Coming Soon To A Theater Near You: The Enablers II

Some of us thought one positive outcome from Tiger's accident would be less of the sycophantic enabling that led him down his odd behavioral path?

I'm not suggesting he needs to be castrated and fed to Oprah before he can face the public again. But now that Tiger is a damaged asset you'd at least like to think that some of the folks who convinced him he was bigger than life would stop behaving like they did before.

Yet Wednesday's announcement revealed that in the golf world, Tiger's every need and desire will be tolerated no matter how silly the request.

We learned Wednesday via Garry Smits that the PGA Tour “was happy to provide the use [of the clubhouse]” at TPC Sawgrass, and the Commissioner revealed it was a no-questions-asked proposition despite taking away attention from Accenture's sponsorship of the match play.

At least there were suggestions that Commissioner Finchem appeared peeved. Larry Dorman in the New York Times...

...Finchem did not seem pleased about having to answer questions about the timing of Woods’s announcement or the fact that it will be held at the clubhouse of the T.P.C. Sawgrass at PGA Tour headquarters.

And Gary Van Sickle, writing for golf.com:

Finchem was at his diplomatic best, but he did seem a little annoyed (or maybe I just imagined it) that news from Tiger World was just about guaranteed to push his flagship World Golf Championship event to the back page of the sports section for the rest of the weekend.

Still, annoyed is not enough at this point. Allowing him to take over the TPC Sawgrass Friday, no-questions-asked, was another victory for Tiger and worse, a reminder that when it comes to the PGA Tour, he can do what he pleases.

Throw in the Golf Writers Association of America's compliance to the request to provide three seat fillers who won't ask questions, and Tiger has to be feeling pretty smug. However, James Moore at the Huffington Post couldn't believe the GWAA would agree to such an arrangement.

The first question to be asked, however, is about journalism. What kind of wire service goes to a "news conference" where no questions are allowed? This appearance has the potential for Tiger's friends and colleagues gathered in the room to turn into a bit of a Greek chorus as he reads his statement. Politicians often try this public relations scam when they are beleaguered.  It never works and only further angers reporters and they redouble their efforts to do critical reporting on the politician.

Not the GWAA!

Now I don't agree on the point about the "wires." They have a duty to tell us who was in the room, if Tiger had a big scar on his lip or whatever other details that good reporters spot.

More disappointing is the GWAA's compliance. Post-accident, the golf press was accused of looking the other way all of these years and many of us explained that this was an unfair insinuation because access was limited and besides, no could ever possibly have known about what was going on (nor was it germane to covering golf).

Yet when given the first post-accident opportunity to stand up to Tiger's controlling ways, reestablish some street cred and prevent a dreadful precedent, the GWAA jumped on board just as the PGA Tour did, running around in sycophantic circles at the behest of "the kid."

Good riddance.

Friends, Family Turn Down Tiger Statement Reading Invites; GWAAers Still In

Jeff Shain reports on John Cook having not heard from Tiger in nearly three months, but he did receive an invite to Friday's TPC Sawgrass event. He's chosen to tee it up on the Champions Tour instead.

Radaronline says Elin Woods will also be a no-show Friday.

As for the three GWAA invites coordinated by IMG, Mark Steinberg and GWAA President, they're still planning to attend even though questions won't be asked. Though buzz in what remains of the golf writing community suggests an internal debate is fully aflame and the GWAA may decline its three seats. How they ever accepted on IMG's terms is still the question.

Tiger, The Gloves Are Off: Media Edition**

One element we've wondered about since November 27th has been media reaction to Tiger when he inevitably returns to civilization. So far, we've had a few writers criticize his lifestyle choices, a few that offered good solid reporting, and a few who sat the story out.

But after Tiger decided to upstage the Accenture Match Play today and Friday, it appears the mood is tilting toward tough love or brutal criticism.

Before we get to the writers, check out Golfweek's Photoshopped image (right). Ouch!

Do not miss Alex Miceli's Golf Channel on-air criticism, viewable about 1:30 into this segment with Scott Walker. Words like selfishness, gutlessness, sham and more describe Miceli's views of Tiger and Finchem's decision to hold a statement reading at the TPC Sawgrass clubhouse in the middle of the match play.

Jeff Rude writing for Golfweek.com:

The commissioner said he’ll attend the Friday event that promises to be a circus on the periphery at the least. The production will occur at Finchem’s home venue behind a guarded gate outside Tour headquarters. Not only will reporters not be allowed to ask questions for you – a public that has loaded his pockets with millions – but non-pool reporters will be shepherded to a hotel meeting room outside the gate.

We know this is controlling. It could also be construed as being gutless and selfish.

Garry Smits in the Florida Times-Union:

It might be understandable that Tiger doesn't care about Accenture, since the company was the first of his stable of corporate sugar daddies to ditch him in the wake of revelations of his extra-marital activities. But the Tour is allowing him to use the clubhouse and providing some support. Wonder how long the memories of Accenture officials will be when it comes time for renegotiation for title sponsorship of the Match Play.

