David Feherty Is Mad At You (And Me!)

I think it's time we establish something about the Tiger Woods mess, and it's a feeling we've all had at some point over the last two weeks. While it does suck that this is a real person's life, and these are serious issues he and his wife are dealing with, the level of celebrity that Tiger has reached makes this news. Bottom line.

I'm not happy that it happened, mostly because I've been a Tiger Woods fan for a long time and always thought he hung the moon when it came to sports (and life), and since all this shit has hit the fan all those feelings are gone. It is almost like he cheated on you and me, because the dirty feeling that has come with it makes everyone feel a little gross. Like we were duped by someone we thought we knew.

Here is what I don't get ... some people are fuming because this stuff is being reported. I'm not one to sling mud at people, and if Chris DiMarco cheated on his wife I'm sure it would be a story (or not) but it would pass over after a day or so. DiMarco isn't news. Tiger is. That's the burden you carry when you convince everyone of the person you are and then completely flip the switch like you're having a sex change or something.

David Feherty, who we all can agree is as good as it gets when it comes to golf broadcasting, is one of those in an uproar about all the coverage. He said the following when asked about the Tiger situation.

"I'm sick of it, all the coverage," Feherty fumed. "Lord knows, my private life is ghastly, so when I see someone's private business talked about night and day, over and over, it bothers me. It's a bad state of affairs [in the media]. You're talking about other people's misery, and this has been all over the tabloid shows," even Nancy Grace, the HLN program that sometimes covers missing-person cases. "I wouldn't mind a show on how she disappears. Everyone is so nosy. I can see it now. This is gonna be a movie. There will be books. You know, people have a right to work through problems on their own, without all the attention. Tiger plays golf, but he's a very private figure. The way the tabloids feast on private misery makes me sick and angry."

Okay, it is a fair point to say you are sick of it, but it is rather short-sighted to think that this is a problem with the media. Basically, blogs/websites/television shows and everything else has just become a way to broadcast what everyone is already talking about around the water cooler. It gives people a chance to discuss things that we couldn't discuss back when technology was minimal, and if you read over this particular blog, you'd see a golf fan disappointing in his superstar and that's about it.

Yes, there are jokes. Yes, the situation has become so bizarre that it feels anything could happen at this point and we wouldn't be surprised. That still doesn't make it wrong for us to write about someone like Tiger and his personal life.

Our media has done it forever, and it will continue like this for as long as there is a computer and a keyboard. At least we aren't joking about killing Tiger for his problems. Now that would be bad.