He's a real man now.
Woods, 34 took to the podium wearing a sullen and contrite expression and offered a very belated mea culpa to the world for his litany of extramarital affairs. This all started in late November after a minor, yet very mysterious car wreck which led to the first whispers of Woods' infidelity. Within days, more than a dozen women came forward with salacious accusations against the legendary golfer which greatly tarnished his previously squeaky clean reputation. Since then, Woods has been absent from the public eye, even taking a leave from golf to try and redeem himself to his family.
Watching him apologize brought several thoughts to my mind. First, it's very obvious that getting caught was about the only thing he was sorry for. Had he not been outed, he would have continued on and wouldn't have felt enough guilt to stop or apologize. He knew that he had a wife and two children while he was doing it, yet he persisted. Furthermore, he is a product of his father who was a shameless womanizer himself and obviously rubbed off on his son. I believe that Woods' most honest moment came when he admitted that he felt "entitled" to this behavior, due to his extreme wealth and celebrity.
The apology felt fake like so many other public figures mostly because it came so late after the initial reports. Why did he wait nearly three months? For his apology to have seemed sincere, he would have had to come out with it long before the media found out about his "transgressions." That way, the apology would have been the product of a guilty conscience rather than a PR ploy or damage control.
Still, he had no choice but to give it.
With the billions of dollars riding on Woods' career and marketability, not to mention the historical significance of the man himself, he was obligated to face the planet and hold himself accountable. If he didn't, the backlash would have been immeasurable.
I still say that he deserves our understanding. He is, after all, just a person.
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