Image is everything?

Tiger's image as a higher performer and as someone who is non-threatening made him the perfect pitchman for products like Buick, American Express, Accenture, etc.  To assume that non-sports related sponsors would stick by him during this controversy would have been extremely naive.  There are several myths surrounding Tiger, including:

Tiger Is Non-Threatening  

The fact is, I don't know Tiger Woods from "Adam", nor do I know what he is capable of.  The more someone has to sell you on a message or a persona, the less I tend to believe it.  After all, Shakespeare would say "Thy protest too much".

Tiger Needs to Repair his Image

Woods has recently hired a high powered law firm to help repair his image.  The question remains "Which image is he trying to repair ... the real one or the fake one?"  He may be better served to focus on who he really is - simply a great golfer, and quit trying to perpetrate a fraud.

Tiger is the World's Greatest Athlete

Quit it!  The greatest golfer in the world?  Of course.  But Tiger's only opponent is the golf course.  Unlike Michael Jordan, Peyton Manning, Reggie Jackson, etc., there is no defense for Tiger.  If Woods played basketball they would double and triple team him and slam him to ground if he drove into the lane - similar to how the Pistons and Hawks used to treat Jordan.  If he was a running back in football, the defense would put nine guys in the box (a la Adrian Peterson) to force his team to pass.  If he played wide receiver, the defense would cover him with a cornerback and have a safety rotate over the top, a la Randy Moss.  If he played baseball, the pitcher would walk him or throw "high and tight", a la Reggie Jackson.  If he was a race car driver the opposition would pin him against the fence ... a car in front, a car in back, and a car on the outside.  Tiger would then have to watch helplessly while other racers sped by.  Ultimately, the true measure of a professional athlete is how he responds after getting "chin checked" by a 97 mile/hour fast back or blindsided by a pick, or getting his bell rung.  Does he react like Kevin Faulk here (http://clicky.me/KFaulk) or like Sammy White?