly disinterested I am in whom Tiger is schtupping. The American Celebrity Machine at it’s finest.
on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 1:34 PM
Quite honestly I can never understand why these dudes get married in the 1st place when they can play the field until they retire and marry a honey 1/2 their age w/o all this BS. Probably still play the field after that too. I doupt she will settle for 10% of his/their net worth (10% of a billion – 100 million). She’ll want 50% of that billion and holy shit is that a lot of dough. Heavy punishment for balling binbos and he deserves the slap. I don’t think he will be starving after the divorace though so not much sympathy here. This will kill his future earning power for endorsements.
on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 1:43 PM
With his level of wealth why didn’t he have a secret social secretary manage his “affairs” for him? Pay a guy or gal $200K a year to be Johnny on the spot to cover every little detail and cover his tracks so this couldn’t be tracked back to him. I mean he’s sneaking around already so why not instutionalize it. Could have probably written it off on his taxes a business expenses too.
on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 6:08 PM
I wish I could say I was surprised but I’m not. I love Tiger and will continue to love him through this. I love the way he plays golf, not how he succeeds in marriage. That said, I’m as caught up with the coverage because of the way it all unraveled with that crazy single car accident and then the whispers that Elin went ghetto and started whoopin his ass. When you are the world’s most recognizable athlete, you give up any hope of privacy. You can request it and even put it on your yacht (Tiger’s yacht is named Privacy for anyone who didn’t know), but you aren’t going to get it. You f*cked up. Deal with it.
I’m almost more upset that he went and knocked off these simple Becky’s in such a non discriminate manner and now has the nerve to ask for privacy. How can you expect privacy when you are smashin a no name cocktail waitress? Damn dummy. But, he will survive this and I think he will be fine. This will always be a footnote in his legacy but again…what he does off the golf course related to his marriage is not a concern of mine. I’m not married to Tiger Woods and he doesn’t owe me or any other fan an explanation. The only person he owes an explanation to for infidelity is the one whose hand he took in stating his vows. We have the attention span of 2 year olds in this country so we’ll be on to something else soon enough.
on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 6:53 PM
I am surprised the media has not returned to 1997 and the original Tiger apology for missing the Fred Haskins Banquet in his honor. It reads exactly like the apology of this week. He is only human, and he makes mistakes. It proves the man has learned nothing, except he can cash in on his arrogance.
on Dec 4th, 2009 at 5:37 AM
I’ll lay 5-2 odds that at the next press conference wifey-poo will be seated next to Tiger, supporting her husband…and sporting a new diamond ring so big that it should be listed on the World Diamond Exchange. Holy Kobe Bryant, Batman!!
on Dec 4th, 2009 at 9:24 AM
Sorry, but being rich or famous doesn’t make it okay to cheat on your wife. Just don’t get married. I’m so sick of the “everyone makes mistakes” arguement. You don’t have sex with someone “by mistake”. Tiger, like all the rest, is not sorry he cheated. He’s sorry he got caught. Damn, I miss morals.
on Dec 6th, 2009 at 1:25 AM
I just don’t understand why people say tsk, tsk, tsk to Tiger and other athletes with one side of their mouths but excuse the behaviour of the Mick Jaggers of the world? Rock stars and other musicans and entertainers put some athletes to shame yet they are given a pass time and time again.
WHY???????????
on Dec 6th, 2009 at 5:25 PM
I nave arged that John Edwards should overcome his homosexual panic and relax about sex with guys -easier and less messy than sex with women There are more adoring young guys around than Lewinskys and they will remain loyal forever. Always been that way, always will be
on Dec 6th, 2009 at 5:34 PM
Back in the day,I had a straight friend who maintained he had zero interest in guys, but that he wouldn’t throw Mick Jagger out of bed Tiger has a lot of “safe” choices for bedmates on the road, Iwould guess