Tiger Dislikes Scrutiny

There is one thing in particular that strikes me as odd in the much talked about Tiger Woods scandal. That Woods cheated on his wife is not that incredible. He is just the latest in a long line of professional athletes to do so. The fact of the matter is that a fairly large percentage of men, professional athlete or not, have cheated on their wives. What disturbs me is how Woods and others have taken offense to the perceived intrusive coverage by the media.
It seems that Woods wants massive media coverage when it's convenient for him and for everyone to look the other way when it isn't. He seems to enjoy the masses watching him win a major or have a cute conversation with his talking headcover as long as we all agree to ignore him when he screws up. It's an interesting concept that a lot of fellow celebrities would love to see come to pass. Unfortunately for Woods and many others it is not reality. Woods fans are his fans all day every day, not just on Sunday between 2p.m. and 6p.m. when he is playing golf. Attention on and off the course is a part of the package whether he likes it or not. Fans want to know everything about their heroes and idols, not just their scores or stats. It is no different for other celebrities. Actors, athletes, musicians and even politicians are subject to the same scrutiny. We are kept up to date whenever a celeb is arrested , enters rehab, gets a D.U.I., or goes thru divorce proceedings. When John Daly trashes a hotel room or gets arrested for public intoxication where is the outrage for the media covering that. I'm sure Long John would appreciate that being considered a private matter between his family and himself . N.F.L. player Ray Lewis was once accused of taking part in a murder by some. Michael Jordan's gambling was once a news item. We were even updated when former N.B.A. star Shawn Kemp was behind on his child support. David Letterman's recent "transgressions" got plenty of attention . There was no shortage of speculation about what went on behind closed doors at Michael Jackson's Neverland estate. Want to find your favorite actor or singers mug shot on the internet just look it up. Even President Clinton wasn't above having to publicly address his involvement in a sex scandal.
Woods seems to think he is above it all, and perhaps that is what is bothering him the most right now. That he is no longer above the rest of us, but instead is now just one of us. Woods has been handled by the sports media with kid gloves thru out his career. It has always been understood that certain topics were off limits and rarely has he been asked difficult questions. When he has been asked those questions he has had little to say. Just ask the Florida State police about that. He complains about his lack of privacy while at the same time making himself the most exposed personality of all time. He has earned hundreds of millions of dollars by willingly thrusting his persona into the public eye at every opportunity, and yet wonders where his privacy has gone. No one has forced him to become the world's most visible or well paid pitch man. No one has forced him to be a professional golfer for that matter. It's naive to think exposure of his magnitude would come without it's price.
Some of you may feel it is unfair and maybe it is. It is also unfair that Woods and other superstars like him have been given more talent than the rest of us. I would love to be able to golf like Tiger or "be like Mike", but the reality is I can't. It is also reality that fame and fortune come with a price tag. For Woods or anyone else to suggest he is being treated differently than other high profile celebrities is irresponsible. To suggest this mess he's cleaning up is anyones fault other than his own is too. We all make poor choices now and then. Woods is paying for his now. Correct me if I'm wrong.