Tiger bitten by his fame

HERE'S a late-breaking news flash: Tiger Woods is a public figure. As an internationally recognized sports star, a blue-chip spokesman and a worldwide celebrity, whether he likes it or not (and apparently he doesn't) Woods is a public figure.

This isn't something that simply happened. Woods worked at it.

He practiced all his life, focused and trained to be a winner. And then he developed his skills as a public persona, pitchman and marketeer. Indeed, it's hard to turn on the TV, pick up a magazine or pass a series of billboards without seeing Woods endorsing a product or service somewhere along the way.

All of this has made Woods a billionaire. He's got so much money he doesn't really have to work anymore. And if he wants some form of imposed privacy, he can have it. Woods has got enough to buy his own private island and kiss everybody goodbye if that's what he wants.

But Woods doesn't want that.

Instead, he wants to be a public figure and not be a public figure at the same time. He wants fame and celebrity - but only on his terms.

It's OK for us to know about his home and family so long as it advances his interests. And it's OK for him to be recognized so long as it makes life more comfortable for him: exclusivity, first-class accommodations and VIP treatment everywhere he goes.

This actually works most of the time for many celebs. It works because they don't make a show of it and work at staying out of trouble. They're also smart enough to hire good handlers and put good people forward to represent them. And they make themselves available to the media regularly. They know how to feed the beast.

But over the last few years, Woods has been less than cooperative. He's not particularly nice to those in the galleries at tournaments. Doesn't like to sign autographs or hobnob with common folk. Doesn't seem to feel a need to apologize when he steps out of line. And he's not shy about declaring a private zone around himself and his world.

Woods has gone to great lengths to protect himself from the public and the media, and developed a reputation as one of the most impenetrable public figures around.

But now he's in trouble.

It's not about peeking into his personal life so much as it's about the possible violation of laws: domestic abuse, reckless driving, driving under the influence, providing a false account of events to police.

And, in his zeal to maintain his privacy, Woods violated the first rule of crisis communication.

Instead of coming forward and promptly and candidly explaining what happened to the fullest extent possible, he's hunkered down.

When you do this, you only make the media more curious and more suspicious. So now, it's not just TMZ that's on Woods' case. Now, the mainstream media are also beginning to take an active interest in l'Affaire Tiger.

Papers as far from his Florida home as the Los Angeles Times, Detroit Free Press, Kansas City Star and even the Times of London have developed an interest in the story.

They've got Tiger by the tale.

But even this has not served as a wake-up call for Woods. Now he's gone and hired a lawyer known as "the Johnnie Cochran of Orlando."

By his own account, this high-powered lawyer has represented basketball star Shaquille O'Neal, as well as a reality show director, a Mideastern millionaire, a Florida state senator accused of DUI and many others. He even played a brief role representing the grandparents of young Caylee Anthony in her sensational murder case.

HEY, MAYBE it takes a celebrity to represent a celebrity.

And everyone's entitled to representation, right? No one would want to deny Woods his day in court.

But wait a minute. If this is all about a private matter where no harm was done, why does Woods need such flashy representation?

Either Tiger Woods has something to hide - or he doesn't.

If he doesn't, things can still be cleared up quite quickly.

If he does, all the more reason to come forward and put the facts on the table. Because, if you're a public figure, today's media-saturated world is no place for secrets.

Daniel A. Cirucci is a lecturer in corporate communications at Penn State Abington. He blogs at dancirucci.blogspot.com.