MUCH TO DO ABOUT “TIGER”

Does anybody really care about the Tiger Woods situation? If you have followed or read my “Thought Provoking Perspectives” you know I could not resist this mess. Since the dawn of these United States anyone of color, particularly a Black Man, knows the most sacred of all American possessions is a “white woman”. Thousands have been lynched and murdered for merely looking at one, most notably little Emmett Till a 13 year old child who I am sure you remember.

Before I go any further, let me be VERY CLEAR that I am not espousing bigotry with respect to my opinion concerning this issue. Rather, I am speaking from a historical perspective that was, and is, part of America’s disgraceful past. In fact, there are a few backward places in America that still have laws on the books against interracial dating. If you can recall just a few months ago there was a Justice of the Peace in Louisiana who refused to marry an interracial couple. Therefore, race matters in every aspect of society and I say it is possible that it is present in this situation as well.

Try to forget for a moment, if you can, that Tiger is not the suburb athletic superstar hero. Now look at the picture of the couple. You will see a blonde haired beauty in the photo with a black man, which I suggest is the root of the problem for many – he had the nerve to cheat on HER!!! In other words, because of his money and that much of it, which he has made as a result of ruling a sport that he is carrying all by himself, and the money he generates. He was given a pass and society pretended it was ok - but now it is discovered that he has a “stable” of white women. So the media and society is redrawing Tiger’s self made portrait.

Let me ask you to recall the first news account of the situation. We were told at 2 AM Tiger backed out of his driveway, which he has done many times, collapsed and crashed into a tree feet from his home. Then it is reported that his lovely wife rushed out of the house, with a golf club, broke the back window in a frantic attempt to save him. Fess up, be honest, you felt for them - right. However, the retired player in me said, wait a minute. Something is wrong with this picture. In fact, I told my boy that Tiger got busted and the woman was on his A$$. It sounded like this was an escape or an attempt at one.

As the days past it has come out that Tiger’s got a little freak in him and good taste in women. But with a billion dollars it’s not hard to attract beautiful women. The problem is he committed a cardinal sin, and a playa knows better than to, for one thing, leave a trail, i.e., voice and text messages. Two, he should have known to use a throw away phone or not to communicate from a one connected to him. This is clearly discussed in the “Playa’s Handbook”.

Now, Tiger is rich, no wealthy, the first billionaire athlete and one of only a few a African Americans billionaires, has now come face to face with the fact, maybe for the first time, that he is a Black man. The truth of the matter, as I see it, Tiger has never connected with the African American community or shown any evidence of relating to it. Other than his father, I can’t recall seeing more than a few pictures of him ever being with a black person.

However, I will credit him with the evolution of our consciousness to a sport that we’ve long been denied access too. I am almost positive all of the other golfers are calling his wife because she seems to be the only one who knows how to beat him. Or maybe Tiger just wanted to live up to his slogan “Just do it”. I could not resist adding this bit of humor. But seriously, would this uproar have been the same if he were married to a black woman and the affair/discretions had been with black woman?

I’m not hating – I am just saying.

JUST A SEASON