Tiger Tries to Change His Stripes
Dec. 13, 2009 — -- Wildlife experts say tigers in the wild come together only to mate. They also report that tigers like to live in places where it is easy to hide and hunt. This certainly sounds like the Tiger Woods we know. But with the news that Tiger is stepping away from golf, just 4 short of Jack Nicklaus' major record to save his marriage, the golf world, sponsors and those who have been following this rapidly developing story have been caught flat-footed.
Real-life Tiger is not reacting the way we believed he would. He didn't come out and talk to the world. He didn't explain himself. He didn't blame the media or lash out at the world. He may not have even listened to his handlers. Instead by all appearances he seems to be desperately trying to deal with his inexcusable behavior and repair the most important relationships -- those with his family.
It has been an unbelievably rapid descent for Woods. From allegations of an affair with one woman reported by tabloid newspaper The National Enquirer a little over two weeks ago, to an early morning single auto car crash with Tiger at the wheel last week, to the discovery of a Pandora's box, engraved with Eldrick Tiger Woods' full name and filled with cocktail waitresses, escorts and even a prostitute; by early in the week, it was obvious this was not a nightmare but a straight up, wide awake public relations disaster.
Nothing Tiger has done in his career to date has been the easy or expected. When we were introduced to his prodigious talent as an amateur, we expected him to win. But as he become a professional and easily continued his winning ways, we began to understand he was truly special. After he won the 1997 Masters at the tender age of 21 by an unprecedented 12 strokes, we knew he was not just special but a true phenom. More than 80 worldwide wins later we now know we have been witness to the type of athlete who comes along maybe once a generation. At times, it seemed, he simply willed himself to victories.
