B-Nice

2/21/2010

What I Heard Him Say

One more 'gain on Tiger's Public Apology. He went on for 13 minutes and said I'm sorry several different ways but what I heard was...

Good morning, and thank you for joining me. Many of you in this room are my friends. Many of you in this room know me. Many of you have cheered for me or you've worked with me or you've supported me.

If I have to do this, at least let me do it in front of people who may cut me a break.

Now every one of you has good reason to be critical of me. I want to say to each of you, simply and directly, I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior I engaged in.

You are right to be pissed but I am sorry.

I know people want to find out how I could be so selfish and so foolish. People want to know how I could have done these things to my wife Elin and to my children. And while I have always tried to be a private person, there are some things I want to say.

Everybody is dying to know what the real deal is. I mean what in the world was I thinking.

Elin and I have started the process of discussing the damage caused by my behavior. As Elin pointed out to me, my real apology to her will not come in the form of words; it will come from my behavior over time. We have a lot to discuss; however, what we say to each other will remain between the two of us.

My wife is finally speaking to me again. And if I want her to keep talking to me I better straighten up and fly right and not embarrass her with more of this.

I am also aware of the pain my behavior has caused to those of you in this room. I have let you down, and I have let down my fans. For many of you, especially my friends, my behavior has been a personal disappointment. To those of you who work for me, I have let you down personally and professionally. My behavior has caused considerable worry to my business partners.

I done messed up for real with everyone I know. I can barely show my face in public right now.

To everyone involved in my foundation, including my staff, board of directors, sponsors, and most importantly, the young students we reach, our work is more important than ever. Thirteen years ago, my dad and I envisioned helping young people achieve their dreams through education. This work remains unchanged and will continue to grow. From the Learning Center students in Southern California to the Earl Woods scholars in Washington, D.C., millions of kids have changed their lives, and I am dedicated to making sure that continues.

People are withholding their contributions to my charity and now even the kids ain't feeling me cause I cut off their money flow too. Now I'm gonna really have to come out of my own pocket and ends is tight for me too.

But still, I know I have bitterly disappointed all of you. I have made you question who I am and how I could have done the things I did. I am embarrassed that I have put you in this position. For all that I have done, I am so sorry.

Now everyone is giving me the side eye. Again, everybody wants to know what was I thinking. Let me say it again, I'm sorry.

I have a lot to atone for, but there is one issue I really want to discuss. Some people have speculated that Elin somehow hurt or attacked me on Thanksgiving night. It angers me that people would fabricate a story like that. Elin never hit me that night or any other night. There has never been an episode of domestic violence in our marriage, ever. Elin has shown enormous grace and poise throughout this ordeal. Elin deserves praise, not blame.

Stop saying my wife was trying to hit me like a golf ball. Ya'll are pissing me off with that. We don't get down like that.

The issue involved here was my repeated irresponsible behavior. I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated. What I did is not acceptable, and I am the only person to blame.

It's not about her, it was me, all me. (*Side Note - That line right there sounded like the one you get when the dude is trying to let you down easy. You know the one. It's not you babe it's me.

I stopped living by the core values that I was taught to believe in. I knew my actions were wrong, but I convinced myself that normal rules didn't apply. I never thought about who I was hurting. Instead, I thought only about myself. I ran straight through the boundaries that a married couple should live by. I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled. Thanks to money and fame, I didn't have to go far to find them.

I'm a selfish a**. My father is rolling over in his grave right now cause I got caught out there like my parents ain't teach me no better. I let my little head run sh*t cause for real I felt like I had it like that.

I was wrong. I was foolish. I don't get to play by different rules. The same boundaries that apply to everyone apply to me. I brought this shame on myself. I hurt my wife, my kids, my mother, my wife's family, my friends, my foundation, and kids all around the world who admired me.

Not that I'm caught out there I guess I wasn't really all that after all. Now I got to suffer in front of everyone. If I was really Japanese the eleders might be making me fall on my sword behind this bullsh*t.

I've had a lot of time to think about what I've done. My failures have made me look at myself in a way I never wanted to before. It's now up to me to make amends, and that starts by never repeating the mistakes I've made. It's up to me to start living a life of integrity.

Since nobody ain't talking to me that I really want to talk to, I've had nothing but time to think about how much I done f*cked up. Now I gotta figure out how to fix this d*mn mess I done made. Gotta figure out how to make people trust me again now that my lies is all out there.

