Since it worked so well for the BCS, Tiger Woods has hired Ari Fleischer to run interference on all the negative attention he is receiving for his philandering. The world’s first billion-dollar athlete tarnished his pristine clean brand on Thanksgiving with a car accident that led to the unravelling of a superstar.
Tiger’s campaign to control his image’s steep decline has failed in every category setting a new low for mismanagement of an icon. His entire team is to blame for such bumbling idiocy.
The only glimmer of poise was shown almost a month ago when Woods delivered a seemingly heartfelt speech admitting his wrongdoing, pushing for fleeting privacy for his wife and family, and claiming he still has work to do.
Now there’s a new kid in town. The same media maven behind selling the War in Iraq to the American public. The spin doctor behind the BCS’ futile efforts to sell the BCS to college football fans claiming fans can’t even decide how many teams should be allowed to participate in a playoff. The same PR impresario who advised Mark McGwire to claim that steroids never helped him hit a baseball out of the park.
Ari Fleischer will attempt to not only keep the Titanic from sinking, but seek to get it back to the port before the band plays its swan song. Ultimately, he’ll fail. Sports fans will never view Tiger the same even after the late night shows move on to a new butt for their jokes.
There is such a stigma attached to hiring Fleischer that Tiger will suffer today. In two weeks, when Tiger will reportedly compete at Bay Hill, it will be the beginning of the end of this tragic saga for the Woods family.
The best and only tactic Tiger should implement is to ‘hit golf balls’ according to James Carville. ‘As soon as Tiger wins on the golf course, the public won’t care about any of this.’ This cajun wisdom may fall short of reality, but you can’t argue with the fact that unpopular athletes who have performed well on the field, course, or court have drastically improved their public images.
Concerning the big business of the PGA Tour, the face of their sport has taken a hit, which directly affects their bottom line. Tiger’s return may have hurt the sport’s marketability, but his return will bring more reporters than the red carpet on Oscar night (sorry you missed it, Cablevision subscribers).
In the eyes of sports fans, Tiger Woods’ sold an image that was far from reality. Using Mr. Spin to stabilize his footing may improve his ability to stonewall and send the ‘right’ message to the press, but it’ll never repair the trust.
The public won’t buy into all the predictable ‘he’s been through so much’ commentary on TV either. As much as America loves the comeback kid, this kid should’ve grown up a long time ago.
