Saturday, February 20, 2010

Tiger...

It's not funny how so many people love to jump to negative conclusions, including those who discount Tiger Wood's contrition and subsequent vow to change his ways. Some say the apology was not sincere because he read from a script; some say it was all driven by the need to repair his commercial value; some say he left out too many details. They are all wrong, and I condemn them for disparaging someone who is trying to do the right thing. Sometimes you just can't win...

They forget that Tiger Woods had many other options, since he's rich almost beyond measure. He could have said that, for him, marriage was a mistake. He could have walked away from the limelight and tended to whatever else he fancied. He could have come back to golf right away and endured some derision until it faded; every topic wears out, you know. Instead, he said all the right things and committed himself to becoming a better man. He stated the true but simple reason for his philandering and what he had to internalize in order to stop it. I give him a lot of credit for saying exactly what needed to be said and no more. Now it's just a question of the doing.

Few of us can identify with a young man who achieved world-class fame and fortune before he was 30. How can we not understand that he had many role models - other athletes and celebrities - who cross the line every day and get away with it because that is their persona? And, of course, there were uncountable women who would do anything to get his attention. How easy it would be to fall! I believe that very few men would have been capable of withstanding that level of sexual pressure at his age, and I would not have been one of them.

I am giving Tiger my full support in his effort to come back in every way. Based on his history of incredible accomplishment, perhaps he will again set the example for making a beautiful sculpture from the trash of life. Go get'em, Tiger.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

When the scandal first broke, Tiger said "This is between me and my wife, and the rest of you screeching voyeurs can rot in hell." (I'm paraphrasing.)

I wish he had stuck with that.

Having said that, I did like the bit where he talked about his Buddhist faith. It'll be interesting to see if a multimillionaire can really pull off a life of non-attachment, and if so, how.

Ron Davison said...

I watch the media adulation of Apolo Ohno in this Olympics and and reminded again why it is that people are so shocked by the behavior of athletes: the media does kind of a neo-Greek god thing on great athletes and then acts shocked when they prove themselves to be all too human.