Friday, February 19, 2010

The Squeak of the Tiger

Why did any reporter cover Tiger's speech today?

Yeah, yeah, I know they gotta. But still. I would have liked to see the mainstream media take the approach the Golf Writers did. Everyone should have boycotted his little morning mea-sorta-culpa up to and including his huggy-kissy time with his mama.

Why?

Most reporters weren't even allowed in the room. They watched from a hotel a mile away.

Pool reporters were present for the speech...but not allowed to ask questions.

The whole thing amounted to what one sportswriter called an "infomercial" and was scripted down to the last hug and handshake by Tiger's handlers. To me, that's not news coverage. That's like using one of the dozens of video news releases sent to newsrooms every day.

He said nothing stunning or newsworthy. Yeah he's sorry. Wonderful. He's as sorry as the guys on trial for murder who cry for the judge when they're sentenced. Is he sorry for what he did, or is he sorry he got caught? Is he sorry he devastated his wife and family or sorry that he's unlikely to get any quiet action on the side for awhile, at least while he's in sex-addiction therapy?

Frankly, the Tiger story got more coverage than it deserved anyway. This guy plays golf, for crying out loud! He's not the President with the nuclear arsenal at his disposal. He's not even a politician who embarrassed himself and his constituency by getting caught screwing when he claimed to be hiking or discovered knocking up a videographer while running for President.

Tiger Woods is a professional athlete who disappointed some of his fans, probably impressed some others with his virility and stamina, enraged women and right-thinking men who disapprove of random adulterous affairs and ticked off his sponsors and a bunch of guys in goofy colored pants who (skillfully) hit little white balls into holes in the ground in unusually pristine surroundings.

And we wonder why the media doesn't root out corruption in government any better than it does.

It's too busy following pecker tracks.

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