Tiger Indefinite Leave Clippings, Vol. 2
It appears that Tiger's statement is having the desirable effect of shifting from speculating about what happened to what will happen. One downside? It seems the admission of infidelity has given his peers the green light to talk.
First though, AP's Tim Dahlberg files an extensive and important essay essentially recapping every key element to the last two weeks, and concluding that no one will ever look at Tiger the same way again. This, however, was not something I had seen anywhere else:
Even his own management company piled on.
Barry Frank, IMG's executive vice president for media sports programming, was on a panel about college sports media, where all the panelists were asked what sports business story they would be following closely in the next year.
"How many girls Tiger was with," Frank said.
Stevie Williams felt the need to once again speak out and let us know that his head is spinning, the media has been "made it very difficult" for his family, and that Rick Reilly really should just not ever get near him again.
"I had no knowledge of what Tiger's indiscretion was. And for Rick Reilly to turn around and say that I am a liar and there is no way I couldn't know – and that I should be fired – that is sensational journalism at its height right there.
While Bob Harig talked to several players expressing varying degrees of shock while playing the Shark Shootout, it was Monty's remarks Saturday that seemed to be the most pointed.
James Corrigan reports what Monty had to say about lost Woods aura:
Speaking the day after the world No 1 announced his self-enforced exile, Montgomerie talked of the boost his rivals will receive. "There was an aura, and that wall has been split slightly, so there are cracks and it gives us more opportunity of winning big events," said the Europe Ryder Cup captain. "He is suddenly – I hate to say – more normal. If that is normal! There is a mystique which has been lost and let's hope golf isn't damaged. It shouldn't be. Let's hope the tabloid press finish quickly but it will impact on every tournament Tiger plays next year."
Golf.com shared this from Annika Sorenstam:
"It's tragic. I think this whole thing is tragic. I am in touch with his wife Elin Nordegren now and then. Me and my husband Mike have been out dining with Elin and Tiger on a few occasions. Perhaps it won't happen as often now." - Former top-ranked women's golfer, Annika Sorenstam.
Hank Gola states that "suspending Woods is reasonable and it's right."
One can argue he will pay the price with a reputation beyond repair. Sorry, Tiger cannot be above the game if he has disgraced the game. Correctly or not, golf has always held itself on a higher moral plane as a sport ruled by principles of honor. Has any such publicity created a bigger stain on golf? And, if so, how can Finchem not try to eradicate it?
James Corrigan astutely analyzes the ramifications of Tiger's leave and among many fine observations, notes this about the PGA Tour's stance on Tiger: "In Tim Finchem's own rulebook it says Tour members will be banned for "conduct that brings unwelcome publicity". It's fair to say this publicity hasn't been welcome."
He also offers this about Team Tiger:
Is there any way they can all survive; from the guarded manager to the gruff caddie, to all the other support staff seemingly trained to satisfy his wishes? Jay Townsend, the former pro turned BBC pundit suspects not. "It comes down to his wife Elin," he said yesterday. "I think she's running the show right now and I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of people disappear from his inner circle. They had to know about what was going on. In her mind they have to be part of what happened."
Mark Reason makes an interesting suggestion about Tiger's best spot for a return:
His return to competitive golf will depend greatly on his wife Elin's attitude. The Masters in April would make some sense simply because Augusta restricts entry to individual media who have a history of covering the tournament.
Bill Elliott on Tiger's statement:
This plaintive, if delayed, short burst of humanity from Woods is as touching, in its way, as his earlier prolonged and arrogant refusal to confront the demons gathering daily on his doorstep was disappointingly typical of a man who always has taken the view that he knows best. It is not in itself enough to restore much of Woods's old aura but it is a first step towards some kind of refurbishment of an almost totally shattered image.
What seems likely is that while his image is forever tarnished, his ability to block out the world and retreat inside his head to play the highest-octane golf available is now vitally damaged as well.
Tom English writes in the Scotsman about the indefinite leave:
There was no choice for Woods. He's staying in hiding for family reasons, sure. But you'd have to be naive to think that it was purely an attempt to salvage his marriage that drove his decision of Friday. With all of this lunacy swirling around his head, how could he come back in the medium-term and face public scrutiny? One sighting of him would have caused a media stampede.
Tim Finchem will send a Christmas gift to ESPN.com's Jemele Hill for what is a very astute case for Tiger getting back to playing ASAP:
Since your life erupted in scandal over Thanksgiving weekend, you've made a series of mistakes and miscalculations as you've tried to recover from this continuous assault on your character and family. But announcing Friday that you'll take an indefinite leave of absence from golf is, by far, your worst idea yet.
