Tiger Woods Taking “Indefinite Break” From Golf
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Probably should not have slept around on your wife, with that many women.
Tiger Woods Official Statement
I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children. I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and that I ask forgiveness. It may not be possible to repair the damage I’ve done, but I want to do my best to try.
I would like to ask everyone, including my fans, the good people at my foundation, business partners, the PGA Tour, and my fellow competitors, for their understanding. What’s most important now is that my family has the time, privacy, and safe haven we will need for personal healing.
After much soul searching, I have decided to take an indefinite break from professional golf. I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person.
Again, I ask for privacy for my family and I am especially grateful for all those who have offered compassion and concern during this difficult period.
30 Responses to “Tiger Woods Taking “Indefinite Break” From Golf”
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The views on this site are mine and mine alone, and do not reflect the views of my employer, Media Matters for America
© 2000-2011 Oliver Willis
We will miss you tiger. I hope that you and your family have the best holidays that you can, May this time off help you and your family heal.
Was his father a philanderer? We never knew. Nevertheless, he must be churning up and down in his grave knowing his son’s philandering.
What a shame. What a waste of such a brilliant talent to be tainted in such a manner. I mourn for him, but we must pay for our transgressions that inevitably gets transmogrified in time, for truth is inevitable.
I was wondering how he could possibly play. I say he has won his last major. Hope you put it in the bank, Tiger, because I think the money faucet just shut off.
It’s not like the other guys on the tour didn’t know, either.
Who cares?
The only reason for Woods’ hiatus is out of fiduciary responsibility for his sponsors. Woods will try, if possible, to reconstruct the public image in which so many companies have invested so many millions. If that image rehab fails, as it almost certainly will, it will be back to the golf. His earning power will be much weaker, but there’s no reason why his drive or his short game would be affected by this.
Tiger Woods obviously deserves to lose a lot of money over this, as his public image was a total fraud. But that has nothing whatsoever to do with golf. Athletic brilliance, much like artistic brilliance, has no relation whatsoever with the moral character of the performer. Not that I have any beef with golf fans switching to Phil Mickelson or Ernie Els or whoever over this, I truly don’t. Rather that Tiger Woods would have to be crazy to allow something like this to derail his golf career.
Is that what “four” means? Or was it more? Who cares. Well, his wife and children care, but they should care. It’s nobody else’s business. As if his corporate sponsors don’t have a few skeletons in their closets, eh?
“indefinite break” = Winter.
Chris Rock, Bring the Pain – “If you get caught cheating and your woman wants to break up – RUN! You got off lucky. But you may not get that lucky. As soon as you get to the door, she’ll say, ‘Let’s work it out.” You know what ‘work it out means?” Payback! You know what the first part of payback is? You ain’t gettin’ no p**** for a long time. Boy, you ain’t gettin no p**** till the Bills win the Super Bowl!”
Until he aged, Earl Woods was a hound. He left two families before he settled down (we believe) with Tilda, and became obsessive over his son. Was that really loyalty to his third wife, or was it more a father-son thing? I suspect the latter.
Marriage is about commitment. Earl was committed to Tiger. Commitment to a woman, and an even relationship, is a different thing. I don’t think he ever really saw it.
It’s a wonderful thing, though.
Wow, when did it become cool to talk bad about the dead.
For what I’ve read Earl Woods was only married twice making Kultida (Tiger’s mom) his second wife. Also I never heard about Earl Woods leaving behind any of his family. He actually helped coach his granddaughter Cheyenne Woods (daughter of Earl Jr -eldest son from Earl Sr’s first married) in golf.
What Tiger did to his wife and kids is horrible and he should face the consequences for cheating, but to now talk bad about his late father is unacceptable.
People lets not take this Tiger obsession too far. He maybe a great golfer, but he is still human like the rest of us.
What Tiger did could be an internal family matter, however since he and his handlers marketed Tiger as a wholesome, family guy, all American and traded heavily on that cleverly created image, he owes the public an apology for deceiving us.
The whole marriage/family guy image was just a gimmick to deceive both his wife and the public in order to cash in with top brand name sponsors.
The only reason Nike is staying around is they really don’t have a golf line without Tiger. Gillette and the rest really don’t need his “new image” and don’t want to be within a mile of it.
IMO he has done more damage to golf than John Daly ever did or could do.
he owes the public an apology for deceiving us.
Why? I don’t get this. Did you ever actually buy a gilette razor because Tiger Woods said it was a good idea? Does your razor not work as well now because you found out Tiger was a jerk?
Marketers lie all the time. Big whoop. Doesn’t mean some billionare we don’t know owes us anything.
Okay I am not understanding this. How was Tiger marketed as a wholesome guy?
I don’t know what kind of deceiving Tiger did in your eyes, but I always seen Tiger and other athlete as just athletes.
Also he is still all American.
What does his cheating has to do with golf? Kobe, Shaq and other athletes have cheated on their wives, but I don’t think basketball, football, hockey, baseball were damage by athletes because of their cheating on wives.
This is a bit of over reacting on your part. Really to the outside world this shouldn’t be a serious issue,but only to the ones that are directly involved.
