Tiger's Indefinite Leave Clippings, Vol. 6
Christine Brennan joins the growing number of newspaper columnists suggesting that Tiger's marital situation--which People is reporting may be coming to an end--may be the least of his problems after his ties to Dr. Anthony Galea become a New York Times cover story.
For all the conversation about Tiger's titillating tabloid lifestyle, that by itself will not sink his golf career. But were he to have cheated in sports by using performance-enhancing drugs, his golf career likely would be over. Golf isn't baseball, where A-Rod can acknowledge cheating in spring training and be feted with a ticker-tape parade by autumn. Golf is a game of honor, where the athletes call penalties on themselves. Performance-enhancing drug use by such a high-profile person probably would kill a career in that sport.
Dave Seanor reminds us that we need to ad the health of Tiger's knee to the list of revelations/fibs of the last three weeks.
Brian Stelter of the NY Times reports on Accenture's office purge of all things Tiger and notes this:
The remaining billboards and ads, now outdated, inspire smirks and jokes. In ads at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, Tiger is seen crouching on the green, studying a golf ball’s trajectory and endorsing outsourcing. In Atlanta, he is posed as The Thinker, adorned with a Nike hat, promoting management consulting. At Dulles International outside Washington, he is peering into the distance, dark clouds on the horizon. That ad, forebodingly, says it is “tougher than ever to be a Tiger.”
“The Accenture ads with Tiger finally make sense,” Quentin George, the chief digital officer for Interpublic Mediabrands, an advertising holding company, remarked on Twitter Wednesday.
Jason Sandford, with reporting by David Forbes, tries to figure out who people will view The Cliffs project if/when it is completed.
So far, the official line from Tiger Town is supportive. In a Dec. 8 statement, Scott Ziegler, president of corporate branding for The Cliffs Communities, wrote: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the Woods family as they deal with this personal and private family matter. Our relationship with Tiger Woods and our commitment to The Cliffs at High Carolina remains unchanged."
But Woods' "family man" image has been a key selling point for The Cliffs. "With a wife and two kids, your perspective in life changes," the golfer says in a video on the development's Web site, as spotlighted by a CNBC reporter.
Flush with a $10 billion infusion, the folks in Dubai are still happy to be involved with Tiger, reports Zainab Fattah and Tian Huang:
“The Tiger Woods Dubai does not comment on the personal lives of our valued partners,” Tiger Woods Dubai said yesterday in an e-mailed statement.
Tiger Woods Design, a Windermere, Florida-based company headed by Woods, announced plans for the Al Ruwaya course in December 2006. Dubai Properties is part of state-owned Dubai Holding, which may join another state-owned investment company, Dubai World, in restructuring debt, Morgan Stanley said in a Dec. 8 report. Dubai received a $10 billion bailout this week from Abu Dhabi after seeking a standstill from creditors.
Alan Shipnuck in SI weighs in on the saga:
Over the last 13 years Woods has remade golf in his own iconic image, along the way peddling himself as a keeper of the game's values: honor, integrity, playing by the rules, that kind of blather. Woods will eventually return to competition, but when he does, golf — and its best player — will have to be sold in an entirely different way.
Stina Sternberg contemplates the possible reaction of female fans.
Suddenly, our neatly compartmentalized modes of information gathering were jumbled. The celebrity-gossip world merged with the sports world. Our male friends started quoting passages from US Weekly. Our fathers couldn't come to the phone because they were busy watching the latest Tiger news on "Access Hollywood." And in the middle of this surreal 180 made by the otherwise tabloid-hating men in our lives, women golfers had to grapple with feelings of loss and disappointment over the moral ruin of one of our biggest heroes.
Tim Rosaforte writes that the Tiger accident and fallout is "not a setback. It's a test."
Of course there exists the scenario that Tiger goes from the depths of his fall -- and we may not have hit bottom yet -- to one of the greatest comebacks in golf history. Ratings for Tiger's return will be unprecedented. More eyeballs could be on the 2010 Masters, where Woods could return, than his historic victory in '97. With that kind of timing, Finchem may be able to get more in his last TV deal as commissioner.
