I Believe

(Picture from http://www.cache.gawker.com/)

Tiger Woods made his apology to the nation this morning and many people have split into two camps. People either think it was one of the most tackiest, staged, piece of crap apologies ever said, and others take it for what it was and realized it was a big step for a man that never had to say he was "sorry" for anything for much of his professional career.

I reside in the latter. This is a man, just like you or me, that has flaws, just like you or me. But some people just can't fathom that Tiger is, in the end, like you or me.

So to those of you within that group of people I have one thing to say, Get Over It! He took a giant step in his life today. Do you know how hard it must have been for him to get up in front of close family and friends and talk about this situation. He looked like he was fighting back tears the whole speech while he took every ounce of blame and placed it upon himself; which is something that he most likely never had to do before. What more do you want from him?

This had nothing to do with me, you, the media, or members of the PGA. This had to do with Tiger, Elin, and his kids. We didn't need to be apologized to. We didn't need him to explain anything to us. He didn't cheat on me, or anyone else in the media. So all of these assholes in the national media who are bitching about how Tiger's apology wasn't enough for them, need to take a good long look in the mirror. WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES!

Sure Tiger Woods is the most popular athlete in the world and sure he was a role model for kids. But Tiger always sold an image instead of selling himself. An image that Nike, Accenture, Gatorade, and the media created for him. He was never Tiger. That is until today, when he stepped up in front of that camera and apologized. But to some that is still not enough which is bullshit.

David Hinckley, of the New York Daily News, was unconvinced saying, "Prisoners of war reading prepared denunciations of Western imperialism look more comfortable than Tiger Woods did Friday, apologizing for his 'selfish and irresponsible' behavior. Never relaxed and easygoing in front of a TV camera in the best of times, Woods was a man saying the right things out loud while everything about his demeanor was silently screaming, 'I don't want to be here.' His eyes occasionally moving around the room as he worked to enunciate his scripted remarks clearly, Woods looked like a man who had caught his leg in a bear trap."

David Hinckley you can go fuck yourself. Tiger has never been comfortable in front of a camera, as you mentioned, so what would change now? He was apologizing to the ENTIRE WORLD for Christs sake. Give the man a break. Many of us have a hard enough time apologizing to our significant others, bosses, teachers, friends, and family. Now imagine Mr. Hinckley having to apologize to those people while millions of other viewers watched and judged you.

Tiger didn't just apologize to his mother, friends, and selected members of the media; he had to apologize to mothers of children who don "TW" hats. He had to apologize to wives who have been cheated on in the past. He had to apologize to all of his peers in golf. If I were a betting man, I would say that you would have been just as uncomfortable in front of that camera you degrading, egotistical asshole.

Tiger repented, and is ready to change his ways off and on the golf course. He is going back to basics, and is trying to become a better role model to those kids out there that lost hope. He is trying to become a better husband and father to Elin and his children. He is trying to become a more respected golfer. He is trying to become the man the media has made him to be, which must be a lot to bare.

Tiger finished his speech with something that touched my heart and convinced me of his sorrow and pain. He said, "Finally, there are many people in this room, and there are many people at home who believed in me. Today I want to ask for your help. I ask you to find room in your heart to one day believe in me again." This was the icing on the cake. A celebrity, one who had the world, the money, the life, admitted he had a false sense of entitlement, asking us to believe in him once again. As I said before, he didn't need to say one "sorry" to me or anybody else outside of his family for me to "forgive him". I just needed to see Tiger finally be Tiger. And I think I did. I still believe Tiger, I never stopped.