Three Words Tiger Should Say

Posted on April 8, 2010

by Andrés T. Tapia –

It may just be me, but the relentless media barrage attacks on current figures of color seems way out of proportion. Not that there are not real issues to debate, disagree with, or question, but whether it’s Obama or Tiger or Steele (and who else should we add from the past few years?) the language about their real or ideological transgressions is apocalyptic and destructive.

So watching the latest barrage of opinion about Tiger — after he has done penance, expressed a public apology, recognized that what he did was inexcusable and could deservedly cost him his marriage — I feel that the line has to be drawn about how much more contrition can be extracted by the media pundits to whom he doesn’t owe anything.

What if he said the following three words to the media hounds about whether he should be playing or not given his fall from grace, “It’s my job.” And then elaborated with “ I cannot not play golf. It’s what I do for a living. Would any of you stop going to work and writing your news stories because you were having some personal problems at home? Should doctors stop seeing their patients because of some character flaw? Should lawyers stop practicing because they are failing at their marriages? And while there is no guarantee I will succeed in fixing my marriage I do need to tend to the mess I’ve created in my personal life and that is between my wife and me. At the same time I must go to work and do what I do. This is not Sunday morning golf with the guys. It’s how I make my living.”

About Andrés

Andrés Tapia is President of Diversity Best Practices, the preeminent diversity and inclusion thinktank and consultancy. In this role, he helps companies create first-in-class diversity strategies and develop innovative solutions for culture change. Previously he served as Hewitt’s Chief Diversity Officer and Emerging Workforce Solutions Leader. As a published writer and prominent speaker, Andrés offers thought-provoking views about diversity’s impact around the world. He is the author of The Inclusion Paradox: The Obama Era and the Transformation of Global Diversity. Find his bio here.