Tiger: "This situation is my fault, and it's obviously embarrassing to my family and me."
Strongly worded statement. Doesn't address whether he'll play at Sherwood next week or why he is passing again on the Florida Highway Patrol interviews.
As you all know, I had a single-car accident earlier this week, and sustained some injuries. I have some cuts, bruising and right now I'm pretty sore.This situation is my fault, and it's obviously embarrassing to my family and me. I'm human and I'm not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn't happen again.
This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way. Although I understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible.
The only person responsible for the accident is me. My wife, Elin, acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble. She was the first person to help me. Any other assertion is absolutely false.
This incident has been stressful and very difficult for Elin, our family and me. I appreciate all the concern and well wishes that we have received. But, I would also ask for some understanding that my family and I deserve some privacy no matter how intrusive some people can be.
This AP story suggests that Tiger has hired criminal defense attorney Mark NeJame and that no other meeting has been scheduled. Here's Nejame's bio.
Sunday, November 29, 2009 at 11:47 AM
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Reader Comments (69)
It is his absolute right to do so, celebrity or not. And it is probably of no great consequence, legally. He could get points, a fine, costs, etc. He probably will. I cannot imagine that he'd get a license suspension; I doubt it. All of that, regardless of the details, comprises a relatively simple transaction in a misdemeanor court.
But then, it is open season on the veneer of respectability that has been Tiger Woods for as long as he has been a public figure. This is liable to change perceptions. Will the whole world continue to root for Tiger Woods to conquer the summit of Mount Nicklaus? Golf has been profoundly lucky to have the squeaky-clean Woods as its public face. Is that now over?
Jack and Arnie weren't perfect either but they never had a "scandal'' like this to scar their reputations. True it's a different age now but you want it both ways, all the wealth and adulation but no scrutiny. Sorry it doesn't work that way. Didn't anybody tell you?
He must be very depressed right now but he misplayed this incident, badly.
I wonder if Elin is on board with his "statement''?
Nothing from Rosaforte, Verdi, Diaz or Hawkins (he's gone, I guess) either. Is there a freeze on this story at Golf Digest/Golf World? might make sense since they are in bed with Woods and IMG.
Who cares whether Tiger was drunk, cheated on his wife or was humping a goat? Leave that stuff to TMZ or the National Enquirer. One story was more than enough, two maybe. But thirteen is pathetic
Chuck, I think TW and team and greatly mishandled this on the PR side. It will be open season on TW now.
I said yesterday that I was shocked that this incident seems like a case of Tiger not having his shit together. I am equally shocked that it has been such a botch job on the PR.
Standard appeal for privacy by a public person. (Nike, Accenture, etc do not pay Tiger ungodly sums because he is a private person; they pay him that money because he is a public person who has sold his image, reputation, even character in support of their brand)
I double down on my earlier bet that the first "interview" goes to a softy like Jim Nantz. CBS will likely dress it up as a 60 Minutes piece to capitalize on NFL ratings. Nantz will help Tiger draw down the curtain on this event without ever discussing it. "Tiger, in terms of the harmful speculation, the adversity -- can you keep your focus on golf?"
I'll make another bet: You'll hear less cheering for Tiger on the golf course, and more cheering for whichever guy has a chance at beating him that week.
Maybe he didn't really have an affair, that The National Enquirer got it wrong, either by their mistake or calculated motives. Since it is certainly likely that Elin did confront and attack him, then Tiger did the right thing by leaving, even at 2:30 a.m., rather than defending himself and perhaps hurting her in the process, which would then lead to a possible charge of wife abuse.
And if he's postponing these police meetings in an effort to buy time to let his scratches heal to protect his wife and the mother of his children, then maybe, in the bigger picture, he is indeed doing the right thing: acting in the best interest of his family. Maybe he is willing to risk the hit to his image rather than face the authorities and the public with a scratched face that would reflect poorly on his wife, and possibly result in charges against her.
And since the really bizarre stuff in this ordeal seems to have come from Elin's actions and accounts, it's going to make her look crazy if it's proven that she attacked Tiger and lied to the police and then the affair is later proven to never have happened.
