Why We Shouldn't Be Disappointed in Tiger Woods

Are you disappointed in Tiger Woods, a popular question these days. How can anyone who doesn't know Tiger Woods, be disappointed in him? I mean, did we ever know who Tiger Woods, the man was, to now be disappointed at his behavior? All most of us know, is he's a great golf player, a player who made golf popular again. With the Golden Bear, Arnold Palmer, and Tom Watson gone, Tiger has resurrected the sport.

Now, Woods is being judged, not on his golf, but on his personal life, key word being personal. In a time when cheating athletes make the news, seemingly monthly, the fact that it's Tiger Woods, makes it more shocking some how, but why? Seeing him win countless tournaments, dressed in red with his fist pumping, created the illusion we were gaining insight into the man. Now that we've built him up, made him larger then life, we're saddened to learn the figure behind the clubs, is only a man, no better or worse then the rest of us.

I'm not sure why it is we feel it's our right to know the personal lives of famous people. Do we ask, or care, who our tax preparer is dating or sleeping with? Do we wonder if our dentist is cheating on her husband? We look at these athletes like starry-eyed children, try and make them role models. The problem is, the closer you look at something, the more flaws you'll find.

Athletes, should be just that. We should enjoy what they do on the field, ice, court, and fairways. As every media outlet in the world discusses Woods indiscretions, he's forced to address the issue publicly. Tiger's behavior has hurt his family. This isn't a case of an athlete driving drunk and killing someone, bringing a loaded gun in a night club, having the mother of his unborn child murdered. This personal matter should be handled privately, for the sake of the children, and Ms. Woods, who not only has to deal with the hurt of being cheated on, she has the added humiliation of everyone in the world knowing it.

When Tiger returns to the golf course, many people will look at him differently, as if they every really saw the complete Tiger Woods before. Unfortunately, cheating isn't new, and people against same sex marriages, who tout ruining the sanctity of marriage as their reason, should be more concerned with what cheating has done to the institution.

Now that the world has seen Tiger Woods, the flawed man, will they be able to put him aside, when they watch Tiger Woods the amazing golf player?