Michael Buteau reports that the short term numbers aren't looking so hot, suggesting $220 million or more in lost revenue for golf.
Tiger Woods’s indiscretions will cascade through Golf Inc., costing the PGA Tour, television networks such as CBS and merchandise vendors like Nike Inc. $220 million or more in lost revenue.
Woods’s indefinite leave from the sport, announced Dec. 11 after he disclosed marital infidelity, deprives professional golf of its biggest draw. In his absence, tournament crowds may be 20 percent smaller, according to organizers.
Television audiences may shrink by half, based on Nielsen Co. data from past events. TV advertising may drop by as much as 40 percent, said Aaron Cohen, chief media negotiating officer at New York-based ad agency Horizon Media Inc. Nike, which built its golf equipment business around Woods, stands to lose more than $30 million in sales, according to Claire Gallacher, an analyst with San Diego-based Capstone Investments Inc.
“It’s not so much a ripple effect as it is a tsunami,” said Rick Gentile, a former CBS Sports executive producer who teaches at Seton Hall University. “The aura is gone.”
Bill Fields wonders what this all means for Tiger's pursuit of history.
How will he deal with it if he gets heckled during play? If reporters' questions are unrelenting? Will his ultra-premium focus reappear? He knows golf history -- that Seve Ballesteros won his last major when he was only 31, Tom Watson at 33, Arnold Palmer at 34. Woods turns 34 on Dec. 30. Even after a break -- even if it turns out to be an extended hiatus -- do recent events exacerbate the fatigue of being Tiger Woods, of carrying the weight of a sport, of achieving at an unfathomable clip since before he had a driver's license?
Whatever Tiger is in golf years, he has aged in the last month without executing an impossible recovery shot, without having to make a six-footer that breaks two ways. Woods has been the best at producing a quiet mind at the loudest moments. If he is able to summon the silence after this coarse cacophony, the mess he created, it will be his most hard-earned win yet.
Geoff Russell says that if there's any hope for Tiger, it's in Kobe Bryant's image rehabilitation and looks at his six-year-old for clues into Tiger's future.
All my son knows about Kobe Bryant is that he is the best player on the best team in the NBA, and that he always seems to make the important shot when the game is on the line. He's cool. He's Johnny's hero. And I'm not going to mess with that.
Either way, it's pretty telling that Bryant can now be defined by something other than the events of that summer six years ago. Like it or not, that's the nature of our society these days. We are quick to condemn our stars, quick to pore over every tawdry item about them in the tabloids. And yet we're just as quick in extending them a second chance. One minute they've been sworn off forever, the next their jersey is gift-wrapped and waiting under your Christmas tree.
Art Stricklin not only reveals that Hank Haney reportedly has a sense of humor, but says that unlike Stevie Williams, Tiger's instructor has little to say.
"Don't think firing me is a story any more is it?," he said in a text message when asked for a comment.
Haney was in China looking at courses when Woods had his car accident prior to Thanksgiving, but he quickly received word that Woods was OK. Since then, he has declined to say if he knew anything about Tiger's "infidelity."
"Nice try, but no comment," he said.
Haney goes on to then explain how his relationship with Tiger works when he is summoned to work on Tiger's swing. But other than that, he has no comment.
Martin Dempster talks to Peter Alliss:
"As for questions being asked about the people who look after him, I look at it this way. When you've got a goose laying golden eggs and you are waiting to nick one and put it in your bank account, you aren't going to tell your boss they are behaving stupid and will get caught because the chances are you'll lose your job.
George Vecsey talked to Lance Armstrong about the AP Athlete of the Decade award and Tiger's hunkering down.
“On a personal level, I consider Tiger a friend,” Armstrong said. “We’ve never hung out together, but we’ve talked and worked for each other’s foundations. I would encourage him to get out there and be seen.”
