Tiger Woods and Corporate Social Responsibility

I need to take an "indefinite break" from Tiger Woods.

But if we need to talk about him, lets talk about his lack of corporate social responsibility. There is a lot I could say about Woods and lack of responsibility in his private life, but at this point, that mess is really between himself, his wife and his higher being. But I digress.

Many analysts believed that Woods was going to be dropped by all his sponsors and partners, including energy giant Chevron, but it seems like Woods beat them to the punch.

From TigerWoods.com

As the final round of the Chevron World Challenge begins, I would like to extend my heartfelt thank you to everyone affiliated with the event, especially our amazing title sponsor, Chevron." Woods added: '"I am so grateful to them for their efforts, and I am sincerely sorry I was unable to fulfill my duties as host and player in this important event." He also mentioned the "18 outstanding pros in the field," saying, "they provided excellent competition.

If Tiger Woods is so reckless about his personal life, why would I expect any better from his corporate life.

From David Zirin:

In 2008 Chevron entered a five-year relationship with Tiger Woods's foundation under the guise of philanthropy. But if Woods had a shred of social conscience, this partnership never would have existed. Lawsuits have been issued against Chevron for dumping toxic waste all over the planet. Alaska, Canada, Brazil, Angola and California have all accused Chevron of dumping. Even worse, Chevron has a partnership with Burma's ruling military junta on the country's Yadana gas pipeline project, the single greatest source of revenue for the military, estimated at nearly $5 billion since 2000.

Ka Hsaw Wa, co-founder and executive director of EarthRights International, wrote in an open letter to Woods, "I myself have spoken to victims of forced labor, rape, and torture on Chevron's pipeline--if you heard what they said to me, you too would understand how their tragic stories stand in stark contrast to Chevron's rhetoric about helping communities." Chevron is underwriting a dictatorship, but Tiger Woods apparently sees them as upstanding corporate partners.

Zirin goes on to say that Tiger Woods has designed a golf course in Dubai, which "also has a reputation as ground zero of the global sex trade. The project cost $100 million, and Woods said nary a word about his benefactor's practices. This is business as usual for Woods who would sooner swallow a five-iron than take anything resembling a political stand."

Who is really surprised by this? It's not like Tiger Woods respects women anyway, right...