Golf Channel Commentator Says Young Golfers Should “Lynch Tiger Woods in a back alley” What!?

How ignorant! I don't understand her reasoning for even mentioning that. What was she thinking?

On ESPN (a better source for sports news over yahoo) Tiger, and his Agent, are calling this a "non-story" and she's apologized directly to Tiger.

Asked for a reaction, Woods' agent Mark Steinberg said: "This story is a non-issue. Tiger and Kelly are friends and Tiger has a great deal of respect for Kelly. Regardless of the choice of words used we know unequivocally that there was no ill-intent in her comments. This story is a non-issue in our eyes. Case closed."

But, if you want to make this into something outrageous we can. I mean she did go to Duke and play golf, so that right their should make her a rebel flag bleeding racist. Right?

I do agree that it is amazing she would use that term, and I think she will revamp her language. I will accept her apology, and take Tiger's agent at his word.

Pike, I'm not trying to make this into something outrageous. At first, I wasn't sure in what context she used the statement. She obviously meant nothing racist about it at all. I now see what she was trying to say...she just didn't choose the right words to say it.

I wasn't saying "you" ellen... It was a collective "you" directed at anyone who is interested in this story. Please, please invoke, evoke, and emote.... I'm just giving my two-cents, and I am certainly interested in yours.

Looks to me like an honest mistake. She was trying to be funny and it backfired. Certainly, from here on out she will choose her words more carefully.

i feel you on that...its an honest mistake when rappers say bitch and ho for sixteen songs...its an honest mistake when a judge releases a white man following the shooting of a black child, that could have, could have hurt him...

honestly, i think it was a poor choice of word or term, however, when a rich white woman from south carolina who has played golf all of her life, says a black man should be lynched, i just think that i should pay attention...and that backgroud makes it a little difficult to sympathize or empathize with her...should she be fired, i dont know, but hell i think she needs to be reminded that she was out of line...

its funny how people want to be excused for making offensive statements, but crucify people who make statements they find offensive...

Lynch is not a word that we use in everyday speech. She had to reach way down to find a way to use lynch. It represents something. We may not know the whole story, but it is not a simple mistake. Skipp, I am with you on this one. Such things are indefensible. She knows better.

Fuzzy got a pass when he made his fried chicken and watermelon comment in relation to Tiger's meal for winning the Master's. Tiger should not have been so quick to dismiss it, but he did.

First, everyone commenting on this story should understand that over many years Kelly Tilghman has been one of the biggest cheerleaders for Tiger Woods. He has granted her exclusive interviews and they are said to be friends. That said, her comment about lynching was obviously a poor choice of words under any circumstances. If Tiger is cool with her apology I think we can give her a pass this time. I'm sure she has learned a very valuable lesson. Hopefully she will not be the only one.

"...honestly, I think it was a poor choice of word or term, however, when a rich white woman from south carolina who has played golf all of her life, says a black man should be lynched, I just think that I should pay attention...and that backgroud makes it a little difficult to sympathize or empathize with her."

Absolutely! In jest or accidental..You simply have to choose your words carefully. I WANT folks to learn that you MUST think before you speak. If for nothing else than the fact that folks HAVENT for so long. When speaking of a Black person..by now you should know there are certain words, phrases, and expressions that you should stay away from unless the setting is a personal one with a Black person who knows where you're coming from.

I dont think she should be fired. Reprimanded and fined..Always hurt the pocketbook. Tiger accepted the apology and since it was directed at him..Let it stay there. We ALLLLL know Tiger has never really wanted to acknowledge that he is black, saying that he is Cablasian or whatever the hell he called it. So of course it is going to be a non-issue with him. He didnt really take offense to the chicken and watermelon comment from fuzzy. so folks around him are always gonna feel like they can get away with sideway remarks to Tiger.

Kaze: I like Tiger. I see he does not like conflict. But he seems like the kind of guy that would laugh off a racist joke instead of confronting the person who said it. Fuzzy's comment was without question racist and Tiger dodged it. This lynching comment was a horrible choice of words. Actually its hard to use that word in everyday language if you are not talking about a racial incident, impossible probably. The word should not be used so carelessly. I would not want her fired, but after the blowup over Imus, folks know that words have meanings.

I agree that this woman's language seems at best ill-advised, but if Tiger Woods isn't upset, that should be the end of it. I am more concerned that a Hinds County Supervisor (Doug Anderson) would say he "expected better from a black man." That is a lot closer to home, about something more important than golf, and there isn't really a way to miscontrue that statement or write it off as nonintentional. I realize this might be a whole new topic, but I couldn't help but make the connection.

