Tiger Woods has broken his silence and spoken publicly for the first time since the scandal surrounding his private life erupted in November last year. “I was unfaithful, I had affairs, I cheated. What I did was unacceptable.”
Blogs and tweets are talking about what he should and shouldn’t say. Blogger Richard Greener says please don’t apologize when you meet the press on Friday. Tiger Woods owes nothing to those of us who watch him play golf — not a thing. Any private apologies he may have are just that — private. If he wants to say, “I’m sorry” to his wife, why do I have to hear it?
Others like Mark Olmsted think he should be brutally honest. Whatever he might say the event is going to be broadcast live at 1100EST (1600GMT), on most US networks and even on Youtube.
One thing we do know is that he wont be taking questions and has invited a limited number of journalist. The Golf Writers Association of America voted to boycott attending the public statement because they aren’t allowed to ask questions.
What should Tiger Woods say, should he apologise? Why has he waited so long? Is there any point of doing a statement without allowing the press to ask questions?
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BBC World Have Your Say 
Polic apology to who, for what? I believe he owes all to his wife and not to anybody else. If he apologises to the public, what then would he do to his wife; kill himself?
Its all about integrity isn’t it? It not much different than if he stole money or cheated in golf or any number of things. If you believe someone to have integrity, and they publicly show that they do not, it is disappointing to many people who are not personally affected by it.
It’s good to know he’s acknowledging that he was wrong, and at least at this point is sorry. But the future will prove whether he really does or doesn’t have the integrity to behave with honesty. If he wants to sleep with 1000 women, that’s fine. Just don’t pretend to be a devoted husband abiding by a promise he’s not keeping.
I don’t need an apology from Tiger Woods. He hasn’t affected my life in any way, shape or form. The only apologies he needs to make are to the people his actions have directly affected – his wife and family. To the rest of us, he provided a mere talking point, something to discuss as we drank coffee. To his wife and family it is a completely different matter. Tiger, don’t waste your breath apologising to the press and the public, save it for the ones who need to hear it the most.
Richard Greener above is right – why Should he apologise to anyone other than his family?
People have become like a judge and jury or better still = like children now -forever “Wanting” or Expecting explanations or recompense for every single thing everyone Ever does in their public or private lives?
Ultimately our Media backlashes on us and we are all under scrutiny now for anything we do and its our Own fault because we allow our Media to keep printing this Cr*p…. Have to rename our newspapers ‘gossip-papers’ now as the majority of ‘news’ is not Really newsworthy!
Tiger owes apologies to a lot of people…but why the public? He’s a golfer, not an elected official and is in no way answerable to the public.
It is as if the act itself were public in the first place and a narator were missing. Tiger Woods should know that we were not amused and he is unlikely to make it better than it was. A lot of us are not even golfers to judge whether what he did is a passport to a famous golf player.
He mearly wants to project his image once more and make more csh through hits on his blog.
Do you honestly mean Tiger Wood would make more money when this blog gets more hits ?
Something wrong somewhere Sir.
Apologise for what? It is unlikely that he is sincerely sorry for what he did beyond what it has done to his ability to make money. I suspect that anything he says will be scripted and more directed at good spin and PR so that he can get back in to the lucrative money spinning PGA behemoth.
He only needs to make an apology to his family and friends and not to the public.
I think there are some more important issues, that people are talking about. In the US, someone who hated the Internal Revenue Service crashed his airplane into an IRS building. Something tells me that’s more discussionworthy than Tiger Woods apologizing, trying to preserve his remaining sponsors.
Well said Sir. The most rich and decadent country on earth, usa, has funny notions of decency and fornication which is a simple biological function that’s prudently ignored in France, the land of lovers.
I certainly admire Tiger Woods for his prowess on a golf link and cheat-bed.
Yes, he cheated on his wife and millions of people cheat on their spouses.
So what ?
Come on prudes, please do not pretend —
Just because Tiger Wood is richer than me, able to make so much money than me,
so skill full the gap between Tiger Wood and his next ranked Golfer is so vast,
am damn jealous of this black man who rules the roost.
Did he ever force himself on any one of the women who slept with him willingly ?
The were all consenting adults.
Why bother at all !
I agree with most comments here. Why would he need to apologize to the public?
These respondents are correct. No public apology is necessary. Mr. Woods betrayed his family’s trust, not the that of the public.
g
Also more important than this in recent news is the row between the UK and Argentina over the Falklands Islands, w hich they fought a war over in 1982. Oil deposits have been found off the ISlands, and Argentina claims them and has restricted shipping from South America to the Falklands. Surely that’s more discussion worthy than Tiger Woods?
What about the Iranian Supreme leader’s denial that Iran is developing nuclear weapons?
Again, because some blogger is talking about something, doesn’t mean it’s worthy of being a show topic. There are plenty of bloggers talking about pornography, yet you don’t do shows on that.
“I’m Sorry” are 7 letters arranged into two MEANINGLESS words.
Every mass murderer stands before the Judge and says “I’m Sorry”.
Who is kidding whom? No reporters, no networks, no questions, nothing but a Tiger Woods farce.
This is a raw and naked attempt by Tiger to get back his endorsements and money.
Tiger Woods, apology or no, does NOT affect my life and I do not buy a product because Tiger Woods endorses it and anyone who does is brain dead.
What I have learned throughout this entire nonsense is that when a Cop tries to give me a traffic ticket, I will tell him “Not now, I am not ready to receive you and I need to shut myself in my home and speak to my lawyer and publicist first.” “Come back in 2 weeks”.
I find myself in rare agreement with Steve. Is a sports celebrity trying to rehabilitate his public image so he can make a few million more in product endorsements really an important international story on a day when Obama has met the Dalai Lama, Americans are crashing planes into a tax office and Argentina is making threatening noises about the Falklands again?
Me too with you sir.
While I believe that what he did is a human mistake -yes, he’s a human as well- and that he must not care that much what others are saying, I believe also that, like it or not, he’s a public figure and thus, he must give us all some kind of explanation.
