Tiger

Tiger Woods made a statement to the world this morning. It was his first public appearance since he crashed his SUV on November 27th, which led to the discovery of a whole bunch of extramarital affairs in which Woods had participated. I'm writing to, believe it or not, defend Woods.

Famous or not, what Woods did was dispicable. His actions devastated his wife, kids, mom, extended family, and because of the nature of his career and fame, his fans, sponsors, co-workers, employees, and more. But even since his statement this morning (which I've listened to) it seems that all I've seen are further criticisms of the man. He wasn't contrite enough. He was insincere. He looked down at his notes most of the time and therefore his apology was simply a necessary staged acting job. His words aren't good enough, we need to see the change.

If you haven't listened to or watched his statement yet, you can find it pretty much anywhere on the web (it's about 13:30 in length). I would encourage you to check it out... if you care at all.

First of all, the guy was plenty contrite. He stood there in front of a global audience and offered a completely unqualified apology. He didn't skirt any issues, he didn't blame any person, system, or institution except himself. He took 100% of the responsibility for his actions. He chastised the media for invading his family's privacy, not because reporters have hung around trying to get glimpses and statements from him, but because they've essentially stalked his children, his wife, and his mother. He made it clear that his family has done nothing wrong and do not deserve to be treated that way, though I didn't hear him suggest that the press should leave him alone.

Second, looking at your notes during a public address is a pretty rotten barometer for how sincere you are. If I wanted to share something important with a large group of people, I would have notes and I would probably look at them frequently, making sure I left nothing out. That's what many preachers do. And all other kinds of public speakers. In fact, if it's true that speakers who refer to notes are insincere then President Obama would not have ever been elected (plenty has been made of the man's reliance on teleprompters for speeches).

As for needing to see the change, I suppose all I can say there is that you have to give someone time.

As far as apologies by celebrities go, this was maybe one of the best I've seen. I guess my whole point here is, isn't this exactly what you'd like to see from a sports icon who's messed up? Tiger was in 45 straight days of in-patient therapy, and he's going back for more starting tomorrow (all according to his statement). He flat out said he was wrong and took full responsibility. I guess I don't see how we can berate him more today than we did yesterday.

Yes, there's a possibility that in the coming months and years we see the same old Tiger come out and rejoin professional golf, still swearing and yelling at everyone who makes the faintest noise during his swing. He might continue to fall into sexual affairs and ruin his marriage and his family. He might never be respected by anyone again. But I honestly think it's much more likely that the intense therapy and support he's receiving actually does some good. He might come back to golf as a different guy. He might, over time, make some amends with his family. Earn back trust and respect from his wife and kids. Maybe even from fans. He might go on to be the role model everyone apparently thought he was a few months ago. I guess only time will tell. But can't we give him the benefit of the doubt for now?

(For the record, I'm neither a golf fan nor a Tiger Woods fan. I'm pretty indifferent about the whole sport, including its biggest names. I remember watching the end of a Master's Tournament that Tiger won more than a decade ago because that's what dad had on the tv that particular Sunday afternoon. I honestly can't say I've watched him play since, other than on highlights that occasionally show up on SportsCenter. I was just a little surprised by the venom being spit out by so many after Woods's statement today. That's all.)