When I started seeing “Tiger Woods car accident” flying around on Twitter yesterday afternoon, I was immediately concerned. I am a big fan of Tiger on the golf course, so I would hate to see anything happen that could derail his seemingly inevitable path toward capturing all of the important records in golf. My focus online is typically marriage related resources and news stories, but this was a favorite sports icon and it legitimately concerned me.
Those thoughts were fleeting, though, as I remembered that Tiger Woods and his wife Elin Nordegren have two small children. I was particularly concerned when I read initial reports that Tiger had wrecked his 2009 Cadillac Escalade, and the results were serious injuries. This news story was very concerning to me.
Wait a Minute, Where & When Did the Car Crash Occur?
As the news reports started to materialize, it became clear that this was no mid-afternoon freeway crash. Instead, Tiger Woods had wrecked his SUV in his neighbor’s driveway. Strange by itself, but when accompanied by the fact that this occurred at 2:25 a.m. and it was a single vehicle crashing into a fire hydrant and tree, the story was taking a turn for the strange.
Naturally, those facts start to raise serious questions. Why was Tiger leaving (quickly it would appear) his home at that hour? How do you hit a tree in your neighbor’s yard with enough force to cause what were initially reported as serious injuries?
Say It Ain’t So.
Fast forward to about an hour ago, when I read that TMZ was reporting a totally different version of what had taken place. According to their reports, Tiger’s wife had actually caused the facial lacerations that had previously been attributed to the car accident. They alleged that Tiger was fleeing from his home after a serious argument with Elin, and she had actually hit his SUV with a golf club out of rage and not to “free” him from the vehicle after the crash as had been reported.
And the real kick to gut was the TMZ assertion (also reported by several other news outlets) that the cause of the couple’s fight was the suspicion that Tiger Woods could be having an extramarital affair. I just really hope that this is not actually the case.
Don’t be Like Mike…or Kobe…or A-Rod…or…
I love the way Tiger Woods plays golf. That is what he is known for, and he has done a great job of keeping his private life out of the public eye. That’s the way it should be, and I for one hate tabloids and their parasitical reporting practices.
So, why did I write this post? I felt compelled to write this post because what I have admired about Tiger more than his insane golf game is the way he manages his life. He seems to have it together and not be involved in self-destructive activities. He has a beautiful wife, two small children, a fantastic charitable foundation, and he seems to have his priorities straight, particularly for someone with so many pressures for his time and attention.
In an era where the biggest faces in sports represent our society to many around the world (children and adults alike), it was refreshing to hear Tiger’s name and think about him as one of the “good guys” who respected the importance of family life. Too many of the other faces in this arena have unfortunately been tarnished by scandal.
Michael Jordan has quite a fondness for gambling and got divorced from wife of many years. We all know about Kobe Bryant’s admitted affair and criminal rape charges (which were later dropped). Alex Rodriguez got divorced after allegations of affairs with a long list of women, including Madonna, and recently had his past use of performance-enhancing drugs exposed.
Of course, these stories only represent the tip of the iceberg. It seems that scandal, adultery and divorce are the rule among sports celebrities rather than the exception. I hate this.
I Hope Tiger’s Marriage is Strong.
We need more good guys for our kids to admire because whether we or they like it, these players will always be looked up to by those growing up playing their sports. We need more examples of sports “heroes” that play by the rules, serve their community, and respect their family and their marriage vows.
This is one marriage blogger that sincerely hopes I can remain a fan of Tiger Woods for what he does both on and especially off of the golf course.
UPDATE 1/1/2010: Well, so much for wishful thinking. It appears that Tiger is a dog and one with a far-reaching history of infidelity at that. I am very disappointed in him and just hope that he can reform his ways. It looks like his transgressions are going to cost him dearly both professionally and personally. Sad situation.
Photo by Stefano A
As far as golf goes, Tiger will still probably be able to win anything he competes in, even if he was hurt
.-= Samantha Laury´s last blog ..Visit the Dead Sea While You Can =-.
Sure, stories like this one are always going to make the tabloids because they are titillating. People who buy into that kind of gossip do so because they like to see bad things happen to people who seemingly have it all. Schadenfreude sells.
And although stories about “bad boys” abound, there are still so many positive stories to tell. As a very casual observer of sports I am a good baseline for the Average Joe. And I can easily name several sports celebrities and the good things they have done. What about Doug Flutie and his work for Autism? Tony LaRussa and ARF? And the story of Josh Hamilton as a bad boy gone good is inspirational. Then there is always Albert Pujols – huge fundraiser for Down Syndrome and all around great guy.
The sports world in this example is just a microcosm of the real world. For every successful, happy marriage in the US there is one that doesn’t work out, just as for every Michael Vick there is a Kurt Warner.
great blog..
there is a resource called stoparguingnow dot com you might like it!
from what i have seen..twitter rumors should be heard with a pinch of salt….
subscribed via email!
if you set up other things for networking, i would love to follow back..
