Tiger Woods: Is His Latest Public Relations Push Winning Back Fans?
Tiger Woods has had a busy day already.
Golf's most talented player, and one of the most recognized athletes in the world, appeared on "Mike & Mike in the Morning" this morning, discussing his life and the changes he's made over the past year. He also opened up a Twitter account, which almost had 190,000 followers by 8 a.m. central time.
Woods has also authored a piece in this week's Newsweek magazine called "How I've Redefined Victory."
The push is on obviously to present a new Tiger Woods, one that is much different from the person who was in the headlines this past year because of his numerous affairs. Woods' divorce from wife Elin was finalized in late August, and he finished the year losing his spot as golf's No. 1 player.
But has today's news begun a pivotal change for Woods' image?
Here are five reasons it has and five why it hasn't, with a final conclusion.
Reason No. 5 He Hasn't: Trust Is Ruined
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When you lived a lie for so long, how can anyone trust you again?
Some fans won't waste time with this, and will move on. They may even passionately root against him. Woods has become a polarizing figure over the past year. You either find it regrettable what he did, and accept his apology, or it's so unforgivable and what he did tainted your image of him forever.
Reason No. 5 He Has: He's Showing His Human Side
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The hardest part about Tiger Woods is that he's so guarded, and can almost seem robotic when you listen to his interviews.
But there have been countless moments when you've seen his human side, and that's part of what made him so enjoyable. Remember this from the 2005 Masters?
Then came this morning's tweet about the Mike & Mike interview: "The best part about phone interviews is getting to wear shorts."
Random, yes, but still nice to see.
Reason No. 4 He Hasn't: It's Not Sincere
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There will be plenty of cynics out there who won't buy any of this.
And they'll tell you the same the thing: "The only reason he apologized for what he did was because he got caught." To some degree it is getting tougher to believe athletes who apologize, but then fall back to their same patterns of poor behavior.
Whether or not Tiger does that remains to be seen.
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Reason No. 4 He Has: What History Shows
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We are a country of second chances. We want to be forgiven when we make mistakes, and we certainly will forgive others in those situations as well.
That's been the case when it's come to sports. Just take a look at athletes like Ray Lewis, Kobe Bryant and now Michael Vick, and you'll see they've emerged from controversy to be successful.
Reason No. 3 He Hasn't: Wait and See
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It may be too early for some fans to say whether or not Tiger Woods has really changed. What Woods has said sounds nice, but they may sit and watch his actions over time before they pass judgement.
As the saying goes, "Talk's cheap. Show me."
Reason No. 3 He Has: He's Paid the Price
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Let's see, over the past year, Woods has lost his marriage, his reputation, millions in endorsements and his No. 1 ranking.
He's also been on the front of every gossip magazine and tabloid imaginable.
Most fans will tell you he's paid the price, and will have to live with his choices for the rest of his life. They're tired of hearing about what he did, and would rather move on and be able to focus on him winning golf tournaments again like he used to.
Reason No. 2 He Hasn't: Just a Typical Athlete
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With time, more and more sports fans are growing tired of professional athletes and their behavior.
Take people like Barry Bonds, Michael Vick and then LeBron's disastrous choice with "The Decision." For many, it's become a source of anger to see arrogant athletes who think they can do anything they want, show no loyalty and who think they're above the law.
With Woods, the affairs may have been the tipping point, especially after he'd already been criticized for his foul language on the golf course and for berating photographers following his backswing.
Reason No. 2 He Has: His Priorities Are Right
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You will see some revealing details in the Newsweek article Woods wrote.
Woods admits the healing process will take time, but is appreciating things he used to overlook.
"I’m learning that some victories can mean smiles, not trophies, and that life’s most ordinary events can bring joy," he writes. "Giving my son, Charlie, a bath, for example, beats chipping another bucket of balls. Making mac and cheese for him and his sister, Sam, is better than dining in any restaurant. Sharing a laugh watching cartoons or reading a book beats channel-surfing alone."
He's refocusing and seeing what truly matters.
Reason No. 1 He Hasn't: You Just Don't Do That
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Many won't be able to look past the fact that Tiger Woods not only cheated on his wife, but did it multiple times and tried to hide it.
In the eyes of many sports fans, that will be attached to him forever, and be something they'll never forget.
Reason No. 1 He Has: He's Taking Responsibility
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All most people want is to hear someone apologize, take responsibility for their actions and hold themselves accountable.
That appears to be what Woods is doing.
"...This much is obvious now: my life was out of balance, and my priorities were out of order," Woods writes in Newsweek. "I made terrible choices and repeated mistakes. I hurt the people whom I loved the most. And even beyond accepting the consequences and responsibility, there is the ongoing struggle to learn from my failings."
Conclusion
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The days of athletes being these perfect, heroic figures are a thing of the past.
Tiger Woods has hit rock bottom, and is now trying to learn from his mistakes.
It will take time for true change to happen, but if you've ever made horrible choices, then you can sympathize with Woods. What he did was wrong, and while fans will hope he can regain his magic as one of the most dominant golfers ever, they'll be rooting for something else too.
Can he be an even better father?
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