(NNPA) - Let me start by saying that I am thrilled that Tiger Woods is healthy and was not seriously hurt in that accident outside of his home the other night. I selfishly want to see him continue to lay waste to his peers, because I am a huge Tiger Woods fan.
But that said, there are still some things I've heard and read about this accident that seem to defy common sense, and because of that, the old reporter in me is overriding the fan.
Making it worse is the fact that we have heard nothing from Tiger. This story is begging for a response from the world's greatest golfer.
As I write this, it has been more than 48 hours since the accident happened and there are still significant unanswered questions about what now appears to be a bizarre domestic incident. But Tiger Woods has said nothing to anyone, not even the police to adequately clear this up.
For me the smoking gun is the report that the air bags in Tiger's Escalade didn't deploy, which unless there was a major malfunction, means the vehicle was not traveling very fast at all when it hit the fire hydrant and a tree. And you have to wonder how do you hit a fire hydrant in the first place – unless you are greatly distracted or enraged?
Further you question how Tiger actually got his busted mouth and was knocked unconscious from what is being called a minor accident.
The other suspect detail is that Tiger was trapped in the SUV and his wife Elin, in the house, heard the noise from the accident and upon seeing Tiger trapped had to use golf clubs to break out the car's rear window to get Tiger out.
The timing for this could not be worse. It happens just as the tabloids are screaming that Tiger is having an affair. And the generally reliable TMZ is reporting that Tiger and his wife Elin, were arguing about that alleged affair just before the accident.
It is certainly possible that an angry wife dealing with rumors of an affair could do a lot of damage with a golf club. I'm not saying that's what happened but most of us would understand if it did.
Obviously, I am speculating. But what else am I left to do? I'm human and celebrities, even the ones I like, are fair game to wonder about. We all do that.
I want to be wrong about all of my doubts, but what we know about this accident is coming from everyone but Tiger Woods and his wife.
And that is never good.
With millions of dollars in endorsements on the line, a reputation to protect, and a legacy to leave, Tiger Woods has a lot to lose by mishandling this incident.
Indeed silence is not always golden.
Award-winning journalist David Burnett is former president of the Washington, D.C. Association of Black Journalists and founder of www.Sportssense.net.
