Tiger’s FInally Taking His Medicine…Online

Tiger Woods’ traffic mishap may have caused $3,200 in damage to public property (not counting his SUV), but by refusing to talk with the Highway Patrol or issue more than a vague statement, he caused far more damage to his stature as a respected public figure. Say what you will about personal privacy, Tiger is one of the world’s most valuable brands, and with that benefit comes public scrutiny.

So he has come clean now (assuming there aren’t more suppressed secrets waiting to be sprung). He has admitted his indiscretions and, like David Letterman, is asking the public to leave him alone for awhile as he tends to his family.

The purpose of this post is to point out something he’s doing right. Visit Tiger’s Web site, which leads with “Tiger Comments on Personal Events,” and you’ll read his entire statement. But to his credit, he took the advice of his staff and allowed visitors to post comments. There are the predictable “we love you no matter what because you’re a celebrity” postings, but there are also plenty of people who are extremely disappointed in the man and say it. Many warn about being too quick to judge someone else, but just as many express dismay that Tiger as a role model is flawed.

As someone who has been in the interactive space since there was such a thing, I can tell you that this situation will dissipate faster and the damage will be minimized because Tiger allowed people to sound off publicly on his Web site. It’s bitter medicine at a time when he and his family are suffering under scrutiny.