Saturday, February 20, 2010

Tiger’s public statement: Apology or corporate pitch?

COMMENTARY

Tiger’s public statement: Apology or corporate pitch?

By JASON WHITLOCK

The Kansas City Star

Breaking News

Robotic, insecure and teary-eyed, Tiger Woods, the world’s most popular athlete, ended on a curious note the 13-minute public-relations address intended to halt his fall from grace.

“Finally,” Woods said Friday morning, “there are many people in this room and there are many people at home who believed in me. Today, I want to ask your help. I ask you to find room in your heart to one day believe in me again.”

Why?

Nothing else bothered me about Woods’ surreal and staged apology to family, friends, business associates, three pool reporters and a national television audience. If step nine of his recovery from sexual promiscuity consisted of stiffly reading a prisoner-of-war confession into a malfunctioning, single camera while America watched, we should have the decency to hold our laughter and objection.

Believe in him? Why? And why does he need us to?

A Thanksgiving-night driveway fender-bender gave life to a slew of salacious tabloid stories about Woods’ extramarital sex life. An onslaught of money- and fame-hungry kiss-and-tell women sent Woods first into hibernation and then to a rehabilitation clinic.

Speaking for the first time since the controversy eviscerated his choirboy image and caused several of his major corporate partners to sever their ties, Woods took full ownership of the behavior that led to his downfall.

“The issue involved here was my repeated irresponsible behavior,” he said. “I was unfaithful. I had affairs. What I did is not acceptable, and I’m the only person to blame. I stopped living by the core values that I was taught to believe in. … I convinced myself that normal rules didn’t apply. …

“I felt I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me,” he continued. “I felt I was entitled. Thanks to money and fame, I didn’t have to go far to find them. … I don’t get to play by different rules. The same boundaries that apply to everyone apply to me. I brought this shame on myself.”

Woods opened his re-entry into public life sounding the redemptive chords of personal responsibility.

He thrice paused from his self-flogging to briefly, gracefully and defiantly defend his wife, Elin, of accusations that she assaulted him Thanksgiving night; scold the paparazzi for hounding Elin, his mother and his two children; and deny baseless rumors that he used performance-enhancing drugs.

For the most part, Woods kept the focus on himself. He revealed he’d spent 45 days receiving inpatient therapy guidance for the “issues” he faces. He vowed to continue the charitable work he started with his father 13 years ago. He pledged to improve his sometimes salty on-course demeanor. He admitted he was unsure when he’ll return to the PGA Tour. And he promised to be a better person, a better man, a better Buddhist.

“It’s now up to me to make amends,” Woods said, “and that starts by never repeating the mistakes I’ve made. It’s up to me to start living a life of integrity. … Parents used to point to me as a role model for their kids. I owe all those families a special apology.”

And those families, if it is in their hearts, owe Woods forgiveness.

They should’ve never placed their faith/belief in a golfer, a pitchman for corporations.

Belief is reserved for a higher power. Belief is a God-given gift shared between parent and child. Belief is a sacred treasure given to a spouse and public servants — ministers, elected officials and police officers, firefighters and doctors in times of trouble.

To reach Jason Whitlock, call 816-234-4869 or send e-mail to jwhitlock@kcstar.com.

via kansascity.com

Charles and Jason are on the sports figures are not role models side; Tiger is on the I want to be your model side, I think based on what he said to those helped by his foundation.

Posted via web from Brian's posterous

Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)