Carter was on the ground at the golf tournament Tiger Woods is currently attempting a comeback at, but he wasn’t able to get much in in terms of what was up with Woods. It all went downhill after the first question, “do you play golf?”, in what appeared to be a quick but manageable delay. After the fourth or fifth attempt at communication, it was clear it wasn’t quite the most manageable of delays. Carter tried to begin explaining the situation with caddie Stevie Williams, only to be left adrift calling “Joe? Stevie?” until both reporters acknowledge the delay has rifted through them (at the beginning of the segment, he called the anchor “John,” so the name salad being thrown out there wasn’t exactly adding to the technically-addled coherence here). It’s just like yelling to your mom on a subway platform, but on national TV.

What makes it particularly funny (and likely made it particularly frustrating for the reporters) is that this isn’t exactly category 5 hurricane coverage– there’s no overt reason for a technical malfunction here. The malfunction was fixed enough to finish up the segment by the end, though, and they were allowed to conclude the discussion. We can’t imagine we’d be half as calm or professional as these two during a segment like this, so a tip of the hat to them.

The segment via CNN below:

Late Night host Jimmy Fallon had Tiger Woods as a guest Wednesday night, opening the show with a friendly, “it’s been a year and a half since you’ve been on our show. Whadya been up to?” Woods smiled and said, “Uh, nothing, nothing. Playing bad golf.”

Woods, who’s been struggling to return to form after the sex scandal that rocked his marriage and his career, got a big thank you from Fallon on behalf of his writers, saying the jokes about Woods wrote themselves:

“Thank you for having the courage to come on a late-night comedy program, because it must have been a painful and awful situation, the whole thing you went through, but from a comedian’s standpoint and my monologue writers, thank you! So much! It kind of wrote itself. I mean, balls, shafts, holes, foursomes . . . Thank you! Thank you!”

Watch it here, from NBC:

Luckily, the Associated Press caught the First Lady’s salutory siege on video. Did Sembiring try to fend off the greeting, or is this just so much hand jive? (h/t Alan Colmes)

Here’s the clip. Watch closely at around the 18 second mark.

He doesn’t look all that reluctant. Maybe she employed a Jedi-whispered “This is the hand you are looking for.”

While this incident is being widely, deservedly mocked all over the internet, there are a few important takeaways. The outsize attention that this trivial encounter is receiving has an American mirror image in the right-of-center media’s idiotic obsession with the bowing customs of US presidents. Or, rather, just one US president.

More importantly, though, the world will be waiting to see if Sembiring can actually pull off this excuse. If he does, this could be a valuable precedent for men everywhere who are “forced” into contact with women, alas, too late to save Tiger Woods.

“My actions certainly led us to this decision…And I’ve certainly made a lot of errors in my life and that’s something I’m going to have to live with.”

He also took responsibility for the divorce. From the New York Times:

Sadness was the theme of Woods’s remarks; in a 10-minute news conference here at Ridgewood Country Club, Woods used the word or a variant of it five times.

He acknowledged that his personal troubles have hung over him on the golf course at times, saying that there have been tournaments where the distractions from his off-the-course problems were almost too much to deal with while still playing. Concentrating on his shots has been a challenge at times, Woods said; so has been dealing with questions about his personal life on a daily basis, even in the midst of a tournament.

Sad though it may be, thus far this divorce — if not the reasons leading up to it – appears to be playing out in the press in a far more dignified manner than many other high profile splits in recent memory.

People magazine landed the exclusive, but is saving most of the juicy details for readers of the print edition. However all the network morning shows got a preview, and filed detailed reports this morning.

Nordegren didn’t address the cheating directly, although she said “I’ve been through hell.” She also says she “never suspected” any of it, and was “blindsided” and “embarrassed.” She did talk about what happened that Thanksgiving night:

There was never any violence inside or outside our home. The speculation that I would have used a golf club to hit him is just truly ridiculous. Tiger left the house that night, and after a while when he didn’t return, I got worried and decided to look for him. That’s when I found him in the car. I did everything I could to get him out of the locked car. To think anything else is absolutely wrong.

Interestingly, while Nordegren says she barely watched TV in the months following the incident, she did say “she found the parodies of herself on Saturday Night Live and South Park ‘pretty hysterical,’ even if ‘totally untrue.’”

As for Woods himself, she says she’s not yet ready to forgive him. In fact, the only positive comment she offered related to golf. “I wish him all the best in the future, as a person and as an athlete,” she said. “I know he is going to go down as the best golfer that ever lived, and rightfully so. I feel privileged to have witnessed a part of his golfing career.”

People hits newstands (and then will subsequently leave newstands quickly) on Friday. The magazine says this will be “her first – and last – interview, as she intends to remain a private person.” Here’s ABC’s segment this morning:

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“We are sad that our marriage is over and we wish each other the very best for the future…While we are no longer married, we are the parents of two wonderful children and their happiness has been, and will always be, of paramount importance to both of us.”

“Once we came to the decision that our marriage was at an end, the primary focus of our amicable discussions has been to ensure their future well-being. The weeks and months ahead will not be easy for them as we adjust to a new family situation, which is why our privacy must be a principal concern.”

She adds that she “would be honored to be part of a show where I can use my head, show people what I’m really like, and give back to the community, as it’s for charity. ”

Now, if Mr. Trump could just see about getting the other alleged mistresses on the show…

For the full Gossip Cop story, click here.

There are two versions of the story about the last months of the life and times of Eldrick “Tiger” Woods. There’s the sports story, of course, but in the grand scheme of his career, it was not his best season on the PGA Tour. Going back to last August’s PGA Championship, when he choked away a Sunday lead to an unknown Korean golfer named Y.E. Yang, Woods has faltered on the course plenty.

In a normal season, there would be weekly columns from golf pundits trying not to revel too much in the fact that Woods was human. But this isn’t a normal season of golf. Because last November, many of us were shocked just to find out how human Tiger Woods actually was. That’s the second story of Tiger: a media narrative about infidelity, expectations, fallen role models and more, so potent that it was almost impossible at one point to tell the difference between ESPN and TMZ.

The story first broke late in the day on the Friday after Thanksgiving: Tiger had been involved in some sort of accident in his SUV outside his Florida home. Even though it was a holiday that often is devoid of any major news not related to football and annoying Black Friday trend pieces, the media engine started churning double time as the details leaked out little-by-little. The story completely hijacked any other news of the holiday weekend, and while the moment didn’t have the “Where Were You When…” level of importance, it wasn’t far off from that. Then, we started to learn more about why the accident happened, and that’s when it became the second most notable event in media history involving an athlete and an SUV.

I’ve recently relived June 17, 1994 thanks to the brilliant 30 for 30 documentary (that would absolutely be worth your time to watch). Nothing will ever match the level of intrigue around a non-sports story involving a sports figure like O.J. Simpson’s story did. But what can be surpassed is the way we got the news. The Simpson saga was generally media-controlled; the Tiger Woods story changed media in a few ways that never would have been possible in 1994 as it became a participatory story that involved the whole audience both receiving and adding to the developments.

First, the early reports did not come from press conferences or official statements. They were Internet reported, spreading across online outlets and Twitter. Ignore the obvious part of the comparison to 16 years ago (the technology), because there is just as much a shift in the journalism. Not only has the media pundit universe gotten bigger in the last decades, it’s also now completely acceptable for regular people to report – and be considered credible – when it comes to news stories of relative import. How else would TMZ have gotten the first photos? Because our sharing, social-based channels have forced us as consumers to rethink our role in media. We sat back in 1994 and merely watched the White Bronco chase, the trials, the leather glove, Judge Ito, and more. In 2009 and 2010, we were just as involved as the reporters on television.

