Tiger Woods not quite who everyone thought he was...

[Nightfall]

http://msn.foxsports.com/golf/story/10462058/Woods:-I%27ve-let-my-family-down?GT1=39002

Well, turns out Tiger isn't the upstanding role model everyone thought they were idolizing. Cheated on his wife for a couple years.

I wonder what this will do to pro golf. Will fewer people tune in to see Woods play, now that his reputation and image have been tarnished? Sure, we marveled at his golf game, but a decent portion of his appeal was his upstanding persona. Now that there's less to love about him, it'll be sadly interesting to see what happens. 

[Balog]

My general assumption about public figures is that they are lying, adulterous, and generally terrible people.

[AJ Dual]

I'm not surprised.

I guess I just assume this behavior of every highly paid celebrity/athlete type. I just presume some of them are more low-profile and low-key about it. (edit, Balog beat me to it...)  Perhaps it's because I'm not much of a sports fan to begin with, much less know anything about golf save the names/words "Tiger Woods", "Arnold Palmer", "Jack Nicklaus", "PGA" and "Pebble Beach" seem to be a big deal. Oh, and there was some Asian teenaged female golfer who got some press time too...

Beyond that, no clue. I had never considered looking up to him or any other sports figure as a role model.

If I lived in a more celebrity-thick area, such as NYC (shudder) or L.A. (double-shudder), I half-jokingly thought about offering a "Digital security" service to the famous/wealthy with a penchant for wanderlust. Then I realized how the most simple tricks the average geek knows in terms of cell phones, and internet use could benefit these people, and I could make some serious bank...

IIRC, Tiger was busted by his wife because she went poking through his phone. And some of the bimbo-eruptions are provable because he left them voice-mails which they saved.  

Some of the most basic digital OPSEC, like a bootable password protected Linux USB thumbdrive for emails or pr0n browsing, or offshore online gambling, and say a separate SIM card for the cellphone when talking/sexting with chicky-snacks would have saved him from all of this.

[TMM]

Tiger Woods is a great golfer. did anyone ever say that a great golfer had to be a perfect role model?

we're human, and therefore we're all screwed up in some way, shape or form.

TMM

[Balog]

AJ: almost all people who are caught committing crimes/cheating on spouses etc are found out because of their stupidity. If they were smart very very few of them would ever be caught.

[AJ Dual]

AJ: almost all people who are caught committing crimes/cheating on spouses etc are found out because of their stupidity. If they were smart very very few of them would ever be caught.

Exactly.

I'm sure the "Celebrity Security Consulting" market offers some of this advice/service, but I doubt they offer even a fraction of the most basic Internet/Cell security your average geek teenager knows if they cared to look it up online.

I can easily see it being lucrative enough that I could make a middle-high six-figure/McMansion lifestyle for myself and my family from this if I had the contacts into the market. And all I'd really be doing is distilling and training them on the best practices/tricks that are out there to be read online "for free" if you cared to.

[Jamisjockey]

My general assumption about public figures is that they are lying, adulterous, and generally terrible people.

Because the general public is so perfect?

[Balog]

Because the general public is so perfect?

1. Are you actually offended on behalf of poli-critters and celebrities?

2. I don't think much of the GP either; the depravity of man is a basic tenant of Christianity.

3. Because celebs etc have so much more access/opportunity I assume they are more likely to fail.

[jackdanson]

3. Because celebs etc have so much more access/opportunity I assume they are more likely to fail.

That.

I don't cheat on my wife, but I don't have attractive women coming on to me near constantly.  The few times I have had the opportunity it wasn't exactly easy to turn down.

I don't know why these guys get married though.  No one would care if he wasn't married.

[Jamisjockey]

I'm not offended on behalf of celebrities.  They are people, and thusly just as likely to fail as anyone else.  Hell, add in the power, money, travel and access, I'd say they are more likely to fail.  I actually giggled a little when I heard the story.  Nothing like letting the little fella get in the way of earning millions of dollars, and having a multi million dollar divorce, over a little side action.  Brilliant!

[MicroBalrog]

2. I don't think much of the GP either; the depravity of man is a basic tenant of Christianity.

I hope it pays rent.
 

[HankB]

I really don't care what Tiger Woods does, or who he does it with. He and I have never crossed paths, I care nothing about golf, and I was never one for following celebrities. But I think that blonde (It has to be a blonde) he's married to is likely to do very well financially.

