Over-under on how many times Woods says ’sorry’: 5 1/2
Tiger Woods was back on a golf course Thursday, practicing at his home course in Windermere, Fla. (AP photo)
Good morning. It’s time for confession.
Tiger Woods will make his first public comment since he crashed his Escalade into a tree and news broke of his infidelity three months ago. I’ll be here to blog immediately following the “passive” news conference — it was announced he will not take questions from three wire service reporters — and get your thoughts on the matter.
You already know what I think. I believe Woods is either getting bad advice or not listening to good advice. He seems less concerned about contrition and the healing process than he does controlling a situation that has long since been out of control.
A few things I didn’t address in last night’s column that you might find interesting:
♦ Want to get a bet down on what Woods says? There’s still time. The folks at Bodog.com are taking wagers on how many times Woods says the word, “sorry” (over-under is 5 1/2). At 5-to-4, “sorry” also is the slight favorite to be the most uttered word you can bet, followed by “family” (3-2) and “apologize” (5-2).
Will Woods wipe a tear from his face? Odds say no. Will he name the next tournament he plays? No is a slight favorite. A release from the British office of Bodog also is posting odds on whether Woods mentions Nike (6-4), car (4-1), addiction (6-1), demons (12-1), retirement (16-1), gambling (25-1) or sex (25-1). No word on whether there’s a car-addiction-sex parlay.
♦ The 950-member Golf Writers Association of America has decided to boycott the event because pool reporters would not agree to the ground rules of not being allowed to ask questions. GWAA president Vartan Kupelian said, “To limit the ability of journalists to attend, listen, see and question Woods goes against the grain of everything we believe.”
♦ Woods will return to therapy after the press conference, according to a letter obtained by PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem by the Associated Press. “As we understand it, Tiger’s therapy called for a week’s break at this time during which he has spent a few days with his children and then will make his statement before returning,” Finchem said in the letter. ”Accordingly, there was very little flexibility in the date for the announcement.” The letter shed no light on whether Woods plans to return to the tour anytime soon.
Nobody can be certain on what Woods will say or who will be in the room with him at the TPA Sawgrass in Florida.
Anybody have any thoughts on whether Elin Nordegren will attend?
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75 comments Add your comment
Cutty
February 19th, 2010
11:24 am
He should say screw the apology. No one else is affected by this other than his wife. All these so-called pundits are saying he needs to air out all the details. For what? If they keep it up, he should begin naming names of all the other golfers and those who cover them, that also have had indiscretions. Not like he’s the only one.
IlliniDawg
February 19th, 2010
11:24 am
Was watching in rapt attention – and then he lost me when he went off on his rambling Buddhist mumbo-jumbo
Peadawg
February 19th, 2010
11:26 am
Good speech even though it wasn’t needed. All he needs to apologize to is his family.
Jeff Schultz
February 19th, 2010
11:28 am
FOLKS — flash blog is up if you want to move commenting over there. I’ll update it shortly.
http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/2010/02/19/woods-i-thought-i-could-get-away-with-whatever-i-wanted/
Hold that Tiger
February 19th, 2010
11:29 am
Good lord, Jeff. Why on earth does Tiger have to control the situation? This is his personal life and he seems to be handling it as anyone of us would in the same situation. He owes us nothing. NOTHING. It’s his family that he has to answer to. He has been in treatment for months and appears to be taking this very seriously so that he can save his family and save himself. At the end of the day, that is all that matters. He has the right to not answer questions about this matter. The only one who deserves to ask questions is Elin.
We are all lucky to have witnessed greatness over his career and the tour has blossomed since he joined it. But work and personal should be separate at all times. He has suffered because of the suffering he caused. That the man is trying to save himself is a testament to who he is. You should let him be. We all should. I forgive him as a fan because I don’t care in his personal life. Because I really really doubt anyone on this board or the writer of this column would be able to stand up to the scrutiny he is always under. You would crack like warm sheet of ice. What a bunch of hypocrites.
shane
February 19th, 2010
11:29 am
The issue is not his wife, Woods said, but his “repeated irresponsible behavior, I had affairs, I have cheated. … I stopped living by the core values I was taught
Huh? His Dad ran around on his Mom the whole time when he was going up. In fact Tiger has a half brother. I would say he was living exactly by the core values he was taught. The apple did not fall far from the tree.
gdawginkalamazoo
February 19th, 2010
11:30 am
He didn’t apologize to Joslyn James. Me thinks Gloria Allred will now have a conniption fit.
Mr Charlie
February 19th, 2010
11:30 am
Nike’s new ad:
Tiger walkes to the stage dressed in black, stands before 1000’s of poeple, it is stone quite.
He shouts “I AM TIGER WOODS, ANY @@@@@ QUESTIONS”, after a pause, he says “did’nt think so”.
All I'm Saying Is...
February 19th, 2010
11:30 am
DHD: Agree with you completely.
Shane: People in glass houses, my friend.
Scripted or not, sincere or not, he said what needed to be said (maybe not what you wanted him to say or done the way you wanted) to the people that mattered most (i.e. not the media), made some additional points (no domestic violence in my household ever, never took performance enhancing drugs), explained why this needed to be done today and now he has to walk the talk.
