Tiger Woods' Statement

Tiger Woods released a statement on his webite, tigerwoods.com, today. Many of us have wondered if he would ever release any type of staement regarding all the reports and rumors that have surfaced over the last couple of weeks. We finally have it. But did Tiger have to do such an act?

That being said, I think we should all delve deep into Tiger's statement. Read it and take it to heart. He deserves that. His statement deserves our attention. It's reveaing on how our society has evolved. We should lend a ear, or an eye in this instance.

For all the excellent golf he's given us, let him have a minute or two of your time. While he is currently the world's most famous athlete, it does come with its baggage. And I'm not referring to his golf bag.

Part of Tiger's statement made me really pause for thought.

"But no matter how intense curiosity about public figures can be, there is an important and deep principle at stake which is the right to some simple, human measure of privacy. I realize there are some who don't share my view on that. But for me, the virtue of privacy is one that must be protected in matters that are intimate and within one's own family. Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family shouldn't have to mean public confessions."

We all have a right to privacy. It's a basic fundamental freedom we have been given as a citizen of the United States of America. I heard someone say we lose that right once we leave the confines of our homes. Once we exit the front door of our houswe, we are "public property." Really? What happened to the term "private property"? Tiger should be permitted that right. He actually shouldn't have to ask for that, but he had to due to his celebrity status.

But many in the business of digging into a celebrity's private matters do not think that right is permitted and adhere to the notion that once we exit out homes, we're targets. They refer to the First Amendment as their protector. While the First Amendment does guarantee the freedom of speech, it does not define the line of rights to privacy and , most importantly, ethics and decency.

It seems that "line" is crossed on an hourly basis. Ethical standards are broken rather than exercised. Decency is forsaken for the benefit of sales or site hits. That's just one or many reasons why we see lawsuits brought against such enterprises.

I'm not dumping on the tabloids. All I'm asking is that sources should be considered and verified with extreme caution and intense scrutiny. Recently, it's been revealed that an individual in California claims she was carrying on with Tiger. It has been reported that she received as mush as $100,000 for her "story". Like I said, consider the source and excercise scrutiny. We've seen notable journalists lose their job due to only their eagerness to get a scoop and not perform the necessary verification of information.

I don't care Tiger was deemed at fault for the accident. I don't care that he's being fined $164. I don't care about any of the circumstances that may, or may not, have led to the accident. The Florida Highway Patrol has closed its investigation and will not pursue any other charges. We should do the same.

There is another casualty that is being affected by this whole Tiger thing.

The Chevron World Challenge, which is being played this week and benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation, is feeling the effects of its host's absence. In a piece on thegolfchannel.com, Rex Hoggard describes the mood at this week's event. No Tiger, little activity. Chevron took on the sponsorship last year and has been struck twice due to Tiger's absence.

 Last year it was due to his knee surgery. This year it's due the surgery of his private life.

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