Tiger regaining control

tiger had no need to apologise publicly but it seems to be the thing for celebrities to do when they are involved with controversy. like how he timed it to disrupt the accenture matct play event after the company dropped him as a sponsor. hope he is back, and to his best, soon

The thing I resent about the media's portrayal of this whole story is that they are somehow entitled to know every single facet of his life, just because he's a really good golf player. And that somehow it's an affront to them that Tiger prefers to try and keep as much of his life off the golf course private. If it hadn't been for that accident, would any of us have found out about it? To be honest, probably, given that US scandal journos are very good at stirring up trouble and sniffing out a potential story. It'd be nice to see the press back off now, and let Tiger sort out his issues in private, the way he wants it. I'm not convinced that will happen though...and surely, when he steps back out onto a course again, no doubt all media questions will be about that incident, and not his golf.

I honestly believe that famous people are deserving of a private life if they wish to have one, and that the press needs to learn some respect. After all, is it REALLY in the public interest that we found out about Tiger's infidelity? I don't believe so.

Well done BenDirs!
Why can't Iain Carter tell it like it is, or perhaps isn't? Good to read some perspective. The only question that's been asked, but not answered, is what would everyone's reaction if this was a female sports icon, and not a male?
Let's hope Iain Carter will now concentrate on the British success at the MatchPlay.

So what steve is basically saying, Tigers behaviour is perfectly acceptable.

I have to admit as a Scot living in the US for the last 10 years Tiger's relationship with the US media has always annoyed me with the general attitude that he was "bigger than the game". The press conference I found to be verging on nauseating, staged and so scipted that it was almost farsical.

Golf was around long before Tiger and will be here well after he is gone ... Let's put the spotlight back on the tournaments and players and the game we all love.

The only thing missing was Don King standing behind him shouting "Only in America!"

Steve, well said.

Lots of loose talk over last few months that he who earns his living in public has no privacy rights. Nonsense, and no justification for prurient voyeurism. Talent and some privacy can coexist.

More specifically, he has not used his family as part of his branding. They've issued barely any official family photos, and those few exist only to buy space from the media for his family, and form no part of his endorsements.

If people thought he was a perfect family man, or indeed a perfect human being, then that is down to their own projection, not anything he said.

Time and again i have heard the opposite. He claimed to perfect, he claimed moral purity, he used his family to dupe millions out ot sponsors. Just rubbish in the main. Thats going a bit far. Sure there was a branding strategy, but based more on professional not personal qualities. Yes there's an implicit assumption of personal standards, but he is as guilty of abusing that assumption as we are of beleiving whatever we wanted to believe.


Lets hope people move on, take whatever lessons they want about idolatry and role models, and not lose perspective. Lack of personal probity has dogged faous figures down the ages, some in a pre-interent, 24 hour media world. Woods indisctretions are by no means the worst, not even close.

I thought he looked a bit orange.

Is it just me, or did it look like he was eyeing up the blonde in the front row?

Pathetic TV - I switched off. His speech was full of instructions: "Now look sincerely at the camera for four seconds", "put hand on heart for 2.5 seconds", "do NOT smile at any stage", "look directly at camera again"...

It's none of our business. I've never liked Tiger Woods, and this hasn't exactly endeared him to me. But then, Tiger doesn't care if I like him. End of.

Loved this bit: "Elin deserves praise not blame". Er... who's blaming Elin???

#4 - No, what I'm saying is it really isn't any of our business what Tiger or any celeb gets up to in his own time.

He would have been better just avoiding this poor attempt at an apology and come back in his own time with the minimum of fuss. I would have respected him more if he just did that. The cynic in me says he timed it like this on purpose, and it has completely detracted from where the focus of golf should now be, the WGC Accenture Match Play event.

I just listened to a sports psychiatrist on the radio, and he said Tiger seemed to be trying to shift the focus of everyone into 'pitying' him, and was making out as if he was some sort of victim. He also siad that he didn't know whether he should put his hands together half way through as it came across as a preachers sermon.

I couldn't agree more.

I just hope this now puts an end to speculation and we can concentrate on the golf.

Having said that, that 13-minute monologue was infinitely more interesting than the BBC's multi-million pound coverage of the housework on ice - or Winter Olympics to the purists.

Money well spent again...

Good blog Ben Dirs... quite profound.

I agree, I preferred the flawed and human Woods

Yes, it is in our business when he is used by sponsors to sell their overpriced products to us. His main income is not through winning golf prize money it is through payment by sponsors. Yes, he is a good golfer but he earns his money through sports fans buying into his "squeaky clean" persona which brings in the deals on the products he endorses ( for vast amounts of money), he is however not a good human being .

His performance was pathetic and was orchestrated by all the people who earn their money through him and who believe they can now con sports fans. Anyone who supports him now is supporting his disgusting behaviour and not golf. Once out of therapy he will embrace his childhood Buddhist faith-the Dalai Lama had better watch out for his Rolex ...

To Steve who feels Tiger should have a private life.

Mr Woods is paid rather handsomely for playing golf, a large portion of his annual income is derived from sponsorship. Sponsorship is where companies advertise their wears to Mr Joe Public. As such, as soon as Mr Woods took his first silver sixpence from a sponsor he also sold his rights to a private life.

Great amazing golfer - who are we all to judge? How would we all handle the fame, the money and the talent? If any journeyman golfer did it who would care?!

Mabye some from the football world to take a leaf out of Woods' book, jetting out to Dubai for a holiday is no way to apologize. Take note.

