The Lessons of Tiger Woods

"Tiger's finished."

"Define 'finished,'" I said to a friend in response to her assessment. Will Tiger Woods lose endorsements? Yes. How many and for how long remain open questions. Has the carefully groomed image of the contented family man who "has it all" gone supernova? Absolutely. Will he lose his wife, given her public humiliation and her shattered trust in her husband? Strong possibility.

But the history books are full of Act Twos.

Woods is a golfer. He is neither politician nor pastor. As he struggles to deal with his apparent inner demons/self-loathing/shame/embarrassment/dishonor, he can still golf. The curiosity factor alone means stratospheric ratings for his next tournament, especially if he's still contending on the final day. People unable to spell "golf" will tune in for his next event.

As bad as all of this is — especially for his wife — Woods hasn't killed anybody, at least that we know of. The more bizarre things become — the growing number of alleged mistresses, his mother-in-law's hospitalization, the recklessness of his behavior — new revelations may start producing diminishing returns in shock value. People will wonder whether he's a really rotten guy with a phony stage-managed image or a really sick guy who "needs help."

A friend and I recently watched a professional football game. The announcer mentioned a stellar player. My friend said, "I like him. He's amazing." I said, "Still standing, after being tried for murder." She thought I was joking. "And," I said, "he pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice for lying to the police." We Googled it. He not only lied to the police but told others to do so, as well.

Former President Bill Clinton is the only elected president ever to be impeached. He pleaded guilty to contempt of court for lying under oath and temporarily lost his law license. Does Clinton draw down the window shades, only to venture out under cover of night to go to the ATM? Please. He blamed the Republicans, who wanted to "overturn elections." Defenders said, "Everybody lies about sex." Had the Constitution permitted it, Clinton could have won a third term.

When Clinton first ran for president, he admitted on "60 Minutes" having had "problems with his marriage." People interpreted this to mean an acknowledgment of previous cheating with a promise to sin no more.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, in the midst of Clinton's crisis, went to the White House to serve as a presidential "mentor." Jackson brought his visibly pregnant mistress, and both later posed for a group photograph in the Oval Office. When Jackson's scandal broke, he briefly closed shop. But he soon said, "The ground is no place for a champion. The ground is no place that I will wallow on." Back in business.

As to former President Richard Nixon, few have fallen from so high to so low so quickly. He went from the most powerful person on earth to a guy ACORN wouldn't hire. The only U.S. president to resign, Nixon did so just ahead of an impeachment posse, with a conviction in the Senate a near certainty. After leaving office, he got paid for an interview with David Frost, wrote a bunch of books and gave speeches on foreign policy. He sufficiently redeemed himself, to the point that by former President George W. Bush's second term, many Democrats thought Bush's "crimes" worthier of impeachment than those of Nixon.

As for Woods, he once had a favorable rating of nearly 85 percent. A recent poll still gave him a favorable rating of 60 percent. And Woods conceivably could even turn public opinion in his favor if he continues to excel on the golf course. "My, what an ability to focus!" etc.

There are many lessons here. There is the silliness of considering celebrities, about whom we really know very little, to be "role models." There is the envy, sometimes, of the lives of others when very little is as it seems.

Fortunate is the person who can look back at his or her life and say, "I would do it all again, the same way." My dad once said that to me. Most of us mortals have made mistakes, sometimes too many to count. Some mistakes have to do with career. Some have to do with money. Some have to do with other poor decisions and poor choices — reconsidered, of course, with the benefit of hindsight.

But the ones that cause the most regret and the most pain have to do with the treatment of other people — especially those who loved and trusted us. We finally discover the value and worth of what we once had and failed to appreciate. And now it's too late. Good luck, Mr. Woods.

Larry Elder is a syndicated radio talk show host and best-selling author. His latest book, "What's Race Got to Do with It?" is available now. To find out more about Larry Elder, visit his Web page at www.LarryElder.com. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2009 LAURENCE A. ELDER

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