When I came across Maury Povich at a celebrity PGA event, he was wondering why a fan would plead for his autograph with so many big names around. One signature seeker screamed, “Maury, you’re why I’m here!” and Povich broke out laughing.

“You’re here to see Maury Povich,” he smiled as he signed. “Right.”

Now, a short time later, Povich finds himself thrust into that special huge celebrity classification: The Scandal Celebrity. People magazine wasn’t staking out Maury Povich when he was playing golf in Palm Springs. But they sure are now, showing up at his appearance in Washington D.C. Wednesday.

Funny, what a $100 million sexual harassment lawsuit filed against you can do for your starpower.

With Povich accused of creating a hostile work environment that fostered sexual harassment, in part by having an affair with one of the Maury Povich Show’s married producers, the 67-year-old is suddenly hot news. No one from the outside can say if the plaintiff, Maury producer Bianca Nardi, is telling the truth with her charges that Povich created a “Peyton Place set filled with booze and pornography.”

But the charge sure puts Povich’s interview with BadGolfer.com in a different light.

Povich told me, “My wife (Connie Chung) has grown to think of (famed swing coach) Peter Kostis as the Golf Devil. She used to think of him as the Golf God. She set up my first lesson with him. But now he’s tested my marriage more than any other [thing].”

Somehow, a swing coach doesn’t seem like the most imminent threat to Maury and Connie’s happiness anymore. But maybe that’s just me.

And how about Povich on his and Chung’s arguments over Michelle Wie?

“I follow the Michelle Wie thing,” Povich said. “I’m with a lot of people, I think it’s great. My wife and I differ with this. My wife’s so happy that she’s out there competing against the men. And I think, just in terms of golf, that winning is very important.

“I don’t care whether you win in little league or whether you win in the major leagues, winning is important because you learn how to win. I would like to see her play in tournaments that she knows she can win.”

Sorry, Wie Warriors. As much as you’d love to put Michelle Wie’s winless wonders above even Middle East peace on the priorities scheme, it looks like Povich and Chung have something bigger than even the sparkly loving one to fight over.

Is it fair to look back at Povich’s words in the wake of a sexual harassment scandal? Maybe not. But the guy who made his mark on tabloid trash pioneer A Current Affair and has topics like “I slept with your fiance … Is he my baby’s daddy?” on his own show now probably doesn’t have a lot of high ground to stand on.

Make your money off tabloid TV, get turned into tabloid TV fodder. There’s something just in that.

As for my impressions of Povich in our brief meeting? TravelGolf.com’s own William K. Wolfrum would be thrilled to know that I found him to be a nice guy with a good sense of humor.

Somehow, I don’t think that’s going to help him with Connie though.

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