These are the words of Tiger Woods, who held a press event last Friday morning to detail and atone from a multitude of marital infidelities that led to a derailment of both his marriage and his career. Tiger spoke directly, honestly and with head bowed, showing himself for the first time as a vulnerable man with shame and remorse that was clearly written all over his face. As Tiger tries to pick up the pieces of his life and prepare for an imminent return to golf, his public apology could be the beginning of the end of a sordid tale that has lingered on far too long. Or it could be the beginning of a “Let’s Whip Tiger Into Submission” movement by the media.
Tiger is known for being an extremely private person, almost to the point of paranoia. He has always managed his own words and image on his own terms, and has often played the media like a fiddle. They’ve never liked that. So, naturally, they were not jumping for joy when Tiger called a press conference that was anything but a real “press conference.” He refused to allow any questions. He refused to allow the media in the same room, building, or within 500 yards of where he was speaking. And once again, Tiger had done things his own way and on his own terms. But was it enough?
For a man who, by his own admission, has his work cut out for him to rebuild a tattered and near-shattered image, Tiger will greatly need the media to help him rebuild himself as a positive force in the public psyche. So his public admission and apology via this press “event” was a first step toward that goal. Tiger says the details of his accident night or any of his infidelities are between he and his wife ONLY. But the media is insistent that if Tiger wants their help in rebuilding his image, he must first drop the cloak of secrecy, become a bit more accessible and a little less controlling. Who’s right?
In case you missed the Tiger Woods apology, you may see the FULL VERSION by clicking HERE. Otherwise, here is an excerpt from that apology:
To be honst, I only saw snippets of the press conference. But here's my 2 cents worth on this sorry story:On one hand: I agree with Tiger, this matter should be between him and his wife. Therefore, someone should request that his “former” mistresses SHUT UP because one or two of them are still running their mouths!On the other hand: Tiger should know by now that “the media” AIN’T gonna help him rebuild anything UNLESS he recognizes that he MUST, to SOME degree, learn to play by the media’s Game_end of story.Now, having said all that…. The truth is, I could NOT care less whether Tiger plays pro golf again.I lost interest in him back when it became clear to me that he wants pretty much NO connection to being Black. THAT is his right and I, and millions of other Black Americans "get it."But back to his career and… Read more »