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Tiger-Gate Day 8

Rants on Tiger and the mess we call Tiger-Gate

The fallout from Tiger-Gate continues to fascinate us. It is like a twenty car pileup on the freeway. You can’t look away even though you know what you’re looking at is horrible and devastating to all involved.

Cheers to Jesper Parnevik for taking a stand on Tiger’s infidelity. As you may know, Jesper and his wife played matchmakers to Elin and Tiger years ago and got the two of them together. Jesper was happy that Elin and Tiger looked like a successful couple. However, after seeing how Woods treated Elin, Parnevik was one of the very few players to call Tiger out on his cheating. Player after player has taken the party line and expressed support for Tiger and Elin, wished them well and avoided any controversy by saying it’s a private matter.

Parnevik is the only golfer to break ranks and speak his mind. He says he feels responsible for some of the pain Elin is going through and wishes Tiger were a better guy. “I am very sad of course,” Parnevik told the Golf Channel. “I really feel sorry for Elin since me and my wife were at fault for hooking her up with him.” He continued,” We probably thought he was a better guy than he is…I would probably need to apologize to her (Elin).” In the tight knit world of professional golf it is extremely rare to hear a player criticize a fellow player but you can tell that Parnevik feels some responsibility and went on to tell the Golf Channel how he feels about his former friend. “Oh, no, it’s nothing I regret. I stand by everything. He lost all my respect. All the respect I had for the guy is gone. I was just a little shocked. Everybody was hoping it was rumors and everything was going to turn out all right. I was just a little disappointed with the situation. Elin is family to us, she lived with us for two years.” Good for Jesper, for taking a stand and speaking his mind.

Many outlets are reporting that Tiger and Elin are busy renegotiating and amending their “prenup” agreement. There is speculation, ah there’s that word again, that Elin is getting an immediate bonus payout ($5 million) and then will be paid an additional $55 million if she stays with Tiger for two more years. Whatever the details may be, good for Elin. She should be compensated for dealing with Tiger and his “transgressions.” In his world of million dollar payouts and prenups, this is how you get Tiger’s attention. That and his sleeping on the couch for awhile.

Tiger’s “transgressions” with these women have opened us to a sordid, sleazy and disgusting side of the world Tiger Woods lived in. For the outside world, the Tiger Woods family appeared to be almost perfect: world class athlete, financially set for generations, devoted wife and two healthy children. The way Tiger lived his life was part of the appeal that made him so attractive. All that is gone now, thanks to his selfish actions. Sure, many say his private life his is and that is true but when you trade your image for millions in endorsements you set yourself up for a fall if that image turns out to be false. Tiger will bounce back from this episode. Time will pass and he’ll be winning majors soon enough, but his legacy will be forever blemished by these “transgressions.”

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One Comment

  1. I have always been a Tiger Woods fan. He broke into the prodominately white game of golf and was a master at it. He was always a gentleman and I think that is what made us admire him. Why does the world need to feed on another mans dirty laundry? I realize the same media that made him millions is now the media that is ridiculing him. I felt Tiger did the best thing by airing his response right away. I do not condone his infidelity but feel the poperacy does more harm than good. Just look at Princess Diana.

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