I tried not to care. I really didn't. It's his personal life, no need for me to get involved. I watched the 13 minute statement. I thought that was it for me. I wouldn't have to care until he came back to the game. I was wrong.
Yes, by now you've heard everything there is to hear about the Tiger Woods news conference on Friday morning. You've heard things about his tone, his true meaning, even his body language. And all of the analysis has left me with one question: Why?
Why does it matter that he didn't take questions? Why does it matter that he sounded robotic and monotone? Why does it he need to make amends to us, those he has never heard of? Why did it matter that his index and middle fingers were on the podium and his ring and pinkie fingers dangled on the side?
The truth is, none of it matters to us. We'd like to think it does, but it doesn't. It wasn't our spouse that cheated on us, our father who was unfaithful, or our son who thought rules didn't apply to him. So while some express outrage over what Tiger said and how he said it, I go back to the one simply question: Why?
Tiger has never said he was going to be faithful to us. He made that promise to his wife and children. Those are the only people he needs to make amends to. So while people may not have liked what Tiger said, the fact of the matter was that he didn't have to say it at all. Tiger owes us nothing, and if he wanted to remain a hermit for the rest of his life, he should be able to do so without us having to give him permission.
But let's say for the sake of argument, that Tiger was our relative. That he was our brother, cousin, or whatever, and he did owe us something. Let's say he had to talk to us. Each and every one of us. This is a man who is extremely private. We see him on the golf course and the occasional basketball game and that's it. It is not an easy thing for Tiger to pull a 180 and air out all of his dirty laundry in front of almost every person in the nation.
Many are critical of his tone, claiming he was "robotic." Did we forget what this man's occupation is? Tiger Woods is not a public speaker, he is a golfer. He might be fearless on the golf course, but isn't it possible he was just a tad nervous about talking about his infidelity to the entire country with his own mother sitting just a few feet away? We've all been in the classroom while classmates are giving presentations. Some have the charisma, others crash and burn. Public speaking is a skill, and even if one has the skill, it may still fade away when one has to talk about something that has the gravity of what Tiger had to talk about.
So the facts remain this: Tiger Woods owes the public nothing. Not one single thing. We cannot be demanding him to answer questions because it is not our place to do so. So unless you had to call in sick to work the day the story came out due to shock, please return to your normal life.
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