The American Spectator

I don’t care what you think, that does not sell in America. Corporations invested millions in the man, the icon, and the symbol of a strong work ethic and pursuit of perfection. Those companies invested because they were selling what Tiger was representing. When he broke his covenant vow with them in such a perverse way as he did with his wife and family, they had every right to fire him, and they had every right to an accounting for such deviant behavior. The problem in America today (and it continues to get worse everyday) is nobody wants to be held accountable. People want to do whatever they want. It’s all about me, mine, and today! No one wants to do what’s best for society. The man had it made — playing a game he loved with a beautiful wife and wonderful children with all the money in the world. But it was not enough. His true character was revealed, a character that is opposite to what he was getting paid for. The free market system had to cut him off because unlike you, Mr. Stein, ultimately the silent majority in this country who spend most of the money on the products that the companies that sponsored Tiger Woods sells, are disgusted by such deviant behavior and such a shallow character.
— Tim Vertz
Coral Springs, Florida

One is compelled to (respectfully) disagree with Ben Stein, regarding Tiger Woods. The situation is not as private as Mr. Stein suggests. Mr. Woods was presented to the public, over a period of many years, as a very clean-cut, upstanding, virtuous young man — the sort of fellow anyone would be happy to have his daughter bring home to dinner, or his son emulate. Many sponsors sold their products using this very image, and we consumers gladly purchased those products, partly because of the Woods image.

In the end, however, it was all a sham. Tiger was never the clean-cut fellow we were lead to believe him to be. He was chasing anything with a skirt like there was no tomorrow, and, if we are to believe one porn star mistress, causing problematic pregnancies along the way.

So, it turns out, we the public were had, and then some, and for quite a long period of time. And now Mr. Stein says, well it’s just a private matter. I don’t think so, and I suspect most other folks don’t think so, either. No one likes to be scammed, and that’s what Tiger did to us. If he now looks like he’s been hit by a truck, that is as it should be.
— D. Reich
Auburn New York

An athlete — I guess golfers are athletes — cheating on his wife with the collusion of the media is not Greek tragedy; it’s gossip TV fodder. In a sane world, the REAL story would be the contempt journalists have shown their readers by actively hiding from the truth. Perhaps the media should investigate themselves.
— David Govett
Davis, California

Your underlying argument and basis for such is undeniable relative to Woods, but I can’t help but get some pleasure out of Woods’s predicament. The ever-present fawning by the mainstream media and especially the TV announcers was always sickening. Instead of letting his excellence at golf speak for itself they consistently tried to out-do each other in “worshipping” at the Tiger “altar”. He should still listen to Brit Hume of Fox News regarding a Christian lifestyle but apparently he still thinks Buddhism is somehow the answer. Good luck in that one.
— Jack Wheatley
Royal Oak Michigan

What Ben Stein, and others who wonder what all the fuss is about, appear to overlook is that golf is not a mere pastime, as rock & roll music and Hollywood picture-making and Wall Street bond trading are. As the Rules of Golf put it:

Golf is played, for the most part, without the supervision of a referee or umpire. The game relies on the integrity of the individual to show consideration for other players and to abide by the Rules. All players should conduct themselves in a disciplined manner, demonstrating courtesy and sportsmanship at all times, irrespective of how competitive they may be. This is the spirit of the game of golf.

Now, a man who will cheat off the golf course inevitably will cheat on the course as well. (Indeed, as RET and many others have noted, we have Bill Clinton as a shining example.) Golfers know this in their hearts, and even those golf fans who aren’t golfers themselves have most likely absorbed at some level an understanding of that “spirit of the game.” When a golfer is caught cheating, his reputation is damaged irreparably. He may repair it somewhat, but he will never repair it completely. And that is why Tiger Woods has fallen so far, and so hard.

You scoff? Then I await your better explanation.
— Doug Welty

THE LOUDEST MOUTHS
Re: : Andrew Cline’s Scott Brown’s Shrewd Vote:

Okay. This is a compelling piece and I’ll retract anything I have said about Brown.
— Steve LeMaster

Raising deficit spending is “what’s best for the people”?? Looks much closer to more of the same to me! What is independent about that?
— Joe

Thank you for understanding what is happening.  I am Republican Conservative but not a naive one who thinks you could elect a Jim Inhofe in MA although he voted with Scott Brown for the bill and then got called a RINO on some sites.  Shows how little people know about politics to call Sen Inhofe a RINO because he voted for the bill.  It was smart politics and he was just elected overwhelmingly in Oklahoma, which gives him leeway to vote for something like this and help end the Party of “NO” label the media has been running with for awhile now.  Small price to pay.  The chances of this bill surviving the House are slim to none but it gave Brown a chance to go on record if it comes back to the Senate filled with pork, he votes NO!  Smart move on his part.   Cannot believe some of what I have been reading and frankly if people don’t get it that New England states electing a Republican Senator is a huge deal, maybe they should refrain from commenting.  This idea by some conservatives that Republicans have to walk to lockstep is wrong just like their wanting to get rid of so-called RINOs from the Party so they can have their ‘purist’ candidates who cannot win. Fortunately they make up a small portion of Republicans but sure have the loudest mouths.   Thanks again for a great article,
— Sharon

Oh, please!  Who cares whether he is “independent” or “goes his own way”?  Anybody who votes for stupid bills, regardless of party, should be criticized for what he is: either a fool or a cynical time server.
— Michael