Today was actually the first time I've ever warmed to Tiger Woods. I may be a soft touch, but I thought he was sincere. I know someone said that 'when you can fake sincerity you've got it made' but to me the apparently theatrical pauses were totally understandable. This is a man who was being put on television by his father at the age of 3. He has never had a normal life or the tools to live one. He was in a totally foreign situation and, like we all would, looked out of his comfort zone. To my surprise I now find myself saying good luck to him. When he does come back I think both he and the game will be better for it.

fabuniquemembername - sorry mate but I've got to pull you up on the Winter Olmpics coverage, it's been great! (I'll assume you didn't see the downhill the other night)
I don't particularily like golf, but just coz you don't like winter sports, don't take the mick on here

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

He spoke of rediscovering religion (that would have played well with his fellow Americans)

Sorry Ben but as most Americans are Christians and I understand that Woods is a Buddhist what he may have rediscovered would have no relevance to most.

Not really sure what he was setting out to achieve by this public baring of his soul. Was this part of a public act of penance in his personal need for repentance and restoration? Of course he has sunk very low as a man in the eyes of most decent people but his high regard was mainly because of his achievements as a golfer not as a man. As a man he was very private but came across as being somewhat arrogant, selfish, shallow and self centered and not very likeable. This has probably now been shown to be the case.

So no, it's his wife that requires the act of repentance and the plea for compassion and forgivemness, not the media and the public. I trust that he has and is pursuing this in privacy. She would be quite a woman to take him back after such a public humiliation and betrayal.

His golf now becomes incidental and surely put into perspective as to what are the real values of life; worldly success being transitory beside personal integrity and character.

So now Tiger's being compared to Hitler. Genius.

What does that make John Terry?

Joined especially to say great article Ben, identical take to it as me and Im glad someone thinks the same. He doesnt owe me an apology, nor does anyone else who choses to live their life the way they do.

Nicely choreographed acting. Therapy to control his 'Infidelity' instincts::Interesting what that would be.. LoL..
Everyone forgive me and forget my all my bad things,trust me now, i want more sponsorship money....

Yes it was a little bit naff - but perhaps more suited to America, the market it was presumably (mainly) aimed at. I want to see him back asap. It's strange really - I was a big golf fan pre Tiger (loved all the big tournaments and most of the not so big ones) yet now I find my interest considerably diminished if he's not involved. I guess it's because he is such a phenom that his absence makes the game seem less important. To use a not inappropriate analogy, it's kind of like being at a party when all the girls have gone ... if you know what I mean.

Faffer- What a great example of Reductio ad Hitlerum and Godwin's law.

#3, #5, #7, #9 & #14 ...

AGREE
AGREE
AGREE
AGREE
AGREE !!

And well done Ben for such a balanced blog - Carter take note.

This was nauseating, staged-managed tripe and the timing could not have been more calculated ... towards his "friends at Accenture". Don't make me laugh !!

15. At 7:33pm on 19 Feb 2010, Hogant wrote:
To Steve who feels Tiger should have a private life.

Mr Woods is paid rather handsomely for playing golf, a large portion of his annual income is derived from sponsorship. Sponsorship is where companies advertise their wears to Mr Joe Public. As such, as soon as Mr Woods took his first silver sixpence from a sponsor he also sold his rights to a private life.
======================
Eloquently put Hogant. Couldn't agree more.

If Tiger were to donate to charitable causes the ~$900MM that he earned excluding golf winnings by cozying up to consumers / sponsors, he might be able to redeem his dignity and make a better case for retaining privacy. In the absence of that, he deserves all the prying and brickbats he gets

I have to say that the most sincere part of the whole thing was when he had to ask the press to leave his wife and kids alone. Forget free press, its absolutely disgusting that journalists should be allowed to follow, photograph and generally harass children etc in the name of free press and serving the public interest.

Yes Tiger WOods is one of the biggest sports personalities the world has ever seen. However, no-one in there right mind can claim this gives anyone a right to investigate his private life regarding his children.

Hopefully this whole circus will sort itself out asap and people can focus on the game again, whether it be with Tiger in it or not.

P.s. faffer - can I ask where you got the figure of 15 from? Did he tell you that personally or do you just accept everything you read???

I thought this was a really well written & thoughtful blog. I wish all blogs were as good (including my own!).

#15 Spot on Tiger Woods became a public figure the minute he signed up for sponsorship deals. Part of those deals involves appearances at events on behalf of those sponsors. One pretty much goes with the other you give up your right to privacy when you sign the contract. As the saying goes He who pays the piper, calls the tune.
Woods was happy being in the limelight and presenting the front of a happily married family man who was looked up to by a whole generation of youngsters as their role model.
Those who defend him now are saying it`s O K to preach to our youth that infedelity is perfectly acceptable in our society.

"His speech was full of instructions: "Now look sincerely at the camera for four seconds", "put hand on heart for 2.5 seconds", "do NOT smile at any stage", "look directly at camera again"... " - #9

Exactly right, thats what I thought. It was a typical American politician speech, the act was too wooden. I turned it off after 5 minutes because it just was'nt coming across as sincere enough. Everything was obviously scripted. I'm beginning to wonder if Woods should go into acting, but even with a script in front of him, the performance was wooden.

I'll say what I said on Carter's blog which was this:

Unless he's swinging a golf club, on a course, in a tournament, then I dont want to hear about him. It's that simple.

