TPC Sawgrass Must Be Booked This Week: Tiger Back Home Practicing
So Tiger's back home practicing, according to two writers, first Steve Elling and now Doug Ferguson.
You may recall we were told that Tiger's February 19th statement reading had to happen the week of the Accenture match play event because of a very tightly controlled rehab schedule according to his team and Commissioner Tim Finchem, even though most saw it as a shot back at Accenture for dropping Tiger. Finchem:
“As we understand it, Tiger’s therapy called for a week’s break at this time during which he has spent a few days with his children and then will make his statement before returning,” Finchem said in a letter Thursday. “Accordingly, there was very little flexibility in the date for the announcement.”
So with that in mind, Steve Elling reported yesterday:
What that means for his return date is unclear, but a resident who lives near Woods at Isleworth Country Club reported to CBSSports.com that he spotted Woods – his personal electric cart parked nearby and his trademark stuffed Tiger headcover peeking out of his bag – working on his game on the club's range.
Moreover, Woods is said to be staying at the home he formerly shared with his wife, Elin, and not at the townhouse he owns located around the corner from the Isleworth clubhouse.
Woods spent 45 days in a rehab clinic and has spent little time on his golf game since the post-Thanksgiving Day accident outside his home that started his highly publicized free-fall.
Doug Ferguson on Twitter and now in a short AP item.
So this begs the question, why couldn't Tiger have read his statement today? Or yesterday? Or Wednesday? Or next week?
Tuesday, March 2, 2010 at 08:14 AM
Reader Comments (37)
Tiger really is plummeting in my estimation.
I gather that Doug Ferguson's Tweet-message mentioning the Yankess was intended to impress us that it has "been a long time" since Tiger was playing any serious golf. Have I got that right? Because while layoffs might be rare in golf, this whole thing has been compressed into the average major league baseball player's off-season. Wasn't there a time in some readers' lifetimes, when major league ballplayers woked as car salesemen or teachers in the off season?
He used his incredibly strong mind to overcome yet another obstacle. I'd bet that he probably had to wear the Sunday Red to a lot of those sessions in order to intimidate the stray away.
Finchem had every chance and right to deny Tiger the use of the venue, and also talk Tiger out of making the statement on that particualr day. Finchem did none of the above.
Don't kill the messenger...
Lost of a bit of faith in PGA Tour.
Reminds me of a video I recently saw where a couple bozo's were railing on and on about the mgmt of a west coast bank taking advantage of the sweetheart deal the regulators gave them in a takeover/restructuring...
...don't be mad at mgmt for taking advantage of the deal, be mad at the regulators for giving it to them.
This really sounds like a "Lynch -Mob" mentaliity enacting here. For those who follow history or old enough to remember the 60s in the good old USA, this is exactly what took place then among the races. Yes Tiger's behaviour was bad regarding his wife and family, however he did not commit a crime and was imprisoned. And if he was put in prison, the prisoner can be redeemed.
Tiger knew exactly what he was doing.They are as bad as each other.
One is an arrogant control freak the other is a coward who darent do what he knows he should.
Amen
Why should anyone be surprised?
...but that's 100% unrelated to Finchem ALLOWING him to have the event at PGA Tour HQ.
Finchem was 100% in control and blew the decision, blame resides with Finchem.
You must be Mark Steinberg. Or his twin brother, or closely related to Mark McCormick. Or a self appointed IMG stooge. One way or the other, your commitment to apologia on behalf of all the above (and Tiger by proxy) is so dogmatic that it is hard to draw any other conclusion.
Is Tiger still that great power? Is Finchem naive to think Tiger is still his meal ticket? He may still be the best player in the world, but that does not necessarily mean people will tune in to watch like they used to (excluding his initial return - which will be a ratings bonanza).
With Buick a distant memory and other sponsors falling away, the stars of the tour need to be sensitive to sponsors that are sticking out the recession with a committment to Tour golf.
I guess that economic realities aren't impacting your elementary school.
Let's get back to Geoff's question: Why did he have to hold the presser on that Friday?
