RSS Roundtable: Tiger's Saga and What It Really Means

No news in sports over the past few months has captured the attention of the nation like the Tiger Woods saga. It began as a car accident in his neighborhood, but has developed into so much more. For such a dynamic story, we've brought in Brother Yohey to help us in a RSS Roundtable event to answer the 4 Most Important Questions for the big picture of Tiger Woods and HydrantGate. How has Tiger and the media handled the situation? How does this affair affect Woods' image? And, what is the lasting impact?

1) How has Tiger handled the situation?

Mr. Yoder II: For a man who has built this immaculate image as a corporate icon, golfing god, and down-to-earth family man, Tiger has managed to ruin his perfect image by handling this situation terribly. From evading the police, to not confronting speculation soon enough (remember his original statement called the rumors about his affairs "irresponsible" but not untrue), to this cold, distant statement released Wednesday. Tiger is the most clutch athlete alive, but can't speak to his fans, sponsors, and media? Please.

Mr. Yoder I: Tiger has handled this situation very poorly. Y2 is right, it looks incredibly foolish to call the rumors irresponsible and 2 days later admit to "transgressions"! That is a triple bogey for Woods. Tiger is a victim though of his own image and reputation. In the grand scheme of things, people make mistakes, and we should all hope that there can be healing here. But, Tiger, being idolized like no other athlete in our history, has a long way to fall for us to realize that he's human.

Bro. Yohey: I wanted for this to not be true; I’ve liked Tiger since watching him run away from the field for his first Masters victory. However, I feel that you both are missing one big problem that has arisen in this culture; the idea of Tiger being human. Was it Tiger’s fault that he excelled in golf and was the hottest advertising commodity? I don't think there can be a judgment that he's handled it badly or not.

Mr. Yoder II: Honestly, I think the bubble shield that Tiger has built up the last 10 years has done more harm than good in this instance. Tiger's never been known as a great communicator...people marvel if he gives anything away in a post-round interview, let alone his personal life. He had to deliberate, and hide behind his PR team until they drafted this empty, defensive statement. In that sense he's failed to get in front of the story, such as Andy Pettite, A-Rod, and even David Letterman.

Bro Yohey: We build athletes up to this superficial standard, and when we find out that they aren’t flawless, then they are ripped apart. It is a terrible catch 22 which athletes find themselves in today. I just wish that athletes have something in common with us normal people; human nature. Tiger not appeasing the media with his statments is something I can not and will not fault him for. I wonder where it says that in order for you to excel at a sport and play at a high level, you must sacrifice your privacy. Why give the media anything to play with when they have showed countless times in the past that they can't be trusted with any information?

Mr. Yoder I: By only giving a sparsely detailed, defensive, and veiled statement regarding the accident, Woods only invited more speculation and conspiracy theories. That strategy blew up in his face. Once the voicemail came out it seems like the light finally went on for Tiger that he better come clean about the affair. Does Tiger regret his actions and everything he brought on his family, or does he regret that he got caught? Instead of just offering a mea culpa he again plays the privacy card and lectures us. Really? I don't expect to visibly see him for at least a few months, and then the questions will come once again.

2) How has the media handled the situation?

Mr. Yoder I: It's been good and bad. On one hand, the sensationalist tabloids like the Enquirer and TMZ were the ones to bring to light the affair accusations. Like communism in the movie Clue, Tiger's car accident was a red herring hiding the true story. Of course, the tabloids aren't real journalism, but we know the mainstream sports media would never dig up the true story. That mainstream sports media has too much interest in Woods. They ignored the real story until he finally released a statement. I'm sure ESPN and Tiger protectors will emphasize his humanity and sweep it under the rug.

Bro. Yohey: Ok, I can’t disagree more with your statement Y1 actually giving the media some credit. Oh Lord, ESPN actually covered the story, when they heard from Tiger! TMZ is garbage that posts stories dealing with speculation. So they got it right this time and I applaud the mainstream media for not going with this until they had the facts straight and got the statement from Tiger. Hindsight is always 20/20.

Mr. Yoder II: We all want to believe journalism is still well and alive in this country, but it's not. Journalism as we knew it is dead. However sleazy they might be, give credit to these "gossip" sites for breaking the news the mainstream is afraid to cover. If the mainstream wanted to show journalism wasn't dead, they'd be going after the truth in this story instead of trying to protect their cozy relationship with Tiger. I mean, there wasn't even a mention of the US Weekly allegations on ESPN's front page until Tiger's statement, that's pathetic.

Mr. Yoder I: Both sides of the media have a clear agenda, and it leaves the public uninformed and uneducated. There is a vacated middle ground that has to look at this from a grounded perspective. How does the scandal affect Tiger's marketability? Will his rep ever be the same? How does this relate to other cases? Neither end of the media is right, but both might have a shred of truth and accuracy in their coverage.

Bro. Yohey: The media has become a cancer in the world of sports. The notion of Tiger living in a world where privacy stops at his doorstep is ridiculous. I wonder how those in the media would like it if they had an incident like this happen, and people all over start making remarks regarding private matters when they don't even know the truth.

Mr. Yoder I: Bro. Yohey, in a perfect world Tiger could have his privacy. He could also give back that billion dollars and go work in a factory for $10 an hour in Duluth, MN. But, we need to be realistic. He's perhaps the 2nd most recognizable person on the planet behind Barack Obama, real privacy is a pipedream. It's the media's duty to cover him just like any other celeb and hold him accountable. I don't care if it's TMZ or ESPN. You don't think sponsors and the PGA Tour want to get to the bottom of this? It might be tough for Tiger, but it's the price he pays for being the world's first billion dollar athlete.