....and since I wrote that, I'm not sure I even want to hear about him on the course now. As low as my estimation of him was before today, I actually think it went down a few more notches. It's a clear case for me of someone who did'nt know when to shut up. I think he's done more damage to his image, as far as the average man in the street/casual golf fan goes - certainly for me, anyway.

GO WESTWOOD!

Ok Woods has said sorry, this whole situation has gone on and on. So boring, please so many people 'have affairs' At the end of the day he is a great golfer and why should we judge him on his personal life all the time.

I haven’t heard the speech and probably wont sit through it now.

Tiger Woods doesn’t owe me or anyone not connected directly with him an apology, however he has to come back some time and of course he will need to start repairing bridges with sponsors, I’m not being cynical that’s just a fact.

What he does in his private life is of no concern to me but just look forward to seeing him play again.

Time to move on.

Just seen the tiger woods panto, cant help thinking he is running for President.I was waiting for Alan Greenspan to appear as his financial adviser and Bill Clinton as his off course running mate.
What the poor kid needs is a course in fitting into society as a normal human being before it is to late.He may think he has quelled the riots in his own arena, but he will certainly be in the bull ring when he comes back to golf and finds that some people will not just be applauding politely but may be giving him some verbal opinions on other subjects.

Well done Woods

ok

The media lost their sense of perspective ...... and I do not mean with the infidelity issue. I mean ever since the talk of Tiger turning Pro began !

He has been turned into some sort of Demi-God, who can do no wrong, and is above all men. Is it any real wonder that Tiger began to believe his own press?

Truth be told, I am far from surprised by what has occurred. I have always admired Tiger for his golfing talent, and his work ethic. However, that is all I have ever admired about him. He has always come across as arrogant, petulant, and too full of his own self-importance. All the "sex scandal" did, for me, was to reinforce that belief.

As for the "tearful", "frank" and "repentant" apology ..... well, there are many ways this can be viewed. He has had enough time to work on his little "speech" and practice the delivery. In my humble opinion, the way it was stage managed, the timing, and the location, simply display small-mindedness (let's interrupt the tournament of a sponsor who dropped me, and draw attention away from their event); and arrogance ..... I will "invite a few journalists", I will decide who gets an invite, and I will simply make my (well rehearsed and practiced statement) and refuse to take questions (why risk having the "tearful, frank & repentant" image being shaken).

So, all in all, Tiger's statement, and the way it has bee handled, does nothing to make me consider him any less flawed.

However, the media built him into something more that a superb golfer, and people forget that that is all he has ever been. The man is human.

Yes, he is in the public eye, and hero worshiped by many. Yes, he should be more aware of his public persona, and the effect he can, will, and does have on the thousands of youngsters who would like to emulate him.

That, however, is no longer a reason to continue following his marital problems, and his infidelities. The man is human, so let him be.

The main reason .... no, make that the ONLY reason .... that Tiger Woods should be in the media is for what he does as a golfer.

As the man is currently not playing golf, the media should refrain from ay and all publicity concerning him. Once he makes a comeback to golf, then following his golfing career, and ONLY his golfing career ..... give him exactly the same media exposure that any other pro golfer would get. No more, and no less.

Until then, let's leave the man and his family in peace.

#26 Thank you Mr Hayes! Admittedly I had to Google both of those terms but I now find that nearly every single post i've ever made on a message board fits that bill! Oh well nothing like consistency.

Most of us just want to see Tiger get back to doing what he has done best = winning Majors. His first apology and now this live event were both well written and come across in the right way. However, until he gets the Q&A out of the way this will never lie down, he is just stoking the innevitable media frenzie for another day. The timing without doubt was a broadside at Accenture, remember when Faldo dared to question the swing changes. Then they met in the first round of this event only for Tiger to make sure Faldo new in no uncertain terms what he thought about his opinion.
At the end of the day, we will all forget and watch over time in amazement as he passes the great Jack Nicklaus and still stand to applaude him as the greatest ever golfer. That is his destiny.

Tiger spent years abusing abusing the position his wealth and fame put him into - and that position was of course achieved through his excellence at golf (which I think he should be getting right back to post apology, less of this "I've got a problem" gibberish which sounds like "I'm sorry, but it's not my fault really").

His abuse of his standing was pretty sick but as Tiger Woods has the charisma of a piece of limp lettuce, I can't pretend to be interested in him off the course. Everything, as today's press conference outlined in perfect detail, is scripted down to a T with old Tiger. Get back on the course Tiger.

The most pertinent question raised by this blog is if Ben Dirs is bendirs1 on twitter, then who is running bendirs on twitter? What are the odds, eh? And who'd win in a fight, bendirs or bendirs1?

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#40 - as has been pointed out elsewhere, by Tiger making his statement today, he's given Accenture the kind of exposure across the globe that money can't buy. How many non-golf fans would have heard of the Accenture World Matchplay before the announcement of this press conference? How many have heard of it, and Accenture, now?

Giving Woods credit for not managing his comeback press conference to get one over on a sponsor who dumped him, there's the flipside to that, that the accouncement was arranged to curry favour with a sponsor who had previously dumped him. Which is worse?

Well most areas of response have been covered I guess...and despite all the advice from his camp and PR gurus he's doing things his way, well i guess he pays their wages so he feels 'entitled' to do what he wants :-)

So not much to say on the matter...save that those focusing on the moral compass should bear in mind that really it's all about the money for all of them. Whining about the timing of his appearance from other players was just them protecting their sponsors and therefore their financial investment as it has been in the early part of the season. Nike built a golf business on Tiger so they wouldn't drop him and Accenture are hardly a company focusing on family values. Tis money, not morals. Only people without money talk about morals - which is not to say it's a bad thing.

