Ramble On ... Thanksgiving Sunday Musings

Okay? Who had the worst Thanksgiving weekend? Tiger Woods and his wife, Elin or the PR guy for Chevron World Challenge golf tourney?

Our online community has hit new levels of cyber-chase with the Tiger/Elin Woods car crash story. PR execs and crisis communications gurus are using the news frenzy to waive their business cards and grab public attention in the 48-hours since the initial report of the early Friday morning incident.

I'll choose to stay out of the commentary business but I will offer two or three cents of viewpoint:

1. Like everyone else, I think Tiger and his IMG handlers have blown this in epic proportions. The silence - all day Friday, all day Saturday and well into the afternoon today, has fueled speculation from every precinct from the PGA to TMZ. Addressing it no later than Saturday morning, then referring all additional questions to one single spokesperson (IMG's designee in a city other than Orlando) who could schedule one daily update which would've provided Woods with total control over the media coverage.

Also, announcing the site of a scheduled meeting with law enforcement officials at a location other than his home, would have allowed the authorities to secure his home and rope off an area to keep media at a distance to provide a reasonable amount of privacy for Tiger and his neighbors.

2. Obviously, one of those neighbors - whoever called the 911 - is a first-hand eye witness of the incident. Now that the story has fueled possible wrong-doing, the eye witnesses are a major part of the story.

3. During instances like this, I often wonder what would happen if the circumstances were different, and say, it were an NBA player and his wife or girlfriend, rather than a golfer. Can you imagine the coverage? The differences? Or, if the roles were changed and Tiger's wife was the one in the car and he was found standing over her with a golf club in hand?

Let the speculation continue. It's past 2:00pm est.

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Notice? Not a world from the PGA Tour and its commissioner?

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On another subject, St. John's is 5-0. including consecutive victories over (ranked) Siena on neutral court and a road win over Temple.

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Mareen Dowd on Abe Pollin is worth a read.

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