Can Tiger Learn From Past Celeb Apologies?

When Tiger Woods breaks his silence Friday, and apologizes -- as expected -- he'll join a long list of athletes, celebrities and politicians who have also tried to win back the public's trust after making big mistakes.

However, as CBS News correspondent Kelly Wallace reported on "The Early Show," everyone will want to see just how he does it.

Photos: Stars Say "I'm Sorry"
Photos: Tiger Woods

Will he say, "I was wrong" like Sen. John Edwards? Or say "I'm disgusted at myself" like basketball star Kobe Bryant? Or will he simply ask, "Please forgive me?" like pastor Jimmy Swaggart?

Wallace remarked we've almost come to expect it after the transgression -- the coming clean moment and the apology.

It took Bill Clinton eight months to issue his confession, saying in his statement that he "misled people."

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford took 18 minutes to get through his apology, saying he first wanted to apologize to his wife, Jenny.

Sanford, who admitted being unfaithful, didn't have his wife by his side. Edwards, too, didn't have his wife around when he confessed to making "a serious mistake" in a television interview.

However, other now-infamous wrongdoers did, such as former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer who was caught having sex with prostitutes.

But, Wallace pointed out, the American public can forgive, as they have with Kobe Bryant. After allegations of rape, Bryant remains one of the National Basketball Association's most marketable names.

And for others, it's all about being self-deprecating. Actor Hugh Grant confessed to Jay Leno, "I did a bad thing, and there you have it." This apology for getting caught with a prostitute actually did wonders for a comeback.

Wallace said all these apologies may serve a lesson to Woods: How you apologize is more important than just saying sorry.