Thursday 26 May 2005

Tiger Jam Raises Over $1-Million - Without Name Host
Woods Slump Continues; Fails To Make Cut For Fundraising Concert

With A-List celebrities, including Terri Hatcher, Conan O'Brien, Kevin James, floating around the floor of the sold-out Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas last Saturday, the Tiger Jam VII raised more than $1 million for the Tiger Woods Learning Center (TWLC) and select local charities.

And it was done without the name-above-the-title host - Tiger Woods.

Woods failed to make the cut for the annual fundraiser, which featured the music of Stevie Wonder and the Counting Crows, leaving the crowd searching for the famed golfer much of the evening.

It appears Woods is carrying over his woes from the golf course. Woods has gone 10 majors without winning, matching the longest drought of his career. His only victory this year was in February, and three players - Vijay Singh, Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson - have grabbed most of the headlines.

Reports say that during rehearsals, Woods flubbed his lines, forgot names of key sponsors and guests, and shanked his handshake too far to the right. After a brief huddle of the event producers, Woods was informed that he would be left out of the main event later that evening.

Woods was said to have acted professionally, but was also distraught. Reports from numerous guests and hotel staff say that Woods spent the next several hours shaking hands with people, at random, often repeating the gesture two, or three times. He was also introducing himself to hotel staff, then returning a few minutes later, reciting their name back to them. Security guards on the floor of his suite report hearing him practicing a speech, over-and-over.

Tiger Jam, The Las Vegas-based concert series, was created in 1998 by the Tiger Woods Foundation, an organization dedicated to inspiring dreams in America's youth. Since its inception, Tiger Jams I - VII have raised more than $7 million. Proceeds from previous Tiger Jams have supported Child Haven, Center for Independent Living, Greater Las Vegas Inner City Games, Boys & Girls Club of Las Vegas, UNLV Women's Athletics, GRAMMY in the Schools and The VH1 Save the Music Foundation.

There were unconfirmed reports that hours into the fundraiser, Woods returned, indicating he was prepared and ready, but was escorted out of the room, without taking the stage or engaging in the ceremonies.


BBC Employees Stage Strike That Almost Goes Unnoticed

Management Doesn't Notice; Thought It Was A Gag and Goes Along With It

Looking to thwart company plans that call for over 4,000 job cuts over the next three-years, thousand of BBC employees stayed away from their work yesterday, calling a 24-hour strike.

Trouble is, as technicians, to news correspondents, to anchors, carried picket signs that read "Fight for our BBC." outside Television Center, the BBC's mammoth headquarters in West London, BBC management all but ignored the strikers, believing it was a practical joke.

"They were so civil and polite", said BBC Director General, Mark Thompson. "I thought it was a gag".

So much so that Thompson called his friend, actor and former Monty Python member John Cleese, who showed up, in costume and disguise of a Scotland Yard Inspector, causing a temporary commotion, as Cleese issued arcane and non-sensical instructions for proper striking rules and regulations.

Once his identity was exposed, Cleese took up with a picket sign and stayed for over an hour with the strikers.

When it became clear to Thompson, and the rest of the management staff that the strike was legitimate, it became difficult for the BBC to cover it, as only approximately 30% of the news staff reported to work. Strikers didn't help, as they refused to give interviews to the staffers sent out to cover the strike.

BBC did try to keep its programs on the air, but ended up cutting back or canceling much of its live television and radio coverage because of the strike. Among the programs to be canceled was the "Today" program, an influential morning news and current affairs radio broadcast. Repeats were put in place as well as a program about jazz music.

At issue is the financial future of the company. Thompson announced that in order for the BBC to stay competitive in an increasingly crowded broadcasting world, it would have to cut 3,780 jobs for a savings of about £355 million a year or about $642 million at current exchange rates.

Thompson was appointed last May as much to restore the BBC's confidence in itself as to lead the corporation into the difficult future. Last year, the BBC lost a bitter and angry battle with the Labor government of Prime Minister Tony Blair stemming from its coverage, in 2003, of the advent of the Iraqi war.

An investigation led by Lord Hutton, a former judge, found that the BBC had erred in reporting on the "Today" program that the government had deliberately exaggerated the case for war, and criticized the company for sloppy reporting and poor oversight. In the wake of Lord Hutton's scathing report, both the BBC's chairman and director general resigned.

Unions represent nearly 9,000 of the BBC's 27,000 employees and say Mr. Thompson's proposals would cut the company to the quick, making it impossible to maintain its reputation and high standards.

The strike is the first of three planned in the next month and Thompson was still surprised by the work action.

"I don't know, a lot of my friends are out there … I feel like I should be bringing them out some tea, or something".