Tiger admits to "transgressions"

[lillygator]

well if no prenup FL is a 50/50 state I think

did they marry here?

 

[Jennasis]

I too am of the opinion that he owes an explanation to nobody but his own family.

 

[disykat]

I don't get how people think saying "transgressions" isn't confessing. He is using formal language in his apology. Transgressions means sins. I think that is the best apology I've seen in years.

I think people tend to water down their apologies by saying things like "I made a mistake," "I used bad judgement," "I slipped up," or "I made some bad decisions." He came right out and said he sinned against his wife. Good for him for owning up to it.

 

[OceanAnnie]

Strange he should admit to "transgressions" this morning. Did you guys see this article? I read early this morning. Before the "transgressions" statements.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/34220598

"Fess up, Tiger. If you don’t, the tabloids are gonna kill ya.

By now everyone knows that something happened to you and your car outside your Florida mansion.

Some tabloids report that for some reason your wife Elin teed you up inside your home with one of your Nike golf clubs, and that you sought escape by hot-footing it outside at two-thirty in the morning to your Cadillac Escalade in the driveway but for some reason, you hit a fireplug and wrapped the car around a tree.

How you got your face scratched and wound up on the side of the road is still a mystery.

But the tabs and gossip sites like TMZ.com are saying a woman named Rachel Uchitel is the alleged home-breaker. That you have some kind of relationship with her. And that story is not going to die until you put it to rest one way or another by fessing up and telling all the details.

Adding fuel to these flames, you have pulled out of your very own tournament, the 2009 Chevron World Challenge, which is scheduled for this week. Tiger, my friend, one thing you need to consider is the business angle to this narrative.

The Daily Beast is running a story about your $100 million car crash. Investigative reporter Gerald Posner estimates that even if you take a 10 percent hit on your endorsement income, this incident could cost you $10 million a year, totaling $100 million over the next decade. At risk could be your contracts with Nike, Gatorade, and AT&T. There’s also Accenture and the EA video-game series.

So, my friend, stonewalling, when even whispers of marital infidelity are involved, just doesn’t pay.

South Carolina governor Mark Sanford tried stonewalling, but it didn’t work out too well for him. His career is now finished. Another bad case is that of former North Carolina senator and unsuccessful presidential candidate John Edwards. He really had a bad time of it, with the tabloids literally chasing him into the bathroom. His career is finished, too. On the other hand, Nevada senator John Ensign did fess up — about one half step ahead of the tabloids — and he may well live to see another reelection day.

And then there’s Bill Clinton, who stonewalled about his affair with Monica Lewinsky. Woaaah! That caused one heck of a blow up, including impeachment proceedings in the House. Remember when he said that it “depends on what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is”? This was the worldwide sex-cover-up stonewalling attempt to end all marital-infidelity sex-cover-up stonewalling attempts.

Tiger, you don’t want to go there.

That could be you. There are lessons to be learned about coming clean as fast as possible.

Even though I personally have only one-ten-thousandth of your media and business impact, perhaps my story will be helpful. Over 15 years ago, after missing a big speech and resigning from my career on Wall Street, the New York Times came after me with a story of serious alcohol and drug abuse. They were right. I believed then as I do now that honesty is a virtue, and I fessed up. I got sober. My saintly wife and I recently celebrated our 22nd marriage anniversary. And today I am fully employed at CNBC (for which I am eternally grateful). People forgave me. God redeemed me.

But in your case, if there is no alcohol, drugs, or infidelity, and if there is a better-sounding, truthful explanation of your events, you’ve gotta get out there and say it. As you know, your clean, serious, sober, near-perfect, golden-boy bloom is already off the rose. And if you insist on stonewalling, from now on it’s damage limitation. And that will be no fun at all. Your bottom will be lower than anything you ever imagined.

Fans love the way you play, and so do I. Sunday afternoons are a treat watching you. But you’re in a heap of trouble right now. Stonewalling, whether in business or politics, seldom pays.

