Sports Radio Interviews

Rocco Mediate on Tiger Woods: “It’s Not Anybody’s Business”

For the past couple of days Tiger Woods has taken over the headlines.  In case you have been living under a rock, Tiger got into a late night car accident when his Escalade bounced off a fire hydrant and a tree.  It then came out in the days after that he allegedly had some relationships outside of his marriage.  First of all, I want to make it perfectly clear that I don’t condone what Tiger Woods did, and I don’t agree with the choices that he made.  He made huge mistakes and I am very disappointed as a fan of Tiger Woods.  Because of the choices that he has made, he has hurt his wife, his family and those closest to him.  Those “sins” and “transgressions,” have hurt his image.  It wasn’t anyone else’s fault but Tiger’s.  He has a lot of work to do to figure out his personal life outside of the game of golf.  The choices that Tiger made were his choices to make and what happened between him and his wife behind closed doors and inside their home is between Elin and himself.  It’s none of my business and it’s none of your business.  It’s something intimate between wife and husband and until it affects him, the golfer, I tend to believe it should stay that way.  I don’t know Tiger Woods and I don’t pretend to know him.  He doesn’t owe me an apology, he doesn’t owe you an apology, but he came out with one that admitted to sins and transgressions.  For Tiger to do that is a big deal. 

I am not a fan of Tiger Woods because of who he is as a father, or who he is as a husband. I never knew anything of that stuff. I think it’s fair to say unless you were or are in Tiger’s inner circle, neither did you. It wasn’t my business to know what was going on in his personal life because after all, it is his personal life. All I know is that I rooted for Tiger and I cheered for him because of what I knew about him as a golfer. I had no way to know anything about his personal life that he didn’t want me to know. All of you, like me, unless you cover him in the media, know Tiger Woods for being the best golfer in the world and that’s it. Because of poor decisions he has made off the course in his personal life, that doesn’t change. Tiger Woods, the golfer, remains the same to me. He is still the best golfer in the world, he can still bomb drives over 300 yards, he can still hit a three iron high into the air and get it to stop on a dime, and he will still make putts on the 18th green for major championships that make you say “wow.” I don’t know about you, but I’ll still root for Tiger and I’ll still appreciate the greatness that he displays with a golf club in his hand. However, I will do it with a little less respect for Tiger Woods the human being.

Many people remember Rocco Mediate for his showdown with Tiger Woods at the U.S. Open two years ago and Mediate joined ESPN Radio in Chicago with Waddle and Silvy to talk about the Tiger Woods story, being a celebrity nowadays, and how the PGA Tour would be affected if Tiger was not around.

On whether he has followed this story and what his thoughts are:

“I haven’t really followed.  It’s all just, I can’t really say what I want to say because I’m on the radio.  It’s just wrong what’s going on.  Everybody makes mistakes and obviously what I heard this morning what he said was right on the numbers.  It’s not anybody’s business man, it’s his and his wife’s and his children’s business and the problem that I have with it is all the people that are trying to take this guy down because he made a mistake like everybody else does in the world a million times, but forgetting about what it involves.  Two little kids and his wife it’s their deal and knowing him, I don’t know her very well, but knowing him he’ll fix it.  Everything is fixable, but because he’s the most recognizable person on earth, let’s just tear him apart while we have the chance you know what I mean.  When’s he’s himself and does great no one bothers him because it’s expected of him, then all the sudden this stuff happened whether it’s true or not we’ll never know.  It’s not even anyone’s business and as you can tell I’m kind of angry right now.  I just think it’s terrible these people that have done this to him it’s unbelievable.  It’s so ridiculously sad it just makes me nauseous actually.”

Is this part of what goes along with being a celebrity:

“Obviously I’m not even in the same level as Tiger, but a lot of people know who a lot of us are and I just don’t know how to explain it.  Is fair a good word, well no, nothing is fair but it’s so bad to try to take this guy apart after all he has done.  Like I said how many times does this happen in the world, everyday a million times all of the sudden the biggest name in the world as he admitted made some mistakes whatever he called them and he’s going to fix them ‘please leave me alone let me get this done’.  It’s like I said a million times, I don’t want his gig.  He cannot even go out the door when nothing is happening you know but that is part of the deal.  That’s what makes it so impressive that someone like that can be as good as he is and do all the things he does and not be completely insane but that’s part of the deal and that’s what he signed up for to be the best and that’s what he is.  I guess you have to take some of this.  If anyone can handle it, he can handle it.   I just hope it gets sorted out for him.  I just hope people leave him alone.”

Do you believe people really want to take Tiger down:

“I think it’s both.  I think they see a guy who, in my opinion, is the best that ever was and now all of the sudden there is a chance to take a shot at him and 90% of the people that are taking a shot at him have done the same thing.  It happens to a lot of people and it is that way and I don’t know how to explain it, but he’s always been good to the media as far I’ve seen.  The fact that some of these people are going after him, we’re human man, he’s human, it’s just that simple.  No one is perfect.   Like I said I haven’t been following any of this crap and that’s what I call it.  He just said this morning listen I screwed up let me fix it.  Please back off but they’re not going to back off you know it and I know it.”

On how Tiger taking a leave of absence from the tour would affect the tour:

“I said it a million times our tour is absolutely fantastic but without him it ain’t as good its that simple.  I mean look what he’s brought to our table, look what he’s done for the PGA Tour, golf and the world of golf in general so of course it will have a huge impact and you never want to not have your best guy no matter what the reason.  Even last year when he was injured, of course he has to fix himself but it will be terrible.  No matter how long he takes that’s how long he should take.  It’s his deal, it’s his gig, him and Elin have to make this right whatever they have to do they have to do to make this right.  It’s nobody’s business, it really isn’t.   I mean I’ve seen it happen before and it’s sad.  He’s a good dude like you said he made a mistake.”

On whether or not he will send him a text to let him know how he feels:

“Yeah you know you want to do that.  He has so many good buddies and I’m sure they’re right there with him.  I won’t ever bother anyone like that but I’ll try to get a hold of Steiny (Tiger’s agent Mark Steinberg)  just to let him know that I’m thinking about him.  I’m not ever going to call him.  He knows.   Mr Palmer told me something a long time ago.  He said listen you’re in a fraternity once you’re on this PGA tour.  These are your people and no matter what, you have to make sure you back them up and especially if it’s warranted and of course it’s warranted.  Who knows what’s the truth you know what’s happened everybody speculates even with everything that has been put out there, some people in a sick way are happy about this.  They are trying to make some money and it’s absolutely nauseating.”

On whether or not he feels like there are some people on tour that are happy to see Tiger face this adversity:

“The way I think I sure as hell hope not.  You never wish this on anybody.   I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.  You just don’t do that because as big as he is, what’s happening right now but I would hope not.  If it is shame on them they will have to answer for that someday but I don’t see that.  I hope not, I mean if people don’t know what this kid has done, I still call him a kid because I’m 104 years old everything he has done in golf from charity to what he has brought to our game if they can’t see that then they need to find another job.  Without him who knows what happens to this game like I said our tour is great but not nearly as great without him.”

Listen to Rocco Mediate on ESPN Radio in Chicago with Waddle and Silvy

Tags: Elin Nordegren, ESPN Chicago, Golf, Rocco Mediate, Tiger Woods