Tiger makes the vast majority of his money from promoting products. If he is not someone to look up to, he will not be able to make many millions from endorsements. I am sure he does not fee he has to apologize to most of us, or that we want it, but if he wants millions of dollars for promoting the sale of cars and clothes, he has to improve his image. He is like politician, he has to make people care about him in a personal way if he is going to sell stuff, and right now most people do not want to be like him. He certainly is not going to change his ways, nobody like that ever does. Being rich has its benefits. Maybe Citizens watch company will pick him up, their motto is “Unstoppable!” and surely Tiger is.
When you put it that way I can see some sanity here.
For goodness gracious, why is the BBC even wasting time on this, the man hits balls for a living let us keep this in pespective I agree with Bob. He is not looking for better ways to cure disease he is not in danger in Afghanistan. He has not broken any laws, he has not acted reckless and caused millions to go on the bread line and still wants a bonus (those are the real criminals) .
Tige should apologise to no one, as it will make no difference to any ones lives . What he does with his money and in his spare time is his business and that of his wife.
Bradley
You are perfectly right.
But some speak of endorsements and millions from them.
Well a few companies withdrew.
Not all, did they ?
May be the CEOs of the companies that withdrew have something to hide from their wives or mistresses.
A case of ”Scorned Woman” may be !
Thank God, my wife knows each and every woman that consented to be with me.
Wheee !
Enough about Tiger Woods already!! The BBC is descending into tabloid territory with all this focus on Woods. I’m interested in how he scores on the golf course, not how he scores with women. As there is so much money involved in the “Tiger Woods Brand,” it is appropriate that the BBC business programmes comment on the matter. Otherwise, please, please leave it alone. Pandering to gossip does not become the BBC World Service.
I for one will NOT be listening to World Have Your Say tonight.
Donnamarie,
The Beeb has a certain quality that other MSM doesn’t have, I’ll grant you that. However, if you want serious news, turn to another source, such as democracynow.org
There may be less international news (though perhaps more than on many American MSM!), but at least it’s independent news…
It’s high time the BBC lost it’s halo: it’s just another formatted media.
Perish the thought! Apologies are a dime a dozen, anyway. Get on with your life Tiger and leave me out of it.
I hope you are sorry for more than yourself but if history is any indicator of true repentance I greatly doubt it.
Tiger Woods didn’t cheat on the public, he cheated on his wife. Why should he have to apologize to us? There are countless people who cheat on their partners, should we line them up so they can tell the rest of us how sorry they are as well?
I agree with Steve and Bob,there must be something more important to discuss.
Tiger Wods is both a married individual and a global brand – I assume the married life apology has already been instated so todays admissions must be for the global brand including sponsors like Nike who I may have vetted this communication.
In a similar way to Toyota, Tiger Woods has been very poorly advised on crisis management – this become a crisis because of poor communication from the outset so to have a “closed media” conference with no questions is not mitigation for earlier errors. And so it will go on.
The only apology I want to hear is one from the BBC for its boring, pointless and over-long waste of air time discussing what it acknowledged in the first three seconds of its report to be Mr. Wood’s PRIVATE matter.
I have to agree here. Who at the BBC did Mr. Woods cheat on?
Tiger Woods must have become an object of both contempt and compassion for the damages he had caused to his family, sponsors and himself.
A public apology is needed to restore his image as a golfer and a family man. He needs compassion as he was the victim of sex drive and the great success he enjoyed which have made him envied by many women just for the pleasure of sleeping with a hero.
By apologizing, he can defend himself and lessen the sharp edge of criticism targeted at him from his fans, who used to think him about cheating his wife. Now by apologizing, he has the chance to restart his life playing fair and not dirty games.
Just a correction of the last paragraph of my comment above.
By apologizing, Tiger Woods can defend himself and lessen the sharp edge of criticism targeted at him from his fans, who used to think him to be ABOVE cheating his wife. Now by apologizing, he has the chance to restart his life playing fair and not dirty games.
Who is Tiger Woods? What is golf? Who gives a rat’s patootie? This is only about Tiger’s money, why have I wasted these pixels?
Am I mistaken, is this a blog for celebrity gossip?
Talking of apologies it would have been more appropriate to discuss Toyota’s boss accepting invitation to testify before Congress.
NO NO NO with the exception of his wife.
Does The biassed BBC have a personal vendetta against Tiger Woods? As has been said by a number of you there are far more imortant subjects affecting us all that The biassed BBC chooses to ignore! I have been very critical of The BBC both on The World Service and our National Service for which we The British are forced to pay.
Perhaps a better discussion might be BBC bias on many subjects both national and internation. We have a body to whom we can complain called The BBC Trust. They are of course appointed by The BBC and are in my opinion an insult to the meaning of the word “trust”
EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA,
It is official, BBC is now a tabloid.
EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA.
I agree that Tiger’s “apology” to the public is completely unnecessary and unwarranted, however it IS in keeping with social mores, which require formal recognition of the elephant in the room before moving forward. I think of the awkwardness of conversation when meeting someone who has just lost a loved one if no acknowledgment of the loss is made. In Tiger’s case, the sincerity and intent of an apology IS called to question, but the fact that he apparently can only do two things (and one of them he says he’s giving up) requires him to attempt the awkward bridge between “before” and “after” so that he can get on with golf. Personally, I don’t care (or believe) what he says… his self-interest has destroyed his family, a choice that no public rapprochement can erase. And I sincerely doubt that any “Name Brand’ worth its salt is going to put much stock in his words either. Tiger’s destruction of his own myth is the stuff of tragedy so deep that he cannot rehabilitate it beyond swinging a club on the golf course.
It’s damage control not contrition.
“Nous sommes peu à penser trop, trop à penser peu.”
Slow news day?
I think everything that needs to be said about Tiger Woods was said several weeks ago.
Is there really nothing more substantial to discuss?
Come on WHYS, if you are so hellbent on covering this, make it the last 10 minute of the show, but th enetire show, when there are so many important things in the news, like China being upset about Obama meeting the Dalia Lama, the IRS building plane crash, etc????
What “people” might be talking about, which is always your defense, is not always valid. i’m sure even more people are talking about the latest porn star news, but you never cover that. I’m sure more people are talking about the latest internet phenomenon, but you don’t cover that. This is tabloid, unimportant stuff, Tiger Woods. He’s simply trying to keep his sponsors happy. That’s really worth devoting a show to?
Mr.WOODS need not apologise to anyone else but his family after which he ought to put his relationship with his God right. I only fear that a public apology might just be for ‘a show’.
