Stuck in the Woods

This past week, the NBA took a back seat in the mind of sports fans and the general population. Headlines on just about every website, newpaper and gossip-fueled TV show were covering all angles of one man's unfortunate personal collapse, which quickly became a public good. While nothing stirs our intrigue like controversy, it didn't help this man's cause that he was considered by some the most dominant athlete in history. Tiger Woods fucked up; an alleged infidelity led to a fight with his wife and mother of two children, climaxing in Eldrick crashing his (presumably) Buick near his home.
Since then, anyone with even a vague interest in sports or a pop culture pulse has been bombarded with story after story about Tiger's private life and affairs. Stuff that's absolutely none of our business is being shoved in our faces like those lame Twilight movies, forcing an incredible talent into retreat. Mr. Woods is on a downswing of sorts; he's taking an indefinite leave from the PGA tour, his ads are being pulled, his reputation - once an unscathed marvel of celebrity status - is on the rocks like Johnnie Walker. His play of late, while still world-class, seemed unfocused, short of his omnipotent self; perhaps telling of what was privately unfolding. Now that the shit's finally hit the fan, Tiger Woods will never be the same to us. Which is kind of a bum deal.
Sure, there are certain inherent risks with being a professional athlete, let alone a star, let alone the richest and most successful one on the planet. You'll be graded on a curve; publicized and scrutinized more than most. An awkwardly large mass of the general public loves living vicariously through celebrity news; the bigger the star, the bigger the deal. If this had happened to Steven Ames, then nobody would've given a shit; some golfer would've just drifted off the scene to little fanfare. Instead, we get the Story of the Year, built upon a man's very natural mishaps.
See the truth is that Tiger Woods very rarely makes mistakes. He lives his life under the microscope of mass media, and while he's enjoyed wealth that most of us can't even conceive, he has his share of issues and natural flaws like all of us. The thing about Tiger's that he's harnessed those flaws; focused himself on unprecedented excellence, both on and off the golf course. That he's lived his life under such intense public exposure from such a young age (think a less extreme version of MJ) makes it all the more incredible that its taken this long for him to falter. It's telling and disturbing that consequently, we as a society we feel the need to not only deny him forgiveness, but exploit his personal tragedy.
The morality of Tiger Woods' alleged actions is debatable, but in the whole scheme of things, irrelevant. If he really did do what we all seem to think he did, we're not ones to judge. Instead of frowning upon his indiscretions, which every mouth with a soapbox to stand on has seen fit to do, we should be shaming ourselves. Tiger Woods is to be celebrated, not bashed. He defied sports' sturdiest racial barrier; the only one that still stood in the 1990's, and re-defined dominance, bringing and Ali-esque competitive flair to a sport as mundane as golf. For over a decade, we've been entertained by his exploits, bought golf clubs, watches and razors 'cause he told us to, and been inspired by his trascendant brilliance. Now, every media outlet that's for years profited from covering his heroics, is tearing him apart the first chance they get, fueled by this public demand for celebrity controversy. "Nobody's Perfect", it's one of the tritest sayings around, but also one of the most honest, and its applies here perfectly. We could use a reminder that a man's personal matters are just that; personal. We've all screwed up, done something shameful and potentially embarassing; in a similar situation, we'd all want the utmost privacy, while a number of us get off on another man's pain.

To err is to be human. And although today's celebrity-obsessed society tends to neglect this truth, Tiger Woods is still a human being. Humans, by nature, screw up occasionally, but it's hypocritical for us to create a media soap opera out of his marriage; a very sensitive issue. The past week's Woodsgate inundation was even sadder than the situation it's all based on. Society at large needs to fuck off give the man some space to deal with an important, personal, situation. Just because he's such a part of our lives doesn't mean he shouldn't get the chance to live his.