Hold That Tiger

What would a Saturday be without a Tiger Woods thread?  The Times has some coverage of his accident; the most plausible "real" explanation is at TMZ.

First, the cover-up, as run in the Times:

Tiger Woods, the world’s No. 1-ranked golfer, was injured early Friday in a one-car accident in front of his home, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. His wife broke the back window of his vehicle with a golf club to help get him out of the car, according to a local police chief.

Woods was leaving his home at 2:25 a.m. Friday in the Isleworth community in Windermere, an Orlando suburb, when the Cadillac Escalade he was driving struck a fire hydrant and drove into a neighbor’s tree. His spokesman said that Woods, 33, was treated and released from Health Central Hospital in Ocoee in good condition.

Windermere’s police chief, Daniel Saylor, said officers found Woods lying in the street and his wife, Elin, with him. “She was frantic, upset,” Saylor said in a briefing Friday night. “It was her husband laying on the ground.”

Woods had lacerations to his upper and lower lips, and he had blood in his mouth, Saylor said. Woods’s wife told officers she was in the house when she heard the accident and “came out and broke the back window with a golf club,” Saylor said, adding that the front-door windows were not broken and that “the door was probably locked.”

Saylor added: “She supposedly got him out and laid him on the ground. He was in and out of consciousness when my guys got there.”

Right - the first thing I would do to get into a car would be to break the back windows, not the front windows that would provide easy access to the front door.  (OK, the front driver's window might be too close to the driver, but what about the driver-side passenger window?)

On to the "real" story, which is a lot more plausible:

We're told he said his wife had confronted him about reports that he was seeing another woman. The argument got heated and, according to our source, she scratched his face up. We're told it was then Woods beat a hasty retreat for his SUV -- but according to our source, Woods says his wife followed behind with a golf club. As Tiger drove away, she struck the vehicle several times with the club.
We're told Woods became "distracted," thought the vehicle was stopped, and looked to see what had happened. At that point the SUV hit the fire hydrant and then hit a tree.

We're also told Woods had said during the conversation Friday he had been taking prescription pain medication for an injury, which could explain why he seemed somewhat out of it at the scene.

Makes a bit more sense.

Comments

[MayBee]

yeah, sadly, that does make a lot more sense.

Must we add the beautiful Mrs. Woods to the bat shit crazy list?

[PD]

I wondered the same about breaking the back window, but what if the right side of the car was up against a tree or bushes and not accessible? We don't know enough to say, but I'm certain our fearless journalists will ask the question, "Why the rear window?"

[MayBee]

Well. And did she hear his car hit the hydrant while she was in the house and instinctively grab a golf club to see what was up? Why not grab the car keys?

[Charlie (Colorado)]

So, in this story it appears that:

(1) a professional athlete who makes $150 million a year plus may have stepped out on his wife
(2) his wife got mad and smashed a couple of car windows.

Sounds to me like just another Saturday night.

[Patrick R. Sullivan]

I'm sure Tiger hopes she remembers what club she used, so he can file it in his memory bank for the next unplayable lie he encounters.

[upanddown]

i wonder if he is going after wilt chamberlins record with the ladies?

[matt]

I guess she was tee'd off.

[hit and run]

The argument got heated and, according to our source, she scratched his face up.

That's what we call a slice swing.

If she had a used a hook swing,we'd be talking about black eyes and contusions.

[Jane]

Sheesh - if he is going to fool around, why can't it be with me. I won't tell anyone.

[Jane]

Actually I'd probably come here and tell everyone. Nevermind.

[Jim Rhoads a/k/a vjnjagvet]

Another pop in the perfection bubble.

[Sue]

Wow.

[Gmax]

Does anyone else consider an 8 iron to the backwindshield distracting? I mean a guy who can putt in front of a gallery of thousands with literally millions riding on the putt falling, cant concentrate enough to avoid either the fire hydrant or the neighbors tree or maybe even both?

I think the 8 iron must have found its mark along side the cranium, maybe more than once.

[PD]

I don't care about golf much, but it's evident many JOMers do. So, a question for the Tiger fans here: If it turns out he *is* having an affair, will that change your opinion of him?

[upanddown]

it was either the wind changed direction or his caddies faulty yardage.

[Mike Myers]

Best line I've heard so far is "What's par for an Escalade?" Whatever par is, I suspect that Ms. Elin scored at least a triple bogey on the hole.

