Sports Illustrated printed a story entitled “The Chosen One” in 1996 about how Tiger Woods was going to change the world with his greatness. Tiger’s father, Earl Woods, was interviewed about his son. He said, “The world is just getting a taste of his power.” Earl groomed Tiger to live and breathe golf from a very early age. At two years old, the Mike Douglas Show featured a two-year-old Tiger hitting golf balls with Bob Hope. The little angel wings were sprouting from his back.

At age 15, Tiger was the youngest player to win the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. He turned pro in 1996 and agreed to a $100 million dollar contract with Nike.

The year 2000 was a very good year for Tiger. He was the second golfer in history to ever win the U.S. Open, the Open Championship and the PGA Championship all in one year.

When he was at his peak, with his wings at full span, he married Elin Nordegren. Could his life get any better? Or is the only other logical way to go down? As we say in the South, “Was he getting too big for his britches?”

The year 2009 began the slow clipping of Tiger’s wings. The infamous National Enquirer sniffed out a lead on an affair between Tiger and a woman named Rachel Uchitel.

Uchitel denied any involvement with Tiger, but a woman named Jaime Grubbs stepped forward with a story that she had a relationship with Tiger. Tiger’s infidelity count went up to twelve women and at this point, he couldn’t ignore addressing the issue to the world. On Dec. 11, 2009, he released a statement admitting to his infidelity, apologized and said that he was taking a hiatus from golf.

Tiger’s infidelity is not a new phenomenon in the sports world. A-Rod and Michael Jordan came before him with similar situations. We are a society that holds sports figures up like they are Greek gods. These men are able to have everything at their fingertips and feel they are entitled to all the perks.

The women who are pursued by these married sports figures need to simply say, “Thanks, but no thanks.” For the women that pursue these married men I’d frankly say, “STOP IT!” The women who are cheated on, such as Elin, need to surround themselves with loving and supportive people to heal the wounds.

As for Tiger, he has some major soul searching to do. We all make mistakes in life, some greater than others, but we cannot go back to change the wrongs we caused. Moving forward and making amends is the only answer.

Tiger was interviewed in The New York Times and said, “As far as the game and practicing, that’s been secondary,” said Woods. “We’re trying to get our kids situated to our new living conditions and how that’s going to be right now.