An indefinite leave of absence doesn't solve anything. It just shows the tabloids and these alleged mistresses that they've won and you're afraid of them.
Mistresses and tabloids: 1-under.
Tiger: 5-over.
Golf isn't the problem. But it could be the answer. Certainly a lot of people are fascinated and disappointed by your train wreck of a personal life, but most people want to see you back on the golf course, competing in -- and winning -- tournaments.
If you play, and especially if you win, it will remind people why they were drawn to you in the first place. It wasn't your wooden acting in those Gillette commercials that made you must-see TV; it was chasing down Jack Nicklaus' record and winning the Masters at 21.
Jason Sobel on the decision to disappear for a while:
This latest decision to take an indefinite leave from golf will only increase the scrutiny when he does return. The first public interview, the first golf shot, the first major championship -- each will be viewed under a microscope that even the most popular golfer has never seen, the eyes of the world fixated on his every word and movement. Until then, he will retreat further into privacy in an attempt to produce what he called a "safe haven we will need for personal healing."
A Murray Deaker interview is about to air in New Zealand where Tiger talks up his devotion to family values.
The veteran broadcaster secured the one-on-one interview, recorded in Melbourne prior to Woods's philandering being exposed, through the golfer's Kiwi caddie Steve Williams.
The exclusive for Sky TV was to be aired on Christmas Day. However, the network had a change of heart last week because, according to their promotional blurb, the "story just won't wait". It will now be screened on Tuesday.
In a 30-second promo on the Sky TV website, Deaker asks Woods: "Family first and golf second. Always be like that?" "Always," is the golfer's reply.
Jay Busbee delves into 2010 and beyond, contemplating how Tiger's decision impacts everyone from Phil Mickelson to the tabloids, offering this summation of the coverage:
The tabloids: For all the criticism that the mainstream media and the American populace heaped on the tabloids, the fact remains that TMZ, RadarOnline, the National Enquirer and others were well ahead of everyone else in the Woods story. Sure, there were some major missteps, and yes, the air of celebrity frenzy they generated left everyone wanting a shower, but this entire scandal should bury once and for all the idea that tabloids are simply creating news out of the air.
As for Elin Woods, several outlets confirmed her long-in-the-works purchase of a six-bedroom home on a small island near Stockholm.
James Desborough & Carole Aye Maung report for News of the World that Elin has been talking to divorce attorneys and will move to Sweden after the new year.
And not much of a surprise here, but Radar reports there is friction in Camp Woods and no real clear idea how to handle the crisis management. No kidding.
Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 08:22 PM
Reader Comments (29)
But first...I would like to reiterate my New Years 2010 Prediction. Elin & Eldrick will pull up stacks and move to Monaco or Dubai. There is a slip in Monaco that's perfect for Privacy. And, there are some a great buys in Dubai. Our world will crumble as Tiger switches his citizenship to a European base (an amendment to the reconstituted Pre-Nup). Plays on the Euro PGA Tour and does for it what he had done for the PGA Tour. The rest of the talent will follow. The PGA Tour will absorb the Nationwide Tour to fill the ranks. He will join the European Ryder Cup team and they dominate. He will only play in the USA at the 3 Majors held on USA soil. The R&A will have him Knighted and........ well you get the picture.
OK, now I am taking an "indefinite leave" from amateur blog replying.
I'm sorry, but I can't for the life of me think of how this has stained golf in even the most minute of ways!
There isn't a single thing that has been reported that took place AT a PGA Tour event, nor is there anything reported that even took place at a golf course of any kind. Tim Finchem shouldn "try to eradicte it?" ABSURD statement! Finjchem and the PGA Tour has no involvement in this and should therefor have no invovlement in "eradicating anything.
Tiger is DESERVEDLY paying a huge price for what he has done and will pay even more as time goes on. Actions by the Finchem & the PGA would be wrong and most ill-advised.
Actually, on some levels, what Tiger has done and is going through is HELPFUL to the PGA Tour. For example, how many articles have been printed showing players such Phil Mickelson for the good family men, husbands and fathers that they are? As far as the players in tournaments, with Tiger on the sidelines, the viewing public will actually get a chance to see a lot of the great play by some outstanding players who they may not have seen in the past.
Like it or not the PGA Tour is NOT all about Eldrick Woods, and this is the opportunity that the other players should jump all over to prove it.
