There is an overwhelming amount of concern about the private life of Tiger Woods. It doesn’t really matter what channel you turn to while watching TV; you are likely to hear something about the current situation he is in.
To be honest, I’m getting quite sick of it. It is not my place to know about his or anyone else’s personal life, nor do I really care to know. Aside from his personal life, in his professional one, he has done much more good than harm. He has helped grow the game exponentially and the numerous charities he has supported including his own have helped a hell of a lot of people. In this week’s Trap Five, I’m giving you five reason’s why he should be left alone and return to golf on his own terms and not the public’s. What are yours?
Number Five: For the Sake of the Game
There cannot be enough said about what Tiger has done to grow the game. When he does return, the game will continue to grow with Tiger. But, everyone needs to lay off the guy until he can get his bearing. If this media frenzy continues I think his personal leave from golf will take much longer than expected. And, his leave will have a more negative effect than it already has.
Number Four: How Would You Like It?
Seriously, regardless of the issue, how would you like your name and photo posted on every major newspaper with details of your wrongdoings? Some will say that he asked for it. By being a public figure he has opened himself up to criticism as well as praise. The only thing we should be concerned with his his game on the course. Off the course, allow him to enjoy his time with his family and friends without being bothered, as he has requested numerous times.
Number Three: Distractions Limit One’s Ability to Focus
With all this stuff going on around him; I think it would be quite hard to focus on the things that are most important, like his family. It is my most sincere hope that he is able to continue his work in reconciling his mistakes and moving forward with his life. I think it would be much easier for him to do so if the paparazzi did not have such a presence nearly everywhere he might be.
Number Two: Give People a Chance to Talk About Other Things in Golf.
Like Phil making a stink about being slandered, John Daly retiring, or when Annika is going to return to the LPGA. All kidding aside, there are more interesting things in the world of golf than the private life of one man and I encourage everyone to seek them out. Here is one suggestion: go practice, so when the season rolls around in a couple months you’ll be playing well all season instead of spending the first month or two regaining what you lost in the off season.
Number One: It’s Not Affecting Just One Person
Not only is what the media doing wrong to Tiger, it is having a negative affect on those closest to him who have nothing to do with the public. Everyone has formed an opinion about what he should do, what she should do, how this is going to affect his children, etc. It is no ones business but the people involved. Tigers kids have nothing to do with the media nor does the majority of his family yet they are being subjected the same things a celebrity with a full publicity staff can barely handle and I find it to be utterly inhumane.
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Thanks Zach. You are so right. Tiger Woods is on the verge of making golf history, live on TV, and I want the opportunity to watch it happen.
There is another reason. Tiger’s personal life, is not our business. We cannot imagine his pressures, stresses or walk in his shoes. This in no way condones his actions. But let him do whatever it is he needs to…the media cannot even do what their real mission is…let alone anything else.
TW will eventually figure his path. Allow him to do so.
Personally I don’t give a fig. He got what he deserved,and probably more. Humility is not his thing so it will continue to be of interest until the whole thing either explodes or goes away.
Very right. The interesting thing is the curious attention. Had he been single, this would mean nothing. Evander Holyfield has a menagerie of ills, remember Shawn Kemp? In France this wouldn’t be interesting at all, the PM is expected to have mistresses. Tiger is responsible in many ways for the health and well being of thousands. His “brand” pays the bills for untold people. Seemingly golf is all he does, and has been bred to do. Day in and day out of hitting balls, meeting with idiots who pay to be next to him, reading criticism from people he does not know or don’t know him – remember the great humanitarian and sports writer John Fienstien demanding Tiger do more to help the world with his money – hey John his existence created jobs that didn’t exist before and what do you spend your money on? And then of course the winning – only winning will do or Tiger is in a slump, three tournaments and no win, will he ever win again?
This distorts one’s reality beyond all comprehension. A guy who works at the range, drinks beers with his buddies and whose biggest pressure in life is finally making a bird on 19 at his home club can’t grasp any of this, but he sure can judge. People are not even aware that Tiger’s wardrobe is picked out a year in advance, he doesn’t choose what he is going to wear – Nike does.
Tiger is one, like Jordan before him, who has ceased to be a person and is nothing more than a symbol. How would you like your entire sense of self to be nothing more than fantasy for others?
In all fairness your follow up article should be “Five Reasons Not to Leave Tiger Alone”. Not sure why anyone should coddle a grown man like Tiger. You always reap what you sow.
Zach, I’m not sure your five reasons really amount to a great deal.
Number five: Most of the media has no interest in advancing the interests of golf. The story is a scandal of the highest proportions involving the most well-known athlete in the world. That’s why it’s in the news. The fact that Woods is a golfer is beside the point. You’d have a similar reaction from the media if the scandal had involved Roger Federer, say, rather than Woods. If all of this is hurting golf, however, that fact indicates that Woods should have thought more carefully about his actions.
Number four: I think I’d understand that, if I’ve allowed myself to be marketed as a straight-up, wholesome, family-oriented (etc) guy and I’ve made nearly US$1 billion in large part from doing so, the media and the public would be very interested to discover that a chasm separates my image from the reality.
