Shortly following the events of Friday, November 28th, Tiger Woods released this press statement on his website:
As you all know, I had a single-car accident earlier this week, and sustained some injuries. I have some cuts, bruising and right now I'm pretty sore.
This situation is my fault, and it's obviously embarrassing to my family and me. I'm human and I'm not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn't happen again.
This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way. Although I understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible.
The only person responsible for the accident is me. My wife, Elin, acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble. She was the first person to help me. Any other assertion is absolutely false.
This incident has been stressful and very difficult for Elin, our family and me. I appreciate all the concern and well wishes that we have received. But, I would also ask for some understanding that my family and I deserve some privacy no matter how intrusive some people can be.
Prior to the media release, popular gossip website TMZ.com was at it again, publishing a story that said Elin Nordegren, Woods' wife, told police investigators and the Florida Highway Patrol two different statements at the scene.
Additionally, the website uncovered more details on the crash, stating Tiger’s wounds were not a result of the accident, since there were no traces of blood in his Cadillac SUV.
Gaining credibility from the story, TMZ has since launched a surplus of laughable, fan-friendly stories regarding the case.
A clever play-on-words, TMZ posted this story shortly after the incident occurred, at 6:05 AM Friday morning. The website spoke with Woods’ alleged mistress, Rachel Uchitel, who said the affair was “bulls**t.”
Uchitel also claims the “sources that spoke to the Enquirer were each paid $25,000 for their story.”
Referencing the 8-carat, $4 million dollar flawless purple diamond NBA star Kobe Bryant bought his wife, Vanessa, after his sexual assault case, TMZ lays claim to a telephone conversation from Friday, saying Tiger told his friend “I have to run to Zales to get a Kobe Special.”
The story also tells us Tiger thought his wife had “gone ghetto” on him. You think Tiger shops at Zales?
Make bets on Tiger’s happiness! His livelihood! His family and future!
Pictures of the crash were released on Saturday, Nov 29th, courtesy of TMZ.com
Later that day, Uchitel arrived in Los Angeles to meet with celebrity attorney Gloria Allred to discuss “what the next step should be.”
This ad was released a day later, in Sunday's Wall Street Journal, courtesy of TMZ.com:
We’ve all heard about the 911 calls, the neighborhood lockdown, the neighbors attempting to sell out the world’s highest paid athlete, and the attorneys trying to make their own.
The media frenzy doesn’t end, and it keeps getting better. Much to the chagrin of Tiger fans and people who just want them to leave this poor guy alone.
We continue:
“We're told the Florida Highway Patrol has been frustrated by attempts to secure video of the accident. Even though we know there were surveillance cameras on Tiger's property, his lawyer isn't making video available. The people who manage the gated community have said they have no video of the crash.”
At this hour, the scandal gets worse. Another woman has stepped forward, claiming she had a 31-month affair with Woods, and has voicemail recordings and text messages to prove it.
22-year old Las Vegas cocktail waitress, Jaimee Grubbs, most recently seen on VH1’s hit reality TV show “Tool Academy,” has told US Weekly that she has had 20 sexual encounters with Woods, 300 text messages saved, and she’s releasing them to the public tomorrow.
Lost in the shuffle of news stories, Woods cancelled the 2009 Chevron World Challenge, his own Golf tournament.
“Due to injuries,’ Tiger Woods is unable to play in the 2009 Chevron World Challenge… Woods will not participate in any other tournaments in 2009 and will return to action next year.”
Soooooo. (Awkward silence). What kinds of “false, unfounded, and malicious rumors” were you talking about anyways, Tiger?
Why is the world so obsessed with Tiger Woods? Maybe because he’s on his way to becoming the most prolific golfer of our time. At age 38, he’s already won 14 major golf championships, and 71 PGA Tour events. Astounding numbers in remarkable timing. Annually, he ranks among the highest paid professional athletes, and has a few SI Sportsman of the Year awards to his name (Take that Derek Jeter).
If the US Weekly story is true, and Grubbs releases her Tiger love voicemails to the public, it will be the single most devastating development in this story.
I’ll leave this story with a kind word from the venicementor (fan comment on Woods’ website):
“Hang in there. Tell all these classless people to mind their own business and don't 'cave' as this is between you and your wife. We are living in a world where people think they own you because the media has made them think they can. Bonne chance to you and your family.”
[As we enter a new decade, we welcome the new challenges, trends, ideas, and stories that will shape the future of Sport, and we put to rest those which are no longer needed. These are a few of those topics]
Retiring—for practice
The Allen Iverson retirement saga brings up a topic of great sports importance. Retiring (…deep sigh…) is a subject that should not be taken lightly. Dick Vermeil cried his little eyes out when he decided to step away from the game. Nowadays, “retirement” is something NFL Coaches do to measure how much we miss them. It’s as if the people staying in the game, are less fortunate than the ones stepping out. Momentarily.
