Dirty Laundry

[TimothyBFan]

I was going to name this Tiger's Dirty Laundry but I figure with all the scandalous dirty laundry out there, we can always add to this later.

What's everyone think of what's going on with Tiger Woods right now? Opinions or is it no ones business but his, his family's and the women involved?
Here's just a couple off the top of my google search this morning.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/27/tiger-woods-injured-in-ca_n_372324.html

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iCO59IPe8XbUkaPJ_XfVJYSYnFbwD9CBSIF00

And the stupid emails and jokes have already started. This is one I got this morning.

Woods Family Picture
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e136/williehoo/eltigre.jpg

[sodascouts]

When it first came out that Tiger had had an accident and the news was all over it, I figured he must have been drunk-driving or something. When I discovered all he did was hit a fire hydrant backing out of his driveway, I was going "Seriously???" What's so dramatic about that?

Then, the sex angle came out. Oh, so THAT'S why the media cares so much.

I never understood why the media almost gleefully reports when some celebrity cheats on his wife. OK, tell us about the politicians' marital misdeeds because it affects the level of trust we have in them to keep their word, but we don't really need to know about the sexual straying of celebrities.

I can understand why TMZ, Perez Hilton, or some venue like that would want to talk about this, but all the major news outlets? The 24-hour news channels have already spent HOURS on it.

Don't they have more important things to talk about?

[Brooke]

I agree Soda. So, what else is new? Another celebrity has had an affair! Whoop de do!

I think there are more important issues for the daily news. :rolleyes:

[Freypower]

It has something to do with the way the man has been turned into a saint and the total blanket coverage of him to the exclusion of anything else. I have watched coverage of tournaments where they will tell you 'and Tiger is five off the pace' and not even bother saying who is actually leading. When he was out here recently for the Australian Masters it was like the second coming. I am sure he is a nice person and everything but they act like he's the be all and end all, and now that he's human they're even more fascinated. Give it a rest.

[MikeA]

FP has the right angle on this one. Now, if Tiger had been caught using steroids, that would be newsworthy. I can even see it being newsworthy that he is five shots off the lead since he was benched after a truly heroic win last year and recovering from surgery.

I guess he has recovered pretty good after surgery and maybe that's why he is drawing so much news coverage...NAH, I don't think so <LOL>.

To his credit, he is not going on national TV demonstrating his technique! And as far as I have heard, nothing is confirmed....but I haven't been following it at all.

I'd much rather watch and hear about Tiger obliterating the field in a Golf Tournament and not be slapped in the face with his off the course activities whatever they might be.

[Prettymaid]

The 24-hour news channels have already spent HOURS on it.

Don't they have more important things to talk about?

And therein the problem lies. We do not need 24 hr. news channels. There is not enough news (even in these trying times) to warrant them being on 24/7. And it's not good for a person to watch that kind of thing all of the time. Look at how long they've been covering the story of the couple who crashed the White House party. Give it a break.

[Molly]

-Apparently the police asked Elin how many times she hit Tiger. She said,
"I don't know but put me down for a 5."

-Tiger has a lot of expensive vehicles. Now he has a hole in one.

-What's the difference between a car and a golf ball? Tiger can drive a golf ball 400 yards.

-What was Elin doing out at 2:30 in the morning? Clubbing.

-Why did Tiger crash into a fire hydrant and a tree? He couldn't decide between an iron and a wood.

-What's the penalty for getting it in the wrong hole. Ask Tiger...he knows.

-Tiger drives very well on the fairway but doesn't fare very well on the driveway.

-Why was Tiger's wife made at him? She heard he played around in Australia.

-Tiger can change his nickname and keep it in the cat family. Cheetah.

[sodascouts]

I hear ya, PM. My dad watches FNC for hours and hours and it drives me crazy when I visit, although I love my parents dearly! When it's not opinion shows, it's just the same stories over and over. It's not that we don't have enough news to fill the time, it's that we don't have enough INTERESTING news to fill the time.

Molly - I feel bad for laughing at those but - LOL!

[Freypower]

I think this proves my point about the utter hype & over obsession with this man:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/04/2761883.htm?section=justin

[sodascouts]

I think that site was set up as a joke, though, FP!

[Prettymaid]

I hear ya, PM. My dad watches FNC for hours and hours and it drives me crazy when I visit, although I love my parents dearly! When it's not opinion shows, it's just the same stories over and over. It's not that we don't have enough news to fill the time, it's that we don't have enough INTERESTING news to fill the time.

