Tiger Woods...the Apology Tour

Ok. So now he is on the record. Tiger Woods basically spoke to the entire world this morning apologizing...repeatedly for what he has done.

The apology, broadcast from PGA Tour HQ in Sawgrass was given in front of a handful of friends, tour officials and sponsors. There was also a camera in the room so it could be broadcast...and broadcast it was by all the over-the air networks and most of the cable networks.

((Tiger speaks his peace//Courtesy: NY Daily News/CNN Screen grab))

Itself, the premise was almost surreal. Here was the one time most popular athlete in the world on a platform trying...in a carefully scripted way to take the 1st step towards regaining his life. Yes, there are going to be a lot of cynics...and tabloid reporters who will say the whole thing was a dog and pony show and a load of crap. They are saying that because they want to be the one to get the "One-on One" interview. Sorry people. It ain't happening. As a professional journalist, sure, it makes me cringe that no reporters were present in the room and no questions were taken. But I can see his side as well. He doesn't need the journalists to get his story out.

There were several key statements in the speech that would lead one to believe that the man realizes the effects of what he's done. We will highlight what we feel are the interesting parts:

-"I know I have bitterly disappointed all of you. I have made you question who I am and how I could have done the things I did. I am embarrassed that I have put you in this position."

-"For all that I have done, I am so sorry."

-"The issue involved here was my repeated irresponsible behavior. I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated. What I did is not acceptable, and I am the only person to blame."

-"I knew my actions were wrong, but I convinced myself that normal rules didn't apply. I never thought about who I was hurting. Instead, I thought only about myself. I ran straight through the boundaries that a married couple should live by. I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled. Thanks to money and fame, I didn't have to go far to find them."

-"I was wrong. I was foolish. I don't get to play by different rules. The same boundaries that apply to everyone apply to me. I brought this shame on myself. I hurt my wife, my kids, my mother, my wife's family, my friends, my foundation, and kids all around the world who admired me."

-"It's hard to admit that I need help, but I do. For 45 days from the end of December to early February, I was in inpatient therapy receiving guidance for the issues I'm facing. I have a long way to go. But I've taken my first steps in the right direction. "

-"I recognize I have brought this on myself, and I know above all I am the one who needs to change. I owe it to my family to become a better person. I owe it to those closest to me to become a better man. That's where my focus will be. "

-"Finally, there are many people in this room, and there are many people at home who believed in me. Today I want to ask for your help. I ask you to find room in your heart to one day believe in me again."

We here at OSG World HQ...well actually the Satellite office feel as though this was a good start. We feel that he said what needed to be said. Would a room full of journalists have jumped at the chance to start asking him questions...sure they would. Did they need to? No, to be really honest, they didn't. When push comes to shove, this is a personal issue. This is not something that needs to be combed through with a fine tooth comb publicly. This should suffice.

Will it be enough to stop the onslaught of tabloid stories? No. Will it stop the endless stream of jokes about it? No. Should it be left alone. Yes. But we know that we live in a society where we feel like we have to know every dirty little secret of the people we admire. Is it our right to know it? Debatable. It really shouldn't matter what they do on their own time. As long as when they are on our time, they do what they are paid to do.

Here is the entire statement...Courtesy CBS News:

MyFoxDallas had an interesting sidebar to the whole 13-and-a-half minutes...

A joint called HCD Research was surveying close to 1,100 Americans as Tiger Woods was delivering his apology to determine his "sincerity." Here are their results from their survey during key sections of the Tiger Woods World Feed...
((HT: MyFoxDFW.com))