ORLANDO, Fla. – As if we need any exit polls or additional evidence that Tiger Woods’ reputation has taken a brutal beatdown over the past five days.
But still, this news is a real bellwether that, as far as some fans are concerned, it will never be the same for the reigning world No. 1. The creator, author and pastor of the so-called First Church of Tiger Woods is shutting down his website in complete disgust.
John Ziegler, a talk-show commentator based in Los Angeles, began the irreverent website TigerWoodsIsGod.com nine years ago and has had plenty of fun toying around with the notion that Woods is, indeed, the Chosen One as it relates to golf.
He has since changed the name on the site's home page to The Damnation of Tiger Woods and penned the following screed, which is as harsh and scathing as anything written about Woods on any mainstream outlet over the past few days. Actually, it probably tops the list.
And mind you, Ziegler once considered himself one of Woods’ biggest supporters. This probably speaks to the level of betrayal felt by some Woods followers. He wrote:
“After several days of evaluation, I have decided to disband the First Church of Tiger Woods (as indicated by the graphics at the top of this website) and I will not renew the TigerWoodsIsGod domain name when it expires in a couple of months. Any future commentary on this site (which may not happen at all) will be regarding Tiger’s failings in relation to his affair/accident debacle which continues to unfold almost by the hour.
“Because the First Church of Tiger Woods has been in existence since late 1996 and this website has been around since early 2000, you might think that such a decision might be difficult. In this case, it was not. Unfortunately, Tiger Woods has made it all too easy to realize that he is no longer worthy of any special admiration.
“The events of the past few days have revealed Tiger to be a serial adulterer, a blatant liar and a selfish coward. While I am sure I will always respect his ability as a golfer, that was only a very small part of why this much-misunderstood website was created and why it became such a big part of my life.
“As I have documented in my columns below, Tiger is clearly no longer deserving of being seen as a role model or a hero and he has needlessly squandered his unique potential to be a positive force in our country and the world. While I am relatively sure that Tiger will make a comeback from this sad episode and that there will be great moments for him in the future, I personally am done with Tiger Woods and I doubt that I will even care very much about whatever else he might achieve on the golf course (for someone who once vowed to make sure he lived until he saw Tiger get to 19 major championships, I have a hard time believing I can write those words with such ease).”
He then listed a series of Woods’ perceived “sins,” as he called them. Ziegler doubts that he is the lone man deserting the foundering ship, either.
“In the end, this situation, like much of life, is all about expectations,” Ziegler wrote. “To whom much is given, much is expected. No one has ever been given more than Tiger and therefore our expectations for him were also unprecedented.
“He has failed to live up to those expectations and he has shattered a sacred trust that cannot be repaired. Therefore, Tiger Woods now has at least one less supporter. I am quite sure that I am not alone.”
