Tiger Woods Rehab Photo 'A PR Nightmare'

By Rob Shuter Posted Jan 20th 2010 09:41AM

A new paparazzi image of Tiger has surfaced (see it on RadarOnline), potentially ruining his handler's plan to release a carefully staged photograph of Tiger with his wife and children looking happy together."At the moment it's all about regaining control of the golfer's image," an insider tells me. "The plan was to let an appropriate time pass and then issue one photograph wide to everyone in the media showing the family back together."

"This was NOT the first picture of Tiger his handlers wanted the world to see. This is another PR nightmare for him," my source says.

In the paparazzi photo, Tiger is seen looking at the camera, holding a cup and covering his head with a hooded sweatshirt. It's the first photo of the golf great since his Thanksgiving day car wreck that led to his infidelity scandal. He's now reportedly in a Mississippi sex addiction clinic, according to Radar. Details From Inside the Clinic on Hollywood Life >>>

Positioning a photo for publicity reasons is nothing new in the celebrity world, or Tiger's world. After the birth of his first child, Tiger released a photograph of the boy and proud parents to the entire world's media for free rather than selling his baby pictures to the highest bidder. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words -- or in Tiger's case, many millions!

But just how much could this new Tiger photo have been worth? David Leigh of Splash News, which sells photographs to tabloid and mainstream media companies, said in December: "An exclusive image of [Woods] could be worth a quarter of a million dollars."

"When he goes somewhere he goes somewhere to disappear. He is a very public figure and he knows what fame is and if he wanted his picture taken it would have been taken by now," said Peter Grossman, News Photo Editor for US Weekly magazine.

The rehab photo is just the latest blow to the downward spiral that has become Tiger's post-scandal publicity campaign.

Thanks to the the car crash and subsequent sex scandal, Woods has seen his reputation tarnished in a way that few would have ever thought was possible pre-Thanksgiving. His image was always one of a quiet, family-oriented sports star who brands like Cadillac, Nike and many others used as their spokesperson. Since the mess began, Woods has been dropped by several sponsors, put his golf career on hold, and perhaps even more important than all of those, suffered a blow in the court of public opinion that may take years to overcome.

Tags: tiger woods, TigerWoods

Comments

(235)

Wednesday 20 January

By Mike

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If Tiger is a "brand", then wouldn't any use of his pictures or likeness be unlawful?

Thursday 21 January

By Jennifer

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The worst thing, to me, about this article IS THE HEADLINE. What the heck is wrong with the pictures and why are they deemed a "PR Nightmare"? This is just another attempt by a different section of the media to CAUSE TROUBLE. Who cares that he's in a hoodie? I sure as hell don't. I don't even know if it is Tiger, and frankly I don't care. Tiger hasn't been seen recently, so the media has to find some way of getting him back in the news--and in a negative way. I don't like what he's done--but LEAVE HIM ALONE for heavens sake.

By shatteredhxc

I couldn't agree with Jennifer more.I saw the headline and honestly I didnt bother reading the article.I just wanted to see how much people act like they care about this story.It's amazing to me the attention this has gotten.And all this photo means to me is that we got people who are paid professional stalkers doing their job well.Its a damn shame and honeslty this has to be illegal one way or another.Why is this country so damn star struck we have to give our time,attention,and money (buying these stupid gossip magazines and giving shows like tmz ratings) to people who by definition are nothing but STALKERS.Leave the man alone, I don't care who he has r hasnt slept with.He only has to answer to his wife and kids.The general public need not apply.

By YoMama

Who cares ??

By paula

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i agree with jen--
what he done was wrong but he nees to be left alone so he can get his life together. just because he is tiger woods doesn't make it anymore right or anymore wrong then for anyone else. i think less of the women who talked then him

By Vienna

Man, if it works out alright with Tiger and his family, PopEater's not going to have any smut to write about. Sounds like the only desparation here is Pop Eater.

By Susan

I don't think I could ever look at him and not wonder what is real and what is for PR. I wonder how a wife could get over so many years of planned lying and deceit.

By Jim R

In no way do I condone what Tiger did. However, is he the only high profile person to do something like this? Heck no he isn't and the bottom line is that it really is not any of our business. The old adage that says that he who is without sin cast the first stone holds true regardless of the culprit. Leave it alone for goodness sake and let Tiger work this out with his family if he can. He appears to be making an effort to straighten out his problem and I for one wish him all the best. Pesrsonally, I think that he was really stupid to think that such a high profile person could get away with this.

By Mildred

what is so many years. What are you sayiny if you love someone you forgive them.Forgive means forgive not keep nagging

By reacomm

PR nightmare? The photo in question is nothing of the kind. It shows TIger taking a break from working hard at getting his life back together so that if and when they happy family picture is released it will have some credibility. I mean standing there in a pair short sweatpants and a hoody sipping what appears to be a hot cup of coffee on a blustery day...and facial hair to boot? How repentant can one get? He's a modern day ascetic for God's sake. I'm not sure what your source knows about PR, (nightmares or otherwise), but it occurs to me that this could very well be the first planted picture for the very reasons I've stated. Of course, what do I know...I've only been doing PR for 25 years.

By kbrc

I agree! This to me is a picture of a man trying to get his life back!

PR nightmare?
PR success if you ask me. Go Tiger.

SAY NO TO PR STALKERS!!

By bonnie

I think you should leave him alone.. how many atheletes can you count that have " cheeted " on there wifes? I thionk he is doing the right thing and people should leave him alone for how do we know you aren't cheeted on your spouse at this time???

Friday 22 January

By Taylor

CHEATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By rudewaitress

Time to get that GED, BonBon!!

By turillo

I have to assume that in your moronic mind the fact that there are tons of other cheeters...it makes it OK. Hold on to that expalination because Tiger childrens are going to need it when they grow up and will be facing or when they wonder why their father is not around the house. Its your kind of individuals that have bastardized the Historical and civil morality of the society.
I think that we should leave Tiger alone to burden the consequences of his actions. The media is like a bunch of hyenas
on a feedend frenzy. However, if he thinks that jsut hiding for afew months and a couple of well orchestarted pictures with a family that he pissed on it for year will bring him back into the spot light......only morons like you could ever forget.

By lgordino

who really lcares what tiger woods life is like i sure dont

By minorlabia19

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That's the Dubya alright.
Note the piano leg calf muscles
that Jaimee kidded him about, lol.

By ROBBIE:

You know this isn't the first time a national figure has had problems, and it certainly won't be the last. We all should care about WHAT THIS STUPID GOVERNMENT is doing to save this great country. We, as the people should be receiving a stimulus package, not these money hungry thieves that are only interested in their own pockets. When are the American people gonna stand up to this B.S. and stop these IDIOTS. QUIT BEING COWARDS.................................

By Jim

Stay on the topic. He inherited 2 wars and a ravished economy. You are expecting too much too early.
He won the election, get over it and move on.

By loubierre

First of all, what does this have to do with the subject in question. You all stop at nothing and find every opportunity to bash the current administration. Stop hurting yourself ang get over it. Put the blame for this country's mess where it belongs. How many years did you give them to screw it up? How long has the current administration been in office? Do the math and stop hating.

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