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It's time for him to become a mensch.That's essentially the message he is posting on his Web site tonight. So no more golf for... well, he doesn't say, other than to call it "an indefinite break." He does - finally - mention the word "infidelity" and notes that "I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person." (AP)
*Bloomberg reports that Woods has disappeared from the home page of consulting company Accenture. He had been the firm's primary marketing strategy - an image of Tiger would rotate on the site's main page. Now that's gone and links to some Woods-related content are no longer working. Meanwhile, there have been reports about other sponsors reviewing their contracts with him. Who knows how much of that is true, but his decision to take an indefinite leave will probably be greeted with relief. This way, he can exit or at least suspend his deals without anyone having to actually pull the plug. Of course, it's terrible news for the TV networks that carry pro golf - his involvement always boosted ratings - and for the PGA Tour in general.
The WSJ had this:
The move comes as a serious blow to the sport of golf, which has relied on Mr. Woods's star power to drive television ratings and sell sponsorships. In 13 and a half seasons as a professional, he has won 71 times on the PGA Tour and collected $93 million of prize money. Since his debut, prize money on the tour has more than tripled, with weekly purses averaging more than $3 million. Along the way, Mr. Woods has captivated the sports world, becoming arguably the world's most recognizable athlete. Television audiences for tournaments can double in size when he is in contention in the final round.
A spokesman for one of his sponsors, AT&T, said that, "We are presently evaluating our ongoing relationship with him." It'll be a pretty interesting dance - does everybody just put him in the deep freeze and see what happens? Will sponsors use a morals-type clause to void their contracts? Does the loss of Tiger affect the amount of prize money on the tour? No way to know any of this - and there's also no way to know how long this self-imposed exile will last. Maybe he'll be patch things up with the missus in a few months and be back at the Masters come spring.
Edited post
Mark Lacter created the LA Biz Observed blog in 2006. He posted
until the day before his death on Nov. 13, 2013.