Watching The Mighty Fall…. Sad Commentary!
Wednesday, 2. December 2009
Unless, you happen to live under a rock or your oblivious to tabloid gossip, then your probably aware of the daily drama related to Tiger Woods apparent infidelity. As much as it pains me to write about such a subject, which I believe has absolutely nothing to do with sports, or is any of our business. I feel some social responsibility to voice my frustrations via this great public forum.
First, let me clarify for the record, I’m completely against infidelity whether it’s in a marriage or even a serious relationship. Society has become far too lenient when it comes to adhering to any type of moral or ethical code. We simply make excuses for poor judgement and bad behavior then medicate the culprits accordingly. The person was depressed or unhappy, so they had a legitimate reason to cheat right? Wrong! My partner doesn’t love me anymore or doesn’t shower me with affection. How about communicating that to your significant other instead of looking for a temporary fix elsewhere?
If Tiger Woods did in fact stray from his wife, then he should own up to it, and take his medicine as a man. Which he has vaguely attempted to do with scripted statements posted on his official website. However, his apologies and sincere regrets should be expressed to his wife and not the entire world. Charles Barkley, one of my favorite sports figures, said it best; “Athletes are not role models”. Why should we hold athletes, most of which have been coddled their entire life, to a higher standard than a doctor or college professor for example?
Lost in all of the discussion is the accountability for the other individuals involved in these transgressions. Since when is it alright for a woman to sleep with a married man? Tiger Woods is the most recognizeable athlete in the world, and it is clearly evident he is married. Apparently, Tiger carried on an affair with a cocktail waitress/reality TV hacktress, who felt compelled to save text messages and voicemails left by Tiger and share them with the tabloids. Now she will be paid a nice chunk of change for her story, and praised for her immoral behavior. What a country huh? I see another Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton or Nicole Richie in the making. In my humble opinion, woman have taken a drastic step backward in their progress towards equality. A recent Time Magazine cover story illustrated the overwhelming percentage of unhappy woman in America. When will any of us learn that happiness cannot be achieved by simply accumulating wealth or living a hedonistic lifestyle. We are fixated on immediate gratification, and in the process have lost our work ethic and desire to build meaningful interpersonal relationships that aren’t predicated on an ulterior motive or personal gain.
We have become morally bankrupt as a society, thanks in part to Corporate America, the media and lets not forget the evolution of the internet. Originally designed as a source of diseminating and gathering information. It has now become a playground for deviant behavior and anonymous individuals to post their negativity and hate. Have you ever read the comments left under articles on the web? If so, I’m sure you are aware of how some people can be so callus and cowardly when hiding behind a fictitious screen name.
Tiger Woods gives the cynics more fodder for the argument that no one is as pristine and pure as they portray themselves to be. Fortunately, we still have Derek Jeter to revere as a person of great character and substance. The world as we know it may come to an end if “The Captain” somehow manages to disappoint us and fail to live up to our high expectations.