But putting much of the complexities aside it is pretty cool for someone so rich, so famous to make such a token gesture of contrition and stick two fingers up to a prying media who also feel 'entitled' to defile anyone in the public eye.

While there will still be a lot of trees wasted on newspapers writing about his return when it does come i can't wait myself for the first and second and third - and so on - journalist to break ranks and get a tricky question in - most likely at a bigger tournament where the press passes are more numerous - and see the response.

I hate it whem blokes cry after affairs because they quite clearly are crying for themselves beacuse they got caught. I don't feel that sorry for his wife because she must have some idea of what was going on and buried her head in the sand. The only victims in this are his children and only they are deserving of our sympathy. The rest of it is just a poorly performed soap opera.

did anyone else's bull***t detector start smoking about 30 seconds in?

that canned, pouty look into the camera, the robot script delivery, those tacky velvet blue curtains... if you bought this performance, then you clearly think daytime soap operas are legitimate acting, that "reality" shows are totally spontaneous and not at all predetermined, and that Tom Cruise was sent from Rigel 7 to save our poor souls.

end of.

What a load of rubbish. Just another "star" or supposed "icon' using the public

Completely staged and timed for maximum affect - I can't believe people are dumb enough to fall for it.

This is nothing but spin!

Good on ya Ernie Els and the rest of the golfers who spoke out about this.

@ no.10 Steve - " No, what I'm saying is it really isn't any of our business what Tiger or any celeb gets up to in his own time."

Of course it is our business!! We spend large amounts of money on Nike products endorsed by Tiger. Parents buy their kids Tiger Woods video games
Investors finding confidence in Accenture due to its association with the "level headed family man" who happens to be the richest sportsman in the world.
He accepted these sponsors money and with that he accepted that he behave in accordance with the terms of these sponsorship deals. If not then we should be allowed to know why we have wasted our money on this fraud!

It doesn't matter if you think it's any of our business or not. Just like the John Terry Saga the media won't go away till they get bored and find someone else to pick on.

At least unlike JT he's been man enough to take this, to not lie to the world about it, to not try and get injunctions to cover it up, of course Tiger didn't have teammates to lie to about it but it seems his wife knew before the media, a bit of respect JT alledgedly didnt give his wife.

Tigers action in taking a long break from the sport to sort his family life proves that to him his family comes first. The fact that Terry didn't even see his wife for over a week before he decided Chelsea were faceing weak enough opponenets not to need him shows that Terry puts his job first.

I don't like golf and I do like football, but personally I think Tiger is a better man than most footballers despite his past failings, unlike JT and some of his team mates who get caught time after time after time.

Sex addiction? What a feeble excuse.

Any celebrity, however minor, would expect (and in my opinion deserve) a bit of a storm if they cheated on their wife 15 times! Even Keith Chegwin might have got a few column inches. It's a shame Tiger couldn't keep his column inches to himself. As others have said it's a shame the kids have to suffer it all but let's face it there's no-one to blame but you know who... oh but it isn't his fault because he's in therapy... what nonsense.

No wonder he wanted to keep the press out of his private life!

Hitler would never have got away with it

There is something wrong in relationship when a partner has to go outside for his fun. Will the other half own up to her irresponsible behaviour? I doubt it. I think the whole thing is a great big sham and a shocking disgrace to see a guy humiliated into public apologies. I would say the same if it was a woman. However there is something seriously wrong when people not touched by an event decide they are offended by it and then control what happens afterwards. The only people involved in this are Tiger and his wife. It's not his friends business, nor the public nor the media, and even this blog is wrong to be pedaling it. No one would have been hurt had he and his wife a supporting relationship. Thats clearly not the case... then to keep running the story sorry but you can't blame Tiger for that one.

Number 48 If you think Woods is the Fraud you better go back to last September and find out how the world financial crisis happpened.

*50, faffer

It's a good point you're making. I don't honestly think he's a sex addict either, but in front of the unforgiving public eye, he needs to be seen to be doing something to correct the mistakes he's made in the past. Just disappearing for a few months just wasn't going to cut it. The public apology (which wasn't necessary imo) is also part of the PR rehabilitation. Wrong's must be righted, and nothing would make a stronger, quicker statement than checking immediately into rehab and grovelling to the world's media.

I've never really cared about what Tiger got up to in his private life, because that's exactly what it is: private. Between him, his family and close friends. What mattered was how he conducted himself off the tee on the front & back nine, and that's why I can't wait to see him back on the course winning trophies.

I hope now people begin to realise that these so-called superstars are not everything they are cracked up to be. They are merely human beings with their own failings, they just happen to be good at a chosen sport. The rest is just brand management which is just false and meaningless in every aspect except in the impact on the protagonists wallet.

The real tragedy in all of this is the fact that these people eg Woods, Federer, Beckham etc are paid millions and millions of pounds for just being good at what they do which is merely playing a sport and yet the best doctors, nurses and policemen get paid a tiny fraction of that.

Why was he a role model in the first place is the real question we should ask ourselves?

Golf has been around for centuries and it will continue long after Mr Woods has stopped playing. Even if he never came back, the game will keep on going. End of.

PS Another great article Ben, one of the few BBC journalists who actually tells it like it is and takes it on the chin if he is wrong.

He is a rare asset to the BBC.