Besides reporting on Elin's movements, the tabloids continue to pursue all angles of the story. The most alarming report for Team Tiger may be this National Enquirer item posted online suggesting interest by federal agencies into whether Woods used foundation money in an illegal manner.
Tiger's dealings with Bell could raise many new questions about potential illegal activities.
"You can't use charitable, tax deductible money for your own private purposes," said Craig Silverman, a former Colorado prosecutor. "It's also legally problematic if you use non-charitable corporate money for personal sexual adventures."
In a potentially devastating development for Tiger Woods, his growing sex scandal and hush money payoffs have caught the attention of the FBI and IRS.
A top source in Washington, D.C., divulged that in mid-December "discussions were underway" involving those two government agencies about whether to launch a federal probe of the billionaire golfer.
"They haven't pulled the trigger yet, but they smell blood in the water," the source told The ENQUIRER.
"Their interest was heightened when they heard reports suggesting that Tiger may have been paying for high-class call girls.
"It had already come out that Tiger's company may have paid for the travel of at least one of his girlfriends for a recent hookup in Australia. If Tiger is using company money to do it - and if illegal activity such as prostitution is taking place - then they're going to come down on him."
In reporting on Friday's People exclusive about a divorce, a New York Daily News report also suggests that Tiger is still in Orlando:
The Daily News also reports that Woods is riding out the publicity frenzy from his infidelity by hunkering down with close friends. Sources told the newspaper the golfer is stressed out but "not on sedatives."
"He is very contrite, but he's also disoriented," the newspaper quoted a longtime-friend of Woods as saying. "He still can't believe this is happening."
Woods is reportedly trying to find the right place to try to ride out the storm.
"He's been talking about going away with two or three of his friends, just the boys," said the friend, who has known Woods since the golfer was a teenager.
"They've been trying to figure out a place that would be safe."
The Times' Jacqui Goddard analyzes the divorce possibility and the news that Elin may try to file in California.
But her reported intention to file for divorce in California, whose community property laws may make for a more generous settlement than in her home state of Florida, could face complications. Californian law requires that at least one of the parties must be a resident of the State for six months immediately before any petition is filed.
“Particularly with children involved, who I believe have lived in Florida, you can’t get around that easily,” said John Wallace, a divorce attorney in Orlando.
“You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to have done a good job drawing up a pre-nup. That’s where she’s going to have difficulty. You can’t deal with childrens issues in a pre-nup....This is the kind of divorce that’s a lawyer’s dream. You could have lawyers fighting over several different issues in different states.”
And finally, Lawrence Donegan tells us 27 things we've learned from the scandal. My favorites:
3 Unlike Columbo and Angela Lansbury, the Florida Highway Patrol will take no for an answer.
25 If the New York Times asks a question about your 33-year-old client, never reply: "Give the kid a break."
26 The PGA Tour, professional golf and Tiger himself will come back from this bigger and better. Cross your fingers and repeat 300 times a day because, you never know, dreams might come true.
27 Fame, wealth, endless supplies of free golf clubs – you might think you have everything but, trust me, you don't.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 at 08:35 PM 43 Comments | in Steroids, Tiger Woods, Tiger Woods Accident
Reader Comments (43)
You may be right. On the other hand, imagine what's on his mind (walking the fairways, standing over 10-footers) as he weighs the wiping out of a good chunk of an easy eight-figure income stream; the possible loss of a reasonable percentage of his already acquired wealth; the fact that he will be able to visit his children according to court outlined schedule and then he may have to fly to another continent to do so; the mumblings, murmurs, comments and snickers that will come from the golf galleries that will be there to see one of the great train wrecks in spors history.
Then, of course, there's the actual press. (I'm assuming he'll meet with them, if he shoots a good round and is at or near the top of the leaderboard.) Here's a reasonable question: "Tiger, now that you have a bit more freedom and can set your own schedule (because you have fewer corporate commitments and your nuclear family is 7,000 miles away), does it make it easier to rehab the knee (because we know now it's still giving you more trouble) by finding a doctor or therapist of your choice (who is not under investigation for trafficking in banned substances)?"
