Tiger Woods apologized in a prepared statement this morning in front of 40 people, 2 video cameras, and millions of people watching live on almost every major news station on television. He looked pale, stressed, and like a man who has been in rehab for several weeks.
But did you expect anything different? I said in my recent post that the man who was perceived as perfect was in fact not perfect at all, and now he had to make up for making the public believe that. And i believe he did that as best a prepared statement could. Woods has been seen as this flawless person for so many years, so what made you think that this statement he read this morning would be any different? Did you expect anything else? The statement was flawless, his emotions were flawless, and the material he covered was just about the perfect amount of sincerity mixed with trying to better himself in the future. He apologized to everyone possible and did not ask for forgiveness, but for his fans to believe in him again. There were no tears, just ones he tried to hold back.
He needed to apologize to various groups of people, and he did. He needed to clear up what happened that Thanksgiving night, and he somewhat did. He needed to come clean about his extramarital affairs, and he vaguely, but satifyingly did.
But this was a Tiger we had never seen before, a man on the defensive instead of a man in control of the situation. We saw the inferior Tiger, instead of one looking dead at the flagstick or sinking that 15 foot putt in the U.S. Open with no fear.
There were two quotes that will be heard over and over again on Sportscenter re-runs. The first, "I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated," is a quote that showed his sincerity and how serious he is taking this situation. He could have left that quote out or not even gone in that direction, but instead he did.
The second quote might have surprised everyone. Antiipation leading up to this was that Woods would give a certain point of return to golf, instead he gave a timetable, "I do plan to return to golf one day, i just dont know when that day will be. I dont rule out that it will be this year."
So when will he return? He left us in the dark on that one. Im not sure if he actually knows when he will return to golf. I felt he left us short there, and that there needed to be a smaller timetable to his return for the sake of the public and his fans, but i dont event hink he knows.
Yet, Tiger's apologetic speech made Mark McGwire's recent apology for steroid use seem ridiculous. But did you expect anything else from Tiger Woods? He wrote it, or had a part in writing it, thats for sure, and he looked into the camera with a look of sincere apology that was found to be very refreshing, but at some times corny.
Most people's reaction would be to feel sorry for him after hearing the statement. Don't. He brought this upon himself, and although he gave a compelling and sincere statement, im sure he did not mean for the public to feel sorry for him. He just doesnt seem like a man who would want that, but what do we know about him anyway these days anyways?
As for his return, there's no telling when he will come back because it seems like he himself does not know. He has 7 weeks until The Masters. It would seem obvious to come back and play one tournament before Augusta. But no one is sure what to think. I feel that this particular golf season means too much to him for him to sit it out. He has been eyeing 2010 for too long. This year is set-up for Tiger achieving the Grand Slam. At Augusta, he is dominant. At Pebble Beach, he has an amazing track record. At St. Andrews, and any British Open for that matter, he is flawless. And he loves the Whistling Straits course that will host the PGA Championship. Expect him back soon better than ever.
Am i satisfied with his apology? For the most part, yes. Let me know what your reaction is to seeing a different Tiger Woods at the podium today.
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