And if the people in the room are going to be this tightly controlled, and no media questions taken, why couldn't this have been done at in a board room at Woods' home course in Isleworth, with one TV camera and satellite feeds? They could have handled it like Florida State handled Bobby Bowden's resignation announcement: one camera, a media relations official, a statement, a few memories, and voila -- email blasts for everyone.

Jason Sobel at ESPN.com:

If we know one thing about Tiger, it's that he knows how to hold a grudge. This wouldn't be the first example of Woods wielding his power to overcome an opponent off the course, as his first public statement since that Nov. 27 single-car accident in front of his home certainly will overshadow the events here in the desert.

Update on 2010-02-18 05:55 by Geoff

**More brutal criticism. Hank Gola in the New York Daily News:

Thankfully, they are not calling it a press conference because it is anything but that. Actually, what it is is a farce, a contrived event.

With the PGA Tour providing cover, Tiger Woods will appear in public Friday morning for the first time since Thanksgiving night, when he ran into that fire hydrant and spewed forth a shower of scandal that has brought him down faster than any sports hero not named O.J.

AP's Tim Dahlberg writes:

What Woods still doesn't seem to understand is that it won't end things. Not only will the golf media not be nearly as subservient anymore, but the story has long since been hijacked by the tabloids and entertainment shows.

So spare us the tears and the carefully crafted message of family and love. Don't try for sympathy by saying how tough this has been on your family, and how you hope your wife and children will one day forgive you.

Stand up and answer the tough questions, no matter how painful it might be.

Bring something more to the party Friday than just than a good photo op.

Otherwise, this is nothing more than just another Tiger Woods joke.

And Derek Lawrenson in the Daily Mail:

By announcing that he would be breaking his silence tomorrow, he not only demolished the column inches devoted to the first round of the Accenture Match Play Championship yesterday, he also greatly diminished interest in the third.

What possible reason could there be to make his announcement this week other than for a desire for vengeance? Why not Monday, for example? Not that anyone was fooled. ‘I suppose he wanted to get something back against the sponsor that dumped him,’ said Rory McIlroy.

So much for Woods returning from the Age of Transgression a humble man. Judging by the sanitised environment proposed for his Friday statement, and the day it was announced, it sounds like the same old Tiger, driven by an obsessive need for control and woe betide anyone who crosses him.

Michael Bamberger writing for golf.com:

Tiger Woods is a world-class control freak, and in his re-entry into public life — which has showered him with wealth and opportunities and trappings that we can only imagine — he is picking up right where he left off. He controls all. He's the same way with his golf ball. He tells it exactly what he wants it to do.

A guess is that Tiger is very angry. Angry at the National Enquirer for breaking the story of his infidelity. Angry at NBC — one of the Tour's most reliable media partners! — for trotting out one of his babes on the Today show with golf buff Matt Lauer. Angry at the mainstream golf press for writing oh-that-Tiger-is-a-fraud stories.

“We immediately jumped on that and said we have to dig deeper"

In an NY Times Business story, Brian Stelter explores TMZ's business model and upcoming expansion into sports.

This year, TMZ continued to provide fodder for news media ethics classes (and police investigations) by, for instance, publishing a photo of the singer Rihanna after an assault and reprinting details of the actress Brittany Murphy’s autopsy report.

Sometimes the objections to TMZ’s tactics come from within Time Warner. In an interview on Golf.com, James P. Herre, the managing editor of the Sports Illustrated Golf Group, called TMZ’s sourcing on recent pieces about Mr. Woods “beyond flimsy.”

But Mr. Levin defended the reporting, saying TMZ “has the same rigid standards as any operation in America.” Its track record of accuracy may speak for itself. He recalled that the initial claims surrounding Mr. Woods’s car accident on Nov. 27 “made no sense.”

“We immediately jumped on that and said we have to dig deeper,” he said.

Will The Tablet Be 2010's Must-Have Christmas Gift?

It appears the long rumored Apple tablet may be announced in late January and based on the alliance of major magazine publishers along with Apple's push to sign up television networks, this will be a content driven device (as will the many other tablets under development).

A recent Sports Illustrated demo suggests great potential for magazine reading on a tablet. And for golf, just imagine a magazine instruction spread including embedded video.

I'm curious how many of you see this as the way you may read books, magazines or even blogs in the future (connectivity questions abound, but we have to assume there will be built in wireless)?

So while I understand we have no idea how much connectivity will cost or even what the devices will run,I'd love to know how many of you have been tracking the tablet rumors and are you intrigued by them as a way to read your stuff in the future.

First, how much might you be willing to pay for such a device?

And probably most important to some of the media folks reading this post, what are you willing to pay for a magazine subscription and what's an enticing price for individual issues?