It’s a story you might not have heard when Lane Kiffin left Tennessee.

  He actually called a press conference I’m told.

  Would’ve even taken questions from reporters.

  Only one stipulation:  no live feeds.

  Viewers couldn’t watch it live.

  The NBC affiliate in Knoxville (WATE) rightly protested I’m told.

  So what we got was what Vols fans remember (and Hokie fans probably laughed at), the three or four paragraph good-bye.

  And no questions from reporters.

  I tend to think it was because Kiffin thought Knoxville was too stupid to handle his leaving for USC.

  Judging from the actions of a few (mattress burning, death threats) he might’ve been right.

  But, being from that part of Tennessee, I can tell you, we’re a lot smarter than Kiffin, ESPN, and a few New York Times columnists think.

  So we come to Tiger’s planned news conference Friday.

  Almost the same stipulations.

  No questions.

  Only one camera.

  From the PGA Tour’s main offices in California.

  Tiger thought we were all stupid months ago when he got caught in his “transgressions” and apologized.

  Then he got mad because the story was on the news and in the papers.

  Almost as mad as he gets when a photographer snaps a picture during his back swing.

  I guess he still thinks we’re all stupid.

  That it was the dirty ole “mass media’s” fault he’s in this position in the first place.

  I’ll listen to Tiger’s news conference.

  I’ll watch him on TV when he enters his next golf tournament (much like I’ll watch USC play UVA in the fall).

  But it’ll be hard for me to cheer for Tiger anymore.

  Respect his talent absolutely.

  But respect the man?  Don’t think so.

  Can you imagine what his wife’s going through and what his kids will grow up hearing at school?

  Tiger has never lost a lead in a major on Sundays.

  What he failed to do here is stay out in front and take the lead on this story.

  We all make mistakes of course.

  Come out and tell us the truth—- all the truth—- and we’ll forgive you.

  We’re Americans!  We love to forgive.

  Evade us, blame it on us, and ignore us—- and you’ll get something different.