So Tiger is hitting up the Masters today (as if you didn’t know).  And Nike has released this commercial which everyone is talking about.  Seriously.  Every radio station I turned to this morning, including the sports station, was discussing this video.

Thoughts?

Me?  Obviously its an attempt by Nike, who famously stood by Tiger,  to humanize him and make his seem like he is just like the rest of us.  Do I buy it?  Hellz no!

Look, after the whole scandal broke, everyone was choosing sides, and there were a lot of people saying “why does everyone care? He just plays golf and wasn’t selling the wholesome image”.  Really?  Really?  I beg to differ.  Because if he wasn’t, why would he be trying to make amends by doing these stupid press conferences and releasing commercials trying to make it seem like he is just one of us?  Why?  Because he needs us to buy his image.  That’s how he makes his money.  He clearly wants all of us to buy this “I’m really really sorry” story.  If he wasn’t worried about saving his rep and his image, he would be off with his wife and children right now rather than trying to make a comeback at the Masters.  If it was just about the golf he wouldn’t be doing any of this extra crap.

I really could care less if he wins or loses.  It doesn’t matter to me because I could care less about golf.  But my own personal morals and values make me dislike what Tiger did and thus judge him as a person.  No Master’s win will make me buy into Tiger Woods again, because being a good golfer doesn’t make you a good person.  And if he was just trying to sell the golf, I wouldn’t be discussing the other side of it.  But he is attmepting to sell the whole package.  And I don’t believe him.

Brilliant marketing on Nike’s part though, because we are all talking about it right?

Tanya: I’ve been sick of the Masters for a week. Nobody except old men and my husband (…wait a minute, does that make him an old man now?) watch golf. All I hear everywhere is how this is Tiger’s “chance to show the world that he’s changed”. What? By playing golf? That’s the same thing he’s always done. Tiger’s performance on the golf course has nothing to do with his personal troubles. Let’s just let the man get back to work and maybe he can straighten out his personal life after the tournament.

Nike’s ad campaign is getting talked about and the Masters is expecting record ratings. Everybody wins.

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