TIGER TAILS

For the sake of full disclosure let me start by stating that i am not a big fan of Tiger Woods. I never have been. I have been awe struck and fascinated at his incredible ability. I have watched dumbfounded at some of the shots he has made and the events he has won. But i never was a, ''Fan''. I didn't dislike him i just found him hard to like. I preferred to cheer on the underdogs and the guys you just wanted to do well but so often let us down on the course. I have also been the perpetrator of infidelity. I have cheated. That having been said, here is my 1 cent on the whole TIGER DRAMA.

Is what Tiger did a Bad thing? NO doubt about it. Is it self destructive? Yes it is. Does it cause unmeasurable collateral damage? Bigger then an ''A'' Bomb. Should he be ashamed of his conduct? Absolutely! Is it anyone's business what he did, (or ''who'' for what matter) or how he conducts his off the links life? NOT A CHANCE!!! Oh yes before you start pounding your PC keys with the regular '' he is a role model'', ''he has an obligation to his fans'', ''he is a public figure''. Just hold your fingers up in the air for a few seconds and contemplate the following;

Have you ever made a mistake? Done things your not particularly proud of nor want to share with even your closest friends and family? Do you have skeleton's in your closet? The answer to those questions is 100% YES. If you said NO your either delusional, a liar or the most boring person on the face of the earth. There in lies the issue. This story is not about his golf, his conduct in the field of play, his contribution to numerous charities, his community participation or anything to do about the athlete. Its about his life, a life not private simply due to the profession he chooses. The profession he has become the face of. A blogger at yahoo sport wrote in part this, ''But that just-golf-it mindset doesn't account for the fact that Woods is not "just a golfer," he's the public face of an entire corporation. What he does on his own time is not his own business, not when his actions can do financial harm to those who have invested hundreds of millions in his image. That financial impact, not the "more mistresses or more majors?" question, is the real story here''. BUT IN FACT THAT IS NOT THE REAL STORY HERE. That is how you fuel the fire but more importantly how you fuel the justification to continue to make an issue of someones private live and conduct.

What is currently going on in Woods and his families life isn't a game, its not a highlight reel. It's not to be dissected on Sports Centre or the sports sections of your favorite newspaper. What it is, is numerous peoples lives being dramatically changed forever. Tiger is as much responsible for his image as those in the media and the corporate sponsors who lined up to make him the face of THE TOUR, THE SPONSORS and the GAME. The talking heads and the media lapped up his every move, his every historical shot, his superhuman ability like dying men in a desert who just found water. It was ugly. The groping (used for effect here) over him was rather perverse. So before anyone claims that he alone claimed the title as, ''the face of Golf'' needs to know they are as much responsible for him being the face of golf as Tiger himself. Yet now as the face gets less attractive comes the holier then thou, ''we are good and you are bad'' shame on you Tiger, attacks at which the media is so well versed. The shark frenzy for blood and guts, sensationalism and pure absurdity.

Tiger Woods is and was the face of golf because everyone made him that. The haters as well as the die hard fans. I never saw Tiger contribute in any way to his fame off the course other then by simply being who he was on the golf course. It was his play, his ability to out smart his opponents, his ability to stay upright while those around him crumbled to their knees. His ability to make the shots that mortal men and golf pro's alike could only dream of. Tiger was often criticized for not being friendly enough, for being dull and monotone during interviews, for not opening up about his life, for coming across as condescending, for not being more personable. Yet you couldn't attack his game. Oh yes over the short 13 years he has dominated golf we have heard the talking heads in the booth with a micro phone tell us what is wrong with his swing, every broadcaster, ex pro or guy who once held a club had advice for Tiger and his game. They knew what he needed to fix and why. They spewed crap at an industrial rate and all the while Tiger went on winning. As he did, The Tour, The Players, The Sponsors, The Fans, and The Media went on riding the coat tails of his greatness.

Since this escapade has broken I have listened to fellow players take stabs at Woods now that he is down. Where they could not beat him or surpass him on the links they now try into the microphone and become simply another voice amongst the talking heads. I have listened to them deny or downplay his importance to the sport. I have wanted to vomit from second class players who rode the same coat tails as the sponsors, broadcast corporations and the media to record setting amounts of money. There is something very wrong with listening to a bunch of millionaires attack the one person who allowed them to become what they are today. You get to see the true spirit of a man when asked to comment on the life of another. You see their true colors at that moment. You see their insight into themselves and how each of them has or has not accepted that this moment in golf history is not about taking down a man but helping to rise him up. So many of them have failed. John Daly perhaps the most unlikely character given his own challenges said, "I'm not happy with the way some of our players have responded. I think that's their way of getting back, because they know they can't beat him at golf''. "I pray and hope they both get through it and if they ever need anything from me, both of them, I'll be happy to talk to them because I love them both. "He said he had tried to contact the fallen superstar. "I feel like if there's anybody in this world -- after what I've gone through, the ups and downs -- I might give him some advice," Daly said. "They always say there is nobody bigger than the game of golf, but right now in these times there is, and it's him." He seems to be one of the few players who has remotely a clue.

