Come Clean Tiger

Monday, November 30th, 2009 Blog / Commentary by IARC

So Tiger Woods ran out of his house at 2:30 in the morning, drove his Cadillac Escalade into a fire hydrant, then a tree, had his wife smash the back windows out to rescue him, and was found lying in the street going in and out of consciousness by the Florida Highway Patrol.

Tiger then issued a statement a few days after the incident, claiming it was a “private matter.”  Does the incident described above sound anything remotely close to private?  Or does it sound like a very public event involving a very public figure.  Last time we checked, our taxes paid for the 911 call made to the police, the fire hydrant that was hit, and the police itself to respond and investigate the call.

Private is something that happens behind closed doors in your home.  When you are one of the most recognizable figures in the world, crash your Cadillac SUV into several inanimate objects in the middle of the night, and then have your blonde, Swedish model wife rescue you with one of your own golf clubs, you can’t hide behind a cloak of privacy.

Tiger’s handlers haven’t taken Public Relations 101.  A carefully cultivated image built up over years is going up in smoke with every passing day Tiger refuses to explain his actions.  It’s better to tell the American people the truth and shape the story your own way, rather than have the media and blogosphere pick you apart.

So Tiger, please talk to the police, get the truth out, and get on with your life.  Remember, the truth shall set you free.