The aerial assault on Tiger Woods at the Masters has been temporarily suspended, it seems, as the FAA has swooped in and grounded the plane that has been toting the banners. All was calm on the ground on Thursday as Tiger began his comeback at Augusta National, but hilarity ruled the skies, as a private plane displayed three different banners at various times during the event. SportsbyBrooks reported that the plane was taking off from an airport in South Carolina, and that’s where the FAA converged this morning to inspect the plane (read: Augusta officials are throwing their weight around, big time). Finding a minor seat belt violation, the FAA had the excuse it needed to keep the plane from completing its aerial heckling today.
Hmm. Anyone ever think of skywriting?
But Air America Ariel Ads, the Toledo, Ohio company that is flying the banners, is hopeful it can find another plane to tote more messages today. Three more have been paid for, according to several sources; one which reads “You knew Steve, you know.” Referring to Tiger’s caddy, Steve Williams, who claims he knew nothing of Woods’ infidelities.
The FAA, by the way, denies that Augusta pressured them to make the unscheduled inspection.
Watch the skies!
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Tiger Aerial Assault Plane — Grounded By FAA [TMZ]
Tiger Banners: 3 More To Go, Airport Revealed [SportsbyBrooks]
Plane that carried banners at Masters heads home, for now [Augusta Chronicle]
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- Smoove - Apr 9, 2010 at 6:28 PM
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Some of you people make me sick. How messed up are your priorities that you think it’s okay that these taunts are flown over a major sporting event?
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- Adam - Apr 9, 2010 at 6:35 PM
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What most of you need to do is maybe stop looking deep into this. The pilot probably wasn’t trying to ‘bully’ Tiger. He was just doing what his money and resources were letting him do.
He had something FUNNY that he wanted to do.
When all was done, it was a joke.
This pilot guy was playing a prank. He has an aggressive sense of humor and he pulled it off. props.
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- Joinmich - Apr 9, 2010 at 6:37 PM
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AZLifestyle:
“What really pisses me off about this is the fact that he built his reputation AND his billion dollar empire on the fact that he was the golden boy, morally sound, perfect if you will. When all the time he was lying to his family and all of us who paid for his billion dollar empire.”
Gee, I must have missed all those commercials with Tiger Woods building his reputation by saying he was “morally sound, perfect.” The only ones I remember were the ones about golf! And if you paid money to buy things that Tiger Wood endorsed because you thought he was a morally superior being, and NOT because he was the best golfer anyone had seen in ages, maybe you should rethink your purchasing decisions.
I watched Tiger play golf (and I’m not a golf nut) because he was unusually good playing golf! I’m sorry for his wife because I’m a woman and I can imagine her self esteem took a huge hit finding out about his women. However, I wouldn’t know about it if he wasn’t a high profile celebrity.
If he was just a neighborhood guy who got caught doing the same thing, he would probably get told off by the majority of the neighborhood women, counseled by the neighborhood guys saying, “Dude, were you nuts or did you really think you’d never get caught!?” Then as time went on, some people would never consider him a friend again, some would just whisper about him as he drove by, and some, a very few, would try to be available for both him and his wife, in case they needed some space to try to get their lives back together. At least I hope I would do that.
Maybe part of what bothers many of us about Tiger Wood’s “fall from grace” is that we projected onto Tiger Woods the type of totally good character we wanted him to have to match his totally good game of golf.
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- Realistic - Apr 9, 2010 at 6:39 PM
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Let’s look at the facts. Tiger Woods never claimed to be the golden boy, or morally sound for that matter, nor did his sponsors. Tiger Woods claimed to be able to play golf – and that he proved he can do. He also is a man of color in a field where there were very few. Regardless of with whom he slept, we cannot take those two things away from him. If society would only stop trying to make professional athletes and other “celebrities” into idols and realize they are as human as we are, we would all be better off!
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- Wes Porte - Apr 9, 2010 at 6:41 PM
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Sorry my friend, but this company had a legitimate license from the FAA to operate commercial aircraft towing banners. Bad taste-Yes. Illegal, no.
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- Joinmich - Apr 9, 2010 at 6:41 PM
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Goodness, the voice of reason!
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- Buddy - Apr 9, 2010 at 6:47 PM
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Hell, I’ve had more women than Tiger. I’m not famous. I have just not been caught. Besides, I have a better judgement in women than Tiger.
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- phil f - Apr 9, 2010 at 6:48 PM
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The only reason Tiger Woods is around is to entertain me when I watch golf, i could care less about his personal life. Time for the media to stop ramming this story down are throats.
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- Lee Mears - Apr 9, 2010 at 6:56 PM
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If Elin had done what Tiger did, would he or “Earl” ask her “What were you thinking, and, have you learned anything?” Give me a break. Good marketing ploy on Nike and Tiger’s part. Money speaks.
