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Tiger Woods incident introduces celebrity, gossip and tabloid journalism to golf

David J. Phillip/AP Photo
David J. Phillip/AP Photo
Never have the walls Tigers Woods worked so hard to build around his personal life come so close to being breached, Randall Mell writes, adding, "This is Woods’ nightmare. No matter how innocent his explanation as to what happened early Friday morning may be, he’s enduring a media onslaught the likes of which he’s never seen. Black Friday took on a different meaning in the world of golf this week. It was a momentous day because it marked the first time the sport’s protective barrier has been breached by celebrity, gossip and supermarket tabloid journalism. The nature of our information age has changed, and nobody in golf is enduring the troubling repercussions of that more than Woods," who crashed his SUV into a fire hydrant and tree near his mansion in the early morning hours Friday. || Update (11/30, 2:45 p.m.): Golf media versus PR machine. Here. || Woods’ reputation no longer quite so spotless among sports media. Here. || Ads featuring Woods still running. Here. || Woods’ image "manufactured?" Here. || Television news pounces on Tiger. Here. || PR strategy right or wrong? Here. || Update (11/30, 3:30 p.m.): Time examines the media’s fascination with the Woods story. Here.
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