Tiger Woods: He Swings, He Tweets, He Talks; Is This a New Tiger?
A lot of people are making a big thing out of Tiger’s recent antics. Tweeting. ESPN Radioing. Newsweeking.
This is PR 101, really, and SHOULD have been done last year.
He would have lost fewer sponsors and fans would have forgiven him quickly. Who knows, he might have just needed to buy a ring bigger than the one Kobe bought, lived in separate houses and then eventually arranged a quiet divorce down the road.
Instead, a year of headlines and discomfort. Ah well, it just shows that even Tiger Woods can learn from his errant shots.
Tiger's a Tweeting Maniac
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With Twitter, Woods is just the most recent in a long list of celebrity tweeters who are all about the next big thing. In his case, he’s actually pretty good at the short answer. Ask anybody in the press room, that’s his favorite kind.
How smart is Tiger to go tweeting? If you were a FanOT, would you be pumped to get his tweets? You think he’ll surpass Ashton Kutcher any time soon? Does that make you wonder if Ashton Kutcher and Matt Kuchar are related?
Grade for Tweeting: A
Grade for Tweets: A+
Some ReTweets, which means he's answering people:
TigerWoods Getting a lesson in @ replies here it goes.. http://twitpic.com/3bp5uj about
TigerWoods I can barely grow a goatee. RT: @PeytonD @TigerWoods can you rock a full beard or only the goatee?
TigerWoods Single digit handicap with a nasty hook. RT: @billyfennelly I know that you have caddied for Stevie before, how good of a golfer is he?
TigerWoods St. Andrews. RT: @Justin_PRGuy @TigerWoods what's your favorite course and why?
TigerWoods Thanks brother RT: @Squidbaittw I'm a retired Special Ops Guy like your dad. I got divorced and it was tough as hell. I have faith in you! web
TigerWoods Read RT: @davejemm Cant believe TW is on Twitter! The fact that you may read this Tiger fills me with excitement ! Absolutely love you man!
TigerWoods Go pioneers! RT: @DjKillerDistro show Orange County some love! Ima Western High School Alumni too!
TigerWoods The board room tweeting you RT: GoogleJason The only reason I'm back on twitter is to see what Tiger has to say...where you at @tigerwoods?
TigerWoods As Al Davis said "Just win baby" RT: @mwheeler22 @TigerWoods ..yo tiger, what are your 2011 goals on the PGA tour?
TigerWoods During round I eat peanut&banana sandwich & almonds RT: @macrod01 Hey -- What's the best pre-round meal and "in the bag" snacks/food? Thnx.
TigerWoods Steep and deep. RT: @HunterMahan @TigerWoods Hahahaha. Have you made a complete turn yet?
TigerWoods Thx man loved being in PA. Go Raiders! RT: @nuketech24 Get it done at the chevron! Your many fans in Pittsburgh will b cheering u on
TigerWoods Steak and baked potato. RT: @Padgoi what did you eat after your foundation meeting?
TigerWoods TCU in the National Champion game. It could happen.. @kev2128 Tiger, who would you rather see Stanford play, TCU, Wisconsin or Ohio State?
TigerWoods Spent a lot of time on future expansion plans for TWLC @kathleenhessert what came out of your learning center & foundation board meeting?
Mike and Mike
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Mike and Mike are reported to be FriendsOT before all the stuff hit the fan or the fireplug.
Talking with a “ friendly” means you’ll more than likely never be asked a really awful question, like, can I have Rachel’s phone number?
Grade for going on Mike and Mike: A. Reportedly a candid interview.
Tiger's Newsweek
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Any time you get a chance to write something the way you want to write it for any media outlet that will let you do that without a challenge, take it. It’s the best way to lead with your strengths and say it your way, to borrow a Frank Sinatraism.
“It's been difficult, but also it's been very rewarding at the same time,” he said about Newsweek. “It forced me to look deeper into myself and look where—how I grew up and how those things didn't match with the person who I am, and getting back to that, getting back to how my parents raised me basically. It's been good. I'm very excited about the future because of that."
What he meant was "those things" didn’t match the person he became because he still saw himself as the person he was before "those things" turned him into somebody he thought he wasn't, although it was clear to everybody else who he had become. Are you confused yet?
Grade on effort: A
Grade on content: Pass—it was what he wanted it to be.
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Tiger's Website
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Since Tiger Woods started his website, he has used that vehicle first for every communication he wants to make. The web is a wonderful vehicle because it removes the filter between a writer and a reader.
The web is also a horrible vehicle because it removes the filter between a writer and a reader. The web can also be controlled because Woods does not have replies on his website.
Grade for attempt to control the message: A
Grade for knowing how to actually control the message: D-
Woods' Combined Score
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Unlike combined driving or alpine combined skiing, you have to take the overall result of what happened in the last 12 months and how it affected the image of Tiger Woods and how it affected the person of Tiger Woods.
Tiger Woods cheated on his wife. He knew it. He knows it. He probably regrets it at some level for a myriad of reasons. A lot of men cheat on their wives, and a lot of women cheat on their husbands.
These things are a result of a bad or deteriorating or failed relationship. Cheating is a symptom of a deeper problem: something not right in paradise. Tiger Woods knew something was not right, and Elin Woods did not. Now they both know.
They get As for learning, but it’s not much fun.
Woods gets an F for short-term results because he waited much too long to jump in and admit he had a problem so that he could get on with a new and improved version of himself.
Combined Score: A for learning and F for short-term result = C
Rating the New Tiger Woods
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The image of Tiger Woods is now closer to reality, and he has had to get used to that. Woods can only go up from where he was last spring.
It doesn’t mean he can’t go on to date a gazillion women, become engaged if he wants to and get married, hopefully successfully, in the future.
Rating The New Tiger Woods: Jury still out. But the tweets are really good.
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