#15 and #31 I really don't care about all the sponsors rubbish! Anyone who buys things just because Tiger advertises them is an idiot. I couldn't give a monkeys who advertises things, if the product is worth buying its worth buying!

Everyone deserves a private life, no matter what! I'm not for one minute saying what he did was right, but I really don't care! For me he is the best golfer on the planet (and by a long way)! I just enjoy watching him play golf, thats the bottom line! Cant wait for him to come back and start playing again! What happens in his private life is no concern of mine!

#53: What mattered was how he conducted himself off the tee on the front & back nine, and that's why I can't wait to see him back on the course winning trophies.

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are you having a laugh?! have you ever watched an actual tourney?
Tiger is one of the biggest spoilt jerks in the history of golf, with many of golf's greats having privately and publically condemned his on-course behaviour... Tom Watson being the most recent just 2 weeks ago.

if class and sportsmanship mean anything to you, than i'm afraid you've backed the wrong horse, my friend.

Hugh Grant should have stood right next to him with his trademark droopy innocent face.

God, how cynical can people be? Clearly Tiger has had an abnormal upbringing, and the side effects are clear for all to see. But a pretty private guy goes in front of the worlds media, lays himself bare and apologizes, more than many in his situation have done (JT, DB?)....and some just think its a sham....of course it was rehearsed, but as a first step back, what more did you want, a slideshow with pictures?...give him a little slack.

Do people loathe Ali now? Hell, he took his mistress to Zaire rather than his current wife!! Hardly a good family man, yet loved now....hmmmm.

seems like a lot of proxy hatred...players aggrieved at living in his shadow now feel they've got cover to break ranks....journos snubbed by Woods in the past sticking the boot in now.....i'd save my opprobrium for those who cheat at their profession....

Oh! you media people (all of you) have a lot to answer for. How you have the cheek to think you know what we think and feel. Okay there are plenty of idiots around that are actually interested in the rubbish you spew out but PLEASE do not tar us all with the same brush.

News at 10 BBC. Headline. 7 minutes airtime. For a golfer?

It's not a question of over reaction. As i've always suspected,the guy's not a nice bloke, self-centered, self-absorbed, petulant, ignorant and down right rude.

Watching the news earlier today it was my mis-fortune to hear a tabloid journalist practically lusting after Tiger's blood. No matter what he said today was ever going to be good enough for this journalist ! "Damned if you do and damned if you don't" is the phrase I think should be applied here. Do the tabloids ever, ever, ever stop to think about what Elin Woods, Cheryl Cole and Toni Terry and there kids are going thru. Sure its their husbands that have brought these problems to their door. But surely the decent thing to do is to let these unfortunate people deal with their problems and keep all our noses out of it. As far as I'm concerned, keeping up the pursuit of these stories, which only brings more misery to the victims, is totally wreckless behaviour, all in the effort to sell more newspapers.
As for Tiger's so called act today, you're having a laugh. He looked to me like a pale shadow of the man we knew before. All the aura has gone ! Did people expect that he wouldn't have his speech prepared today ! Of course he would. I suspect that all the haters were always jealous of his wealth and status and this story has made them really happy, even at the expense of the family involved.
I remember a couple of years back a famous American basketball player was speaking to a father and son. The father said to the player, "you know, you are a great role model for my son". The player replied "why don't you be the role model". Thats so true !

Hogant - sorry, sir, BALLS.

If the sponsors choose to ask Tiger to sponsor their products, it's for no-one's interest but their own - all they want to do is sell more product. If a connection with Tiger in some way convinces an individual to buy that product, then it's the individual's choice to be influenced by the marketing; the fact that it's Tiger wearing that particular watch doesn't in some way remove that person's free will. By endorsing a product, Tiger's not saying that he wants that individual to be like him - the brand is saying it wants to be like Tiger. He's just being paid to endorse the product, and by so doing, he certainly doesn't sign away his right to a private life.

Tiger has said, however, that he feels he has let down those who support him and who feel (or felt) that his life was something to aspire to imitate. That remorse is the appropriate sentiment; whether he genuinely feels it, only he can know. The sad thing is that today's cynicism will always doubt his sincerity. I hope the cynics will be proved wrong.

The Accenture thing is nonsense - any golf fan who cares what's going on in the Accenture will spend time finding out. And as for the media feeling put out that they can't ask questions; what are the media's generally inane questions going to add? The real beef the media has is that because Tiger refuses to kowtow to the media gods and answer their questions, they can't use this circus to increase ratings and hence profits; that and the media doesn't like it when it isn't allowed to control the situation.

Leave Tiger alone. He's been a scumbag and he knows it, and if he wants public forgiveness he has to make amends as he sees fit. It's up to us whether we assess his efforts and then either accept him back or treat him as a pariah. If we do accept him back, you can bet the editors will very quickly tell journos to put aside their wounded pride to sell column inches. I actually have more respect for Tiger's individuality in refusing to take the Oprah option, which in fact be the easy way out - doing what the media wants.

Finally, could any journalists who have criticised Tiger and themselves have committed marital infidelity please declare it now and leave your press passes at the door on the way out. Fat chance, of course, but it would be interesting to see how many remained in the room...

Why is this news? it should be no ones business to resolve this issue except Tiger and his wife, not his mother, siblings or friends.

I respect him even less for succumbing to a proposal to make a live news conference and respect the media even less for feeding us such tripe!

I understand there are many imbeciles on this earth that live for dirty tales like this but I'm surprised to see the BBC and CNN news outlets catering to these retards.

