Tiger Woods - The Ripple Effect
Since his career started in 1996, Tiger Woods has been a boon to the sport of golf as well as all professional athletes. In 2008 he was the highest paid athlete earning $110 million in prizes and endorsements.
Because of the revelations of Tiger’s secret lifestyle on December 11th, his sponsors have lost an estimated 12 billion dollars - that’s right, 12 BILLION - mostly affecting Gatorade, Nike, and Electronic Arts (the only three places other than the news that come to mind when thinking about Woods!). That, of course, means the share holders of those companies took quite a hit.
It’s most certainly guaranteed that Tiger was not thinking about the repercussions of his behavior while expressing his carnal knowledge to various subjects. Rather than considering the ramifications on his wife, children, sponsors, career, and paternal legacy, he was consumed with how to avoid getting caught, when he could get away with it next, and how to not get caught while getting away with it next. With so much at risk, so much pressure is mounted on a person to get the story straight and the details in line that the person forgets why he is lying in the first place. That individual, in effect, then becomes disconnected from reality, lost in an obsessive cycle of longing, pleasure, guilt, fear, lies, and pain.
Now that Tiger’s back in the real world he is witnessing fans, family, supporters, sponsors, and parents of impressionable youth reeling in his wake. His empire slips from his control as sports commentators, who once hailed him, drive daggers of relentless mockery into his career whilst his allies retreat for fear of death by association. A living legend has made himself a fool. Whether it was megalomania, sociopathy, narcissism, or plain old sexual addiction no longer matters. His reign is over. He can only hope to reconcile with his family and piece together what is left of his career.
Woods’ downfall doesn’t have to be in vain, for there is a very valuable but seldom taught lesson to learn from this mess. What you do affects more than just you. Each life is a drop of water in the pond of humanity, and each drop causes a ripple. No one can do anything without having some direct consequence on those around who are closest. And the ripple doesn’t stop there. Consider the effect Woods set into motion: first his family is demolished. Next law enforcement and medical personnel are inconvenienced. Then, the women he bonded with are bombarded by the media. Following are the children disillusioned as Tiger is harangued by commentators on TV and the radio. Sponsors drop him and shareholders lose. Fans of all sports become skeptical of the integrity of their role models. Everyone is scarred and jaded. The world shakes it’s head in shame.
One person’s actions have repercussions that shape a community and could potentially span the globe. The trick isn’t to avoid getting caught, but to be caught doing good for others. Always. No one may be watching, but everyone will experience the outcome.
