(August 2014) After watching some old videos of “Outside The Lines” with commentators including Golf Channel’s Rich Lerner, African American Golfer’s Digest’s Senior Editor Edward Wanambwa, Sports Writer Kelvin Blackistone, and Jackson State University’s Golf Coach Eddie Patton, I must say that I agree to some extent with all of the panelists. Although having Commissioner Tim Finchem and Tiger himself publicly address this issue would be a wonderful starting point.
Rich Lerner’s comparison of Boston Red Sox’s David Ortiz not having any moral obligation to speak out on behalf of Latino ballplayers in the Major League isn’t even close to Tiger’s obligation to African American kids in golf. There are hundreds of Latin American baseball players who came before, and after, Ortiz.
For example, Since Roberto Clemente— one of my all-time great ball player and strong humanitarian— came into the League, there’s been a flood gate of players of his origin who have followed. So David Ortiz doesn’t need to address that issue. There’s even been quite a few Latino Managers. Golf as an elitist sport has digressed like no other sport. Before Tiger was born you had maybe over a dozen African American PGA card carrying members on tour. Now, there’s only one. Something is definitely wrong with golf.
Also as Eddie Patton stated, Tiger doesn’t have to be proud that he’s African American, but he does have to recognize it. When the country’s first African American President declares it, in spite of his mixed ancestry, it’s certainly time for Eldrick “Tiger” Woods to do the same. Let’s delete the term “Cablazation”, or whatever Tiger referred to years ago….And call it like it is.
Just think, how long did sports writers, black & white, avoided asking him any questions pertaining to Earl Woods Jr., his longtime half-brother and father of Tiger’s niece Cheyenne Woods. What was so taboo about that fact? I also remember when Ken Griffey Jr. and Native American Notah Begay was Tiger’s close golfing buddies, until they appeared to be replaced by a much older and married with children, Mark O’mera. Nothing against Mark O’mera, I’m sure he’s a wonderful person. As a matter of fact, I was standing within ten feet of Mark’s wife and kids behind the eighteenth green at the 1968 Master’s, at Augusta National, when he drained an unlikely putt, to win it and avoid a 3-way playoff. I’ve always considered him a classy guy and nothing has changed.
Also, I thought Tiger ‘dropped the ball’ by not attending a ceremony honoring the late Jackie Robinson early in his career—this didn’t help his Image among African Americans in the least bit. Robinson’s widow Rachel Robinson was in attendance for the occasion. Although out of all fairness to Tiger, I don’t think that he carries this responsibility completely alone, especially when you have so many other Iconic African American sports figures who play, and has been playing, this wonderful game called golf for a very long time.
Players such as Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Julius Erving, Bill Russell, Jim Brown, Jerry Rice, Lynn Swann—who is currently on the PGA Board Of Directors, just to name a few.
The list goes on, and on, and on…. Just about every African American Hall of Famer of any sport
plays this great game. It’s mind-boggling to me that with all these super sports heroes they can’t somehow, collectively, pool their resources, or persuade Corporate America and Madison Avenue to get behind some of these young African American golfers who have great potential, but lack the financial backing necessary to sustain a pursuit of their dream to become a professional
golfer.
As Rich Lerner also stated, it takes about $100,000 a year just to maintain that goal. Having said all that, I still wonder how much of the decisions coming from Tiger’s corner is exclusively his own and how much is Mark Steinberg’s (Tiger’s Agent). Earl Woods once predicted that Tiger’s influence would one day rival those of Ghandi, or MLK, and I’m sure there’s still time for that to prove to be more than a proclamation. Who knows how his final Legacy is gonna be written, but, I’ll bet cash money that it’s gonna be for the betterment of mankind. Being a part of the solution and not part of the problem.
Tiger is to most African Americans what Jackie Robinson, Joe Louis, Hank Aaron, Jim Brown, Bill Russell, and Muhammad Ali were, and are, to us. Our heros—with a face that we, as black people can identify with.
Michael Jordan is a super iconic sports figure, but we already had Wilt, Russell, Oscar, Elgin, Dr. J. and Magic, as far as basketball royalty goes. Sorry Mike, we’ve been well represented in basketball. Golf is a whole other animal.
I’ll be 66-years old on my next birthday. I’ve been following Tiger since those early days of being on The Mike Douglas Show with Jimmy Stewart and Bob Hope. I was at Augusta in 1995, when Tiger stepped onto the first tee box there. The electricity in the air was something I will never forget, particularly after his three-hundred –and-something yard drive was found the middle of the fairway on number one. I’ve practically lived and died on almost every shot Tiger’s ever hit since he’s turned Professional and a few during his Amateur days. I’ve sat in many a 19th hole, surrounded by other golfing buddies of color who oohed and awed, and hooped and hollered, trying our best to will his ball into the hole from our bar stools, or drinking tables, and trust me, you couldn’t ask for a better rush.
Tiger, I’ve defended you man, with every breath in my body, to the naysayers and skeptics alike. You’ve gotten me into more verbal debates than I even care to mention— and close to a few fights. I kid you not, my brother. I’ve truly been one of your loyal fans and followers. I’ve walked outside the ropes at Augusta (four times), Bethpage Black (two times), Baltusrol (once), Plainfield Country Club (once), Ridgewood Country Club (twice), Liberty National (twice), Medinah (once), and Merion (once). I was at Pinehurst this year, but you weren’t. I was at the Master’s in ‘97 on a Friday afternoon when you eagled hole number 13 to take the lead, that went on to become a part of golfing history.
Tiger, I’m not writing this blog message to criticize you, as much as just trying to give you food for thought. The next time you’re standing in front of the mirror look very hard and carefully at the guy staring back at you. It might not be a “swing change” that you need; it could well be an “identity change”. Love you Bro. I know you’ve put a lot of blood, sweat and tears, and hard work into becoming the superb golfer that you are, but don ‘t dismiss the thought that the spirit of Charlie Sifford, Teddy Rhodes, Bill Spiller, James Black, Lee Elder, Calvin Peete, Jim Thorpe and countless other African American golfers weren’t with you through it all.
The spirit is a powerful resource. You’ve been moving the needle for nearly the last 20 years in golf, but now, it seems to be getting stuck more times than not. I’m sure you’ve noticed. Father time, as we know, is still undefeated. I just hope that when you walk away from the game, you walk away as an African American.
So in closing, I must say that I do agree that the powers-to-be are not looking hard enough when it comes to putting African American kids and minority youth inside the ropes. Similar to Pro Football Scouts not looking hard at the smaller colleges, particularly the HBCU, for potential NFL recruits. More attention is always placed obviously on the Big 8, PAC 10, SEC, ACC, Big East, etc. When you have players like a Jerry Rice–Mississippi State and Doug Williams—at Grambling University punching holes in that theory, you would think they’ve learned by now. What if Branch Rickey (baseball), Red Auebach (basketball), and Scotsman Willie Dunn (golf) had of felt that way, back in the day? What chance would Jackie Robinson, Bill Russell, and John Shippen have ever had?
ABOUT JOHN PERRY
John Perry is a freelance writer, poet and active golfer with a passion for calling shots like he sees them and, then, telling it like it is. He resides in Vauxhall, NJ. Email: johnpgolf@icloud.com
