A little less conversation ... a little more action

Like many golf fans - and, yes, fans of Tiger Woods - I watched Monday's "press conference" featuring Tiger and 200 reporters. For the record, there were 48 questions and not quite that many answers in the 34-minute session at Augusta National.

I'm sure there were times when Tiger felt uncomfortable, but I was surprised at the muted tone of the questioning. No one brought charcoal to this grilling. Punches were not only pulled, a lot were never even thrown. There were very few follow-up questions to some of Tiger's answers, and shockingly little curiosity. Then again, these are golf writers ... a largely sympathetic audience ... and nothing I heard out of them made me think of Woodward and Bernstein.

OK, Tiger hasn't done anything that rises to the level of a president trying to deceive the American public, but there's been a violation of trust, even if that trust was misplaced. He carefully presented an almost impossibly perfect image and was found to have feet of clay. Shame on him for fooling us. But people who base their lives on what celebrities say or do may have a bigger problem than Tiger. Shame on those who believed in him in the first place.

I never bought a Buick because Tiger looked good in one. I never reached for the Nike gear on Tiger's word. Truthfully, the stuff's overpriced, and while we're at it, in light of Tiger's transgressions, the whole "Just Do It" campaign takes on a seamy meaning.

And seamy is the only thing we can take from the Tiger Tragedy. Bottom line, it's an issue between a husband and a wife, and the longer we wish to be a part of it, the more we look like voyeurs. I thought I would want to know what questions were asked of Tiger, and what he would say in response. But the longer the Q&(almost)A went on, my overriding feeling was one of nausea.

I'm finally sick of the story. "Going forward" was a phrase Tiger used often Monday, and in the spirit of cooperation in his ongoing therapy, I promise to do my part not to feed this ugly beast any more. Way too much time and energy has been spent talking about one golfer's life away from the course, and not nearly enough about the sport itself.

The worst thing that could happen to golf is for this story to hang like a cloud over the game. The best thing would be for golf to lose some of its sycophantic "fans" who just want to get drunk and yell "You da man!"

I'm getting back on the golf course, and I can't wait for Thursday's first round, to see Tiger, yes, but also all the other players. The weather has been exceptional in Augusta this year, and the first major of the year is upon us.

If you want to talk golf, welcome. If you want something else, I'm not sure you were ever a real fan to begin with.