Tiger Woods: How can he redeem?

My reaction to the news in Forbes that Tiger Woods, in spite of his recent fall from
grace, is still the top athlete brand was kind of curious. I was not surprised. I have been his great admirer,if not one of his greatest. I just fell in love with his game the first time I watched him play in the Collegiate Tournament. He was benind by a quite a few shots and not many holes were left. He pulled himself together and won. Over the years since, I have seen him do this many times. No matter how far back he is on the scoreboard, you can never count him out. And, that's what made me watch him play. I loved his devotion to his father. I cried with him every time he hugged his father after winning a championship. I did not mind his course antics of showing his frustration, even though I did not like them.

My initial reactions to his indiscretions was one of anger and disappointment. But, when I heard that so many women were involved, I started feeling sorry for him. It had to be some kind of sickness, addiction. He needs help. As a fan, I was hoping that he can put all this behind and get back to Golf. I was not ready to lose him from the game. It would be such a shame and a loss to the sport world.

So, how can Tinger redeem himself? First of all, he should come out with his mother and wife by his side, and publically apologize to both women for his behavior. He should apologize to his father who is in heaven now. Then, he should apologize to public. Without going into any details, all he should say - he was sorry, his behavior was shameful and he would never do it again. He should not take any questions from reporters. After doing this, he should return to golf and win tournaments. Now on, his life should be an open book. What he does and where he goes,etc. should be known. This might be the hardest part. But he has do it if he wants to regain his lost glory.

Ram Misra February 5, 2010