"Lynch" Tiger Woods?

[Lofunzo]

Extremely stupid comment that just can't be made but, if you look at the short video and the context that it was in, there was no intent and malice whatsoever. Woods made a statement that he forgave her and she got a 2 week suspension. This should be a nonissue now.

[Art Vandelay]

Guys like Sharpton and Jesse Jackson love to focus on symtomatic and somewhat insignificant issues rather than tackle the big ones. I guess when you don't address the source of problems and just keep putting band aids on here and there, it's easier to retain your popularity.

I agree with this completely.

However; I don't necessarily believe that intent is the best factor to use to gauge how harsh the punishment should be. Sometimes it doesn't matter if you're just joking. Lynching is something that has a very specific connotation and is very much tied in with race. When you say that a group that is almost exclusively white (the PGA), can solve their problem by lynching a black person, you are either a moron or a racist, either of which is grounds for firing from a job as commentator, as far as I'm concerned. I'm curious as to what the reaction would be, if there would be more outcry or less, if a male commentator would have said something like "If these guys want to beat Annika, they're going to have to drag her into an alley and rape her," you know...back when Annika was good and playing in the occasional PGA event.

Also, of course Tiger Woods is going to downplay this. Whether is actually cares or not, he knows where his bread is buttered. The man made something like $100 million last year on endorsements. In order to maintain that you have to be appealing to corporate America, and getting in the middle of a heated debate on race is the fasted way to lose that appeal. "Agitators" don't have corporate sponsors.

[scottaa1]

Whether is actually cares or not, he knows where his bread is buttered. The man made something like $100 million last year on endorsements.

I thought for sure he'd lose his Buick endorsement after attacking that kid.

[joelamosobadiah]

Agreed with the rest of you. Was she stupid for saying it? Yes. But I don't think that she was trying to be racist in any way. Bad choice of words and a mistake., Nothing more IMO,

[josebach]

Lynching is something that has a very specific connotation and is very much tied in with race. When you say that a group that is almost exclusively white (the PGA), can solve their problem by lynching a black person, you are either a moron or a racist, either of which is grounds for firing from a job as commentator, as far as I'm concerned.

Granted, it wasn't a very smart thing to say, but using the word "lynch" in and of itself doesn't imply race at all. If she would have used the word "lynch" when talking about a white person who was the most dominant person ever in their sport, not only would it have seemed just as appropriate, but people wouldn't have given it a second thought. This is manufactured drama, and the fact that two of the biggest civil rights leaders in the country choose to spend their time on things like this, just shows how little accountability they themselves have.

[Madison]

When you say that a group that is almost exclusively white (the PGA), can solve their problem by lynching a black person, you are either a moron or a racist, either of which is grounds for firing from a job as commentator, as far as I'm concerned.

But see, that's how deep racism is. I never thought for one second about a "white" sport talking about lynching a "black" person. For anyone to view it in that respect, I'd say they worry way, way too much about racism.

Simple matter for me. Tiger is the most dominant player in golf, bar none. He is the best. He is that good. So for a commentator who happens to be a longtime friend of his to joke about putting him out of action somehow (in this case, lynch - and since when did "lynch" become only applicable to black people? Lynching of white people was very common in the old west....) as the only way to beat him, then I see no issues whatsoever with this. It's actually a compliment if you really read it. "Want to beat him? You better hope he doesn't play because if he does play, you've got no chance!" I find the whole thing stupid. She should not have been suspended, she wasn't being racist, and she wasn't advocating violence. There are zero grounds for a suspension or for her to lose her job. Too many people in the world try to find racism in anything that's said nowadays, and you know what, that doesn't help put a stop to racism, it actually does more harm than good on several levels.

[Metroid]

Lynching is something that has a very specific connotation and is very much tied in with race. When you say that a group that is almost exclusively white (the PGA), can solve their problem by lynching a black person, you are either a moron or a racist, either of which is grounds for firing from a job as commentator, as far as I'm concerned.

Granted, it wasn't a very smart thing to say, but using the word "lynch" in and of itself doesn't imply race at all. If she would have used the word "lynch" when talking about a white person who was the most dominant person ever in their sport, not only would it have seemed just as appropriate, but people wouldn't have given it a second thought. This is manufactured drama, and the fact that two of the biggest civil rights leaders in the country choose to spend their time on things like this, just shows how little accountability they themselves have.

Exactamundo!

And really to be fair if Tiger Woods was lynched his game would be seriously affected, so there is truth to her statement.

[scottaa1]

Going to go off-topic from the lynch thing with a purely 'Tiger is awesome' moment. It was probably two years ago, Tiger was filming a commercial and the director wanted a straight-in shot of Tiger hitting the ball. So they set up an undoubtedly very expensive camera on the fairway and the director instructed Tiger to 'hit it towards the camera.' Tiger does just that --- and puts the ball through the camera lens.

Can you imagine that? Having such precise control on the golf course as that? I'd love to trade shoes with Tiger for 36 just so I could feel what it is like to make something so difficult look so easy.

Tiger was his usual jovial self afterwards with a 'I hope the camera was insured' comment while flashing his trademark smile.

And, just for the record, Tiger is only one-quarter African American. This isn't black-and-white, as some people may be making it out to be.

[moochman]

Lynching is something that has a very specific connotation and is very much tied in with race. When you say that a group that is almost exclusively white (the PGA), can solve their problem by lynching a black person, you are either a moron or a racist, either of which is grounds for firing from a job as commentator, as far as I'm concerned.

Granted, it wasn't a very smart thing to say, but using the word "lynch" in and of itself doesn't imply race at all. If she would have used the word "lynch" when talking about a white person who was the most dominant person ever in their sport, not only would it have seemed just as appropriate, but people wouldn't have given it a second thought. This is manufactured drama, and the fact that two of the biggest civil rights leaders in the country choose to spend their time on things like this, just shows how little accountability they themselves have.

Exactamundo!

And really to be fair if Tiger Woods was lynched his game would be seriously affected, so there is truth to her statement.

Art nailed this one. While lynching may not mean the same for Kelli and could have been totally appropriate for her and the other dude to say were they having a private conversation, it was inappropriate for her to say in a public forum. You have more responsibility to your listeners, some of who may very well have been insulted. Worse for me is the cowardise shown by Woods, who took a page right out of the Jordan book of corporate shill by not helping the cause and pointing out that what she said was indeed wrong.
I can't help but feel insulted to think that admen feel consumers are so stupid that we couldn't buy products from an opinionated athlete. That's a whole different racism that helps strip athletes of their ability to affect change via their prominence in society. Darn shame, we would be a better society. But I guess we wouldn't sell as much product.

[Nfl Fan]

Art... you're right again.

The term 'lynching' is something I don't think a white man/woman could ever truly understand without living in black skin. It was (is?) a horrible, degrading, tragic manner of killing a black man... with no trial and rarely justice against the perps. We (white people) simply cannot understand, try as we might.

So for someone to publicly use that word, even jokingly in reference to a friend, shows a HUGE lack of sound judgement.