I would fully expect WHYS to dedicate a complete show to discussing what celebrities wear to the next awards ceremony, given that so many people are talking about it. Just look at all the style blogs and women’s magazines at the checkout aisle discussing who wore what.. That’s exactly what todays’s show is…. You have no reason not to discuss celebrity red carpet clothing if you base it simply on “what people are talking about”
A Tiger Woods apology has as much importance to me as the Oklahoma City Bomber Terry Nichols protesting that he is not getting enough fiber in his diet.
Apology for what guys?on the contrary we the journalist are responsible for expounding the ant hill to be a mountain and justify his evil behaviours..who cares after all,we all dogg in a way.Apologise to your sweet wife and never to the jeolous singles who are keen to stop your world Tiger.
Has this guy been going to the Jimmy Swaggart School of Public Relations or what? This has way more potential for harm than it does good – one wrong word and that’s ALL he’ll be remembered for.
He should have done this a long time ago. Look at David Letterman. I talked about it RIGHT away, was honest, and it was news for about a week. Instead he’s been silent and it’s been news for way too long.
-Anthony, LA, CA
I don’t recall that Mr. Woods gave his word to us as a public that he was going to be faithful to his wife and his marriage. My thinking is he gave his word to his wife and family. It is to them alone therefore that he owes an apology.
I only know him as a great golfer and will continue to respect his golfing skills if he keeps them up.
Should a minor celebrity indulge in a publicity stunt as a means of grovelling to his corporate sponsors? Of course he should for that is the name of the game he plays, otherwise, out of sight, out of mind, out of bucks.
Golf is undoubtedly one of the most boring games (won’t dignify it with name of sport) in the world but the real game he is playing is a fascinating study in 21st century cultural anthropology: celeb creates a fictitious image for himself, makes mega-millions, image gets cracked with minor misdemeanour, celeb has to don hair shirt, present himself as a fallen angel, preferably in the grip of some sort of “addiction”, eat humble pie and lo and behold, he is “rehabilitated” and the millions start pouring in again.
I have heard on one or two sports programmes on the Beeb that this is rather nifty timing, as it puts the spotlight back on him when some golf tournament or other is going on without him, just in case his sponsors decide to sign up someone else, I gather a lot of his ex-fellow players are not best pleased.
Tiger Woods is making a stereotypical maneuver by apologizing. He gets some air time, and hopefully a chance to get back into the public eye. I join the others in asking him “why?” His affairs had no effect on the public when they were announced, and will have no effect now. What is important is that his wife and his god forgive him
Personally, I feel that their more important issues in the world today.
The only one he has to apologize to is his wife.
He dosen’t need to but he should since he owes that to his fans.
His infidelity makes him a bad husband but he is still a great PLAYER 🙂 (pun intended)
What did Tiger Woods ever do to “the public” that he feels he needs to apologise to them? Personally I’ve never seen Tiger, or any other superstar sports personality beyond what they really are…really talented people! The only person he needs to apologise to is his wife and family. Honestly, as much as we’d like our sports and film heroes to be morally upright people, we shouldn’t expect it. They are as much human as you and me.
Leave Tiger Woods to his own problems! It’s none of our business!
This isn’t ” As the World Turns”, ” Days of Our Lives” or ” East Enders”! This is “World Have Your Say!” and it looks like the World wants to talk about something important.
Please stop letting the Drama Queens (no matter their sex) pick the topic. I schedule my morning at work so I can listen to a meaningful, conscientious show involving the world and it’s problems, because we don’t have a great show like this in Arizona.
If I wanted Dribble, I’d go watch “Total Drama Action” on the Cartoon Network so it’s at least stupidly humorous!
I like the Faulkland’s idea! Change the subject now! PLEASE!
i find that those out there who say its all about Tiger Woods and his family should look at him in a wider perspective for he comes as a role model to both us his fans and our children he represents a noble sport and his world records are all out there for us to see not easy fits to achieve i may add so we should pray that he comes out of this reformed which will be an example to us that we all err the most important lesson being to accept your mistakes and come out a better person and not cave into a shell……!!
Well, really he does.
He needs to apologise to all those people who followed him, supported him and made him as rich as he was. He traded on an image of being squeaky clean, a decent, honorable man, which he most certainly is not. He needs to apologise to people in general for being such a repulsive human being, when so many can lead a decent life he chose to simply indulge his whims, because he could, because he could corrupt people with money to keep them silent.
But for me I don’t need him to apologise, because I don’t believe it will actually mean anything (to him or us), or be sincere. He is just doing this to rehabilitate not himself, but his earning power again only this time he will openly be out to pull the wool over an adoring public eager to hear his story, eager to embrace him and forgive his repulsive behaviour and dust him off and place him back on that pedestal.
Too soon we forgive such people mostly because we ‘love’ them as they are invariably celebrities or sports ‘heroes’ actors and the like. They can do what they want, thumb their noses are decent people and ultimately get away with it all only to do it again and again.
If anything Woods IS sorry, sorry he got caught, sorry he can’t carry on with his indulging his apetites. At least not until the furure has died down more. Sorry he has to grovel to us lower forms to leave him alone. He wont learn a thing from this, except where he went wrong covering it all up.
Tiger Woods is a human being that screwed up. The media and a portion of the public act like they are his family and he must say “I’m Sorry”. The media has the nerve to be mad because they can’t ask questions. This guy does not owe me or anyone else an apology. A journalist friend of mine said its his job to ask questions but Tiger is under no obligation to answer them. Tiger can’t win either way. First everyone was mad because he said nothing. Now they are mad because he is making a statement. What a mess we weave in the judging business.
I realize WHY’s subject of the day is determined by what people talk about online, and not necessarily what is important.
I would say the Agentina / Faullands issue, or the Israel State assasination in Dubai. Would be very lively subjects for the WHYS program.
We should have a WHY’s program to discuss why people like to talk about trivial issues.
Here we go again!
To give the moaning bloggers something more substantial to talk about when his name gets mentioned in connection to this show can’t we merge him into a deeper news story?
Do it right and no one will notice.
On Air: Does Tiger Woods need to make a public Apology for the insurgency in Iraq and the nuclear aspirations of Iran?
