Another startling revelation in the Tiger Woods saga

On Friday, December 11th, two weeks to the day of a relatively benign car accident that sent his life spiraling out of control, Tiger Woods issued the following statement through his website, TigerWoods.com:

I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children. I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and that I ask forgiveness. It may not be possible to repair the damage I've done, but I want to do my best to try.

I would like to ask everyone, including my fans, the good people at my foundation, business partners, the PGA Tour, and my fellow competitors, for their understanding. What's most important now is that my family has the time, privacy, and safe haven we will need for personal healing.

After much soul searching, I have decided to take an indefinite break from professional golf. I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person.

Again, I ask for privacy for my family and I am especially grateful for all those who have offered compassion and concern during this difficult period.

He calls it a “difficult period” but that certainly is an understatement. It could easily be argued that this is the most tumultuous period in the life of Eldrick Tont ‘Tiger’ Woods. Ironic, isn’t it? This saga, which is the personal life of Tiger Woods and that is being played out for the entire world to see, all began during the Thanksgiving holiday; a time where, on the surface, Woods would have more to be thankful for than the average Joe. A beautiful wife, 2 beautiful children, a thriving professional career, a robust, to say the least, bank account, and a seemingly flawless public image. What more can a man ask for? Furthermore, with Christmas and his birthday coming 5 days apart this month, this should especially be the most wonderful time of the year for the 33-year-old Woods.

However, sordid details of infidelity prior to and after his marriage to Elin Nordegren, revealed in the past couple of weeks, have sent Tiger into seclusion to repair the damage done to his personal and professional life. But there is one more revelation in the Tiger Woods saga that might throw many out there for another loop. Wait for it. Tiger Woods is human.

Yes, believe it or not, Tiger Woods is indeed human; just like the rest of us. More specifically, Woods is a man like any other man. To break it down even further, Woods is a professional athlete like any other professional athlete. He got hurt like any other professional athlete and he became subject to the same temptations and trappings that come with being a successful athlete; whether it be performance enhancing drugs, recreational drugs, or sex. This is not to justify what Woods has done that brought him to this stage in his life; it’s to say that, unfortunately, this story shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

Remember Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson? Before the 1991-1992 NBA season, in one of the memorable moments in sports history, the former Los Angeles Lakers point guard announced his retirement due to contracting HIV. Johnson later admitted that he contracted the virus through having multiple sexual partners during his playing career. But even after putting his wife Cookie and his unborn son at risk, former United States president George H.W. Bush was quoted as saying, “For me, Magic is a hero, a hero for anyone who loves sports.” In addition, despite his retirement, Johnson was voted by fans as a starter for the 1992 NBA All-Star Game where he was selected as the game’s Most Valuable Player. Since then, Johnson was selected to the NBA Hall of Fame in 2002 and has become an extremely successful entrepreneur.

In 2003, Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant was accused of sexual assault by a Colorado hotel employee. He later admitted to an adulterous sexual encounter with his accuser, but denied the sexual assault allegation. The case was subsequently dropped in 2004 and settled out of court in a separate civil suit. Now Bryant is celebrated as, arguably, the best player in the NBA and footage of him embracing his wife and daughters has become a staple at the STAPLES Center. No pun intended.

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez’s six-year marriage to Cynthia Rodriguez dissolved because of extramarital affairs on the part of the Yankees slugger. But even after being linked to performance enhancing drugs earlier this year, A-Rod finally got the acceptance and praise from Yankees fans that he had been longing for with his play in the 2009 post-season.

We could go on ad infinitum and ad nauseum. The point is Woods is no different. He’s a male athlete with a tremendous amount of fame and fortune as a result of his professional success. He was just placed on a higher pedestal by the general public and the media. And, of course, the higher the pedestal an athlete, celebrity or politician is placed upon, the greater the fall. However, no one is perfect; not even those who have taken the opportunity to view this as a comedy or those who are wagging their judgmental fingers at Tiger.

Who are we to judge so harshly when our own lives fall far short of being perfect? Why is one man’s tragedy another man’s comedy? The hope here is that Woods is sincerely apologetic and that personal healing, reconciliation, and regeneration comes to him and his family. There come times in people’s lives where they have to lose something in order to gain something. All we can hope for is that amidst the loss he’s experiencing or will experience in the days to come, whether it be loss of respect, loss of sponsors and/or the potential loss of his wife and children, Woods gains perspective on what really matters in life; being a better father, a better husband, and a better person. In the public eye, if Alex Rodriguez, Kobe Bryant, ‘Magic ‘ Johnson and other countless athletes, celebrities, musicians, and politicians can be forgiven for their numerous indiscretions, why can’t Woods? If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at him. Agree? Disagree? Let me know what you think.