And why isn’t he speaking up against golf’s racism?
By A.J. Hayes
Tiger's not talking
For a sport that demands precious silence from its gallery , why is it that pro golf’s shot callers behave like a boisterous drunks every time they are faced with the fact that the sport just might be a tad lacking in racial tolerance within its infrastructure?
The latest racially charged calamity to soil the sport began about two weeks ago when an obscure Golf Channel announcer named Kelly Tilghman proclaimed that the only hope young golfers have in beating the great Tiger Woods was “lynch him in an alley.”
While it was a bizarre statement to make – who uses the term “lynch” so casually in regards to an African-American? – most people, including Woods himself, gave Tilgman the benefit of the doubt that didn’t make the statement with race in mind.
After she apologized she was given a two week suspension.
Then last week, Golfweek magazine joined Tilgman in the sand trap when it ran a picture of a noose on its cover to illustrate a story about the Tilgman. The cover line read: “Caught in a Noose: Tilghman slips up, and Golf Channel can’t wriggle free.”
Of course anyone who isn’t submersed in the world of golf 24 hours a day would know how blatantly offensive such imagery is. Eventually the real world caught up with the magazine and a change was made in their editorial hierarchy.
This fiasco is just the latest racially charged episode to hit golf. If it isn’t the controversy over golf course that holds the Masters Tournament that forbids women from being members, to the racially insensitive remarks about Woods made by golfer Fuzzy Zoeller, golf has a real problem with race.
Compounding the problem is, it never seems to learn from its mistakes.
What the sport particularly needs is someone of prominence from within the sport to take a stand for racial equality within its ranks. Someone who will scare the wits out of the old boy network with threats of boycott when racism sprouts its ugly head.
This person would have to hold tremendous sway within golf circles.
Now who could that be?
Hmmm…
Of course it’s Tiger Woods. But like Michael Jordan, who declined to use his massive popularity and influence for anything better than selling underwear, Woods seems to be petrified to step outside the corportate world and voice an opinion for the downtrodden.
Apparently Woods is friends with Tilgman and did feel she was being racist with her lynching crack, fine, he doesn’t have to come hard on her.
But would it be so difficult for Woods to make a comment about the history of lynching blacks in this country, especially in light of last year’s incident in Jena, Louisiana.
If Woods believes he can make Buick look cool by appearing in their ads, imagine what type of buzz he would generate by speaking out on racism or any other of society’s ills.
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Comments (1)
I feel he does not want to be in the controversies.
Posted by Poor Golfer | January 29, 2008 07:37 PM