OCOEE, Fla. -- There were 13 TV satellite trucks in front of Health Central Hospital, at least twice that many support vehicles and enough talking heads to start three networks.The media circus returned Tuesday, and a lot of people were probably disgusted by all those tabloid jackals waiting to chew on the latest bit of Tiger meat.
Please. To paraphrase one of Jack Nicholson's signature lines, the media were on that lawn because you wanted them there. You needed them there.
You just don't want to admit it. It's more self-flattering to pretend you're above wallowing in the story or that it's not a story to begin with.
"It's not anybody's business, man. It's his and his wife's and his children's business, and the problem I have with it is all the people who are trying to take this guy down because he made a mistake like everybody else does in the world a million times."
Fellow golfer Rocco Mediate said that last week on a Chicago radio show, or about seven mistresses ago. Nobody's trying to take Woods down; he's doing far too good a job of that on his own.
All the media are doing is their job. Let us recap:
The world's most famous athlete crashes SUV at 2:30 AM under incredibly suspicious circumstances. He's rushed to hospital in "serious" condition. He stiff-arms police investigators. Turns out his scrupulously constructed image as a brilliant decision maker (see: Accenture ads) is largely a mirage.
Yep, nothing to see here. Please move along.
Woods has given people the perfect gift to take to that Christmas party they were dreading. Just mention his name and you'll have a conversation that will kill the entire evening.
I'm currently sitting in a sandwich shop about three miles from his house. Three businessmen at the next table are discussing Woods' prenuptial agreement.
At the nearby YMCA earlier, a couple of guys complaining about all those TV trucks clogging the road in front of Woods' enclave at Isleworth. They stopped and stared at the overhead TV when the latest Tiger report came on.
We love gossip, only now there's a cornucopia of papers, websites and TV channels giving it to us. The things is, this isn't mere gossip No need to explain, fellas. Humanity has always had the Gladys Kravitz gene. We love gossip, only now there's a cornucopia of papers, Web sites and TV channels giving it to us. The things is, this isn't mere gossip.
"It's a legitimate news story," said Harvey Levin, managing editor at TMZ.com (Note: TMZ is a joint venture of Telepictures Productions and AOL. AOL owns FanHouse).
We'll pause now to let the traditional media finish choking. Levin is sort of the Walter Cronkite of the new media, and his name supposedly should never be in the same sentence as the phrase "legitimate news story."
I'm not all that keen on TMZ's video paparazzi stalking celebrities hoping to get a reaction. And I'd rather watch a John Daly porn film than endure two seconds of a fully-clothed Nancy Grace. But they are not the problem here.
If anything, TMZ has been the solution. It has kicked the butts of traditional news outlets, and not just on the salacious aspects of this story.
Levin disputed my premise that TMZ is tabloid at all, pointing out that it has been cited thousands of times in the past four years by old-guard stalwarts like the New York Times.
You know, the media outlets that pretend to be above chasing down mistress stories. Or they complain how the 24-7 news environment has warped journalism. Or they ignore stories, like ex-presidential candidates cheating on their cancer-stricken wives and possibly using campaign funds to do it.
As with John Edwards, the National Enquirer wrote the first story on Woods flying Rachel Uchitel to a tryst in Australia. It was largely ignored by the mainstream media until Woods ran his SUV into that fire hydrant. Then it was impossible to ignore what drove him to such crazy driving.
MORE ON TIGER
Has there been excess? You bet. I didn't necessarily need to read Mistress No. 7 (or was it No. 8?) discuss Tiger's passion-making in the News of the World:
"Sometimes I looked like a rag doll after we'd make love," she said. "He really did like it quite rough."
Okay, maybe part of me enjoyed reading that. I blame Gladys Kravitz.
Does the mere fact people are interested justify such stories? No, but I'd feel a lot worse about the invasion if Woods hadn't been so demanding that people respect his privacy. Turns out he had a good reason, or a bad reason.
Now what started as a car accident has exploded into the hottest story of the year. The media didn't make it that. Tiger did, first by apparently chasing women like they were wearing only green jackets, then by having the worst crisis-management team since Pee-wee Herman.
That's how his mother-in-law's stomach pains became an international incident Tuesday. Was she sick from food poisoning or the latest news from the Mistress Front?
Whatever the answer was, when the talking heads came on TV from outside the hospital, nobody switched the channel.
Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Tiger's wife deserves better, period!!! she deserves a guy that will truly love her the way good people with good hearts truly love!!
When Tiger's fans used to yell "Get in the hole," while putting, I guess he was taking their advice quite literally and not necessarily on the putting green!
Wow, Rocco Mediate sounds like a loser too. All Tiger Woody did was take Nike's motto to heart. Just Do It - - and do it, and do it, and do it, and do it.......
Some of you feel sorry for Tiger. Now let me get this straight. He goes to Vegas with MJ and Barkley and who would think that he would go whoring with those two. He boinks the waitress from the Perkins a mile from his house and he does it in his house. He tries to bang every blond with lips like an inner tube. He denies being black and makes racial slurs and blasts gays, lesbians and the LPGA in a GQ interview. He runs from his house like a coward after drinking and using drugs. He is such a weasel that he tells his wife Elin that she ruined his Thanksgiving. Not their Thanksgiving or that he ruined it but that she ruined it. He finally realizes that the press is all over him about all the bimbos and he makes a vague apology and then blasts the press and lectures them about how they should respect his privacy. If any of you want to know what arrogant is look in the dictionary with Tiger's picture. Tiger is without question the most conceited worthless scumbag ever. He doesn't care that he has caused irreparable pain to his two beautiful children. When they get older there will be plenty of documentation about how he betrayed his family and how Tiger really doesn't care at all how the family is affected. Tiger only cares about himself as he tries to renegotiate his prenuptial so he can minimize the impact on his endorsements. As Tiger would say, I am the most important person in the universe and no one else matters. Tiger told his bimbos he was in a bad marriage and he didn't love his wife. Now all of these things didn't just mysteriously happen, Tiger made a conscious effort each and every time he did them and the reason for doing them was to make Tiger happy and feel like the world revolved around him.
