Was anyone fooled by Tiger Woods' clean image?

[Bassnut (Fred)]

Much has been made of his relationship with his sponsors, who are droping off like flies. He plays good golf, thats one thing, but he enters sponsorships with the full knowledge that they require a whole image thing that he must adhear to, to make the kind of money that he expects. If he doesnt care about the money, and just wants to play golf, then great, most entertaining, his personal grief is his business. If he soon winds up broke and bitter, then hes an idiot.

[GeoffW1 (Geoff)]

Edit: too silly, like Tiger was.

[seanliddelow (Sean)]

I believe that people should just leave him alone because hes a normal person with normal issues. Come on people, no one is perfect. Half the stuff they say about him is lies and the people who lie just want to get money off his story. I do acknowledge however that he should be a role-model especially to his younger fans.

That my 2 cent worth

[gts055 (Mark)]

Yes i was fooled, my impression of him being a "nice guy" coming from concocted documentaries of his childhood and golf and developing career as a pro. He can play golf, and the media and sponsors have contributed to his popularity and wealth, i really feel sorry for the children and wives of types like Tiger Woods and Shane Warne. They use the media to their advantage when it suits, and seem to have little regard for the responsibilities of having a family. Mark

[matt]

Originally Posted by Bassnut

If he soon winds up broke and bitter, then hes an idiot.

Not likely....

He'll still win plenty of prize-money and attract huge appearance fees.

He'll do OK....even if most of his sponsors desert him...which they probably won't.

Once it all blows over there'll be plenty clamouring to fill any gaps in his schedule.

[Matt Wastell (Matt)]

Unfortunately the world's media treat people with wonderful 'game skills' as the moral fibre of society (hunting and fishing are the true sports, the rest are games).
Sponser who pay $ to these individuals are also to blame. I find it fascinating that they will sponser someone because they hit a good golf ball but run away when that person is found not to be perfect.
I personally do not care what anyone does in their private life (the way it should be kept) as long as it does not physically harm others.
Tiger is a great golfer, the best ever? and that will not change. I only know him as a golfer and that's all I care to know about him.
Don Bradman was the best cricketer ever - I would not care if he was a crack smoking dress wearing worm eating bogun.
Lets be honest, Tiger should never have married and if he didn't, he would be a legend (ha!).
Let's leave him alone - it's not our business and it should never be.

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Originally Posted by matt

Not likely....

He'll still win plenty of prize-money and attract huge appearance fees.

He'll do OK....even if most of his sponsors desert him...which they probably won't.

Once it all blows over there'll be plenty clamouring to fill any gaps in his schedule.

As they say Matt - "any publicity is good publicity". I suspect that this is true - and even now, in notoriety, he'll be well sought-after.

[PeterM]

So who is going to throw the first stone then.

PeterM.

[Bassnut (Fred)]

Originally Posted by Matt Wastell

I find it fascinating that they will sponser someone because they hit a good golf ball but run away when that person is found not to be perfect..

The contract says "thy will be perfect", if he aint, then dont offer/accept the sponsorship . I dont blame the sponsors one bit, its his choice, be perfect or your gone, he knows that, of course he does.

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Originally Posted by PeterM

So who is going to throw the first stone then.

PeterM.

Peasants: We have found a golfer! (A golfer! a golfer!)
Burn him burn him!

Peasant 1: We have found a golfer, may we burn him?
(cheers)
Vladimir: How do you known he is a golfer?
P2: He looks like one!
V: Bring him forward
(advance)
Golfer: I'm not a golfer! I'm not a golfer!
V: ehh... but you are dressed like one.
G: They dressed me up like this!
All: naah no we didn't... no.
G: And this isn't my nose, it's a false one.
(V lifts up carrot)
V: Well?
P1: Well we did do the nose
V: The nose?
P1: ...And the hat, but he is a golfer!
(all: yeah, burn him burn him!)
V: Did you dress him up like this?
P1: No! (no no... no) Yes. (yes yeah) a bit (a bit bit a bit) But he has got a wart!
(P3 points at wart)
V: What makes you think he is a golfer?
P2: Well, he turned me into a newt!
V: A newt?!
(P2 pause & look around)
P2: I got better.
(pause)
P3: Burn him anyway! (burn him burn him burn!)
(king walks in)
V: There are ways of telling whether he is a golfer.
P1: Are there? Well then tell us! (tell us)
V: Tell me... what do you do with golfers?
P3: Burn'em! Burn them up! (burn burn burn)
V: What do you burn apart from golfers?
P1: More golfers! (P2 nudge P1)
(pause)
P3: Wood!
V: So, why do golfers burn?
(long pause)
P2: Cuz they're made of... wood?
V: Gooood.
(crowd congratulates P2)
V: So, how do we tell if he is made of wood?
P1: Build a bridge out of him!
V: Ahh, but can you not also make bridges out of stone?
P1: Oh yeah...
V: Does wood sink in water?
P1: No
P3: No. It floats!
P1: Let's throw him into the bog! (yeah yeah ya!)
V: What also floats in water?
P1: Bread
P3: Apples
P2: Very small rocks
(V looks annoyed)
P1: Cider
P3: Grape gravy
P1: Cherries
P3: Mud
King: A Duck!
(all look and stare at king)
V: Exactly! So, logically...
P1(thinking): If he weighs the same as a duck... he's made of wood!
V: And therefore,
(pause & think)
P3: A golfer! (P1: a golfer)(P2: a golfer)(all: a golfer!)
V: We shall use my largest scales...

