Tiger's fate in hands of fans

He is not a clergyman.

He's not a public servant.

He's an entertainer.

And the rules for him will be different.

When Tiger Woods returns to competitive golf at this year's Masters on April 8, his "fan base" will decide if he should be forgiven or forgotten. It will be a personal matter — not unlike the man's marital infidelities.

He didn't betray a public trust. As a celebrity, he betrayed a relationship — between himself and his admirers.

Since Adam and Eve, there have been many levels of betrayal. People have been executed for betraying a country. They have been cut off from the saving grace of religion for betraying their parishioners. But betraying corporate sponsors and the expectations of sports fans falls several notches below those crimes.

It's not a question of justice for Tiger. It is — like so much in the sports world — a question of what the market will bear.

How Woods is received at Augusta will serve as a barometer for not only how willing the public is to forgive a champion, but how quickly the public is willing to shrug off monumental moral lapses in people who entertain them.

If Woods had been a minister — or a prime minister — redemption might be a tough sell. People would have put their lives into his hands for safe keeping, and he would have abused his responsibility.

But Tiger Woods is a performer. Interest in him alone will determine his fate. And how it all plays out will say a lot about the culture.

Will he get a standing ovation at the first tee at Augusta? Probably.

The applause will be for what he has accomplished in the public arena, not his failings in the personal arena. It's what Utah legislators have been trying to say about their standing ovation.

The difference is the time and place.

Even the E-Trade baby in the commercials knows when a situation "isn't the venue."

Given his history, chances are Woods will be back playing like a golf demon and striking fear into the hearts of his competitors. And that may be all that's needed to prompt his famous "fan base" to quickly forgive and forget.