I don't cheat on my wife, but I don't have attractive women coming on to me near constantly.

You probably would have more offers if there were frequent reports on TV, radio, and in the newspapers that you were the first athlete to make a billion dollars in winnings and endorsements.

AJ: almost all people who are caught committing crimes/cheating on spouses etc are found out because of their stupidity. If they were smart very very few of them would ever be caught.

Exactly - arrogance and greed tend to land people in hot water. Arrogance - people figure because they haven't been caught, they can't get caught. And they're so impressed with their own cleverness, they figure everyone else is too stupid to catch them. Greed - they're getting something they value illicitly . . . and want more. And more. And even more. And it never dawns on them that grabbing for too much draws attention.

[brimic]

And they're so impressed with their own cleverness, they figure everyone else is too stupid to catch them.

People always overestimate their own cleverness. People leave electronic and other types of tracks everywhere they go, all it takes is for someone with a little suspicion and motivation to find those tracks and where they lead to.

If they truely are clever, their greed will always give them away somewhere down the line in an even more spectacular way. Just like you said.

[Angel Eyes]

Some of the most basic digital OPSEC ... would have saved him from all of this.

Honoring his marriage vows would have saved him from all of this.

[Viking]

Honoring his marriage vows would have saved him from all of this.

Such a strange, outdated concept. You really don't expect them to do so do you?

[Angel Eyes]

Such a strange, outdated concept. You really don't expect them to do so do you?

Actually, yes.   

I also expect my government to obey the Constitution, so obviously I'm living in some deluded fantasy world.

[Monkeyleg]

I'd bet the percentage of celebrities who commit adultery are about the same as for everyone else. The difference is that they make news.

What I don't understand is why someone in Woods' position would put millions of dollars of endorsements at risk. If he wants to fool around, he should divorce first. Yes, he would pay alimony, but he'd still have millions coming in.

[mtnbkr]

Read this on FB:

I have an idea...we get all these chicks he's banged and they each get a month on a calendar. We can call it "A Year Of Tiger's Best Holes". Next we follow it up with a pictorial called "This Is The *expletive deleted*it I Used To Own Before My Wife Took Half Of It In The Divorce - By Tiger Woods".

Chris

[grampster]

Wouldn't it be peachy if the media paid as much attention to the deceit produced by the climate change science/political/avaricious cheats as they did for one golfer?

The climate change cheater's impact is global wreckage on a monumental scale.  Tiger Wood's cheatage affects us how?

Sorry for the drift but the irony is a gusher.

[Perd Hapley]

I'm not surprised.

I guess I just assume this behavior of every highly paid celebrity/athlete type. I just presume some of them are more low-profile and low-key about it. (edit, Balog beat me to it...)  Perhaps it's because I'm not much of a sports fan to begin with...

Since Mike isn't admin here anymore, +1. 


And like jackdanson said, we'd all be more likely to cheat if we were the constant targets of gold-diggers and groupies. 

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

I'd like to wait until we have some actual facts before pillorying the guy.  Let's at least know what we're condemning him for before we condemn him, eh?

[Balog]

If he didn't have an affair, when the allegations were leveled he'd have denied them. Responding to allegations of adultery by apologizing for your failings and flaws is tantamount to an admission.

[Waitone]

<puts on his cynic's hat>
Money, power, fame, more money, looks, availability.
Now add the fact that he's a player.
Just not fair.

<takes off cynic's hat and puts on moralist's hat>
Dirt bag
Marriage is a two way street of mutual honor, respect, and commitment.  He deserves to be plundered by his wife.

<Takes off moralist's hat and puts on Joe Sixpack's John Deere hat>
"Another slime ball elitist.  Someone hand me a beer"

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

If he didn't have an affair, when the allegations were leveled he'd have denied them. Responding to allegations of adultery by apologizing for your failings and flaws is tantamount to an admission.

No. 

Woods has a history of completely ignoring the media and going out of his way to keep his private life private.  A smart idea, that.

His behavior this time is no different and provides no insight into what's going on in his life.  Obviously that won't stop people from speculating.

[Bigjake]

Say the guy was cheating on his wife..   He's got a pile of money. A smart rotten bastard would've paid the mistress off ala Jesse Jackson, but would've done a much better job..