For the past six days, much of the world has been riveted by the fallout from the Thanksgiving car accident of Tiger Woods and its aftermath. The story has been driven in large part by the online tabloid media and the all-knowing eyes of TMZ, who has speculated about the athlete’s marriage, affairs, and perhaps even prescription drug use before taking the wheel.

As it turns out, much of what TMZ’s been reporting is true, as this morning Woods issued a statement on his website, acknowledging extramarital relations and writing that “I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart.”

But Tiger goes on to bring up what is perhaps a more interesting issue about the world we live in. The extremely private superstar goes on to write that “Although I am a well-known person and have made my career as a professional athlete, I have been dismayed to realize the full extent of what tabloid scrutiny really means.”

Continuing, Tiger writes:

“But no matter how intense curiosity about public figures can be, there is an important and deep principle at stake which is the right to some simple, human measure of privacy. I realize there are some who don’t share my view on that. But for me, the virtue of privacy is one that must be protected in matters that are intimate and within one’s own family. Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family shouldn’t have to mean public confessions.”

Tiger’s right. While we’ve come to expect a certain level of transparency from companies, brands, and even public figures thanks to social media, it’s not our God given right to know what Tiger does in his personal life, as many seemed to think it was in the days following his accident.

Of course, as the world’s first billion dollar athlete, you can argue that Tiger is a company and brand, but nonetheless, as a man, it’s his right to remain private and accept the consequences, whether they’re lost endorsements or unforgiving fans. That right was seemingly stripped away from him by the “we deserve to know everything about everything” culture we now live in.

As a sports fan, a social media connoisseur, and a man, today is a sad day.

Tags: social media, tiger woods

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Tiger Woods and the Destruction of Personal Privacy