They're friends? How in the world would she talk to her enemies, then? Wow. I'm glad Tiger accepted her apology, but I wouldn't mind if she was fined for what she said.

Speaking of lynching, check out this inspiring story about race relations in Mississippi nearly 100 years ago. The story is about a Black man, whose White and Black friends, protected him from being lynched after he killed a White man in 1919. The man was also acquitted. UNBELIEVABLE!
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/jan/10/black-landowners-1919-acquittal-in-white-mans-a/

Apparently the commentator has now been suspended for two weeks by the Golf Channel for her comment. So I guess she did get that reprimand and a little bit more to go with it.

The suspension was an appropriate response from TGC. While it may be argued that all racists are by definition stupid, it does not follow that because one is stupid they are also racist.

This lynching comment was a horrible choice of words. Actually its hard to use that word in everyday language if you are not talking about a racial incident, impossible probably.

This points to the heart of why this particular choice of word is noteworthy. Lynching is forever and always going to be connected with the idea of an attack of profound terror on the black individual. It's not so much that she used the word lynching, but that she thought it was humorous to suggest that Tigers opponents gang up on him and hang him from a tree all old school.

Is Kelly a racist? Who the f*ck even knows how to define the word.

Is Kelly infected with racist attitudes, concepts, and reactions? Unequivocably yes.

It is moments like this that should inspire us to take an honest look at the elements of our culture (and our Self's) which are manifestations of racist presumptions.

She doesn't need to necessarily be fired although the company certainly would want to reprimand her to keep advertisers happy. Mainly she should take the role of self-reflection. By speaking honestly about her ingrained racist ideas or presumptions she could help be a window into each of us.

We really need a Truth Commission.

I am glad the commentator is getting some form of punishment.

blu, I hope that story you mentioned does become a movie. More stories like that need to be told.

goldenae made the point that "lynch" is not a term that is used in everyday speech. which, to me, points to the idea that (even if conjured up subconsciously), the commentator had some associations between black folks and lynching buried somewhere in there. might not have been intended, however, as kamikaze pointed out, it's time now that we consider such things. i mean, just really take the time out to think about the things that we are saying. once this becomes a culture, then such comments won't simply slip out. we do have conscious control, most of us anyway, over the things that we allow our mouths to say.

what worries me is the things that we don't even realize or acknowledge that we are allowing our minds to think....

for instance, if i type the term "concentration camp".... what do you think? this isn't something that we say... i mean, we don't just toss it around in everyday conversation. i, however, know what i think of when i type it. and if i were to blurt out one day in reference to another person, in jest per se, "we could beat this guy in football if we just..." then, can you imagine the implications of such a statement? it's unacceptable. same as this. terms like concentration camp, lynch, scalp... these things don't just slip out. who the heck even thinks them often enough to make such an error? money talks, and i'm sure she would much rather pay in the currency of silence, rather than saying such a thing next time.

After reading these comments, I am left with one thought, did Imus mean his comments in a racial manner? I really can't see a difference in either of these, hell, he was joking and laughing as well. Is it more significant when it's a woman being derated, as opposed to a man. And as far as Tiger goes, I am not at all surprised that he excuses this woman, not because she's a friend of his, but because he doesn't acknowledge his african american heritage anyway, so he probably doesn't even feel offended at all. He probably feels as if she wasn't talking in relation to him anyway. Now believe me, I know many of you will disagree that Tiger doesn't own his heritage, but in my opinion he doesn't. He considers himself multicultural and thus has no belonging to any one nationality. So his opinon is insignificant to me. I feel that this woman should be subject to the exact same ridicule as Don Imus faced when he let his mouth speak before his mind could react. People who are non-racist, don't think as a racist and thus can't speak in that way. She clearly has some soul searching to do if she thinks the use of that word in that statement wasn't and wouldn't be considered racially motivated.

I bet the second after those words came out of her mouth she wanted to retract them and knew that there was going to be some action taken as a result. However, not for one minute do I believe that she meant that in any racial context. Tiger accepted her apology and has moved on ... end of story for me.

If Kelly had a history of saying off-hand remarks about black people then I could see the uproar over what this has caused. Unfortunately, she just used a poor choice of words.

Queen601, there is a world of difference between a fool like Imus talking about folks he does not know and a somewhat naive golfer turned commentator trying to be funny talking about someone she knows very well. Kelly's statement was dumb. Imus' statements were way beyond that in my opinion. You are also very wrong to state that Tiger does not acknowledge his African American heritage. He does. He also acknowledges his Asian heritage. What in the world is wrong with that? He is both. If that presents a problem for you than maybe you ought to look at what may be a speck in your own eye.