[Gmax]

Rachel Uchitel

A name we all are likely to become quite familiar with, like it or not.

[Dave (in MA)]

I wonder if she made any "cablinasian" ethnic slurs.

[BobS]

jane saaaaays.....

[Jim Rhoads a/k/a vjnjagvet]

PD:

Not as a golfer; he's on track to be the greatest ever. But he will no longer be up there with Arnie and Jack in the family department.

[MayBee]

Yes, I will be sorely disappointed if Tiger is having an affair. Especially if he is having an affair with a slutty attention seeker like Rachel Uchitel.

But I am also appalled by his wife's physical violence. Completely unacceptable.

[Jim Rhoads a/k/a vjnjagvet]

Oh, and wassup with a Cadillac? I thought he was pitching Buicks.

[Dave (in MA)]

She attacked the SUV because she's an AGW nut.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

I'm sure Tiger hopes she remembers what club she used, so he can file it in his memory bank for the next unplayable lie he encounters.

Winner.

[Jim Rhoads a/k/a vjnjagvet]

Those Norse goddesses are a tough bunch, MayBee. Grendel's mom, Brunhilde, etc., etc.

[Boatbuilder]

Maybee--If I were ever idiot enough to put myself in a similar situation, I would consider myself fortunate if an 8-iron were my wife's implement of choice.

[MayBee]

Really?
I don't know why it's ok for a woman to physically attack a man. Any more than it is for a man to physically attack a woman.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

If it turns out he *is* having an affair, will that change your opinion of him?

I'm not a golfer, but watching Tiger is like poetry. And I am one who always likes the best of the best when it comes to sports (why I love watching the Olympics so much). So, no an affair would not change anything in how I feel about Tiger as the world's greatest golfer and on the fast track to becoming the greatest of all time.

As to the affair, I would be sad, unless it turned out that the Swedish beauty is really a violence-prone bitch. I know nothing about his private life and really prefer not to know. If it turns out that he is the real snake, I'd still appreciate his skill and talent, but I'd put him in the category of just another typical jerk of a man.

If the story TMZ is putting out is true, then I give Tiger some credit for leaving the house to avoid more confrontation. Some men would just haul of and return fire. To be able to walk away shows some character, at least in my mind.

BTW, the woman who the Enquirer accuses of being the "other" denies ever having an affair with Tiger.

[SteveP]

It looks like an arrest for domestic violence should have been made by now.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

I would have to say too that no matter what the story, there is one person, if I were Tiger, that I wouldn't want to be dealing with right now. His Mamma. She does not strike me as the type who will put up with any shenanigans from her son or any shame he might bring to his family or his father's name.

[upanddown]

either a south wind came up and blew him off course or his caddie gave him a bad yardage.

[Jane]

If it turns out he *is* having an affair, will that change your opinion of him?

Well since I volunteered to be the mistress it would be a bit hypocritical of me to say "yes".

That being said I am consistently on the record as saying I really don't care who people sleep with - I think that is private. I felt that way about Bill Clinton and I feel that way about Tiger. (That does not include any tolerance of demonizing the mistress however. Tell the truth and get on with it.)

I am a huge Tiger fan, and I loved thinking he had this sort of cool idyllic family - including his never ending love for his Dad. I'll miss that part of the narrative if it ends up being the case, altho I will try hard to not miss his time on the golf course.

[Captain Hate]

I think the 8 iron must have found its mark along side the cranium, maybe more than once.

You might say she wedged a skull. This is the first thing to damage Tiger's squeaky clean image, which has previously been more protected from bad events than the White House has. I knew he was having trouble with driving this year but figured it was something else....

[MayBee]

I just don't know how you work your way back into a marriage where one of the partners has physically assaulted the other.

I will always cheer for Tiger as a golfer.

[Appalled]

This story leaves me uncomfortable. Nobody should cheat on ther spouse. But that does not give the spouse the right to pound the man with a golf club. Imagine what the story would look like if it was Tiger's on the receiving end of the club -- affair or not.

[bgates]

Well, Google is already familiar enough with the story that when I type in "rachel ", it suggests "rachel uchitel".

By contrast, "climate gat" produces a suggestion for "climate gatlinburg tn", and for "climate gates". Which seems odd.

[matt]

is this Tigergate?

[Charlie (Colorado)]

It looks like an arrest for domestic violence should have been made by now.