Michael Jordan started it, Brett Favre perfected it, Stephen “A.I.” Smith is dedicated to it.
Sources close to Fox Sports are now reporting that the 76ers are interested in signing Iverson, in order to fill the void left by injured guard Lou Williams. Although the team has not discussed the pros and cons of bringing Iverson back to the team, they have thought about the financial benefits. More tickets, renewed rivalries, $1 used Iverson jerseys from the Good Will store.
It seems as though Stephené has found strong interest in bringing Iverson back to the NBA, almost acting as his personal media representation. Smith needs an identity just as much as Iverson.
I was reading, and then, I did it. I had to. (Shivers).
w-w-w-(ugh)-dot-s-t-e-p-h-e-n-a-dot-com
Check out the website for personal up-to-date information on why Iverson is the guy for Philly. He broke the story about former mentor Larry Brown encouraging Iverson to stay. Speaking to great lengths with 76ers head coach Eddie Jordan, Stephené indulges that coach is “incredibly frustrated with everything from Elton Brand’s work ethic to Andre Iguodala’s inability to make plays off the dribble."
“But let’s face it: We’re very, very boring right now,” a team source said. “We have absolutely nothing to lose by bringing Iverson back. Nothing at all.”
Maybe Stephen A got the memo that we were leaving him in the 2000s? He doesn’t have anything to lose either. Being “bored” doesn’t excuse a player from changing their mind, nor creating media havoc.
And Brett Favre—we’ve heard enough out of you.
NO MORE: “It’s just Player X being Player X” – where X represents the adored, self-absorbed, idyllic sports goddess, as it pertains to its individual sport.
Albert Einstein once had this formula for success, and that’s XYZ = Success, Where X is work, Y is play, and Z is keeping your mouth shut.
What’s a baseball player without a signature? Who is responsible for Manny Ramirez’ ego without “Manny being Manny?” When American Idol star Adam Lambert performs at the AMAs, and suddenly thrusts an XO on your B flat, where’s the scapegoat? Lambert, being the artist that he is, won’t apologize to the media for his explicit dancing. “I’m not here to babysit,” he says “I’m a performer.”
Celebs should always watch their behavior, and people can do some pretty stupid stuff. But in the sports world, there’s only one person who’s conduct malfunctions on par with “the inexcusable”—and that person is Manny Ramirez.
When Manny wants to pee in the wall, Manny can do that! When Adam wants to spontaneously leak on his keyboardist, he can do so behind closed doors. Manny is different, and self-comparable. Let’s leave it as such.
Before it makes it out: The Curse of Nomar Garciaparra
I read Bob Ryan’s piece in the Globe today which got me thinking about where the Red Sox stand in their infield. He tossed around the names of old, Cabrera, Renteria – and talked about guys like Jed Lowrie (terrible left-handed hitter), Omar Vizquel, Khalil “Sunshine” Greene. Ever since the “fated Nomar Garciaparra trade” that brought in Doug “Gollum-Sticky-Hands” Mientkiewicz, Dave Roberts, and a World Series trophy, the Sox infield has inherited some other kind of curse. And we don’t know what it is.
Interestingly enough, at the end of the article, Ryan mentioned an ace-in-the-hole, 19-year old Jose Iglesias, highly regarded as “the next best thing” able to turn a 4-6-3 DP with ease. However, when Iglesias takes 3 years to develop, where does that leave us now? Another welcome back whoo-rah and a “thanks for the memories” ass-slap to every shortstop we dispose of? What have you done for me lately, Nomar? What have you done for me lately!? I need the anti-dote, quick! I’m falling ill and it’s not going away anytime soon.
But the Cubbies? They can stay right where they are.
Mmmmm. Black Friday. The one day it’s O-K to act on those animal instincts. Box-out a few Walmart patrons in the name of Elizabeth Lambert and the New Mexico Lobos women’s soccer team. Men, put on your best Ray Lewis.
Early reports out of Chicago suggest a 35% increase of Black Friday online shoppers, spending on average $170.19 dollars per order, up from $126.04 last holiday season. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) closed at 10,309.92 yesterday, 154.48 points lower than before Thanksgiving, but there’s still hope for a profitable holiday season.
Some people head into Black Friday thinking: “Oooo! What can I buy?” —Some plan their attack with military precision. Others are forced into the shopping bonanza by their spouse or loved one.
