Twitter
Facebook
Reddit
Digg
Tell us what you think!Send a letter to the editor about this or any other article in The Maine Campus.
With the most anticipated public apology in sports history last Friday, every media outlet has given its mandatory evaluation of Tiger Woods’ speech. So it only seems logical to throw in my two cents. If you happened to stumble upon my Facebook wall that day, then you already have a decent grasp of my reaction.
Some people have thrown Tiger to the wolves for his apology speech, while others have defended him. The two most common sentiments amongst the critics are that Tiger lacked sincerity, and that his speech was completely scripted.
Defenders have claimed the speech was absolutely genuine, saying the apparent stoicism is just part of Tiger’s personality. I’ve also heard this as an argument in support of Tiger’s rehearsed statement: “Put yourself in his shoes. That is the hardest situation that anyone could possibly be in. Of course it was scripted and rehearsed.”
The fact of the matter is Tiger lacked sincerity. How do I know? Because you don’t need to look down at a piece of paper when you stumble over your words if you genuinely care about what you’re saying. All that tells me is he was not processing what he was saying. He was being robotic and reading his notes. He might as well have sent his caddy up there to read it for him.
To those who have played the “put yourself in his shoes” card, there are two things I have to say: It never would have happened if he had treated his wife with even the most minute bit of respect. Anyway, I imagine he has experience talking his way out of tough situations. You don’t carry on relationships with 12 mistresses and never hit a speed bump.
Here’s the thing I’m absolutely sick and tired of hearing: “It’s not like he’s the only athlete that has cheated.” Obviously he’s not the first celebrity to have been unfaithful to his or her spouse. But why do people think that’s some sort of defense of Tiger? Does that make his actions any less disrespectful to his wife, Elin? Do you think she finds solace knowing that she’s not the first person to ever get cheated on? No! Cheating never does and never will become any more acceptable. So stop acting like it’s not a big deal. One affair is bad enough, but 12, 13, 14? I’d say that’s a pretty big deal.
It’s only fair I give Tiger credit for one thing. He did take responsibility for his actions. I respect the fact he did not attempt to shift the blame in any way.
I’ll leave you with this. No, he did not owe me, you or anyone else an apology except for his wife. Unfortunately, when you are arguably the most famous person in the world, there is no such thing as a personal life. When you make a public mistake, it requires a public apology.
Bangor Daily News