The hubs and I had a bit of a disagreement after watching the replay of Tiger Woods's apology the other night.
This is not about whether I think Tiger owes anyone an apology or not. In my opinion, the only person he needs to apologize to is his wife. And frankly, in my mind, the jury is still out as to whether he really is a sex addict...or just a player who never should have married in the first place.
The difference of opinion centered around his mother's words following the apology.
Following his statement, Tiger walked over to his mother, who was seated in the front row, and hugged her.
She whispered in his ear, "I'm so proud of you. Never think you stand alone. Mom will always be there for you and I love you."
The second and third sentence? I get.
The first? I do not.
His mother is proud of him? For what, exactly? For delivering a canned, rehearsed, and insincere public apology designed to save endorsement deals? For getting in front of a hand-picked crowd of friends and supporters, not taking any questions, and apologizing for his abysmal behavior not because, as I believe, he's truly sorry, but just sorry he was caught? For trying to wipe up the mess he created of his life three months too late, after first attempting to cover up the story with a ridiculous lie? For attempting damage-control on his most likely tarnished-beyond-repair image? For subjecting her grandchildren to someone whose reprehensible behavior has opened up his family to even closer media scrutiny?
What, exactly, is Kultida Woods proud of?
The hubs insists this is what any mother would say to her son in a situation like this.
As the mother of a son, I assured the hubs that it is not, at least not in my case. Would I sit in the front row to support Nicholas should he find himself an in the unique position of being the greatest golfer that ever lived while simultaneously suffering from a seriously misguided sense of his own untouchability? Sure. Would I hug him and tell him I loved him? Definitely. Would I tell him I was proud of him? Not.A.Chance.
As a mother, I'm really intrigued by his mother's choice of words. You're proud of him? Really?
What do you think of what Tiger's mama said to him?
This is not about whether I think Tiger owes anyone an apology or not. In my opinion, the only person he needs to apologize to is his wife. And frankly, in my mind, the jury is still out as to whether he really is a sex addict...or just a player who never should have married in the first place.
The difference of opinion centered around his mother's words following the apology.
Following his statement, Tiger walked over to his mother, who was seated in the front row, and hugged her.
She whispered in his ear, "I'm so proud of you. Never think you stand alone. Mom will always be there for you and I love you."
The second and third sentence? I get.
The first? I do not.
His mother is proud of him? For what, exactly? For delivering a canned, rehearsed, and insincere public apology designed to save endorsement deals? For getting in front of a hand-picked crowd of friends and supporters, not taking any questions, and apologizing for his abysmal behavior not because, as I believe, he's truly sorry, but just sorry he was caught? For trying to wipe up the mess he created of his life three months too late, after first attempting to cover up the story with a ridiculous lie? For attempting damage-control on his most likely tarnished-beyond-repair image? For subjecting her grandchildren to someone whose reprehensible behavior has opened up his family to even closer media scrutiny?
What, exactly, is Kultida Woods proud of?
The hubs insists this is what any mother would say to her son in a situation like this.
As the mother of a son, I assured the hubs that it is not, at least not in my case. Would I sit in the front row to support Nicholas should he find himself an in the unique position of being the greatest golfer that ever lived while simultaneously suffering from a seriously misguided sense of his own untouchability? Sure. Would I hug him and tell him I loved him? Definitely. Would I tell him I was proud of him? Not.A.Chance.
As a mother, I'm really intrigued by his mother's choice of words. You're proud of him? Really?
What do you think of what Tiger's mama said to him?
Here's a scenario I can see...
IF she truly believes in the whole "I'm a sex addict" scenario (and my jury's definitely still out on that one). Then I can possibly see her being proud of him for completing a difficult step in his therapy.
I'm sure it wasn't easy for him to give that speech. I think the whole thing is ridiculous and I wish it would just go away and be between him and his wife. Yesterday I heard snippets of his "mistresses" crying and moaning over the fact that he never apologized to them. Seriously? In my opinion, they deserve nothing.
For the first time *ever* I'm in complete agreement with Donald Trump, who said something to the effect of, "Get a divorce, start again, and be a playboy if that's what you want. Get on with your life and forget about what everyone says." Basically he's saying "be what you are without making excuses".