Of course, there are a lot of maybes written in the text above!
It's news.
If you disagree, you're reading the wrong blog.
Whatever the case, somebody is going to write that story. I will be among the first in line to buy it.
For my own part, I didn't suggest that IMG was mishandling this. I only observed that they've made a choice with some unsurprising consequences.
Isn't it the case that people want to believe lies? If lies can get someone out of the cess pit of life, then we tend to root for them, subconsciously, don't we? That's celebrity 101. We'll spend billions on golf equipment, too, encouraged by lies.
Isn't it the case that truth is just one more commodity? It's useful sometimes, but not always.
Spin it again, Sam.
For Tiger, at the end of the day, if the adulation and endorsements went away, he would be just fine with that. He will continue to kick everyone's ass on the golf course, chase the records he wants to chase and be happy doing it.
If the speculation is true in terms of the affair, them fighting, etc. then he needs to put the clubs way and deal with that for the good of his family and his kids.
Michael Vick was a PR disaster.
Why would or should this affect whether one roots for him to overtake Jack? Only in America do these alleged "affairs" get so much media play. Yet another reason why the rest of the world looks at the puritanical U.S. and rolls its collective eyes.
I don't think the French press, or the Italian press, or any other enlightened, socially advanced, non-puritanical nation's press would treat this any differently.
This is of course an order of magnitude different from Vick or Kobe in terms of criminal exposure. I so stipulated at the outset of this thread. But Tiger Woods is an order-of-magnitude different figure from Michael Vick, too.
And, I suppose that my own interest is perked by the fact that golf is my game, and Tiger Woods is the public face, the functional avatar, for my game. (To date, Woods has performed mostly brilliantly in that role.) Professional football and basketball aren't "my game."
For what its worth, "Mr. Shackelford" related to me on several occasions how he didn't want to go down this road. Unfortunately, his site has become a source for news--important news, ALL important news in Golf. Is Mr. Shackelford. Please spare me your disinformation! (Your doing nothing but taking the focus of the true issues at hand!)
Mr. Shackelford is doing nothing more then pointing out where the many stories lie, and there are great many of them. Anyone could do this. Obviously your looking for news on the situation, because your posting on this subject! You want to complain, then go complain to the myriad of major news organizations that are posting them what seems on a 10-15 minute basis. This story is getting more bizarre on the hour! If any of us behave the way Tiger Woods has in the last 72 hours, we would be in jail until Monday morning! (Justifiably!)
Seriously, you want to point a finger, well then point it at the World's #1, who has seemingly fallen to earth due bad decision making; and by his handlers, who in an effort to squelch one of two important, possible facts of this situation have opened him up to criticism: The the World's #1 Golfer was leaving his house, driving while under the influence of a prescription medicine at a most questionable hour, or, that the Wife of the World's #1 Golfer is a suspect committing spousal abuse?
The fact that John Daly is here for the Oz Open, and there won't be many questions this week about his personal life is a perverse barometer on how hot the story on Woods is.
Feel very sorry for the two kids.
It's pretty obvious that Rachael is willing to deny for him (allegedly). The interesting thing is if Elin will be so accommodating to her husbands "image" going forward.
Merry Christmas Tiger dear- here's your testicle lock box.
Miss Priss, get the fuck out of here.
John
If it was a domestic dispute, why pry. There were no arrests at the scene so, it will work itself out one way or the other in time. If there is a repeat, then they will have to drop the legal hammer. No way they are going to subject Elin to a domestic abuse, or him at this point. They should either issue the traffic ticket based on the evidence, or not, and let the other stuff go and die when the next new celebrity booboo happens. It would be a monumental waste of taxpayer money to prosecute a futilely flawed from the begining case like this with charges brought based on public pressure after the fact.
Uchitel is claiming she's never met Tiger but I know I read a report that said Tiger acknowledged knowing her -- something's gotta give.
All in the whole thing bums me out because it really seemed like Elin and Tiger had a good thing going but it will never be the same again, not even close.