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Sunday, February 21, 2010

A Tiger’s Apology


A Sombre Moment

It is the afternoon of Friday, the 19th of February, 2010. Tiger Woods has just concluded his apology to the world. When I wrote last on this topic I felt that his indiscretions were a matter only between he and his family. Since then I have concluded that it’s a little more complicated than that. When you’re Tiger Woods you stand large on the world stage and your influence is worldwide.

His former image as a squeaky clean living, erudite person was one that his sponsors could sign up to; the golfing community was able to take pride in his performances; both the black and white community could say he was someone to look up to, and his family could hold their heads up high. But more than all that was the fact that millions of children from around the world saw him as a role model, therefore, it is for his family, his sponsors and their customers and the children who worship him that a heartfelt apology was necessary.

Much has been made of the tightly controlled method whereby he broke his silence. He completely controlled the baying mob of reporters and he got his message across without rude reporters interrupting him. I wholeheartedly support that approach. Anything else would have been an absolute zoo.

In my view he said all that needed to have been said without the necessity of questions. He said that he felt he was entitled to the temptations. His money and fame meant that he didn’t have far to go, and that he didn’t think he had to play by the same rules as everyone else. He now knows different and is working on being a better human being. He and his wife are young people and they are going through the stages of growing up. They will have their share of mistakes to cope with, as do we all.

The one thing I wanted to hear him say was that he acknowledged his position as role model to children, and to apologise to their parents. This he did in a very personal way, and he seems to understand the importance and weight of that. He seems to understand that following his first win of The Master’s Cup parents all over the world got their children to think golf. Children suddenly gained another ambition that they didn’t dare think was possible before, especially black children.

He has gone back into rehab and seems determined to come back a better and more controlled person. He had an easy option and that was to simply let his wife go. They have a pre-nuptial agreement that would have allowed him to end his marriage an go sleep with every one of the women who had something for him He has chosen against that and instead he has decided to take the course that means hard work..

So, I wish him good luck, and I hope that he and his wife can reconcile matters. One thing for very certain is that his wife could not hope for a better husband than the one that is now in development.

One more thing: Thank You Tiger for not having dragged your wife in front of the cameras to further humiliate her.

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael