View From the Phlipside – Tiger's Apology

Forgot to get these posted again.  I’ll spread them out over the next day.

My name is Jay Phillippi and I’ve spent my life in and around the media.  TV, Radio, the movies and more.  I love them and I hate them and I always have an opinion.  Call this The View From the Phlipside.

Last year I talked about the art of the public apology.  I’m not sure any apology has ever gotten more attention than the Tiger Woods last week.  Right off the bat let me say I think he did a bang up job.  He mad no excuses, it was his fault and his alone.  He did not try to diminish the offenses either.  They were, in his words, “unacceptable”, “selfish” and “irresponsible”.  Tiger acknowledged that he was facing his issues and continuing to work on them.  He also placed the specific issues in the realm of his private life.  His apology was directed at the people he’d hurt.  First and foremost his wife, his family and friends.  Then the people he worked with and the young people who idolize him.  Every bit right on the money.

There have been several criticisms that I think are unwarranted.  That he read the statement.  It was just the most important 13 minutes of his life and he’s really NOT a natural speaker.  I give him a pass.  That he didn’t “speak from his heart”.  This is one of the most tightly contained public figures of all time.  I think what we saw WAS him speaking from his heart.  That it was all too staged and artificial.  I think there’s an interesting reason for that.  This looked like a page out of 12 step program.  Acknowledge you screwed up and try to make amends.  Admitting your mistake is always a good first step. 

I also heard a lot of “He doesn’t need to apologize to me”.  And that’s right.  He doesn’t owe you or me an apology.  But then I don’t think this was about us.   We need to get over ourselves a little bit and just be the audience he needed.  Our only function was to be a witness.  It was really about Tiger and his family.   It was about Tiger and his mistakes.  When it came to making an apology however, I don’t think he made any.

Call that the View From the Phlipside

“The View From the Phlipside” airs on WRFA-LP Jamestown NY.  You can listen to WRFA online HERE
Copyright – Jay Phillippi 2010