He is an utter, utter disgrace. I half expected him to say "I need help, I'm addicted to sex". Like he's some sort of sporting Russell Brand. Fact is, his apology was hollow, and if he's been off with all these women, we'll lets just say a leopard and all that jazz. Heres the crack, if it was one woman, then fair play, but he's been paying off lots and lots of women. He's right, he has got a problem, I think he might have mental issues.

Also he doesn't know when he's going to return to golf? Just start playing! It's your job Tiger, the thing that has made you who you are, whats he doing in the meantime? Wallowing in self pity, apologising to half the world and grovelling to his wife? Fact is, if she takes him back, then she's got Cheryl Cole written all over her i.e. "mug". If I were Tiger I'd ditch the wife, and stop pretending that he regrets it all. This is not like some sort of binge he's been on, he's been having it away for months on end with plenty of fit birds. He clearly isn't that interested in his marriage. Get back to golf, start earning some dongo and do what George Best did. Tiger will probably enjoy that more than pretending he's something he's not, because frankly he's been found out for the loathsome, plastic, white-teethed money machine that he is. He doesn't have a personality and is just a bag of money at the end of the day, who's robotically good at golf. You'd have to be an idiot if he was your role model.

Firstly, Tiger got sponsorship bcuz he was winning at a rate that has NEVER been seen before Not bcuz of some made-up image as you say, so quit repeating the nonsense you were brainwashed with by the media. To Ernie Els, he might to try & focus on his current rubbish golf game rather than focusing on a player that isnt even competing on Tour currently.


As for Media and GWAA crew, i hope Tiger gives them all silent or no comment treatment when he returns to tourneys if they ask him for details of his affairs bcuz thats a matter for his wife only, simple. Only golf related questions should be answered. @ cynics, r u a saint? or just an hypocrite who isnt perfect but wants others to be perfect.

Get in the hole..

58. At 9:58pm on 19 Feb 2010, DenistheGenius wrote:

are you having a laugh?! have you ever watched an actual tourney?
Tiger is one of the biggest spoilt jerks in the history of golf, with many of golf's greats having privately and publically condemned his on-course behaviour... Tom Watson being the most recent just 2 weeks ago.

if class and sportsmanship mean anything to you, than i'm afraid you've backed the wrong horse, my friend.

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I suppose "conducted" wasn't the word I was looking for, more like appreciation of a truly unique world-class talent on the golf course. That's really what I can't wait to see again. Honestly, if people are looking for more than that in a top class sportsman and want Tiger to be their best buddy, then they really don't get out that much at all.

Poor effort, Tiger, Does anyone believe Elin didn't take a swipe at you - or your car? Is therapy the answer or do you just need learn to exercise a little more self control or, alternatively, get divorced? My only sympathy is that yes, the media should leave your family alone. You have attracted the unwanted attention, not them.

@ONLawson.

Well said sir.

@Gavelaa...many have been inspired by Woods to play golf, i wouldnt call them idiots....and its just ignorant to say he has no personality....sportsmen in the professional age barely show any personality on the field...a hollow jibe...

many young kids, whether from a distance, or those who have been to his foundation learning academies are not idiots either....

show a bit of humanity. he may be bluffing, or he actually may have problems he wants to sort out, and finally has a bit of perspective about whats important, which would surely be a good thing....

not saying he hasn't acted like a dufus of the highest order, but it doesnt render his whole life achievements worthless. Lets not lose all perspective here....

Why on earth is anyone supposed to care about this? It has no bearing on his ability to play golf, it has no bearing on your life or mine, it has no significance in international or domestic law, policy, or economics... Why is it in the news?

Well, the human race never ceases to amaze me!

How we think we can judge, or comment, on a persons persona or morals or life, wrights or wrongs, from a media representation (unless you know the guy personally) and argue the case is beyond my comprehension.

God, I look at myself and often question my own morals and actions, let alone the ones I love or my neighbours, whom I think I know, but will probably never have a true concept of their actual being or nature.

I wish I and all of us were young again, in our naivety to believe that we think we know it all.....

Come on you guys! He is one guy who got caught. What did you want him to do? Its not that I condone infidelity but to see most men on this forum throw stones is laugable.

Whether genuine or not at least he did what most guys I know wouldn't - admit. Bravo to Tiger and to Elin for not sucking up to the public drooling for more drama. You passed the test. Now you can come back to golf!!! as you work out your private issues.

Right now we do not even know who has won what in Golf since you left. Please come back.

The difference between Tiger Woods and the rest of us is that he is paid multi millions for playing a game and through sponsorship revenue, based on amazing achievements on a golf course but also a carefully manipulated media image as a family man.

The problem does not lie with Tiger Woods, most would do the same, not even with marketing companies, as again many would do the same. The problem lies with a society that gives these people fortunes and builds them up to god-like status.

Is Tiger Woods or any other sports star really worth multi-millions for playing a game? What if the connect 4 Champion got paid that much? it's almost laughable. Surely the most contributory people to society should be paid the most.

In these global times, this issue just highlights the problem with our society.

Just like with the Iraq War, when it took us 7 years to find out how the decision was really made, and the Global recession where we know that greedy traders invented products to make our money disappear overnight just for the chance they might make a bit extra on top of the millions they already earn, isn't it about time we begin questioning if democracy even works?

Based on evidence I have seen over the last decade, maybe we need socialism back i.e. use value Vs exchange value. I prefer neither, but I believe socialism with a good leader does work, democracy is merely a farce, which creates the illusion we are in control when in reality no-one is in control.

