Two Golfers; Two Images

When the Tiger Woods Nike ad first aired during the Masters, it was only hours until it went viral on the 'net. It currently holds the #2 spot on Ad Age's Viral Video Chart.
However, of the 11.2 million total views thus far, 51% are of parodies. Nike's Stefan Olander claims that "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. We love when people engage and participate in the storytelling. Any confident brand should be." I'll agree that there's some good in engaging consumers on multiple levels as such, but I also think that the ad had a John Daly-esque engagement that is very un-Tiger. People were making fun of Tiger and Nike. Not normal. Remember this ad? It also included Tiger's deceased father's voice. Up until Saturday afternoon at the Masters, Tiger and his new Nike ad - along with his newly branded on-course demeanor - were the talk of the tournament. Tiger was smiling and shaking hands with the galleries all while hitting fairways and making putts. He was playing great golf and everything was under control. But when the putts didn't drop and the curse words did, the critics of both his brand and his game were left with more questions than answers. Similarly, his new ad engaged consumers, but it left a new and unkown taste in their mouth for the Tiger brand. Tiger is still one of the world's most recognized brands, but his brand's identity or what it represents is not clear to the the consumer and Nike definitely faces an up-hill battle to redefine his image.

Enter Phil Mickelson.

As Tiger's chances faded and his brand became harder to interpret, Phil's chances were realized and his sponsor was rewarded. Everything..and I mean EVERYTHING went right for Phil in his well-deserved victory at Augusta. From the 5-under stretch on Saturday to his second shot at 13 on Sunday, his on-course performance was the perfect pairing for what he was dealing with in his personal life. It was a Disney movie in HD, a feel good ending that couldn't have worked out better for Billy Payne and golf's traditionalists who desperately needed a feel-good story. It was also great for Phil's sponsors. Words like mistress, scandal and bootyism were replaced by family, integrity, and focus. Those are great words for your spokesperson to be associated with. Turning the first couple pages of the post-Masters Golf World issue last week, I wasn't suprised to see a Barclay's ad congratulating Phil and leveraging this picture perfect ending, but I was suprised to see how direct some of the verbage was. (An identical, full-page ad appeared in the WSJ the following week). Both ads depict an emotional Phil embracing his cancer-stricken wife just off the 18th green. They read:

"Congratulations to Phil Mickelson and his family on his victory ... Phil demonstrates why he is a great ambassador and role model for the game of golf. He personifies the game's values of integrity, focus, and precision, which are at the core of how we at Barclays are committed to earning success every day for our clients.”

Wow. They might as well have said, "We're really glad that Tiger is not our spokesperson." Considering the moral scrutiny that financial institutions are under, this couldn't have worked out better for the limey asset manager. Despite some gambling rumors, Phil has shown himself to be an honest gentlemen both on and off the course. Good for him and good for Barclays. He's been a great investment and what happened at the Master's took his brand to the next level.
Moreover, this all makes for more storylines, better competition and highly entertaining golf for ther rest of us. We'll be watching Tiger and Phil do battle at the PLAYERS and the year's remaining majors. I can't wait. It's gonna be great competition and we'll be watching every swing. But we'll also be watching their sponsors...to see how they react to the victories and failures of their most valuable and dynamic spokesmen.

Shots Heard Round The Golf World

Thanks to Charter Communication's lack of 'communication,' I haven't been able to get on the 'net to share my thoughts on all the Masters shenanigans. Honestly....no television, either. I had to catch the coverage at the public course's clubhouse down the street with their boisterous Men's Club providing commentary. It was awesome. And so was this year's Masters. Whether it was Billy Payne's hypocrisy, Ricky Barnes' belt buckle or golf writer Dan Jenkins' racist Tweets, there's a lot that needs to be addressed. I've decided to carve out some time in my afternoons this week (when I'm usually napping under my desk) to collect my thoughts and share some of the golf-related goodness out there on the world wide web.


First, Rick Reilly's recap and perspective on Sunday at Augusta. If Phil is the Thrill, is Tiger the Sullen...?