Mr. Yoder II: And I think that's the main point in the coverage of this story. It's not that Tiger doesn't deserve his privacy, everyone certainly does. In an ideal society, these tabloids wouldn't exist, athletes and celebrities could be just like the rest of us. But, when you become one of the world's most high-profile athletes, you have to play by a different set of rules than "normal people". Just because Tiger is usually in control of everything, doesn't mean he's exempt from the same scrutiny as all other public figures.

Mr. Yoder II: Look, nobody's asking Tiger and his family to go on Dr. Phil for a public counseling session. But, for a man that is the most recognizable figure in the world, he owes it to the millions of fans who pay to see him play and buy his merchandise to speak to them. Not to beg for forgiveness, but show his face to the public. By submitting this crafted statement, he's taking the easy way out and hoping the controversy goes away before he returns to golf in a couple months.

3) How does HydrantGate affect Tiger's aura of invincibility?

Mr. Yoder II: To the public and some of his peers, his image is affected greatly in the short-term. Look at Jesper Parnevik's comments yesterday (boy those Swedes sure know how to stick together, huh). The longer he's defensive about it, the harder it's going to be for the public to completely forgive him and move on. Look no further than Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Mark McGwire: legendary athletes who have never faced up to allegations that have dogged them for years. The public still holds them in a negative light because they haven't addressed their "sins" publicly to a camera. Woods admitted his guilt, but he needs to actually showremorse, and not just type it on a word doc.

Mr. Yoder I: Maybe not so much his invincibility, but his carefully manicured image. Think about what a bad end of 2009 it has been for Tiger Woods on and off the course. It started with blowing his first major to YE Yang at the PGA, and now this happens. I think Tiger's aura is definitely affected here. Part of the intrigue of this whole story is that it is Tiger Woods. It's not Rick Pitino or David Letterman that we're talking about here. Rick Pitino's affair didn't put Rick Reilly on Good Morning America, for better or worse.

Bro. Yohey: I get a kick out of this question. Tiger wishes to stay private and not let his life play out on the tabloid pages. For that, he is protrayed as being invincible; I say he is being smart. The media will do all they can to bring you down; if you are deemed "invincible" they will search to find chinks in the armor just to make you look bad and to sell publications. Y2, the McGwire, Clemens and Bonds analogy is illogical; their accusations dealt with cheating in the sport they played. Tiger’s situation has nothing to do with his golf game, and the only sense of invincibility he should have is on the golf course.

Mr. Yoder II: Of course Tiger's on-course persona takes no hit from this scandal. We've already seen Tiger is the most mentally strong athlete ever, so he'll be able to block this out with no problem. Unless Phil's caddy or Sergio start talking trash on the golf course, or women run out on the tee to give Tiger their phone number, he'll be unaffected. His competitors will draw more confidence from his failure in the 2009 PGA Championship than his rocky personal life. Let's not kid ourselves, Tiger can't be the only pro golfer who's putting his clubs in a different bag, if you know what I'm saying.

Mr. Yoder I: Really, we don't know these people at all. We idealize our athletes so much and Tiger is the perfect example. He's crafted such a perfect image of himself that when it takes even the slightest hit, it's a huge, huge deal. The affair and the decline of the idealized Tiger are the true story here. I think when a role model falters it's a tragic story no matter how you look at it. Whatever the actual number is, there will be many of people that will turn Tiger off, and not watch on TV, or have to answer tough questions from 10 year old kids that want to be the next Tiger Woods. That's the underlying sadness to this story.

4) Does this whole episode have any lasting impact?

Bro. Yohey: Ask me this in a year. Tiger giving the press and media nothing to work with is a good tactic, although they feel "entitled" to an explanation. They don't deserve a damn thing and it gets me annoyed.

Mr. Yoder II: In a word, no. Does anyone honestly believe Tiger won't go on to win another major just because he's having problems at home, of course not. Tiger will still go on to break Jack Nicklaus's record for most career major titles and go down as the best golfer in history. His sordid affairs will merely be a footnote, much like Babe Ruth, Kobe Bryant, Ray Lewis, and countless others.

Mr. Yoder I: The PGA, sponsors, and countless others are invested in the Tiger Woods brand and need to know if they can trust this guy in the future or not. The direct impact is on Woods' legacy; much like Ruth, Bryant, Lewis, and any other athlete that has faced scandal it is a very small portion of their legacy, but a portion nonetheless.

BY: Now, after hearing there are leeches out talking about indecent Tiger texts and voice mails, this will grow larger and it is sad. People are only coming out with this due to the crash and it is sad. They are like sharks who pounce when they smell blood. Put them all on a spaceship and launch it to the sun. Fans need to be more realistic. The idea of having athletic role models always troubled me. I didn’t grow up idolizing Barry Larkin or Bernie Kosar or Larry Bird; I grew up idolizing my father. What is so wrong with society that no longer worships athletes as more than human?

Y1: Again though, I think that the lasting impact is larger than even Tiger Woods. Think about it, the one athlete that we thought was perfect in every way has fessed up that he's human. That's what is so compelling part about sports: that we can look up to these people as something more than they actually are to inspire us in our "normal" lives. The troubling thing for me moving forward is the question of whether or not there are any role models left today in sports? Today it's Tiger Woods, who will it be next? Do these athletes need to be more responsible and accountable to the millions that look up to them, or do fans need to have more realistic expectations of their heroes? I think that's a question that sadly nobody has the answer to.

What do you think? Let us know your opinions about the Tiger Woods saga and what it really means for Tiger's rep, his future, the game of golf, and what it says about society and sports.