Golf superstar Tiger Woods has been in the public eye for over a week now dealing with rumors of his mysterious early morning car accident, cheating accusations and lack of a coherent response. In other words, right now Woods is in the midst of a public relations nightmare. Media outlets all over the nation, from NBC Philadelphia to the New York Times and OK Magazine, have been covering the Woods story as it continues to unfold each day.
When Woods crashed his car in the early hours of Friday, November 27, 2009, questions immediately started to surface and comments from both Woods and his wife didn’t add up. In the following days several women have come forward with statements regarding relationships they had with the married man, some dating back three years to 2007. Rumors then surfaced about the status of Woods’s marriage and changes in the prenuptial agreement signed by Woods and his wife. Since then, evidence from the women, a canceled press conference by one, and Wood’s pulling out of a gold tournament he was sponsoring have all become media sensations.
On December 2, 2009, Wood’s posted a short statement on his website that starts with, “I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart.” While this message to the public is a start, it is nowhere near what Woods needs to do to clear up the disaster he has caused himself.
As a PR student, I have to ask, who is advising Woods with his public statements (or should I say lack there of)? While his team might be trying to wait out the scandals and hope another celebrity takes media attention in the next few days, hiding in the sand (no pun intended) is not the route Woods should be taking right now. As suggested by an article found on foxnews.com, to properly clear up Woods's sticky situation, he needs to tell the truth, do it himself, and learn from his mistakes!
This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Tristin Fabro.
I don't think Tiger should apologize to the public for cheating. He should do that to his wife. Then explain it to his fans. He's just a regular guy too, despite being an athlete. He may have let the people who look up to him down, but didn't he do it to his wife, first and foremost? :(
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