Video Game Giant: Why We're Standing By Disgraced Tiger Woods
Credit: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images
Video game giant Electronic Arts Sports is moving forward with plans to introduce a Tiger Woods online game, the company has said.
EA Sports President Peter Moore admitted the decision will likely "create attention and further speculation" about Woods, 34, who has been romantically linked to at least 14 women.
In a blog post late Monday, he explained the company's decision to stand by the disgraced golfer.
"Our relationship with Tiger has always been rooted in golf. We didn’t form a relationship with him so that he could act as an arm’s length endorser. Far from it. We chose to partner with Tiger in 1997 because we saw him as the world’s best, most talented and exciting golfer. We struck that partnership with the assumption that he would remain near or at the top of his sport for years to come," Moore writes.
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"By his own admission, he’s made some mistakes off the course. But regardless of what’s happening in his personal life, and regardless of his decision to take a personal leave from the sport, Tiger Woods is still one of the greatest athletes in history.
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"At EA SPORTS, we make authentic sports simulations. When we say 'It's in the Game,' it is not just a tag line but a statement about the quality and authenticity of the game experience. Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online is truly representative of that rallying cry, and a game that all of us at EA SPORTS are proud to be delivering this month to sports fans around the globe," his post concludes.
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Moore also said the game had been tested with more than 75,000 players for the last eight months.
"We're proud of it," he added, "and we are releasing it in open beta later this month."
So far, Woods has lost deals with Gillette and the consulting firm Accenture. AT&T also announced that it was ending its endorsement deal, and Gatorade said it will discontinue its Tiger Focus sports drink line. Luxury Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer recently announced it is re-assessing its relationship with the golfer.
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53Speedy = you need therapy! being judgemental is not part of life. you dipstick! otherwise people would call you ugly, or something else that is hurtful but also is the Truth. not everyone is simon.
NONE - OF - OUR -BUSSINESS! PERIOD!
There are multiple tons of Tiger Woods'es being made right now and right in the home!
Mighty big of them, it's that or throw away a ton of cash.
I love Tiger, I will buy also support all his endorsement, he is the best golfer the world has known. Go Go Go Tiger! No one is perfect, we all deserve a second chance. Get up and show these jealous folks around that u are still in control and have a happy family.
LET ME TRANSLATE "$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$" //SIGNED// EA SPORTS
January 05, 2010 - 2:15pm MeHere Says: Tiger has waited way too long to come out of hiding. Good thing he has enough money to never work again. It's not money he adores though it's extreme attention/ adoration. Even OJ still gets that from some women, so I guess he will do okay, sadly. He may be one of the worlds best athletes but that title is NOT just based on golf skills despite what some want to think. It was based on the fact everyone thought he was one of the GOOD guys and he is just the opposite; the vilest of the vile. ************************************* You are a complete psycho. The man cheated on his wife, he didn't MURDER the chick. I can't believe you're even comparing the two lol. You need to get that small brain of yours checked. You may also want to consider getting a life of your own and stop living vicariously through Elin. The man cheated on HER not you! It still doesn't make him the vilest of vile.
Great ! you must be as sick as he is, any of your products will not be bought by me
Hey Lex, bottom line - if Tiger had been upfront to anyone about his sleaziness he wouldn't have been as successful as he is now. He makes 75% of his income from endorsements per year. If it was public knowledge right from the beginning that he was a sex addict and a sleaze, those endorsements would not materialize ok? This isn't brain surgery but I hope you can grasp it - its called advertising. He had the right image and he was a good athlete. But even the good athletes..Dennis Rodman for example, Charles Barkley both b-ball players really good at their jobs...bad images, no endorsements..Allen Iverson..same thing. Jordan even had to cut back on endorsements when it came to light what a sleaze he was. Endorsements mean this guy's opinion matters do you not understand that?? When someone exhibits such reckless abandon in his personal life - that impacts his credibility in the public arena. You seriously can't be this naive.
his personal is a little messed up.. yes i agree.. but either way.. is not our business.. maybe us as the fans and companies should start investigating every single person we wanna endorse or like...
Kimbi... right on.. I totally agree with EA Sports and u.. when all of these companies decided to endorse him.. it was for his job performance.. not because he was marriage material.. or a womanizer.. or whatever.. is for the reason that the world fell in love with him... GOLF.. FOR BEING THE BEST GOLF PLAYER EVER..
GO SPEEDY! Tell it like it is now!
Hey Kimbi, you know they are telling the truth when Tiger (the man) has not been able to face the cameras for 39 days. That's a real man for you! And who sleeps with 14 women while married to the mother of his children..oh and unprotected sex at that: oh that's right: trash.
wait, you say its his personal life and to keep it private - yet you scour us magazine for any tidbits of information on these people - you are just as bloodthirsty as some of the angry posters, get over yourself
Right on EA Sports! It's about time business was separated from personal. Tiger's personal life and marriage issues are between him and his wife, period, and have nothing to do with his job, golf. How do we know these women are telling the truth anyway. Nasty girls just want money. Who goes on TV to tell the world they are trash that sleeps with another woman's husband? Oh, that's right, trash.
oh and by the way, Jack Nicklaus is still the record holder of most titles won. If Tiger can grow a set and come back and play golf, then maybe he can take the title but until then - its Jack Nichlaus!
Okay, you people exhaust me. First there are the idiots who say "who can judge, what - are you perfect?" to which I reply, No, I'm a parent and I know what its like when Daddy is not in the home. He made this family, sold his wife the same fake image he sold the public and I think he's an awful human being for ripping his family apart. Transgressions? My G&d the man slept with 14 different women and had unprotected sex..can you spell narcissist?? A transgression implies one of a kind mistake, he is a serial screwer. He is a pig and the worst kind of human being, much less man. Now for those of you idiots who say he cheated on his wife not America. Steinberg (agent to Tiger) carefully crafted this perfect image because golf is a game of perfection ok? He shut Tiger up and cleaned his act up and crafted an image that sold millions of dollars of video games, equipment and clothing. That image sold millions and gosh, people -- advertising is yet another fact of life in this world we live in. People make their livings off of Tiger Woods in a million different ways. Bottom line, I have no problem being judgemental - he's a pig and a cruel, ruthless mutherf***** for being so narcissistic that wrecking his kids' lives means nothing. And all you people so anxious to not be judgemental?? GROW UP! Being judgemental is part of life - good Lord, if you can't be judgemental don't raise kids. My big problem here is you people are so celeb hungry you let people just commit the most amoral acts and you guys shrug your shoulders, "Its their personal life..." Oye..its society people - its morality in a toilet. You guys are amazing --
All this nonsense about how he set a bad example blah blah blah. Tiger's "transgression" didn't affect the national deficit. It didn't affect my paycheck. It didn't affect my home life. So why people are making a big deal about it still is beyond me. I admire EA Sport's decision to stand by him. As many have said, this is a personal situation between him and his wife. All these companies issuing statements separating themselves from Tiger Woods, what happens if he and his wife decide to work things out and he comes back better than ever. They'll be falling over themselves trying to crawl back to him. He made a mistake. Just like a lot of people do. His mistake didn't affect me, it affected his family. Not mine. I'm a black woman and I used Tiger as an example to my kids, that men of color or rather, people of color can achieve anything they put their mind to. I didn't use him as an example of morality. Children learn by what and how they live and it isn't Tiger Wood's job to teach my son how to live a morally good life and be a faithful spouse. That is MY job. Tiger Woods just showed him that it's OK for black men to play Golf and it's really OK for them to be good at it.
I also agree with Red7 and Mrs.PFC boyed...
Hes still sexxi tho...