I don’t really follow golf. Golf, to me, has always been one of those sports, like bowling and darts, that’s more fun to play than to watch. But even I, someone who doesn’t really know the difference between a sand wedge and a lob wedge, know about Tiger Woods and his innate, amazing ability with a golf club. People who don’t normally watch golf would watch him play. Television ratings for a tournament that Tiger is in are higher than a similarly televised tournament without him in it, something that has come to be called “the Tiger Woods effect.”
In a world where there isn’t much privacy for celebrities, sports figures and prominent individuals, Tiger always flew way under the radar, which was unusual considering how high-profile he was. There are hardly any pictures of his wife and children. For a celebrity figure, Tiger was extremely private and was able to maintain that.
So imagine my surprise when in the span of a few days this week, an early morning car accident snowballed into a media frenzy so big and ugly that it led to two allegations of infidelity which were shown to be authentic when Tiger issued a vague public apology of sorts yesterday. If you’ve been following the news lately, you know that the story isn’t over yet. If anything, it’s probably reaching a fever pitch right about now.
This firestorm is a perfect case study of bad public relations management, one that will probably be studied for years as an example of what not to do PR-wise. (Tiger did not say anything about the car accident, refusing to talk to the police, nor was any statement made about why he crashed his car for several days following the accident. It is this very silence that led to rampant speculation, which in turn led to the allegations.) This is also a perfect case for proving correct the infinite wisdom about truth and lies found in the book of Proverbs. In Proverbs 12:19, Solomon writes, “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.”
No matter how we try to hide truth by disguising it, by running away, by not saying anything or by burying it outright, it tends to show up and dismantle the lie that’s been covering it up. Sometimes it might be immediate, sometimes it might take years, but the truth does not like being hidden. Truth will ALWAYS stand the test of time and will endure while lies evaporate quickly into vapor. Tiger discovered this the hard way this week when an accident that resulted in just a $164 fine ended up unraveling the lies that he had been telling everyone, including his wife. Because of his lies, the accident is now going to cost much, much more than $164.
Proverbs 12:22: “The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.”
-Matt
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Crouching Tiger, Hidden Deception
December 3, 2009
Calvary
Comments Off on Crouching Tiger, Hidden Deception
Matt
I don’t really follow golf. Golf, to me, has always been one of those sports, like bowling and darts, that’s more fun to play than to watch. But even I, someone who doesn’t really know the difference between a sand wedge and a lob wedge, know about Tiger Woods and his innate, amazing ability with a golf club. People who don’t normally watch golf would watch him play. Television ratings for a tournament that Tiger is in are higher than a similarly televised tournament without him in it, something that has come to be called “the Tiger Woods effect.”
In a world where there isn’t much privacy for celebrities, sports figures and prominent individuals, Tiger always flew way under the radar, which was unusual considering how high-profile he was. There are hardly any pictures of his wife and children. For a celebrity figure, Tiger was extremely private and was able to maintain that.
So imagine my surprise when in the span of a few days this week, an early morning car accident snowballed into a media frenzy so big and ugly that it led to two allegations of infidelity which were shown to be authentic when Tiger issued a vague public apology of sorts yesterday. If you’ve been following the news lately, you know that the story isn’t over yet. If anything, it’s probably reaching a fever pitch right about now.
This firestorm is a perfect case study of bad public relations management, one that will probably be studied for years as an example of what not to do PR-wise. (Tiger did not say anything about the car accident, refusing to talk to the police, nor was any statement made about why he crashed his car for several days following the accident. It is this very silence that led to rampant speculation, which in turn led to the allegations.) This is also a perfect case for proving correct the infinite wisdom about truth and lies found in the book of Proverbs. In Proverbs 12:19, Solomon writes, “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.”
No matter how we try to hide truth by disguising it, by running away, by not saying anything or by burying it outright, it tends to show up and dismantle the lie that’s been covering it up. Sometimes it might be immediate, sometimes it might take years, but the truth does not like being hidden. Truth will ALWAYS stand the test of time and will endure while lies evaporate quickly into vapor. Tiger discovered this the hard way this week when an accident that resulted in just a $164 fine ended up unraveling the lies that he had been telling everyone, including his wife. Because of his lies, the accident is now going to cost much, much more than $164.
Proverbs 12:22: “The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.”
-Matt
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