Guest Blogger Dre Baldwin's Most Memorable Sports Moment of 2009

The sports story of the year decade wasn't even a goddamn sports story.
We all know what happened: Tiger Woods crashed his SUV. His wife "saved" him from the truck before the cops arrived, with a conveniently handy golf club.
Then the tabloids took control.
Tiger f*cked this chick. She denied it but no one really cared about her.
Hey, Tiger f*cked this one, too!
OK, Tiger definitely f*cked this broad -- he even left her a voice mail with his name on it!! And on & on it went (goes?).

My intention when the story first hit America over its collective head was to not even write or comment about it -- essentially this is a private, family situation (not that I wouldn't write about one that so moved me, but this one didn't -- and doesn't). No laws broken, no court dates, no criminal activity. And I think a large percentage of folks wouldn't give a damn about it either had it not involved the highest net-worth athlete in the history of history.

What surprised me, but at the same time didn't surprise me, was how so many people, both on TV and common folk (Tweeters and Facebookers, I'm looking at you), were so quick to jump on their high horses and talk down on Tiger Woods -- just how disgusting and terrible a man he had been exposed to being.

• The grass-must-be-green-over-there group:  'If I had a Swedish model for a wife and a billion dollars, I'd be good and happy for life! What a fool!'

• The appalled women group: 'Why even get married if you're gonna cheat??? Tiger is despicable. I hate him!'

• The I'd-never-be-that-dumb male group: 'This fool left his name on the voice mail. He ain't have no hush money for these hoes?
  

• And the most incredulous of them all -- The self-righteous males who just couldn't understand how Tiger could do such a thing: 'Tiger needs to step away from golf and get his life together... He has disgraced his wife, kids parents and family!... The PGA should suspend him!... Why did Tiger's friends not tell him not to do that???... Tiger has absolutely no respect for the holy sacrament of marriage!'

It is never smart, in my opinion, to get to spewing opinions on another person/ couple's private situations, no matter how public they become. Even if it's your job to do so -- it is completely within your rights as a sports TV person (and you'll keep your job) to say, "This is obviously a big story, but it's really none of our business. Let the Enquirers and US Weeklys dig in. Let Tiger deal with his family, and we will jump right on it when he starts swinging golf clubs again." There were a few talking heads who did take this route in their own way, notably Jason Whitlock  of the KC Star.
All that aside, dammit, this was easily the sports story of the year -- albeit with no points scored, no whistles blown, and no Gatorade bath at the final buzzer. Just trending topics, after-the-fact analysis, and a long off-season for a guy who rarely loses.
--
Mr. Dre Baldwin
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