Why We Care: Tiger Woods Now a Little Less Special

It seems that the Tiger Woods saga gets worse with each passing day.

Television show like The Insider, Access Hollywood and Entertainment Tonight report the golfing phenom had lengthy liaisons with up to ten sexy paid escorts, porn stars and Las Vegas cocktail waitresses while married to Swedish model Elin Woods.

Woods' spotless public image has been shattered now that his personal transgressions have come to light causing him to loose lucrative endorsements. Gatorade has pulled its "Tiger" sports drink and only time will tell if Nike, Tag Heuer, Gilette and other companies that relied on Woods' squeaky clean image to sell their products will follow suit.

Some argue that he shouldn't loose millions in endorsements and that the public should get their noses out of his personal affairs. Whoopi Goldberg, co-host of ABC's The View says that Tiger's affairs have nothing to do with his competency as a golfer and are a personal matter that should be handled privately. She argues that he is just a human being, prone to mistakes like the rest of us, and should not be held to unrealistic standards. While the Academy Award and Emmy winning actor has a valid view, there are many others who hold strong opposing opinions.

As news reports of Tiger Woods' infidelities turned from a trickle to a tidal wave I found myself feeling a little personally slighted. As humans, we naturally connect to one another and take interest in the events of the lives of everyone from the mail man to the latest reality t.v. star. Those who reach exceptional levels of success are particularly noteworthy because they have achieved what seems just out of out grasp or even the seemingly unattainable. We admire and emulate them while still viewing then as one of our own of whom we are proud. We become personally invested, if only to a small degree in healthy cases, and keep track of marriages, the births of children, what type of car they drive and, in the case of Woods, what kind of sports drink they prefer.

So when I heard the voice mail and read the texts between Woods and his mistress I had flashbacks of my own personal dating woes. Like his wife Elin, I too confirmed my suspicions that an ex-boyfriend had been cheating by going through his cell phone and was instantly repulsed and a little ticked off by Woods' situation yet intrigued by the unknown details.

No, I won't be rushing out to stock up on and Woods brand Merchandise or anything with his image on the packaging any time soon. Right now, Tiger Woods is a little more like some regular, cheating guy who does normal, everyday, run of the mill regular stuff.

Tiger Woods should take comfort in the fact that we, the fickle public, will soon loose interest. Some other scandal or love affair will quickly take its place. Sadly, even if he regains a positive degree of prominence he will forever be just a little less special as a man in my eyes.