No matter how you dissect it, Tiger Woods’ statement released on Sunday is, at best, vague and lame. At worst, it is carefully worded to avoid all the subjects he does not wish to talk about. Somehow, he hasn’t quite yet realized that this situation is blowing up in his face.
Once again, Tiger and Elin Woods have refused to meet with police about what happened. Apparently, under Florida law, when there is just a traffic accident, the parties involved are not obligated to talk to police about what happened. This appears to be the route that Tiger and Elin feel comfortable in taking. Sure, if they aren’t obligated to talk, why talk?
But there is a big risk here for Tiger and Elin. As long as it remains a traffic accident investigation, both can tell the cops to take hike all they want. Should, however, the investigation turn from traffic accident to domestic violence, intentional destruction of property, assault or making false statements to police, Tiger and Elin will not be able to keep brushing off the cops. At some point, it will become a showdown between investigators and the Woods, and the happily-married wealthy couple could come up severely out-gunned if that battle is pitched.
Then again, Florida authorities run some big risks pursuing an investigation. Tiger is a big man with a lot of money and a lot of power. He no doubt could call the governor directly and tell him to pull in his attack dogs. Tiger could possibly make things very ugly for Florida authorities, all by maybe even threatening to move out of state. That kind of political maneuvering should not ever hamper an investigation, but let’s be real: it does. The police may be playing one big game of Out of Sight, Out of Mind.
Which, if they are afraid of Tiger, is too bad, especially if there is enough evidence to suggest that a crime has been committed. But that’s life in the 21st Century. Despite efforts by ordinary folks to ‘level the playing field’ (a concept that was never possible), the rich and powerful can still buy their way out of the legal system when and if they need to do so. Here, the mere threat of Tiger Woods claiming ‘harassment’ could be enough to make Florida police go back to focusing on busting guys who are taking a leak on the beach.
Stay tuned. Tiger’s statement today is not going to end this situation, nor his problems. His sponsors, for starters, are going to be demanding more information, possibly as early as this week. At some point, it will become a contractual stare-down, one that Tiger might not win if his sponsors get nervous enough.
Throughout it all, it appears that Tiger fails to realize that most of the world now thinks of him, fairly or unfairly, as an adulterer and possible victim of domestic violence.
Worse yet, in his obituary, whenever it will be written, this incident will now be a part of it.