C’mon Tiger. Be a mench. Fess up and clear the air. If you do it soon, you will be forgiven, and this too will pass. "

______________________________________

I didn't really see the examples applying to Tiger. The examples were all political figures relating to a different realm. I did find the forecasting of lost revenue interesting and sad.

Tiger does a lot of philanthropy and I'd hate to see that diminished. I hate to see him diminished too, actually. He had and has so much going for him. I hope he can learn from his mistakes and rise above it.

 

[okeydokey]

He alledgedly cheated on her with THREE different mistresses. Do you really think they should work this out?

What if it were her that cheated on him? Would you be saying the same thing? Or what if it were one of your friends' husbands?

Well I guess that's up to them to decide. It is nobody else's business.

 

[DisneyKing82]

well if no prenup FL is a 50/50 state I think

did they marry here?

She would only get half the money that he's made since the marriage, not anything before. So this isn't going to ruin Tiger by any stretch! And it won't even come to that, because she would never leave him.

 

[Nik's Mom]

I'm not sure if anyone listens to the Dan Patrick show. He pretty much said how I feel. Anyway, here's my 2 cents. Athletes are no different than anyone else. People cheat on their spouse. It happens all of the time. As much as I really despise cheaters, I know that many people do it. This matter is between Tiger and his wife, in my opinion.

I'm a sports junkie, so maybe my opinion would be different than the average woman who may not enjoy sports. As a sports fan, I really don't care what an athlete does on their own time, as long as it does not effect his play and it does not break a law.

I do feel bad for the fans that bought tickets to his golf tournament and who will now miss seeing him because he backed out. And I do feel bad for Tiger's family because this must be hard for them. But, it's really not our business what goes on in his home.

For those of you that say you are disappointed in Tiger. Remember that no one is perfect. We all make mistakes in life. Even your favorite athlete. And I would be very careful to put an athlete up on a pedestal, especially if they appear to have a squeeky clean image. Those are the ones with skeletons in the closet, in my opinion.

 

[eliza61]

Well I guess that's up to them to decide. It is nobody else's business.

I wonder if Nike, Buick or any of the other sponsers who depend on Tigers image feel the same way. They ain't paying him millions of dollars on looks alone.

I guess as long as we support people behaving badly, people will behave badly.

I wonder how far some one has to go before the public says nah, that's enough?

If he cheats on his wife. His business as long as he plays good golf
If he beats his wife. That's worse, get rid of the bum
If he is a drug abuser... No problem that's his business.
If he's a drug abuser and sings about killing cops, nope crossed the line there.

Just interesting in what we see as acceptable behaviour?

 

[Jennasis]

I wonder if Nike, Buick or any of the other sponsers who depend on Tigers image feel the same way. They ain't paying him millions of dollars on looks alone.

I guess as long as we support people behaving badly, people will behave badly.

I wonder how far some one has to go before the public says nah, that's enough?

If he cheats on his wife. His business as long as he plays good golf
If he beats his wife. That's worse, get rid of the bum
If he is a drug abuser... No problem that's his business.
If he's a drug abuser and sings about killing cops, nope crossed the line there.

Just interesting in what we see as acceptable behaviour?

This won't affect his endorsements at all, IMO.

 

[punkin]

She would only get half the money that he's made since the marriage, not anything before. So this isn't going to ruin Tiger by any stretch! And it won't even come to that, because she would never leave him.

Why wouldn't she leave him? Even if there is a pre-nup, she is sure to be very well off and never have to work another day in her life. Sure, she won't be Mrs. Tiger Woods, but she would hardly be broke.

Now, I'm not saying she will or won't or should or shouldn't. I'd just like to know your reasoning.

 

[Nik's Mom]

I wonder if Nike, Buick or any of the other sponsers who depend on Tigers image feel the same way. They ain't paying him millions of dollars on looks alone.

I guess as long as we support people behaving badly, people will behave badly.

I wonder how far some one has to go before the public says nah, that's enough?

If he cheats on his wife. His business as long as he plays good golf
If he beats his wife. That's worse, get rid of the bum
If he is a drug abuser... No problem that's his business.
If he's a drug abuser and sings about killing cops, nope crossed the line there.

