Steve Phillips and Tiger Woods Need Understanding



2010 February, 8th
Phil Butler
Phil Butler
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Former ESPN baseball analyst, Steve Phillips, told reporters today that he discovered he had a sex addiction problem back in August. The former New York Mets manager reportedly said; “What I want to do is take ownership.” According to Phillip’s contention, this knowledge he had a problem would have come two months before he was fired by ESPN.

In an interview with NBC’s Today Show host, Matt Lauer, Phillips admitted to his mistakes and said he is responsible for what he did. It is pretty hard to just report this news without adding some “home spun” cynicism, I am sorry to say. I am wondering exactly who else could have been responsible, and more importantly, how taking ownership of the obvious has anything to do with Phillip’s past or future? According to the reports, Phillips was under treatment at the Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services clinic in Hattiesburg, MS. Of course this is the same clinic which Tiger Woods reportedly was treated at. Wow.

A moment or two of indiscretion, a candy bar swiped under peer pressure as a child, a wayward thought here or there, these are things most of us identify with. But then, most of us identify with 9 to 5, or even third shift work schedules, struggling to make ends meet, and if we face it, little more than ordinary athletic skills. Privilege has never been a problem for the underprivileged to understand, at least if those benefiting from it somehow deserve it – all of it. For Steve Phillips, he has been privileged far beyond what any viewer of ESPN will ever imagine. And then we have Tiger Woods. Sex addicts? Poor things.

Jim ThorpeSex Addicts, Pond Scum, and Integrity Cripples

We are all addicted to sex. Even the absence of sexuality has its roots in sexual disfunction of some sort. Making up diseases for those who just suffer self control, morality, or loyalty problems is asinine. What is more asinine is PR people or the principals in these cases spitting in the faces of others – expecting them to buy it. They always hum the same tune, did you ever notice? I am so sorry for what I did to my family, my fans, myself - about 3 weeks to a month after they bury themselves in “uh-oh-ville”, they emerge with a new leaf magically turned – golden, new, seeking compassion.

Then, some high dollar clinician stamps a seal of approval on their foreheads and they are ready to take up right where they left off – this is their hope any way. Remember when you were 10? Wanting everything to go back to like before? Professional and exemplary isn’t it.

Pete Rose stares longingly.Now if Tiger Woods and Steve Phillips, the wife beaters and thugs of professional sports – all, would spend 4 years dealing with their problems – reconciling themselves “really” to anything like a new course – that would be the time to make a news announcement. Not now though. There is time wasting, money to be made, that window of opportunity. I should say “more opportunity” really. Steve Phillips, Tiger Woods? You had better than an average chance men, suck it up and retire.

Pete Rose made a mistake long ago, and he is still paying for it. If maybe the greatest hitter in baseball can suck it up? Oh, that’s right, you guys are not Pete Rose!  Well, there you have it. Jim Thorpe may have been the single greatest athlete and example sport ever had. One mistake, what you guys tip the bimbo for a lap dance, and he died before he was exonerated.  But he went on, and on. Oh! You are not Jim Thorpe are you Tiger? Tough luck, sweat with the greats and not-so-greats.

Strategies for Has BinZ

Steve Phillips should get a job coaching junior high baseball, do something to benefit mankind and the sport. ESPN can buy people better than this at a dime a dozen. As for Tiger? Well, we may not be able to churn out one of the most gifted golfers who ever took a swing right now, but the second best guy has yet to betray everyone he knows. Another one will come along, and these guys can take solace in knowing they joined the likes of Thorpe, Rose, Shoeless Joe, and other winners who ended up losing for better reasons than sex addiction, integrity disease, or from being pond scum.

About the Author

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Phil Butler is editor-in-chief of Everything PR and senior partner at Pamil Visions PR. He’s a widely cited authority on beta startups, search engines and public relations issues, and he has covered tech news since 2004. Phil wrote in the past for ReadWriteWeb, Mashable, Profy, SitePoint, Search Engine Journal, AltSearchEngines. Follow Phil on Twitter or send him an email at phil [at] pamil-visions [dot] com.

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There Are 9 Responses So Far. »

  1. Comment by Steve Manning on 9 February 2010:

    I read this article and i must say you ____.

  2. Comment by Phil Butler on 9 February 2010:

    I take it I am not your hero then.

