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I’m proud of Tiger Woods.
It would be much easier for him to simply allow his marriage to end and get back on the links. Sure, some of his sponsors have dropped him and some of his fans may never forgive him, but he’s still the best darned golfer in the world!
He will continue to win tournaments. His sponsors will come back. Most of his fans will forget about his infidelities.
Just consider the cases of Kobe Bryant and Michael Vick.
In 2003, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers was accused of raping a 19-year old woman in Colorado. Bryant was married with a young daughter at the time and, like Tiger, had a squeaky clean image.
Sponsors tripped over each other to drop him when he was arrested.
Bryant apologized and settled financially with the woman and with his wife who was seen wearing a giant rock at the apology press conference.
Within a few years Bryant had most of his endorsements back and, in 2009, was tied with Michael Jordan as the world’s second highest paid athlete.
A little more recently, Michael Vick, an exceptional quarterback with the Atlanta Falcons, was arrested and convicted on dog-fighting charges. He was sent to jail for more than a year.
Most of America hated him.
When he finished his prison term, the NFL re-instated him and he signed a contract with the Philadelphia Eagles who have some of the most unforgiving fans in the world.
Yet, after a few games, the booing stopped. He is not getting endorsements, but he will probably become a starting quarterback in the NFL next season earning several million dollars a year. The fans will probably not complain, especially if he helps the team win games.
What Tiger did was not illegal like the allegations against Bryant and the actions of Vick. It was morally repugnant, but not unforgivable by a public obsessed with incredibly gifted athletes. Tiger could simply move on, dissolve his marriage and get back to golf. The public would forget all about it a lot faster that way.
Except that is not what Tiger is doing.
He is in long-term inpatient therapy. He temporarily quit the sport he has lived and breathed his entire life. He has decided that his kids and his marriage are more important than his career and his endorsements.
He’s doing the hard work to make himself better so that he can be the father that his kids need.
I can’t help it if I’m proud of him for that.
Al Watts is vice-president of Daddyshome, Inc. – The National At-Home Dad Network and an at-home dad of four children living in west Omaha.
Copyright ©2010 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.
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5 Comments
Posted by: alisadell on 02/26/10 @ 1:27 pm:
Well Said!!
Posted by: Laurie on 02/26/10 @ 1:53 pm:
I agree. I wish the media would let it alone and let them work on the things they need to without having to be in the spotlight all the time and then picked apart for every decision he makes. Those family matters deserve a little privacy instead of reporting every minute of every day where he is at!
Posted by: rlr68 on 02/26/10 @ 2:03 pm:
Well, I'm not sure proud is the right for me. I'm proud of my daughter right now for learning to write her name and the alphabet. I am proud of my son because he's doing a great job with potty training.
I will say its good for business and a very smart financial decision. If he works on his marriage and family, tries to make an effort to appear as if he's not a cold-hearted sex machine, doesn't leave it all for a porn star; the majority of people will undoubtedly give him a chance. People forget, forgive, and move on. They realize they make mistakes and with a 50% divorce rate; most likely the same mistake.
This may humble him a bit. His GOD complex might have been lowered to king. How do yo blame him; every man wants to be him, every woman wants to be with him, maybe even some of the men.
As my Mom always said "Nobody is perfect." Now we know Tiger is human too.
Posted by: Robb: Dad To Twins on 02/26/10 @ 4:04 pm:
Nice blog here my friend.
Posted by: Amy G on 03/02/10 @ 4:45 pm:
While I think his behavior is inexcusable, I'm sick of the drama playing out in the media. Leave him alone and let him try to repair his marriage in peace. I feel far more sorry for his wife, who had to be humiliated beyond belief. His sponsors dropped him because he won't be sporting their brands during his hiatus. They'll offer him twice as much once he's back on circuit anyway. I have to say though, I'd be PROUD of Tiger if he was just honest about being an egomaniac instead of heading off to his "treatment facility." Any time a celebrity screws up, they blame it on their "disease." UGH!