Sadly, we’ve become a world of voyeurs. We live for schadenfreude, that great German expression meaning to take pleasure in the demise of others. Especially when it comes to an Übermensch (in keeping with the German theme) like Tiger Woods. We’ve become a society that’s like the netherworld of pro wrestling, thirsting for every morsel of contrived drama we can get our hands on.
Now we go to TMZ and Us Weekly for reliable news about our sports heroes. I can just see it now, Joe Blow sportsfan elbowing and barreling his way over a mother-of-three to get to the check-out counter first so he could snatch that last copy of the National Enquirer to fill his Tiger Woods’ yen.
Granted, it appears as if Woods made a mistake. He came out on his website on Wednesday openly stating:
“I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone.
“Although I am a well-known person and have made my career as a professional athlete, I have been dismayed to realize the full extent of what tabloid scrutiny really means. For the last week, my family and I have been hounded to expose intimate details of our personal lives. The stories in particular that physical violence played any role in the car accident were utterly false and malicious. Elin has always done more to support our family and shown more grace than anyone could possibly expect.”
That’s good enough for me. He’s appeased his masses, and now everyone can breathe a little easier.
When it comes to everything else surrounding this sordid mess, my response is a huge SO WHAT!!! He may have gotten into it with his wife. It could have been the root as to why he bounced his car off a neighbor’s tree and ran over a fire hydrant. Note to the dolts deeply entranced by this story: He wouldn’t be the first, and certainly won’t be the last to have a woman drive him crazy like that—if that’s what happened (for the politically correct, I know a man can push the same buttons on a woman, too).
So he can hit a golf ball better than anyone else who ever lived, does it mean we have the right to pry?
Woods himself admitted he’s not perfect. The man’s personal business isn’t bouncing in my mind when I see him draw back and wind up at Augusta National. What’s behind the closed doors of his home is his business—not the world’s to know.
Do you think what’s going on is really going to deter anyone from reaching for one of his endorsed products? Not me. Will it make me think any differently of Woods? Probably not. He’s definitely not the first poor dumb schmuck to succumb to the wiles of a beautiful woman (it happens to me every weekend; it can actually happen to any of us at any time).
If there is one mistake Woods—the same mistake all elite, high-profile athletes like him make—is getting married so young and on top of the world in the first place. I can understand the settling down thing, and starting a family thing. But when you’re out there like he is, and you have so much coming at you, on so many different levels, anyone, and I mean anyone, could fall into some drama.
Independence can be a beautiful thing. Do you think if Tiger were single and didn’t have children involved, any of this tabloid stuff would be going on? If Woods were single, do you think women would be crawling out of the woodwork like they’ve been claiming this and that about him? If anything, as a single guy with amazing skills, that would enhance his reputation—Tiger the playa!
Hopefully, the tabloid media that’s been probing into Woods’ private life will slowly dissipate as Woods continues to stonewall them (bravo Tiger!). Hopefully, we’ll all come to our senses and realize what is pertinent and what isn’t.
But sadly, I don’t see those trends dissolving. Sadly, I see stories like this becoming more a part of our sports lexicon and growing like the blob. Sadly, we’ve all become the gullible chumps who watch pro wrestling. Falling prey to everything thrown at us. Only this time we’re not emoting over the guy in the mask on the top rope. This time, it’s over a world-famous face with a golf club in his hands.
Joseph Santoliquito is an Emmy Award-nominated writer based in the Philadelphia area who can be contacted at Jsantoliquito@yahoo.com.
