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Mike Lupica, a mainstay of sports journalism in New York for many years, has become the latest member of the media to put on his journalistic pom poms and join the other cheerleaders in the main stream media, both sports journalists and straight journalists alike who have seemed to be in denial about Tiger Woods,ever since the scandal broke.
To Lupica's credit he was one of the few who doesn't sugar coat Tigers dishonest, and in many ways, cowardly three years of cheating on his wife, though Lupica doesn't use such harsh terms. He just acknowledges that Tiger did a bad ,bad thing, and should and will repent, but the main point of his piece is that Tiger will come back better than ever. That's where the pom poms come in,
Lupica of course has no idea at all if Tiger Woods will come back better than ever. He doesn't even know if Woods will come back at all and if he does, whether this whole affair will leave him so shaken that he simply cant regain what he used to be as a golfer.
Almost every one commentating on the Woods scandal has been male and, a few days ago, in assessing thatWoods sponsors would stand by him, none of them seemed to be aware that half the planet is female and that most of that gender would look at Woods as, well, something of a pig, and not the worlds greatest golfer as the Media Men keep reminding us that he is.
Lupica, in trying to cheerlead a Woods comeback compares it to other scandals where those at the center of such scandals came back bigger and better: Lupica mentions Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, and even Bill Clinton, though Clinton's scandal was a trumped up attempt at a political coup, aided and abetted by the press who wanted the higher ratings it was generating.
But with Woods, you can sense that this is different. Tiger was different. He had the persona of a person who had unshakable integrity and honesty. A quiet strength that asked for and received privacy in his private life. As great as Bryant and Jordan were as basketball players there was a feeling that people had a respect for Woods as a person that surpassed how people looked at Bryant and Jordan.
That's all gone now. And the revelations keep getting worse. Hearing one of Tiger's women say how he told her he was unhappy at home and unhappy in his marriage makes Tiger out to be, well, a heel to use an old fashioned expression. Was he lying to the "other women about his wife, or lying to his wife about how he really felt about her? That's the kind of thing that doesnt go away and doesnt lead to anyone coming back bigger and better. In sports terms for those who remember, that reeks more of Mark Gastinueau than it does Michael Jordan.
Its hard to believe Tiger Woods was being honest about being unhappy at home, since he made his wife an offer of $80 million not to leave him. That doesn't sound like someone wanting to get out of a marriage. So did Tiger Woods just hand these "other women" a line for sympathy or to string them along? Was he trying to make them feel like sexual Clara Bartons?
Woods image has taken a hit but so has who he is in real life. If he was unhappy at home the honorable thing would have been to tell his wife and if necessary move out and then screw all the women he wanted. If did want to leave and didn't because he wanted to protect his image, well, one more example of someone getting the opposite of what they wanted by being dishonest.
Lupica is wrong about Tiger Woods coming back better than ever. It's doubtful anyone will see Woods play golf at all in 2010. And if and when he does come back.between the media circus that will surround him, plus his own having to come to terms with how badly he disrespected and trivialized his wife, telling porn stars he wasn't happy with her, telling Rachel Uchitel that he wishes he had met her before he had gotten married, but never telling his wife directly -- that kind of deception going on for three years, and the humiliation it has caused his wife, is not something that, if and when he gets passed it, will make him bigger and better anything. At least not on the golf course. And its not the kind of stuff to make sponsors stand by him either.
UPDATE: There is a report today that Tiger Woods may move to France and that a real estate agent is looking for a property. The reason: France's stricter privacy laws regarding the news media. That doesnt sound like the US Open is on his agenda for this year.
Comments
But how come you assume what the mistresses said as what really had been said ? Good chance they exaggerated or faked it so that her story had the "bad" stuff which people wanted to hear... These women might also be very jealous of Elin appearing to have a happy marriage in web, so just something to strip Elin !
No matter what is said about the Tiger Woods affair's.....He is a full grown man and did what he knew was wrong now he has to pay the price.......not squeaky clean anymore with lies upon lies.....he deserves to loose his place in history and hang his head in shame....I would never trust him again.....the gamne of golf is better without such men as this....I love to watch the golf and will continue to do so.
I feel sorry for his wife and children.....I hope that one day they can get past this and be happy once again...they are the ones that have my sympathy and will need all the help they can get.
I believe Tiger is honest about being unhappy at home. He wants Elin to stay in the marriage to keep up the image of an intact family, but the damage has been done.
Marc, I almost thought it was a woman writing this! Excellent piece, and thanks for remembering half the population!
Dear J, MC. You are an idiot. So should Arnie be banished too because there were rumors of him cheating on his wife too. Why don't you want to talk about that? What he did was wrong but that doesn't mean he should be stripped of his records and awards. What he did off the course has nothing to do with golf. You don't like what he did then don't watch him if and when he comes back. You have that right. I wish people would stop jumping on people when they make mistakes. I don't like what he did either. I will still be fan of his because I like what he does on the golf course. He is not my role model nor will he be for my boys. No athlete should be a childs role model. I am my kids role model and that is all there is too it. I pray for his wife, kids and him. I hope they can find way to get the needed help to get through this. I don't blame her if she decides to leave and I don't blame er for staying like Mrs. Bryant did. It can be done. God bless Woods Family.
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