Despite all the spending and hustling around the country, I was upset to see the Red Sox front office so quite on such a festive holiday. C’mon boys! I thought everyone did their shopping ONLINE this year.
Do I have to sweep your butts to the free agent shopping malls in order to grab these once-in-a-lifetime deals? And I really mean, once-in-a-lifetime, because defensive players like Alex Gonzalez don’t come around that often. Well, if I may rectify that statement, discounted deals for Alex Gonzalez have come around, but in the aforementioned, we’ve let them go by the wayside.
Our trusty Shortstop was snatched up by the Toronto Blue Jays this week, and once again, Theo’s infield has more holes than a game of Whack-A-Beaver. It’s pretty bad.
According to Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe, Gonzalez signed a one-year, $2.75 million dollar deal with the Blue Jays in 2010, holding a club option for $2.5 million in 2011.
The Red Sox were only willing to offer $3 mill in a year. Taking a discount somewhere else? What’s happening to our team? Do we have garlic-strung necklaces and kitty litter in our clubhouse?
Pungent. Something is starting to stink over here; a master plan ought to be in the works.
So hey! Let’s play a game. I have the entire economical balance in my hands, and I’ve turned it into Monopoly money. Exchanged that 10,309 DJIA into Nomah dollahs. Guaranteed for a few years, family entertainment, and good return on the MLB trade deadline.
Play, or you could end up on the floor of Walmart, trampled, starring into the $20 weave you bought last Kevin Millar offseason, wondering what could’ve been.
GO
"MLB FANTASY COMMISH - you'll never be a day late, or a buck short"
Following a one-car accident that sent world class golfer Tiger Woods to the hospital, many fans are looking for answers.
New at 1 o’clock this afternoon, gossip media outlet TMZ has reported the wife of Tiger Woods, Elin Nordegren, “changed the story she told the first officer on the scene, according to law enforcement sources.”
Here’s the original story:
At approximately 2:25 am Friday morning, Woods left his house in Windermere, Florida, slightly sedated, and crashed his 2009 Cadillac SUV into a fire hydrant and tree. Alcohol was not a factor in this incident. Although initial reports state the accident was not serious, Woods was treated for facial lacerations at a local hospital, and later released. When the Orange County Fire Rescue team reported to the scene at 2:28 am, officers found Woods lying in the street, with wife Elin, hovering over him. He was reportedly moving in and out of consciousness.
The story carries some suspicion of domestic violence, but no one wants to lay claim to the allegation. At least, not yet. If you feel so inclined to gossip, a story was released from the National Enquirer two days prior to the incident, suggesting that Woods was courting around New York night club hostess, Rachel Uchitel, in Melbourne Australia, where Woods competed in the Australian Masters, on November 15th.
The “minor car accident” was kept under wraps for 12-hours before it was released to the media, and there’s a collective ‘hunch’ that something isn’t right. What began as a soupçon of innocence is slowly turning into a dollop of dishonesty. Dishonesty, that is, at the expense of the Woods family privacy. But a plume of stale air still surrounds the Windermere home.
The most recent report from AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson, states “Woods’ wife told officers she was in the house when she heard the accident and ‘broke the back window with a golf club.’ He said the front-door windows were not broken and that the door was probably locked.”
Driving away furiously, out of your driveway and into a fire hydrant? Facial lacerations and a shattered back window? I don’t know Cadillac’s too well, but what I do know, is that it takes much longer to climb in from one side of the car to the other, heal to toe.
TMZ broke the inevitable last night, stating from anonymous sources that Tiger’s injuries were caused by his wife, and not his SUV.
Here’s the latest from them:
“We’ve learned Nordegren told a very different story to the Florida Highway Patrol, and it does not involve going back in the house for a club. Our sources will not allow us to be more specific.
And we've learned there was no blood found on the steering wheel of Tiger's SUV -- putting into serious doubt that Tiger sustained his injuries from the crash.
As we first reported, Tiger had a conversation with a friend yesterday, in which he said his wife had confronted him over reports he was involved with another woman ... and that his wife scratched his face up during the argument. Tiger told the friend he then left the house, started driving off and his wife then came out with a golf club, striking the vehicle. Tiger then became distracted and hit the hydrant and then a nearby tree.
At first, I wanted to believe Tiger Woods was a leading example for sober drivers. A flash in the pan. Anomaly to most. But could this be worse? Tiger Woods, Golf’s authentic Mark McGwire/Sammy Sosa committing an adulterous act that set his world ablaze? My analogy suggests, is this the baseball equivalent of Albert Pujols taking steroids? People are shocked. What could this do to his pristine reputation?
