Chasing A Tiger’s Tail — Do We Really Care This Much?
Friday, February 19th, 2010 
Rather than cover the intense fighting in southern Afghanistan, which took the lives of four NATO servicemen yesterday, or focus on President Obama’s speech later today in Las Vegas, where he will launch a $1.5 billion plan to help the states most hit by the housing crunch, the media storm hovers over Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, waiting with bated breath for Tiger Woods to break his self-imposed vow of silence.
Yawn!
I cannot decide if the saddest aspect of this whole pseudo-press conference is that it makes (yet again) a mockery of the press or that people seem to care at all. Let’s just all take a collective deep breath and admit that there are about a million more important, pressing events and issues that need attention.
Yawn!
Given the rules that Tiger and his camp have imposed on today’s “event,” let’s drop the “press” from “press conference” and just refer to it as a conference. Outraged, the national golf press corps responded by voting to boycot the event — as if they were invited anyway. But, all this boo-hooing from golf experts and other media talking heads is just too much to take.
Yawn!
All of the sudden, golf writers (don’t forget…covering golf) are indignant because they cannot ask Tiger Woods questions about his private life? Where were these junior league Woodward and Bernsteins the last decade? Please let me know if you can remember a golf journalist ever asking Tiger a difficult question. Can’t do that…might get one exiled to the outer reaches, covering the lesser lights outside Tiger’s universe.
Yawn!
Remember, though, this public falling on the sword is media-driven. Countless men and women around the world have affairs and get divorced. I usually fall into the “you wanted to be a celebrity, so deal with the consequences” camp, yet this circus (after a lifetime of watching “public apologies,” from Magic Johnson to Bill Clinton) is just too much.
Yawn!
Without Woods’ star power, many golf writers might be out of work, which adds another dimension to the story. Hardcore journalist types often lament (or even hate) public relations, marketing, advertising, and other organizational communications as evil or somehow impure compared to their chosen trade. Perhaps a little self-reflection is in order today…as all those boycotting golf writers try to figure out a way to continue talking about Tiger Woods, long after he finishes, or until his next appearance.
Image by striatic/hobvias sudoneighm
