The self-immolation of Tiger Woods continues apace with no signs of slowing down.
First, Woods announced today that he fired Steve Williams, who some in the media derided as his “bag ape” and which seemed to fit in certain instances, not the least of which was his throwing a photographer’s camera in a lake. Moreover, CBS’ Steve Elling had a hilarious observation – “By separating leaky gasbags Woods and Williams, air quality will improve in TW’s pairing. They sounded like firecrackers going off at times.”
Tim Rosaforte reports this happened after the AT&T National and that Steve Williams kept it secret so as not to have it be a distraction for Adam Scott, for whom he moonlighted after Woods’s injury kept him off the tour for several months, at least two majors, and the height of the summer season. Again, Elling has a telling observation – “Rosaforte on Golf Channel asked Williams if he was fired because he was moonlighting for Scott. ‘You know the answer to that question.’….On air, Rosaforte floats new name as potential Williams replacement: Joe LaCava, former caddie for Couples, now working for Dustin Johnson.”
Don’t forget Bobby Brown is also without a bag right now, although I doubt Woods would take the caddie who was on the bag for Dustin Johnson’s meltdown on 18 at Whistling Straits. It’s not Bobby’s fault Dustin grounded his club, but if Woods is going to fire his caddie seemingly because of the idiotic and outdated mantra of “a man cannot serve two masters,” he wouldn’t demean himself to take someone remotely imperfect, especially in his fairy-tale world.
A press release out of Jacksonville had this to say:
“The caddie posted a comment on his website that it “came as a shock.”
“Given the circumstances of the past 18 months working through Tiger’s scandal, a new coach and with it a major swing change and Tiger battling through injuries, I am very disappointed to end our very successful partnership at this time,” he said.
In a telephone interview, Williams said he was not upset by being fired and said he was proud to have been fired only twice in his 33 years as a caddie – by Woods and Norman.
“But I’m disappointed in the timing of it,” he said. “To be as loyal as someone can be, and with what one had to go through over the last 18 months . . . ”
Williams said he would continue working for Scott.”
“It’s time for a change,” said Woods, but what the hell does that mean? Nothing, as usual. The emptiest suit in the closet just blessed us with another of his inexhaustable store of platitudes. Why was it time for a change now? Probably “Just because” is the answer we’d get back, but you know the answer – Tiger is a fool. He was fool before the scandal, and he didn’t learn a thing about being good to people while his life and reputation crumbled around him, so now he’s left alone to gnaw at the ends of old plots and policies. He didn’t learn from any mistakes, so he keeps making more.
Meanwhile a great couple of guys like Tim Clarke and caddie Steve Underwood show how it’s done. Clarky, out for an extensive amount of time, is perfectly fine with Steve earning money for his family by moonlighting for K.J.Choi. Clarky understands that caddying is a tough job and a rough way to make a living. He’s not about to let his man muddle through and wait when, in this tough economic recession, bills have to be paid, people have to be fed, and wolves have to be kept at bay.
Meanwhile, Woods just keeps being his miserable, loathsome self. Get this: right after he congratulated Darren Clarke on winning the British Open – which more than one person thought was a left handed slap at Phil for losing. Would he have congratulated him? – he tweeted this gem…
“80s day at A’s game, honoring tigerjam regular and former bat boy @mchammer, congrats!”
That;s right, MC Hammer! TigerJam regular! Once again, Tiger, it’s all about you.
Meanwhile, the fates are set to deal Woods bit of rough justice in return. Woods – or Steinberg – made the imbecilic decision to make her pay back the millions she got for hush money all because she mentioned his name – only mentioned – during her idiotic and disingenuous appearance “Celebrity Rehab.” In a transparent attempt to cash in on fame and become the golf world’s rejoinder to the Kardashians, she claimed she was “addicted to love.”
In reality, it was a long promo reel for her future plans to try to be an actress/celebrity/whatever. Everything in her life is contrived, connived, and cunningly calculated. I know, I interviewed her before Gloria Allred made her clam up. [Hat tip: R.B.]
TRhat was the dumbest move Team Tiger could have made. I hope they really needed that money, because the havoc she’s going to wreak on him will be incalculable. In fact, she may cost him far more in legal wars and lost endorsements than any amount she returned.
Now she is free to talk about everything, and knowing her from the way she acts in public, it will be ugly. I’ll bet you a dollar we hear all about many unsavory things that would be poison to Tiger’s future as a pitchman. We’ll get a deep inside look at the dark side of Tiger once again. All because Tiger got mad she mentioned his name in passing on TV. That money won’t be worth it.
Someone made a gargantuan miscalculation, either Woods or Steinberg or both. Steiney may say, “there was no playbook” to handle the way the scandal raged so out-of-control so quickly, but he had no answers. It’s not surprising he’s parted ways with IMG, as that was the worst scandal in sports history. Now Team Tiger compounds their errors, ripping the scab off the wound and bring all those issues off the tabloid pages and into everyone’s living rooms again.
I said it before, and I’ll say it again. For someone so high in stature, so rich, and who desires universal respect and admiration, he goes about seeking it with a remarkable lack of skill. For all his money, for all his power, for all the things he’s done and places he’s been, he also has not distinguished himself with the grace, class, or dignity that should be incumbent upon someone who holds the position in the golf world as he does. Tiger and Steiney do not respect the game, they respect only the Almighty Dollar. The way Steiney mis-handled the scandal proves he was not worth anywhere near the money he’s been paid.
When it comes to PR they are both babes in the Woods. If they had any PR savvy, if they handled the scandal even remotely skillfully, Steiney likely would still be with IMG and Tiger might be winning. My guess is that Tiger calls all the shots, and Steiney does what he’s told because he’s as married to being part of Team Tiger as Uchitel is married to fame.
Tiger and Steinberg should part ways for one important reason: one of them likely will be better off for it. Which one remains to be seen.
