The Year of the Tiger

So Gatorade has dropped Tiger Woods as a paid endorser. If I was Tiger Woods I would have my revenge. I would wait until next February and I would get back at Gatorade, Accenture and AT&T all at the same time. Go Michael Corleone at the end of Godfather I on them. Here's how I would do it.

I would negotiate with one of the networks who was not carrying the Accenture Match Play tournament to broadcast a weekend skins game with Tiger Woods, another pro like maybe Notah Begay and a couple of big name celebrities who also happen to be excellent golfers like Kevin Costner and Tony Romo or Justin Timberlake and Tom Brady. Think about that. What would you rather watch? The Tiger-less Accenture match play or a skins game with Tiger and some famous buddies? The ratings for Tiger's skins game would kill the Accenture broadcast! Tiger could more than recoup the money he lost from the Accenture endorsement by producing this skins game. If he made it a regular yearly thing then the purse size for the Accenture event would shrink because the networks wouldn't be getting the ratings to subsidize the payouts. The message to the rest of the PGA would be clear - don't screw with Tiger.

Getting revenge on Gatorade would be simple. During the course of the skins game someone could start a conversation on diet. Rehydration could be part of the discussion and Tiger could say that the best thing to do is simply to drink water. What about replenishing the nutrients lost from sweating? Tiger could suggest water and a banana then. Then he could drop the bomb that if you have to have a sports drink then use Powerade. Why not Gatorade? Tiger could say in a moment that would seem like he thinks he's off camera, "I always thought that Gatorade tasted like piss."

Sales for Gatorade would plummet.

Product placement would take care of AT&T. Have Tiger use a Verizon or Sprint phone a couple of times to send or receive a text. He could name drop a couple of other famous people that he's texting with the implication that they use the same wireless carrier. On top of that have his caddy continually drink Coke or Diet Coke (Pepsi is the owner of the Gatorade brand).

The ratings for such an event would be huge. Tiger's revenge could be both complete and profitable. If they are not going to love you - make them fear you.