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Tiger says he’s a cheater, can a leopard change its spots?

Julie Tullberg

by Julie Tullberg

22 Feb 05:40am

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Filed under: Golf, Media, Society, Sport, Tiger Woods

17 comments

As the spotlight rests on Tiger Woods following his admissions he was a sex cheat, we ask ourselves ... can Tiger change?

Can Tiger change his addictive behaviours which threatened to derail his life? History is our greatest measuring stick when we look at a person’s character and whether they are capable of change.

I believe in the old saying that a leopard can’t change its spots. But can Tiger change his behaviour which has dictated his wayward life in recent years?

Tiger Woods’ apology speech has generated debate over his ability to reform his destructive pattern of behaviour. Can he save his marriage? Is he capable of staying faithful to his wife after a string of affairs?

Only Tiger knows the answer. Maybe he is doubtful of his own capacity to change.

There is one thing I do know. If an athlete states his goal publicly, he is more likely to do everything he can to achieve that goal. Has Tiger got that something special to resist temptation and the traps of fame and fortune? How can he satisfy himself through other positive actions?

Change is tough. Most people resist change. Most people can’t snap out of their habits overnight. Habits become learned skills which can be harder to unlearn.

Try telling a chain smoker to stop smoking. Try telling an alcoholic to lay off the booze. Try telling a person addicted to sex to be faithful to one person.

You know the answer. Habits are tough to break. Negative, destructive behaviour is not easy to break. Whether Tiger has what it takes to change his ways is entirely up to his own willpower and the strength and goodwill of his support team.

History shows it is tough to develop integrity, to turn negative behaviour into exemplary behaviour and to become someone that people admire for their honesty, humility and dedication to their family and lifestyle.

Our role models give us our best chance in life. Our parents, our guardians and our heroes shape our attitudes and behaviours. But life’s temptations can often lead us astray.

Tiger is a hero to the golfing world. The pressures of being a billionaire are abnormal. An abnormal existence can often lead to dysfunctional behaviour. Bad behaviour.

Tiger has shown he is human. He has admitted wrongdoing, and chosen the wrong path, like millions and millions of people worldwide.

Tiger has made costly mistakes. Can he genuinely learn from his misdemeanours and move forward?

It is only a man with exceptional character and support that can reform bad ways.

Can Tiger do it? “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.”

Most commented

17 comments

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    • Eric says:

      05:03am | 22/02/10

      Tiger’s wife allegedly attacked him with a golf club, which is an act of domestic violence. It’s a sexist double standard in the media that condemns Tiger while giving his attacker a free pass.

      Reply

    • Billygus says:

      07:24am | 22/02/10

      Tiger denied that attack took place therefore your second sentence is left without basis. he had no attacker.

    • Tim says:

      08:12am | 22/02/10

      Greg Bird’s girlfriend denied that Bird had glassed her too.

      How did the media treat that one again, i can’t remember?

    • Al says:

      08:16am | 22/02/10

      Yeah Tiger had an attacker. The media. Isn’t it in the public interest?

    • Dan says:

      06:12am | 22/02/10

      Julie, I mostly enjoy your articles, but this one is off base. Considering all the other, real sporting news on at the moment, does it realy matter what someone does in their own time? His affairs are none of our business, and neither is whether or not he can change. Yes, he may have given a news conference, but I don’t think it makes what he did any more of ur business than what it was before.

      Reply

    • Sammy says:

      06:50am | 22/02/10

      & do we really care ???  Personally, I could not give a rats if Tiger is bonking every ‘cocktail waitress’ in the USA.
      His wife might but that’s between them and should remain that way but me——no way !!
      I am way over all the publicity these people get - he isn’t the first and won’t be the last so get over it people..more important things in life !

      Reply

    • pete says:

      11:58am | 22/02/10

      Bravo, agree 100% it has nothing to do with anyone bar the woods

    • George Clooney says:

      08:09am | 22/02/10

      The real question is: why would he want to?

      Now that his wife has left him he is free to do as every man dreams and only a few get to: bang every hot chick he possibly can and enjoy the spoils of being a true alpha male.

      The capitulation to social expectation that led him to the shackles of marriage have been broken.

      He can still swing a golf club, his sponsors won’t care if he is married or not because people will still buy the products he “endorses” and he’ll still be raking in the cash and living like a king.

      There is no point or need for him to change. No woman can possibly match his status as they’ll all fade while he keeps playing. Bang on, Tiger!

      Reply

    • Sherlock says:

      08:18am | 22/02/10

      I know when I see a golfer lining up the potentially winning putt at the third playoff hole in the US Masters I ask myself is he faithful to his wife? The Tiger Woods fiasco is a perfect example of what’s wrong with journalism today and why Murdoch’s “pay to read” Internet news scheme will never succeed.

      Reply

    • Brianna says:

      08:28am | 22/02/10

      Awwwww cmon Sherlock. People love the goss. It’s been juicy on Tiger.

    • Eric says:

      09:18am | 22/02/10

      Is it any of our business? A leopard usually doesn’t change it’s spots but are any of us fit to judge? Kiss and tell is another tawdry part of modern day life.Men have always slept around, so have women, it’s life.

      Reply

    • formersnag says:

      11:50am | 22/02/10

      Daily push poll on “ninemsn” web site the other day, simple question, Does Tiger Woods owe his fans an apology? Answer, about 2/3’s, no.

      Gossipy Internet blogging comments ever since, have also been instructive with almost all men saying “go Tiger, live the dream, give em all one for me” & most of the women, ranting with the usual, “all men are bastards” rubbish.

      BTW, what has gone wrong with the Punch’s push poll, i love doing them, they can attract people to your site if the questions are clever and you can make money out of the results?

    • oli says:

      10:05am | 22/02/10

      unless he is physically hurting people then whatever any PEARSON does in their own time is none of our business. sick to death of the hypocrisy of the media.

      Reply

    • Sam Chowder says:

      12:15pm | 22/02/10

      Mel Brooks in the Historical Drama “The History of the World” put it well.  While playing Louis the Sixteenth and with free access to the maidens of the court, he says “It.s good to be the King”

      Reply

    • SLF says:

      01:19pm | 22/02/10

      I am glad he aplogised, Maybe this act will be seen by all of the kids who hero worship him and idolise him as being taking responsibility for his actions.

      Maybe if the rest of our sporting ‘heroes’ took responsibility for their actions and admitted what they had done was wrong we would not have a generation of sporting heroes who thing that group sex in toilets, urinating in public and wandering around hotels drunk and nakes is not acceptable.

      Whether you are pro or anti sport the fact is he is an idol and as such has to pass on an apology as has actions and behaviour was wrong.

      Reply

    • wk says:

      03:47pm | 22/02/10

      george clooney in love with tiger! you saw it on this thread first!

      Reply

    • Cheryl says:

      07:35pm | 23/02/10

      When you are a household name, a brand, you have so much power. Tiger loved power and he abused it. It’s come back to bite him and he doesn’t like confronting it.

      Reply
 
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