Second, and this is where it gets fun, the audience didn’t let the story die. Every new sordid detail became a fun game for folks like the Huffington Post, who kept a running mistress count for all of the readers. When the dirty voicemail from Tiger surfaced online? It wasn’t enough to make sure it was available in countless, Google results. The Internet denizens made sure to bring it back up in April when they reinvented that solemn Nike ad in dozens of different ways. It was designed-for-Deadspin type story, and anyone who’s spent some time in the comment section over there knows just how ruthless they can be. The schadenfreude, combined with the level of access and technology the sports audience now has, developed into something in and of itself as the audience was trying to determine what they could possibly come up with next.

There were so many other stories that came out of the prolonged, drawn out saga that once was Tiger’s personal life. Anything that gets Keith Olbermann and Bill Simmons in a little bit of a tiff, I’m all for, just out of sheer entertainment value. The driving force and interest of the participating audience probably elevated the story well beyond its merit, but that same power is what led to such ridiculous comparisons as Tiger made his way back into the world of golf after a self-imposed hiatus.

Since coming back to golf earlier this spring, save for a shining third round at the US Open in June, Woods hasn’t come close to playing like he used to. Over on Sports Grid, we’ve been looking forward to that day when we get to post about Tiger’s next triumph – something that is safe to say will happen again on the golf course. But that’s the first story I alluded to as I opened this column. The second story is just about concluding, too, but it will follow Tiger around for the rest of his life, much like the galleries of fans will do on the next Sunday he sports his trademarked, red shirt.

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As enormous as that figure sounds, earlier reports were even more massive:

“Yesterday, Gossip Cop struck down rampant rumors that put Nordegren’s haul at close to $750 million.
The lower sum comes from what a source “with direct knowledge of the terms” has told TMZ.
Nordegren will also reportedly receive child support.”

Perhaps now that this whole ordeal is finally heading towards the finish line, people will finally be able to focus on Tiger’s golf. Right? Right?

Not surprisingly, TMZ says the possibly-soon-to-be-ex couple wants to keep things hush-hush:

Sources very familiar with the situation tell TMZ … the most important thing for both Tiger and Elin is keeping the terms of the divorce confidential.

Needless to say, with outlets like TMZ hot after details, this will be difficult. They went on to report that Tiger “wants either custody or visitation,” that the divorce might actually be filed in Nordegren’s home country of Sweden, and that “the couple has not reached agreement on any of the major issues.” If they’re that far away from finalizing the split (and of course, provided they’re actually right that a split is looming), get ready to hear lots more on this. Because if there’s anything we need, it’s more Tiger stories!

And if that’s not enough Tiger news, he and his swing coach, Hank Haney, are also ending their relationship. TMZ has that, too, though the Golf Channel first got word of the Woods-Haney split.

Blogger Cousins of Ron Mexico at The Big Lead notes the bevy of breakup news surrounding Woods, asking re: Haney:

The only question is, has Woods been secretly working with a number of other swing coaches over the last few years?

Pretty good line, and interestingly, the Woods-Haney breakup is what has more people talking. It’s got writeups on ESPN, USA Today, and FOX News, to name a few. The divorce news, on the other hand, is pretty much confined to TMZ and a couple other gossip sites. A sign that media attention is returning to Woods’ golf game now that he’s playing again, or just a sign that there’s not enough concrete evidence for most outlets to report on the divorce? Stay tuned.

The newly-respectable news organization reports Woods admitted to 121 affairs during his marriage, but the one that sealed the divorce fate was when it got personal.

Reports the Enquirer:

Tiger Woods has admitted that he cheated with as many as 120 women while married to Elin!

Yet, while coming clean during therapy, he failed to mention the one-night stand he knew would destroy his shaky marriage.

The serial cheater hid from therapists – and Elin — his most shocking conquest – Number 121 – say sources.

So, wow.

But what about this mystery #121? Sources point to it being Raychel Coudriet, who was Woods’ neighbor’s daughter. She would have been 21-years-old.

The complete story isn’t online – so you have to pick it up at your local newsstand or supermarket check-out. But the Enquirer has introduced a fresh, new angle to the Woods saga…just as the golf superstar tees off his 2nd tournament of the year today.

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It would be fine to try and draw the parallels, but Rogers has a bigger gripe, and it is calling out that “one of these things is not like the other” when comparing Big Ben’s treatment by the league, law enforcement and the media. The headline foretells exactly the story Rogers wants to paint: “Does the Media Cover White Athletes More Favorably?” As he wrote:

What makes Roethlisberger so special that the media requests nothing of him but expected the world from Tiger Woods?

Mainstream media is mostly comprised of white males. Facts indicate 94, 88, and 87 percent of the Sports Editors, Columnists and Reports are white males. In essence, white males are covering a world of professional sports where many of the marquee athletes are African-American. There simply isn’t enough parity in the media to provide balanced coverage.

The latter helps to explain why white athletes like Roethlisberger receive more favorable coverage than the likes of Vick, Burress and Woods.

A level of consistency must be administered when covering all athletes. When turmoil visited Woods it was written and talked about consistently. No issues with the latter whatsoever. But the same should hold true for Roethlisberger as well. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

There are two ways to go with this response.

The primary argument in response to Rogers would unfortunately get dangerously close to me defending Roethlisberger’s actions, and in no way do I want to do that. There’s some good points in that rejoinder, though. First, the facts of his case are still up for debate, but a Georgia D.A.’s decision to not prosecute based on lack of evidence is, (a) not a racial bias and (b) not him trying to take the place of a jury in the court procedure. I also want to avoid putting his accusations in the same camp as other athletes, too, because its apples and oranges when you start talking about a guy who has a history of non-helmet wearing boneheadeded moves and other outstanding accusations (something Rogers noted) in relation to the cases of a serial cheater/fallen role model, a guy who organized an illegal gambling and dog fighting operation and a wide receiver who brought a loaded gun into a nightclub.

I want to take this the other direction, though. I want to talk about what has been covered excessively and how the league is handling the situation. I’ve joked that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is a “hanging judge,” a distinction I give him since he’s benched a total of 14 players in his four-year tenure for infractions ranging from manslaughter/DUI to probation violations as well as the aforementioned crimes. Although Rogers’ column was up before the announcement of Big Ben’s league punishment, to think that he was going to get off scot-free is crazy. Goodell laying down six games – to a guy who hasn’t actually been charged of anything! – is comparatively one of the most severe punishments he’s doled out. Those other suspensions have all involved legal charges being filed against those players, and Ben is getting six for “violating the conduct policy.”

To say that media is ignoring this story specifically because of the skin color of the majority of its reporters is also off-base, but not because of the latter point. It’s more because the media has not exactly just put this story in the bottom half of broadcasts.  Sportscenter has given it good-sized coverage throughout the last few weeks (and you know they’d rather be talking about tonight’s first round of the NFL Draft), and there has been national media weighing in well beyond the Pittsburgh market. ESPN has dedicated a sidebar throughout the NFL section to congregating the coverage, which features more than a dozen national columnists – including a very heavy-handed piece by Gene Wojciechowski – calling for more explanation and punishment:

I’d be stunned — and disappointed — if NFL commissioner Roger Goodell doesn’t bring the wood and suspend Boozin’ Ben for at least three games and preferably four: two games for embarrassing his team and the league, another two for being dumber than a blocking sled.