Worth a try.
He only needs to apologize, and mean it, to his wife and children. Just learn to be a great husband and father.
The last time the show was about Tiger Woods, I wrote in to say I wouldn’t be tuning in, simply because I wasn’t interested, and one show about him was more than enough. I didn’t feel like I was going to learn anything or get any smarter from it. Ironically, WHYS called me that day to participate in the show, so I ended up listening anyways!
I agree with most of the comments that would have rather discussed something else, but I think what speaks louder is simply not to comment and not to listen to the show if you are not interested or disgusted with the subject. There was a lot of comment on the show yesterday stating that the question was so stupid they might have to stop listening to the show, but at last count, there were 288 comments on it.
What I find interesting is the business of public apologies and how they follow a certain form. I just heard a bit of Tiger’s apology and he gets points for saying exactly what he did and apologizing for his actions. I have heard some apologies from public figures that don’t mention what was done wrong, and apologize only for how the other person feels instead of for their own action. I guess it’s the art of apologizing without admitting you did anything wrong.
Ooops, I meant 245 comments.
Let me add, if us mere mortals were to act in such a manner as he has conducted himself, how many would find themself shunned, lose their jobs?
If you were a teacher, would you ever get a job teaching in a school again? Someone with real responsibility or a social standing, you would be ruined. It seems that celebs and sport stars are immune. Maybe we should be sending a message to the wider community. This kind of behaviour, repulsive as it is in anyones language should not be dismissed as his own business, or ignored. He ingratiated himself into the public, is a public figure, so act like a reasonable human being. he had his time in the sun, made a fortune, showed us he is way less than decent, that’s it, you had your chance now go away and hide in the shadows.
Where is the unlike button?
Now if this were a truly democratic show, they would bump this subject….I think the listeners have spoken.
What Tiger does in his private life is none of my business, and I suggest that it is none of WHYS business either.
It is a private matter. There should’t be a public apology.
This whole matter is morbid curiosity. Leave the man alone. He has enough problems with his wife and family. It’s nobody’s business, but theirs.
It is indeed a very private matter. I am sick of this kind of ‘news’. More than enough has been said already!
Are you all serious? In this extremely fake climate of ‘Celebrity’ where people are mainly in it for the fame and money – Does everyone honestly still hold fast to our celebrities being ‘role’ models to our kids? I would have thought the public and especially parents were more sav vy than that! – If it is the case then why do you let so many ‘celebs’ get away with stuff and not others ?
I Think his fans don’t really care do you? – But this media baying after an apology is a bit of a cop-out myself – the Public now take everything as if its a personal affront to THEM! – and it gives the excuse to judge so called ‘offenders’ for other people’s expectations?
Did Tiger Woods actually say he was squeaky clean or did the people who follow him want him to be and thus turned him into being a squeaky clean? ???
So – if he then does not live up to their standard, whose fault is it – His or his followers?
Tiger Woods was swinging more than his golf club. Infidelity is widespread. It is as old as the ages. Power, money, and fame make adultery even more exciting. New love is addictive. It always makes you feel like you are on top of the world! Tiger was on top of the world, until he screwed up. He got caught. Perhaps what we really have enjoyed is that he did get caught. I knew that he was cheating when I saw a photo of him and his wife at a tournament. They were standing next to each other but facing opposite directions. He was holding one of the kids. Their facial expressions told it all. The story broke a couple of weeks later. Their marriage is over, his career is over. People will remember him for his betrayal. Sex is a private matter between to people but Tiger took his sex public and shoved it down our throats. We do not care about his apology, we never cared to hear about him having sex in the first place.
no need at all. espl after how the media treated the whole affair. He does not have to anymore.
Hang on wait a minute… he attacked the media??
So when he was speeding off down the street under the influence, wife chasing him with a weapon – endagering other people on the road, had he ran over someone on the pavement or driving the other way it would have been different… Was that the fault of the media. I have attended many MVCs where stupidity and irresponsibility were factors so I find that highly offensive.
Wow, I stopped listening to WHYS and participating on the blog about three months ago because I thought the show had become too tabloid, which I find boring.
Now I stop by for the first time in three months and see this is the topic of the day? WHYS was a cutting-edge show at one point. What happened…?
Well, maybe I’ll come by again in May or June. Bye.
Maybe the question is:
Why do we feel we need an apology?
Will Tiger’s apology really effect your life?
What Tiger does and says is of no consequence to me.
It will still be cold and snowing tomorrow.
At least I got a few chuckles out of Steve and Dan’s responses.
I could think of more important apologies that need to be made.
Besides, a true apology comes with some change in action. To adequately show this change, it means that there will be more media watching every one of Tiger’s.
Thus, a public apology just ensures that we, the public will be following Tiger to see if he really means it.
Count me out.
I’m not married to him.
There are at least two reasons many people are talking about this. 1. Scandal. No comment from me here. This subject is not worthy to talk about except:
2. Money. Tiger was paid $millions to tell people to buy certain brand of car, shaver, etc. Most of those contracts are now canceled. Tiger wants to be paid for endorsements again in the future. He is working on this process.
But just as important, many people bought those products thinking Tiger was a God or Idol or other role model. That was the mistake. Those suckers are now hurting. They, and his previous sponsors, probably deserve an apology. Those that never thought Tigers opinion or strategy of doing anything other than sinking a ball into a hole probably don’t really care about this apology.
I have never bought a product based on a celebrity’s endorsement. When will the public learn?
Bob
Yeah, when will the product promoters learn ?
Or may be most people, except a few like you and I, do buy products on the say so of a celeb guy or gal.
Surely, sex isn’t a crime as yet ?
To me the brunt of Tiger Woods apology was a plea to the Media to leave his kids and wife alone that they were out of bounds and only Sara Palin’s family and children were fair game.
It’s about time WHYS is back on the Tiger Train. I was missing the on air conversations about his situation.
D in Indiana – I took your comment to be sarcasm and I was surprised to hear it read on the show. Was I wrong?
No not to the public. But I guess if he wants his endorsements back, it makes financial sense. I hope he has apologised to his wife.
Is this what the BBC is reporting on these days??!!. For god sake this is a story for the minority of people who follow the hobby of golf, the overwhelming majority of people who pay for the licence fee don’t give a dam about this. Its high time the BBC stopped this type of red top journalism and started to report the real important stories going on in the world.