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- Steve-O - Apr 9, 2010 at 6:57 PM
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Why should Tiger be left alone? He gave up that right the day signed a $100 million contract. In exchange he became a public figure and people put him on a pedestal. He’s not some guy going out to play a quick 18 holes. There are millions of men who have every right to be angry at him because now people think since Tiger did it, every man does. I have never cheated and I never will. I was raised better than that….. And by the way, you do not have to be a God fearing man to be a good person. You just have to want to and be a good person.
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- JohnnyB - Apr 9, 2010 at 6:58 PM
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“Sorry my friend, but this company had a legitimate license from the FAA to operate commercial aircraft towing banners. Bad taste-Yes. Illegal, no.”
So they were excluded from or granted an exception to the TRA? Source?
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- Joslyn J. - Apr 9, 2010 at 7:01 PM
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Tiger, is that you?
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- The Ricksterrr - Apr 9, 2010 at 7:06 PM
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Wished people would stop being kids and start acting like grown up christians instead of portraying a image of dumbness across the skys. Grow up !
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- Diana - Apr 9, 2010 at 7:21 PM
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Tiger is trying to move forward with his life and so should the public. Why don’t you Tiger haters go harass Jesse James or the next guy to be caught cheating? I’m sure there are some other pro-golfers that have cheated and have not been caught!
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- DYLAN RIVIS - Apr 9, 2010 at 7:25 PM
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If David Letterman and Jay Leno can make their jokes about Tiger’s fiasco on their shows then the public is free to do it, in any manner they so choose if they pay for it. Freedom of speech in this country as long as you don’t resort to libel or speaking for anyone else.
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- DYLAN RIVIS - Apr 9, 2010 at 7:32 PM
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Screw the Christians and all other religions.They don’t decide what we do or do not do.
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- interested observer - Apr 9, 2010 at 7:33 PM
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To show the real hypocricy here – That Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback raped a woman and there is no uproar. Both are famous athletes and spokesmen. The only difference is the color of their skin.
So – I guess all those who spend all this effort condemning tiger are upset because Tiger is a rich black man. Gee – what is that called?
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- "G" - Apr 9, 2010 at 7:40 PM
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As much as I agree w/you and everyone who feels this has gone way too far, people hiding their racist views is incredibly pervasive, and I’m not saying that simply agreeing the pilot has the right to do it or that someone else should say it. It has nothing to do w/that. This is just another chance for someone to feel as though their voice can be heard but disguise the bigotry behind the comment. These people don’t care that he cheated…people cheat, they care that another rich, famous Black person was caught in “the net” and they are pissed they make the money and on and on. I don’t hear these kinds of comments when it comes to a lot of other people(not of color) doing their dirt(cheating, stealing and worse). Life is short. Learn to forgive. You may find yourselves on the dirty end of the stick someday.
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- Ken - Apr 9, 2010 at 7:57 PM
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Can you use the blimp to fly the banners, its already taking pictures for TV. And the FAA can’t restrict, just a thought !!
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- bob d - Apr 9, 2010 at 8:05 PM
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Right, the pilot (or who daid for the stunt) was looking for his/her own 15 minutes of fame.
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- Private Pilot - Apr 9, 2010 at 8:22 PM
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Some have posted in this thread that there is a TFR over Augusta. Not true – check the FAA.gov website. Some have posted that banner towing aircraft may be unsafe. Not the issue.
The issue is that the banner towers were within the FAA’s guidelines and the Augusta National called in a favor and had the FAA find a reason to ground them
We can change the laws to outlaw banner towing operations if that’s the right thing. BUT, what we don’t need, in aviation or elsewhere, is politically connected groups calling in favors with the government to shut down legal operators.
This isn’t a third world country. It is the USA and we’re supposed to be governed by law, not the wishes of the politically connected.
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- Helen - Apr 9, 2010 at 8:36 PM
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Grow up..All of you.It is none of your business what goes meet workerson between a husband and wife. The only one who has class is Elin,Its her business not any of you nut cases.
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- JohnnyB - Apr 9, 2010 at 8:39 PM
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I didn’t say there was a TFR. Another poster did. Here is a link that explains what happened with the FAA and the tug pilot. I still think it’s an unnecessary intrusion into the right of the people that just want to be at the tournament and enjoy the day. And I stand by my statement that there are safety issues involved with the tens of thousands of people walking the grounds and the potential problem of a banner towing low and slow aircraft circleing overhead.
http://www.golfweek.com/news/2010/apr/09/report-faa-investigating-augusta-flyover/
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- JUNO - Apr 9, 2010 at 8:49 PM
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I wonder how many people’s arms are tired of beating this dead horse…LMAO….give it a rest…Tiger will get his endorsments back….Maybe from a condom company, for surely if you play as many holes in a week as he does you may need them…
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- powerbelongstotherich - Apr 9, 2010 at 8:58 PM
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Guess the rich golfers can tell the lackies at the FCC to squash our freedom of speech.
