Tiger Woods and the sponsor spiral

Tiger Woods has fallen, and it doesn’t look like he’s going to get up anytime soon. Ever since word came out about his scandalous off-course activities, the world’s most respected golfer has been stuck in the rough. Gossip rags and humor sites hang on news of every revealed mistress, he’s the butt of countless jokes with “holes” in the punchline, and popular opinion of him as a human being has plummeted. A recent reads the headline “Tag Heuer stands with Tiger Woods.” So either the tiny clock maker sees an opportunity here to stand by its man while everyone else is jumping ship, or infidelity just isn’t a big deal for people over in Switzerland. After all, since when do you have to be loyal to read a watch?

Nike — Leave it to Phil Knight to tell the world where it can stick its whiny complaints. While other companies were busy figuring out how to tear down Tiger posters, the Swoosh company was pledging full support to one of its most lucrative athletes. Whether you agree with the decision or not, you gotta give Nike credit for sticking to its guns instead of folding like a paper plane and flying away.

As sponsors try to keep tally on the rising number of women Tiger Woods has bedded, they’re also considering which direction they want to head in, and whether that direction involves a Tiger. Still, the world of endorsements will probably never be the same — if family-oriented, Stanford-educated, Tiger Woods had 20+ special ladies, imagine what A-Rod and LeBron have in their closets. I think the big problem here is that people (and sponsors) idolize athletes for what they do off the field. Imagine if it were you. Imagine if you had mountains of money, hoards of adoring fans and houses around the world. How long do you think you could stay clean? A week? A month? Tiger has been living like this for 13+ years. Cut the guy a break.