Forget, if you can, that Roethlisberger has left a trail of police reports from Lake Tahoe to Milledgeville, Ga. Or that women seem to accuse him of sexual assault a lot. Or that he’s lucky to be alive after a 2006 motorcycle accident. (Go figure: A guy who wears a helmet for a living didn’t wear one on a motorcycle.

Big Ben wasn’t going to get the TMZ-style coverage that Tiger got…but that’s more to do with the profile of accusers and the golf superstar than the color of their respective skins. There were no adult film starts, salty voicemails for the quarterback. This is much more of an inside the sports world story, originating from a mid-market and not nationally prominent star. That’s how it’s being handled., and don’t say Roethlisberger is off the hook. That’s not only unfair, it’s untrue.

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Who: Brian Williams, interviewed by Jeff Greenfield
What: “In the News with Jeff Greenfield – Brian Williams”
Where: 92^nd St. Y
When: April 18, 2010
Thumbs: Up

Brian Williams said proudly that he grew up watching Johnny Carson and Walter Cronkite. This comes as no surprise to his fans who recognize that on a regular basis Williams finds the perfect blend between comedy and self-deprecation and earnestness and seriousness.

While Williams acknowledged that the days when families gathered around the TV for the 6:30 news – as his did – are long gone, he reminded the audience that nightly newscasts still do very well ratings-wise. He pointed out that NBC’s ratings in February, for example, were three to four times better than Bill O’Reilly’s were. And, he added, broadcasts are still the main source of news for Americans, ahead of websites and newspapers.

What does Williams read on the internet? “Mostly aggregators,” he said. Drudge and HuffPo are in the mix with Time, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, New York Post, and USA Today. There are no bloggers that Williams would cite by name as being on the A-list, but he did credit Gawker for its breaking coverage of the Fort Hood massacre last year. That evening, he said, Gawker was beating the networks to information by an hour or two. Williams admitted that around the time of major events or decisions – Supreme Court, elections, natural disasters – he checks blogs to see what they’re reporting.

But those sites are limited. Nightly news excels in its world news coverage. On-the-ground reporting is especially close to Williams’ heart, and he credits NBC for allowing him to do so much of it despite the stark reality of its expense. That’s something new media doesn’t yet do well. It’s a good thing we have anchors like Williams providing images and reports we can conjure up when framing and reconsidering our impressions.

What They Said
“When you get to the afternoon, Fox goes from the attractive Munster daughter to the monster under the stairs.”
- Brian Williams looks at how the news competition shapes up

“I think people confused the coverage on behalf of the electorate with coverage of the man.”
- Brian Williams responds to criticism that the media is in bed with Obama with a simple answer: his story had actual significance.

“When complaints are down the middle, I’m happy. All is right in the world.”
- Brian Williams says that he judges his bias – and fairness – in reporting based on the feedback he receives

“If you’re covering a rally and one of them is doing something to a plastic doll…I’m just saying.”
- Brian Williams tries to explain why the Tea Party has been depicted the way it has in the media

What We Thought

• Jeff Greenfield set a very high bar for other interviewers. Not only were his questions well-considered and -prepared, he added his own thoughts and impressions to the back end of Williams’ comments. As a veteran media professional himself – and equally worthy of being in the interview seat, no doubt – Greenfield brought insights and stories that further enhanced the discussion.
• We agree with Williams and Greenfield that newspapers continue to offer something that websites cannot: the stumble. Some subjects like architecture aren’t as prone to make you click a headline. But if reading a newspaper, Williams said, you might find yourself intrigued by the story as you scan your eyes over it. We know that we’ve discovered interest in topics we didn’t plan to read about as a result of the newspaper stumble.

PANEL RULES!

Some audience behavior seems to repeat itself panel after panel. We’ll be updating a running list of “PANEL RULES!” that will help ensure that you are not the dweeb of the Panel Nerds.

Panel Nerds don’t like…Tiger spotters
While most of the questions were excellent, one stood out for us as a tad low-brow. Someone wanted to know why the media had run “hog wild” with Tiger Woods’ coverage and when it would cease. Williams protested that his network had covered it only “sparingly” because he doesn’t really see the news value in the story. The merits of the need to cover the story can be debated. But not in April. We’ve already seen the Masters go by and a definite dissipation in the interest and coverage of the story. This question would have had some teeth if it was posed back in December or January. In April, it’s just an old story, even for those who secretly want to know what will happen next for Tiger.

According to the Monterey Herald, Tiger has formally filed his application for this year’s 110th U.S. Open at the picturesque Pebble Beach Golf Links on the Monterey Peninsula.

Storylines you can expect:

• Did he get the cobwebs out after April’s Masters?
• Will this be the year of a Good Phil vs. Evil Tiger battle in every major?
• Tiger absolutely crushed the field the last time the US Open was at Pebble in 2000 (a 15-stroke victory) – is the fact that this is “one of his courses” an advantage?
• The US Open is Father’s Day weekend – overplay the Nike commercial again and then discuss if his father would be disappointed.
• Still too many distractions?
• Something about Elin and Amy Mickelson?

Yes, I’d rather we talk about golf, but I guarantee that the last three gets more coverage than they need to. Well, I’ll be covering it anyway.

But less than 24 hours after Phil Mickelson’s emotional win at The Masters, we’re left to ponder more questions than ever.

True, some of the posers we were scratching our heads over a week ago have been put to rest. To no one’s surprise, the Augusta National Golf Club was able to keep protestors and paparazzi out, large security details in (and incognito). The golf media proved less of an irritation to Tiger Woods than the pollen, and being paired with the recidivist Buddhist the first two rounds wasn’t a prescription for failure: Both K.J. Choi and Matt Kuchar made the cut, Choi eventually playing all four rounds with Woods in a coupling that seemed to benefit both men. And Tiger’s game was better than some expected, worse than others hoped for—probably much like his relationship with his wife, Elin.

Still, with the first of golf’s four major championships in the books, there remains much to wonder about.

Tiger. After the first round ended, I ran into someone who asked, “Do you believe after everything I’m still rooting for him?” Absolutely.

For the first three days we were amazed how good his game was after a five-month layoff; on Sunday, we were amazed how awful it was and yet he still nearly clawed his way back into the hunt. So now we’re wondering what’s wrong with Tiger’s game, if he’ll change instructors, and when he’ll play again.

But that’s golf stuff and no one cares about that, right? What we really want to know is if he’s going to patch things up at home or playing as a single in the gargantuan mansion he’s building in southern Florida. Are the sponsors going to come back now that Tiger has proven he can still play? Is he going back into rehab? And, oh yeah, what sort of rehab was it?

The Monday before the tournament started, at his “press conference” (in quotes since the one thing he wasn’t in 36 minutes was pressed), Tiger talked about turning down his emotional flame on the course. He did lose it a few times over four rounds, less often than from Tiger B.C.—Before Crash—and we did hear a dirty word or two. (Sponsorship suggestion: bar soap.) So he may want to work a bit more on that Zen thing.

The Media. If ever there was a group of people glad to put a car crash in their rearview mirror, it’s the golf media. They should be thrilled that Tiger didn’t win, since a vindicated champion would have been even more insufferable and hush-mouthed with the press. Golf writers everywhere can now go back to tracking players’ scores rather than players’ visits to Scores.

And here’s hoping someone breaks Dan Jenkins’ Twitter fingers before the next major, the U.S. Open, which is at Pebble Beach, not too far from San Francisco where there are more Chinese restaurants than in Augusta. (Heaven help us if he tweets from the British Open, where he’ll likely have even more nationalities to insult.)

