Get Buzzed

In one of Accenture’s many endorsement ads of Tiger Woods, the headline proclaims, “It’s what you do next that counts.”

How prophetic, as the world waits to see what the embattled PGA golfer will do to rebound from his startling fall from grace.

Will he come clean, in a way that truly clears the air about what has happened, or will his fans and foes forever be left to guess about the who, what, where, when and why of an episode that occurred almost three months ago? The answer will likely shape his persona and reputation forevermore.

Many say that all Tiger needs to do is return to the TOUR and start winning again, as though athletic achievement will forgive his personal transgressions. While this seemed to work for Kobe Bryant, I’m not so sure Tiger can expect the same result. The reason has to do with expectations: Tiger is generally regarded as the world’s greatest athlete and was also thought to be something of a savior. That was the gospel according to St. Earl, the golfer’s father, coach, agent and irrepressible carnival barker-like promoter.

Witness this 1996 proclamation from the father about a young Tiger who had yet to accomplish much of anything, save winning three U.S. Amateur titles and impress everyone while playing at Stanford.

“He’ll have the power to impact nations. Not just people but nations!”

And now those nations are left to wait, while waging tons and tons of commentary. In fact, no other story in December -- normally reserved for yuletide warm and fuzzies -- so dominated online chatter with over 700 diggs in the last 30 days and 2,018 bookmarks on delicious.com during Dec. 2009.

Just a few of the many questions that were raised included:

--Does Tiger have a right to privacy, despite Freedom of the Press so guaranteed by our Constitution, so he can put his life back together?
--Are his sponsors correct in staying with him?
--How can he be blamed for stumbling when the access to beautiful woman, and therefore the incredible temptation that goes along with that, makes it, well, almost understandable?

Interesting that such sympathy is reserved for star athletes that we adore but in short supply for corporate CEOs or our elected officials. Maybe that’s why NIKE has no intent to cash in their chips on the most celebrated athlete in history. And a final sobering question – are you listening Commissioner Finchem – does anyone really care about professional golf if Tiger isn’t playing?

For those of us that are in the public relations business, the procedural question that swirls like a dust devil is simply this: Will Tiger’s agent (an attorney by education), Mark Steinberg of IMG, move off his arrogant stance that has stonewalled the media for years and make his now-damaged sports icon available to face the “court of public opinion?”
I think not, as far many more criminal-defense attorneys have been hired since Tiger went underground than have crisis communications counselors. Too bad, really, because this ordeal, if handled openly and honestly, could ultimately become a forgiven, if not a forgotten episode.

From another endorser’s ad copy, a Tag Heuer headline asks, “What are you made of?” As it pertains to the pitchman who wears their stylish watches, only time will tell.

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