To prepare for his upcoming return to professional golf, Tiger Woods agreed to participate in two different interviews over the weekend on two different sports television networks to answer, one on one, some of the tougher questions that he has yet to answer personally (his first interviews since his public apology in February). It is my opinion that these interviews (which were limited to just 5 minutes each) were very well orchestrated and that he was fully prepared to answer every questions posed to him (tho, there were some questions that he would refuse to answer entirely) … in an effort to appear to the public (and his fans in particular) as if he is doing everything he can to get back in their good graces. It is also my opinion that the decision to participate in these two interviews is a stroke of genius by his PR team:
Love cheat Tiger Woods wants fans to clap him when he makes his golfing comeback next month, he said in his first TV interview since the sex scandal erupted. The shamed billionaire, who agreed answer any questions but restricted the chat to five minutes, also admitted he had been ‘living a lie’. The recording – just a month after his public apology for having at least 12 affairs – is seen as a calculated public relations drive to ease him back into the public eye as he prepares for the major tournament. And the married father of two told how he is nervous about returning to the U.S. Masters. Woods, 34, who has had two spells in sex rehab since November after crashing his car outside his Florida mansion, said: ‘I hurt so many people by my own reckless attitude and behaviour. I tried to stop and couldn’t stop. Talking to TV’s Golf Channel and ESPN, he revealed he was unsure about the reception he would get from fans when he plays at the U.S. Masters on April 8. ‘I’m a little nervous about that to be honest with you,’ he said. ‘It would be nice to hear a couple claps here and there. But also hope they clap for birdies, too.’ Woods also denied that his wife Elin Nordegren had attacked him on the night of the crash on November 27, 2009, after finding out about one of his affairs, adding: ‘Well, it’s all in the police report. Beyond that, everything’s between Elin and myself and that’s private.’ Asked why he lost control of the car, Woods replied: ‘As I said … that’s between Elin and myself.’ A string of women – including a porn actress and cocktail waitress – have come forward and claimed they had relationships with the golfer. He did not discuss details about his affairs but said that ‘just one is enough and obviously that wasn’t the case’. He also talked of the ‘brutal’ moments when he levelled with Elin. He said she was, ‘Hurt. Very hurt. Shocked. Angry. And, you know, she had every right to be and I’m as disappointed as everyone else in my own behaviour because I can’t believe I actually did that to the people I loved.’ Woods agreed to speak with a reporter from the U.S. sports channel ESPN sports and did not place any restrictions on questions that were asked. His only stipulation for the interview, which was carried out at the luxury Isleworth complex, near Orlando, Florida, was that it would last no longer than five minutes … Woods, who has been in therapy for nearly half of the past four months, said of his eagerly awaited return: ‘I’m excited to get back and play. I’m excited to get to see the guys again. ‘I really miss a lot of my friends out there. I miss competing. But still, I still have a lot more treatment to do, and just because I’m playing, doesn’t mean I’m gonna stop going to treatment.’ The sportsman – famed for his privacy – conceded the world knew him ‘a lot better now’. ‘I was living a life of a lie,’ he said. ‘I really was. And I was doing a lot of things, like I said, that hurt a lot of people. And stripping away denial and rationalisation you start coming to the truth of who you really are and that can be very ugly. But then again, when you face it and you start conquering it and you start living up to it. The strength that I feel now, I’ve never felt that type of strength.’ Woods’s last tournament appearance was on November 15, 2009 – when he won the Australian Masters.
While I personally was not impressed with either of these interviews, I absolutely think they will work to his advantage with his target audience … golf fans. He continues to do everything right … he’s already publicly apologized, he’s got his wife back on board with him and now he is giving the appearance of approachability to the press. After he makes his official return to professional golf next month, his plan will be nearly complete. At this point, he’s biting the bullet … doing what he has to do to make his Cheating Scandal a thing of the past. After the jump, check out video of Tiger‘s interviews with ESPN and The Golf Channel … More »
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