Tiger did the right thing here. Go Tiger. Play in the Masters. I will be there, I hope you are.
For Tiger Woods to get back to where he was he had to make this kind of Public Apology there was no alternative,but it is only a start in the rehabilitation process.
Golf attendances are down 50%,the whole industry has been effected,since the press statement was at the USPGA Headquarters it shows his peers what him back.
Althoug I added my two cents – I agree Carl. The BBC is now a talking tabloid!! Can we get back to some real issues?
The only person he needs to apologize to are his family and the women he took advantage of-he’s a golfer, not a god. He does not owe the public an apology, and I’m sick to death of athletes having to apologize to fans when we find out they aren’t perfect. As for the golfing community, the last person that should have to apologize to them is Tiger Woods since he’s probably done more to draw attention to that sport than anybody in decades. BIG SURPRISE a great athlete is not also an outstanding person-when are we gonna learn??????
Wow, when twitter becomes “news” you know there’s something seriously wrong.
There is simply no need for public apology. Afterall did he offended the public by his actions? A big NO. The apology should all go to Mrs. Wood.
When someone flies a plane into an IRS building in an act of domestic terrorism and WHYS chooses the Tiger debacle to cover, you know WHYS is losing it.
As a fan of Tiger woods, I don’t think Tiger Woods owes me any apology. Let him save it for his kids, Elin & in-laws. All I want is see him on the green, armed with a golf club, strutting his stuff. Enough with those self-righteous, limelight craving tabloids. Who made us High Priest of morality?
After listening to a few minutes of the apology I noticed 1 thing. It seems he borrowed President Obama’s speech coach. He spoke just like him with the same pauses for emphasis and everything. At least it was pleasant, intelligent and mature. Unlike so many other sports hero’s.
Now lets talk about the cloths he wore, his hair style, the total number of woman he conquered and do you think he will go for a world record?
I guess this is a better subject than the local political and sports radio shows talking about it now. At least the world get to say what they want about it.
I look forward to listening to WHYS most days. I really feel this is a waste of time. This program is excellent for encouraging voices from around the world to discuss situations that affect all of us. Is there really no more pressing news then a golfer’s failings?
Still not understanding why it would be any of our business. Just another slow news day.
That’s brilliant, so Tiger has to apologize because the public didn’t percieve him correctly? He has to let the public know that he’s in fact, human and not a super human?
The only thing I ever knew about him or thought about him before this was that he’s a great golfer. I never thought he was the male Mother Theresa that was great at Golf..
I believe Tiger Woods’ wife was very publicly humiliated….perhaps a very public apology serves a purpose in repairing their relationship.
That is the only good purpose I see in his public statements today. Unfortunately, I think it is real purpose is most likely financial. More self serving behavior on his part.
Tiger Woods made a calculated public ploy to restore an image damaged to the tune of billions in in lifetime endorsements. This has nothing to do with his personal life. It is about trying to change hearts and minds who buy cars, watches, and services of which Tiger has been the face for more than a decade.
Tiger is the best golfer of his generation. Whether he is the best husband, father, or person is irrelevant. Children will watch him hit a golf ball, not hang out in Las Vegas. And by the time they do know about any personal activities, their parents had better have built their character. Assuming Tiger Woods owes his “public” an apology for his personal life is the ultimate of “it’s all about ME.”
As a fan of Tiger Woods i’m upset what he did. But gosh people leave him alone because you didn’t go crazy on Micheal Phillips with his photo incident. Im just want to get him back on the Golf Course and win the championships.
There have been other sports athletes who have done stuff and you don’t go crazy on them
We have a war on two fronts and a major offensive taking place, an assasination with international repercussions, devastation in Haiti with thousands dead, Greece in financial turmoil, Iran heating-up and Obama meeting with the Dali Lama much to the dismay of China — With all of these issues what does the media choose to cover???? An over paid adulterer whom chases a ball around with a stick!!!!!!
Anyone with half a brain doesn’t care and I wish the media would stop trotting-out his sex-partners and start covering issues that actually matter.
We do it over and over again we idealize people for the wrong reason and when the fall – we are shocked – we did this with the late Micheal Jackson – and many others .
I we have to revise the criteria of what makes a row model .
Yes he should say sorry! This goes against all that the sport is, Chartered accountants, fat old men in little carts riding around a field in tartan trousers and club snobbery.
Lets keep it bland and dull as ditch water.
He should take his mojo and bad behavior over to the Basketball court!
Sir, clive Far-far… xii
Your on-air who just said that we shouldn’t drag Mark McGwire should know that he admitted to using steroids several weeks ago. There is no more “alleged” there, and it is relevant to the commentary as Tiger’s issues are more personal. Baseball players defraud the public when they use performance-enhancing substances to affect outcomes of publicly played sport.
Ya how about that Andre Agassi of Tennis world that wrote he took drugs.
And how about Canadian sprinter Johnson who was tested positive only when he beat the American idol and upset a heavy private bet.
I believe that this is a great opportunity for parents to talk with their children about role models and how the decisions we make can impact others. This can also open the door to talking with our kids about why we look up to certain people and how society tends to place a lot of value on abilities, rather than personal qualities.
Maybe the lesson here for kids and sports fans is that all heroes, all “role models”, have feet of clay in some way, we all have faults in our lives and we ought to forgive each other easily and generously and have compassion for our fellow human beings.
And we ought not put people up on pedestals and fool ourselves that they are somehow perfect human beings, just because they are very accomplished in some part of life.
Yes, he should apologize. He used his family image and ‘values’ to market his image and business ventures.
For good or bad, our culture DOES look to athletes and celebrities as role models. The woman on the line from Antwerp is silly in thinking this isn’t the case. No, in today’s world most of us don’t look to philosophers and religious men as role models.
Saying ‘he’s human’ is a bit of an excuse – his choices were monumentally bad and quite extensive. The scale of this was absurd and he made a mess. Of course he’s human, but that does not justify his repeated ridiculous behavior.
You don’t have to be ‘Superman’ (as your caller says) NOT to behave so badly! Most importantly he deceived his wife and family. He deceived himself and his carefully constructed image too.