Number three: Distractions may well limit one’s ability to focus, but who cares? Woods brought this on himself.
Number two: People are talking about other things in golf. I’ve been very interested in the Mickelson story and I’ve really enjoyed the first few PGA Tour events, even though Woods wasn’t playing. I do hope Woods returns soon, but he isn’t the only reason to watch golf. In fact, for a while, I hadn’t even thought about Woods until I read this article. Counterproductive?
Number one: Putting aside the question of whether or not the media should be hounding Tiger, I haven’t seen any reports about Tiger’s kids. I’ve seen a bit about his wife, but I think the vast majority of the reporting has been about Woods himself. Arguably, Woods might have been able to shield his wife, in particular, from at least some of the media reports if he’d handled the situation appropriately in the first place.
I’ve been fortunate enough to sit in the media centers of the Hope, the Farmers Insurance Open, and now the Northern Trust. All of the “big name” writers I’ve been in contact with are so consumed right now with: McCarron / Mickelson, the grooves issue, Daly’s fizzle, Finchem’s press conference, and the overall state of the golf industry, as many of these writers’ friends have been laid off or fired. Even commentators like Inga Hammond have been shown the door.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, I feel like Tiger Woods is on the back-burner at this point, at least in the eyes of the media types. If anything, everyone is much more interested in when Tiger will be back (some are even putting money on it). So I’m not sure where you’re finding continued gossip about the Tiger scandal…but then again, I’m submerged in other topics right now, so I’m probably not the best authority.
When you become famous, all the attention comes with the territory and so far, Tiger has done nothing worthy of being shown any mercy in public. So what if he’s done X for golf? He’s a sinner. We are all sinners. And we should be able to seperate the sin from the sinner. I don’t think we should sit back and call him a scum bag but his actions were reprehensible. If he comes out and says he’s sorry It’ll be hard to believe. I feel the only thing he’s probably sorry about is getting caught. He’s going to have to come out of hiding and take his lumps. He made his bed (so to speak) and now he has to lie in it. It would be nice if he came out of hiding, showed some remorse, and got back to playing the game at a high level. What would give him some redeeming value is if he started playing golf with a little humility and respect. He can still get fired up on the course but he could act like a gentleman and quit cursing and throwing clubs…be a decent example of how a man should act. He’s definitely not shown that so far outside the ropes. I know there’s the old debate of whether these athletes are role models (See Charles Barkley). Well they are, and at this point, Tiger is an awful one. Hopefully he can do something about it.
I think that Shaun is right in saying that:
1. the scandal is not about golf at all. It so happens to be about a golfer. Could have been any other athlete, actor, politician, etc.
2. the (golf) media is talking about other things – grooves, Daly, and they should be more focused on the European young guns who will no doubt be the next generation of golf superstars – Rory, Kaymer, et al
I do however disagree wrt the following:
1. endorsements, irrespective of quantum i.e. whether for $100 bucks or $1 billion, do not entitle the public a ticket into your bedroom unless (a) it is specifically specified in your endorsement contract and (2) perhaps if you were in a different industry that does not involve wearing clothes.
Any argument to the contrary is putting forward the ill conceived notion that by simply buying ONE pair of Nike shoes for say $50, I am entitled to any and all personal rights belonging to Tiger Woods and his family… I have the right to pry into his life, I have a right to see what happens in his bedroom, bathroom, etc.
2. even if were to call him out on his bad behaviour, and so we should, what has happened thereafter goes beyond human decency. To play it over and over again ad nauseum and to sensationalize it with half-truths, innuendo and outright lies, is just unnecessary and unwarranted. The bahaviour is the equivalent of a frenzied mob or a pack of dogs. Normal individual humans should not behave in this manner.
All in all, the saga should be over. He was caught, we the public called him on it. He has and will continue to pay his penance – professionally and personally. But it’s over. It says more about those who won’t quit on it, than about Tiger’s character flaws.
Tiger is a guy who got married (maybe pressured into it by “advisors”) who still wanted the single life. I have known many guys like this over the years who just enjoy fooling around even though they love their wife and kids. Unfortunately, Tiger IS different than these guys and he got caught.
He’ll come out of the bushes, apologize and start playing golf. And people will forget…look at Clinton…he lied under oath and now he is a hero!
I totally agree with your #1 reason, you have to have sympathy for those kids who will grow up with this hanging over their heads. But i have to agree with Todd, this is on the back burner at this point. The media has moved on to other things. Tiger has made all the right PR moves so far, and when he comes back he will say all the right things, which will bore the media into covering something else. Things will be back to normal for the golf world before long. But again, you have to feel bad for those kids, not to mention Elin.
Honestly, I could care less what he does off the course. He’s proved himself to be a jerk.
When he returns to golf I hope he refuses to answer any questions unless it’s about his game.
You have to laugh. Leave the man alone? And then you post an article about him? You’re just contributing to the frenzy.
As for your reasons. #5 is not serious is it? For the good of the game? I don’t think so. For the good of the Pro game (and all that lovely loot they’re raking in), maybe. The game I grew up loving and playing does not require any input from TW; I’ll still go out and enjoy it regardless.