Certainly if it had been Tiger with the 8 iron and the wife in the car.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Um, could I point out that at least right now, we don't actually know that Mrs Tiger pounded anything with the club but a back window?

And could I point out that we don't actually know Tiger is boinking what's-her-name?

Just sayin'.

[Ignatz]

--That being said I am consistently on the record as saying I really don't care who people sleep with - I think that is private.--

It's not private when the cops show up in the neighbor's yard at 2:30AM cause your Svedish hotty gave you a well deserved niblick to the nuts.
If he cheated on his wife, which is a still an if at this point, he deserved whatever he got.

[SpeakEasy]

This just in, President Obama held a press conference in which he said, "I think it is clear, uh, that the, uh, tree acted stupidly."

[bgates]

could I point out that we don't actually know Tiger is boinking what's-her-name?

I don't see why not. Nobody minded when PD, MayBee, Sara, and Jane expressed uncertainty.

[Ignatz]

--This is the first thing to damage Tiger's squeaky clean image--

That image was kind of smudged a bit for me ten or more years ago when he gave his iron a good toss at Pebble beach and shouted the F bomb for all the little Tigers to hear, cause he shanked one.
Bobby Jones he aint.

[Dave (in MA)]

I'm not a golfer, but watching Tiger is like poetry.

If someone asked me to name the 3 most boring things ever, I'd answer golf, poetry and church. Not sure of the order, though.

[Jane]

Golf is not boring. It's like a symphony -

Of course I like curling too.

[glasater]

Cargo plane crashed in Shanghai--three americans hurt or worse!!

Anyone know daddy's itinerary?

[Jane]

He's in Dubai glasater.

The "other woman" says she is not the other woman and is planning to sue the papers.

So maybe Tiger is faithful and his wife doesn't believe that.

[Elliott]

He was in Europe, glasater, and his next stop was in the Middle East.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Of course I like curling too.

So do I Jane, but I rarely admit it publicly. Winter Olympics in February, yea!!!!

[DrJ]

Are you back stateside, Elliott?

[glasater]

Thanks Jane and Elliott!!

I worry about him--perhaps too much:)

[Elliott]

I'll be back next week. Sadly, I will miss "the UK's biggest ever demonstration in support of action on climate change" next Saturday.

[Jane]

We all do glasater. He as here last night and said he was headed to Dubai. I thought the exact same thing when I saw the news of the crash.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

I like women's curling.

[ben]

Probable scenario: Tiger got hit in the head with a golf club and that's why he crashed.

Probable spin: it was dark, prescription drugs, government built cars don't perform well, etc.

[PD]

Um, could I point out that at least right now, we don't actually know that Mrs Tiger pounded anything with the club but a back window?

Sure, but why do you feel it necessary? My question, for example, was hypothetical, as evidenced by the leading "if."

And my interest was really more in how other JOMers would view TW if the hypothetical turned actual, because I'm more interested in other JOMers than TW.

[ben]

"Um, could I point out that at least right now, we don't actually know that Mrs Tiger pounded anything with the club but a back window?"

Removing Tiger from the back window would have been a lot harder than just opening one of the doors, and if he was lying on the pavement half unconscious I doubt he got out the back. The crash did not even deploy the airbags so the doors were probably not compromised. The pictures of the crash don't show any impediment, just the front of the car against the tree.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

I wanted to point out the things about Tiger and Mrs Tiger (what *is* her name, dammit?) because people were already talking about how crushed they were about Tiger's infidelity. I just kind of hope people will remember that we've got nothing but rumors of any sort for any of those details.

[Captain Hate]

what *is* her name, dammit?

Elin Nordegren

I just kind of hope people will remember that we've got nothing but rumors of any sort for any of those details.

I'll remember that we've got a highly unusual situation with a sports celebrity that people are trying to make sense of how it could've happened.

[BumperStickerist]

They'll get back together.

... and, after each and every time they have sex, she'll give Tiger a polite golf-clap.

because that would hurt him even more than an 8 iron.

[BumperStickerist]

One thing you can be sure of, Tiger will keep every golf club in the house, except a one iron, locked up.

...

...

...

because no one can hit a one iron.

...

...

~ chirp, chirp, chirp ~

You've been a great audience, tip your waitresses and try the veal!!!

[bgates]

people were already talking about how crushed they were

You should go remind those people to use qualifiers indicating speculation, like every commenter has done here.