Because they were trying to save Gatorade and who knows what else. Steiny acknowledged they had been talking. "We have been in discussions with Gatorade..." And he regretted their announcement when it came, i believe, last Friday despite their "discussions." So it shows where Tiger was coming from when he said, "please find it in your hearts to believe in me again." He could care less about fans. He was talking to corporate America. That was his apologia. The guy at SFGate had it correct. Never screw with a hot brand; that's his biggest failing.
Tiger and Steiny were trying to pull a rabbit out of a hat. They were desperate. Why else would a prideful guy like Tiger subject himself to such humiliation? To save an account worth upwards of $7.5 mil, that's why.
In my mind, this is the only explanation for the timing. And it now seems more craven than ever.
" To my wife, I'm sorry. I fucked up but I'm not changing so you'll either need to put up with this shit or I'll stroke you the check you agreed to in the pre-nup....sorry.
To my fans, get over it. Where I stick my dick is none of your business. If you care....sorry. I don't need any of you in order to make 10 times in one year what you'll make in a life time. I promise to continue to hit 4 irons from 220 yards to within 10' of the hole and drop puts that you couldn't read in a million years. If that's not good enough for you, go watch tennis.
To the media. You cocksuckers are the only ones more two-faced than I am. Kissing my ass for all those years and then ripping me every chance you've had since Thanksgiving. Fuck all ya'll. I'm glad I don't have to take the time to sit and answer the same bullshit questions over and over again.
To the other tour golfers. Kiss my cablanasian ass! You motherfuckers come out ripping me when I've put more fucking money in your pockets than you could count. You think anyone's been paying to see Jesper-fucking-Parnavik? Give me a fucking break. I'm almost tempted to give up golf just to punish you guys but I think it's going to be more fun to practice for the next few weeks and get back to making you all my bitches.
That's all I got today folks.....see ya at Augusta, maybe!....Oh and Bambi, if you're listening I'll meet you at the Ritz in 45 minutes. "
Say what you want about Steinberg but he's not stupid...do you really believe that he sat there and thought "you know Gatorade has told me they are dropping Tiger but if we can convince Finchem to let us have this press conf at Tour HQ right in the middle of the Accenture I bet Gatorade will reconsider"...
...so you seriously think that's how it went down?!?
To disabuse you of this notion that I'm somehow linked with IMG let me offer you the following info -- remember the Stanford Financial debacle? And further to that Steinberg made a ludicrous statement that included this quote "IMG does not give investment advice to our clients...period."
Geoff followed up with this: http://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2009/2/20/since-1974-ms-wade-has-benefited-from-financial-advice-from.html
I'm the "reader" referenced by Geoff. I'm the source that provided Geoff the info that directly contradicts Steinberg.
How does all that factor into your "IMG stooge" thesis?
styled, I've got you pegged for a f'g blowhard who speculates wildly all while having no industry experience or contacts.
"He's actually blind(advanced syphillis was the cause)".
You are a class act.
I have YOU pegged as a know it all and an apologist for Tiger. Now, since you know everything, what is your theory on why Tiger had to issue statement on that Friday? That was Geoff's question. C'mon, genius boy, let's have it.
As for Douboug, I comment as "styled" and never wrote anything about STD, etc. There is a commenter named "styles;" it's not me.
I apologize. You're correct. I did write that. It was satire. On Christmas Eve, i contributed a send-up of "A Christmas Carol," and this was Tiger in the far future, dialing up his ho's from Privacy, looking for a little Yule for his log as he was visited by the Ghost of Christmas Future.
Parody/sarcasm: me. Utterly without wit: you!
I'm that first to say I don't know it all, but I am 100% certain I know a lot more than you. Don't feel bad about it because if you haven't been "between the ropes" then you are naturally disadvantaged from an information perspective. Clearly you are in the top percentile in terms of imagination. Thinking logically, not so much...
As for the timing of Tiger's statement, I have no specific insight into that. If forced to guess I would chalk it up to one of the two counseling programs he was participating in. Makes sense to me that a "public apology" was a key step/part of one or both programs and getting that out there before the family counseling sessions was a requirement -- I certainly don't know that for a fact but makes sense to me. That would account for the particular week anyway. As for the specific day I'd think he needed time for logisitics. Did an element of "stick it to Accenture" enter his mind, certainly can't rule that out -- life's a bitch. Bottom line: I think making the statement was a mandatory "step" in one of his programs and doing so before the family counseling was a requirement...that's my thesis.