Why doesn't he just come out with something like this: 'I want to have intercourse with lots of attractive women. I will therefore not marry again but intend to have relationships with different women and they should know my intentions now. Sadly my current wife does not accept this so we will be getting divorced.' From then on he can do what he likes. THAT'S control. But I suppose he would lose a lot of sponsorship deals. Ultimately though he's surely got enough money anyway, even if a divorce cleared him out.

Great selective quoting Ben, your as bad as the tabloid media.

look - i hope the guy turns his life around and becomes a decent guy...not expecting him to become Arnold Palmer or Tom Watson, whom i'm sure have hang-ups of their own.

but it eats at me when many of you say "c'mon - he should be applauded for admitting it"
seriously?

NEWSFLASH - he was already caught, meaning he merely acknowledged (months late) what everyone already knew... how is this a meaningful admission?
if you get caught red-handed for knicking some trousers, do you expect a hearty pat on the back for saying, "yes. that video footage of me knicking the trousers proves that i knicked the trousers"?

By far the most disturbing thing about this is that this is front page new. Honestly who cares? The BBC are really slipping.

Tiger Woods is the Micheal Jackson of golf.

Raised by an obsessive father, undoubtedly gifted beyond belief, but ultimately completely unaware of the 'real world' the rest of us mere mortals live in.

This pathetic showboating of a contrived apology, stage managed by people who care much more about the dollars Tiger is worth to them, than the human being who swings the clubs so majestically, will be welcomed by the naive, but seen through by many.

I fear the ultimate price will be paid by Tiger, as the rest of us will eventually tire of the circus, and what will he be when the attention he so obviously seeks has left him, and will he be able to live with it.

I was never really a fan of the guy AS A GOLFER... he just never seemed to have a good time with the fans like Lee Trevino, Arnie et al. There was an aloofness that was unappealing. With this admission (and let's give Mr. Woods some credit for sticking his hand up and saying his behavior was dreadful and that he'd set a bad example) at least there's an indication he's making a start on the way back.

This is ONLY a start -- it's his ongoing behavior that will pull him back to par for the course. Life, like golf, is not one hole at a time, getting as many birdies as you can. It's how you play the whole course. Dear, oh, dear, I do apologize for the bad puns there.

Let him amongst us who has never sinned cast the first stone. In the meantime, give Tiger a round of applause for saying the right things on his first steps back. And when you're back on the tour, Tiger, be a bit kinder to yourself, and chat with the fans a bit more. There are a few older guys out there who knew how to do that pretty well, and who still won plenty of tournaments/majors. When you can do that, I'll be a fan.

I watched the whole 14 minutes. Tiger was tired, sick, lethargic and he read the whole of his humbling apology script.

There are plenty of politicians I would like to be able to learn the word sorry, and occasionally say it. Even better mean it.

Tiger looks like he has been through hell, and that it is continuing.

Like most of us he has flaws. We have all gloried in the good times. Personally, I will support him in the hope that he can regain his self confidence and become an inspirational golfer again.

I only care about his private live to the extent it affects his sport, and the fact that I do not want anyone's family to go through this pain. However lots of families go through this pain, most without having the worlds media watching.

The world's best golfer Tiger Woods was almost unbeatable, undefeated on the golf course. On the human side, like everyone else, he's been vulnerable. He has been pushed around in many ways in American life. Plain and simple, this is one of many examples of the American bully and pettiness in American life.

For more sports, go to https://babysportsinstitute.blogspot.com

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How sad are the people in golf, in that they are that desperate for him to come back? Excuse me, but golf existed before Woods, and will carry on long after he has retired.
He gets everything he deserves - for living in his own little world, and because nobody said no to him.

It is possible to be a successful sportsman and have fun - on course. The sour faced performances endear him to nobody - but because he is Tiger, it's glossed over.

He's no Valentino Rossi....aka The GOAT!!

"I only care about his private live to the extent it affects his sport, and the fact that I do not want anyone's family to go through this pain. However lots of families go through this pain, most without having the worlds media watching."

Tiger has a lot in common with Fed in that he has created a monster, and it's still consuming him. Only in his case the monster is that of the squeaky clean family man. It's something that he aspires to be and now realizes he's been anything but. But the image haunts him. I can relate to this perfectly. Many men are in the same boat, we want to be good dads but the reality is sometimes different. The difference is, we are not being stalked by Paparazzi day and night.

All in all he needs to get over himself and grow up, learn to know himself. Then he can start being a role model once again. We, in turn, should leave him alone.

Media making an issue of Tiger's apology being private.

Can someone please remind me why Tiger needs to apologize to anyone but his friends and family?

...

No, I didn't think any real people believed it either.

Tiger is a Capricorn - check it out. Oh and so was Muhammed Ali and Elvis, are we geting the picture?

As per usual, the press getting far too involved in the lives of "celebrities".

His infidelities have nothing to do with the sport he plays.

The BBC and all other news corporations should adjust their own moral compasses before they start tearing down the lives of other people.

Disgusting.

" So cosy looked the Sunset Room, it was as if Woods was trying to kid himself that no-one else was watching. Several times, he spoke directly to those in his midst, making it clear his words were primarily for them, and not the public beyond..."

What? Are you serious? Any public speaker knows you have to be looking everywhere, camera, audience, everybody. If he would have just looked solely at the camera, I bet you would have written about how he ostracised everybody in the room by not talking and looking to them.

