Archive for March, 2010

The folks at PGATour.com did a post that proposed six reasons why Tiger returning for The Masters makes sense.  Not that the listing is in any particular order, but the first one happens to be “Controlled Environment.”  We all know Tiger likes control.

Reason 5, “Competing Storyline” makes a good point.  The Masters event is the first “major” of the year.  According to Nielsen, when comparing TV ratings for the final rounds of golf’s four major tournaments since 1977, they found that the top ten telecasts were all from the Masters.

Clearly, with or without Tiger, The Masters tournament itself is an attention getter.  We already noted that The Masters will be available in 3-D, which is a storyline too.  No doubt, Tiger will be the main attraction this year, but he won’t be the only story.

As for six reasons CBS and ESPN should be ecstatic about Tiger’s return (ESPN will air the first two rounds while CBS will broadcast the final two round), check these numbers from a Nielsen Wire post that appeared in February 2009:

The Nielsen Company compared the network TV ratings for the 3rd and 4th rounds of golf tournaments played by Woods after the U.S. Open in 2007 with those same tournaments he missed in 2008 due to a season-ending knee injury. And the results are just what you might expect: Tiger’s absence almost singlehandedly sliced tour ratings in half.

For the broadcasters, and let’s include the Golf Channel in that mix, all six reasons have to do with dollar bills (perhaps “pots of gold”).

The AP is reporting that Farmers Insurance Group has just signed a 4-year title sponsorship deal for the PGA Tour stop held at Torrey Pines in San Diego.  Terms of the deal were not disclosed.  PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem did say that next year’s purse would increase half a million from this year, to $5.8 million.

The Torrey Pines event, now known as the Farmers Insurance Open, is held during the West Coast Swing in January.  For the 2010 event, Farmers signed on to be title sponsor the week before the event.  Since 1992, it had been known as the Buick Invitational.  Things changed when the automaker’s parent company, General Motors, filed for bankruptcy and ended its sponsorship last year.

Another day, another 3D announcement.  This time, it came from an unlikely source — Augusta National Golf Club and Masters Tournament Chairman Billy Payne.  They just issued a press release stating that the 2010 Masters will be produced and broadcast live in 3D.

“This innovative step forward, the first of its kind in golf, will include multiple 3D cameras placed strategically throughout the course resulting in perspectives never before seen of Augusta National.”

Sony, IBM and Comcast on board.

Sony Electronics will support the golf effort not only as a sponsor of the 3D Masters telecast, but will showcase the latest advances in professional camera equipment and its 3D-capable televisions. Comcast will join in the production effort and provide the distribution channels necessary to deliver the content free to its households throughout the U.S. Additionally, Comcast and IBM, the tournament’s technology partner, will combine efforts to offer the 3D feed via www.masters.com.

There will be two hours of live afternoon 3D coverage each day starting with  the Par 3 Contest scheduled for April 7.

Seems like the New York Post has the inside scoop on Tiger’s return to golf.

A story posted on Thursday and referenced by other media organizations, stated “Ari Fleischer, the former presidential advisor to George W. Bush and the man who was brought in to help repair the steroid-shattered image of Mark McGwire, has been huddling with Woods, plotting a strategy for his return to golf — at the Arnold Palmer Invitational starting March 25 at Bay Hill in Orlando, Fl.”  The sources were two people from “the golf community.”

The date of the return is encouraging.  His choice of advisor isn’t.

The man who claims on his website to be able to “help you handle the bad news and take advantage of the good” which includes sharpening messages and improving images,” did not exactly hit it out of the ballpark with McGuire.

In the San Francisco Chronicle, John Shea wrote a story talking about how McGwire’s admission became a denial.  He called out Fleischer, saying:

How could a former White House press secretary not see it coming? How could he miss on prepping McGwire on the benefits of steroids? Having worked under President George W. Bush, he should have known to cover all the basics. Like, what if someone, say Bob Costas, asks McGwire if he would have hit all those home runs without juicing.

When McGwire said “absolutely,” it reminded everyone he hit home runs as far back as Little League and legion ball, and talked about his “gift (from) the man upstairs,” his admission suddenly became a denial. McGwire wasn’t apologizing as much as justifying.”

In commenting on today’s news, Gene Wojciechowski, the senior national columnist for ESPN.com remarked,

“The best Tiger Woods could do is hire the guy who orchestrated Mark McGwire’s bungled re-entry into baseball? The guy who shills for the galactically stupid and indefensible BCS? The guy who counseled the Green Bay Packers on how to deal with their Brett Favre divorce proceedings?”

“Woods doesn’t need to be managed, especially by someone who appears to think the BCS is a brilliant idea. He doesn’t require advice from the same person who signed off on McGwire’s delusional steroids-didn’t-help-me-hit-home-runs explanation.”

Looks like the crisis/reputation management guy needs a crisis/reputation manager.

Circling back to the alleged return to golf, Bay Hill is a short drive from Tiger’s home and he has been a six-time winner on that course (including being the defending champion).