New Tiger Woods Ad Stirs Old Criticisms
Tiger Woods is back - and so are his detractors.
Woods came roaring back on Monday with a win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, regaining his position as the world's number one golfer just in time for the upcoming Masters tournament. His number one sponsor quickly celebrated. And the Internet quickly turned on him.
In a post on Facebook and Twitter that went viral and caused a stir online, Nike created an ad that includes a photo of Woods with the caption: "Winning Takes Care of Everything."
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Some saw the ad as an inappropriate comment on the golfer's private life. Woods was last ranked No. 1 in 2010, soon after an argument with his then-wife revealed a lengthy string of extramarital affairs and then led to his divorce.
In response to the ad, one Twitter user shot back "except for the marriage & family u destroyed."
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Write another Twitter user: "disappointing message by Nike."
Nike said this to ABC News in a statement: "Tiger has always said he competes to win. When asked about his goals such as getting back to number one, he has said consistently winning is the way to get there. The statement references that sentiment and is a salute to his athletic performance."
Woods on Monday regained his former spot as the world's best golfer, following a win at Bay Hill. Despite his fall from grace, he is still the third highest-paid athlete in professional sports, according to Forbes, earning $55 million annually from endorsements alone.