Tilghman Arrested by PC Police
Golf Channel reporter suffering unfair fate
Tiger Woods said Golf Channel reporter Kelly Tilghman's comments were forgivable and moved on. The politically correct police would do well to follow Tiger's lead.
The double-edged sword in being paid to talk on live television is that you're paid to talk and that it's live. For Golf Channel reporter Kelly Tilghman, that double-edged sword has proven sharp and cutting, though not plunging as deep as it could. The network's two-week suspension of Tilghman came only after politically correct rabble rousers decided that Tiger Woods' accpetance of Tilghman's careless speak wasn't enough. They wanted something tangible to point to as precedence the next time somebody mistakenly says something.
Tilghman's sin? In an exchange with Nick Faldo, who said the younger PGA players need to gang up on Tiger in order to catch him, Tilghman said while laughing, "Lynch him in a back alley." And a new controversy was born. She quickly apologized to Tiger, who issued a statement saying that he accepted her apology and understood her intent was not malicious or ladened with racial undertones. Unlike polarizing radio talk show host Don Imus's racially insensitive comments about the Rutgers' basketball team, Tilghman simply misspoke.
Controversy Begets Controversy
That didn't stop Golfweek magazine editor Dave Seanor from plastering a swinging noose on the cover of the magazine. Tilghman's comments and subsequent apology should have passed with as little attention as a par on the first hole of a round of golf. However, with the speed of media in the 21st century and the ability for anyone to publish their thoughts through websites and blogs, issues such as these can take on a life of their own. And somewhere in Seanor's twisted thinking, creating a sensational story on Golfweek magazine's cover seemed reasonable if not cutting edge. Golfweek sank Seanor like a three-foot putt, deciding that this type of journalism wasn't responsible. And Golfweek magazine's management was right.
However, much of the controversy surrounding this entire situation is a result of media outlets pandering to public figures intent on stirring up controversy where none exists. This madness must come to an end. Tiger's lead in this case should have been followed by the Rev. Al Sharpton and other media outlets trying to create a story out of nothing. If the media would have been responsible and ignored Sharpton and others, perhaps Golfweek wouldn't have believed that it needed to put a noose on its front cover. Perhaps it's about time for people to start not only trying to emulate Tiger's game but also his approach to life and relationships.