With great power comes great responsibility!! He was foolish and now he must face his problems, which is positive….now starts his path to change. Perhaps eventually he will be better off for having to deal with this problems.
This is a perfect example of celebrity worship. No matter who you are we are imperfect by nature. Tiger is human and not a god. Let’s stop putting people on pedistals and be real and this would not be a problem. In no was does this excuse him from his indescretions.
A comment read on air said that he should only apologize to his family, which is very true, but also to the women he took “Advantage of”. How did he take advantage of anyone that had sex with him because he’s rich and famous? These women were responsible for their own actions, as Tiger was responsible for his own. If he were not famous, and working in a server room these women would never have given him the time of day, so how did he take advantage of them? They all knew he was married, that didn’t stop them. The people he hurt were his family.
Honestly, he’s just a guy. He’s a guy who can golf. I don’t ask my doctor about anything other than health. Tiger’s still a fantastic golfer. Why do we insist on pretending there’s more than that?
Man, are people ever going to get tired of talking about Tiger’s wood? I’m shocked that this is the obsessive topic of the day.
Seriously, World Have Your Say should have a better discussion than that of a celebrity apologizing for his transgressions. Why do you have this celebrity obsession?
I think Tiger Woods did not need to apologize to the general public, he only needed to issue the apology so that he could be picked up again by sponsors.
I find it pathetic that we are discussing his apology so much, and further more that this same discussion would exist had he not issued an apology.
Have we nothing better to discuss??
i personally don’t feel Mr woods owes the public an apology, but the reality is that; his image/career will be tarnished if he does not give one. We Americans pride ourselves on being role models and being “politically Correct”, especially those in the lime light, hence the need to apologize when we make mistakes.
A good example is Sen John Edwards, If he had owned up to his mistakes earlier and apologized, he might have had a chance of sustaining his political career.
The only people who give a damn about this are those who are losing money or viewers because of Woods’ absence from the game of golf. He’s just another famous philanderer who now has to try to repair the reputation that he, himself stained. The only people he needs to apologize to are his wife and family. If publicly, he comes-off genuinely contrite, he may regain a modicum of his fan base, for which he should be grateful. Personally, I could not care less what he does.
If you say he has marketed his private life, I say that’s a relationship the media has set up with the sports industry before Tiger ever came on the public scene.
Does Tiger -and all athletes- owe us their private lives? Do we have a RIGHT to it? Who created this situation? Is it healthy? Who is responsible when the relationship falls apart?
Very true and no, they owe us nothing.
Tiger apologized. Where are the apologies from the women involved? They were adults and knew he was married, yet they went ahead with their actions. They should apologize to the Woods family too.
Every one who feels his apology is necessary says so in that “other people” look up to him. Please, if we are going to continue with this futile argument, let’s get someone who took personal offense to Woods’ actions.
He has apologized! He made a mistake! He now will focus on his new struggle to maintain his marriage. He will suffer enough on his own. I say leave him be, the consequences will show on the course.
We NEVER would have known about this had it not been for the mysterious car crash..
I surely need an apology. But not from that uninteresting person who seems to have some private problems. I am expecting an apology from the BBC who is more and more becoming a yellow press product that produces rubbish instead of news. The world is full of important developments: China-Tibet-USA, Iran, Afghanistan, Niger etc etc – but the BBC starts the news with – Tiger Woods. Unbelievable!
I’m a HUGE fan of Tiger’s.
It made COMMERCIAL sense to apologize. But it was NOT owed to the public.
Anybody that holds another person up as “perfect” (as was stated on the show today) is at fault for their OWN naivete!!
This is a teachable moment for kids whose parents ALLOWED them to hold Tiger up as some kind of saint!!
If Tiger “let you down”, you’re an idiot for placing your personal hopes and dreams upon the shoulders of another person…..that’s insane!!!
It was a sincere well written appology that his PR manager wrote for Jim, for the sole purpose of regaining sponsors.
D FRAZEE / Cleveland, Ohio
Would someone address the discussion of the fact that Tiger stacked his public apology by limiting down the media to one camera and no reporters from his world (golf) who could ask him questions and represent the public interest which he supposedly is so concerned about when he makes the gesture of a public apology. He is free to say “no comment.” This was as staged as a Kremlin event in days of old.
The only possible argument for him letting his fans down was that he’s not playing for a while. They will miss seeing him play because of these events, so in that sense, they have been let down. But would a player who was injured apologize to their fans because they aren’t playing and the fans miss them play?
We remember Soccer captain of France, Henry, apologising for his ”Hand Ball”.
Who Cares?
Children are starving all over the world.
People are dying in needless wars.
The world economy is collapsing.
The environment that sustains life on our planet is being destroyed.
We are worried about a golfer who cheated on his wife?
What’s wrong with this picture????
We are all making too big a deal over an issue that lies solely between Tiger Woods and his wife.He married her not fans or the rest of the world!
He didn’t need to apologize. I don’t care what he does in his personal life. He was probably so stressed out no wonder he cheated. This is all media hype trying to get people to tune in
This whole thing with Tiger Woods cheating is mostly the public’s fault, not his. That sense of entitlement he mentioned in his speech…We gave that to him by hero worshipping him. The public is too celebrity obsessed.
I am now mature enough to realize that you should not hold any person up as a symbol of virtue. However those who completely discount the millions of people that still do are very short-sighted. There are people affected by this action and they need to be addressed.
This raises more questions about how we surrender ourselves to the media’s influence in terms of telling us who we should view as our roles models. I strongly suspect that Accenture did not choose to sponsor him because of his moral code. More likely because he is young, aspirational and successful – the way many professional organisations like to perceive themselves.
OK, in the spirit of “sex, drugs, and rock and roll”, how many people would like to have the opportunities for philandering like Tiger did?
Women or men, fess up, would you like to mess around with some celebrity or mess around like some celebrity?
And would you apologize if you got caught?
How many secretly admire Tiger and wish they could do what he did?
Model Tiger’s golf swing or his dedication to his craft, but not his marriage. I would use this as a cautionary tale to the young people I teach that wealth or accomplishments do not guarantee happiness. This can become a powerful teaching moment for anyone who interacts with young people.
Who knew golf was such a babe magnet? Will this encourage more people to golf?
Since when was a golfer ever an ATHLETE?????
