Usually I write just about basketball, but this issue riled me up so much that I just had to write about it. You may have heard about the comments made by golfer Sergio Garcia concerning his bitter rival Tiger Woods. When asked whether he would invite Tiger to dinner, he casually said something to the point of "yes, we can share fried chicken together," or something to that effect. Now everybody is on Garcia's back accusing of being a racist and picturing poor Tiger Woods as this poor victim of a vicious hate crime. Now Garcia, who is not even white but Latino by the way, has been unfairly mired in a media shit storm being globally ostericized for comment that were not really that offensive to begin with. He now has to bear the mark that will forever stain his career and possibly for life for some quip that he made in jest.
For starters, what many in the media do not realize is Tiger Woods is not black because he neither identifies himself as being black nor do most African Americans associate him with being one of them. In fact, I can go as far a saying that he is anything but black and save for his complexion, he is WHITE as WHITE can be. He is probably even whiter than Sergio himself. So when people jump on the bandwagon saying that Tiger is this poor victim of racial hatred, it's practically laughable because that man probably has never even associated himself with other black people in his life, let alone suffer the slings and arrows that most blacks have struggled with throughout history. He lived white, grew up as a white kid, and fashioned himself as almost facsimile to the majority white audiences who worship him as a god.
Speaking as a person who has been called a nigger behind his back and to his face, I have felt the cruel venom of racism, so I speak from personal experience when I say that what Sergio Garcia said was not that offensive to begin with. In fact I will go as far to say that Sergio said what he said as if he were talking to and about another white guy just like him. In terms of upbringing, both came from similar upper middle class backgrounds and socialized in the same circles. So that comment had nothing to do with insulting and demeaning Tiger Woods racial roots which he has long since abandoned, but had to do with one guy talking trash to another who belong to the same social circles. Tiger Woods is white in every way except his complexion and what Sergio said probably took him down a peg to show him that he is not as white as he makes himself out to be.
And now everybody is jumping on the Tiger Woods is a victim band wagon when he in NO way deserves such empathy because he has no way, shape or form experienced what it has meant be black or even a racial minority. He started off his career as a cute anomaly from the established norm, but in reality was no different than the white people he played shoulder to shoulder with at the country club or wherever the top five percent congregate. As a person of color, it is almost insulting that the media even lumps him with us, as nine time out of ten, neither he nor his family would find themselves associating with people like me who actually had to face the challenges of being a person of color. To hammer down on Sergio Rodriguez is not only unfair and wrong, but is also insulting to people who have had to endure true racial discrimination and hatred.
Looking at Sergio in that press conference bowing his head in pure contrition to save his own ass made me sick because he did not deserve such condemnation for an off hand statement to jab at a hated rival rather than being anything to do about race. What Sergio said was a comment to a rival whom he has always come up short against every time they faced one another. It was meant as a slight jab to whom he considered not only an equal, but also an opponent that has continued to get the better of him each and every time they faced one another. To have his career and his life ruined for such a trivial comment is a sad and pathetic commentary of the issue of race not only in America, but the world. And I for one will be first to stand up and say that what's happening to him is wrong and portraying who many in the not only African American community, but black people in general consider an "Uncle Tom" as a victim is even more disgusting.
I think it best to finish this piece by giving an accurate portrait of the identity of Tiger Woods courtesy of the good folk of the hilarious comedy sketch show, Robot Chicken. Watching this, all you can see why I personally think that he is no way deserving of the attention nor compassion he has received. Both Seth Green and Matthew Senreich hit it on the button when they made this sketch.
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