I once heard, and I believe it's true, it's not what you achieve in life that matters; it's what you overcome. Achievements on the golf course are only part of setting an example. Character and decency are what really count.

Let me try this one. It's not my golf achievments that really matters, it's how I'm going to come back behind this colossal fiasco that folk are really gonna remember. (Nope, you will forever be known as the rich dude who screwed everyone he could)

Parents used to point to me as a role model for their kids. I owe all those families a special apology. I want to say to them that I am truly sorry.

I was on that role model pedestal and now I'm the dude that screwed up royally. One more time, I'm sorry.

It's hard to admit that I need help, but I do. For 45 days from the end of December to early February, I was in inpatient therapy receiving guidance for the issues I'm facing. I have a long way to go. But I've taken my first steps in the right direction.

Hi, I'm Tiger and I'm a Sexaholic. I ain't had none for 45 days and it' gonna be more than a minute before I can get some again.

As I proceed, I understand people have questions. I understand the press wants to ask me for the details and the times I was unfaithful. I understand people want to know whether Elin and I will remain together. Please know that as far as I'm concerned, every one of these questions and answers is a matter between Elin and me. These are issues between a husband and a wife.

All the business ya'll want to know, forget it. That's between me and my wife and ya'll ain't gonna hear it from me ever.

Some people have made up things that never happened. They said I used performance enhancing drugs. This is completely and utterly false. Some have written things about my family. Despite the damage I have done, I still believe it is right to shield my family from the public spotlight. They did not do these things; I did.

Stop trying to lump me with the other sports figures on Steroids and stop messing with my family cause of how I screwed up.

I have always tried to maintain a private space for my wife and children. They have been kept separate from my sponsors, my commercial endorsements. When my children were born, we only released photographs so that the paparazzi could not chase them. However, my behavior doesn't make it right for the media to follow my two and a half year old daughter to school and report the school's location. They staked out my wife and they pursued my mom. Whatever my wrongdoings, for the sake of my family, please leave my wife and kids alone.

Ya'll know I hate having ya'll sweating my family. I gave ya'll pictures and that's all ya'll need. Leave my family alone already.

I recognize I have brought this on myself, and I know above all I am the one who needs to change. I owe it to my family to become a better person. I owe it to those closest to me to become a better man. That's where my focus will be.

I know this all my fault but cut me some slack already.

I have a lot of work to do, and I intend to dedicate myself to doing it. Part of following this path for me is Buddhism, which my mother taught me at a young age. People probably don't realize it, but I was raised a Buddhist, and I actively practiced my faith from childhood until I drifted away from it in recent years. Buddhism teaches that a craving for things outside ourselves causes an unhappy and pointless search for security. It teaches me to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint. Obviously I lost track of what I was taught.

I'm turning back to Buddha. Buddha could have kept me on track.

As I move forward, I will continue to receive help because I've learned that's how people really do change. Starting tomorrow, I will leave for more treatment and more therapy. I would like to thank my friends at Accenture and the players in the field this week for understanding why I'm making these remarks today.

Folk can change. Going back to rehab now.

In therapy I've learned the importance of looking at my spiritual life and keeping in balance with my professional life. I need to regain my balance and be centered so I can save the things that are most important to me, my marriage and my children.

Gonna balance everything better in the future. Didn't really mean to mess up like this.

That also means relying on others for help. I've learned to seek support from my peers in therapy, and I hope someday to return that support to others who are seeking help. I do plan to return to golf one day, I just don't know when that day will be.

I'm doing the therapy thing right now. Not sure how long I have to do this before I can get back to what I do.

I don't rule out that it will be this year. When I do return, I need to make my behavior more respectful of the game. In recent weeks I have received many thousands of emails, letters and phone calls from people expressing good wishes. To everyone who has reached out to me and my family, thank you. Your encouragement means the world to Elin and me.

Maybe this year. Gotta judge how the mail is going. I still have some folk rooting for me.

I want to thank the PGA TOUR, Commissioner Finchem, and the players for their patience and understanding while I work on my private life. I look forward to seeing my fellow players on the course.

Gotta thank my sponsors and peers. I know I'm hurting the game all around since I am the big draw. I'll be back.

Finally, there are many people in this room, and there are many people at home who believed in me. Today I want to ask for your help. I ask you to find room in your heart to one day believe in me again.

I know I destroyed the trust of a bunch of people. I hope ya'll can forgive and forget.

Thank you.

I'm out.




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