Do you really think "the viewing public" is going to "get a chance to see a lot of the great play by some outstanding players who they may not have seen in the past"? The "viewing public" isn't going to be watching golf at all. We golf fans will watch, but we're already aware of guys like Anthony Kim, Camillo Villegas, Ryan Moore, Ricky Fowler, Dustin Johnson and the like. The "viewing public" will watch the Masters (in record low numbers if Tiger isn't there), the NCAA tournament and NASCAR.
The viewing public wouldn't care if Don January himself came back for the Quail Hollow Championship.
Whether the viewing public ultimately chooses to watch the rest of the PGA Tour play or not is their choice... for a change. With most TV golf coverage being all Tiger all the time the opportunity ofr others to showcase their talent is quite limited, even when they are in the mix on Sunbdays. Coverage is all Tiger, deserved, but harmful to the overhaul health of the Tour and has been for a long time.
This is the opportune time for the rst of the PGA Tour players to make themselves VERY available to the public through any and all interaction possible. If they do it the PGA Tour will find itself in a much healthier position than they have been in during the last few years...
Great point- it's why Stevie has little credibility in this sordid mess.
Tiger often referred to him as an older brother.
I'm sure big bro arranged a tasteful , innocent bachelor party - milkshakes and scrabble games.
Golfpunk- I think there will be little tolerance for the big wet sloppy kisses Woods may still get from the networks- but they sure as hell are going to try.
Fair enough. But the guys on Tour have been suckling from Tiger's teat for so long, I don't know if they have what it takes to "build the brand" on their own. Would anybody disagree that the time from Seve's last Open (1988) until Tiger's 12-shotter at Augusta was a down period for men's golf? I mean, the Senior Tour pulled similar numbers with Chi Chi, Lee and Jack going up against the likes of a robotic Faldo, an inconsistent Norman, a shy Couples and a bland DLIII? The Tour needs marquee guys, and I don't know if Phil, at age 40, is enough star power to push the brand forward on his own. Granted, if guys like Kim, Villegas, Fowler, Sergio and Adam Scott become world-beaters and cross-over stars (to some degree), the Tour will flourish. But if Tiger's absence means we get a dozen more wins from Kenny Perry, Jim Furyk, Stewart Cink and Steve Stricker, people will tune out quicker than you can say "Kristi Yamaguchi All-Star Ice Skating."
Frankly, I'm not sure that the young guys have the work ethic to become world-beaters. In fact, I'd bet they're more jealous of Tiger's lineup of skanks than they are of his trophy room.
We'll see.
Torrey Pines? He can't start there and invite the storylines of comparing his return to the site of his last great triumph.
Pebble Beach? Can't start there with all of the celebrities that invite even closer inspection by the tabloid media. Riviera? In the heart of TMZ land, no way.
Accenture Match Play? That would only raise more awareness that Accenture (and others) dumped him...or however his sponsors want to spin it.
Doral? Not with the South Beach club scene.
Bay Hill? No way he can invite that kind of attention to Arnold Palmer's backyard, and open AP's past up to similar speculation.
Augusta is the only place he can make his return and really be somewhat free of intense scrutiny, since Augusta will place strict parameters in the press tent. Think the golf media was scared to cross Tiger? They are even more scored of the green jackets.
Maybe Lee Trevino might return to the regular tour and make it fun again. John Daly, too. Especillly John Daly. Now that's fun golf on TV. Perhaps even the righteous would be entertained.
I also think there's no chance at all he waits until 2011. None.
Take your punk-ass lifestyle and vanish, please.
I would tend to agree about Tiger's focus when he comes back, although I think the loss of aura thing is real and started before this latest debacle (Zach Johnson, Trevor Immelman, Angel Cabrera and YE Yang have all stood up to Tiger since the 2007 Masters, meaning that Tiger has gotten beaten in 4 of the last 10 majors he's played while only winning 2). However, I can see a scenario where Tiger comes back a much humbler man (at least inwardly), has fewer off course obligations, fewer endorsements and commercials to shoot, fewer ho's to text, and basically says, "All I've got left is my family, my scads of cash, and my golf legacy," and gets to work making sure that the first thing people think of when they hear the name Tiger Woods is "Best Golfer ever, period." Because at the end of the day, he may realize, that's why he was put on this Earth. Not to sell watches and spread syphilis.
You are exactly right. Which is why golf (professionally) may be doomed.
12.13.2009 | Unregistered CommenterErik J. Barzeski "
- noted !
Tim Finchem on suicide watch!
Paging Mr. Ed Moorhouse....Mr. Ed Moorhouse...please pick up a white house phone and dial 4321 your wanted in ICU.
Trolling for threesomes in bars doesn't really ring true, unlike the VIP lounge thing. Sounds way to public, even for this story.
John
Can't keep up with it all.