As of Saturday, we began to unpeel this sour situation, and it seems to me, that the juicy details all lay in fair territory.
why do we all feel we have the "right" to know everything that happens in a persons private life? the Police said drugs and alcohol were not a factor. i think thats where the public line should be drawn.
11/30/2009 7:07 PM
Thursday, outfielder Jason Bay rejected a 4 year-60 million dollar offer from the Red Sox, making him one in line with a few ball players, who have dismissed a stuck-in-the-recession deal.
Angels owner Arte Moreno told the Los Angeles Times today, that their team is not interested in outfielder Matt Holliday. So what’s stopping them from adding another outfielder, with unsung talents and a powerful OPS? Bay is on their radar.
Free-agent pitcher John Lackey is also on the market, and it’s even more interesting that Lackey and Bay share the same agent. Bay peaked Moreno’s interests because of his “great bat and great makeup,” and maybe because Bay is not akin to staying in Boston. At 15 million a year, how far is Jason willing to go before tarnishing his fresh, “hometown” reputation? The Red Sox have Bay’s contract as a high priority, but if the next offer is rejected, controversy could stir.
What’s he really expecting anyways? Gordon Edes from ESPNBoston.com is suggesting that Bay is interested in deals upwards of 100 million, with guys like Carlos Lee (six years, $100 million), Alfonso Soriano (eight years, $136 million) and Torii Hunter (five years, $90 million). Julio Lugo got 14 million. As did Orlando Cabrera. Is Jason really worth 20 mill a year? Or does a change in uniform best fit the player? We all know what the Yankees are willing to bargain – 80 million and a pound of gold.
The former Pittsburgh Pirate has put up great numbers since joining Boston. In 2008, Bay hit .293 with 37 RBIs and a .527 slugging percentage. In 09, improved with 36 HRs, 119 RBIs, a .537 SLG, and even higher OPS, OBP. He also boasts 12 more home runs and higher OPS numbers than counter-part Matt Holliday.
The Angels are deciding between Chone Figgins and Lackey, but if Lackey’s agent has anything to do with it, I’m sure he’d encourage both his clients to dig their heals into LA.
These guys are baseball players and fiery negotiators; they’ll go wherever the gold is.
God Bless U SawxFaux for spelling it out.I couldnt have said it better!Id like to see him on for 5 if they can offer LT to Pedroia and Youk why not Bay he fits just as well.
11/25/2009 7:45 PM
Sawxfawx, you are spot on with these guys chasin' the gelt. A lot of people forget, guys like Jason Bay are not "fans" of a team, or as emotionally attached to a team as we may be. I've been going to Fenway for 50 years, and will for another 30.... but Jason Bay just got here last year.
11/23/2009 10:40 AM
I agree. Would really like to see him sign for 3 years, in an ideal fan's perspective, 4 - and a reasonable price. It's tough to say whether the Canadian would chase a team sorely for the American paper, but this is a business, and they're all looking to settle their families in a comfortable environment; financially, and in a baseball sense. I love what he offers to this team - the quiet production. No one else I have seen in years past, gives to a team like Bay does for the Red Sox. Check out his WAR stat on www.fangraphs.com - depicts a player's "Wins Above Replacement" value - their number production creates a numerical value of that player to the team. This year - Bay was 3.5 - ranked 4th behind Youk, Pedroia, and Drew batting. I still have quams with Drew's production/effort levels, but if you take a step back, this team needs to piece together a team with young, driven, powerful hitters that will carry Boston through the time to come.
Bay is their man. ...View More...View Less
Knarfy I cant believe your words in reply to my comment.You used the same words Bay used last year in Spring Training when someone asked him if he would return.They are stuck in my head. "We all know that players come, and players go" It wasnt what I wanted to hear then.Still isnt.I dunno about finding new favs.my favs were Masterson,Bay,Paps,Kotsay,Aardsma,
Im ready to give up.
11/23/2009 6:49 AM
I usually have good taste in friends. So when I make a friend it's a long time friendship. You know like the friendship I made with Love the Sox been to 5 Red Sox game this year with her. The last game we went to Tek 33 came and met us too. So I consider myself a pretty good person that people want to meet...What's your style?
11/22/2009 8:55 PM
Maybe that's true for some but Jason Varitek is and will always be my favorite. If he was to go to another team he would still be my favorite player.
11/22/2009 8:30 AM
RS Managment is certifiable if they dont just sign him.And one broken fan, who wont ever forget it if they dont.less games cuz no fav players left.ho hum.Ill just sit in my living room and watch on tv.Not worth the trip anymore without my fav players there.
11/21/2009 9:41 PM
