Can Jump Up out of Nowhere.
I’m sure Tiger Woods never thought he’d be occupying the front page of www.tmz.com. As famous as he is, Tiger doesn’t really move the needle in the celeb gossip world, but while most of the country was taking a breather for Thanksgiving, Woods was getting himself involved in the kind of stories that TMZ and similar outlets thrive on. First, there was the Enquirer report that Woods was having an affair. Then came news of his early morning car accident on Friday. After it became clear that Woods was not seriously hurt in the incident, concern about his well-being was replaced with speculation.
I don’t want to reiterate all the details of the accident here. Basically, there are two stories. Tiger’s version, and the tabloid version. Tiger’s version, which places all the blame on his shoulders, doesn’t add up in a lot of people’s opinion. The tabloid version, which features a domestic dispute instead of driving incompetence seems to be gaining momentum with each day Tiger remains silent. His statement today revealed nothing of the details, and his refusal to speak with the police is puzzling.
The thing about this story is, the truth about what happened may never be known. And, regardless of what those facts are, the Woods image has already been slightly tarnished. Tiger is famous for his love of seclusion, his yacht is named Privacy, he’ll do everything he can to keep this story from coming out, but the more he tries to brush it away…the more it leaves room for speculation. If he had a plausible story, a simple explanation, it would already be out. But, I don’t see an easy way to explain getting in a one car accident when barely out of one’s driveway.
Someone asked me yesterday if I was hoping that Tiger goes down in flames. They know I’m not the biggest Tiger fan out there, but I certainly do not want to see his life fall apart. My feelings for Tiger are sport related. I like when the Y.E. Yang’s of the world rise up at the end, and nip him, but I’m not champing at the bit for a spectacular divorce drama starring him and Elin. That part of it doesn’t interest me that much.
I never thought Woods was a saint. His on course demeanor allows a window into some flaws that Woods may have. We know he’s immensely competitive, he has moments of smugness. Nothing damning, but the guy certainly has flaws. He’s also extremely charitable and seems to have an awareness of his power as a celebrity. My interest in the details of this story aren’t related to wondering whether or not Tiger is a good guy, but more just a curiosity in the resolution. It’s almost like someone set up a joke for you, and now is holding the punchline. Once I know the rest of the story, the aftermath, whatever…that’s Tiger’s business.
Thoughts on Woods? Thoughts on his less than cooperative dealings with the Florida authorities? Wild speculative theories involving the incident?
3-Putt Territory 
I’m still not really clear on whether he was just leaving the house or whether he was coming home.
If he was leaving the house in a hurry at 2:30 in the morning, the storyline of the domestic argument pretty much fills in all the relevant details in my mind. Even if this is the case, however, I don’t think it will really lead to anything much more than this.
If he was just getting home, the speculation would obviously be alcohol, but that doesn’t seem to be what people are talking about.
As far as I know…he was leaving the house. I haven’t heard otherwise.
Everyone is insisting that alcohol was not involved.
Here’s a story that kind of sums everything up, including the fact that he was leaving the house..
http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/pga/news;_ylt=AuRofW8Lhh5yu9BnN9wQgmA5nYcB?slug=dw-tigeraccident112909&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
um, so Tiger…he’s a good lookin’, talented, soft spoken dude. his Nike line has some decent shirts. so, i’m gonna have to support this man. no matter his achilles heel (did i get that homonym 3-putt??).
guess on the events: 2am, someone got put-down at the turkey table. tempers flare. lovers are thrown around like left over halloween candy. tiger’s temper is maxed, he’s a super-star but he’s also human and he accesses a primitive emotional core to FLIP THE BLEEP OUT.
he tries to race out of the home, the wife follows with a counter-argument. she gets in the way. he swerves. he hits crap. he’s in a bad accident, and she grabs some club because some club is always handy on a Tiger lawn. she wacks the windshield open, to make sure her loathed albeit still loved spouse is A-okay.
the outcome: who cares? we should worry about the drama in our own lives and stop turning talented folk into fish in a precarious water-tank til the tank breaks open and we laugh at the disaster that unravels.
Q
From that story though it sounds like Elin felt the need to bash in the windows on *both* sides of the car to “help Tiger out of the car?”
I wonder if in some way this will help Tiger with fans. He’s always seemed super human on the course, and then robotic off it (save for his breaking down post his dad’s death). Now he’s still super human on the course, and looking human off it so maybe he’ll appeal more to the every man in the way Mickelson did.
Well, I think Tiger is already extremely popular. Does it make him seem more real? I guess it does in a way.
If this had been a DUI it’d be forgiven in an instant by the public. If he said, oh I dropped my phone, tried to pick it up, lost control of the car…i’m an idiot. instantly forgiven.
it’s just a strange story, though.
The combination of time and day and circumstance makes it tough to just brush off.
perfectionism breeds (sp??) rage…eh??
i feel for the dude.
Q
don’t feel too bad.
it’s like that old Ross Perot SNL skit.
“Don’t worry about me, I got 40 billion back home.”
but what about the dew-wop song, “money cant buy me love, no no no no, no money can’t by me love.”
in my business, love is a fundamental need.
money is a defense for the heart:)
Q
Domestic dispute i think will be forgiven since it’s not one where he was whooping Elin’s rear end or anything, in fact it sounds like he was driving away to avoid it.