After three months of self-imposed exile, it seems that Tiger Woods is going to make his first public appearance tommorrow, to apologise for his numerous misdemeanours (sixteen at last count).
Please, spare us this entire contrived spectacle. Surely, if the man was genuinely sorry for what he has done to his wife and family, as well as deceiving the public, he would have apologised initially when his indiscretions first came to light. Personally, there is more chance that I would happily volunteer to eat a meal consisting solely of asparagus, cauliflower and broccoli, laced with a liberal sprinkling of cucumber, than there is of believing Woods is sorry for what he has done. If it had only been one time, we all may have been tempted to believe him, but when he has slept with sixteen different women?
Why bother with an apology this long after the event unless he plans to manipulate the public for his own gain? Which kind of sounds all too familiar doesn’t it? And the fact that he will be making a prepared statement and not taking any questions from the media only adds to the perception that he is on a mission to spread propaganda to suit his own selfish desires.
Looking after his own needs over the needs of others is something that he seems to specialise in. Most have now come to see through the facade that is Tiger Woods clean cut family man image, realising now that he has all the moral fibre of a bull in search of heat. No one is going to believe that Woods is what he has portrayed himself as, again. So why not just get on with doing what he does best, which, of course, is playing golf.
And that will help him immensely as he is known to be driven by not only winning majors, but also by the desire for untold riches. This is the man that is worth a billion dollars, yet, still feels that he is not in a financially sound position. And getting the public back on side would be a mighty fine way to attract sponsors to once again back him. By apologising, he clearly thinks that he will enhance his prospects of making that second billion. Which he will need if he transgresses again. For you can be sure that his Swedish wife will not hang around a second time. It seems that she has this time, more for her children’s benefit than for a love of Woods.
Incidentally, I wonder if Woods could let us all know what it is like to be owned by a hot blond Swedish chick. Because, whether he likes it or not, that is what it will amount to for Woods from here on in. All of the public sympathy is on her side. Another transgression on the part of Woods would finish him off in that often brutal arena that is the public court of opinion. And if he steps over the mark, she is going to walk away with a lot more than the twenty million she was to get as part of their pre-nuptial agreement. So then, it seems that Tiger will be on a very short leash from now onwards. One wonders, what with the obvious urges that he suffers from, whether he would have been better off being single. This may not have put him in a strong position to capitalise on potential financial gains, but even if he had lost half his fortune in divorce proceedings, he would easily have made this again, once he gets back onto the course.
That is if he can handle the pressure of all those eyes watching him and the verbal abuse he may suffer from the crowd. His first tee shot back in the game is going to be one of the most eagerly awaited moments sport-not just golf- has seen in a long time. In the past he has always had an edge on his opposition when it comes to the mental toughness stakes. But this is a totally different kettle of fish. Never before has he had to deal with a hostile crowd. A crowd that, more than likely is going to be baying for his blood, knowing that he has duped them in the past.
For mine, I believe he will struggle over the first few holes, but gradually get control of the nerves that are sure to be there. And his caddy, New Zealander Steve Williams, is going to be crucial as to whether Wood’s does make it through that first round intact mentally. Williams is just the kind of hard minded professional that will be able to keep Woods calm if he does encounter a less than friendly reception from the crowd. Not to mention his fellow pros. They will certainly be on the lookout for any sign of weakness on Woods part. He was in the past considered off limits, in part due to the amount of extra money his presence brought to the game, but now that the sponsorship has partially dissipated, he will no longer be put on a pedestal.
This is even more of a reason for Woods to put this public relations exercise to one side and get on with what he does best: winning golf tournaments.
Only then will normal transmission continue.