I have to admit while watching Tiger Woods' highly anticipated mea culpa last Friday, I quickly lost interest. It was evident Woods was reading from a script and his apology lacked sincerity. In fact, I wish Tiger had my number because I could have written a more believable speech for a fraction of the cost he must have paid some high priced PR firm who didn't really get the job done.
The operative question is: What was Woods apologizing for? The answer to this question is simple. Woods couldn't come back to the PGA without some kind of admission of guilt regarding his extramarital relationships with at least 12 women. The PGA wanted him to apologize, the media which fawns over Woods wanted him to apologize and, most of all, the companies which endorsed him wanted Woods to apologize. This apology had nothing to do with morality or Woods lack thereof. It was all about money. Now Woods could return to the PGA tour with his problems all put behind him. Well, at least that's how some in our society will see it.
What I'd like to see is an apology from the media who covered Tiger Woods' career from his days as an amateur through his winning of 14 major tournaments before the fall from grace which shocked the world. You see, from the beginning, Tiger Woods was treated as something special. And, to be truthful, he was...as a golfer. But I am certain of this; There are those in the press who knew of Woods' womanizing tendencies. They had to know and they kept the story a secret.
But why? The profession of journalism is dependent on a very important word and that word is access. If a lone reporter on the golf beat had come out with a story reporting on Woods' multiple affairs, two things could have happened. The report may have opened the flood gates for greater scrutiny of Woods who was portrayed by the press as a pillar of virtue. Or the journalist who wrote the piece would have found him or herself on the outside looking in, being labeled as a vicious spreader of rumors regarding Tigers' personal life.
I've seen this happen in the coverage of Chicago-style politics. Many journalists are aware of the corruption which exists in the city, but fail to report on such things because they would lose access to the sources they cover. No source, no story. No story, no job. It's that simple. But yet it's insidious, just the same.
However, in most things, like in the case of Tiger Woods, there was a double standard when it came to the scrutiny of John Daley, a golfer with extraordinary talent who was plagued by unrelenting demons. Daley only won two major PGA tournaments, so he was more vulnerable to criticism from the media. There were stories about how many diet Cokes he drank, how many cigarettes he smoked, how much money he spent on gambling and his marital problems which led to multiple divorces. But Daley isn't Tiger Woods. And though Daley had a strong and loyal following, he wasn't quite the cash cow that Tiger is to the PGA tour.
Supposedly, because of his mixed heritage, Woods opened up the sport of golf to millions who wouldn't otherwise have been exposed to the sport. In essence, he was too important to write bad things about, until that fateful Thanksgiving night when he ran into a fire hydrant at 3 A.M. trying to escape the wrath of his wife. And if anyone buys that story about Mrs. Woods breaking out the back window of her husband's SUV in order to save him, I've got some ocean front property in Illinois for sale to the highest bidder.
Let's put Tiger Woods aside for the moment. Where is the apology from the 12 or more women who helped Woods break his marriage vows? To the contrary, noted publicity seeker and lawyer Gloria Allred is suing Woods on behalf of one of his mistresses because she wasn't the only mistress. As comedian Yakov Smirnoff used to say, "What a country!"
However, don't you Tiger Woods fans worry. You will soon see him back on the golf course and all will be forgotten...well, sort of. Woods will throw a few pieces of grass into the air for wind drift. As he is standing above his ball, an eight year old will snap his picture which will invoke a tirade of obscenities from Woods. Then Woods will take a giant swing and launch his ball down the fairway of a 550 yard par 5 while some idiot in the crowd yells "in the hole" even though this is a physical impossibility.
Hey, Tiger, see you at the Master's.
Daniel T. Zanoza of Lincoln, IL, formerly of Chicago, was born into life November 27, 1953, and born into eternity January 6, 2011.
He is survived by his wife, Julie, of Lincoln, IL.
Dan was a pro-life/pro-family activist, as well as chairman of the Springfield Nativity Scene Committee in Springfield, IL. He was also a journalist and freelance writer.