As to the likes of TMZ, the National Enquirer, and Vanity Fair, can you now please leave golf alone and find some poor stoned starlet to stalk?

Augusta National. Unfortunately all the attention shined on the club in light of Tiger’s return gave the club’s rich, white men the mistaken impression that we give a damn about what they have to say about anything other than their golf course. How dare club chairman Billy Payne lecture Tiger, or anyone, about ethics and morality with the club’s record on racism and women’s rights? National attention for one week a year, even with their charitable contributions to the community, does not give them the right to cleanse their collective conscience at the expense of others.

And how did this club, which does nothing more than run a single tournament, earn a seat at golf’s ruling table with organizations like the USGA, PGA Tour, and PGA of America? What have they done to foster and improve the game of golf? (Limiting commercial interruptions during the broadcast is good, but it isn’t enough.)

There are other questions remaining to be asked as the soft green glow filters through the Georgia pines, topics that will haunt the game for months to come. Will the fans come back? What happens next week when Tiger isn’t playing? Will the PGA Tour be able to keep its sponsors and secure another hefty TV contract when the present one is up in a few years? Where is the next generation of golfers coming from?

But who would have thought when Masters week began that the most interesting question of all would be asked by a dead man? The four words that an overdubbed Earl Woods aimed at his son in Nike’s infamous ad should remain our mantra as the golf year rolls on: “Did you learn anything?”

In the event that you are just awaking from a six-month coma, you may need to catch up a bit on the Tiger Woods’ saga. And apart from working blue on occasion, Woods’ play was a perfect redemptive story for sports writers and pop culture obsessives to fetishize over. But the media really wanted to play-up the stark difference between faithful Phil (whose wife Amy suffers from breast cancer) and that scoundrel Tiger Woods, as evidenced by the Newsday cover above.

Yup – turns out that we are happy that the supportive husband defeated the guy that stepped out on his wife (and mother of his two small kids. Hooray!) So it makes sense that, editors are leading with the loving couple. Some other examples:

ESPN.com loves them some supportive loving couples:

The NY Post gets in the act:

Wall Street Journal also leads with the love:

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/online/masters-media-recap-faithful-phil-mickelson-foils-the-field/feed/ 0 http://www.mediaite.com/online/jim-carrey-supports-tiger-woods-slams-elin-on-twitter/ http://www.mediaite.com/online/jim-carrey-supports-tiger-woods-slams-elin-on-twitter/#comments Mon, 12 Apr 2010 11:28:45 +0000 Glynnis MacNicol http://www.mediaite.com/?p=109715 Jenny McCarthy, Jim Carrey has a lot of time to weigh in on other people's relationships...140 characters at a time. It's unclear whether Carrey is more interested in being the 2.0 Oprah or looking for some sort of social media position on ESPN but here's what he had to say on his Twitter account re Tiger's comeback, Elin's naivete and why every wife should apparently direct their husbands towards a career in curling.]]> Apparently, post his break-up to Jenny McCarthy, Jim Carrey has a lot of time to weigh in on other people’s relationships…140 characters at a time. It’s unclear whether Carrey is more interested in being the 2.0 Oprah or looking for some sort of social media position on ESPN but here’s what he had to say on his Twitter account re Tiger’s comeback, Elin’s naivete and why every wife should apparently direct their husbands towards a career in curling.

• Tiger Woods owes nothing 2 anyone but himself. 2 please his father he gave up his childhood and his freedom in the world. That’s enough!—> 10:06 AM Apr 9th via web
• No wife is blind enough to miss that much infidelity. Elin had 2 b a willing participant on the ride 4 whatever reason. kids/lifestyle ;^) 12:12 PM Apr 9th via web
• @eyssogreen That’s a cop out Gail. No woman just stays at home with the kids anymore. Tiger was wrong and Elin was ignoring the obvious ;^) 8:03 AM Apr 10th via web
• RT I want 2 make it CLEAR that I do not condone infidelity at all, but 2 some degree the responsibilty 4 it is shared by both people! ;^) 1:36 PM Apr 10th via web
• So, you guys probably don’t feel like talkin’ about Sandra Bullock, right? I’M KIDDING! JEEEZE! I’m a little on edge.Cut me some slack! ;^) 3:57 PM Apr 10th via web
• If you really wanna see sexual disfunction get 2 know your favorite basketball star! Curling is the only safe sport 4 a married man! d;^’ 11:42 PM Apr 7th via web

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/online/jim-carrey-supports-tiger-woods-slams-elin-on-twitter/feed/ 4 http://www.mediaite.com/tv/tiger-woods-live-tv-evaluation-of-tiger-woods-you-suck/ http://www.mediaite.com/tv/tiger-woods-live-tv-evaluation-of-tiger-woods-you-suck/#comments Sun, 11 Apr 2010 18:45:28 +0000 Frances Martel http://www.mediaite.com/?p=109644 Tiger Woods is back to doing the one thing no one can question his ability to do-- playing golf at the 2010 Masters Tournament. So, of course, this is the one time he decides to publicly tell himself what the entire nation has been telling him for the past five months. Just to make it clear he is talking to himself, he goes out of his way to specify that he is, in fact, “Tiger Woods.”]]> American hero Tiger Woods is back to doing the one thing no one can question his ability to do– playing golf at the 2010 Masters Tournament. So, of course, this is the one time he decides to publicly tell himself what the entire nation has been telling him for the past five months. Just to make it clear he is talking to himself, he goes out of his way to specify that he is, in fact, “Tiger Woods.”

Here’s the clip via Fox News’ Kimberly Guilfoyle, looped to make it more satisfying:

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/tv/tiger-woods-live-tv-evaluation-of-tiger-woods-you-suck/feed/ 6 http://www.mediaite.com/tv/thinking-outside-the-box-paul-blagojevich-and-ventura-storm-larry-king-live/ http://www.mediaite.com/tv/thinking-outside-the-box-paul-blagojevich-and-ventura-storm-larry-king-live/#comments Sat, 10 Apr 2010 14:26:30 +0000 Frances Martel http://www.mediaite.com/?p=109278 Larry King's absence last night as an opportunity to bring out the big guns, and it made for some great TV. Come step into the alternate universe where Jesse Ventura, Ron Paul and Rod Blagojevich have a TV show where they engage in civil, intelligent discussion on the tough issues facing America today.]]> After getting unsolicited advice on how not to collapse from almost every media source out there, CNN took Larry King‘s absence last night as an opportunity to bring out the big guns, and it made for some great TV. Come step into the alternate universe where Jesse Ventura, Ron Paul and Rod Blagojevich have a TV show where they engage in civil, intelligent discussion on the tough issues facing America today.

Ventura, filling in for Larry King, hosted a discussion with the two explosive personalities along with liberal radio host Stephanie Miller and Republican strategist Andrea Tantaros. While the topics of conversation remained strictly political, Rep. Paul controlled the tone, proving how he managed to win the CPAC presidential straw poll and why, at 74 years old, he continues to enjoy an immense popularity that may carry him to a 2012 run. In fact, he managed to get the group to rally around his “core belief in freedom and liberties and principles that our country were founded on,” and got them all to agree that a libertarian Supreme Court justice would “please everybody” (though he lost them when he suggested regular Glenn Beck substitute host Judge Andrew Napolitano).

