Friday, February 19, 2010

Tiger's Tale

So what are you going to be doing this morning at 11 o’clock?

If you’re like much of the free world, you will be listening to Tiger’s Tale.

One of the most famous people on the planet, who just happens to also be the best golfer in the universe, will go on TV and likely fall on his sword – if not his 3-iron.

Tiger Woods will appear in public for the first time since that infamous trip down the driveway of his Orlando mansion on Thanksgiving night, the one that wound up with him running into a fire hydrant.

From that moment on, the perfect world of Tiger Woods unraveled in a tawdry saga of extramarital affairs.

Woods has not been seen in public, nor spoken in public since. He has posted a few messages on his Web site, including an admission of “infidelities” that hurt his family.

It got to the point that it was news when a woman came forward and said she had not had an affair with Woods.

Tiger is not the first famous person to wander; nor the first big-time athlete.

I have always really liked Tiger Woods. When he’s on the leaderboard on Sunday afternoon, golf becomes something special, an event, must-see TV.
That’s because the guy is simply mesmerizing, at least in terms of golf.
Apparently he’s fairly mesmerizing off the course as well.

The truth is, I will spend parts of Saturday and Sunday afternoon watching golf on TV. But then I’m a golf addict. I watched last weekend just for the thrill of seeing one of the most beautiful places on earth, the Monterey Coast, the setting for the AT&T Classic at Pebble Beach.

But I’m in the minority. The tour needs Tiger. The fans want Tiger – at least the golfer. I want to see him on a golf course.

I don’t necessarily want to see him in front of a microphone today. At least not the way he’s planning to do it.

For a guy who is one of the most recognizable faces on the planet, Tiger has handled this whole thing like a duffer in terms of PR. And I think he is compounding his mistake this morning.

I am sure he is going to be contrite. And I don’t doubt that he is. But the perception – and that’s all that really matters these days – is not going to change. That’s because it’s another controlled event. He is not taking questions. He will appear in front of some friends and a few select media members.

Which means every time Tiger shows up somewhere he is going to be pestered with the same questions until he decides to answer them, if he ever does.

I’d like to see Tiger stroll out to a press conference, sit down, and simply say, a la Andy Reid, “time’s yours.” Then answer every question.
He can do it once, then let everyone know he’s done talking about it.

I have no doubt what all this is about. I never for a second believed Tiger Woods was going to miss the Masters. I think he likely will play one tournament as a tuneup, then head for Augusta.

But first he has a date with a monstrous television audience, one that likely will dwarf any that ever watched him on the course. I wish him luck.

But I still think he’s making a mistake. The best golfer in the world is proving just as inept as the rest of us hackers when it comes to getting out of the rough.

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