Gobsmacked……
Ya — Golf and Athletics ?
I see, golf is what is does on the course, athletics is what he does elsewhere?
I think one thing we are forgetting is that to make a public apology was Tiger’s decision. Whether or not we THINK he should have is irrelevant. He did, maybe he needed to do it for healing, or endorsements or both. The point is, he made the decision to do it. We listened. Time to move on.
What was missing in Tiger Wood’s apology was any reference to the young women that he used and abused. He could have done the world a great service by pointing out that celebrities should not take advantage of the young women who have been convinced, by our society, that they gain something from giving themselves to the rich and powerful. He could have done something good but didn’t. It’s a pity!
It nobodys business. Between him, God and his family.
Get a life.
Tiger Woods needed to make a public apology because he is a public figure. He has adults and children who follow his career as a golfer, and as a result of this, he was selected for many endorsements. His priority, however, should be apologies to his family and friends. He still has a lot of work to do in terms of his private life and career. It seems like his life came to a standstill when this happened and he should have done this sooner. Hopefully, his life can move on.
Tiger Woods didn’t owe me an apology. He should have been able to apologize to his family and probably to sponsors who put money behind him, but not a public apology for a personal problem. This never should have become a huge blownout media circus. Stop talking about it!
America has a problem putting the wrong people on pedestals. Let’s pump up the parents who do an excellent job raising children-they’re role models. How about teachers who work long hours teaching our children and coming out of their pockets to fund classroom needs? They’re role models. What about the mentors in the community who volunteer time to helping others? They’re role models. Our priorities are so skewed; no wonder our children are so confused!
Tiger Woods is human. That’s not an excuse, it’s a fact. People have to get away from idolizing celebrities and get back to promoting family values. This will help America mitigate the climate that promotes such terrible behavior.
Gotta agree with Tom D Ford. Virtually every man would be a “Sex addict” he he had the options that Tiger had due to his wealth and celebrity.
The whole celebrity apology scenario follows a well crafted script. I really could care less about Tiger Woods and his personal problems between him and his family. The viewers who eagerly await this type of gossipy stupidity are the first to jump on someone’s sense of morality when they’ve been the worst abusers. What skeletons are in your own closet? If they worked on themselves they wouldn’t be so interested in what others are doing.
“Who knew golf was such a babe magnet? Will this encourage more people to golf?”
I think if Golf were pro bono, it would not be a “babe magnet”. Something tells me it has to do with money..
The media is really bad to project this private affair all over television where children are bound to see it. Doesn’t the media have any sense of responsibility in keeping this wraps? This is an adult issue. The media is really guilty in displaying this nonsense for children to see.
Maybe we should get Mrs Woods’ to apologise to the Church for making her hubby be unfaithful? This is totally a stupid argument and not really about a celebrities integrity or mis-deeds (because there are too many celebs out there all doing mis-deeds yet only a small percentage apologise for them !!)
– its really about the relationship between the public and the media. The public is a total ‘Voyer’ and revels in what the media print – supply on demand, Yet it’s very strange that then then go get sanctamonious about something – say on a day with an ‘A’ in and demand a lynching… ??
The two don’t gel and is very hypercritical! …. If you keep reading the junk in tabloids and listening to such exaggerated accounts of ‘news’ you can’t then be affronted at someones behaviour regardless of them being a celeb or not – because the majority of the population are already doing it themselves?
*Sigh*… can’t get the staff anymore…. just no more values … (Anywhere!) 😉
Tiger Wood’s words – are they sincere???
Lip service or real regret??
His family is his solace and he should repent and make up
until the very end of his life
Wow, Glad to see some of the comments are getting posted.
I would like an apology from whoever took over the format of WHYS. What a great concept it was in the beginning. Real world issues being discussed and debated by people of many different cultures and perspectives on the a single show that lets them do it “face to face” so to speak. While leaders churn up the propaganda of war, a US citizen could talk to an Iraqis citizen in real time, with real expression.
I hadn’t really listened to WHYS in a month or so because I felt it was getting too “tabloid”. Imagine my chagrin when i turned it on today to find this was the subject.
It would also be nice if somebody would apologizes for the game of golf as well. Then it would be nice if every Tiger Woods fan wrote him a letter apologizing to him for elevating him to super human stature. Nobody should have to live up to such unattainable expectations. Shame on you Wood’s fans.
In my opinion it is no one else’s business other than his/her family. This is the problem today with the media who is so concerned abou this individual, and yet, since government affects all people, nothing much is said about corruption, self-interest. Negative news always results in better sells!
People who feel that Tiger “owes” them something need to get over themselves and get a life. The man cheated on his wife not you. This man made his money by being the best at his craft. His only mistake was getting caught and apologising to the ungrateful masses.
Say what you want about WHYS, but 125comments on this one and —– 1 comment on Joe Stack.
Mywwe actually have an opinion and the other subjects seem like there is no solution. Don’t know. But, I am not a fan of celeb gossip. but, most who complained still have not commented on more relevant topics! HMMMM.
Tiger Woods!! What an important man! He is good at estimating how a ball needs to be projected to a hole considering the grassy floor´s structure between.- He is rich, because the companies like to fix their advertisements on his chest, as there are always many onloockers.
Is this really enough to make a man a hero?- How can people make him a role model for this type of sport?
And to be disappointed by his hitting other holes in life?– Is this worth a moral excitation and disappointment?
How naive can people be?
I really don’t think he needed to make a public apology. It’s his life and he can do what he pleases even though his actions were very stupid. The only people he needed to aplogyies to were his wife and family for what he put them throught. Yes he is a role modle for children but it’s not his business to teach them right from wrong it’s the parents. So lets move on to more important news going on in the world…
what on earth was the bbc doing filling up its MAIN news item with Tiger Woods apologies…I have a slight interest…but there is no crime, no life or death involved? Just a man being unfaithful to his wife. Bring on John Terry, at least he is English and is involved in a populist sport…
As a fan, I don’t think Tiger Woods owes me any apology. Save it for your kids, Elin & in-laws man. All I want is see you on the green, armed with a golf club, strutting your stuff. Enough with those self-righteous, limelight craving tabloids. Who made you High Priest of morality? Enough said…
I could not have agreed more with your caller from Belgium. She said that the “act of contrition” makes her very uncomfortable. I also don’t understand why these celebrities who get “caught” go through that.