As for Blagojevich, this was one of the first times he was given a platform to engage in intelligent policy discussion, rather than recite poetry or suck up to Donald Trump. Free of his Apprentice shackles, he provided the kind of insight many people often complain they don’t see enough of in these types of political discussions. And, despite admitting to being a big-government liberal, he agreed with Paul on constitutional issues and personal freedoms. Can you say Paul/Blago ’12?

The entire exchange is a learning experience for the avid media consumer, and a sign that CNN is finally taking the hint that cable news consumers love compelling personalities. Watch the discussion on the replacement of Justice John Paul Stevens below and it’s impossible not to wonder why it is that commentators like Blagojevich, Ventura, and Paul are marketed in the mainstream media as raving lunatics and more established but incoherent pundits enjoy an assumption of sanity from their viewers.

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/tv/thinking-outside-the-box-paul-blagojevich-and-ventura-storm-larry-king-live/feed/ 34 http://www.mediaite.com/tv/chyron-of-the-day-tiger-woods-is-back-with-a-bang/ http://www.mediaite.com/tv/chyron-of-the-day-tiger-woods-is-back-with-a-bang/#comments Fri, 09 Apr 2010 16:31:51 +0000 Steve Krakauer http://www.mediaite.com/?p=109066 Tiger Woods had a great first round of golf yesterday at the Masters - his best first round ever in the tournament. But which network's chyron writer was going to take the bold step to make a sex joke with the news? Not Comedy Central - MSNBC.]]> MSNBC, 10:28amET:

Tiger Woods had a great first round of golf yesterday at the Masters – his best first round ever in the tournament. But which network’s chyron writer was going to take the bold step to make a sex joke with the news? Not Comedy Central – MSNBC.

CNN went with “A Masterful Showing” and “Tiger On The Loose.” Fox News had “Tiger Roars In Comeback.”

MSNBC? Well they decided to go with “Back With A Bang.”

Perfect, right?

Willie Geist is out covering the tournament today, and all week, for MSNBC.

—–
» Follow Steve Krakauer on Twitter

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/tv/chyron-of-the-day-tiger-woods-is-back-with-a-bang/feed/ 2 http://www.mediaite.com/online/what-to-expect-from-todays-tiger-woods-coverage/ http://www.mediaite.com/online/what-to-expect-from-todays-tiger-woods-coverage/#comments Thu, 08 Apr 2010 11:23:52 +0000 Dave Levy http://www.mediaite.com/?p=108126 The Masters kicks off this morning in Augusta, Georgia, and many a camera and news junkie will be tracking Tiger Woods's first swings back into golf after a four-month self-imposed hiatus. Tiger tees off at 1:42 p.m. local time, and ESPN will be carrying at least some of his round in its afternoon broadcast.]]>

REUTERS/Shaun Best

The Masters kicks off this morning in Augusta, Georgia, and many a camera and news junkie will be tracking Tiger Woods’s first swings back into golf after a four-month self-imposed hiatus. Tiger tees off at 1:42 p.m. local time, and ESPN will be carrying at least some of his round in its afternoon broadcast.

The media circus actually got a headstart last night when Tiger’s other career – professional endorser – also returned to the game thanks to a new Nike ad that debuted during broadcasts on The Golf Channel and ESPN. The black-and-white spot is a somber portrayal of Tiger supported by audio of the voice of his father, Earl, discussing the importance taking responsibility of his actions. In and of itself, the ad alone generated some filler time on last night’s Sportscenter and mention in some of the sports pages across the country.

Today, though, is the “big day” for the Woods story – at some moment, weekend coverage will likely turn back to actually being focused on the game of golf as the competition and Green Jacket ceremony appear at the edge of the horizon. But today, just after the lunch hour, Tiger will have to grab a golf club and assume the defense of that “best player in the world” moniker. That tee shot on the first hole has a chance to be one of the most covered moments of his career – greater than his previous successes, and there have been many, at the Georgia course.

Hopefully, the topic of Tiger may finally turn to golf after that moment. Take a cut from Larry Dorman’s column in this morning’s New York Times and you can get an idea of what may be a trend story from Augusta about Tiger’s demeanor throughout the weekend:

The quantifying begins now, inside and outside the ropes, and Woods’s behavior will be scrutinized as closely as his scores. Measures of his success and failure this week will hinge in part on whether Woods will keep some of the promises made at the beginning of the week, including one about his widely criticized tendency toward angry, profanity-laced outbursts and thrown clubs over bad shots.

There was a fascinating moment yesterday during the annual “State of the Masters” address given by Augusta National chairman, Billy Payne. Payne did not shy away from the history – nor his displeasure with it – of Tiger’s recent battles. His comments are likely to appear in all sorts of coverage this morning, most notably a dig in which he raised Tigers’ fall from role-model-grace, saying, “certainly his future will never again be measured only by his performance against par.” In fact, Michael Witmer at the Boston Globe gave Payne’s comments the lion’s share in his preview this morning.

Finally, we may turn the corner at some point today and start seeing the “Will he win?” posts in and throughout the afternoon and tomorrow – and be prepared for Sportscenter to do a 15 minute, shot-by-shot coverage of his round if he is anywhere near the top of the leaderboard come the end of the day. Jeff Schultz at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution – given its proximity to Augusta, a great source for the week – penned a great post overnight on exactly the expectations ahead:

Then again, this is Tiger Woods. He never has experienced humiliation like this. But in 2006, he finished third in the Masters, even while his father, Earl Woods, was nearing death. After Earl’s passing, Woods missed the cut at the U.S. Open, but he followed with wins in the British, the PGA and his final six tournaments of the season. Does that say something about his mental toughness?

He’s still Tiger Woods.

He is still Tiger Woods, isn’t he?

Heaven help us if anyone from the gallery does something stupid to get Tigers’ attention – we’ll get a new infamous celebrity out of it. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that doesn’t happen, and we’ll find out in a few short hours what the next steps of this story will be. As for me, I stick by comments I made last month: let’s keep it cool, folks. Let’s make this about golf, and those who have watched Tigers’ career will come back around to being supporters. I promise.

For updates during the day, follow Dave on Twitter.

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/online/what-to-expect-from-todays-tiger-woods-coverage/feed/ 1 http://www.mediaite.com/online/tigers-creepy-sad-nike-ad/ http://www.mediaite.com/online/tigers-creepy-sad-nike-ad/#comments Wed, 07 Apr 2010 23:27:36 +0000 Rachel Sklar http://www.mediaite.com/?p=108181 Tiger Woods is back! And so is his father in this strange, uncomfortable, sad, painful, and creepy new Nike ad returning the scandal-tarnished golf great to the bosom of his longtime sponsor — and to a slightly gobsmacked wider world. In this brief, 30-second spot, we only see Tiger, looking stricken as he stares into the camera — and we hear only his father, Earl Woods, who died in 2006, asking his son “what your thinking was, what your feelings are, and did you learn anything.” It’s a strangely moving spot — Tiger’s face conveys more emotion than anything we’ve seen so far in any of his highly-controlled press conferences — but it’s also hard to miss the Nike swoosh on his sweater-vest and ball cap. Strange, strange, strange. Watch below:

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/online/tigers-creepy-sad-nike-ad/feed/ 5 http://www.mediaite.com/tv/tiger-and-friends-working-the-media-at-augusta/ http://www.mediaite.com/tv/tiger-and-friends-working-the-media-at-augusta/#comments Tue, 06 Apr 2010 17:56:43 +0000 Jim Frank http://www.mediaite.com/?p=107256 About 10 minutes into Tiger Woods’ press conference at Augusta National Golf Club yesterday, I understood why Team Tiger chose that venue as the site for their man’s much-anticipated meeting with the media.