[Terry Gain]

Tiger is now wishing that the media would cover some of the rest of the field, for a change.

Even though I find the coverage of Tiger - to the exclusion of the rest of the field -annoying, I'm sorry to hear about this.

[hit and run]

Charlie:
I just kind of hope people will remember that we've got nothing but rumors of any sort for any of those details.

Good point.

So, in this story it appears that:

(1) a professional athlete who makes $150 million a year plus may have stepped out on his wife
(2) his wife got mad and smashed a couple of car windows.

Sounds to me like just another Saturday night.

Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | November 28, 2009 at 12:04 PM

[PD]

Well since I volunteered to be the mistress it would be a bit hypocritical of me to say "yes".

Oh, I don't know about that. I took your remarks to be tongue in cheek. Because if you actually meant them, that would mean that you'd be okay with helping a man betray his marital vows of fidelity to his wife and the trust of his two young children.

So I didn't think you meant it that way. I took it more as a sign of affection, much like the "dibs" that JOM ladies throw around when it comes to folks like Dick Cheney and Mark Steyn.

[glasater]

My eight iron--as the rest of my irons--has a graphite shaft with a copper head--they're old Tommy Armor's sole weighted--and I wouldn't give them up for anything:-) But even a light pitch with that club could do a bunch of damage to anyone's head.
It could be that the departing vehicle was the object of frustration....

[sbw]

I really don't care who people sleep with - I think that is private. I felt that way about Bill Clinton

I don't care about Bill's sleazy private habits, or his bad taste,...

...but I DO care when he, an officer of the court, lies under oath in a court of law. For that he not only should have been impeached, he should have been convicted.

[Jane]

PD,

I'm quite sure I will never be presented with the opportunity that would force me to answer that question,

[Peggy Noonan]

If I were in Tiger's shoes (and he can thank his lucky stars that I'm not) I would most definitely Blame Obama.

It won't be long before that is at least a plurality position,if not a majority,on any number of issues.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

much like the "dibs" that JOM ladies throw around when it comes to folks like Dick Cheney and Mark Steyn.

And Charlie and Hit

[Jane]

Don't stop there Sara.

[PD]

Charlie and Hit have dibs on Cheney and Steyn?

[Janet]

If it turns out he *is* having an affair, will that change your opinion of him?

I will answer PD. Yes. I don't hold celebs in much esteem anyway, but if they have affairs, get in fist fights, do s&m themed dances on the AMA awards, call their children pigs, and assorted other scum-like behavior...I think less of them.

[hit and run]

Sara:
And Charlie and Hit

I'll both mudwrestle Charlie for Sara *AND* mudwrestle Sara for Charlie.

[MayBee]

If it turns out Tiger is having an affair with Jane, I will completely understand.

[Sue]

If it turns out Tiger is having an affair with Jane, she better hope Mrs. Tiger doesn't find out. It appears she swings a mean club.

Good lord, the entire media is discussing the possibility his wife attacked him because of an alleged affair. I don't think anyone here is out of bounds speculating along with them.

[Sue]

I have dibs on Elliott and Cheney. So in order not to appear greedy, I'll not join the fight for Hit and Charlie.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

I'll both mudwrestle Charlie for Sara *AND* mudwrestle Sara for Charlie.

LOL. Well I'm game, but Charlie might have other ideas.

[hit and run]

That's not fair,Sue. As a Texan with Shiner Bock Distributor connections,you don't have

[hit and run]

have....to mudwrestle for me.

[hit and run]

Sara:
Well I'm game, but Charlie might have other ideas.

I think Las Vegas is centrally enough located between CO and San Diego for us to figure this out.

Oh sure,Beaver,UT is probably more centrally located literally,but who wants to mudwrestle there?

[Sue]

Cool. I'll just slip you in my back pocket and claim you as mine. ::grin::

[hit and run]

From http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2009/11/025043.php>Powerline:

Shaken by Climategate, the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit has reversed its long-standing policy and http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/copenhagen-climate-change-confe/6678469/Climategate-University-of-East-Anglia-U-turn-in-climate-change-row.html>agreed to make its climate database public so that other researchers can check the conclusions that have been reached by global warming alarmists who, until now, have been the only ones with access to the data. What is not clear from this report is whether the formulas and calculations that were applied to the data to obtain published results will also be made public. In any event, shining sunlight on the heretofore secret world surrounding the manipulation of climate data can only be a good thing.

