- Mark Dolliver, Adweek

The good news for Tiger Woods (and, by extension, the companies whose images are associated with his): A plurality of respondents to a new Rasmussen Reports poll think his public apology last week was sincere. The bad news: A majority nonetheless have an unfavorable opinion of him.

Forty-one percent of those polled said they think Woods's apology last Friday was "sincere," while 28 percent think it wasn't and the rest weren't sure. Meanwhile, 12 percent said they have a "very favorable" impression of him, with another 24 percent having a "somewhat favorable" view. Thirty-two percent have a "somewhat unfavorable" and 19 percent a "very unfavorable" impression. The rest weren't sure. Rasmussen notes in its analysis of the findings that the favorable total is unchanged since mid-December, while the unfavorable total has risen slightly.

In an ABC News poll conducted on the eve of Woods's press session, respondents were asked whether they think companies should continue to use him as an endorser. Fifty-three percent said they should, including 31 percent feeling that way "strongly." Thirty-three percent said companies should not continue using Woods in that role (21 percent "strongly"). The rest offered no opinion. Those numbers haven't changed much since mid-December, when ABC News conducted a similar survey. Among respondents who identify themselves as fans of golf, 62 percent believe his endorsements should continue.

Elsewhere in the ABC News poll, men were more likely than women (47 percent vs. 33 percent) to express a favorable opinion of Woods. The report links this to the fact that men are also much more likely than women to be fans of golf (27 percent vs. 10 percent).

The survey didn't try to determine whether there's a gender gap among those who are fans of marital infidelity.