TV ratings, which usually jump 50% when Tiger Woods plays went through the roof on Friday when Woods appeared on national television to offer a public apology. The occasion attracted more viewers than the Winter Olympics and the war in Afghanistan combined. Millions of viewers, tuned into breaking news and analysis of Tiger Woods statement to the press. On cable TV, it drew its biggest audience on the Fox News Channel (1.87 million viewers) compared with 1.55 million on ESPN and 911,000 on CNN.
The analysis that followed, included considerable debate on whether his apology was sincere, was he being too defensive about his private life and whether he should have opened himself up for questions after his monologue. Noted golf writer and editor of Sports Illustrated, Jim Gorant said it was a "good first step" in getting the process started and seemed satisfied that he had covered a lot of ground in his speech.