Waking up Friday morning more bloated from a Thanksgiving Day
smorgasbord of football than a stomach-churning overload of turkey,
the news of a Tiger Woods car accident worked more quickly to wake
me from my groggy state than my usual cup of coffee.
Waking up Friday morning more bloated from a Thanksgiving Day smorgasbord of football than a stomach-churning overload of turkey, the news of a Tiger Woods car accident worked more quickly to wake me from my groggy state than my usual cup of coffee.
The news flash read, ‘Woods seriously injured in car accident.’
His serious status was soon downgraded, and it was announced that he was released from the hospital and was in good condition after suffering cuts to his face, including his upper and lower lip.
Authorities responding to the incident reported that Woods was laying in and out of consciousness in the street when they arrived, with his wife Elin hovered over him.
As update after update poured in throughout the day, and as the story became more and more diluted, one thing became clear – there was something weird going on.
Saturday brought more twists in the increasingly bizarre situation as it was determined that Elin smashed out the back window of the vehicle with a golf club to remove Woods from the disabled automobile.
Spicing things up even more were the almost-predictable reports that surfaced of an alleged affair between Woods and a nightclub waitress, first published by the National Enquirer.
The alleged mistress denied the rumors immediately.
As is always the case, a celebrity can’t just hit a fire hydrant and then a neighbors’ tree while exiting out of their own driveway without causing a worldwide uproar. A seemingly simple mishap is looking less straightforward the longer Tiger keeps his silent charade going. The cover-up approach never works and lying only digs deeper holes, or bunkers, if you will, that are difficult to climb out of.
Woods and his wife have twice rescheduled police interviews and he posted a vague, cliched statement on his Web site, the gist being that he takes responsibility for the accident and wants the matter to remain private.
The latest, as of Monday, was that Woods withdrew from this week’s Chevron World Challenge – a tournament he hosts.
The pun possibilities are endless with this one. Woods hooks his car into the rough. Woods can’t avoid hazards. Tiger may have been putting around strange greens. Woods’ love life a bogie. And on, and on.
However, the situation is unfortunate and I feel bad for the guy. Or do I feel more sorrow for the sporting world?
I truly want everything to be OK with Tiger and his family. Over his 13 years in the professional limelight, although often criticized for his on-the-course temper tantrums, he has remained one of the most generous professional athletes and personalities in that span.
In a time where college athletes are slugging opponents after games and pro athletes continue to disgrace the profession with poor choices, Woods has remained a constant positive.
What if there was a domestic dispute and it turns out Tiger is guilty of infidelity? Should we care? Be disappointed?
We are bound to make mistakes. Fall off the wagon, wander up the wrong course. But being in the public eye magnifies the flaws.
Kobe Bryant had his tryst a few years back, and that wave has passed. Bill Clinton has remained relevant in many late-night talk-show jokes due to his indiscretions. The list goes on, but why set that train in motion.
But if out of a minor car crash comes a whirlwind of harmful truths, where Tiger can separate himself is how he answers the lingering and justified questions surrounding his pinball trip down the driveway.
A portion of his five-paragraph statement states, “This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way. Although I understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible.”
OK, fine, if they are false then you should be furious and anxious to shoot down all the rumors. But hiding behind a short statement on your Web site will not help the matter. The media will not grow tired of speculating and hunting for the truth. So I suggest coming clean.
Tell the truth. Get on with it. Save yourself the trouble of all the prodding and digging by the authorities and the media. Just confess, if need be, and continue to be a positive role model around the world.
I will give Tiger the benefit of the doubt. I will believe the convoluted story that has surface about how the whole incident unfolded. But, I will not hold the same sentiments if he doesn’t step up soon and tie up the loose ends.
