Golf Week "What??????

In a unbelievable attempt to sensationalize a story that the media will not let die Golf Week went one step further. The recent cover of Golf Week has been pulled of the shelves and the negative publicity in created will be debated on every sports talk shows and evening news for weeks. Kelly Tilghman, in her second year as anchor of PGA Tour coverage on Golf Channel, was suspended for two weeks because of comments she made during the second round of the Mercedes-Benz Championship, when she and analyst Nick Faldo were discussing young challengers to Woods. Faldo suggested that "to take Tiger on, maybe they should just gang up [on him] for a while." "Lynch him in a back alley," Tilghman said, laughing. Tiger Woods has down played the incident as he and Kelly Tilghman have been friends. Many pundits have demanded Tiger make more of a social stand instead of letting the story die. My point is I don’t want athletes being my means of being educated on social injustice. There has always been pressure on Michael Jordan Tiger woods to make more stands but what we forget is they are athletes. Because someone can jump through the roof or hit a ball 400 ft does not make them social advocates. The fear I have is they would have public relations managers telling them what to say and it would be based on popularity on issues and in the end would be disingenuous anyway. If it is not in someone’s heart to do something we need to stop making them to stand up for what they do not believe in.

The greatness of Muhammad Ali was he believed deeply in his opinions and when he made a stand he was willing to suffer the consequences. When he not register for the draft for Vietnam he was stripped of his title jailed and was not able to make a living. He did not waiver. He believed in what he was doing and stood behind his decision. When John Carlos and Tommy Smith stood on the medal stand at the Mexico City Games in 1968 with the black gloves raised

high they made a stand. The lost any chance of cashing in on any endorsements from there success and were willing to do so. They were sent home and Avery Brundage went so far as to try to strip them of their medals. Smith and Carlos’s families were subject to many death threats yet they stood for what they believed in. In 1960s Red Arabach started a all black starting five during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. He was willing to stand for what he believed. During the pre season when Bill Russell and other Celtics were denied access to white only hotels he pulled the whole team back on the bus and found another hotel. Jesse Owens and Jackie Robinson were the greatest examples of champions and had made political statements by just performing and doing it at a time when there was so much pressure on them and there performances were a statement in and of its self. During the 60s they were pressured to speak out during the Civil Rights Movement but the fact of the matter was they were from a different generation and that wasn’t in there nature. They for a short time vilified for their weak stands and was unfair to both their legacies.

If Tiger Woods decided that he would no longer golf until all country clubs had opened its doors to woman and African Americans I would applaud him. This simple truth is many of today’s athletes make social statements but do not stand behind them. If Michael Jordan would sell his share of the Charlotte Bobcats until Gay athletes were allowed to come out publicly then I would be eager to hear his message.

What the world is lacking is real leaders. In the absence of such voices of injustice and intolerance we look for athletes to stand up for us. Nelson Mandela never took a poll before he came out on a issue. Ghandi never had a P.R. Machine tell him what was popular issue to take on. I am still looking for a leader one I can stand behind. A person that doesn’t take polls look for popularity choice but finds in his or her heart and speak from a place they believe in and will be willing to suffer consequences. Smith Carlos, Ali Arabach, Branch Ricky and Don Haskins where are you?