Golf Journalists Boycott Tiger Woods Event

(CBS)  This story was filed by CBSSports.com Community writer Steve Elling.

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The number of attendees at Tiger Woods' controversial, coming-clean press conference on Friday morning just got even smaller.

Upset over ground rules that Woods and his handlers created for journalists who were being admitted to the session, the board of the Golf Writers Association of America voted to boycott the event, set for 11 a.m., ET, near PGA Tour headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

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From the outset, Woods sought to keep the number of those in attendance to a handful of around 30, a number that mostly included personal and professional friends or business associates. Three international wire services were invited to cover the session, during which Woods is expected to apologize for his unseemly extra-marital behavior over the past few years.

They represent his first public comments in three months, since before the sex scandal began last Thanksgiving.

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Woods is refusing to answer questions, however, and outside of the wire service contingent, had limited the number of other media outlets to three. After the GWAA haggled with his spokesman Thursday to increase that number by another 12, Woods' camp agreed to double the total number to six.

However, given that the GWAA ultimately felt it was inappropriate for Woods to dictate terms regarding how reporters would be allowed do their jobs - namely, by refusing to field questions - the organization voted to skip the event entirely.

"I cannot stress how strongly our board felt that this should be open to all media and also for the opportunity to question Woods," said Vartan Kupelian, president of the 950-member group.

"The position, simply put, is all or none. This is a major story of international scope. To limit the ability of journalists to attend, listen, see and question Woods goes against the grain of everything we believe."

One GWAA board member called it "a clear protest vote."

It won't affect much change in the eyes of Woods, presumably, but the organization felt it needed to stand on principle.

The Associated Press, Reuters and Bloomberg News are the wire services invited to attend. Initially, the other trio of media invitees consisted of one writer from a newspaper, Web site and magazine.

Nineteen GWAA board members voted to boycott the event, while four voted to attend and three abstained. In all, 26 of the 27 eligible board members cast votes.

For the record, as a GWAA board member, I voted to boycott the Woods session.

[scubbasteve01]

Top 20 Things Tiger Shouldn't Say At His Press Conference

20) " Good morning, and thank you for joining me. I hope most of you have already got in your morning sex and are about to have some during lunch-time too after my statement. Everyone has a good reason to be critical of me since you all know I have a problem keeping my pants on. I want to be simple and direct. I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior I engaged in even though this is rehearsed. I thought the rules didn't apply to me. But they do. I've never done any performance enhancing drugs. I have had Minute Maid and sniffed a little glue at one time or another like anybody else. I would like to ask the press to leave my wife and kids alone. I can verify any rumors about anymore infidelity to them without your help. I must start living a life of integrity without wild unprotected sex that can get caught by the press. Character and decency are important when using Trojan condoms. They do say that the ribbed ones are the best ones for true pleasure. I strayed away from Buddhism and went straight into hard core Bootyism. "
19 ) " I am sorry that I was caught and now have to apologize to so many women that I will never have sex with."'
18) '' When hearing my caddy scream hole in one. I had no idea how many holes I could get into off of the course."
17 ) " Yes, I AM TIGER. I AM TIGER. I AM A SEX MACHINE. I AM A GIGOLO. I AM MAN. THEY ARE WOMEN.
I AM A SEX ADDICT. I'M NOT ARROGANT. I'M TRYING TO APOLOGIZE. ''
16) '' I apologize to my wife and my fans. Because I had so many women on my TO DO LIST.''
15) '' My 9 clubs are usually saved for the golfing tour and not for my head. Elin never hit me on Thanksgiving night even though I was the real turkey. She did however threaten me several times during our arguments about how she desperately wanted to cut my b****off. Some people have made up thing that never happened. Like saying I had sex with another Hooters girl in the back of her car. Elin deserves praise and not blame. I was caught for being a bad cheater. That's why! Whenever I play I say foursome. I mean FOUR! ''
14) " It was never my intention to engage in any lascivious behavior with any Disney Characters. "
13) I am sorry that I didn't know about the settings on my I-Phone before this happened to me. My failures have made me realize if you're going to cheat then do it the smart way. "
12) '' I do believe that all fire hydrants should be safe for the fire departments and dogs to use.''
11)'' Yes, I was sex-texting before I had my crash."
10) I don't need racial diversity training like people think. Yes, I know some of them were s****s and weren't black women. But somebody had to hit it.
9) I received no personal consultation from Congressman Joe Wilson and his white supremacy group Sons OF The Confederacy on the rules of lying.
8) '' I NEVER had sex with that woman! But I did have sex with that woman."
7) '' No I haven't gotten any email from the Pope about my playlist. Noo! No! My music playlist. ''
6) '' No, I don't endorse sex with animals like some people do."
5) '' Yes, I do endorse hanging out with girl groupies like John Mayer and saying the '' N'' word.
4) '' I'm sorry, son. I'm not your father. But I did have sex with your mother."
3) '' No, I don't have a Top Ten List of Women for the Lettermen Show.''
2) '' No! No! The rumors about a Tiger Woods SEX App for the I-Phone are all untrue. As I continue to move forward. I will still look at women with really big booties. I will return to golf one day and have those great sudden death matches that I used to have without jumping in bed with many women."