Just interesting in what we see as acceptable behaviour?

Oh, don't get me wrong. I hate cheaters. I think it's pretty low to cheat on a spouse. But I just don't think it's any of my business what Tiger does, as long as he isn't breaking the law. Beating his wife would be against the law. That's a different story. But cheating on a spouse, that's his wife's problem, not mine.

About his endorsement deals drying up, it probably depends on if they have a moral clause in the contract. I think this story will die down though, as soon as the next celebrity screws up in public.

 

[wvjules]

I completely agree with this.

Good grief. He isn't anyone's husband but Elin's. Let her decide what she wants to do with him. He's not my dad, or yours (at least not that I am aware. Oh, bad. Sorry) so he doesn't have to apologize to me or you.

He's a nice guy. He screwed up. Oh, well. It changes absolutely nothing in my life.

Nice guys screw up by buying the wrong brand of milk. Nice guys don't screw up by cheating on their wife with MULTIPLE women. Sorry, but this moves Tiger out of the "nice guy" category.

 

[eliza61]

This won't affect his endorsements at all, IMO.

Probably not. but don't you find it interesting the different levels we have.

For example, Michael Vick lost millions from his dog fighting conviction and yet we had millions of people who said, cmon it's not like he killed some one.

Tiger evidently (I guess he's hasn't admitted to affairs) had a number of affairs and it's acceptable.

One of the reasons against same sex marriage is supposedly to protect the "sanctity of marriage" Yet, SC govenor has an out of town nookie call and he's not in trouble over that but for the fact he left the governors chair empty?

I find it fascinating the invisible lines we have in morality.

 

[chisnpeke]

His poor children. His daughter is adorable and I feel so badly for her and his little baby son. At least they are young so they are probably pretty oblivious to what is really going on.

He made mistakes. I wish his family all the best.

 

[DisneyKing82]

Why wouldn't she leave him? Even if there is a pre-nup, she is sure to be very well off and never have to work another day in her life. Sure, she won't be Mrs. Tiger Woods, but she would hardly be broke.

Now, I'm not saying she will or won't or should or shouldn't. I'd just like to know your reasoning.

Ask Mrs. Kobe Bryant? Ask Mrs. Michael Jordan. Wives don't leave famous husband athletes until after their playing days are over.

 

[TinklednPants]

I think most people would be happy to be Tigers kid no matter how many indiscretions he had.

 

[punkin]

Ask Mrs. Kobe Bryant? Ask Mrs. Michael Jordan. Wives don't leave famous husband athletes until after their playing days are over.

Well, in that case, I suppose she know what she was getting into. It really is hard to know what some of these marriages are based on. Obviously it's not mutual respect and fidelity.

 

[Robinrs]

Ask Mrs. Kobe Bryant? Ask Mrs. Michael Jordan. Wives don't leave famous husband athletes until after their playing days are over.

A coworker emailed me this:

Thank you, Tiger, for bringing the NBA to the PGA!

 

[Jennasis]

Probably not. but don't you find it interesting the different levels we have.

For example, Michael Vick lost millions from his dog fighting conviction and yet we had millions of people who said, cmon it's not like he killed some one.

Tiger evidently (I guess he's hasn't admitted to affairs) had a number of affairs and it's acceptable.

One of the reasons against same sex marriage is supposedly to protect the "sanctity of marriage" Yet, SC govenor has an out of town nookie call and he's not in trouble over that but for the fact he left the governors chair empty?

I find it fascinating the invisible lines we have in morality.

It's not acceptable, nor is it ANY WAY like Michael Vicks illegal activities. No comparison at all.

It is between husband and wife, IMO. Not between society and husband and wife.

 

[mickeyboat]

While I agree that this is between Tiger and his wife, and agree that sports people should be admired for their sports ability and not their personal lives, and that his personal life is none of my business, I think cheating is slimy and distasteful. I have no respect for someone who is cheating.

When I see a Tiger commercial, I won't be thinking of what he is selling, I will be thinking of what a crappy thing he did to his family. Commercials will have much less impact on me.