I can't think why you would have written this because I watched the press conference in full and not once did it seem as if he only cared about the people he was talking too in the room. In fact, if anything, he looked down the nose of the camera more than he did at his audience in the room.

"making it clear that his words for primarily for them, and not for the public beyond" - that is absolute rubbish.

Tiger Woods plays golf brilliantly. If he was as good at conducting affairs, we would be none the wiser. He was caught out. So what? People are, sometimes.. Why the big, invited-to-my-confession conference? Famous sportsmen and women have consistently been exposed for extra-marital affairs, so join the list, Tiger.. He cheated, he got caught, he should deal with it. I may think less of him as a husband and father, but he's still a brilliant golfer.. Look around at his fellow pros - they're all squeaky clean, are they? Are they? Or not caught yet?

The thing that annoyed me most about this was that over here in Canada, our regular programming was interrupted to broadcast this "live". There was no plane crash or any other national tragedy. The Prime Minister or President was not making an important announcement. No member of the Royal Family died or was seriously ill. There was no military coup anywhere in the world - well actually there was, and even that didn't rank so highly on the news scale, apparently. Instead, there was some athlete confessing that he had an affair and begging for forgiveness. Honestly, what's the big deal? If people want to see it, let them watch entertainment or sporting news. How the heck is this of such world importance that everyone stops what they're doing to listen to see what he has to say?!

I have to admit, I clicked on this blog half-expecting to read the usual twaddle about how Tiger is taking a small step back on the road to redemption, how his actions will now speaker louder than words etc. etc. and so on. Thank you Ben Dirs for a surprisingly thoughtful piece of writing and analysis (not surprising because it's you, but surprising because of the usual guff we get from mainstream media).

As for Tiger, I only wish he had stood up today and told everyone to get stuffed. It was a horribly choreographed event, but I suppose he's just submitting his application to be back in the good graces of mainstream America and all its hypocrisy.

Kwini you are almost right, as is frequently the case. Sadly the article by Ben is actually rather poor and suffers from the usual 'tabloidese' that most of BBC journalism beyond the older scribes suffer from these days i.e. pretty much anyone on Radio5 football, err, I mean sports. This basically is NOT news and it is NOT golf. It is about chasing scandal and not about public interest, unless that public is defined as moronic, dribbling, narrow-minded, hostile, filled with avarice and basically less than human. The BBC all too often these days simply follows what the lowest common denominator media pack follows, originality is replaced with the simplistic, wholly unoriginal vomit that is BBC 3. The even more miserable thing is that Carter (yes, that sad little small minded prig) is EVEN WORSE than Ben. Unfortunately, it is here that you become almost right...

Tiger Woods is indeed one-in-a-million.

Not because of his golfing skill, his tournament record or his wealth, but because of something far more incredible - because...

Because it seems almost beyond belief that a man with so few morals could be so mind-numbingly BORING.

But there he is, droning away at the press conference, a teflon-coated tranquiliser dart on legs. It takes a kind of insane genius for tedium to make an admission of marital betrayal via a catalogue of sex-addicted romps with porn actors sound like a shopping list of trainspotting equipment. But cometh the hour - yea the very hour of snoozageddon - cometh Eldrick Tont Woods.

Are we surprised? Well, I think there's a case to be made that golfers are in general the most boring of all sportspeople - perhaps because excellence in the game is so largely a question of robot-like, straight-down-the-middle consistency, and utterly unvarying temperament. No surprise that it attracts control freaks and human Temazepams.

And no surprise, consequently, that the No-1-ranked golfer should also be the No-1-ranked yawn. But even world-class analgesics...

...no, no, I can't go on. Just writing about the man is causing my adrenals to self-immolate, shrivel up like desiccated peppercorns and beg for death. Please, please make this mind-decimating bore go away.

BBC - hear me. I demand instead a compilation video of classic financial speeches - Volume 27 - "Gordon Brown: The Fiscal Prudence Years".

Make it so...

Just watched the whole thing on ESPN. Made me cringe. Firstly, seemed very apparent by the way he read it that he didn't write it himself. Secondly, the cringeworthy rehearsed hug with mom at the end. Thirdly, and this has nothing to do with Tiger but it is by far the worst thing about watching it on ESPN, the reporter actually said it's one of those moments when you'll remember where you were when you watched it. Oh yeah, seriously? First man on the moon, JFK being assassinated, the Twin Towers going down and Tiger confessing to being an adulterer. Yeah, they'll all be indelibly etched on my mind.

"Tiger regaining control"???
Give me a break, as most of your bloggers have noted, he is a mile away from where he was. However, what few of you appear to recognise is that golf is very much a mental game. Those of you who think that he can just waltz back on to the golf course and pick up from where he left off are dreaming...

Tiger really doesn't have to apologise to anyone - not the fans, fellow golfers or sponsors. It's something between him and his family. What Tiger needs to do is make a quick comeback and continue to thrill the fans with his brilliant golf game and win more majors. Those sponsors who dumped him will regret their actions. For every sponsors that dumped him, there'll be others waiting to sign him. Every sports need an iconic star like Tiger or the sports will be really boring. So, let's hope Tiger get back onto the golf course as soon as possible and liven up the sport again.

"Tiger" (what a childish name!) doen't have to apologise to anyone except his family and himself. The people who should aplologise are members of the public; journalists, golf fans, people with lives that can be made interesting by reading about the misdemeanours of others.
The fact that we as society pay so much attention to an overpaid sportsman's intrinsically uninteresting life tells us as much about our society as it does about "Tiger".

Who cares???!!