A public apology could ONLY have been intended to save sponsorship deals. I for one have lost all respect for him as a person, but not as a golfer. If he wants to bang anything in a skirt, be my guest, and I also think his wife needs to stop doing the 'good wife' routine, and dump him and run. Her divorce settlement would definitely set her up well enough...
Maybe your opinion will change after 30 years of Nico's up and downs, successes and failures. Look at how you've already changed as you've become a mother of 3.
I can see a mother being proud of her son after he did something that was VERY difficult and didn't necessarily HAVE to do it.
He could have just simply gone into retirement and been done with it.
But he (his family? his sponsors?) have asked him to be an adult about this situation and he went ahead and despite the limitations of access/questions/etc., he's still served himself up for public scrutiny.
I think a mother can be proud of his actions to act like an adult and publicly accept responsibility.
I don't think his mother was saying she was proud of his reckless behavior.
I agree with Veronica that his mother wasn't saying she was proud of what he's done in the past but proud that he admitted what he's done and apologized for it. Of course, I think he's full of crap, not sorry so much for what he's done but probably just sorry that he got caught. Who knows...he may have regrets...at this moment he may wish he'd never done it, but do I think he'd do it again if he thought he thought he could get away with it? Heck yes.
Anyway, I suppose if I was Tiger's mom and I loved him like I love my kids, I'd probably believe my son was really a stand up guy deep down inside, and I'd probably believe he really is a sex addict, and I'd probably believe he really is sorry, and I'd probably believe everything in that speech was all kinds of genuine. So...maybe in that situation I would be proud of him. It's just hard for me to really put myself in that position since I feel so strongly that he is a major douchebag.
I am going to agree with Nonnie and Veronica. I imagine that as his mother, she does not see the situation as we do. I hope not to have "blinders" on when it comes to my kids' behavior, but I imagine it will be extremely difficult for me to have an objective opinion of them. I imagine she believes that he has done wrong, but he has an addiction... he's fighting it, he's sorry, and he's getting help. I imagine she's proud of him for that.
I agree that she's proud of him for coming out, not his behavior.
NYEBoy and I differ a bit on a similar issue. If we ever meet in person, I'll tell you but I'd rather not have it in writing. LOL
I also think she's proud of him for admitting his faults. I have to admit, I didn't see this exchange, so I'm guessing. I wish the press would leave his wife and kids alone.
Thanks for all the comments. I guess I am just seeing something completely different than most of you. I don't think Tiger is sorry. I think he's sorry he was caught. I also think that if he wasn't desperately trying to save his endorsement deals and public image, he never would have done this press conference. So yeah, I believe he DID have to make this apology.
I get that his mother probably has "mommy blinders" on and doesn't see her son as the gigantic scumbag most people do. But for me, her word choice is just so odd. She has to know that his "apology" had one purpose only, and that was as an attempt to rebuild his damaged cred. It was not to scream "mea culpa" from the pulpit and repent before the eyes of the world. Is that really something to be proud of? She could have said anything to him at that point, and she chose to say that.
Very, very strange.
You know what, I don't think we will ever know -- unless he tells himself -- whether or not this was purely for the sponsorships or because he is in the process of changing himself.
I give the guy the benefit of the doubt, because at the end of the day, I don't really care if he's sleeping around with 30 different women. It doesn't really change my thoughts on him as a golfer, which is really the only basis that I know him in.
(I know his wife would feel differently, but that's because she knows him as a husband and father of her children, rather than just a sports celebrity.)
But even if he wasn't sincere, he still stood up and apologized and I can see him mother being proud of that action.
He didn't have to apologize -- for his sponsors or anyone -- he has enough money for the rest of his life if he wants to retire now.
Nonetheless, he still stood up and apologized.
A lot people wouldn't even admit they were wrong, much less make such a public apology -- even when they have their jobs or families on the line.
I don't really care if my son acts like a playboy. If he is as successful as Tiger, I would be proud of him. But I also really don't really think adultery is that big a deal. My son's (or daughter's) sexual exploits would not make me less proud of them.