Tiger Woods' selection of the Masters Tournament for his return to golf will provide the most dramatic stage imaginable for the "penitent golfing god," says a cultural anthropologist at Duke University.
"This Masters -- and I don't think this is an exaggeration -- will be one of the biggest sports events in American history: a nationally broadcast carnival of curiosity, speculation and interest covered by the media like a presidential resignation or the moon landing," says Orin Starn, who studies sports and society.
"A ritualized yet emotional and sometimes teary public apology is necessary for any sports hero, politician or movie star to rehabilitate themselves in 21st century celebrity and political culture. Now that Tiger has made his it seems likely that Augusta fans will greet him with great warmth and enthusiasm, a mega-celebrity made attractively more human by having gone through the pain of screwing up his life and trying to put it back together."
Starn, who writes about golf and politics at www.golfpolitics.blogspot.com, says the scandal shows the blurring of the line between politics, sports and celebrity in America today. He noted that Woods hired the public relations firm of former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer to manage his rehabilitation.
"His apology several weeks ago appeared at once painfully sincere and yet also as tightly scripted as any presidential speech. And just as politicians seek the best backdrop for their announcements, the choice of the Masters Tournament at the Augusta Country Club will provide the most dramatic stage imaginable for Tiger's return to golf."