Monday, December 14, 2009

Monopolized


Christmas is near. I could've taken the opportunity of a free weekend and gotten all of my shopping done... but I didn't. We, instead, played more games of Monopoly in a three-day span than I think I've played my entire life combined. Did you know they had Monopoly tournaments? Most games went quickly... usually me dominating the upper echelon markets and commanding top dollar because of hotels and other assorted property ventures. But we're now in the throes of a long, drawn out struggle that saw one player nearly bankrupt and another with nothing to build on. After some risky deals, the two foes seem evenly matched. We'll see how it all unfolds... tonight... after dinner. DaDaDa-Dummmmm.

Say, who's this Tiger Woods guy they keep talking about? I've avoided the stories, pictures and voicemails for about as long as I could. Seems like everyone and their mother is offering this guy advice and telling him what he should and shouldn't do and how terrible a person he is. Well, I saw that dude hit a shot out of a bunker that went 200-some odd yards and ended up 5' from the pin... when it mattered. To me, he's a golfer. I read this article on the Dispatch today. I also started to spiral out on the topic and read this article on a gossip site. I've never bought aftershave because I saw Tiger slathered in it. I've never and probably will never buy a Buick regardless of how well Tiger handles the power steering during a commercial. What and who is Accenture? I play Titleist golf balls when I can steal them out of my dad's bag... and when I can't, it's whatever I pulled out of the pond back on #7 because it's just going right back in the pond on #13. At the end of the day, is the PGA going to bar him from their tournaments because he cheated on his wife? No. Sorry Rick, but Tiger doesn't owe me an apology and he sure as hell doesn't owe you an apology. Of course he owes his wife an apology (and his kids once they're able to understand the brevity of it all) but she came after him with a golf club. I'm thinking that woman might be able to handle her own without you and every other PR/marriage counselor chiming in. And if she can't, it's not anyone's business to tell her so.

Believe me, no one's condoning what's been done but my guess is that the guy feels pretty horrendous. It may have even knocked him down a notch or two. Chances are, things will be different and it won't be because 100% of us have passed some other-worldly judgment down on him... it's going to be because of how he feels right now, in his own home, with those that he cares most about. Maybe they'll split, maybe they won't. I don't really care because again, it's none of my business. All I know is that he'll continue to impress me with crazy good golf shots on the course because ultimately he's the best golfer in the world.

And to the kids out there that looked up to him... maybe this is a good opportunity for your parents to teach you the reality and vulnerability of human beings. We are flawed. We make mistakes... even the ones that get paid more in an hour than most of us will make in a lifetime. Then they can teach you about forgiveness.  He's not the first role model to do a public face-plant and he won't be the last, so why do we keep step to the same song and dance?

2 comments:

Meghann said...

more like #9...

tyler said...

very true. the water on #9 plays into my slice.