Let those without sin cast the first stone

Tiger, Tiger, Tiger that is all that has been in the news in the past two weeks and all I can say is that I truly feel some sympathy for him. May be my feeling would have been different if I was "oyinbo", may be then I would have understood the magnitude of his indiscretions.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I am from a part of the world where news like Tiger's infidelity is not a big deal. Not one Nigerian man I know has condemned Woods for his "transgressions", and why will they? My first reaction to Tiger's revelations though, was shock. For a seemingly conservative and extremely private person, he was definitely well misunderstood. I saw him as an innocent gentle man, loving father, and doting husband, emotional, solemn, honest and hard working.

Now the joke is on the greatest man to have played the game of golf. He has proven to the world that he has his "other side". Even our Nigerian men, who see it as a minor blip that the media is making a big deal of, still find some humour in Woods predicament. He has indeed become a subject for comedians, funny text messages and photographs are passed around, ridiculing the No. 1 ranked golfer in the world.

Time to move on

Don't get me wrong, as a Christian, I don't support adultery but then, it has happened and it is time to forgive our cheating darling and move on.

Even the Bible, the holy book, says "a righteous man will fall seven times and get up seven times". Its now the time to see how tough Tiger is mentally.

I totally disagree with him taking a leave of absence indefinitely from the game. I would have expected him to keep playing and hopefully win more titles; more so as he is close to catching up on Jack Nicklaus's record of 18 majors, while also hoping that Elin Woods has the spirit of Hillary Clinton, Victoria Beckham and Vanessa Kobe Bryant. Then again, it might be the best thing to do to show that he wants to make things right. Golf will always be waiting for him when he gets things in order.

Whatever the case, I hope this doesn't signify an end to the greatest career we have ever seen in the game. This won't be the first time he is taking time off from the game and it didn't stop anything, just that his absence usually creates a general lack of buzz worldwide. Really, any tournament without his name fails to attract the interest of many fans.

Woods' contract

That then makes me wonder why all the talk about some sponsors terminating their contract with him. The likes of Accenture have decided to end six years of ties to Woods because he is "no longer the right representative for its advertising". AT&T are evaluating their on-going relationship with him, Gillette have decided to phase him out during his break from the game. At least he has support from the likes of Nike, upper deck and Tag Heuer. The Nike chairman believes that the storm would blow over the 14-time major winner. Understandably so, since Tiger generates $800m annually for Nike golf.

If Woods were a Nigerian

Note also that his popularity rating has dropped from 85% to 33%. Woods might want to be a Nigerian right about now. Imagine if he were Nigerian, it would have been the other way round.

What is it with men anyway, particularly the successful ones?

Are all those 13 women worth his losing all that he's worked so hard for, his reputation and everything else, to think that more than a third of Americans believe that companies should not continue to use Woods to endorse their products and services.

I question how he had the time for that many women. To think that 10 days prior to his accident and admission to several infidelities, he had granted an interview and spoken of his commitment to his family, saying "family first and golf second and having a family is the best thing that ever happened to him". Isn't that the height of hypocrisy?

He happens to be the world's first billion-dollar athlete with good looks; surely he will have women throwing themselves at him but you must "gauge" your environment before you do certain things. Only that we black women don't appeal to him, otherwise he can get free citizenship here should Elin decide to throw him out. Imagine a "Naija" woman trying to kick her husband out because of infidelity. I just don't see it happening. It almost seems "acceptable" here. Don't get me wrong, not all Nigerian men are unfaithful, at least I know a handful that are faithful, my father and four others.

Rachael Uchitel, Cory Rist, Julie Postle, etc all have one thing in common; Does he really see himself as one of them as he has often been accused of? Personally, I hope he and his family can weather the storm, after all, he wont be the first neither will he be the last.