While the return of the world’s top golfer will help the Tour’s ratings, it also marks an interesting event for the media. In his public apology spoken press release, Woods did not field any questions and has not answered any questions about his marital infidelity.  So while we’d like to say that the media will stick to the tournament at hand, drama sells and the opportunities for juicy questions and an irate golfer are some must-see TV in the making.

But hey, you don’t come to this blog to read about sports or infidelity so let’s get to the root of Tiger’s return to the PGA at Augusta National as a PR move – one that is safe, nostalgic and was strategically planned.  Much like a CEO, Woods is advised by some top notch PR folks who carefully chose when he would return to golf. Given the course’s history, importance and pageantry, the Masters is an intriguing choice for Tiger.  Our two in-house Sports PR experts don’t agree with each other on this topic:

• What a great move
• Dumb move, Mr. Woods

The introduction for this post can be found here

Stacked Deck – Every flack likes controlling an interview situation as much as they can. The course is private and the only folks to get in will be credentialed or have tickets. According to the PGA’s site: the Masters is more restrictive of media credentials than any other major, and it is the one tournament where the media is not allowed inside the ropes, so chances are that the TMZ’s and Talk Soups of the world will not be granted access to the course. In a sense, the PGA can pull out a wild card and only offer press passes to the regular golf writers making the event pretty sterile.

Comfort Zone – Woods is very comfortable with the course and has a ton of success on it. The 34-year old has won the tournament four times (tied for second all-time) and it is the site of his first major in just his sophomore season. It is also where he became an icon – the perfect place to reinvent himself or to prove critics wrong.

Focus is Golf – Much like Wrigley and Fenway are symbols of baseball, Augusta National is an icon to the golf world. The tournament is one of golf’s must watch events and, much like the near century-old stadiums previously mentioned, the venue keeps golf at center stage. This focus helps Woods in his quest to avoid the media circus and questions about texts, family and a car crash.

One Word…Win – Perhaps the biggest PR move that can happen that weekend can’t be done by any flack. It is also something that everyone tuning in is hoping to witness – a win by Woods. Think about it, with a ‘W,’ the story turns into the golfer winning his first Major since 2008 and how his quest to best Jack is back on track.

At the end of the day we’re looking at the PR for an athlete not Tiger Woods as a person – separate the two and you can see it as a genius move or side with Mike and tear my thoughts to shreds. No matter what side of the fence you fall on, it should be interesting to watch come starting April 5.

Mr. Schaffer’s thoughts on this topic can be found here

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The introduction for this post can be found here

As my esteemed colleague outlined above, some people believe that Tiger Woods returning to competitive golf at the Masters is a good PR move.  I whole heartedly disagree.

Let me count the ways:

Walk Before You Crawl – Would you want your first game of the season to be Game 7 of the World Series or even the Super Bowl?  From a sheer golf mechanics perspective, Tiger will not be at the top of his game.  He will not have played a round of competitive golf in nearly six months when he tees off at Augusta.  Why not work your way into peak condition before the biggest tournament of the year?

Respect the Game – There is no sporting event in the United States that is as revered as the Masters.  Even folks who aren’t into golf know that this is the biggest championship in the sport.  Instead of the focus being on the greatest golfers playing their greatest golf, it will instead be on illicit affairs and the fallen angel.  Augusta National has a reputation for controlling every aspect of the player and fan experience – how do you think they’ll like TMZ creeping around their hallowed grounds?

Spread the Love – Let’s call a spade a spade, shall we?  Tiger’s return to the PGA Tour will be a HUGE event.  In fact…it will be a MAJOR event.  It will draw insane TV ratings and public interest.  Why, then, would the PGA Tour not have Tiger return at another event that could use the “boost?”  Doesn’t make good business sense to me.

Happily Never After? – Tiger’s experience at Augusta can only acceptably end in one of two ways in the eyes of fans.  One, he wins the tournament and puts on a green jacket.  Two, he plays the worst two rounds of his life, misses the cut and flies home Friday night, the sport kicking the man at his lowest point.  Neither one of these is good for golf.  These potential endings are the only ones fans will look at as definitive and satisfying.

The stakes at the Masters are ridiculously high.  Going into it with little preparation and no momentum is a horrible choice for Tiger.  And the PGA Tour has backed themselves into a corner, where no matter who wins their greatest event of the year, Tiger is the story.  Despite what Jeff thinks, and no matter how intriguing the public catharsis may look on paper, this move has “FAIL” written all over it.

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• 30 July 2010 : Friday’s 5 • 30 July 2010
• 29 July 2010 : Twitter is one big, fat inside joke between 100 million people
• 28 July 2010 : Your Copy Sucks: Punctuation Ruins Lives
• 27 July 2010 : Do You ‘Crunch Proud?’
• 26 July 2010 : What the Old Spice Guy Videos Lacked: Real Messaging

These stars win championships (or compete for them every year), donate money, work in the community, sponsor brands – they do everything heroes should do.

Heck, Drew Brees has helped rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina with time, effort and money – and just last night brought the Super Bowl trophy to his adopted hometown. It didn’t complete the economic and social recovery, but it gave the city something wonderful to rally around.

But you know what?

Villains are much more intriguing than heroes.

Tiger Woods dominated the sports pages for over a decade for winning tournament after tournament after tournament – in dominating fashion, no less. But after salacious details of his personal life leaked out, he became a news and entertainment story, as well.

Boxers like Lennox Lewis ruled over their sport for years, but nobody ever garnered the attention of powerhouse “bad boy” Mike Tyson. Even after serving jail time for a rape conviction, the public could not get enough of him, in and out of the ring.

Exhibit A:

Enough said.

A quirky all-star who does a “heel turn,” to borrow from professional wrestling (when a good guy becomes a bad guy), by playing with guns in his workplace, all of the sudden becomes a national news story. Rumors of high-stakes locker-room gambling debts overtake the game-winning shots from the hands of one Gilbert Arenas. We identify him not with the play on the court, but what he confessed to in front of a judge.

My question to you is this: What is it about sports villains that make them so intriguing? Why does their villainy trump their heroics? And why do we allow them to stay relevant in the media?

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• 30 July 2010 : Friday’s 5 • 30 July 2010
• 29 July 2010 : Twitter is one big, fat inside joke between 100 million people
• 28 July 2010 : Your Copy Sucks: Punctuation Ruins Lives
• 27 July 2010 : Do You ‘Crunch Proud?’
• 26 July 2010 : What the Old Spice Guy Videos Lacked: Real Messaging