Of course, again, I don’t think of any athlete (assuming golfing is a game for athletes) to be any sort of role model. That’s my other objection, and it is directed toward the public and not at all to Tiger. What makes people become groupies like this? That’s the part that is really sad.
I am still confused why this is any of my business. He did not cheat in golf, nor did he steal or do anything else criminal. Why is this even a story?
There are a few people he probably should appologize to, but I am pretty sure he does not need to call a meeting with the press to do that.
I stopped believing that some people were completely good, or completely bad right around the time I stopped believing in Santa and the tooth fairy.
I guess I am a cynic, the more someone in the public eye seems to be too ‘good’, ‘wholesome’ and ‘perfect’, the more curious I am to see that gigantic skeleton that is hiding in that person’s oversize closet!
The public does not need his apology. But he needs their acceptance. Sports figures thrive on a certain amount of public adulation. He seems to have had more than his share of it. Even if people start admiring the sports stars for their abilities, somewhere along the line it becomes admiration for the person, not just the performance. Tiger Woods is trying to win it back. He is asking his fans to give him another chance, and they may, now that he has asked.
It is a private matter that the public should stay out of.
Did Tiger Woods need to make a public apology?
No…
…however his attorneys & business mangers advised him to publicly apologize so that he can retain as many cooperate sponsors as possible because –it’s their job. Looking out for his profits is the same as looking after their own profits because other than that, let’s be real here, the only person who deserves an apology is his wife and maybe his kid –not the general public.
This a typical example of media hype and Woods has become part of it. Don’t believe it and don’t believe him.
I was proud of Tiger & all that he has done in golf I was shocked when it came to light info about what he’d done after we heard he crashed his car. He could have done his speech for 2 reasons either to win back fans who respected & love him or bacause he was truly sorry. He’ll never gain my respect again BUT what he did this week (his sorry speech) takes guts. No one on earth is perfect, no one, not you or I and that includes Tiger. He thought because he was very rich he could do anything well he foundout he cant! I think he is really SORRY. We’ve all done wrong and not said sorry to the whole world – I would hate to have to do that … but then again I am not a public person I’m unkown to you & you & you & you …I hope he sorts his life out. Would I take him back if I were his wife? No, because if she had done what he had done I dont think he would have taken her back. If she goes back to him, I wont think bad of her, he is still her Husband. All the best to you both whatever you decide.
Who should know but the man himself? Taking into account of what is at stake for him.
I think Tiger Wood is sorry – sorry that he got caught. At least it’s knocked that sickly smile from his face. It’s all about money and wanting more. I feel sorry for his wife and children. Lots of people around him would have known what he was doing – and covering up for him. It’s his life and the only people that I feel sorry for are his family – but why has he pretended for years to be sqeaky clean? No one’s perfect – but not many pretend to be either. Sponsors made money out of him, and visversa. I always thought he looked too good to be true! Why do some men in great positions continue to get sucked in with a pretty faced big busted women? Are their brains between their legs most of the time?
Joan Anne Perth WA
I think Tiger woods has millions of golf lovers who consider him as an icon and have great admiration for him. He is a person who is imitated by many of his fans.
So, if as a sportperson who has committed a serious blunder, in all sportsmanship he has got to apologize to them all.
He is teling his admires that, as an international figure, even his private life has significance to the public.
But opinions vary, each one can think otherwise.
Who knew golf was such a babe magnet? Will this encourage more people to golf?
OK, in the spirit of “sex, drugs, and rock and roll”, how many people would like to have the opportunities for philandering like Tiger did?
Women or men, fess up, would you like to mess around with some celebrity or mess around like some celebrity?
And would you apologize if you got caught?
How many secretly admire Tiger and wish they could do what he did?
For Tiger Woods to say ”I was unfaithful, I had affairs, I cheated. What I did was unacceptable” demands great commendation from the public. Many celebrities arguably get involved in scandals like this but often it’s concealed. Why did that of Woods receive so much hype from the media?
Alicia:
I think that Tiger Woods should make the public apology, since, his behaviour tarnished his ability with the public and, he should make amends to the “public”
(Dennis Junior)
That’s not a good driver Tiger, your balls seems to be all over the place.
Ros, I don’t know if you meant to ask the men out there or just everybody, but no, I’m not really interested in having philandering opportunities. I’m not envious of his fame either, it’s like having a big target on your back. I guess I’m just monogamous and a little shy by nature, one guy at a time suits me fine. I am a little envious of his money, tho.
There are in Thailand where Tiger Woods’ mother was born, several Buddhists monasteries where Mr. Woods, a Buddhist like myself, can go to and live in seclusion for a period in the company of monks acolytes and lay people seeking temporary refuge, submitting himself to religious discipline and shedding the distractions that so publicly captured him.
lets leave him alone every body makes mistake & when it comes to promiscuity virtually all men are promiscuous.
He is just trying to save half his fortune and is also fearful of losing his family, not that he wants it he just doesn’t want to lose it. He will never change as he wastes his time in therapy, all he will do is be more careful in future. We all know his problem and we all know somebody like him ( including women ).
He doesn’t need to apologise just stop wasting our time with his addiction to sex.
From my knowledge, research and personality reading experience (see my personality book at i-proclaimbookstore.com) i see no reason for a tiger to apologize since a tiger is always a tiger. At no time shall a tiger apologize for its tigerh/wood. If you doubt ask the tigress.
hhmmm ? – I wonder if Ashley Cole will now apologise to the public for all His infidelities ????
It would be interesting to note the public’s response to his wife Cheryl dumping him today … that is – If they have a response as they seem quite selective these days?
To is wife yes, because he made a vow to her.
To his dear mother, because she gave him better training than jumping into beds with everyone.
To is sponsors, yes, because he carries their images.
To his friends, because he is robbing his dirts on them. Birds of the same feathers fly together.
To those ladies, he owes no apology.
Tiger woods is a star as bright as the brightest star in the firmerment. Any blemish on him is like a ‘black spot’ on the sun. Too many earthling will come to learn about it as he has a very large following. He should appologize at least for the sake of his loyal fan who see him as a an excellent role model and a perfect gentleman.