I have listened to the sponsors as they withdraw their support and how they candy coat their own tainted images at the expense of Tigers. It is sickening and distasteful and it smells bad. I believe that the true demonstration of greatness of an organization is not how it capitalizes on something that is good for it, but how it handles what might potentially be bad for it. How it recognizes and resists the pressure from the zealots. How it stands behind something that needs fixing. That is the true demonstration of a company i want to do business with. Not one that decides to abandon its face simply because it doesn't like the view in the mirror. When the new television deal is negotiated and new calls for sponsorship dollars are made by a Tour without Tiger we'll see just how much class these corporations really have. Don't hold your breath!

There is a true sadness to this story. It is about a woman, two children and countless other family members dramatically affected by a man's conduct. A family that in many ways will never ever be the same regardless of how Woods and his wife decide to proceed. This event, this indiscretion will forever be part of their fabric. The fact is they will move on from this, with dedication and commitment they can raise their children well and live good lives. You would think however by reading some aspects of the story as told by the talking heads that he had murdered people. No in effect he did not. He did what millions (notice i said millions not a few thousand) men have done in their lives. Cheat on there wife. It is shameful, and to underestimate its impact is to dismiss it out of hand as nothing more then men being men. That is a piss poor excuse. It shouldn't be downplayed or diminished it is what it is. A tragedy for all those involved. You get the sense however that this story has become far to great for the scope of the transgression. That there is some type of pornographic fascination with seeing him fall.

Someone once said, ''In the absence of truth their is only perception and perception becomes reality''. Let me ask a tough question though. Where are all the challenges to these women with whom Tiger cheated? Where is the criticism of them and their conduct, their characters? Where are the attacks? Is it a double standard?No..no..no lets not question them or their morals for sleeping with a married man. Lets not challenge them about who they are and how they conduct their lives. After all they are the victims here. Right? EXCUSE ME! There is one victim here and her name is Elin Nordegren. These other woman who took when the taking was good, who closed their eyes because the benefits (wink wink) far out weighed integrity, honesty, honor or respect. So now they come out and discuss the sordid details and share the intimacies, Its time for the truth now! WHAT? They go one TV with a rabid media only for the money because Mr. Woods wallet has dried up. The ''call girl agencies'' come forward now only because the attention and publicity can in some way replace the 25 to 60K he was rumored to have spent with them on any given weekend. It shows the level of integrity of these people and the agencies who took his dollars, protected his identity when things were good but immediately begin searching for new dollars by selling their stories now that he has gone. The disgusting part is we the public eat it up and ask no questions let alone the hard ones. These women, these agencies, are at every level and should be at every level, held equally responsible as Mr. Woods himself. Woods doesn't nor should he get a pass. Nor should these women.

The so called experts, those who have never met the man or his wife claim to know what is going on. What went on in their relationship. The talking heads tell you about how Tiger is a sex addict, how his wife should or should not leave him. About how his image is being affected. They talk about him as if they truly know the man. Those same talking heads tell us that he should come forward. That he should spill the story, the whole story. He should do that why? To appease our appetites for the little tidbits of their private life. To make us feel in the know, for damage control? I think the damage has been done and it truly matters not what else we could possibly find out. Its like saying the ship is sinking after being hit by a torpedo. It doesn't bloody well matter if the torpedo had lipstick on it and was dressed as a goat or whether 9 torpedo's hit. The ship is Frigging sinking people...AND THATS THAT!

There is a part of me that hopes that Woods goes away for 5 years. Sits on the sidelines as the Tour rallies and flounders to find the ''NEW FACE'' only to find that there was only ''ONE''. Sits by as TV ratings fall off, sponsorship dollars dry up. While the same pro's that attacked him stammer to explain the dropping attendance, rating and purses. Then i hope he returns with a belly like Craig Stadler, an Afro from the 1970's, wearing pants like John Daly is currently sporting; with a ting in his speech reminiscent of ''Huggy Bear'' from Starsky and Hutch and a stunning blonde Swede on his arm looking as beautiful as she does now. I hope he then dominates the field, destroys it and takes golf to new heights. I hope he then Beats Jack's major wins record and on that day steps up to the micro phone, looks out at the fans, the media, the Tour officials, the sponsors; shakes his head and simply says............NOTHING and walks away for good this time. Its what we all deserve for our double standards!

Robbie Hellstrom