I mean that would be sort of a softball.
Boston Golfer - I'm with you. Divorce will be good for his golf game.
I think golf will be the only thing he can fall back on to save his sanity, but it's not going to be easy for him to focus now. I can't wait until he comes back and starts playing again. Can anyone imagine what the atmosphere will be like at whatever tournament in which he chooses to make his return?
This is a burden for him? If he hasn't paid much attention to his kids up to now, except for occasional photo ops, what makes you think he will now?
IMHO the only issue that could truly impact Tiger Woods in the golf world would be documentation that he used PED's over the past decade. Even if there is evidence, it would be complicated to sort out their impact on his performance and what to do about it all. . . It would not be easy to say that PED's (there were no rules) actually made him better - remember he was a longer hitter and dominating as a scrawny kid too! . . . If the PED's gave him stamina - enabling working out, keeping his golf game the same and partying like crazy - well, that could an endorsement many men would be interested in learning about.
Wisc Reader - completely agree with your points about the media. The slippery slope is steep out there.
Geoff - I wanted to add that one of the greatest things about the 'Media Clippings' is that we also have one stop shopping for all of the comments. As usual, the reader contribution has been fantastic. I'd really like to see you somehow come up with a similar format during the Majors. Oh man, remember when we all used to talk about golf? When this blows over, let's not let CBS off the hook for their coverage...
One final point - IF Mr. Woods gets a divorce, imagine how intimidating he'll be when he's rolling with a gaggle of femininas at each tour stop. Regardless of what happens, he'll never have to worry about money, his kids will be well cared for and he'll be able to spend more time on his game. Divorce is a sad thing, but it's really the best option here and, probably, the worst outcome for the rest of the pros out there. A single Tiger will be very dangerous on all fronts.
Am I the only man who doesn't find Elin to be particularly beautiful? She is certainly not unattractive, but I do not find her anywhere near as beautiful as hundreds of other women. She's a blonde, which many men like, but her eyes, lips, smile, overall facial look, don't really strike me as "drop dead gorgeous."
It's as much fun to see him struggle as it is El Tigre.
The comments on here from those who think Tiger will be unstoppable after all of this and that divorce will be good for him.
Let's re-visit that in say 2 years and see who was right and who was blind.
As for Tiger coming back from this catastrophe more focused and even more lethal on the golf course? If he really is a sociopath, and his behavior certainly leaves that an open question, maybe. But the ridicule is going to be harsh. Can he stand up to that starting at the age of 35, when everything has been "perfect" up to now? Possible. But there is simply no excuse for his behavior. Period. I also think his real life up to now is evidence of a weak mind more than anything else. A strong mind would have never allowed this to happen, because even a medium-strong mind can comprehend the inevitable outcome of such reckless behavior. I guess he really was that zen master, except of course when he wasn't, which apparently was most of the time...cussing, spitting, engaging in gamesmanship on the course, showing no sympathy for anyone else on the course or off, romping in Vegas VIP rooms and parking lots with skanks while the family was at home all snug in bed. Pity.
JJ has come up with the only "good" outcome we gobsmacked outside observers can imagine at this point.
GolfFan: LOL. But did anyone expect anything else from Rosie?
16) In the long history of embarrassing journalism nothing will ever match the Hitler Diaries but the current issue of Golf Digest with "10 Tips Obama Can Take From Tiger" on the front cover comes close.
He could have a personality disorder, though. Or O/C disorder, or mania, or any number or combination of neuroses or rare psychological proclivities that, combined with once-in-a-millenium talent, add up to his current life history.
People will like Tiger on the golf course. People don't expect him to be a great husband any longer. There are several pro golfers who have gone through a divorce and then won on the tour.