As many observers have noted, the club already provides more secure surroundings — and more security — than any golf tournament in the world. But Tiger’s people weren’t only looking for protection from the masses; they also wanted protection from the ink-stained wretches. And they got it, assembling an audience of writers that would go only so far when asking questions.

The moment Tiger referred to the writers in that room as “my friends,” I knew it was just another set-up.

Understand a few things about The Masters. It’s an invitational, which means players are “invited” to attend. True, those invitations are based on numerous criteria (past champions, position on the money list, finishes in other tournaments, etc.), but a number of players are asked, well, just because. Since its inception in 1934, The Masters has always had a party feel to it. A private party.

The same is almost true for the press. Newspapers, magazines, and other organizations request credentials and the media committee can say yes or no. The New York Times, Golf Digest, and the Associated Press usually don’t have much to worry about (although if they ask for 10 badges they might only get 8). But in the last few years, largely due to Tiger, more and more outlets have requested badges and The Masters has had to be more critical in its judgments.

So it was a pretty good bet that TMZ, the National Enquirer, and Hooters magazine weren’t going to be credentialed.

Then, for yesterday’s press conference, only 200 reporters—and supposedly not more than one from any organization—would be ticketed. That allowed The Masters to exercise even more control over who would be in a position to ask potentially insightful (or incite-full?) questions.

But once a group of reporters got Tiger in their sights they’d fire away, right? Well, not exactly. As Dan Jenkins, the grand old man of the golf media, tweeted during the proceedings, “That sound in the background at Tiger’s press conference was the great sigh of relief from his employees at the softball questions.”

It wasn’t until Christine Brennan of USA Today (one of the best sports reporters when a real story comes along) asked about Dr. Galea and performance-enhancing drugs that things got interesting. Tiger, to his credit, answered the question, saying he’s never taken PEDs and never taken any illegal drugs. (Really, even at Stanford?) Dr. Galea is also known for the platelet-enriched plasma treatments that Tiger said he used to help his ACL heal faster. And Tiger’s rationale for calling on Dr. Galea — “there’s a certain comfort level to that when a person has worked with athletes” — makes perfect sense.

Then someone asked about Tiger’s 45 days of rehab and he responded, “I’ve come out better.” But when then asked what the rehab was actually for, Tiger stared at the writer and said, “That’s personal, thank you.”

In other words, drop it. And it was dropped. As was just about everything else.

No one asked about the reports in Vanity Fair about Tiger’s “sexting” messages to his girlfriends.

No one followed up about Team Tiger’s involvement in his assignations. Tiger may say he takes total responsibility, but the text messages implicate both his friends and his agent, Mark Steinberg of IMG. Most of the people in that room know that possibly the only thing worse than pissing off Tiger is pissing off Steiny.

The only question about Tiger’s wife Elin was whether or not she’d be at the tournament that week. The answer was no. I wonder if the club refused to credential her, too.

Then there’s the pressure of being at Augusta National, one of those “cathedrals of the game” golf writers love to wax rhapsodic about. Ask a pointed question and maybe you don’t get a badge next year. The club wants us all to think that simply saying the word “sexting” while on its grounds would be like farting in church. (It’s okay, I’ve been to The Masters about half a dozen times; I don’t expect to be invited back. Certainly not now.)

While I think the golf press corps could have done a better job chipping away at Tiger — read the transcript and you’ll see they asked some pretty good questions — I understand why they didn’t do more. We aren’t investigative reporters, unless you consider asking a player what club he hit into 15 an investigation. Most of what we do is reactive, reacting to the ebb and flow of a tournament, analyzing revisions to a golf course, profiling a hot player. One of the reasons we love golf is that we haven’t had to be proactive. The game has always been relatively trouble-free: No steroids (well, not much), no cheating (well, very little), with a strong connection to real people, like ourselves, who play the game.

Everything that made the Tiger story so shocking and so riveting to the outside world the last five months—scandal, sex, drugs—are things golf writers don’t usually write about. A fact Team Tiger, Augusta National, and anyone else who had a hand in planning yesterday’s press conference was counting on.

The story of Tiger’s fall from grace was broken and reported by a completely different media. I’ll get interested again — and really listen — when he has a press conference with them.

James A. Frank was editor of Golf Magazine for 18-plus years and editor-in-chief of Golf Connoisseur. He also has written more than a dozen golf books. He now writes on golf for numerous publications and his website, jimgolfrank.com.

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/tv/tiger-and-friends-working-the-media-at-augusta/feed/ 8 http://www.mediaite.com/online/in-rehab-from-the-tiger-drama/ http://www.mediaite.com/online/in-rehab-from-the-tiger-drama/#comments Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:09:20 +0000 Stephanie Wei http://www.mediaite.com/?p=107112 Hi, my name is Stephanie and I’m addicted to Tiger. Since November 27, I’ve been held hostage to the unfolding of Tiger’s sex scandal. In the month of December, I checked TMZ and RadarOnline obsessively. I put “Tiger Woods accident” and “Tiger Woods affair” on Google alert. For 83 straight days, I posted something about Tiger. Many times more than once. I covered it all from the cocktail waitresses he boinked to the sponsors dropping him to the crude texts he sent to porn stars. But yesterday, I realized that something’s changed: I now have Tiger fatigue. I don’t need to hear about how his Kindergarten teacher claims he lied and wants an apology. I guess this is how you break your addiction. I just really don’t care about any of it.

Okay, that’s not true. I care about his game.

No doubt Tiger messed up big time and he’s the one who has to live with his mistakes. But four-plus months later, I’m beyond over it. At least for today. (I’m not saying that I won’t continue covering Tiger, but hopefully it’ll be mostly directly golf-related.)

What else can we ask for from Tiger? He publicly humiliated himself with his awful apology speech. He gave two one-on-one interviews, albeit only five minutes long each. He let the media fire questions at him without restrictions (at least explicit ones) for 34 minutes.

Sure, I wish he would just tell us what the hell he went to rehab for instead of abruptly saying “That’s personal.” It seems pretty obvious, so why not just admit to it? Isn’t that part of treatment, anyone? Alcoholics talk about being alcoholics. And I think we’re far beyond what’s personal and what isn’t at this point.

I also wish he would have clarified what role Ambien and/or Vicodin played in his car crash. And I wish someone would have asked about the validity of the recent reports that reveal his inner circle knew about his affairs, contrary to what he said in the Golf Channel interview.

But — I honestly don’t care enough anymore to make a huge fuss over it. People will continue to press for answers and I commend them for their tenacity. As we’ve seen with this melodrama, the truth will come out eventually. Just not from Tiger. (At least anytime soon.) But at this point, I’m just tired of chasing it.

I have to admit Tiger revealed more of himself than I’ve ever seen on Monday. Even if that doesn’t say much — the bar has been set pretty low. But the Tiger I saw sitting behind the podium was considerably softer, gentler, less confident and even a little nervous (which makes me think he must feel the same about his golf game).

He even shared an anecdote about how upset he was that he missed his son’s birthday (because he was in rehab). His ability to command an audience was still present, but something was different. Maybe he said it best: “When you live a life where you’re lying all the time, life is not fun. And that’s where I was. Now that’s been stripped all away and here I am. And it feels fun again.”

When grilled about the treatment he received from Dr. Anthony Galea, who has been charged with importing performance enhancing drugs, he described the reasoning for the platelet-enriched plasma treatments. But of all the doctors, why Dr. Galea? “Well, he’s worked with so many athletes,” he explained. He also divulged an injury he hadn’t previously shared — a torn Achilles tendon. (Which actually brings up more questions because from my understanding, that is very painful and you can’t even walk.)