I liked Tiger and still do. Don’t care much for those kiss and tell all types, though. There’s a word for them. I feel sorry for his family and I even feel sorry for him. How did he screw up – no pun intended – so badly?
And how in heck did he have any energy to not only play gof, but to play it so well?
“he owes the public an apology for deceiving us.”
He owes the public jack shit. He never deceived the public, just his family. Really.
You’re so right. It’s not like he’s a public servant – Sanford, Gingrich, Edwards, etc,
Oh, really? In order for Tiger to capture all those corporate contracts, which earn him 5X what he could make on the tour, he had to bring to the table, his excellent golf game, honesty, integrity, his clean image of both a father and husband.
Companies like Nike, Tag Hauer, and Gatorade have a lot invested in the man. These companies are probably on pins and needles over how this plays out with the public.
Brand name corporations don’t want their name to be associated with a damaged sports star and the only way to restore any honesty and integrity is to start with the public, the target of all the corporate ad campaigns using the Tiger brand.
Lawyers are quick to sue anyone who fouls the name or image of their corporate brand, however this time it was Tiger who fouled the name.
When that happens then you have a real problem on your hand with a potential catastrophic loss of revenue. This is precisely what is facing the Tiger Woods brand.
It is not so much that the public is shocked that a wealthy and talented athlete could attract so many beautiful women to jump into bed with a married man; this happens all the time.
The public is aghast at complete disconnect between the Tiger brand we were sold, and the real one which the public now sees.
Actually, you do have a point. Several years ago I wrote about how celebrity spokespersons can have a negative impact on the non-profits they represent.
“The public is aghast at complete disconnect between the Tiger brand we were sold, and the real one which the public now sees.”
I’m part of the public and I’m not aghast, as you say. People sell crap everyday and everyday other people buy that same crap. If you stop being effected by the power of/in branding, you won’t be so affected by a personal fall from grace. Nobody’s perfect and people should never believe media perfection when they “see” it. Just my opinion.
I think people are so upset because they’ve allowed themselves to believe in corporate purity, not because of what he did.
“Don’t believe the hype.”
There is no evidence that Edwards philandered while a public servant. He has not served in an elected office in five years.
You left out Ensign, Vitter, Foley, Giuliani, Spitzer, Clinton and Craig. Apparently philandering is the only area where Republicans are in the majority.
No, if the public is upset it is because they were sold a product that turned not to be what they thought they were buying.
Sort of a unintentional, at least with the corporations and not Tiger, bait and switch.
This could really backfire on Nike. I am sure the others will honor the contracts with Tiger and pay, however you will not see his face on any corporate advertising.
Would you, at least in the next year, want to be seen wearing the Nike Tiger brand? Probably not for most people which means a huge reversal of fortune.
Right now Tiger is persona non grata in the corporate world.
I am sorry but Tiger got those deals because he’s a winner. If he was a horrible player at golf(but a great wholesome guy) he wouldn’t have gotten any deals from those corporations. He got those deal because HE IS a great golf player not because he is a wholesome, honest person with integrity.
Golf will remain the same with or without Tiger.
Umm what exactly about the product is different now that you know Tiger cheated on his wife?……Let me answer, NOTHING.
Advertisement is only meant to get people into the doors or to notice the product. Once they’ve got your attention it’s up to you (the consumer) if you are willing to go forth and buy that product.
This whole Tiger thing is becoming overblown and overexcited for no good reason.
Also Tiger had endorsements before he became a father or a husband.
He got those deals because he is good golf player nothing more.
He can hit the shit out of a golf ball. I love golf, but I suck at it. If I see him using something I am more inclined to buy it.
End of story.
“Right now Tiger is persona non grata in the corporate world.”
That’s too bad because since the “scandal,” my razor blades seem to be working better and my golfing has improved, but only while wearing my Nike runners. Go figure.
The difference is that corporations cannot depend on the real “Tiger Brand” to sell the way it did when the public was buying into the fake “Tiger Brand”.
The only reason any corporation linked themselves to the Tiger brand was to sell more product. Now that the brand has been soiled, they not only cannot count on the $$ but are worried that the new Tiger brand may soil their own brand.
Golfers are an easy bunch to sell to, so the Tiger brand may find a safe haven there. For the most part golfers believe that expensive brand name clubs or balls or other equipment can make a difference in their score.
“Oh, really? In order for Tiger to capture all those corporate contracts, which earn him 5X what he could make on the tour, he had to bring to the table, his excellent golf game, honesty, integrity, his clean image of both a father and husband.
Companies like Nike, Tag Hauer, and Gatorade have a lot invested in the man. These companies are probably on pins and needles over how this plays out with the public.”
of the three companies you cite, two signed on Woods before he was married and all three signed him before he was a father.
I don’t follow advertising very closely, but I don’t recall a single ad featuring woods’s wife or kids. It would seem incogruous with his notorious desire for privacy.
His success in landing endorsements come from other factors: novelty – when he emerged he was different from the stereotypical golfer (and not solely because of race) and he’s phenomenally talented. I think wholesome was less important than non-threatening. Any controversy would hurt this- not just one involving infidelity. I think Jordan is a good example: his philandering didn’t hurt his endorsements, but his gambling did.