ÿþ<html> <head> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1"> <title>OnlineColumnist®.com: Putin Punishes Georgia</title> <meta name="generator" content="Adobe GoLive 4"> <style type="text/css"> .style3 { height: 68px; } .MsoNormal {} h1 {margin-bottom:.0001pt; page-break-after:avoid; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; font-weight:normal; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; } .style4 { font-size: large; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial; } .style6 { height: 69px; } h2 {margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center; page-break-after:avoid; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Arial; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; } .style7 { width: 285px; } .style8 { font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; } </style> </head> <body bgcolor="white" vlink="black"> <center> &nbsp;<table cool width="624" height="2719" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" gridx="16" showgridx gridy="16" showgridy> <tr> <td height="118" rowspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0" class="style7"> <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"><img height="110" width="62" src="images/discobolos.logo.transp.gif" border="0"></a></td> <td width="7" height="118" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="482" colspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="140" class="style6"><img height="75" width="450" src="images/banner.GIF"></td> <td width="1" height="118" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="1" class="style6"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="79"></td> </tr> <tr height="39"> <td width="182" height="39"></td> <td width="300" height="39" valign="top" align="left" xpos="322"><a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"><img height="14" width="267" src="images/divisionofNEW.GIF" border="0"></a></td> <td width="1" height="39"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="39"></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="624" colspan="6" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0" class="style3"> <table border="0" width="100%" bgcolor="black" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td> <table border="0" width="100%" bgcolor="#99ffcc" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4"> <tr> <td align="center"> <div align="left"> <a href="index.html"><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> HOME</strong></font></a><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> &#8226; <a href="articlesindex.html">ARTICLES</a> &#8226; <a href="books.html">BOOKS</a> &#8226; <a href="teflon.html"> THE </a><a href="teflon.html">TEFLON</a><a href="teflon.html"> REPORT</a> &#8226; <a href="mailto:letters@onlinecolumnist.com"> REACTIONS</a> &#8226; <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html">ABOUT DISCOBOLOS</a></strong></font></div> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr height="2"> <td height="2" class="style7"></td> <td width="489" height="2576" colspan="3" rowspan="2" align="left" xpos="133" content valign="top" csheight="2573"> <p class="style4">Tiger and Elin Woods&#39; Downfall</p> <p><b><font face="Arial,Geneva,Helvetica">by John M. Curt</font></b><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><b>is<a href="books.html"><br> </a></b></font><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><b> (310) 204-8700</b></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><i>Copyright August 25, 2010<br>All Rights Reserved. </i></font>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <p class="MsoNormal"> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="style8"> W</span>hen Tiger Woods crashed his black 2009 Cadillac Escalade into a fire hydrant and tree in the early morning of Nov. 27, 2009, no one imagined that the world s No. 1 golfer would fall on his sword.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Tiger s car crash turned into a train wreck for his career as revelations of his serial affairs with Las Vegas-like cocktail hostesses and call girls hit the headlines and his career like a Mack truck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Telling People Magazine that she d  been through hell, Tiger s ex-wife Elin Nordegren announced her divorce was final August 24, causing further damage to his already battered image.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Since turning pro in 1996, Tiger s handlers meticulously groomed a gentlemanly image, personifying the kind of grace and dignity seen in the game of golf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Revelations about his infidelity, before, during and after Tiger s fairytale Oct. 4, 2004 Barbados wedding made reconciliation impossible.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Details of Tiger s multiple affairs before, during and after the births of their children Sam June 18, 2007 and Charlie Feb. 8, 2009, led Elin to conclude that  without trust and love there was no going back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Tiger s fans resent the media s judgment, apparently excusing other athletes in different sports from the kind of career-ending consequences falling on the 34-year-old winner of 14 grand slam golf tournaments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Tiger s attempts at damage control, his public apologies and pleas for forgiveness, haven t improved his golf swing since the story rocked the sports world late last year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Since the divorce finalized Aug. 24, Elin s public remarks rub salt in the wounds of Tiger s fans, still trying to reconcile his carefully manicured image with wild stories about his carousing off the golf course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Unable to resolve the two, Tiger has lost his once invincible golf swing.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Much has been written about the mental part of the golf game, requiring precise control of one s emotions to display the consistency needed to win golf tournaments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Since Tiger s Nov. 27, 2009 car crash, he hasn t been able to return to his past form that vaulted him to his No. 1 ranking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Growing up on the golf course since age three, Tiger didn t have the normal childhood to develop the kind of maturity that could withstand a major disruption getting outed and his divorce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>His storybook marriage to Elin in 2004 was largely an elaborate publicity stunt to help burnish his pristine image.