Two days after Tiger Woods completed his record-setting
performance at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, CA, reaction
from the media and marketing community continues regarding
his impact on the sports marketing landscape. In N.Y.,
Clifton Brown writes, "This is a special time in golf, the
arrival of a superstar who is determined to maximize his
enormous potential, while taking the game's popularity to
new heights" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/20). In St. Petersburg, Gary
Shelton: "The world seems to love loving Tiger Woods. Some
successes you hate to see, and some you grudgingly admit,
but there is something special about Woods that makes you
enjoy it" (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 6/20). For more, see (#8).
THE TIGER EFFECT: On the "CBS Evening News," Dan Rather
said that Woods is "calm, he's cool, he's very likable, he's
still very young to be at the top of his golf game, but make
no mistake, [he's] the brightest star in all professional
sports right now." CBS' John Blackstone reported that
Woods' victory at the U.S. Open "created plenty of other
winners, starting with just about everybody who sells golf
equipment." Golf equipment retailer Mickey Klein: "People
that have never played the game feel that they want to start
to play the game, learn how to play the game, emulate Tiger
Woods. ... Just by virtue of the fact that he's endorsed a
particular golf ball, people are coming in all the time
asking for that ball" ("CBS Evening News," 6/19). On NBC's
"Today" show, Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom and
historian Doris Kearns Goodwin discussed Woods' marketing
appeal and influence on golf. Albom: "When you can have one
individual sort of change the way people participate in the
sport, not just watch it, you're going to have long-lasting
effect. And I think in the long run that will be his
biggest legacy." Albom, on Woods becoming the first
billion-dollar athlete: "If anybody is going to reach that
status it's going to be him because he has a marketing
machinery behind him that's incredible" ("Today," 6/20).
NSGA spokesperson Larry Weindruch said the fans Woods
attracts in the U.S. are "more of a sports crowd, not just
a golf crowd." Sportscorp President Marc Ganis: "His impact
on the sport of golf will probably eclipse Michael Jordan's
impact on basketball" (NEWSDAY, 6/20). Canadian-based
ClubLink Corp. VP/Golf Business Development Charles Lorimer:
"It's amazing the number of young children now playing the
game. And watching those children dress in the red shirts
(Woods' traditional Sunday attire), it's very apparent that
they're drawn in by Tiger." But Lorimer "doubt[s]" that
Woods' U.S. Open win will "produce the sudden interest in
golf" that his '97 Masters win "inspired." Lorimer: "I
don't know if we'll see anything significant, other than a
natural draw in" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 6/20). A N.Y.
TIMES editorial states, "You know things have changed in the
decorous game of golf when spectators paint their faces in
orange and black and holler as if they were watching the New
York Jets" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/20).
NIKE'S GRAND BALL: The AP writes that by playing a Nike
ball at the U.S. Open, Woods "turned his sponsor into a
major industry player almost overnight," as the company has
been "flooded with calls from players who want to test the
ball and retailers who want to sell it." Nike Golf
Marketing Dir Mike Kelly: "Obviously putting such a
historical moment into context is our next goal. Both
golfers and nongolfers saw what happened, now it's our job
to leverage that into commercial success" (AP, 6/20). In
Palm Beach, Alan Tays writes, "Whatever the price Nike is
paying [to sponsor Woods] ... it's a bargain" (PALM BEACH
POST, 6/20). CBS SportsLine's Mark Soltau wrote, "Shoot,
maybe [Woods] should sue Titleist for holding him back?
Let's see, that's three tournaments with the new Nike ball
and he wins twice by a combined 20 strokes" (CBS SportsLine,
6/19). CNBC's Andrew Glassman reported "after several
close-up shots on TV of [the Nike] ball over the weekend,
pro shops around the world are calling to stock up." Nike
Golf President Bob Wood: "Our phones here are ringing off
the hook which is great news for us. But also, at two of
our largest accounts for golf balls last week, our sales are
up 56% and 25%, respectively. There is a tangible uptick in
our business." Sports Trend Info's Jeff Atkinson said,
"Titleist and Spalding will continue to be the two top
balls, but you're going to see Nike give Wilson a run at
number three." Glassman added that while Woods still plays
Titleist clubs, "Now Nike is subtly implying that they're
looking into expanding into making golf clubs of their own"
("Business Center," CNBC, 6/19). NBC showed close-ups of
Woods' new Nike ball on the fifth hole during coverage of
Saturday's third round and on the second, third, fifth,
seventh, 13th, 16th and 17th holes during coverage of
Sunday's final round. The close-ups showed either the Nike
swoosh or the Tiger tag line on the ball (THE DAILY).
COUNTERPOINT: A DALLAS MORNING NEWS editorial states
that while Woods "uniquely possesses the determination and
enormous talents of a [Jack] Nicklaus while exuding as much
charisma and contagious personality as a [Arnold] Palmer,"
he "still needs to mature emotionally," as his "string of
expletives" during Saturday's round "reveals that he has not
completely moved beyond the self-absorbed world of the
talented young athlete" (DMN, 6/20). In Chicago, Ron
Rapoport wonders if the "comparisons of Woods to Michael
Jordan [are] just the tiniest bit overblown? On Madison
Avenue and in network boardrooms Woods may be the greatest
thing since sliced bread, but until kids start playing golf
in dusty fields and on schoolyard playgrounds around the
world, it seems to me that Woods will never have the impact
of Jordan -- or any one of a half-dozen soccer players most
Americans have never heard of" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 6/20).
