Me, Myself & Media.

The Masters start today, which is reason enough for mass media coverage and buzz online. Nonetheless, the kickoff of one of the oldest and most prestigious golf tournaments in America is not what people are chatting about. As a matter of fact, they are talking about one thing, and one thing only -- Tiger's back.

After a public leave of about 4 1/2 months, with exception of his terribly unsympathetic public apology, Tiger has been gone from the public eye, spending time on his private yacht named "Privacy", training, and a stint at rehab for sex addiction (so typical).

Yesterday, Nike rolled out their first advertisement featuring Tiger since the whole scandal broke loose in November of last year. Did it feature him golfing? No. Was he making another public apology? Nope (thank goodness). Instead, the black and white commercial starred Tiger, wearing a Nike vest and hat, standing with those big, sad puppy eyes, staring straight into the camera, as you hear a tape of his late-father saying "I want to know what your thinking was, I want to find out what your feelings are, and did you learn anything?" Wow. I commend Nike (or should I say Weiden & Kennedy?). Tiger has proven to be rubbish at stirring emotion in the hearts of Americans (predominantly women), but this message from his father, who passed away a few years ago, made my eyes water. This emotional reaction may be related to the recent death of one of my best friend's dads, but that's exactly why this spot will move people -- everyone knows someone whose dad has passed away, if not their own. Do I like Tiger any more because of the ad? No, but maybe it's just the start of the journey back into the spotlight. After all, it is none of our business what he does in his personal life.