I'm sad about the Tiger thing

This whole Tiger Woods wreck/fight/affair thing just makes me sad. I am a huge fan of golf and I recognize that having a player with the stature of Tiger Woods is good for the golf industry. But being Tiger Woods has to be difficult. The Tiger Woods empire is contingent on his surpassing will to win, his actual winning, a finely crafted public personna, and a public who can't get enough of Tiger. When he's winning, when he marries a beautiful wife, when he's limping to victory, when he flashes his trademark smile, when he freezes out his opponent with icy stares, and when he is able to show carefully scripted and tightly rationed views into his personal life, it works incredibly well.

But the problem is that Tiger the trademark isn't the same as Tiger the man. It can't be. It is impossible. But when the PGA, Nike, Gatorade and other sponsors are paying someone the huge bucks, and when the sports journalists keep their spotlights trained on one individual a majority of the time there is a great price to pay in return. You give up the ability to have a marital dust-up in the privacy of your own neighborhood. No one can live in the spotlight during the good times and turn it off in the bad times. Too many people have their livelihoods tied to the Tiger brand. Protecting the brand becomes first priority. But no veneer is strong enough to withstand the onslaught of speculation. Eventually information begins to seep through the inevitable cracks which appear under the unrelenting pressure.

This is not unique to Tiger. It is common to anyone who is in a position of significant influence. We see the same tale with political and religious leaders. It is hard to be transparent and vulnerable when so many want the leader to be Superman. Those who find their identity in being close to the leader will typically make these matters worse by trying to contain the truth. Then when the truth ultimately comes out, the fallout is devastating.

I don't know how this will ultimately impact the Tiger legacy. He may resume his place as the world's best golfer. But his family and his reputation as a husband and father has taken a huge hit. And that makes me sad.