I really didn’t want to write about Tiger Woods this week. I dislike everything about this story, and don’t enjoy the thought of piling on to the already massive amount of coverage this story is getting. Still, there is no avoiding it. Clearly, people are fascinated, and to an extent that I find highly distressing.

Sure, this is a Bad Sports story. There is nothing good about it. So why don’t I want to write about it? I commented on my distaste for this story before, just as the details were starting to unfold back in November. It’s just that it’s not a sports story, as far as I am concerned. I don’t care if Tiger Woods cheated on his wife any more than I care if any of the endless people commenting on the story cheated on their spouses, and I’ll bet you there are plenty of those. Tiger Woods didn’t break any laws, he didn’t cheat at golf, he didn’t gamble on his sport, or do anything else that would have any actual bearing on the sport of golf. He did spend a lot of time with a lot of different women. He clearly is a bad husband. The question is why everybody cares so much about this. Yes, Woods is a huge star. He is arguably the most well-known athlete in the world. He is possibly the greatest golfer of all time. He certainly transcends the sport. Why, though, does that make his personal life something that makes people stop what they are doing to discuss, read about, comment on, and openly judge him?

I don’t watch sports for the personalities. I know my column often points out the foibles of athletes, even beyond their athletic performance. I try to limit this to things that have some bearing on sports, though. If an athlete is arrested for drugs, or shoots himself in the leg in a club (still my favorite), there is a direct impact on sports because the athletes in question face suspensions and/or jail time that may prevent them from participating in the games for which they are paid so handsomely. Yes, Woods is missing tournaments now, but that is directly because the public’s fascination with the story would so thoroughly distract from the events, the other competitors, and Tiger himself that those tournaments would be a circus if he were there playing. Our “Reality Television” existence makes us feel like we are entitled to know everything about everyone.

On my way in to work the morning of the press conference, I was listening to a couple of guys on the radio who were discussing what they felt Tiger was going to say. They discussed who would be there, whether those people should, in fact, be there, and what it meant that they were there. Talk about dreck. I was angry at myself for leaving the station on for so long. I did not watch the press conference itself, but it has been impossible to avoid reading about it. When I realized I would need to write about it, I did read the transcript of Tiger’s speech. As apologies go, it was better than most. At least he didn’t blame anyone else or use the tired “if anyone was offended, I apologize” garbage. Still, what exactly was he apologizing for? Do we really deserve an apology? I can see him apologizing to his wife, sure. Why, though, does Tiger have to apologize to me? He didn’t do anything to me. I am completely unaffected by his indiscretions.

I would love to think that someday, this kind of thing won’t produce such a drooling public ready to pounce on every word. I am not optimistic, though.

Bad sports, continued:

2) It’s amazing to me that, in an era of political correctness about so many things, many still think that a person’s sexuality is somehow fair game. I know people who would never use a racial slur, yet don’t think twice about mocking a man for being effeminate or a woman for being masculine. A couple of Canadian sports announcers clearly thought it was okay when discussing figure skater Johnny Weir’s performance in the Olympics this week. Claude Mailhot and Alain Goldberg disparaged Weir’s costumes and his masculinity during the performance, even going so far as to suggest that Weir should be made to undergo gender testing. I hope they are held accountable.

3) Rajaan Bennett, a football player who was planning to attend Vanderbilt later this year, was killed in what appeared to be a murder-suicide in Georgia this week.

Good sports:

1) Apolo Anton Ohno won his 7th career Olympic medal with a bronze in the 1000-meter speedskating event, becoming the first American to ever win seven medals in the Winter Olympics.

2) Despite having won world championships and many medals, skier Bode Miller had never won gold. Until Sunday, that is. His victory in the super-combined event puts a stamp on his resume that had been missing, despite all that success.

3) Following a miserable Daytona 500 in which he finished 35th after an accident, Jimmie Johnson got his 2010 season moving in the right direction by dominating and winning the Auto Club 500 in Fontana, California. Johnson took advantage of a late break that found him in the pits at the perfect time to allow him to take over the lead, which he held through the checkered flag. It was Johnson’s 48th career win, matching his car number.

Bad Sports, Good Sports appears every Monday

• Author Bio
• Latest Posts

Alan Spoll

Alan Spoll is a software quality assurance director from the suburbs of Philadelphia where he lives with his wonderful wife and children. He has spent his entire life as a passionate fan of the Eagles, Phillies, Sixers, Flyers, and Penn State. Recent Phillies success aside, you will understand his natural negativity. Follow me on Twitter - @DocAlan02

Latest posts by Alan Spoll (Posts)

• Pereira comments on “Philly Special” a total waste of time - February 14, 2018
• BSGS News Brief: Tom Brady beats the NFL - September 3, 2015
• BSGS News Brief: Geno Smith gets his jaw broken by a punch - August 16, 2015
• BSGS News Brief – Oh, Vanderbilt. Really? - August 6, 2015
• BSGS News Brief – Sheldon Richardson hits the Bad Sports wire in a big way - July 31, 2015

Tags: bad sports, good sports // 2 Comments »