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Neither Elin nor the public knew anything of his racy lifestyle, leading him to become one of golf s biggest playboys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>With so much riding including a multimillion dollar advertising empire on his image, it s difficult to fathom Tiger s risk-taking, leaving him with a broken image and golf swing.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Elin s recent disclosure to People Magazine opens up another can of worms for her struggling ex-husband.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>  I ve been going through hell, said Elin, explaining how she was tortured by speculation that she attacked Tiger once seeing proof on his cell phone that he was fooling around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> It s hard to think you have this life, and then all of sudden was it all a lie?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>You re struggling because it wasn t real.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>But I survived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>It was hard, but it didn t kill me, said Elin, practically admitting that she thought of suicide once she realized Tiger had cheated on her from day-one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Elin s new revelations continue to batter Tiger s image, making the public more aware than ever of the egregious betrayals and infidelity marked by a serial adulterer someone intolerable to average family folks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Given Tiger s rocky comeback, Elin s revelations make his chances far worse.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Elin refused to disclose the figure of her Aug. 24 divorce settlement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Some speculation at around $500-700 million breaks new records in U.S. history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Her recent interview with People Magazine drives home the crass nature of Tiger s infidelity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> I m so embarrassed that I never suspected not a one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>For the past 3 1/2 years, when all this was going on, I was home a lot more with pregnancies, then the children and my school, Elin explained, giving too much detail for those curious types still grasping the nature of Tiger s misdeeds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Giving more detail only underscores the slimy nature of Tiger s behavior, making his full recovery next to impossible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Unlike out-of-court settlements in civil matters, there s no requirement of confidentiality in divorce settlements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Elin s recent disclosures do less to set the record straight than to inflict more permanent damage on Tiger s career.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Going public to People Magazine with more details about her life during her divorce settlement, Elin heaped more damage on Tiger s already battered image and golf game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Tiger s serial adultery made reconciliation impossible for anyone other than a complete phony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>No one knowing that the infidelity occurred before, during and after her marriage and birth of her children could possibly start over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Forgiveness takes time, said Elin, demonstrating that she s along way from controlling her hurt feelings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>If she wants to show the maturity needed to start the healing process for herself and Tiger, she should stop talking to the media.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Everyone knows she s gone through a lot of pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>But heaping more misery on Tiger does nothing to help repair her trauma.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Instead of talking to People Magazine or anyone else, Elin would be better off continuing to work out her problems in private.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <b>John M. Curtis </b>writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He&#x2019;s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of <a href="books.html">Dodging The Bullet</a> and <a href="books.html">Operation Charisma</a>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> &nbsp;</p> </td> <td width="1" height="2576" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="1" height="2"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="2"></td> </tr> <tr height="2574"> <td height="2574" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0" class="style7"><img height="172" width="111" src="images/johninframe3.jpg"></td> <td width="1" height="2574"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="2574"></td> </tr> <tr height="1" cntrlrow> <td height="1" class="style7"><spacer type="block" width="133" height="1"></td> <td width="7" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="7" height="1"></td> <td width="182" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="182" height="1"></td> <td width="300" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="300" height="1"></td> <td width="1" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="1"></td> <td width="1" height="1"></td> </tr> </table> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2" width="597"> <tr> <td><font size="1" face="Arial,Geneva,Helvetica"> <hr noshade size="1"> </font><a href="index.html"><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> Homecobolos> p><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular">©1999-2005 <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"> Discobolos Consulting Services, Inc.</a><br> (310) 204-8300<br> All Rights Reserved. </font></td> </tr> </table> </center> </body> </html>