I saw this online and thought I should share. I was also watching the news and 49% of respondents felt that it was the right time for Tiger to make a comeback.. Seems like we were pretty accurate about forgiveness and him having a comeback as quickly as he did.

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/sports/pro/golf&id=7332988

~Rafaela S.

Here's great online debate on whether Tiger Woods really matters today.

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2010/02/22/opinion/1247467136114/blogging...

It's true - Tiger does not owe the public an apology. Who he apologizes to is his business. But really...I think we can all look at Tiger and many other public figures in the past who have fallen from the public's grace, and see their public apologies as an example. How many of us can say that we apologize to those we hurt when we hurt them? We hold people in the public eye to a standard higher than what we hold ourselves. When I say "we", I mean everyday, normal, ordianry people. Why do we put such high expectations on public figures and demand apologies when we can't deliver such grandiose apologies to those in our social sphere? Let's remove the speck from our eye before we tell the public figures to remove the specks from theirs.
To those of you who owe anyone an apology, now is the time to do so. Mend your bridges, but don't polnt the finger at Tiger and expect justice when you owe justice yourself.

Sarah Reynoso

The hoopla with Tiger Woods is both a complex and simple one. It all depends on what kind of person YOU are. Personally, I find it very simple indeed. The man is a great golfer and he just so happens to be a human being, with everything that goes with that status, the good, the bad, the ugly. Sure, we all have made him rich, because we enjoy his talent, we bet on his talent, and we, perhaps, see ourselves in some odd way as the winner who takes it all when he does. The notion however, that he is in the public eye and thus the public (which, unfortunately includes me) has the right to know everything about him. Well, let me be the one to disagree. Scott does NOT have the RIGHT to know everything about Tiger Woods. What Tiger does behind closed doors should be between him, his family, friends and his God (if he has one), case closed.
I don't care one bit about what Tiger did or didn't do. He is not my friend, he is not part of my family. He is a great golfer who is a human being. For some, this might be too simple, but you know what? I have more important things to worry about then what some golfer or "star" does on his or her off time. I care about my family and friends and for them I have to be there. Tiger I do not know. I don't want to know him. So, I don't care.
I wish him the best. It is not a good thing to be judged by a world that can't seem to understand that judging ought to start in one's own backyard.

Not a high-level analysis or anything, but I guess I’ll add my take on the matter…

I’m studying and working as a journalist right now—a sports journalist, for that matter—so to not bring up the media’s fault in this entire scandal would be unfair. The media is constantly searching for a story and, more "importantly," one that will sell. The flow of information is in some ways controlled by the media, but they do take cues from society’s pulse—what’s hot now, what people want to read, who’s in and who’s not—to determine what’s promoted. Tiger’s a hot topic. Gossip sells. Scandals really sell. I have to agree with you, that people would rather focus on his misery than his or her own. To see a public figure brought down to size, so to speak, allows them to feel superior for not being caught up in those transgressions. Sure, none of us are perfect, but it’s the notion that "at least my life isn’t as screwed up as his" when, in actuality, there are so many other facets of life that could be screwed up. This sort of news shows where some of society’s priorities are…and it shows that we need to reprioritize.

Parents also had a definite role in this. Young basketball players want to be like Mike. Young golfers want to be like Tiger. Tiger, who is perhaps the most recognizable athlete in the world, is a role model to these kids. I’m sure that parents are having a hard time explaining what Tiger has done to get him in the news so much and why it was wrong, so I’m sure that they are some of the people championing for an apology. Regardless of what Charles Barkley’s "I am not a role model" commercials says, athletes do serve as role models and should be aware of that. Parents should be responsible for kids, but more and more often, we see the media raising children instead. When something doesn’t go to plan, parents are finally forced to parent.

Like it or not, Tiger is a public figure and, unfortunately, this usually leads to much less privacy than what is afforded to private citizens. When someone chooses to use their talent in the public arena, whether it is as an actor, politician, or athlete, it can be assumed he or she will know that their life will be under the microscope, with every move scrutinized, fairly or unfairly.

It’s inevitable that people become invested in these public figures; they develop a parasocial relationship with them. (How about that? I did pay attention in class.) In other words, we—those with the relationship with the public figure—have some sort of "established" connection with that figure, one that feels real. When that person we have a relationship with goes against the grain, does something that violates the morals and values that we hold them to (not the values and morals the figure actually has), a person generally feels as though they have been betrayed or violated. The public outcry that ensues typically calls for justification—how could someone we "know" and love do this to us?—and, in response, there will usually be some sort of public apology to the fans (even though, honestly, they do not owe us anything), and some will end up being grilled by Larry King or on Oprah’s couch in an attempt to regain that credibility we had attributed to them.

Tiger doesn’t owe us anything. Tiger doesn’t owe anything to those who live vicariously through him. He owes it to himself to fix what needs to be fixed privately, to concentrate on his family and return when he sees fit. He needs to do what he needs to do. When he does return, will people who admonish him now tune in? Of course. Ratings will probably be higher for this highly-anticipated event. Will those who say they will not cheer for him cheer for him? Yeah. Regardless of what people say in public, there is always the desire to root for the “broken” person. A desire to see someone overcome an obstacle. A desire to watch a winner. A desire to feel a part of the glory. When Tiger returns—and when he wins—people will cheer (and so will media outlets). Just like always.

Steph Bee

David Hino