Seems that his wife Elin just "teed" off. Most importantly what club did Elin use, maybe a "rescue" club? I heard Phil Mickelson called Elin on her cell phone today. He wanted to ask her how to beat Tiger. What does Tiger have in common with a baby seal? They've both been clubbed by a Swede!
The way I think it may have happened, she beat him up in the house, scratching up his face. He runs out of the house to get away, gets in his car and prepares to drive off. Still raging, she gets a golf club and smashes the window, which fucks up his driving - and he crashes, knocking himself out a bit. The seriousness of this freaks her out of her rage and she gets scared she's really hurt or killed him, and she pulls him out. Cops arrive and Tiger decides that he doesn't want his wife hauled off to jail, so he stays mum.
So from crash to confession, that took about 5 1/3 days before he had to drop the privacy thing and admit he'd been unfaithful to his wife. I think it goes to show not that privacy is impossible today, but that if the tabloid press and tabloid public get even a hint that somebody famous is covering something up, the purported wrongdoer is going to be hounded until something comes out. That's not to excuse anything he did, but I'm always a little amazed by the frenzy that surrounds stories like this. It's like people are out for blood as soon as they think someone famous is hiding information they are entitled to have. I was curious about this too, it goes without saying.
Obviously, Tiger is trading on his persona via his endorsements. So his behavior is a public matter. It's a high stakes game, and not everyone is up to the challenge. Nobody said, "Tiger, you must make money based on your persona and your image." You automatically put your image up for scrutiny the minute you accept a check from Accenture, Nike, Buick, whomever. Obviously if it comes out that Tom Lehman or Kenny Perry have a little pussy on the side, its not that big a deal.
He showed an incredible lack of discipline and common sense. Seriously, you're leaving voicemails on your hoochie's phone? So, he was diddling around with this chick for almost 3 years and it only gets out now? I'm stunned. How could he keep it secret that long$$$$, lol!
I'm always surprised by elite athlete wives who expect their husbands to be 100% faithful, in spite of every indication that it is really unlikely. Why wouldn't you go into a marriage with an elite athlete expecting that he would give you fame and fortune, but not fidelity?
Having said all of that, I don't think there is much damage to the Tiger brand long-term. He's that good. He can forget any "Sportsman of the Year" awards for the next few years, though, as well as any "family friendly" endorsements for a bit. Michael Jordan was a big cheater and still had plenty of endorsements. Its funny, because I have asked why Lefty (Phil Micklelson) has a rep as a jerk. a number of people say Lefty is "hated" because they don't like his attitude, consider him arrogant, phony, "a prick." But contrast that with a guy who appears to have been a pretty blatant philanderer, including cheating on his wife while she was pregnant. Hard to imagine his caddy and fellow players were entirely in the dark about such behavior - he doesn't appear to have been tremendously discreet. But that doesn't qualify him as a "prick" or a jerk in their eyes. Maybe it does, I surely dont know.
Being an avid golfer and fan of the game, I.. nor anyone I've paid any attention to, has asserted that Tiger leads an exemplary life. Indeed, his continued insistence upon maintaining a private life outside of golf, which I completely understand, has resulted in the general public having little or no relevant information on the "private" Tiger Woods. I am his fan not because I think he's a saint, but because he's the best golfer that has ever graced the planet, and in general he handles himself well in the process of winning tournament after tournament. Yes, he has a temper on the course, but it doesn't diminish significantly his status in my mind that he is a fierce competitor and that that slips through from time to time.