The Tiger Woods media attack is turning an interesting corner, and in both directions the issue revolves around ratings…excuse me, I meant revenues resultant of ratings; dollar-dollar bill ya’ll.I’ve oddly been able to sit and watch a golf tournament on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon since childhood. It’s easy to watch golf because you don’t really have to pay attention – watch a shot and then go back to reading your book, writing your article, or washing the dishes. In the past, during this time of year when I stop by the barbershop, or eatery for lunch, at least one television in the corner is usually tuned into a golf tournament. However, not these days, and we all know why. For those who watch ESPN like there’s an umbilical cord attaching the flatscreen television to their brain (I have an excuse), you know that golf has not led off a single episode of sports news, unless you call what Tiger was doing with those mistresses “golf”.
Fellow golfer John Daly made this statement regarding Tiger’s absence from golf: “Golf needs him. Because of Tiger is why we’re playing for so much money.” Now Daly may be the fattest, drunkest, gambling-est, golfer on the PGA Tour, but drunks have been known to have moments of clarity (I like John Daly, and always root for him to get better. At the very least he’s an honest dude). Well, Daly hit that nail on the head about as hard as his big butt bashes the ball, and his big butt bashes the ball better than most (naturally it’s the finesse that Daly lacks).
Golf needs Tiger Woods. While people have enjoyed the many amazing moments that Tiger delivers on the course, they have also become accustomed to seeing that level of play on a regular basis. Only a few other golfers seem to be able to match Tiger’s theatre, and none with anywhere near the same level of consistency. I used to watch golf regardless of who was playing, but having seen what Tiger does on a consistent basis, watching a tournament without him is like trying to go back to a bad restaurant: you want to give them a try to redeem themselves, but you’re not in the mood to get let down…so you end up going back to The Favor for chicken wings, or Old Chicago for some pizza.
I wrote an article a while back titled, “You Play to the Level of Your Competition”. Without Tiger’s level of competitiveness present on the course, the other players seem to be a bit more relaxed and reminiscent of the “cigar smoking-can’t wait to get a drink after the round-and chum around doing what Tiger just got caught doing” days. Fortunately, the younger golfers on the PGA Tour seem to have a different, more athletic approach to the game than their predecessors – thanks to Tiger – but none have yet been able to reach Tiger’s mental success in playing golf.
Business usually gets done better when the boss is in the building. Tiger Woods is the boss of golf, and the business that is not getting done without his presence is the business of ratings and advertising revenues.
Now let’s just take a moment and stew on this one as we ease out of the government supported Black History Month and into the other 11 months of Black History for 2010. The PGA Tour did not rescind its “Caucasians Only” Policy until 1961. Jackie Robinson RETIRED from baseball in 1956. In 1990, the PGA Tour was still holding events at golf courses that didn’t allow people of color.
While the executive leadership of the PGA Tour tries to suggest that things are just fine without Tiger Woods, the players are constantly suggesting that they sure would like to see him back swinging a club and kicking their butts. Like most businesses, if you want a true litmus test of what’s going on, don’t ask the leadership, ask the employees.