One thing I think is very important to focus on is the fact that Tour HQ hosted the statement, that is a major league f/u. Would Tiger have done it anyway that same Friday? Maybe. Would the impact have been lessened from a media coverage perspective? Probably not. Had they not hosted it would the Tour been able say they were not complicit and it really sucked for Accenture and it was out of their hands? Absolutely 100%.
There's no excuse for Tiger's behaviour, we can all agree on that. And he's clearly paying a heavy price for that bad behaviour. But so much of the wildly speculative flotsam surroundig this wreck is so far removed from reality that it is, well, it's just stupid. Example, your Gatorade thesis that the statement was an orchestrated last ditch effort to save that contract -- dude, that's just stupid. You do realize this don't you?
styled, I'm just trying to help you get a real picture of what's going on out there...you should be thankful.
... and one in there.
Really loving this Tiger stuff. I don't read the actual news/gossip reports, but the reactions on this site (including from Dr. Phillips) and elsewhere are fascinating.
Oh, and Dr. Phillips: Did you let out a big cheer late Sunday afternoon from your neighbourhood pub?
Not me you heard on Sunday...
Don't know if you'll see this because, apparently, you're waging war on several fronts.
So let me summarize: you believe Tiger's public apology was part of the 12 steps. Where are you getting this? Inside info?
If not, I don't see where your instincts are any more valid than mine. The 12 steps in AA make no mention of a public apology, but, rather, say you have to apologize to a single person, a person your actions hurt. So why the big public show? Again, four out of five thoughtful people and commentators say he owes John Q. Public nothing.
My theory/instinct: We have Steiny on the record saying, "We were in discussions with Gatorade." In corporate speak, that's "We were trying to pull this thing out of the fire." Gatorade probably said, in so many words, "We're concerned. Deeply concerned about the viability of the Tiger project/brand, whatever." That's corporate speak for "it's dead."
Now, in my experience (not inside the ropes, like yours), but in the Byzantine-Machiavellian ways of corporate America, you don't make this decision overnight, in the heat of the moment. You give it 60 to 120 days. Then you neither look knee-jerk reactive or like you're kicking your man when he's down. (Turns out, Gatorade/Pepsi was just about 90 days on the bean.) There are a thousand examples. (See how the White House handled that ridiculous social secretary who couldn't keep party crashers out of the WH parties..."oh, she's great." Ninety days later, she's leaving to pursue other options.) Let the furor die down then throw him to the wolves. Accenture had to act quicker because he was more central to an entire corporate position. There were all kinds of double entendres in the ads pasted in every major airport. With Gatorade/Pepsi, he was but one sub-brand.
So, i guess, you're going to tell me he had to make the apology in the critical juncture between ending first 40-plus-day therapy and starting the second therapy, which lasted only a week. Huh? And it had to be HUGELY PUBLIC to all of America. If he's a sincere 12-stepper, and i'm not saying he isn't, he can go right to his wife, mother, sponsors and employees. Why does he need the big public show. He's disappointed the public, but he hasn't hurt them materially.
As i see you enjoy a wager, I'm happy to suggest that whoever is wrong (in the main) hosts the other for golf at the loser's regular venue.
Yes, I was thinking along the lines of that particular step in the 12 steps. I was curious and looked it up to see what it says. My sense is that the list stakeholders Tiger offended is so lengthy and far flung (including his fans in the public at large) that it would be impossible for him to get around to everyone any other way. I don't know that the program he went through follows the AA steps specifically but to think they might have a similar framework makes sense to me. Combine that with the broad public cacophony for him to step up and say something, anything, and there you have it...
Your 60-120 day theory makes sense but surely Steiny is aware of this particular proof, why would Tiger wait until the last second to make the mea culpa?
Tiger, who now has a belivability problem, could have gone to any doctor in the world. He chooses someone who is connected to HGH & isnt licensed to practice in the US to come to his house in FL.
It was an odd moment in his press conference when he spoke out against rumors he had used a PED.
This is a big problem for him even if he didnt use.