Tiger Woods takes blame, praises wife, hires Mark NeJame
Will Tiger Woods be an easier-to-handle client than George and Cindy Anthony?
Mark NeJame is about to find out. The world’s No. 1 golfer has hired the high-profile Orlando defense attorney. NeJame will help guide Woods and his wife, Elin Nordegren Woods, through a public-relations thicket after the golfer injured himself in car accident outside his home early Friday. The incident has prompted worldwide speculation because of Woods’ stature and the Woods’ silence up to now on the crash.
NeJame told the Florida Highway Patrol that Woods would not meet with them today. Woods also released a statement: “This situation is my fault, and it’s obviously embarrassing to my family and me. I’m human and I’m not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
Bright House Networks’ Central Florida News 13 relayed the Woods headlines this afternoon, and anchor Janelle Jordan underscored that point with “as you saw first here on News 13.”
NeJame is savvy when it comes to public relations. What’s the game plan for the Woods?
They evidently won’t be sharing a lot of details. In his statement, Woods said, “This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way.” He decried “malicious rumors” circulating about his family and praised his wife for her courage in helping remove him from the vehicle.
Anchor Jordan followed that line with this: “Of course, there has been rampant speculation that the crash may have followed a fight between Tiger and his wife.” Will Woods’ statement stop the speculation?
A neighbor’s 911 call released today didn’t mention Woods by name but noted the driver in trouble was in a black Escalade.
As for NeJame, he is familiar to Central Florida viewers for his trials, his commercials and his willingness to talk to the press. (He is the ex-husband of former WESH-Channel 2 anchor Wendy Chioji.) A year ago, he sounded off when he resigned from counseling George and Cindy Anthony. Their daughter, Casey, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter, Caylee.
As I wrote when NeJame resigned: The grandparents’ dealings with the media surprised and stymied NeJame. His frustration undoubtedly resonated with viewers who have grown increasingly baffled by the grandparents’ media methods.
“I need to be in control of my clients and I need to be in control of my cases,” NeJame told WKMG-Channel 6’s Louis Bolden. “And if I’m not, then I’m not as effective as I need to be.”
WFTV-Channel 9’s Kathi Belich said, “The Anthonys have been granting interviews and planning news conferences and then telling him [NeJame] about it after the fact.” Belich added that Cindy Anthony had made TV appearances without NeJame’s input.
“What’s the sense of having an adviser if you’re not going to follow your adviser’s advice?” NeJame told Belich.
Well, yes. I bet Tiger Woods understands and appreciates that message.
In truth, immediately i didn’t understand the essence. But after re-reading all at once became clear.
I don’t feel sorry for Tiger Woods, he is just another over-paid sportsman. Ok, so the kid can hit a golf ball like no-one else, but does that make him a saint? I think some people are being too soft on Tiger, if he has cheated on his wife and betrayed his family then he deserves a bit of bad publicity. It seems that most of the sports blogs listed online at the sports index Dozensports.com are being too nice. Why can’t we say bad stuff about Tiger?