"Two
worlds collide in the Tiger Woods affair. The world of the Puritans - or those
whose business is either political or spiritual Puritanism; and the world of
those who aren't weighed down by moral considerations, least of all when it
comes to sex and entertainment."
Rachel Uchitel, one of the now fourteen women who are now thought to have had adulterous affairs with Tiger Woods, has gone public, along with a number of others.
A few casual sexual encounters
are exposed and, presto, the most beautiful kind of Tiger, exemplary in every
respect both on and off the green, is transformed into a Tiger of paper-mâché. His
image, based on the best PR advice our consumer society has ever known, has come
tumbling down. The mirror on which we saw the reflection of an exceptional
American athlete, one of the greatest golfers in the world, irreproachable as a
husband as well as a father of two children, has been shattered. Beyond the
mirror's silvery surface an unrepentant womanizer has been revealed - the
sexual side of a Tiger that we weren’t able to see.
His compatriot Jack Nicklaus,
a model golfer from the previous generation, was the first player to speak out on
the affair. For him, this should have remained a private matter. But, thanks to
the relentless media, a disgraced Tiger Woods is a golden opportunity, so the
champion had to provide evidence. After several attempts at concealment, Tiger
finally confessed his "infidelity."
This was a prudent decision because,
what with the frantic pace of the Internet, the number of his mistresses which
is currently limited to ten could rapidly exceed the number of his major
victories, i.e.: fourteen. There remains, however, a statement on his Web site
in which he asserts that he was only in an ordinary car accident, is only "human,"
isn't "perfect" and is the victim of "malicious rumors." Confronting
misfortune, Tiger Woods has tried to put on a brave face. He has sought
forgiveness, promised he would try to become the exemplary man, husband and
father that he should never have ceased being, and has decided to do penance by
retiring from the world for as long as it takes.
Two worlds collide in the Tiger
Woods affair. The world of the Puritans - or those whose business is either political
or spiritual Puritanism; and the world of those who aren't weighed down by
moral considerations, least of all when it comes to sex and entertainment. Between
the public images of leading athletes, people who we want to see playing the
role of exemplary citizens in societies that are witnessing a precipitous
decline in values, and the reality of their daily lives, there is an entire
ocean of behavior that morality tolerates mainly because they aren't exposed to
the light of day.
A "third half," permitted within
the realm of traditional events, isn't exclusive to rugby. Many athletes, mostly
men of course, aren't short of off-the-record tales of "great debauchery,"
drinking binges and other parties exploits, which are claimed as proof of the
virility we ask them to show on the field, slopes or roads.
[Editor's Note: The "third half" in rugby
refers to the after-match festivities when the opposing teams get together and
enjoy themselves.]
It so happens that some of
these escapades slip out of the realm of the confidential, as was the case in
the Bastareaud affair.
This member of the French XV [the French National rugby team], who appeared
with a swollen face during a tour of New Zealand last summer, had initially asserted
that he had been assaulted by some passers-by, then that he had hit his head on
a bedside table, a victim of over-indulging in alcohol. Light was never
officially shed on the matter.
[Editor's Note: Rugby teams
have fifteen players, and teams are generally referred to as a "fifteen"
- and written using the Roman numerals XV.]
It's difficult to reconcile
these two aspects - sport and outside sport. Yet in recent years and with some
difficulty, that is what another American golfer, John Daly, has succeeded in
doing. The winner of two majors, in the media he's seen in news columns as much
as on the sports pages. He plays this up and is appreciated for it. Nicknamed "Long
John" because of the length of his drive and his taste for whisky, he was
sponsored by Hooters, the U.S. restaurant chain better known for the curves of
its scantily-clad waitresses than for its grilled chicken wings. No one was
surprised by his association with Hooters, which also sponsors a professional
golf tour and is preparing to send some of its most beautiful representatives
to Iraq to support troop morale.
For many players, Tiger Woods
made the smartest decision by taking a break from the tour until things settle
down. This absence may be brought to an end, not by the champion directly,
but when the demands of the golfing community become sufficiently insistent.
Without him, the tournaments suffer from much lower media coverage, and a
prolonged absence would have repercussions on the motivations of certain event
sponsors and on the business of his own partner organizations, foremost among
them, Nike.
As part of the collateral damage,
Tiger could lose his world number one ranking and back up the words of his late
father, who said at the beginning of the career of his son, who was then unmarried, that only
marriage could stop him from being the best player in the world. His rivals
could benefit, but if they win without true competition they also risk triumph
without glory. They, who also live on the generosity of sponsors, have an
interest in seeing him back as quickly as possible. Virginity restored or humanity
assumed.
