The WSJ takes a shot today at the story of Tiger Woods' clandestine deal to appear in Men's Fitness in exchange for the National Enquirer keeping his affair quiet. AMI, Tiger Woods, and News Corp all look ridiculous now.

This story originally came out two weeks ago when former Men's Fitness staffer God Damn Neal Boulton told Keith Kelly all about it—how the National Enquirer (which is, like Men's Fitness, owned by AMI) snapped some photos of Tiger Woods cheating in 2007, and then Tiger's people agreed to a big cover story in Men's Fitness in exchange for the story being killed.

The WSJ's article just fills in details. Amusingly! For one, the WSJ, News Corp's prestige paper, is filling in a story from News Corp's gutter tabloid. The WSJ subtly scolds AMI for its behavior, but then is forced to disclose that News Corp's UK gutter tabloid, News Of The World, struck a paid deal with one of Tiger's women. Nobody's too clean!

But the hands-down most pathetic part is AMI's denial of the quid pro quo:

American Media disputes that version of events. In an email Thursday, Samantha Trenk, the spokeswoman for American Media, said the idea for the interview came from Mr. Woods. "Tiger's camp approached us, and was happy that Tiger and Roy had a previous relationship," she said.

Then the guy who wrote the story, Roy, tells the WSJ that's totally a lie. Hey AMI, put a little more thought into your lies!

Anyhow the entire national media is corrupt, as you already knew. Carry on.

[Tiger: Just play golf. Like we said. Duh. Pic: AP]