2/18/10--Everyone get ready. The Tiger Woods media inferno, after calming down just a bit in the last couple of weeks, will be burning full blast again as we head into his “gathering” Friday, Feb. 19. It will burn well beyond that date with the extensive media over-play of whatever he chooses to communicate.
This is not a press conference. His agent, Mark Steinberg , and other PR handlers have crafted a way for Woods to tell us some things, hold back a whole lot more, and to make it a one-way communication. There will be no questions. The only attendees will be Woods and few close associates. A very small, select group of media members will be there just to take notes as Woods speaks publicly for the first time in months. A “pool” TV camera will provide a feed to outlets choosing to air this appearance.
The buzz in the media and around water coolers seems to be centering on speculation of Woods issuing an apology. Who said he is apologizing? If he does, to whom does he owe an apology and why? In this writer’s opinion the only people owed an apology are Tiger’s family members, who have been shamed, and business associates that have contributed to his bank account throughout his career. I don’t know Tiger; we don’t have any kind of relationship. Therefore, he owes me nothing. If some people feel they have been cheated because he encouraged them to buy products he has endorsed, then they are silly for making the purchase based on the idea some popular athlete thought it was a good idea for them to do so.
The Tiger saga began a couple of months ago. But, it struck me recently, and the light bulb really illuminated, when I heard of this public statement occurring Friday. Where have Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, Jr. been all this time? Don’t they always pop up in front of TV cameras when there is some fabulous story about someone being wronged or a crusade to which they would like to attach themselves?
I got it. If Tiger’s handlers really wanted to begin the road to public image recovery they should have hooked up with Lionel Ritchie and Quincy Jones. That way the world’s best golfer could be seen belting out a few lines in the newly re-made version of “We Are the World” music video benefitting the victims in Haiti. Can’t you see Tiger, golf cap crunched on top because of the recording studio head-phones, laying down a couple of solo lines of the ballad alongside Celine Dion, Barbara Streisand and Wyclef Jean?
Too bad. He missed a great opportunity.
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