Find something else to do with your time, folks. I understand a plane crashed into the IRS building in Austin, TX, a lady in Atlanta was assaulted near GTech, the Winter Olympics are on, Accenture’s golf tournament is still going on, each of you probably have a friend or loved one who could use your help finding a job…you know, important things?!!!
Jake Espenlaub
February 19th, 2010
11:30 am
Shane,
sorry to inform you, but you are a moron… Phil is one of the most hated players on tour.
I’m not condoning any of Tiger’s acts, simply because I don’t think they are right.
But if you were to know about golf, you would know players on the tour do not like Phil while they do like Tiger. Learn what you’re talking about before you speak.
AlphaDog
February 19th, 2010
11:30 am
Well done, Tiger! (and team) Only thing missing was Elin coming out from behind the curtain to hug you afterward. Go home, play with the kids, get back to the sham of counseling (been there, done that, paid $100/hr) and then get back to golf!
JSS
February 19th, 2010
11:33 am
Somebody needs stop drinking that lead based K-River water! It leads to making a fool of one’s self on a daily blogging basis! SW Michigan, home of every type of radical free range nut case this side of the Idaho border!
It is simple, either you’re going to let it go or you are not… I can care less one way or the other, but I wish Tiger and his family the best… Elin is a grown *** woman, she can take of her own mental heath (she’s defacto rich), but there’s a portion who want a NASCAR Dale Earnhardt tragedy… Think about it…
Bob Didier caught here
February 19th, 2010
11:35 am
Shultz,
I live about 5 minutes from Sawgrass and the security down there was incredibly tight!! I mean this has all the theatre of a Kabuki Play.
I had read the other day that golfers currently on the course will be asked to hurry their play as to not be there while “tigers little passion play”.
Honestly?? I always thought this guy was a bit of a fake and a fraud. He is the greatest living golfer but I always suspected there was something behind the facade!
Ga boy
February 19th, 2010
11:36 am
Lots of apologists out there- of course you all didn’t think he did anything wrong in the first place. You all forget the damage he is doing to the game of golf- it started out as a gentleman’s game- rules of honesty and all that. It has been usurped by “you da man” and “in the hole”. Arnie had as many crowds as tiger- but they showed class-as did Arnie. Unlike tiger. And unlike many in his mob.
Will
February 19th, 2010
11:39 am
Tiger is a golfer and he isn’t required to answer to anyone! However I guarantee you will get more transparency and honesty from Tiger than say our president and Robert Gibbs.
Ga boy
February 19th, 2010
11:41 am
Will And this has what to do with politics???? You moron. Go worship at your shrine of tiger.
JRP
February 19th, 2010
11:42 am
So, is Tiger the only pro athlete that has ever cheated on his wife? And with more than one woman? He owes us nothing, all of this is between him and Elin..If they diecide to stay together, I wish them well..
WMD
February 19th, 2010
11:46 am
If he thinks that the questions from his fans and the writers are going to stop because he wants them to he is sadly mistaken. AND he will eventually be asked those questions in person over and over again until he answers them. But in future press conferences and on the golf course. Still the arrogant putz.
ez4me
February 19th, 2010
11:55 am
Really, I don’t understand why anyone would be so absorbed with what is going on in Tiger’s “sex” life. Tiger did not hit media attention for that reason, it was because he was an excellent “GOLF” player and probably still is. The media has nothing better to do than to dig deep into the crevices of others lives to report what they call the “News”.
Frankly, I could give a damn about Tiger, Vick, Rose on any other highly overpaid Athlete, Politian, or Entertainment Industry Professional that gets media attention to pay their bills because none of their money helps to pay mine….Furthermore, when did they or any other human being become exempt from any wrongful doing. Remember there isn’t but one judge and it surely isn’t any of us mortal beings. Focus on the folks that take lives in any form, rape across the nation, or tactics that are harmful to another human life, and I did say “Harmful” not “Hurtful” the hurt can be healed….Elin will get over it and move on, it’s not like her life will be uncomfortable financially.
Start reporting something we really need to address like poverty in the US. Yeah! Let’s start with that one because if I give you too many items to focus on, you’ll loose track of “Real” issues…..
WMD
February 19th, 2010
12:14 pm
ez4me No big deal eh? No skin off your nose. Says a lot about you – not much about tigger.
david baker
February 19th, 2010
4:07 pm
Jeff Schultz or whatever his name is can be described like most of the media. They have an over inflated sense of worth exceeded only by their arrogance. Like he was going to be invited to the Tiger news confernence. Face it dude you are a nobody. There was a time when sports writers were gentlemen back in the day of Sam Snead, Jack Kennedy, and Lee Trevino all known sex addicts. The rule was you didn’t talk about it in public because it is a private matter and has nothing to do with golf or the presidency. Then these bozos come along and think they are enititled to know what kind of underwear you have on. It is truly so lacking in class as to be undescribable.
clean up your yard
February 19th, 2010
5:22 pm
david baker so ya wanna shoot the messenger eh? figures
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Noah
March 11th, 2010
2:24 am
Incredible. blogs.ajc.com is great.
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