A) There is a pervasive pattern of disregard for and the rights of others occurring since the age of 15, as indicated by three (or more) of the following:
1.failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest;
2.deceitfulness, as indicated by repeatedly lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure;
3.impulsivity or failure to plan ahead;
4.irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults;
5.reckless disregard for safety of self or others;
6.consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations;
7.lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another.
B) The individual is at least 18 years of age.
C) There is evidence of Conduct disorder with onset before age 15.
D) The occurrence of antisocial behavior is not exclusively during the course of schizophrenia or a manic episode.
Deceit and manipulation are considered essential features of the disorder. Therefore, it is essential in making the diagnosis to collect material from sources other than the individual being diagnosed.[7]
It is a requirement of DSM-IV that a diagnosis of any specific personality disorder also satisfies a set of general personality disorder criteria.
People having antisocial personality disorder are sometimes referred to as "sociopaths" and "psychopaths", although some researchers believe that these terms are not synonymous with ASPD.[2]
TIger is not a sociopath.
Because, to paraphrase The Dude:
'This is a very complicated case. You know, a lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what-have-yous. And, uh, lotta strands to keep in my head, man. Lotta strands in old dbh's head.'
Anyway, if you combine the possibility of pre-existing marital problems with this 'Earl Woods was also a cheater' news, maybe Tiger's team can find a way to spin this thing. Once the divorce starts, we'll hear rumors about Elin and how things were falling apart, etc. In the end, it'll be like every other divorce: his family will side with him, hers with her and there you have it...
Is there a DSM-IV list of criteria for being a sociopath? No, because it's really a lay-term, and as a lay-term is generally used to mean somebody who essentially does repeatedly wrong or immoral things without regard to how they affect others and does so without remorse. Basically, it means somebody without a conscience.
I'd say that fits Tiger pretty well in this case. He was without remorse until he got caught, and obviously had no problems committing serial adultery while concomitantly claiming the importance of family to the public every chance he got.
Anyway, various sources are now reporting that the divorce is on.
And, John, yes, Elin is drop dead gorgeous. Hope that answers your question.
The notion that post-divorce Tiger comes out a single minded golf monster and stomps everyone may wind up far, far off base.
I also want somebody at Team Tiger to explain why a Canadian "doctor" was needed when at the same time we are told that these procedures (blood spinning etc.) are common and accepted?
Why get this particular guy then? He just happened to be on IMG's rolodex? They didn't know about his rep?
B.S.- this smells to high heaven.
You can call him any nasty name you want, no problem here. You can suggest he might have a narcissistic personality disorder. But there is no evidence, ever, of him having a conduct disorder, or behavior problems before age 15...or reneging on financial obligations...or pervasively and repeatedly lying (other than on his wife).
Sociopath is a very strong word. Tiger isn't in the same category as the semi-human beasts who do fit the description.
I am no fan of serial philandering. I think those actions are pretty awful. They do not, however, define someone as a sociopath.
Extreme antisocial attitude? Extreme, maybe or maybe not. His aggravated serial adultery was extremely antisocial behavior as far as his family is concerned. Lack of conscience? I have no earthly idea whether his conscience bothers him, but his most recent observable on-course behavior indicates that something was amiss. But anyone with a functioning conscience would not have done what he did, knowing the devastation that would eventually come of it. I have read and heard the argument that he was only doing what any young, wealthy, handsome man would have done, what with all the women throwing themselves at him and everything. Bullshit. The cordon around Tiger since 1996 has been so tight that it could have been breached only with his active consent. And it was repeatedly, without regard for the consequences for his family, his employees, his corporate sponsors, and yes, even his multitude of fans. You know, the people who made Tiger the Brand possible. It would be hard to find a better illustration of a deficient conscience.
http://www.slate.com/id/2213740/pagenum/all/
http://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2009/9/5/see-tiger-do-his-best-tommy-bolt-impersonation.html
i think tiger's youth was so programmed that he didn't have a chance to exhibit the adolescent tendencies the dsm calls for. think of the difference between mike tyson with cuss d'amato and without.