Wax Museum Tiger

Tiger Woods has announced that, due to the injuries he sustained in his one-car accident last week, he is withdrawing from his upcoming Chevron Tournament, but he continues to give a big “NO COMMENT” about the circumstances of the crash.

It’s astonishing how someone with his level of fame can be so tone-deaf in public relations.

With a few words of explanation, Woods could have put this dopey fender-bender to rest and let us all get on with our lives. Instead, he calls it a “private matter” and issues a blanket denial of “all the false, unfounded and malicious rumors.”

His response is so puzzling, and it only serves to heighten suspense and fan flames of speculation.

The Lesson:  A story does not just go away on its own – not for one of the world’s most popular and recognizable celebrities.  The media needs some kind of closure before it can move on.  By keeping quiet, Tiger prevents that closure, and guarantees that this episode will remain an ongoing distraction for him, his fans and his sponsors.

Tiger did not run over someone’s grandmother.  His little accident is not the sort that would put his great name and positive public image at risk.

But his behavior after the accident is doing just that.

So strange.

Photo: Tiger Woods at Madam Tussauds Wax Museum in Washington, DC, courtesy of Creative Commons and clifff1066.