Inside the Ropes With Tiger
Frankly, I’m stunned by the media’s reaction to Tiger Woods’ driving mishap. Come on, have you seen this guy’s driving accuracy stats? He hits trees all the time!
My bad. I couldn’t resist that one.
But that’s what you get when you pull hook your squeaky clean celebrity image into the deep rough and then tell everyone you “deserve” privacy. For years Woods has been able to keep inquiring minds – not the mention the National Enquirer – from getting inside his life because he never gave them any juicy tidbits to gnaw on. He was a one-dimensional figure – Tiger Woods, professional golfer. He lived his life like he played golf, with him on one side of the ropes and the gallery – the onlookers – on the other. Distance always has been Woods’ strength.
The gallery is now inside the ropes, and everyone in it is no longer blinded by Woods' aura of perfection. That’s what you get when you’re a megastar public figure – the first billion-dollar athlete we’re told -- and you’ve wrecked your SUV under very bizarre circumstances.
You can ask for privacy all you want, but you are not going to get it. In fact, because of your silence and what is perceived as an attempt to hide your injuries from scrutiny – the decision not to play this week in a golf tournament – you’ve just opened the floodgates for rampant gossip and media muckraking. (Dude, you won the 2008 U.S. Open in a playoff – that’s five days and 90 holes of competition under the most demanding course setup in the game – while playing in pain with a torn ACL and now you’re bagging a tournament that you host because of what? Minor cuts on your face?)
Golfers often say that golf and life are a lot alike: Outcome is a direct result of performance and ability, with bad breaks just part of the game. Before his accident, that was true, too, for Woods. But after his errant drive, well, not so much.
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Writing a bio presents a personality conflict to Mike Boslet. Do I write it in the third person, referring to me as Mike Boslet, or Boslet, like I barely know myself? Or do I take the casual approach, referring to me in the first person? After all, no one knows him (that is, me) better than I (that is, him) do. 
Reader Comments:
I guess 'tis the season to cheat. Eve though my Sister-in-Law is not famous, she got into the holiday spirit early just like Tiger Woods and Cheated on my brother several times. Since they are not famous it won't make the pages of magazines but still is equally as heinous and unfortunate for the kids. Why do people act out like this before thinking about the ramifications to their spouse, their extended family and most importantly their children?
The good news is and I know I can speak for my entire family, with her kicked to the curb, my entire family is going to have a GREAT Holiday Season!
Monte Kingstone
I guess 'tis the season to cheat. Eve though my Sister-in-Law is not famous, she got into the holiday spirit earlier this year just like Tiger Woods and Cheated on my brother several times. Since they are not famous it won't make the pages of magazines but still is equally as heinous and unfortunate for the kids. Why do people do such things without thinking of the ramifications to their spouse, their kids and their extended family?
The good news is, and I know I can speak for the entire Kingstone family that with Maisa kicked to the curb, we are going to have the BEST Holiday Season!!!
Monte Kingstone