The events can make you sad and mostly for the family, but how can anyone feel sorry for the cowardly Tiger? Do you feel sorry for a wild dog that runs up to you and pees on your leg?
Tiger is not the most conceited worthless scumbag ever the top prize still belongs to former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick hands down Lol... I'm not sure where you're from but Tiger doesn't even come close. Check it out and see for yourself... Oh and I'm not a Tiger fan just wanted you to know who is still TOP DOG
That's great! I love it! The best reference about Tiger yet. I totally agree he is a wild dog that will run up on you and pee on your leg.
I agree wholeheartedly.I hope he never catches Nicklaus.I would rather he just caught HIV. I cant wait to see him back on tour being heckeled.That will be priceless!!!!(great new mastercard commercial)If his wife takes him back I wll be distraught
This story is just crazy. I am ready for just about anything at this point as far as developments.... Dawn Callahan Kettlewell.
Tiger is a retart that can play golf
"Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people."
Tiger didn't start the circus. The media didn't start the circus. It is the huge number of people with small minds that started the circus. The media just capitalizes on that gigantic market. Tiger may have done bad things, but his actions will have no impact on the average American. What will impact Americans is unemployment, health care, U. S. budgetary problems, $800 billion we owe to China, nuclear proliferation of Iran and North Korea, the expansion of terrorism, and the list goes on and on. If people spent one-hundredth of the time they now spend on learning about the lives of "celebrities" trying, instead, to educate themselves about matters that will actually affect their lives, there would be hope for democracy. But until that happens, we will continue to elect Republicans and Democrats who make promises they know they can't keep, because the people don't understand the issues sufficiently to make an informed decision.
Martin if I ever met you I would high five you.
It' a really sad times we are living in where people gain such pleasure from tearing a person down. Ironically I wouldn't be surprised if some are more triffling than Tiger. You know what they say, those who do their stuff in the dark then to be the first ones on the self-righteous soap-boxes.
YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. I AGREE TOTALY.
The writer claims criticism of excessive media coverage is hypocritical because we really "want it" and we're just flattering ourselves that we're above it. BS. I've HAD it with this story and I'd be overjoyed to never hear about Tiger's personal problems again. The ONLY reason I read THIS story was because I couldn't BELIEVE the picture accompanying the article, which shows an army of satellite dishes, and I wanted to find it if the media circus really HAS gone that far. The author's REAL purpose in this article is to justify the media's (and his own) bottom-feeding scum-sucking form of "journalism". You can blow it out your fat cheeks. I don't give a damn about Tiger Woods.
We often look to see what is being said and never get the truth. We have to wait for Tiger to gives us the facts,remember there is three sides to the story: his side , her side and the truth. Let Tiger and his family live in peace and work it out.
One good thing for Elin is that Tiger's mom has no say about the kids anymore. She acted as if she gave birth to them and Elin was just a nanny. Tita Woods is 50 percent of the problem; glad to see her kicked off her 'throne'. Elin you hold the cards, play them the way you want. Good luck to you and your children.
What makes u think she holds the cards!!!! She was and is a contract wife. She didn't marry for love, she married for money. Stay in the marriage for 5 years, receive 10 million dollars. All kinds of quips. If you loved him u would have let him know from the jump and kept him happy so he wouldn't have to go out-side the marriage for the sex he couldn't get at home. It's clear, she wasn't satisfing him. She probably only had sex just long enough to get two kids. Then shut it down. Like i said, a contract wife. Pay her Tiger, so she can leave. You got enough money, more than you'll ever need. Don't be black-mailed by her, or the public.
The Double Standards and Farce of Sponsorships
In the wake of the scandal-ridden story of Tiger Woods, and the most recent events swirling around him and his wife, are all the so-called facts which just do not add up or make any sense. Add to that the number of mistresses he supposedly has.
The further disturbing fact of sponsorship of him by several global companies where multi-million dollar sums are still being paid is also ludicrous.
With the extra-marital affairs swirling around Woods, it would seem that his philandering would definitely be the end of his fairytale story as the highest paid professional golfer in the world. However, the sponsors, like Nike, which pay him an alleged $40 million a year to wear and use their gear, along with several other sponsors, seem to be saying that they support and encourage his behavior by standing behind him. Where are THEIR standards and morals in this story? Maybe Nike should insist that he now use their “Karma” labeled golf ball when and if he goes back out on tour. It fits the situation.
Knock that boy right off of his egotistical pedestal,hopefully now Jack's 18 majors stays intact because Jack will always be the man,on and off the course.
I looked at ESPN last nite. It was a joke. I had to turn the station. Tiger did this, tigers mother-inlaw did that. Then they had this insane commentator on who suggested Tiger needs to sit down on one of these talk show prgnosticators couches and spill his heart out. He then went on to say he needs to win the women of the world over again. Also, he said he needs to take six months off. That was the most insane junk i ever heard. For those of u who won't be going to a tourny that tiger is a part of. Good, you'll open the door for a lot more people who other wise would not be able to get tickets.
Good article. Tough Situation. - Dirk Kettlewell