Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer of all-time. That is no debate. However, back in 2017, the G.O.A.T. was arrested for driving under the influence. Tiger, says the DUI was a result of a reaction to a prescription drug; this is still up for debate though. As a result of an incident such as this, many athletes would lose their sponsorships; however, Tiger did not. This has sparked a lot of controversies, but what do people think should have happened?

Philp Murdock: Nowadays, no one can get away with anything. If someone of any relative fame does something wrong, it gets out. Tiger is no different. He does not deny that he was under the influence, but he says there was no alcohol involved. The question is, is he telling the truth? He has to be. If he was not, it would have gotten out. If anyone knew differently, it would have spread like wildfire. 

Despite the fact that he was not under the influence of alcohol, he was under the influence of prescription drugs. He should have known better than to drive. So, should he have lost his sponsors? The answer is no. Just because he did something wrong one time does not mean he should lose everything he worked hard for. 

This would be a completely different scenario if he had injured someone or hit something. But, let me remind you that he did not. He also was not on any recreational drugs; he was taking something that was prescribed. Although it is embarrassing for Tiger, he handled it well with the mistake that he made. He apologized to his family and his fans, he was respectful to the police, and he completely accepted his fate. 

Tiger should not be completely let off of the hook by any means. He made a mistake, and that cannot go without at least some consequences. He should have been fined at the very least. He should have also contributed to causes that are against drunk driving; afterall, he is a public figure. At the time of the incident, he was not playing on tour, so a punishment there was not feasible, but maybe the PGA Tour should have suspended him for a couple of tournaments when he came back. He definitely should not have lost his sponsors, but he should have had something happen to him. At the end of the day, he is still a role model for many. 

Serena Thiede: One of the PGA Tour’s most widely known golfers is no stranger to controversy. In 2009, this man got into a car crash that happened two days after his cheating scandal was leaked. He said it was an honest mistake and had nothing to do with the stress, but he got charged with reckless driving because of this incident. Tons of affairs later, we come across the most important scandal that shaped him as the person he is in my mind. This man is Tiger Woods, and his 2017 DUI arrest shaped his career going forward forever. Being found with five separate drugs in his body led to another reckless driving situation. This could have happened to anyone whether in the spotlight or not, but there is no way a person of influence should still be endorsed and be the face of brands the way that he is. 

If you are a professional of any type, let alone athletic, your reputation is always on the line. People are always watching and waiting for your downfall and will go miles and miles to let you know how they feel. When you are a face of a brand though, that adds a whole new level of mess you can get yourself into if you slip up. Celebrities like Kanye West and athletes like Michael Phelps have been dropped from large brand deals for things they have said or done in the public eye. This brings up the question of whether Tiger Woods deserves to keep his endorsement deals even after being caught up in scandals as bad as being arrested for willingly having multiple drugs in his system and putting others in danger. 

Tiger is endorsed by big-name brands such as Monster Energy, Rolex, Bridgestone, and TaylorMade, and during the DUI and other issues of his past, these brands did not cut ties with the golfer. This is extremely messed up in my mind because if other people are at his level of presence in the media, why should he get special treatment? I do not care if the drug is legal in the state or even if he paid his full bail; if you are stupid enough to get a DUI and the media knows, that is not only disrespectful to the brand that is endorsing you but also to the fans that support you. It is completely uncalled for when it comes to athletes still being disrespectful to the public like that. Just like high school kids losing scholarships for college due to avoidable events, professionals should get what they have coming. You do not bite the hand that feeds you, and Tiger ripped it clean off. I would personally be embarrassed to endorse someone who did not have enough respect to do what is right to keep others safe, and I would not think twice about cutting ties with him or her.  

When you look up to someone as a kid, you think that person is perfect and are in love with said person and the products linked to him or her. It is psychologically known that when someone you like is endorsed by a product, you will reach for that product more than if it was another brand and whether that brand is better or not. But when brands put a problematic or bad person in that position, the people that do not know about the situation will continue to buy the product unfazed, but someone like me will think twice about supporting a brand that supports this behavior. Supporting this behavior for a brand not only makes the brand seem careless but also makes the public question what the people behind the brand stand for. Just like people not supporting music because of the artist’s actions, this is the same type of situation but on the athletic stage. 

Some may argue that just because the brand endorses him does not mean the brand supports his choices, but in this case, I do not know why a brand would want a problematic person supporting their product knowing they could receive extra backlash for keeping them around. Big brands can lose customers and respect for misplacing trust, and this is a big example of when they should have taken the risk to drop the person to save reputation. 

No matter who you are, it is easy to see when wrong is wrong and right is right. It does not take rocket science to figure out good decisions from bad; when someone makes a bad decision, that person needs to learn the consequences, and I really wish Tiger Woods felt that sting from at least one of the brands that endorses him. When someone is as problematic as he is, it should have been an easy drop so that the brands could move to more relevant names in the game who do it the right way.