Tiger’s proven himself to be a very good liar, so it’s not like I believe him without reservation. But really, after the past few months, all he had to do was smile and come across as genuine to win most people over. Part of me is still skeptical, but the Tiger we saw today sounds similar to the one that gave Hunter Mahan’s caddie, John Wood, a man hug when the cameras weren’t around. Maybe it’s just that I’m weary, so at this point seeming genuine is good enough for me. And if I’m weary, imagine how he’s feeling. I mean, really — the kindergarten teacher. So — when he says he’s had enough — and acts like it, for 34 minutes — I actually am inclined to believe him.

So, well done, Tiger. Now go play some golf. Because that’s all I want to care about from you any more. I only need to read about you on the sports pages, not Page Six. No more Entertainment Weekly special reports, just SportsCenter’s top plays (on the golf course). And stay away from pancake joints — stick to the drive-thru at McDonald’s.

Stephanie Wei is a freelance writer/blogger in NYC. She graduated from Yale University in 2005, where she was a member of the Women’s Golf Team. She blogs regularly about golf at weiunderpar.com.

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/online/in-rehab-from-the-tiger-drama/feed/ 4 http://www.mediaite.com/online/release-the-kraken-the-internet-has-a-fun-new-media-meme/ http://www.mediaite.com/online/release-the-kraken-the-internet-has-a-fun-new-media-meme/#comments Mon, 05 Apr 2010 22:09:37 +0000 Rachel Sklar http://www.mediaite.com/?p=106565 By now you’ve all seen those ads for the just-released fantasy epic Clash of the Titans, with Liam Neeson as Zeus declaring from on high, “RELEASE THE KRAKEN!” The Kraken is a giant sea monster with huge tentacles and rows of razor-sharp teeth. Ooh scary, how will the hot Australian guy from Avatar defeat it? But more importantly, “The Kraken” has now become a nerdy Internet punchline, because it’s fun to make jokes about something called “The Kraken.” See here and here and here.

Urlesque knows this, and thus got out in front of the Kraken meme early, creating a series of “Release the Kraken” photo mashups that took Zeus’ imperious words to the logical next level. Like this:

Then they invited their readers to do the same, prompting some hilarious reader submissions, of which this is my hands-down favorite:

Haaa. The Internet loves cats.

The moral of the story: “The Kraken” can be whatever you want it to be, as long as it’s huge and powerful and unleashed upon an unsuspecting world. And it got me thinking, hmmmm, in the world of media, whatever did that remind me of? So, without further ado, I shall RELEASE THE MEDIA KRAKEN! Oh, you’ll want to click to the next page for this, trust me.

>>>NEXT: RELEASE THE MEDIA KRAKEN!

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/online/release-the-kraken-the-internet-has-a-fun-new-media-meme/feed/ 4 http://www.mediaite.com/online/tiger-woods-video-gives-media-what-they-want-but-blames-media-a-little/ http://www.mediaite.com/online/tiger-woods-video-gives-media-what-they-want-but-blames-media-a-little/#comments Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:02:53 +0000 Steve Krakauer http://www.mediaite.com/?p=106809 Tiger Woods answered more than 30 minutes worth of reporter's questions today ahead of his Masters tournament return to golf on Thursday, and he was candid, revealing and contrite. For those who wanted answers, there were answers. For those who wanted emotion, there was emotion. Here's what he said.]]> Tiger Woods answered more than 30 minutes worth of reporter’s questions today ahead of his Masters tournament return to golf on Thursday, and he was candid, revealing and contrite.

For those who wanted answers, there were answers. For those who wanted emotion, there was emotion. Here’s what he said.

He started with a brief statement:

What a great day today. Coming into today I didn’t know what to expect with regards to reception. I’ll tell you what, the gallery couldn’t be nicer. It was just incredible. The encouragement I got was just, it blew me away to be honest with you.

It only took one question for Woods to talk what many believe is the most shadowy detail of this entire four month mystery – how it all began. Woods wouldn’t speak directly to the circumstances, but he did reveal the damage done: “busted up lip, and pretty sore neck. and that was it” (also noting he had “five stitches” in his lip).

There was a bit of early blame for the media, naturally. He said one of the hardest things for the past couple months has been the “constant harassment to my family. My wife and kids being photographed everywhere they go, being badgered, that’s tough for them. It’s really hard for us to heal.” He was later asked specifically about the “mainstream media” – separate from the golf and sports media. “The times have changed as well,” he said. “24 hour news, you’re looking for any kind of news to get out there.”

He was most emotional in two circumstances. He described how difficult the decision to go to rehab was for him, which he says was decided around Christmas. Because of rehab, he missed his son’s first birthday. “That hurts a lot,” said Woods. “I vowed I’d never miss another one after that.” Directly after, he passed on answering the “what was it for?” question about rehab, instead going with a stern, “That’s personal, thank you.”

He also talked about his fans, saying this incident helped to “put things in perspective for me,” and that he had “under-appreciated the fans and the game of golf.” While he makes a better effort to connect with the fans this week, expect to see a less emotional Tiger – he says he’s going to try to not be “as hot,” but also not “as exuberant” on the course.

There were a few questions about drugs, and he steadfastly related the fact that he had “never taken any illegal drug,” including HGH and PEDs. But he did say he took Ambien to help him sleep when his father passed away, and wouldn’t discuss if the drug was involved in his Thanksgiving night accident.

For those looking to get a shot of Mrs. Woods, Woods confirmed “Elin is not coming this week.”

It will be difficult to make the case Woods owes anymore of a discussion of the past four months to anyone. This was a revealing 30-minutes, in which he took all questions and answered most. It was a major step in the golf direction – and although Tiger Woods the celebrity will remain a topic in some areas of the media, Tiger Woods the golfer has taken center stage.

Here’s part 1:

Part 2:

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/online/tiger-woods-video-gives-media-what-they-want-but-blames-media-a-little/feed/ 3 http://www.mediaite.com/online/should-michael-jordan-be-worried-about-vanity-fairs-tiger-woods-piece/ http://www.mediaite.com/online/should-michael-jordan-be-worried-about-vanity-fairs-tiger-woods-piece/#comments Wed, 31 Mar 2010 22:18:12 +0000 Dan Fogarty http://www.mediaite.com/?p=104950 Mark Seal's "The Temptation of Tiger Woods" piece in the new issue of Vanity Fair provides just as many down-and-dirty details as you'd expect from a Tiger exposé at this point. There's the revelation that members of Tiger Wood's inner circle didn't just know of his affairs, they helped cover them up. There's the depressing accounts of Earl Woods' alleged womanizing and bouts with alcoholism. And, there's this, which takes the cake for "most sordid detail nobody really needed to know about."]]> Mark Seal‘s “The Temptation of Tiger Woods” piece in the new issue of Vanity Fair provides just as many down-and-dirty details as you’d expect from a Tiger exposé at this point. There’s the revelation that members of Tiger Wood‘s inner circle didn’t just know of his affairs, they helped cover them up. There’s the depressing accounts of Earl Woods‘ alleged womanizing and bouts with alcoholism. And, there’s this, which takes the cake for “most sordid detail nobody really needed to know about.”

