In this NBC Sports report, Tiger Woods thinks he is being exploited by the PGA. This, from the guy who made over $20 million dollars in tour earnings in the last four years, and about $54 million in endorsements this year alone.
Does anybody have any sympathy for pooor Tiger? Of course he is being exploited! Does he not understand why he was paid so much money? How much would it take to make him feel better? 100 mil? 200?
If that’s being exploited…
EXPLOIT ME, PLEASE!
Yes, he probablty is being exploited. But if he didn’t see it coming, he should never have become so good at hitting a little ball into a little hole.
With fame comes exploitation and the loss of some rights that unfamous people take for granted. It also comes with perks: Not to many people in my tax bracket and level of fame can fuck supermodels, get free things that I would have to pay for, and never worry where his next meal is going to come from.
Yer pal,
Satan
*TIME ELAPSED SINCE I QUIT SMOKING:
Six months, four weeks, one day, 22 hours, 48 minutes and 24 seconds.
8518 cigarettes not smoked, saving $1,064.75.
Extra time with Drain Bead: 4 weeks, 1 day, 13 hours, 50 minutes.
David B used me as a cite!*
I read the article that the OP linked to (ick, what shoddy grammar!) and it didn’t do a great job of convincing me that Woods is being exploited. The first issue Woods raised seemed to be that he was being slighted by commissioner Tim Finchem. This does not mesh with my understanding of exploitation. At best, this is either Finchem not being a real social guy, and at worst, Finchem being a rude jerk. Maybe Finchem should start forwarding Tiger wacky emails like “Top Ten Things You Won’t See on the LPGA Tour?”
The second issue is the conflict between companies that sponsor touraments, and companies with whom Woods has an endorsement contract. While this is becoming more and more of an issue in professional sports, I still don’t see how it exploits Woods. He is not being singled out nor is he losing money as a result.
Finally, he wants a cut of the increased revenues that the sport is taking in. Cry me a river. I don’t think that athletes necessarily deserve a greater percentage of the money coming into a sport, even though it is often obvious that the personal appeal of an individual athlete is fueling the increase in popularity. This money should become the foundation for the PGA to promote the sport for future generations of athletes.
Tiger griping about being exploited is like a hooker whining about being treated like a sex object.
He’s being exploited by the PGA in the same way that the NBA exploited Michael Jordan. Jordan didn’t bitch, he just let it happen and took it as one of the prices he had to pay.
My favorite part was when he bitched about the $200,000 bonus he was awarded by PricewaterhouseCoopers for his season’s performance. Apparently he represents a competing firm, American Express.
His agent objects “Those are the types of things that drive us absolutely crazy. Something like that is an implied endorsement. That’s an infringement on Tiger’s rights. It’s stuff we won’t stand for.”
Uh, did your client cash the check and give you your cut, asshole?
Anyone want to drive me crazy in like fashion?
No one can exploit you without your permission.
Tell that to the Duke. Coors dug him up and had him sign the endorsement contract, eh? 
True, he’s probably not feeling too outraged about the exploitation.
Tiger has a FEW valid points, but he’s very foolish for choosing to rant about them in the media.
Make no mistake about it- Tiger is singlehandedly responsible for bringing in huge TV ratings and revenues to the PGA, and if he feels that entitles him to special respect, consideration, and maybe some extra cash from the PGA, he’s absolutely right.
On the other hand, Tiger has just done Mr. Finchem a HUGE favor. Everyone who hears what Tiger says will dismiss him as yet another spoiled, whiny, crybaby millionaire athlete demanding more money.
Tiger had every right to go to Mr. Finchem behind the scenes, play hardball, and get what he could get. But he was incredibly stupid to go public.