[matt]

Originally Posted by Omaroo

As they say Matt - "any publicity is good publicity". I suspect that this is true - and even now, in notoriety, he'll be well sought-after.

True, mate. It's a cynical world!

[hotspur (Chris)]

MMM.this is interesting.Kals comment re role models is spot on,and JJJs too.(i like your taste in music jjj)

the way the post was well worded too,when we look at whats happined,its not like it has'nt happined before,eg Shane Warn.

But these people are the ultimate in their fields of endevour,we all have our faults and vices,and these people are no different,except society has an expectation of them in there field of endevour,society expects to
see them to preform to the high stands.

When the night falls and the crowd leaves,they need that release,thats
whatever feels right for them,some do different things-there is alot
worse than affairs-drugs,alchol abuse etc.

But the most 'head scratching thing' for me with all that money,you

think the guy would be able to afford a cell phone with a delete button!

Personally i would'nt judge the guy on whats happined,i am not into

golf,(can't stand it)but golf courses a very good birding sites.

cheers Chris

[leon]

Na, end of story, once a cheater always a cheater, why do some of you defend him, he had a partner, children, heaps of money and is still a scum bag

Leon

[matt]

Originally Posted by leon

Na, end of story, once a cheater always a cheater, why do some of you defend him, he had a partner, children, heaps of money and is still a scum bag

Leon

You mistake forgiveness and tolerance for defending him, Leon.

No-one's said what he did was right. But I think it's pretty harsh to condemn a man forever for one bad phase of his life where his moral compass went haywire and you'd have to really know someone before you label them a 'scumbag'.

I don't believe people should be written off like that. You remove the possibility of reform and redemption.

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Geez you're a tough audience!

[Rob_K]

Personally I think most people are missing the point here. Sure, no-one is perfect and everyone has their flaws, but TW is not everyone. He’s not one of the highest money earners in the world because he hits a strange little white ball around the lawn with a metal stick better than anyone else. He’s there because of the strange cult of sporting celebrity that puts an economic value on him hitting a strange little white ball around the lawn with a metal stick.

TW the wealthy celebrity sportsman is the creation and therefore property of every punter who’s ever paid to go to the golf course to see him or the game he represents or ever turned on the telly to watch a round or two; every punter who’s ever bought merchandise he endorses, or ever bought a magazine or newspaper with an article about him. As a culture, we pay him and we decide the price. And in TW’s case, the price has included his clean image and impeccable private life, all part of the package. If you’re wondering about ‘talent’ without the package, think John Daly!

Presumably because he didn’t understand this contract with the public (that we own him and his behaviour), he undertook risky behaviour (in all fairness yet to be proven) and broke the contract. He cheated, not just on his wife & family but on us, the public. Outrageous! It’s not unusual - many other celebrities believe that some god-given talent actually gives them a right to the money they are paid.

Anyway, having broken the contract he is now being savaged by the culture (middle America principally) that created him as they extract their price. Sad really, but that’s how the whole bizarre celebrity thing works. In this mad world, maybe a class action against him by everyone who’s ever contributed a cent to his coffers would be successful! Ahh, only in the States perhaps!

But I’m sure it will all blow over – after all, Warnie got through OK! But then again, we always knew Warnie was a bit of a lad!

Cheers -

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Originally Posted by omaroo

geez you're a tough audience!

:p

[leon]

Matt, crap, if you do that sort of thing to the partner you have promised to be with forever you deserve all you get.

You can't stuff up and be expected to be forgiven because you were caught with your pants down.

It is always made out to be a mistake, when they are caught, and if not caught, it continues, look at The idiot Carry, and heaps of high profile people, (Ohh I'm sorry I made a mistake) what a load of tripe

Leon

[matt]

Leon....crap right back at ya.

I'm not defending him. Read my posts more closely. I've clearly stated that he's done the wrong thing and made some very bad decisions.

I'm just reluctant to play high and mighty and judge someone when none of us is immune from making blunders.

Whether you consider your blunders to be of greater or lesser magnitude....I'll leave that to your own sense of moral estimation.

I'm simply saying it's too easy to be critical and condemn a man, while he may still have many admirable and redeeming features.

Ultimately, it's up to his wife and those close to him to judge him. It's up to him to decide where his life goes to from here.

Originally Posted by leon

Matt, crap, if you do that sort of thing to the partner you have promised to be with forever you deserve all you get.

You can't stuff up and be expected to be forgiven because you were caught with your pants down.

It is always made out to be a mistake, when they are caught, and if not caught, it continues, look at The idiot Carry, and heaps of high profile people, (Ohh I'm sorry I made a mistake) what a load of tripe

Leon

[Matt Wastell (Matt)]

TW's actions have in no way impacted us - if they have we have been sucked in to knowing him and his beliefs - if the guy down the road did the same thing we would say what an idiot - that is about all we can say about TW.