But a detail that almost gets lost in the shuffle is the connection between Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan, and the effect it may have had on Woods’ moral compass:

“When Tiger showed up in Vegas, he was always with Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley,” according to Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Norm Clarke. Years earlier, however, John Merchant had warned Woods to avoid Jordan and Barkley, saying of Jordan, “Stay away from that son of a bitch, because he doesn’t have anything to offer to the fucking world in which he lives except playing basketball.”

There is very little evidence given in the preview of the story that MJ gave Woods advice of any kind regarding his extra-martial affairs. There isn’t even any evidence that he knew about it at all (although this Fox News headline would have you think differently).

But it could signal the beginning of a more startling event: the taking off of the kid-gloves regarding the media’s relationship with Jordan. It’s no secret that Jordan has his dark side: problems with gambling, alleged infidelity, and an uncomfortably competitive disposition that made him the best player on the court, but kind of a dick off of it. Very rarely is this side of Jordan discussed, largely because of the media’s reluctance to cast the most important basketball player of all time in a negative light.

The piece also raises questions about Jordan’s almost-appearance at Woods’ famous apology press conference. Was he hoping to head off some negative press? Did Jordan, the ex-most-famous-athlete on the planet still living in the fast lane, help build up Tiger’s false sense of “entitlement” regarding the dicier trappings of fame?

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/online/should-michael-jordan-be-worried-about-vanity-fairs-tiger-woods-piece/feed/ 0 http://www.mediaite.com/online/is-incessant-media-coverage-the-best-way-to-punish-tiger-woods/ http://www.mediaite.com/online/is-incessant-media-coverage-the-best-way-to-punish-tiger-woods/#comments Wed, 31 Mar 2010 21:23:35 +0000 Frances Martel http://www.mediaite.com/?p=104819 Tiger Woods story from December just refuses to skulk away in disgrace. The morning greeted us with a new Tiger mistress exposé in Vanity Fair and a New York Times Opinionator post evaluating the damage Woods has done to America. Even if Robert Wright is right about the Tiger story incinerating American culture, no one wants this story to die more than Tiger Woods, which is exactly why we should keep writing about it.]]> This Tiger Woods story from December just refuses to skulk away in disgrace. The morning greeted us with a new Tiger mistress exposé in Vanity Fair and a New York Times Opinionator post evaluating the damage Woods has done to America. Even if Robert Wright is right about the Tiger story incinerating American culture, no one wants this story to die more than Tiger Woods, which is exactly why we should keep writing about it.

The Vanity Fair article is straightforward, sleazy and, if you’re into that sort of thing, wildly entertaining. The Opinionator piece is a thoughtful conversation-starter questioning what message it would send American children if Woods managed to come out of this scandal a golf legend having only to give up a couple of million dollars (not all that much for Woods) and an hour with Oprah Winfrey. “Does redemption that comes easily, without major atonement, send a message that transgression is no big deal, and wind up encouraging self-destruction?” he asks. The answer is yes, it does, but just because Woods is trying to avoid to spotlight doesn’t mean it has been– and will continue to be– a difficult experience for him. And the media is mostly to blame for that.

Tiger Woods was not a compelling human being before his sex scandal and even given the most interesting narrative a mundane person could get, a bout with “sex addiction,” he is still generally uninteresting. Even his mistresses are only remarkable in number, not style. But sex sells no matter how boring the participant, so media outlets are keeping the ball rolling for as long as they can cash in. They are, however, also indefinitely prolonging Woods’ public shame and misery, and the longer that goes on, the more of an example he becomes for public figures who consider behaving badly.

To think the psychological consequences of being the laughingstock of a nation will be lost on someone whose only focus in life (besides the waitresses) was his career is a bit short-sighted. From the comfort and anonymity of our computers, of course being a topic on The Insider for four months doesn’t exactly sound like a prison sentence, but it’s nothing to scoff at, either. Woods lost all of his public dignity literally overnight– more than enough to drive anyone insane. His transgressions, however, are grave enough to merit that and much more, and it’s the responsibility of the entertainment industry he works for to hold him accountable. Unfortunately, that means the Vanity Fair article won’t be the last of it, and the light at the end of the tunnel is nowhere in sight, but America will just have to suffer right along with him.

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/online/is-incessant-media-coverage-the-best-way-to-punish-tiger-woods/feed/ 3 http://www.mediaite.com/online/soundbite-oprah-winfrey-has-weakened-america/ http://www.mediaite.com/online/soundbite-oprah-winfrey-has-weakened-america/#comments Wed, 31 Mar 2010 21:02:15 +0000 Glynnis MacNicol http://www.mediaite.com/?p=104890

Is Oprah’s America a weaker America? Does redemption that comes easily, without major atonement, send a message that transgression is no big deal, and wind up encouraging self-destruction?

– Robert Wright at the New York Times speculates that Oprah Winfrey is to blame for the moral loosening of America, in particular those of Tiger Woods, because we are now a nation that believes there are no hard repercussions for bad behavior.

Wright is obviously not the first to blame Oprah for any myriad of things, not the least of which is her new-agey, best-life-now philosophy. But “weaken” is an interesting adjective in so far as it insinuates “national security.” As in, Oprah is somehow responsible for making America less safe. And to that end here’s the other part of the column that caught my attention.

Malamud was writing [in The Natural] in a pretty Calvinistic America. Back then if you were playing a word-association game and someone said “sin,” you were at least as likely to think “damnation” as “forgiveness.”

“Back then” appears to be a time that Wright prefers to the consequence-free now. You know who else is always talking about how much better “back then” is? Glenn Beck.

Beck, of course, also likes to preach redemption…the hit rock bottom give yourself up to the greater power kind (as evidenced in his CPAC speech). He also wields an Oprah-like power over book sales of sorts, and has taken to hosting great big lifestyle events. If America, or merely Robert Wright, is looking for a less tolerant replacement to the Oprah lifestyle dynasty, they may not have to look far. Different decade, different guru.

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/online/soundbite-oprah-winfrey-has-weakened-america/feed/ 1 http://www.mediaite.com/tv/jimmy-kimmel-remixes-the-tiger-woods-interviews/ http://www.mediaite.com/tv/jimmy-kimmel-remixes-the-tiger-woods-interviews/#comments Tue, 23 Mar 2010 13:36:18 +0000 Steve Krakauer http://www.mediaite.com/?p=101448 Jimmy Kimmel had some fun last night with the five-minute ESPN and Golf Channel interviews of Tiger Woods on his ABC late night show. Besides commenting on Woods' answers and the length of the interview, he edited together a fake interview between Woods and his security guard Guillermo.]]> Jimmy Kimmel had some fun last night with the five-minute ESPN and Golf Channel interviews of Tiger Woods on his ABC late night show.

Besides commenting on Woods’ answers and the length of the interview, he edited together a fake interview between Woods and his security guard Guillermo.

Regarding Woods’ Golf Channel answer, “I tried to stop and I couldn’t stop and it was just, it was horrific,” Kimmel had a different word. “I think he meant, it was terrific. I tried to stop and I couldn’t, it was terrific,” he said.

He also noted that the five minute interview made sense for Tiger since “five minutes is like an entire relationship” for him.

Then it was time for Guillermo’s fake interview – with Woods’ real answers edited in. Here’s a sample:

G: Do you ever have sex with two hotel waitress at the same time?
T: Well just one is enough.
G: Why only one Tiger Woods?
T: You become disgusted.

Woods’ answers and action (once he returns early next month) will be a major focus on sports shows, news shows – and without a doubt, late night shows as well. Even if the Masters crowd is quiet in his first tournament back, the outside response in the media will be loud. Expect more from Kimmel and the rest of the late night crew.

Check it out:

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