Blog Topic

Tiger Woods: Above the Law?
Posted by: Keith Young
December 11, 2009

Tiger Woods' recent saga has put a spotlight on several issues, not the least of which is how celebrities and prominent athletes are treated when they are in legal hot water.  Reports began to surface in the week or so after the accident that Woods had been drinking earlier in the evening and was passed out on his driveway when the police showed up.  Moreover, there were reports that Tiger refused a blood test only fueling speculation as to his actual condition that evening.  The Florida State Attorney General’s Office dropped the matter citing lack of evidence and Woods was given a citation, even though the local police department wanted to pursue other charges.

Now, given the same set of facts as above, but replace Tiger Woods with you or me, would we have received the same treatment?  Probably not, but the fact that celebrities and athletes play by a different set of rules is nothing new.  This blogger even heard one talking head opine that adultery revelations would increase his marketability amongst the key demographic of sports viewers, to wit:  25-54 year old men.  There you have it.  Adultery has been wrong for you and I since Moses came down from Mt. Siani, but for Tiger Woods it will help him sell more Gillette razors. 

As always, there is a court of law and a court of public opinion in matters like this one.  OJ is the obvious example of when the court of public opinion has a different verdict than a court of law.  We’ll have to wait and see how the public opinion takes hold as Tiger tries to hit this one back on the fairway.  

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