Top 20 Reason No. 1

'' Finally, there are many people in this room and at home who believe in me. Today I ask for your help and that you find room in your heart to believe in me again yes, me, Tiger Woods. A $billion dollar athlete who has had sex with many women and wants sympathy from everybody while more important things are going on in the world. Look! The rumors about me being booked through out the summer at the Bunny Ranch in Las Vegas are false. Thank you. "

WHO CARES? Could switching to GEICO now save him 15% or more on his car insurance? Are his girlfriends also insured? Will cartoon Icon Bugs Bunny finally eat fricassee of rabbit? Will Elmer Fudd finally get proper pronunciation locked down? WHAT? Is he crying?

[thadius5]

Steve, I'm sure Tiger didn't miss your narrow butt today or any of your overly judgmental colleagues either. 76% of all U.S. marriages have an unfaithful partner. Let he who is without sin.......

[baileyccc]

He's a sleeze ball, Elin can do better. She needs to take hir money and get on with her life without this sex addict. Posted by baileyccc

[thesevenveils]

Just like the step in AA treatment, the patient must publicly apologize to all he/she hurt and state the treatment statement about will get better, blah blah better person.

But his behavior is not trained, it is ingrained. You cannot change a tiger's strips.

[scubbasteve01]

Top 16 Things Not Said By Tiger At His Press Conference

16) " I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior I engaged in even though this is rehearsed. I thought the rules didn't apply to me. But they do.
I strayed away from Buddhism and went straight into hard core Bootyism. "
15) '' My 9 clubs are usually saved for the golfing tour and not for my head.
Whenever I say foursome. I mean FOUR!
14) " It was never my intention to engage in any lascivious behavior with any Disney Characters."
13) I am sorry that I didn't know about the settings on my I-Phone before this happened to me."
12) '' I do believe that all fire hydrants should be safe for the fire departments and dogs to use.''
11)'' Yes, I was sex-texting before I had my crash."
10) I don't need racial diversity training like people think. Yes, I know some of them were s****s and weren't black women. But somebody had to hit it.
9) I received no personal consultation from
Congressman Joe Wilson and his white
supremacy group Sons OF The Confederacy.
8) '' I NEVER had sex with that woman! But I did have sex with that woman."
7) '' No I haven't gotten any email from the Pope about my playlist. Noo! No! My music playlist. ''
6) '' No, I don't endorse sex with animals like some people do."
5) '' Yes, I do endorse hanging out with girl groupies like John Mayer and saying the '' N'' word.
4) '' I'm sorry, son. I'm not your father. But I did have sex with your mother."
3) '' No, I don't have a Top Ten List for Women for the Lettermen Show.''
2) '' No! No! The rumors about a Tiger Woods SEX App for the I-Phone are all untrue."

Top 10 Reason No. 1

'' Look! The rumors about me being booked
through out the summer at the Bunny Ranch are
false."

WHO CARES? Could switching to GEICO now
save him 15% or more on his car insurance?
Are his girlfriends also insured?
WHAT? Is he crying?

[bciss]

Ohhh,, thank you golf writers of America. I needed that laugh. You sure learned him!! Really,, "golf journalists"? This is something that needs a dedicated "journalist" let alone an association? Ah,, you tickle me funny bone.

[amerilatino]

I like to play, but far as I'm concerned, a golf journalist is like somebody who is to making a living attempting to write electrifying, witty commentary on the progress of the weeds that grow around my mailbox in the Spring. Zzzzzzzzzzzz.

[inketolstoy]

Great post. Maybe those journalists can go write some olympic curling articles instead of asking Woods questions no one besides Tiger's wife and die hard golfers want to know.

[rdupuy11]

Boycott or don't, Tiger can set any rules he wants. Nothing compels him when to speak or to whom.

[strabinez]

HE DOES'NT OWE ME OR THOSE JOURNALISTS (OR ANYONE OUTSIDE HIS PERSONAL CIRCLE)ONE SINGLE WORD.

[parisdakar]

It's just a show put on for damage control. And who gives a crap anyway? He's just another privileged athlete who's too used to getting everything he wants. Take your lumps and shut up Tiger.