Wednesday, April 21, 2010

"TIGER TEXT"

It's a new App, and I keep track of Apps, not for my iPhone, iPad, Android or Mobile something-or-other. Apps keep me in touch with what people are doing in a world I'm not living in.

"Tiger Text" is like disappearing ink. You can send text, and it will disappear after a short time, which you determine.

"You could "Tiger Text" a lover, and the message, when the time you've set elapses -- one minute to five days -- the message is gone from your phone and your lover's phone.

Tiger Text is on my XXX list.

That it is named "Tiger Text" is sad and destructive. We have a young man who with the help of a loving father, became a hero -- for all races, very young kids, and adolescents, and older people. Tiger Woods conquered a sport through hard work -- devotion -- mastering technique-- focusing mind and body on an extraordinarily high level.

Whom else do we have like Tiger Woods? The story behind his training -- who his father was, and his mother -- is a story we don't know. Tiger could have been imitating what he saw as a child, in his own family.

Many, many people are still attacking him, focusing on his sex life.

He's tried to redeem himself -- that sad, ineffectual public apology, his energetic participation in the Masters -- his full-out, remarkable attempt to play golf, and continue his life as a champion, and hero -- what more do people want from him -- what further punishment does his "sinful," behavior require?

Calling the App "Tiger Text" may help the creators sell a not-great product, but other names would work. Instead, they have locked in Tiger Wood's mistakes, given it an amusing name that will continue to hurt Tiger's re-joining the world. The name forever attaches an ugly negative to a man who is trying to survive, play golf, hold onto his children, even if he can't fix, or restore what he and his wife shared.

Will the makers change the name? Probably not. Will people buy the App? They will.

I think this is like the electric chair. Killing a man who did wrong, in a cruel way. "Tiger Text" is over-kill. We may lose an extraordinarily gifted, talented hero.

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