    Always,

    Phil

  3. Comment by Debbie on 9 February 2010:

    Really? Tiger should retire? That’s the dumbest thing I’ve read by far. What does his personal life have to do with his professional life? He didn’t commit a crime. He broke his marriage vows. Are you saying that every person who cheats on their spouse should quit their job??? Go on unemployment or welfare?
    And, so, my friend, who was molested by her grandfather as a young girl, who now seeks out men to try to regain her power and has been diagnosed as a sex addict — she’s just like me? I’m a sex addict? You don’t know me to say that Phil.
    You are not a psychologist, and you are not a career counselor. I’m not sure what you are — Steve M just left a big blank. You are Phil in the Blank. Ha!

  4. Comment by Phil Butler on 9 February 2010:

    Debbie, if you do not know why he should retire, I am the least of persons to tell you. While your friend may indeed have a problem which can be solved by therapy, Tiger Woods and these other fellows do not have enough money to cure failing morals, waning obligations, or even amputated decency. I made my point, if you do not understand it I am sorry. It stands.

    Always,
    Phil Butler

    P.S. You let these bozos off the hook and next NBA Basketball stars will come armed to their playoff games. There has to be a reckoning with regard to acceptable professional behavior.

  5. Comment by Debbie on 10 February 2010:

    Acceptable professional behavior?? He wasn’t having sex on the golf course. Please explain why the greatest golfer ever to play the game should retire. So, Phil Mickelson has an easier time winning a golf tournament? So, Steve Stricker (as much as I love him) gets to be number one, and no one tunes in to golf again? Tiger screwed up because this country is screwed up. We make a 21 year old golfer a multi-millionaire, stalk him for autographs, and then wonder why he would become a narcissist. Our priorities are wrong. Should we all retire?
    I came back to this site to see if you had an answer to my question. Apparently YOU are the least of persons to tell me why YOU said what YOU said. Maybe a psychic can answer it?
    I’m out.

  6. Comment by Jillian on 10 February 2010:

    I understand the role these professional sports stars have in our culture as icons of achievement and as heroes to our young. Unfortunately, our young (and many older sports afficianados) do not differentiate between being a hero in their sport and being an amoral person off the court or course. I doubt our lack of differntiation will change (though I must say it’s been a rough road for Michael Vick).

    It will be interesting to see if the moniker “sexual addict” sticks to Woods, or if he is considered miraculously cured after 6 weeks. Alcoholics are known as “recovering alcoholics” and many take their disease seriously enough to attend AA meetings their whole lives.

    Thank you for a thoughtful article and perspective. I agree.

  7. Comment by Phil Butler on 10 February 2010:

    Thank you Jillian. Most people do not take into consideration that we (or me) are not always right. However, when it comes to some of these subjects, having been trained by some of the best who ever participated in sport, the correctness of behaviors is pretty darned defined. We (I) appreciate your candor, as well as those people who disagree on some principle easily called to question. Wood’s notoriety and excellence was to a great degree defined by what appeared to be exemplary behavior. He set the standard and now everyone wants to let him off the hook because they need to story to go on.

    I think what Woods and some of these other people suffer from cannot be cured at a clinic honestly.

    Thanks again,
    Always,
    Phil

  8. Comment by Phil Butler on 10 February 2010:

    Debbie, For one thing Tiger Woods is not the greatest golfer ever to play the game. I will not get into why, but to answer your question, he betrayed the game, himself, his family, professional sports, and just about anything attached to his persona. You have a right to your opinion of course. I respect it. As for me being the least of persons to comment on these things, you have no idea who I am or where I come from. You are just angry because you want something and I am not agreeing with you.

    I wish I had the time to illustrate these points, but sadly I do not. I am willing to bet Woods is reading all these articles and has some inkling of the gravity of his deeds. He is finished in golf in my view. For golf in particular, separating life on and off the course is most difficult. Golf is a very refined and gentlemanly endeavor. Woods’ actions, especially after allowing the world to see him as some sort of pillar of community, were despicable. Look at it this way, if Arnold Palmer or any of the greats had demonstrated such low class behavior, the would have been shunned off the course if they were ever even allowed on it in the first place.

    Thanks for your contribution to the conversation Debbie.
    Always,
    Phil

  9. Comment by Manny on 24 February 2010:

    Carol Bartz’s recent comments about Michael Jackson’s death being a “boost” to Yahoo’s search traffic is about as low as you can get. Michael Jackson’s children are mourning their beloved father and undoubtedly read this tragic and insensitive comment by Bartz. Bartz needs to go back to the scum pond of Wisconsin where she was born. Her mother was an unemployed barmaid who isn’t quite sure who Carol’s father actually was. Carol was brought up in a backwater slough of northern Wisconsin by her grandmother. Her backwoods kin (those who haven’t croaked of alcoholic dementia) are still trying to figure out who actually fathered Carol.