At each step, Tiger made missteps that could have been avoided, leading to stories along the lines of "Tiger's real crime? Not playing the media's game" and "Tiger Woods Dodges Cops for Third Time."
There's no excuse for the behavior that led to Tiger's predicament, but the still-expanding fallout from his mishandling of these events provides lessons to celebrities, companies and others who suddenly find themselves at the center of a crisis.
Alastair Grant, AP
Tiger Woods
Rule #1: Come clean and come clean quick. Instead of accepting his role in the spotlight and addressing the facts head on, Tiger ran for cover hoping it would all go away. But the fastest road to redemption in the public's eye is an early and honest mea culpa.
That's what Alex Rodriguez did earlier this year, when he stood in front of his teammates and the media and addressed his alleged steroid use head on. While certainly not an easy statement to make, it undeniably saved A-Rod's career from taking the Barry Bonds route, and served as a launching pad for the best season of his career and praise from many of his former critics.
Rule #2: Keep your message consistent. As Bill Clinton can attest, the truth eventually comes out. So be clear, be honest, and keep the story consistent. When similar allegations arose regarding David Letterman and young staff members, Letterman immediately took to the airwaves, admitted his wrongdoings and the circumstances surrounding them, and saw no ill effect in his ratings.
In contrast, Tiger's only message for nearly five days after the accident was silence. And while he did eventually admit to his "transgressions," his promise to "strive to be a better person and the husband and father that [his] family deserves" seemed to ring hollow as information surfaced regarding a renegotiation of his prenup in an effort to keep the family together.
Rule #3: Leave no gray area. From the moment reports of the accident happened, the only color surrounding the facts was gray. How did Tiger sustain the injuries he did in such as slow-moving, low-impact crash? Was his wife chasing him with a golf club? Was he impaired? And so on until another round of questions surfaced regarding alleged romps with various women. Tiger then made his brief admission of guilt but still failed to explain how the accident happened, why he was reportedly snoring on the ground as the family waited for an ambulance, etc.
Fortunately for Tiger, most if not all of his sponsors remain by his side, and his mastery of golf will continue to wow fans for years to come.
But no one will ever look at him the same way again, and his distinctive trademark is tarnished. The days of invincibility are over, if not on the course then in relationships, honesty and integrity.
Let's hope others who make mistakes in life and business take a look at Tiger's self-inflicted wounds and choose a different path of redemption in the public's eye.
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Ronn Torossian is President and CEO of 5W Public Relations, is one of the 25 largest PR firms in the U.S.
