You may be mad, you may be disappointed, you probably can't believe it." Why Tiger why?" you may ask. Perhaps you love Tiger and you're hurt because the pedestal you put him on is broken. Perhaps you didn't care for him and you are glad to see him in this position (boy, are the haters out there happy).
When we first heard the story about Tiger Woods in his SUV running over a fire hydrant in front of his OWN house and crashing into a neighbor's tree, like yourselves I was wondering what happened. When we heard the story of the daring rescue by his wife with a golf club and Tiger's semi-conscious state it raised a greater concern. Then came the real nightmare for the Woods family. Questions and allegations from tabloids, twitter and chatter from you and I as we searched for answers to the questions "Where was he going at that time of night?" "What really happened to him?" "Was there a fight?" "Who are these Women?" and worst of all Tiger's "sort of" admission of infidelity and his stance of resolving this matter in private. Perhaps you don't care, never did care and realize there are more important things in the world to talk about such as Afghanistan, the economy and dealing with foreclosure. To those of you of the latter opinion, bare with me for a few minutes.
Now I'm not going to get into the days of waiting for a response from Mr. Woods or the police's joke of an investigation. I'm certainly not going to discuss the Women who were linked to allegations of affairs with Mr. Woods who either went public or were dragged into the public. I am not going to crucify Tiger for his alleged affairs or become the moral majority.
However as a writer for the "Men's Issues" column, I could not let this go without a voice. The greater issue this story leads to is that of infidelity. Whether it's Tiger Woods, you as a Man or the Man in your life, it is an issue that you either faced or know someone who has dealt with in a committed relationship.
Why did you do it Tiger? This is what many of you have asked. You know Tiger Woods as one of those few people transcending their profession. What Michael Jordan means to the NBA, Muhammad Ali was for Boxing, Tiger Woods is that person for the game of golf (ironically all three had issues with infidelity but that wasn't my point). Tiger and his superior golf game attracts millions to the sport and enticed many to pick up a club or watch a tournament on TV. Tiger has brought wealth to the sport like no other golfer before him. Tiger Woods is probably the most recognizable athlete in the world. With all of these accolades come fortune and fame.
What also comes with fortune and fame is more temptation than the average Joe could ever know. Before some Women in a committed relationship can utter "NOT MY MAN," SOME of their Men have cheated with just one to two opportunities from women giving them the time of day. Imagine what Tiger Woods is tempted with as he travels around the world to play golf. Marriage proposals, Women who would leave their men at a moment's notice, Women willing to offer themselves as living sacrifices anytime and anywhere and groupies making it a point to be wherever he is. These Women who are in it for their own self gratification could care less about Tiger's Wife and family. The average Joe in a committed relationship does not face the magnitude of temptations Tiger has thus making it easier to point the finger at Mr. Woods mistakes. For the record, I am not justifying or making an excuse for Mr. Woods, what's wrong is wrong. I am just trying to explain the magnitude of temptations for someone in his position.Many of us are in awe over his ability dominate the game of Golf and admired his once "clean" image. By this admission, we created an image of a person who was raised to a higher standard with the expectations of maintaining that standard. However when someone stumbles at that plateau, the result is a crash heard around the world. That crash is not just the Escalade that hit the hydrant and tree, but the image of Tiger Woods that many had in their minds crashing to the level of reality where the likes of you and I can either relate or criticize. A very popular book I know states "He who has not sin, cast the first stone." Before you hurl your stone (insults) at Tiger, keep in mind what YOU might have done in his position or what you or someone you know has done and is no where near Tiger's position. So understand you may not be mad at Tiger Woods, you may be upset that the pedestal you placed him on has crashed and all that time you spent holding him up was for not.
When we first heard the story about Tiger Woods in his SUV running over a fire hydrant in front of his OWN house and crashing into a neighbor's tree, like yourselves I was wondering what happened. When we heard the story of the daring rescue by his wife with a golf club and Tiger's semi-conscious state it raised a greater concern. Then came the real nightmare for the Woods family. Questions and allegations from tabloids, twitter and chatter from you and I as we searched for answers to the questions "Where was he going at that time of night?" "What really happened to him?" "Was there a fight?" "Who are these Women?" and worst of all Tiger's "sort of" admission of infidelity and his stance of resolving this matter in private. Perhaps you don't care, never did care and realize there are more important things in the world to talk about such as Afghanistan, the economy and dealing with foreclosure. To those of you of the latter opinion, bare with me for a few minutes.
Now I'm not going to get into the days of waiting for a response from Mr. Woods or the police's joke of an investigation. I'm certainly not going to discuss the Women who were linked to allegations of affairs with Mr. Woods who either went public or were dragged into the public. I am not going to crucify Tiger for his alleged affairs or become the moral majority.
However as a writer for the "Men's Issues" column, I could not let this go without a voice. The greater issue this story leads to is that of infidelity. Whether it's Tiger Woods, you as a Man or the Man in your life, it is an issue that you either faced or know someone who has dealt with in a committed relationship.
Why did you do it Tiger? This is what many of you have asked. You know Tiger Woods as one of those few people transcending their profession. What Michael Jordan means to the NBA, Muhammad Ali was for Boxing, Tiger Woods is that person for the game of golf (ironically all three had issues with infidelity but that wasn't my point). Tiger and his superior golf game attracts millions to the sport and enticed many to pick up a club or watch a tournament on TV. Tiger has brought wealth to the sport like no other golfer before him. Tiger Woods is probably the most recognizable athlete in the world. With all of these accolades come fortune and fame.
What also comes with fortune and fame is more temptation than the average Joe could ever know. Before some Women in a committed relationship can utter "NOT MY MAN," SOME of their Men have cheated with just one to two opportunities from women giving them the time of day. Imagine what Tiger Woods is tempted with as he travels around the world to play golf. Marriage proposals, Women who would leave their men at a moment's notice, Women willing to offer themselves as living sacrifices anytime and anywhere and groupies making it a point to be wherever he is. These Women who are in it for their own self gratification could care less about Tiger's Wife and family. The average Joe in a committed relationship does not face the magnitude of temptations Tiger has thus making it easier to point the finger at Mr. Woods mistakes. For the record, I am not justifying or making an excuse for Mr. Woods, what's wrong is wrong. I am just trying to explain the magnitude of temptations for someone in his position.Many of us are in awe over his ability dominate the game of Golf and admired his once "clean" image. By this admission, we created an image of a person who was raised to a higher standard with the expectations of maintaining that standard. However when someone stumbles at that plateau, the result is a crash heard around the world. That crash is not just the Escalade that hit the hydrant and tree, but the image of Tiger Woods that many had in their minds crashing to the level of reality where the likes of you and I can either relate or criticize. A very popular book I know states "He who has not sin, cast the first stone." Before you hurl your stone (insults) at Tiger, keep in mind what YOU might have done in his position or what you or someone you know has done and is no where near Tiger's position. So understand you may not be mad at Tiger Woods, you may be upset that the pedestal you placed him on has crashed and all that time you spent holding him up was for not.
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