Tiger Pause

It seemed the whole world stopped for a few minutes as Tiger Woods spoke and paused his way through his first public appearance in 3 months on Friday. The reviews came pouring in. Some positive, equal number negative. Seems split at this point.

First off, I am not a Tiger Woods fan. And to be square, this goes back with me long before the the Thanksgiving Thumping of last year. My feelings for Tiger had everything to do with his demeanor on the golf course. And his sometimes arrogant, cussing, club throwing ungracious behavior when things weren't going well on national TV. Friday though, he said all the words that he needed to, had to, and should have said. He also made statements that virtually everyone else in his position before him didn't say. He took responsibility, and that's a good thing. And I haven't lost sight of the fact that he has and does introduce the game to many kids who might not normally get to enjoy golf.

Millions of people are enthralled with this story, his fall from grace, blah blah blah....and it continues to confound me. Everyone seems so concerned for a guy that really has nothing on the line. ( I know that sounds funny, but there's a certain truth to it.) The ONLY thing I feel is really on the line are his children - too young to get or deserve any of this stuff. They will get older, and I hope grow up in a loving environment and are happy, playful, wonderful kids surrounded by countless people who love them endlessly.

As for the rest of the players here... there really is nothing on the line. Not like you, me, and our families. We're trying to pay bills, send our kids to college, and save for a retirement we hope will someday come in our golden years. For the Woods' clan, the pressures off. Tiger is 34, and Elin is a big girl too; she'll land on her feet no matter what. And I have a sneaking suspicion that the immediate families can safely plan for their golden years more easily than you and me.

Best case scenario for Tiger. - He returns successfully to the PGA tour and plays well. He lives in Florida with numerous houses, boats, cars, and raises his children in a lavish household. All of his sponsors and maybe some new ones return, and he makes another literal billion dollars. If he breaks all the PGA records, we'll forget this mess. He cleans up his act as a role model and treats us with respect as we watch him on TV. If he and Elin work it out, he'll spend every night with a Swedish model, along with a billion - plus dollars.

Worst case scenario for Tiger - He's never quite the same on the golf course again, so he makes his living as a good player, going to work every day to the greatest golf courses in the world. He still goes home to his Florida mansions, and boats, and cars. He gets a sponsor or two back. He's somewhat less foul-mouthed on TV during tournaments, but still gets the "pass" from TV announcers. Tiger still has his kids, and loves them as much as ever. He and Elin do not work it out. So Tiger has to spend every night with a new model, and somehow scrape by on a half of a billion dollars.

And that's the worst scenario! I would beg to say there's far more on the line at your house every single minute of every day than one second of Tiger Woods' life. He's famous, he's talented, he's in the public eye, and he's been uncontrollably compensated for it. Most of it NOT from the actual golf course. Most of it becuase of his really good image! Whether that's right or wrong, or if we all like it or not, that's the country we live in.

Thing is, nothing is really going to happen to Tiger. It's simply going to play itself out. And none too soon. Hopefully, Tiger will dig deep and come to the realization that the only thing on the line or in the balance are his kids.

It's simply not only about him anymore.