Tiger Woods is Taking an "Indefinite" Leave From Golf

Fox News is reporting that Tiger Woods has announced that he will take an indefinite leave from golf:

JACKSONVILLE, Florida — Tiger Woods is taking an indefinite leave from professional golf to work on saving his family, using the word "infidelity" for the first time in a statement posted on his Web site.

Woods says he is aware of the disappointment that "my infidelity" has caused to his wife and children. He says he might not be able to repair the damage, but he wants to try.

He did not disclose Friday evening how long of a break he would take from the PGA Tour. He again asked for privacy, saying his family would need a "safe haven" to try to heal.

There is a rumor that he will be moving his family to his wife's country of Sweden. It appears that Tiger and his wife have a sincere desire to heal their family. With that in mind, I will wish them the best of luck.

Updated to include Tiger Wood's statement:

I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children. I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and that I ask forgiveness. It may not be possible to repair the damage I've done, but I want to do my best to try.

I would like to ask everyone, including my fans, the good people at my foundation, business partners, the PGA Tour, and my fellow competitors, for their understanding. What's most important now is that my family has the time, privacy, and safe haven we will need for personal healing.

After much soul searching, I have decided to take an indefinite break from professional golf. I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person.

Again, I ask for privacy for my family and I am especially grateful for all those who have offered compassion and concern during this difficult period.

American Power is posting on the lastest "round" of women who are crawling out of the woodwork. Every day the Tiger news becomes more and more tawdry. I've got to say that if I were Elin Woods I would take the money and run. It appears that she has chosen a diferent path and if she has the strength to forgive her husband I give her a credit for being a much better woman than I.

The Tiger Woods Just Keeps Growing

It is starting to look like the Tiger Wood's story has more legs than a centipede. Donald has a new post up American Power and among other things, he has an excerpt of one of Tiger's "sexts." Tiger is turning out to be one classy guy.

Donald also reports, complete with email exchanges, that Tiger professed his love for Rachel Uchitel. But apparently neither his vows to his wife nor his "love" for Uchitel got in the way of his multiple conquests.

Sheesh, where did he find the time? I mean, what are we up to-eleven? Tiger Wood's "I'm not perfect" will go down in understatement infamy along side of Nixon's "I'm not a thief."

Can't Get Any Worse for Tiger? How About Naked Pictures?

From today's what the Hell was he thinking file, American Power is reporting that someone is shopping naked pictures of Tiger Woods to Playgirl:

I'm not sure if Tiger is suffering from a maturity problem, an ego problem, or a he's just plain nuts problem but surely he would have to know that nude photos of someone of his fame and wealth would not stay hidden forever. In my humble opinion, ain't no flippin way he's coming back from this.

Read the rest of story.

Is There a Double Standard About Domestic Violence?

Many assume, without a shred of evidence, that Elin Woods took a nine iron to her husband's head. Perhaps reflecting on how their own wives would react if it came to light that they had been cheated on, men make somewhat nervous jokes about it. Women tend to comment that they would have swung a little bit lower.

Fausta rightfully notes that nobody would be making jokes had Tiger swung upside Elin's face. Violence is violence and the neither the sex of the hitter nor the sex of the hittee makes any difference. And while we're at it, don't forget that there is a child in the Woods household. In very real terms, domestic violence is not a joke.

Cassandra at Villainous Company doesn't shed any tears for Tiger. She points out that by being a serial cheater, Tiger not only degraded himself, his wife and his marriage, he exposed his wife to grave danger if he engaged in unprotected sex with these women. We have no reason to believe he did but by the same standard, we have no reason to believe that Elin hit him with a golf club.

Somewhere in between is Little Miss Attila who makes the point that if anyone in this world can piss you off it is your spouse. Amen to that. I've been divorced for twenty-seven years and that man still pisses me off. However, as LMA says, we should handle those situations in a adult manner that avoids escalating disagreements to the point of no return.

Fausta, Cassandra and LMA all agree that domestic violence is abhorrent although they take different approaches towards the Tiger Woods situation. The problems is, none us knows what happened inside Tiger's house that night or if there was a pattern of violence between Tiger and his wife. If there was violence at the Wood's house that night and if it was a one time thing brought one by the shock of learning that her husband had been unfaithful I would lean towards cutting Elin a break. That is not the same as excusing her actions but I would be a bit more understanding. Honestly, I wouldn't cut Tiger a break if the situation were reversed. So yes, up to a point I do have a double standard.

Tiger and his wife appear poised to stay together. Definitely wouldn't be my choice. It takes a lot to heal a marriage that has been spectacularly, publicly broken. I wish them the best of luck.

