Nike Chair Phil Knight was in Augusta, GA, to watch
Tiger Woods' overwhelming performance at The Masters,
according to Bill Syken of the AUGUSTA CHRONICLE. Knight,
on Woods: "One analyst, if you remember, said we overpaid
for Tiger Woods. It was Montgomery Securities, that's who
it was. I wonder what they're thinking now." Referring to
Woods and Michael Jordan, Knight added, "It's nice to be
along for the ride with both of them" (AUGUSTA CHRONICLE,
4/13). Knight, asked about comparisons between the two:
"They're not in competition. The world is big enough for
both of them. Tiger is very similar to him, but also unique"
(Ed Sherman, CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/14).
THE MAN: During the CBS special, "Tiger Woods: Son,
Hero and Champion," Jim Nantz asked, "What is it about Tiger
Woods that makes him so appealing, so marketable, to those
on Madison Avenue?" PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem:
"Because he transcends golf, and he gets the amount of
exposure that he gets outside of the sports pages, he just
gives our tournaments a whole other range of interest in the
public sector." Phil Knight: "It's clear that as you watch
the galleries that golfing has changed -- that Tiger Woods,
like Michael Jordan, cuts across ethnic groups and age
groups." After Woods' initial endorsement deals, his agent,
IMG's Hughes Norton, noted that the plan is to "keep his
commercial endeavors to a very bare minimum, give him time
and space to develop" ("Son, Hero & Champion," CBS, 4/13).
ON THE OTHER HAND: In N.Y., Phil Mushnick criticizes
Woods' affiliation with Nike under the header, "Tiger
Another Victim Of Nike." Mushnick writes that Woods is "the
latest Nike star who could've made a difference beyond his
sport," but adds that Woods "went to the highest bidder.
Just the way Nike planned." Mushnick: "To see Woods in the
manipulative exploitative hands of Nike is to see him
serving the enemy; a dupe" (N.Y. POST, 4/14). ESPN's Linda
Cohn: "Wonder how long it will take Nike to sew a swoosh on
the green jacket?" ("SportsCenter," 4/14). In N.Y., George
Willis wrote on IMG and Nike's relationship with Woods,
noting IMG's "infomercial" on CBS and Nike pulling its first
ad around racism at golf clubs in the U.S. Willis: "IMG and
Nike can do their part in helping Woods's image by ceasing
with all their creative marketing ideas that seem to do
nothing but backfire. As we have seen here, he is perfectly
capable of marketing himself with a golf club in his hand
and a fairway to attack" (N.Y. POST, 4/12).
THANKS A MILLION: American Brands took out full-page
ads congratulating Woods in USA TODAY and the WALL STREET
JOURNAL under the header, "We Make The Equipment, He's
Making History" (4/14). Nick Faldo, putting the green
jacket over Woods' red Nike shirt: "Welcome to the green
jacket. By the way, it clashes with red terribly" ("The
Masters," CBS, 4/13).
