"He's still trying to control everything while he explains to everyone why he has no self-control."

A few more interesting takes on Tiger and his upcoming statement reading today...

TJ Simers in the LATimes:

The fascinating thing about the Tiger Woods' love fest today, a gathering of those friendly, and agreeable to Woods' liking, is that he's still trying to control everything while he explains to everyone why he has no self-control.

I don't believe Woods owes anyone an explanation other than his wife, but now that he's going public, just imagine how many image makers, crisis managers and PR specialists have been consulted to craft the perfect mea culpa.

Christine Brennan in the USA Today:

No self-respecting news organization should ever show up for something like this, staged as it is to make it appear as though Tiger is facing the news media, when he's doing nothing of the sort. This should be viewed as an infomercial and watched and reported on from afar.

But "reporters," and I use the term loosely, from three wire services — Associated Press, Reuters and Bloomberg — will arrive, to instantly become props in Tiger's ingenious play to win over your hearts again, America.

And playing the adoring supporting role, we have none other than PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem, who should have told Tiger and Steinberg to take their "press gathering" anywhere but PGA Tour headquarters.

Or, at the very least, Finchem should have told Tiger the clubhouse at TPC Sawgrass was available only on Mondays. What was the commissioner thinking, sanctioning Tiger's little TV show while a big-time PGA Tour event, the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, is going on at the same time in Arizona?

Mike Bianchi in the Orlando Sentinel:

Many of my journalistic brothers and sisters are foaming at the laptop because Tiger is not having a full-fledged press conference today and won't be taking any questions from the media. I'm not. I'd handle it just like Tiger is handling it.

He'll have a press conference in good time. He'll have to. But his return into the public domain should not come with reporters from TMZ and National Enquirer shouting questions at him about whether he impregnated a porn star.

Just because a voyeuristic American public may want to know the name of every porn queen and Perkins waitress and crave every dirty detail of Tiger's private life, it doesn't mean we have a right to know. Let's face it, this is a no-win situation. It doesn't matter how Tiger handles it — with a press conference or with an emotional public apology — he is going to get barbecued either way.

Art Spander for RealClearSports.com:

Someone called the setting where Tiger was to make his brief speech reminiscent of a Greek chorus, with friends and colleagues in the room lending support that is virtual if not vocal. It was place of safety, of security.

On a golf course, the situation will be different. He will be badgered by the media, perhaps even heckled by fans.

Tiger wasn't at the Accenture, but he was all over it. It became his event when the news got out that he would be speaking 2,000 miles away.

Maybe it was accidental, that the announcement would be opposite the Accenture. Maybe it was intentional. Either way, as Ernie Els contended, it was selfish.