"Woods is fairly loyal to the crew around him, which means if Steinberg wants to continue as his management mouthpiece, he'll darned likely get the chance."

Steve Elling thinks Mark Steinberg's split with IMG is definitely going to mean a fewer opportunities for Tiger.

Woods won't be benefiting from any of those handout deals anymore. In fact, IMG negotiated his appearance fees, often at tournaments run overseas by one of IMG's subsidiaries (incest layer duly noted). Woods' last victory, 18 months ago at the Aussie Masters, came while he was receiving $3 million from a tournament run by IMG. His appearance-fee deal with Dubai has also reportedly expired, another revenue source that has dried up like spit in a desert.

Add them to the list. Despite assurances from Steinberg that deals were in the offing, Woods hasn't signed an endorsement deal since the scandal broke, his course-design business hasn't produced a single viable venue and the doorbell long ago stopped ringing. According to a source involved with several PGA Tour events, Steinberg has been actively shopping around the rights to Woods' bag for $5 million, with the guarantee that Woods would play in the company's tour event. The price was $8 million originally, the source said.

Comments

[Dr. Drew]

His goal obviously isn't 18 majors
It's 18 majors and as much money as possible or maybe vice versa

.... maybe he needs the dough to take care of his new golf course, or the F&B

[g_r_c]

I wouldn't put my money on a guarantee that he'd play in my tourney's, when in fact there's no guarantee he'll play in any tourney's

[7.0]

Assuming Forbes ic correct that Tiger made $75M last year and $75M this year before tax but excluding investment returns from his $500m fortune, then Tiger paid off his divorce with money earned after Nov 2009. And he still has $500m. And he will still make > $50M per year with EA and Nike for years.

IMO (and it is only an opinion), Tiger feels strongly that he has made a lot of money for everyone in golf....TV, PGATour and other players, developers, equipment guys, tournament directors, magazines, journalists (hell, the Golf Channel was basically the Tiger Channel for 10 years)...everyone.
Sure he made a ton of money, too, but I bet he believes he earned it while the others piggybacked on him.

I bet he tells Steiny to limit the ability of others to free ride on Tiger (and yes, that especially includes journalists) and to maximize Tiger's share on the pot that he (Tiger) created. Not for the money exactly (but it is nice, of course) but for the principle that others shouldn't benefit unduly from Tiger's fame.

The key is that Tiger tells Steiny what to do.

Going forward, IMO Tiger will be much less concerned with making stacks of new money and more concerned with winning. Having said that, he will always be ruthless about punishing free riders. And he will ALWAYS stonewall reporters unless he decides they can be useful to him at that moment.

I bet there are cobwebs on lots of archie doorbells. Could we argue that Tiger is the most successful designer of all time? He made $20M from the Cliffs and $55m from dubai. He has earned $75M as a designer without building a course. Wow.

[thusgone]

@7.0: solid analysis and i agree 100%.

oh how i wish john deere or pods would pony up for ad space on tiger's bag! or better yet, he could team up with jd as team hooters.

[AK47]

Spot on, 7.0. Exactly how he looks at life and why he'll never be at peace until he lets all of that negativity and pettiness go ... and you're dead right about him telling Steiny what to do. Never a doubt who's captaining the good ship ETW

[Ky Laffoon's Ghost]

Vivid Entertainment Group would be a good bag sponsor? He has friends who work there, too.

He has too designed a course! Drawing even has the TW logo on it:
http://www.golf.com/golf/gallery/article/0,28242,2044331,00.html

[YouGottaStop]

Ky,

Vivid on the bag.
That's funny as hell!

[calvin coolidge]

"Woods is fairly loyal to the crew around him...."

You mean except the wife and kids, right?