Woods scandal: Saying little speaks volumes

Posted Nov 29, 2009 by Ryan Lavner

Updated Nov 29, 2009 at 06:40 PM

Tiger Woods is flawed, and one of the planet’s most popular athletes admitted as much Sunday in a five-paragraph statement on his Web site. Woods again declined to speak with Florida state troopers, fueling speculation about what exactly transpired at 2:25 a.m. Friday morning, when his black Cadillac Escalade struck a fire hydrant, then a tree, leaving him bloodied and briefly unconscious outside of his $2.4 million mansion in Windermere, Fla.

Although Woods didn’t offer a formal statement to police—technically, he doesn’t need to; the Florida Highway Patrol will continue its investigation without one—he posted a brief statement on his Web site, which read, in short:

“This situation is my fault, and it’s obviously embarrassing to my family and me. I’m human and I’m not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Not surprisingly, that’s all Woods divulged. It’s a private matter, he says, one that will continue to be handled in the privacy of the Woods estate henceforth. No police investigation, no traffic violations, no hospital visit will disrupt a sanctuary he spent 13 years protecting.

Woods will have to address the issue eventually, perhaps as soon as Tuesday, when he is scheduled to hold a press conference in advance of the Chevron World Challenge, a PGA Tour event he hosts in Thousand Oaks, Calif. It was unclear as of Sunday evening whether Woods still planned to play, or even attend. If he does decide to fulfill his tournament obligations, don’t expect a grand mea culpa at his pre-tournament presser. Don’t expect him to sit in front of a microphone, his wife, Elin, at his side, let out a deep breath and discuss openly every miniscule detail of that night.

It worked for Kobe Bryant earlier this decade, after the Los Angeles Lakers star was accused of rape. It would presumably work for Woods now, too, his squeaky-clean image tarnished for the first time.

Unfortunately, we may never know what Woods is hiding, if anything. He’s ducked behind his militia of media reps, first postponing a meeting with troopers through his agent, now canceling another appointment through his attorney. Even in crisis, Woods maintains a steely resolve, the same attribute that has drawn such acclaim over the years when he drains 10-footers to win major championships.

“Although I understand the curiosity,” Woods wrote in his statement, “the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible.”

He speaks mostly of the National Enquirer exclusive published late last week, which alleges that Woods is currently embroiled in an extramarital affair with a New York night club hostess, with whom he visited recently while playing a tournament in Melbourne, Australia. The woman, Rachel Uchitel, admitted to having met Woods but denied an affair with the world’s top-ranked golfer.

Two days after the salacious story hit newsstands, Woods was involved in the one-car accident, in which he was found in the street by a neighbor, his mouth filled with blood and cuts above his lips. According to police, Woods’ wife, Elin, rushed out to help, smashed out the back window with a golf club and pulled Woods from the vehicle.

What’s left unclear, however, is where Woods was going, why he couldn’t perform a seemingly simple act—pulling out of his own driveway—and whether the recent story alleging his infidelity factored in the incident.

Woods isn’t perfect, as much as his prior record indicates otherwise, and he says “the only person responsible for the accident is me.”

We may never uncover the real story. We may never puncture Woods’ well-guarded bubble.

And that’s just the way he likes it.