A mulligan for Tiger

The golfing sensation can hope only for public forgiveness, knowing full well they will never forget

We pause from the ongoing discussion of health care, soaring deficits, higher gas prices and looming tax increases to tackle a more important topic: the return of Tiger Woods to both the golf and national media stage.

And what a return it will be!

The Tiger Woods episode has truly been like a car wreck -- you feel sorry for the victims, but you can't help but stare as you drive slowly by.

On a cool Thanksgiving morning in Florida, Tiger lost control of his car, his life and his reputation. Tiger is now learning the lesson of so many others. It is far more difficult to repair a reputation than create one.

And so, Tiger returns to work. This week marks an important step on the road to public forgiveness. Yet the golfing sensation can hope only for public forgiveness, knowing full well they will never forget.

Those in the public spotlight are treated to special scrutiny because of their fame. Simply put, it comes with the territory, like it or not.

Tiger -- more than any other person of fame -- was treated especially harshly because even in the world of celebrity, he holds a unique position: transcendental athlete/celebrity/role model.

Personal mistakes are made by the millions each and every day far away from the limelight. Yet we focus on but a few.

Neither this column nor this entire newspaper could every fully contain a list of those in the public eye who have made errors in judgment and felt the wrath of public scorn. "Oh how the mighty have fallen" is a theme threaded throughout the history of mankind.

The golf term for a second chance is a mulligan. Most golfers will accept one mulligan per round, but rarely two. Tiger is asking for his mulligan this week.