Random thoughts on Tiger Woods situation….
- In the long run, will this scandal actually be GOOD for golf? While, alas, all of this media attention is bad publicity for Tiger and golf, it is attention and people who didn’t necessarily know much about Tiger Woods or golf certainly do now. There is something about bad publicity that penetrates the public conscious more than good publicity. For all of Tiger’s huge victories in golf – The Masters, The U.S. Open (his last one in 2008 with a broken leg no less), the British Open and the PGA Championship – he would only occasionally achieve the front pages of newspapers due to his positive efforts and victorieis. Bad news – particularly a sex scandal – sells papers and gets TV ratings. As they say, sex sells. This story has placed Tiger and his name on the front pages of all papers around the world and the lead stories of all TV news outlets – albeit not in a positive way. However, look at Paris Hilton. She was featured in a leaked home sex tape – when she not even close to being a house-hold name – and then, alas, months later, is on the cover of such magazines like Vogue, Elle, etc. and is one of the most famous people in the world. How big will television ratings be for Tiger when he returns to the PGA Tour? Huge. This scandal will likely result in more eyeballs paying attention to Woods and golf when he returns to the game. You watch.
Tiger Woods
- John Daly was suspended from the PGA Tour for his public drunken behavior. The suspension was not announced by the PGA Tour, but rather by Daly himself, who announced it casually as it appeared the Tour wished to have the suspension be private and just swept under the rug. Could Tiger’s “indefinite” leave of absence also be a suspension? Is Tiger’s behavior not as detrimental to the PGA Tour as Daly’s? It is highly unlikely that it is a suspension, but it’s something to think about for those cynics among us.
- The general public likes to rip down people of high stature. People take glee in seeing the rich, famous and successful take a big fall. But what people also like is a comeback. Tiger’s image and reputation have taken a huge hit, and when all of the dust settles, and Tiger returns to the tour, he is going to be an equally huge superstar – probably bigger. You should expect him to get a rousing acceptance back to golf, but not before some continued apologies and Tiger continuing to take responsibility for his mistakes. Tiger will have to continue to – in his way – ask for forgiveness and take his shots and lick his wounds. Look at Kobe Bryant, for example. He is bigger and better than he was during his sex scandal. President Bill Clinton, tennis star Jennifer Capriati and actor Hugh Grant are other examples.
- People are speculating that Tiger will return for The Masters in April. My guess is he will not be at Augusta this year. The wounds are deep and Tiger needs to prove to his wife and family and, frankly, the world, that he is so sorry that he is willing to skip major tournament golf to correct his life. Who knows, perhaps we won’t see Tiger until 2011 or beyond. That would certainly show his wife that he is committed to keeping his family together.