I love golf. I love the majors. I think Augusta National GC is one the most beautiful courses I've ever seen and hope to get there some day, but Chairman Billy Payne's scolding of Tiger was disgusting and is yet another instance where the club's elitist attitude has left a bad taste in my mouth after a tremendous tourney. While practically comical, his remarks reeked of a hypocrisy that few - the media included -addressed. Why not? The Chairman of a club that doesn't allow women scolds Tiger for the way he treated women?? Ha! Talk about writing checks your body can't cash. Look, I have no problem with a bunch of stuck-up Southern 'gentlemen' wanting to have guy time and tell nasty jokes to one another. I covet and cherish my guy time. But, Billy, please don't publicly lecture us on what our children's role models should or shouldn't be doing. Perhaps most of the media were too caught up in the actual GOLF going on to cover this. I know I was. It finally took the fired-up, non-golf writer, Bill Simmons, to put this into perspective for me on Monday. Check it out here.

Did you hear about esteemed golf writer Dan Jenkins' Racist Tweet Ha! Granted, I think we're all getting a little too racially sensitive these days, but seriously, dude, way to be a professional and prove that the golf world isn't just a bunch of Billy Paynes. We're all really impressed. He HAD to be boozing for this to happen, right?


An authentic (WORN) Green Jacket is being auctioned at
American Memorabilia. Current bid is $1,750. They don't tell us who wore it or when it was worn. So its some dead member's jacket and this is how they plan to cover some of the estate taxes? Hmmm...and its a size 58....No thanks.



I had a friend point out that Ricky Barnes was wearing a "69" belt buckle on Sunday. If that doesn't cement his L7 weenie-status, then I'm sure this 2002 photo we found of him will. Yes, ladies, he's jumping rope with a 5-iron.


Finally, John Tesh puts all our suspicions to rest by confirming that he did, in fact, date Oprah....Winfrey. Oprah, we hope you wore a condom.

PHOTOS : Tiger's Practice Round on Tuesday

Photos Courtesy of Zimbio.com

Why The Disappointment?

Tiger first took the world by storm when he won the '97 Masters by a record-setting 12-stroke margin. He stood on the tee with a physical and mental dominance we had never seen in the game and perhaps all of sports. He was black. He would represent the modernization and growth of golf by burying the game's socio-economic barriers and outdated 'traditions' in the bunkers and lockerooms of its past. Then, stroke after stroke, win after win, he lived up to that hype, shattered our expectations and became an elite superstar. He was larger than life with corporate endorsement dollars spilling out of his golf bag. He garnered an IMG entourage of 'handlers' and a celebrity status that admittedly made him feel entitled. Too entitled. Sigh. We were disappointed, but so what? This is nothing new. We've seen this happen in other sports and after the initial shock of a scandal outside the lines (Kobe), he'll dust off his demons and step back into the sanctuary of his craft. A public apology and an exclusive interview and then he's welcomed back by the galleries. He's the next comeback story, right? Perhaps that will happen. Still, golf fans are inexplicably disappointed with the situation. Are we just naive, lacking a mature perspective and blinded by his celebrity grandeur? Possibly. But most of us would agree that Tiger doesn't owe us anything, least of all an explanation for what he does off the course. Yet we're still shaking our collective heads. Why is this? The reason is simple: In golf, it's harder to separate the athlete from the man than in any other sport.

Unlike other sports fans, golf fans have a unique "link" to the game and its professionals. Few baseball fans will ever have the opportunity to hit a Major League fastball out of Wrigley or hit a 3-pointer in Madison Square Garden, but as long as we have a couple hundred bucks to poney up, we can - just days after Phil and Tiger - make birdies at Pebble Beach and Torrey Pines. Granted, we aren’t breaking 70 and competing against the world’s best every week. The first professional golf tournament I ever attended was at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis. As I stepped onto the course, I looked on in awe as I saw Sergio Garcia and Ernie Els hit their second shots up to the elevated 10th green - a green I had approached myself on a number of occasions. I had been there before. Literally with golf club in hand, debating my shot up towards the clubhouse. (Note: I had also once used this green's slope for sled-riding on cafeteria lunch trays when I skipped morning assemblies at my neighboring high-school.) The point is, we can play on the same courses as the pros and we get far closer to pro golfers than any other professional athlete we might pay to see. We can walk 18 holes with Tiger and stand just feet from him, standing in the fairways he hits or huddled around his ball in the rough as he and Stevie debate the next shot. This access draws us in and establishes a personal connection to the professionals struggling with a game - and sometimes a course - that we struggle with on the weekend. Sure, this connection is probably one-sided and a bit nostalgic, but its still there and plays a major role in why and how we consume the sport of golf. While it doesn't justify our disappointment, it helps explain it. It's the 300-yard driving force behind the sport's marketing and explains why one man can mean so much to corporate sponsors. Unfortunately, it also explains why one man can mean so much to his fans.