Tiger, Tiger, Tiger

Tiger Woods addressed the public about his indiscretions for the first time last week. Woods has been avoiding the media since Thanksgiving when the now infamous incident that involved his wife Elin Nordegren using a golf club to break the back window of Woods’ suburban and pull him out of the car after he crashed in front of their home. There were, and still are, different rumors flying around about what really happened that night. Did Elin attack Tiger because she found out about his affairs after the National Enquirer printed a story exposing his indiscretions? We may never know what really happened that night, but after Woods statement we now know for sure that Tiger Woods had multiple affairs and cheated on his wife.

Woods has lost endorsements, taken an indefinite leave of absence from his golf career, and may lose his family. But why does any of his private life matter? Tiger Woods has been the best thing that has happened to golf before, and after, his tumultuous sex scandal. I know that a lot of people in the public feel like it’s their right to know about Tiger’s private life. But it’s really no one’s business but his.

Are people even satisfied after his speech? It was clearly scripted as Woods had to look down at the podium every 30 seconds to see what his next line was. I can’t help but feel bad for him. Every time a public icon is exposed for something like, say, cheating on his wife, people feel like it’s their right to know and it’s the first time it’s happened. But it’s not. There are men and women out there who cheat on their spouse every day. It’s not like he is the first man, or famous athlete for that matter, to commit adultery. He is human. He has flaws. He makes mistakes. The only difference is he got caught and is a famous icon.

Tiger Woods never asked to be your kids’ role model. Golf is his job. The only difference between his job and mine is that millions of people watch him ‘work.’ And he gets a lot of perks that come in the form of million-dollar endorsement deals and being surrounded by super models every day. Ask any man out there if they would have acted in the same way if they were in Tiger’s shoes and nine times out of ten, they will probably say yes. I don’t know about you, but if I was a guy, I would still trade places with Tiger Woods today. Despite all the negative publicity he’s getting, Woods is still one of the richest people in the World.

People think it is their right to know every detail about Woods’ private life but it’s not. I think people just love to rubberneck in other people’s lives and watch a good crash and burn when they get a chance.

I could rant on forever about how it’s no one’s business about what Tiger did. He’s not the first person to cheat and he definitely won’t be the last. He plans on returning to golf but he doesn’t know when. In time, people will forgive him.

Let’s flashback to 2003 when Kobe Bryant was accused of rape and received negative publicity. The charges were later dropped in 2004 and Kobe-haters still comment about the incident but Kobe Bryant is still one of the best basketball players to have ever played in the NBA and has since went on to win an MVP title and championship title for the Lakers to prove it. His wife also stuck by his side through everything that happened.

Famous athletes typically get special treatment and as Tiger Woods said in his statement,

“I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled. Thanks to money and fame, I didn't have to go far to find them.”

I know I’m going to piss off a lot of people by what I say next, but they have the right to live by different rules if they want to. If I was married to a famous athlete, I would understand he would probably sleep with other women. It’s a small price to pay considering you get to live the luxurious life of buying whatever you want, having all the money in the world, and not having to do a damn thing for it. Of course I don’t want him to be with other women, but I understand the temptation is there and having sex with someone else is not as bad as lying to cover up about it. And if I wasn’t able to handle the lifestyle, I would not get in the relationship to begin with.

We put celebrities like Tiger Woods on a pedestal. We give them praise, ask for autographs, and grovel at their feet because they are famous. But when they do something normal people are not allowed to do, we treat them as if they don’t get the privilege just because they are famous and should have to live by the same rules normal people do. Yet, we don’t give them normal treatment.

Get over the drama of celebrities’ personal lives. That’s what soap operas are made for. And stop being hypocrites America because you would do the same thing.