What Is Best for Tiger Woods, the Person? Sorry, Greed Has Taken Over!

In light of the recent events these past three weeks regarding Tiger Woods, I pose this question: What about Eldrick Tont Woods, the person?   

What would be the next best steps for Tiger, as a person, and not as a golfing superstar or as a billion-dollar pitchman?

Something that recently struck me about all of the media coverage I have seen over the past three weeks regarding this Tiger Woods fiasco, after giving it some thought, is that no one seems to be concerned at all about Eldrick Tont Woods, the actual person. 

All focus is on Tiger Woods, the golf god. 

All the concern is about Tiger Woods, the sports icon or Tiger Woods, the corporation.

No one in the media seems to care about what would be the next best steps for Tiger to take in terms of getting his personal life back together. 

Simply put, the concern seems to be all centered around the making of money.   

Without fail, every comment made by the mainstream media that I have read or heard these past three weeks has been centered around money aspects (i.e., golf and endorsements).  

There has been nothing about the human aspects.  

Simply put, the actual person, Eldrick Woods, has been forgotten or ignored by the media. 

Let's step back and tally what has happened over the past three weeks to Eldrick: 

• 1) double-digit affairs exposed;
• 2) his marriage is probably headed for divorce;
• 3) his relationship with family members ruined or severely altered; 
• 4) pristine image totally ruined forever;
• 5) his integrity, with regard to golf, is now under suspicion, due to connections with a shady doctor; and
• 6) professional career has been damaged, especially the endorsement side. (The golfer side damage won't be known until he begins to play again.)  
  

Based on the list above, he has had in the past three weeks at least three life-changing events, in my opinion, have occurred (i.e., pristine image ruined, personal relationships ruined or severely altered, and professional career seriously damaged and potentially altered forever). 

Any one of the above listed life-changing events would be hard on a person. 

Having all three occur at once is something I can't even imagine what it must be like and how difficult it must be to deal with.    

Now is a good time to make it clear that I, in no way, feel sorry for him. 

I feel this way because he brought this on to himself with extremely reckless behavior, especially of someone with his level of fame and wealth. 

Having said that, I do feel the media, and the world in general, needs to show a little more concern for the person himself and less about the money impact. 

The coverage by the media of this Tiger Woods' fiasco, in my opinion, is a microcosm of the major problem facing the United States, which is greed. 

Making money trumps all. 

As stated in the 1987 movie "Wall Street", greed is good! Making money now justifies creepy behavior.  It now justifies unethical behavior. 

We have certainly seen unethical behavior in spades in the corporate world over the last 10 years or so.  

Quite simply, the world we live in has come to a point where the ends completely justify the means. 

Making money is all that really matters. 

Who cares about people or doing the proper thing, correct?

This leads me back to the question I posed at the beginning of this article: What would be the next best steps for Tiger, as a person, and not as a golfing superstar or as a billion-dollar pitchman?

I think he needs to take at least a year off from golf and maybe much more. 

To me, he needs to take as much time as needed. 

And, in my opinion, it surely is a lot more time than the three-and-a-half months leading up to April of 2010, when the Masters golf tournament will be played. 

There is simply no way you deal with all he needs to deal with in three-and-a-half months. 

I am sure a lot of people reading this, who are probably mostly golf and Tiger fanatics, are stunned and in total disagreement. 

I can hear people saying it now, "My God, life will end without Tiger Woods, the golfing god!" 

Calm down people, life will go on.  Please hear me out first and then react. 

Tiger needs time away to fix his personal life that is in shambles. 

He has been leading a private life that, in my opinion, will lead to total destruction if it is not fixed. 

Let's step back and take a look at this situation. 

If media reports are correct, he is doing the following things in his private life: 

• 1) having unprotected sex with multiple partners;
  
• 2) abusing prescription drugs; and
• 3) habitually lying to his wife and other family members. 

People don't do the things that Tiger is doing unless they are unhappy with some aspect or multiple aspects of their lives. 

Tiger, in my opinion, having watched all four majors this year and some of the other major golf events he played in, appears quite unhappy. 

I personally think the level of fame he has achieved has taken a huge toll on him. 

On top of Tiger's personal behavior problems, he is now going to have to face all the problems I listed earlier (i.e., ruined image, divorce, etc.). 

He most certainly will need professional help to deal with all that is going on. 

In addition, he will need a lot of help to finally summon the courage to face the very difficult music by appearing in public and answering the media's questions.  

Frankly, Tiger's life has become a total train wreck. I think he has begun to head down the Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe, and Elvis Presley train route, and we all know how they ended up. 

Having said all of the above, it is clear to me that the media should be stepping back and saying this guy needs to seek help and take whatever time he needs away from golf to get his life in order. 

But, sadly they are not. 

Sadly, greed has taken over!