Now that the CRU is in retreat, maybe the liberal media will be shamed into covering the story.

[DrJ]

hit, I doubt it. From today's Chronicle,

Leaders say momentum building on climate change
Experts: nations' emissions pledges fall short

Now the Chron is no bastion of rationality, but it looks like a push back to me.

[glasater]

AGW to my thinking has always been a battle that needs to be fought in Europe--after all that's where the rabid thinking has taken hold.

Let's see if folks will stand up over there to inform those apathetic masses.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Lawsuits are popping up all over against Gore, NASA, and this that I posted in the other thread:

PENN STATE OPENS INVESTIGATION INTO CLIMATEGATE, MICAHEL MANN AND HIS HOCKEY STICK

[mockmook]

I can understand (not condone) a brief explosion of violence if you just learn that the spouse you love is having an affair--and if that violence is just scratches or a non-damaging slap, then let it be.

I don't think someone who devolves to a passionate act of momentary "mild" violence is crazy; they seem pretty normal to me. Of course, any disfiguring (or worse) violence is crazy and criminal.

Anyway, guess I'm saying if Elin was wronged, then her behavior (just scratches) doesn't seem so far out of bounds [Assuming "just scratches" is the worst she did to him, and the other rumors are correct].

[Jane]

Oh I'd love to sue Al Gore.

That would certainly be worth the filing fee.

And Maybee, thank you for your understanding!

[bad]

Hold That Tiger

I'm not going to. It's too dangerous.

[DrJ]

Hold That Tiger

Isn't that what Rachel Uchitel is alleged to have done? /ducks

[Frau Jagdhund]

I remember that Kobe, when caught wrong-headed, had "Vanessa" tattooed on his arm soon thereafter . The sorry occasion certainly took away his squeaky clean aura.
We have never found out what Vanessa did to Kobe. Maybe *she* gave him the "tat."

[bad]

DrJ!!!!

[Mike Myers]

Well on the Betty Broderick scale of violence (she blew away her ex husband and his new wife while they were sleeping in their home--she'd driven an SUV into the home on a prior occasion) then beating the bejabbers out of an Escalade with an 8 iron is not so much. But it's still not acceptable.

[bad]

I saw somewhere earlier today that Elin was angry based on an article in the National Enquirer. If the Enquirer is wrong, which I hope it is for the sake of their chidren, Elin is going to need to find an amazing way to apologize and Tiger will need to be extraordinarily forgiving.

[Jason]

This is a great site you have here. I'm a first-time visitor, but I'm liking what I'm seeing. I have a political blog myself where people come from around the world to debate on important and controversial issues. I know you could provide us with some valuable insight.

Also, I'd like to do a link exchange with you. If you would like to, please leave a comment under the "Compadres" page saying that you've added our link and we'll return the favor.

Keep up the good work.

Jason
DEBATEitOUT.com

[ben]

I don't know about Elin, but I think most wives would probably balk at the Melbourne "coincidence", Melbourne is not exactly like, say, Miami or LA. The purported girlfriend says she did not see Tiger "in the lobby or restaurant or anywhere else". Does that mean she was at the same hotel? Melbourne is a big city, lots of hotels. But it could all be an unfortunate misunderstanding, and unlikely the Enquirer could bag both Silky Pony and Tiger....

[Jane]

Supposedly they were at the same hotel for the same time period, which is the sum total of the evidence - well I don't know that but it appears to be true if you get your news from Fox and the internet.

I think it is odd that the reported affairee has lawyered up and has stated her plan to sue - if she was indeed having an affair - altho that could just be Gloria - the - beast speaking.

[glenda]

I think the whole Tiger story is sad, sad.
Who said "To whom much is given, much is expected"? Or something like that...I'm just an old bossy Texas granny who will go 10 blocks out of my way to avoid trouble, unless it's about my family, friends and country. :-)♥ 2 U

[bad]

Supposedly they were at the same hotel for the same time period, which is the sum total of the evidence -

Don't the rich and famous (or infamous) tend to stay in the same hotels?

Pure speculation alert*****

What if she slipped him a mickey which is why he was so out of it in the car?

[Captain Hate]

One thing I think this episode shows is what life is gonna be like for Tiger post-Earl. I truly believe that if Earl were still alive, this post would not exist and we'd be believing that Tiger lives a perfect life.