sportsfanIQ

The initial developments of this story are, by now, old.  The timing of my thoughts, though, have nothing to do with the most recent details of what is seeming to be a multi-layered tale, told mostly by the media.  

It took me a few days to process the magnitude of what Tiger Woods admitted to, when he professed his rumored "transgressions."  And although it has taken me almost two weeks to decide where I stand, I still feel as though his actions, and the impact they'll have on the game of golf and fans of athletes in general, have not yet fully sunk in.

Does Tiger Woods owe me, or anyone else for that matter an explanation of what happened outside his Windermere, FL home?  No.  Just because we buy the products he endorses, or swing the equipment he uses does not entitle us to the intimacies of his relationships, plural. 

Unfortunately, the true consequence is the damage done to the sport he plays, which prospered with each successful moment Tiger attained.  

Regardless of the steps Woods takes to repair his image, it's too late to recapture the casual fans, the ones who tune in on Sunday to witness Tiger walk another eighteen on his way to yet another championship.      

Personally, my admiration for his athletic abilities will never waver.  He still performs a game that eludes the majority of us at a level we're unable to fathom.  His personal life has always been private to most.  And for that, it isn't difficult to separate the before and after of this still unfolding story.  

But for the fan that was attracted to golf because of what Tiger embodied: focus, determination, and of course, family, they're gone.  And they ain't coming back.  For all the wives of golf fans that sat watching on Sunday afternoons simply because Tiger was in hunt, their interest has officially expired.  

Don't get me wrong.  I feel no sympathy for Tiger Woods.  I do, however, feel sad for the game of golf and sports as a whole.  Living in the era that we do, where athletes' finances are so superior to most occupations, provides an element of immortality for the elite competitors of sports.

This enables leagues or associations to market their lead figures in such an iconic way that any accomplishment they attain elevates their respective sport to enormous levels.  

Tiger Woods will win championships and, who knows, perhaps become more inspired to break Jack Nicklaus' majors record of 18 sooner than he planned.  But the lead up to this task has been altered in such a way that history will have no choice but to tarnish the journey.  

Tiger Woods lost face when he crashed his SUV outside his home. 

But golf lost its ambassador.