My dad is the same way, and Hubby's not far behind! :eyebrow:

But what constitutes news? What makes something newsworthy? I agree with you Soda. If there are going to be 24 hour news channels they should focus on the news, not gossip. And don't talk things to death. At this point, the media is deciding what we focus our attention on.

[TimothyBFan]

I quit watching the news months ago. All it did was depress me and, to be honest, I really am a happier person now. Seriously! I have enough problems with just trying to keep my family safe, financially stable, healthy, etc.... without having to worry about the rest of the world. That doesn't sound very nice but it's true. Life is to frickin' difficult these days without having to worry about things I really have no control over. I decided, instead, to focus on things I can control.

That being said, I do get some of the news from comcast.net and Larry is a talk radio nut so he lets me know of news that is worthy of me knowing. You are spot on PM-the media does dictate what we concentrate on and I for one am not letting that happen any more. There are stories that are hard to ignore, such as Tiger's, when you are getting joke emails or seeing stuff on Twitter, Facebook or even just your homepage when you bring it up.

[Prettymaid]

Life is to frickin' difficult these days without having to worry about things I really have no control over. I decided, instead, to focus on things I can control.

I believe that we can and do control things. However, it would take a massive change in the world's collective thinking to make big changes. But I believe it can be done, and is done all the time. Our thoughts, which turn to actions, produce results. But what if we thought a new way...a different way?

[Fan_For_Life]

I don't have tv right now so news has become hear-it-through-the-grapevine for me. This couple that crashed the White House are they celebs or regular folks?

[TimothyBFan]

I believe that we can and do control things. However, it would take a massive change in the world's collective thinking to make big changes. But I believe it can be done, and is done all the time. Our thoughts, which turn to actions, produce results. But what if we thought a new way...a different way?

I agree and maybe I should of worded that differently. I choose not to worry about things that I can't change by myself. I think people don't believe there's anything they can do. They see nothing but gloom & doom on the news and throw their hands in the air and say whatever. It get discouraging. A small example---I live in a very small town. Our utility bills are through the roof (average is around $250.00-$300.00 monthly-that is electric, water & sewer-still have to pay the gas company seperately). EVERYBODY wants to b*tch about it, no matter where you go in town, people are complaining about the high cost of utilities in this town---that is, unless you go to a town board meeting. Larry, I and another couple said screw this---can't justify b*tching if you aren't willing to do something about it. So we decided to show at a town board meeting and ASK why they are so big. One of my clients is on the board so I got us on the agenda. We spread the word all over (I have my own business & see a lot of people as does the other couple) that we were going to do this in hopes that others might join us. The night of the meeting, guess how many showed up to support us----a big 0, zilch, nadda! But yet the following month, everyone was back at the groaning about the bills. My answer to them each time, "thanks for the support when we tried to bring attention to the problem".

I'm right beside you PM in trying to make a difference but that makes 2 of us. You know what I mean?

Thanks for letting me rant. Hey, maybe I should take the problem to the local news channel! :hilarious:

[Prettymaid]

Don't give up, Willie. As Lindsay Buckingham said, (Soda will love this) "Fight for the positive choice".

[MikeA]

You Go Get 'Em Willie!

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

[bernie's bender]

There was a big story about Toyota recalling cars for having a faulty gas pedal a couple of weeks ago. It is big news because Toyota has a pretty good reputation for building reliable cars... a family was destroyed when their car crashed apparently due to the problem.

Tiger Woods is a similar product. He earns less than 1/10 of his income from golfing. Most of the money he earns he earns from Tiger Woods ® as a person. People pursue the Tiger Woods® lifestyle. So, we found out there was a pretty significant flaw in the product. Since Tiger makes most of his money selling himself, when HE has a problem, consumers have to rethink the product and decide if they still want to buy.

All of us create a narrative for our lives which, when examined closely, has lots of twists and turns on what we think is okay and moral and acceptable and what is not. There is not one person that I know who has a completely consistent set of values that is logical and complete and one that they can actually live 24/7. It is because we all have these narratives that we are always writing and rewriting and changing small details to fit our world view so that we can feel okay about the world.

Folks watch the FNC or whatever mostly to reinforce what they already believe. In a world with 24 hours of news and hundreds of channels and millions of blogs... we seek our friends. we seek people to agree with us...

our world is actually smaller but more divided in our current way of ingesting world events. If the president shakes hands these days... it is instantly interpreted by multiple camps as everything from 'warm' to 'traitorous' all based on the narrative we make up to feel more sure of ourselves.