I Guess I'm Just "Out of Step" UPDATE

In this case, "out of step" is code for "old fashioned" or maybe just old. American Power is reporting that six women are now claiming to have had affairs with Tiger Woods. "Affairs" may be too strong of a word, it appears that these young women were "booty calls." Whatever.

I can't think of any circumstance, or any man, that I would announce to the world that I had screwed around with them. In the case of a married man, I wouldn't even tell my best friend. I would be too embarrassed and ashamed. Yet, six women, so far have come out to say that they fooled around with Tiger Woods. Why?

If it is for money, whether in the form of a payoff or otherwise, it smacks of prostitution. If it is for "fame" it smacks of desperation. Who wants to be famous for being a whore? A month from now this story will have dropped off the radar and nobody will remember who these women are. I would be surprised if any of them even get fifteen minutes of fame. It seems like little reason to embarrass yourself over.

But I guess that is where the "old fashioned" comes in. I am projecting my values where they do not exist.

Read the American Power story here.

Related because it deals with Tiger Woods but otherwise unrelated, Legal Insurrection has news of the black communities reaction to the color of Tiger's flings. I would say that I thought we were beyond this but I recently learned otherwise when a dear friend's daughter married a black man. In my family, it is not an issue. Finding someone to spend your life with is an incredible thing, one I haven't managed. I can't think of anything less important to the qualities that make a good marriage than race.

UPDATE:

It seems like the color of Tiger's "ladies" is becoming a bigger story than the fact that he is a six (at least) timing cheat. Yukio Ngaby wrote a comment at Legal Insurrection recalling his own experiences of being married to a black woman and has followed up with a post at Critical Narrative:

But then the AP pushed this article upon us: "Tiger's troubles widen his distance from blacks." What's it about? Well, a lot of it's about the race of Woods' mistresses and the black community's attitude toward interracial marriage. My favorite quote from the article:

"On the one hand, Ebonie Johnson Cooper doesn't care that Tiger Woods' wife and alleged mistresses are white because Woods is 'quote-unquote not really black.'"

"But at the same time we still see him as a black man with a white woman, and it makes a difference,' said Johnson Cooper, a 26-year-old African-American from New York City. 'There's just this preservation thing we have among one another. We like to see each other with each other."'

Preservation thing? This kind of language is the same crap that various white supremacist websites push...

Read Yukio's entire post. He makes the case that this nonsense would not be tolerated if it were being made by white people. It shouldn't be tolerated when it comes from black people either.

Tiger Woods Asks For Privacy

Tiger Woods has issued a statement asking for privacy and so long as he doesn't start babbling about a "soul mate" I am willing to give it to him. I do admit to some curiosity regarding the matter and ala Legal Insurrection, I do have some questions. However, all is well that ends well and I trust that Mr. Woods will strive to be a bit more perfect going forward.

More at:

Memeorandum
The Other McCain
Left Coast Rebel

What's Jim Brown's Problem With Tiger Woods?

How much do you know about the Tiger Woods Foundation? Did you know it has served over 10 million youth since 1996? Tiger Woods is one of those rare celebrities who does his job and lives his life without the need to call a lot of attention to himself. I find Wood’s low key attitude incredibly refreshing but according to this post at The Daley Gator, NFL Hall of Famer Jim Brown has a problem with Tiger:

“You know what’s so interesting about Tiger to me?” Brown said. “He is a killer, he will run over you, he will kick your ass. But as an individual for social change? Terrible. Terrible. Because he can get away with teaching kids to play golf, and that’s his contribution. In the real world, I can’t teach kids to play golf and that’s my contribution, if I’ve got that kind of power.” This isn’t the first time Brown has criticized Woods; last year Brown said he thinks Woods is too politically correct.

To each his own but I prefer people who chose act charitably without a lot of fanfare. Too many times famous people more than offset any good they do by calling attention to themselves in ways that are less than admirable and Mr. Brown is no exception:

Brown’s brief career with the Cleveland Browns put him in the Hall of Fame, but it was his embrace of an identity as a civil-rights activist in the face of rabid discrimination that set him apart from many other contemporary black athletes. His activism, including the creation of the Black Economic Union, drew the attention of the FBI—beginning a monumental investigation that would follow his every move for most of his life. Jim Brown’s private life was less admirable. Domestic violence, battery, and rape charges shadowed Brown’s reputation.

Tiger Woods and Jim Brown have taken a different path to helping others. Mr. Brown doesn’t help his cause by belittling a man who is admired both on and off the course and who has helped million of young people.