I really like Kate’s comment. We choose who gets the attention, and is it really anyone’s fault but our own when the adulterers and cheaters are the ones we shine the spotlight on?
And the role models that have the biggest impact on a kid’s life are NOT the ones they watch play basketball or golf. No, the people who model what how we should act and what we should expect from a marriage are our parents. We shouldn’t delude ourselves into thinking that sports heroes and celebrities have more power than we do in what our kids learn about healthy relationships.
Kate & Marie,
I totally agree with you! In no way should athletes, celebrities, politicians or even heroes be the primary role models for our children. That is our job as parents, and it is up to us to set the healthy examples that our kids need.
I also hate tabloid reporting and I never follow anything that US Weekly or TMZ have to say. In general, I really don’t care what celebrities do and I know their portrayals are sensationalized to the point that the real substance is lost anyway.
So, why the heck did I write a post about Tiger Woods and quote TMZ to boot? Well, in my defense, the TMZ story was the top headline on the Drudge Report, so it got my attention (I like Tiger and I like marriage). There are hundreds of similar stories that have since ran everywhere from mainstream newspapers to ESPN. It simply reports an opinion, but the subsequent events seem to be heading to substantiating those ideas…even thought I REALLY hope they don’t.
Why do I care what happens to the marriage of Tiger Woods? Tiger is perhaps the biggest sports celebrity in the entire world and, like it or not, he is absolutely seen as a role model to many young people (particularly in inner cities where he focuses his charitable efforts).
The worth of marriage as an institution and the respect that should be afforded to marital vows has certainly been degrading, even under attack, in our culture. We need healthy examples of those in the limelight who make their marriage and their family a top priority. What we do not need is another huge news story about adultery, divorce and a broken family.
I’d care as much about a stranger’s marital troubles because these things matter to me, but the reality is that these same troubles in Tiger’s life actually have an meaningful impact on our society. I don’t think they should, and I wish they didn’t, but the reality remains that they do.
Whether we like it or not, MANY people DO look to Tiger Woods as a role model and will be influenced by how he handles his personal life. Again, I think this is a bad thing (and I don’t want my children to take their influence from sports figures), but it doesn’t change the fact that it actually does matter.
I sincerely hope that Tiger Woods remains as a very visible and strong example of a man that has his priorities straight and demonstrates the good that marriage should entail. I don’t mean to put him on a pedestal; I’m just acknowledging that he’s already there and I think there’s some value in having more men of strong character in those positions…not less.
I hate it too. And yet I wrote about it too.
Hi Dustin. I found your blog through The Marry Blogger and can’t wait to dive into all of your great articles. I write a blog called WhisperedBetweenWomen.com and had similar feelings. I actually heard a report on NPR a couple of months ago that said the golfing community was upset because Tiger was swearing loudly and throwing clubs. I don’t follow golf, but at the time I was thinking that it didn’t sound like the sweet kid I remembered seeing on Oprah’s couch when he was around 18, I think. Now we’re starting to see that a lot of pressure and lies were boiling under the surface so no wonder. It’s really sad.
In case you want to see my take on the issue, here is a link to my Tiger and Elin story: http://whisperedbetweenwomen.tumblr.com/post/268117095/tigereyes. I look forward to joining your blogging community!
.-= Mrs. Levine´s last blog ..Heidi Klum Changed Her Name =-.
Thanks so much for visiting Mrs. Levine! I will head over to check out your site and your take on “Tiger-gate” as well. It’s so great that Stu’s contest at The Marry Blogger has put so many of us marriage bloggers in touch. I look forward to joining your community and sharing ideas on how to make marriage awesome!
hope the issue dies a natural death. marriage after all is more sacred than golf!
.-= hails´s last blog ..The Story… =-.
Amen, hails. Thanks for visiting Engaged Marriage, and I hope to hear from you again in the comments!
From the beginning, I always felt the car accident story was a personal and private matter for Tiger and his family, especially since no one was hurt and it was determined that drugs and alcohol were not involved. After hearing reports that Tiger was shoeless and snoring while asleep on the ground, I’ve come to the conclusion that he was sleepwalking. What I don’t understand is why this possibility isn’t being mentioned in the mass media. It’s a very simple explanation and completely separate from the other marital issues.
tiger wont win anything ever again after all this. The media have over done it on him and I think, while he only has himself to blame. The press and media have over stepped the mark into his private life.
I find sometimes it’s hard to live in a celebrity life.
No doubt Tiger is a good golfer, but his public image is not so great since the ugly incident happens.
It will be interesting to see how he transformed himself out of the mass down the road.
Jack