Tiger Woods Update: Tiger Bails as Best Man at Nike Rep's Wedding

Update: 2:18 pm 12/9/09 - Tiger Woods and his wife announce that they are leaving the country

By now, we've all come to expect the daily unveiling of the Tiger Woods we've never seen before. There have been consistent new developments, and Tiger's life and persona are changing rapidly. I am not exactly sure how to judge Tiger's character, since it appears that he has some complex issues, both financially and personally, to work through. While much of America can easily stomach an affair by a powerful celebrity, they are having a hard time digesting the idea of 9 or 10 women, some of whom are porn stars. That's a wee bit much.

In the latest update in the Tiger Woods' saga, it turns out that he has canceled plans to serve as the best man at the wedding of a friend and Nike executive. This Tiger update is no surprise, given that he has all but disappeared from the public eye since the scandal broke about him cheating on his wife, Elin Nordegren.

So far, Tiger has had his Gatorade drink, Tiger Focus, dropped by Pepsico and seen a long list of women coming out of the woodwork to get their 15 minutes of fame for sleeping with the golfer. One of the most interesting questions about Tiger's dating habits is why he chose to sleep with women who are going to be so quick to kiss and tell. Regular women -- accountants, doctors, teachers and lawyers -- may not be so anxious to run for the cameras. A woman seeking to promote a new pornographic film, though, is dying for her big break. But then again, when you are a celebrity, you get to a point where you can't stop at a McDonald's restaurant without someone telling the story for the rest of their life. Every little thing you say or do must be calculated and planned out carefully.

Tiger's commercials have disappeared from television since the scandal broke. According to Nielson, a company that tracks media, a commercial featuring Tiger has not run since Nov. 29. While some corporate sponsors have announced their decision to stay with Tiger, there are others who have yet to make an announcement.

The most interesting thing about Tiger's current position with corporate sponsors is that there is no replacement for him. He is usually the only black man on the golf course and also the most dominant. When he appears in a tournament, television ratings shoot through the roof, and that effect is only going to amplify once this scandal has subsided. Tiger will always have corporate sponsors, even if his marriage falls apart.

We'll keep you posted.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce's commentary delivered to your e-mail, please click here.

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