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The past few days has seen a number of allegations about Tiger Woods’ infidelity, all coming on the heels of his car accident outside his Florida home. It has generated a torrent of comments as to how much damage this has done to the Tiger Woods brand.
Tiger Woods issued a statement on his web site, beginning his statement: I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone.
All kinds of commentators and pundits have commented on whether the Tiger Woods brand has been damaged. A number of companies with whom Tiger Woods has sponsorship agreements, have issued statements of support. Even some editorial pages have found the need to comment on whether Tiger Woods has been sufficiently forthcoming and contrite. This controversy evens seems to have overshadowed Barak Obama’s speech at West Point.
The first observation is that this is silliness, verging on the absurd. First Tiger Woods has not been accused of a crime (despite the somber declarations by a Florida Sate trooper that a traffic citation has been issued). Comparisons with Kobe Bryant are therefore irrelevant. When that story broke, there were not only allegations of infidelity, but also that a crime had been committed. In the meantime, Mr. Bryant seems to have survived that episode with no ill effects.
Secondly, Tiger Woods is not an elected official who has “betrayed the public trust. This is not the same as a governor running off to another country to be with his mistress and not leaving a number behind where he can be reached. Even within the realm of politicians and their indiscretions, how many Americans, if given the choice, would today rather being back Bill Clinton as President, rather that George W. Bush? President Clinton would probably win in a landslide. Mr. Woods is also not a preacher who tearfully begs for forgiveness for having sinned while he has been spewing invective towards all who don’t fit his view of morality.
Tiger Woods is an athlete, an incredibly talented athlete, obvious to even those who don’t follow golf. He was also a brand long before he was married. He was famous even before he had any interest in women (considering he first gained attention on U.S. national television when he 3 years old).
The Tiger Woods brand has more to do with talent, focus and determination than with family values. The brand certainly is also about class, Tiger Woods being as a good person, as a classy guy. In that respect, the brand has not been wrecked or even damaged, though it was probably not a good thing. If anything, this has humanized Tiger Woods, who was sometimes seen as a bit robotic in his conquest of all things golf.
The number of people in the public spotlight who have been or are currently unfaithful to their spouses is innumerable, not to mention people in all walks of life who also cheat on their partners. How many artists, writers, scientists, athletes, clergy, and of course politicians (among others) have had their private lives and failures exposed? All the while, many who are damning Tiger Woods for his failures are not doubt being unfaithful to their spouses at the same time.
Certain people thrive on celebrity for its own sake. They crash White House state dinners. They say their son is floating out of control through the sky in a balloon. A private videotape of a person performing sex is the ticket to even greater celebrity.
I’ll take Tiger, his infidelity and his brand over these other wannabe brands anytime.