Tiger Woods Press Conference Instant Reaction

Sorry folks, but today is Tiger Woods day. I've never really posted anything about Tiger Woods and his multiple affairs on this blog because that is tabloid fodder and I try to stay away from that type of stuff. But because this is huge news that Tiger Woods is finally speaking after months of disappearance I thought I should give you my instant reaction from his press conference.

- People on Twitter were surprised at how robotic Woods was when speaking. My question is, where have these people been? Woods has always been very robotic when talking to the press. Hell that has been a running joke on the Jim Rome Show for at least five years that Tiger is a robot. So that part of the speech never surprised.

- I was also not surprised that Tiger blamed the media about reports that Elin attacked him and that they should stay out of his family business. It was also not surprising that Tiger was very angry and defiant during this part of the speech.

- I am though surprised that people are mad that Tiger used notes for this speech. Why are you surprised? The President of the United States takes his teleprompter everywhere. Tiger isn't a public speaker. Leave this part of the speech alone. I thought Tiger did do a good job at just looking at his notes and then looking forward while speaking.

- If you believe Tiger wrote that speech himself, then your a fool. Once again, the President of the United States never writes his speech himself and neither did Tiger. Sorry, but I'm not believing that Tiger wrote that speech himself.

- I was happy to see Tiger apologize to his family and wife for his behavior.

"Every one of you has good reason to be critical of me," Woods said to the gathering of his personal friends -- but few reporters -- in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. "I want to say to each of you, simply and directly, I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior I engaged in. I know people want to find out how I could be so selfish and so foolish. People want to know how I could have done these things to my wife, Elin, and to my children. And while I have always tried to be a private person, there are some things I want to say.

"Elin and I have started the process of discussing the damage caused by my behavior. As Elin pointed out to me, my real apology to her will not come in the form of words. It will come from my behavior over time. We have a lot to discuss. However, what we say to each other will remain between the two of us."

Once again I'm not surprised that Tiger wants to keep this discussion to himself and his wife. And really, would you want to discuss your faults in front of millions of people?

- I was definitely surprised that Tiger mentioned that he was taught to be a Buddhist while he was younger and that he fell out of the faith and now has returned. For some reason I can't see a person like Tiger following Buddhism. "I was raised a Buddhist and I actively practiced my faith in childhood before I drifted away in recent years." Maybe he should have never drifted away from Buddhism?

- Tiger did mention that he is seeking help for an addiction, but did not clarify what he is seeking help for. It's been speculated that he was seeking help for Sex Addiction. Tiger did say he was going back for "more treatment and more therapy" ahead.

- Tiger did say he was going to return to play golf, but did not specifically say when he would return. "I do plan to return to golf one day. I just don't know when that day will be. I don't rule out that it will be this year."

- At the end of the speech, Tiger hugged his mother and every other person in the room. Weird ending to a weird episode.

In the end he was heavily coached and scripted so the speech felt very rigid and business like, instead of a heart felt apology. In my own opinion, I never thought Tiger owed fans/sponsors/writers an public apology, but if your going to apologize please sound sorry and sincere. Of course Woods lackey's in the press Mike Tirico and Rick Reilly thought that his speech was "heartfelt." I respectfully disagree. Nothing about that speech felt heartfelt.

You know how I know that didn't feel heartfelt? When anyone apologizes or shows emotion, I become uncomfortable(I admit to being a robot myself when it comes to this.) I never felt uncomfortable during Woods' speech, so I never felt like it was heartfelt.

Update: Here's the video to Tiger's press conference. You have to love how Fox News, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN, and the Discovery Channel broadcast this press conference.



(Programming Note: Sunday is my birthday so I won't be around much this weekend. I will however post an open thread for the college basketball games on Saturday. Have a fun weekend, and I'll talk to you on Monday.)