Nike exec: Why we stuck with TigerNike even launched a lampooned -- and, to some, tasteless -- commercial of Woods staring blankly into the camera as the voice of his late father asks him what he learned from his experience -- even though that lecture was not about cheating on his wife.
The company's loyalty isn't surprising. Nike kept Kobe Bryant on its roster through the Los Angeles Lakers star's high-profile court battle over rape charges in 2003 -- charges that were eventually dropped. But Nike has proved that it wasn't shy of dropping publicly disgraced endorsers in the past. The sneaker and sports equipment maker dropped Michael Vick after his conviction in 2007 related to dog fighting. Many angry bloggers cited the Vick incident as evidence that Nike seems to care more about dogs than women.
