Looks Like I Underestimated Things a Bit
A couple days ago I posted an article describing how the latest "transgressions" of Tiger Woods were being made into a bigger deal than they really are. Well, looks like I need to put my foot in my writer's mouth.
Turns out, Tiger has been a busy, busy guy. Reports now state that as many as 9 women (one of which a porn star) have been involved with Woods over the past 5 years despite being married to an absolutely gorgeous woman who gave him two children. In my previous post I stated that no man is prefect and we are all human and prone to making mistakes. Well... when you consider the growing number of "mistakes" coming out of the woodwork and into the mainstream headlines... well, Tiger has become a large disappointment for many fans, myself included. However, fandom might not be the only thing that golf could lose because of this whole bad situation.
As Bill Dwyre, a writer for the Los Angeles Times states in a recent article:
Its June 2000 poll on Woods listed his public perception as follows: favorable, 88%; unfavorable, 5%; never-heard-of, 2%; no opinion, 5%. It took the same poll last week. His ratings were favorable, 60%; unfavorable, 25%; never-heard-of, 1% and no opinion, 13%. Numbers don't always don't tell an accurate story. These seem to.
The numbers addressed above are in response to the PGA Tour losing sponsorships at an alarming rate due to a few factors (including the recent recession)... but none of which more in the limelight than the dropping approval rating of the PGA's shining star. Furthermore, despite the fact that many of Tiger's sponsors have publicly stated they will continue to support him, this might not be enough to save many of the oldest tournament stops on Tour.
Dwyre continues:
Speculation is that there could be as many as a dozen PGA events running without title sponsors this year. The exact number is tough because the PGA is both tightlipped and out there now, beating the bushes to fill some of those voids. The [Bob Hope Classic] was low key about Chrysler's departure, until Monday, because that's what the PGA wanted.
While the above might not be a direct correlation to the Tiger Woods saga, PGA officials are still preparing for the worst by saving as much money as possible in case of a financial downturn. Looks like now is the time when these reserve funds are needed more than ever, and the recent news in the tabloids isn't helping matters in the least.
Only time will tell if Tiger's "transgressions" will cost him more than his marriage and children. For me, I am disappointed in someone I looked up to for years. However, the coming months and years will be the true test of character for a man who is in desperate need of an image save. With wife Elin moving out today from their $2.5 million home, he might have more than enough time to work on things.
