I hate feeding into the celebrity gossip racket, but I must admit…when I saw Tiger Woods name in the headlines, I HAD to google it…to get the “facts” that are being reported about his car accident, his health condition & what lead to his injuries.

Part of why I am writing this blog is because I am tired of all the assumptions that seem to go into “reporting” these days. Nothing is true “reporting” because everything has some kind of spin to make it chewable for the masses. Often, details are simply not shared because of the fact that a lack of information can lead to assumption, and assumption is sexy when it comes to headlines and gossip. Additionally, untrue details are often assumed to be fact which then colors public perception of incidents and circumstances.

A quick visit to CNN.com proves that this is considered big news - people care much more about reports that Tiger Woods was “injured in a minor car accident” than they care about Americans being killed in a Shanghai car crash, a Russian train crash or President Obama’s uninvited dinner guests. It is being reported that at 2:25 in the morning, the world’s most famous golfer crashed his 2009 SUV into a fire hydrant and then a tree, sustaining lacerations to his lips. He is reported to have been “in & out of consciousness” and was lying in the street when police arrived. His wife was hovering over him, giving him first aid.

At the scene, it is reported that both Tiger & his wife Elin indicated they had a squabble, which is one of the reasons why bloggers and excited twitterers are postulating domestic violence was involved. A National Enquirer story alleging the sports star has been having an affair with a club promoter came just days before the accident.

ESPN is under fire for originally reporting that Mr. Woods was “seriously injured” which caused a media frenzy. They have since deleted videos on Youtube reporting this information, but the PR damage has been done. ESPN reporters are asking why wife Elin Nordegren used a golf club to smash in the back window rather than simply get another set of keys and unlock the locked car to help her husband. The couple have a two year old daughter and an infant son who was born in February.

Mr. Woods is scheduled to host & play in the Chevron World Challenge at the Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks California on Monday. The event benefits his charity the Tiger Woods Foundation (tigerwoodsfoundation.org/). He has won the challenge four times in the past. Tiger Woods is the highest paid sports player in the world, dubbed the “billion dollar man” this year as his career earnings hover around a massive 1 billion dollars.

I have personally always felt protective of TIger Woods. I identified with him as a fierce competitor & as a mixed kid whose ethnic origins were a topic of constant conversation. He has made the game of golf seem more relevant to millions of people and has done wonders for the companies he has attached his name to. While Tiger was recently out of the game after knee surgery, ratings for golf events plummeted - he is an important part of what golfing is to the world, and he is one of the most recognizable individuals on the planet.

What do you think? What should people be focusing on when it comes to Tiger Woods? Sound off! (by registering if you haven’t already) Should I keep you posted on the developments?