As far as "I cheated on my wife with multiple women on more than one occasion and then lied about it" apologies go, Tiger Woods' misty-eyed speech was pretty honest. On Feb. 19, the disgraced golfer gave his first press conference since news broke of his infidelities. And he was very sorry. Boy, was he sorry. Woods called his actions selfish, foolish, irresponsible, painful, hurtful, shameful, disappointing and embarrassing. "I was unfaithful," he said. "I had affairs. I cheated." He said he was currently seeking inpatient treatment for his problems and that he now understood that it was wrong to feel "entitled" to the benefits and temptations offered to sports stars.
After the speech, Tiger left the podium and hugged his mother. Then he hugged someone else. And someone else. And someone else. The parade of awkward hugging made his mea culpa seem almost congratulatory. With the sound off, he might have looked like a politician running for office.