These stories are actually good news if you ask me... they allow people to self identify to others what general narrative they are following and how interested and how important they actually find the facts of a situation to be....

What is news? News is when something out of the ordinary happens... you know the old "dog bites man, no story. Man bites dog, story!"

[MikeA]

I really feel terribly sorry for poor Tiger. With $30,000,000 a year from NIKE alone each year, this story breaking is possibly going to cause NIKE to pull that endorsement offer....NAH, I don't think so! He didn't kill anyone. As far as I know, he's committed no crime. He did damage a nice SUV and wasted a fire hydrant which I think he should be liable for repairing.

"IF" (and it is still an "IF") he was eating desert away from home, his wife might take exception to it...might not be a completely good thing that he'll have to explain to his children...but most of us have done something at one time or another that we wouldn't want to have to explain to our kids.

To tell the truth, the ONLY things I've heard about it have come from comments here on The Border....ironic in a way. I mean, I learn about the world of golf (and I'm an avid golfer myself) I've learned on a MUSIC forum <LOL>

Oh, I've seen some pretty good JOKES in eMail about it. Like comparing his indiscriminate destruction of a tree and a fire hydrant being his inability between choosing between a Wood and an Iron for the hit! I thought that was funny.

But his antics off the golf course would carry no weight in any decision I might make concerning what equipment to buy or from whom that I might purchase it.

However, the one thing that does concern me, is that he is so huge in the First Tee program...a program that is highly thought of in the manner in which it is DESIGNED to provide a stellar example for YOUTH. Teaching them the high standards associated with golf and applying that to their integrity as they make difficult choices as they mature.

Now THAT might cause eyebrows to be raised! I mean here is a guy (Tiger Woods) who funnels millions of dollars into that program. I wonder if they will have second thoughts of USING that money now...or whether there will be more money coming into their program from Tiger! I'd be very worried about THAT eventuality!

[Glennhoney]

...I know this doesn't belong in this thread, but just wondering what Glenn must be thinking about all this mess with Tiger Woods?

[Freypower]

I honestly don't want to speculate on Glenn's thoughts about this issue. He has met Tiger Woods, as we know. I would not have a clue how he feels about it.

[Super Frey]

I bet he doesn't like it at all, I know I don't. That's fine that you put that here Glennhoney, I don't mind, since i started this, I hope Nancy don't mind though.:) I do hope Glenn plays at PB also, I did hear from someone else he has not yet turned in his papers, they are still waiting.

[MikeA]

Well, whatever the case, Tiger Woods has blown that squeeky clean Idol image.

Guess that much money and influence would tend to tempt and ultimately corrupt most anyone.

The real shame of it is that he's pulling out of Professional Golf for now. At least, that's what I hear. Probably for the best. Golf takes ALL of one's concentration and with all the things that are happening, I doubt he'd be able to focus on the game. He'll most likely be in the Soup Lines soon <LOL> NOT!

[sodascouts]

Maybe he'll change his mind about taking a break from golf after things calm down a little. It seems to be kind of an emotional reaction rather than a well-thought out one.

[MikeA]

Probalby is knee-jerk Soda. But Gillette and AT&T have announced that they are pulling back on identifying him as a "spokes person" so it does sound as though he is pretty serious about it. Haven't heard anything about Nike pulling back though.

The thing is, Tiger doesn't "NEED" to do anything. Whatever he does at this point in his life is for his own gratification. I can't imagine any money he makes NOW is anything more than a way to keep score. And as for playing, he's proved everything he needs to prove. He's been the top player in the game virtually ever since his first pro appearance.

"IF" he comes back to the game, I think it would probably ONLY to be to beat Jack Nicklas in Majors Won. Other than that, he holds virtually every record in the books!

[Super Frey]

I think if Tiger does leave for good, golf will go down hill.

[MikeA]

It (Golf) has certainly been elevated in popularity by Tiger. First it was Palmer, then Nicklas, and then Tiger. His leaving certainly would NOT HELP Golf any at all.

[Freypower]

But it might give other golfers the chance to actually win some tournaments. When you have only one person winning everything it isn't healthy - or one team (English Premier League/Manchester United).

[Midnight_Flyer]

Don't they have more important things to talk about?

totally agree

[Midnight_Flyer]

Another celebrity has had an affair! Whoop de do!

lmao