Just 24 hours after the President announced an increase of thirty thousand troops deploying to Afghanistan, a war which is becoming increasingly unpopular, you’d expect to hear all sorts of criticism, complaints and analysis. Despite this expectation, what I’ve read, watched, heard and debated is the Tiger Woods saga. I’m calling it a saga mainly because of the overwrought melodrama injected by all the speculation of media, gossip mags and the public. We are looking at three more years of war in Afghanistan and perhaps a longer period depending on how extended the withdrawal process becomes. So why are we only talking about the personal life of someone none of us actually know?
I am the first to admit that I was not a fan of Tiger when he broke onto the golf scene. I felt that winning was too easy for him and that he needed to pay his dues and earn his place of honor in the golf world. He has since won me over with years of dedication and hard work. I like golf, I like watching golf and I like watching Tiger because you never know when his next great shot might happen. I don’t watch him hoping for great interviews or displays of frivolity. Tiger is a consummate professional when it comes to golf and it’s solely because of golf that he is famous. So no, I don’t care about his personal life. I am not interested in his marriage or if he is faithful to his wife. I also don’t want to know if you are faithful in your relationships or if that cut on your forehead is because you actually did run into the medicine cabinet.
In some ways, Obama caught a break. Troop levels will increase with a limited amount of negative criticism and debate. Even criticism of healthcare reform took a backseat to the TW saga. As someone who supports both our President’s efforts to reform healthcare and the troop increase (yes, I’m still a pacifist) I am somewhat glad for the distraction. Even so, I am incredibly disturbed by how obsessed we all seem to be when we find out a celebrity is not perfect. Shocking to know they are actually real people with complicated lives, flaws and temptations, eh?
I’ve heard people criticize him because Tiger is a role model. My argument on this point is that he is and should remain a role model as an athlete. He takes his job very seriously and is an excellent example of work ethics and professionalism. He does not gossip or ridicule fellow golfers, keeps his personal life out of the media (until he couldn’t anymore) and does not show up drunk or doing drugs in gossip magazine photos. I would be happy to have a child look up to him as a role model. I do not, however, believe that we should allow ourselves or our children to confuse public roles models with personal and ethical role models. A great leader does not necessarily equal a great person. Tiger is a man. His skill lies not in Mother Theresa-like humanity, but in golf. I wouldn’t want to be judged for the skeletons in my closet either, but you’re welcome to judge me for what I put out into the world on purpose. My blog, my public opinions, my work, but back up off my personal life, because if you didn’t catch the title, it’s PERSONAL.
No comments:
Post a Comment