Tiger's talk revealing, effective

If we've learned over the past three months about a Tiger Woods we never knew existed, we saw on Friday a Tiger Woods we haven't seen before.

He was shaky, uncomfortable, nervous, angry, emotional, contrite and sorry.

He looked like a man who didn't want to be there but understood why he had to stand before the world and confess his sins and failures. It had to be one of the most uncomfortable moments of his life and there have been plenty of those recently.

There will be more.

For all the discussion about the format - no questions allowed and only a handful of people in the room - Woods took a large and necessary step in his public and private rehabilitation process.

It was revealing and effective.

Was it everything everyone wanted to see and hear? No. But it was a strong start.

Woods talked about feeling entitled to a lifestyle that violated the principles and values on which he was raised. It was a powerful admission, saying he believed he could live by different rules even when it comes to marriage.

Scripted or not, it got to what this is all be about.

He talked about all the people he disappointed and he admitted he needs help. Part of Woods' persona has been built on the image of a man always in control - on the golf course, in the boardroom and in life.

Instead, he showed his vulnerability and admitted to it.

Yes, he was reading off a script but he came across as genuine. Particularly striking was his defense of his wife, Elin, and his children. It was when he was the most forceful and you could sense him feeling the pain he's caused.

Woods defended his right to privacy when it comes to his relationship with his wife and family and he's right. He scolded the media for following his children, a justifiable dig at the tabloid publications that have treated the whole thing as a feeding frenzy.

There will be plenty of complaints about what he did or didn't say and why he wouldn't take questions but the message he delivered Friday gave the world a glimpse into his upside-down world.

The whole thing felt strange but everything about what's unfolded since Thanksgiving weekend has felt strange. There was no way this wasn't going to be uncomfortable.

He has put himself in an impossible situation. He has wrecked his life and his image and the process of rebuilding it doesn't come with a how-to manual. He didn't blame anyone but himself.

When he was finished speaking, Woods walked over and gave his mother a long, close hug. He spoke to a few people then walked away.

Behind a curtain again.