What effect does Tiger really have on the African-American community?

by user Joebook

I spent a beautiful Sunday afternoon at Medinah Country Club, watching Tiger Woods further cement his name with the greats. What he did Sunday was vintage Tiger -- take a share of the lead into the day and bury everyone trying to catch him. The only hole he bogeyed was the 17th, and that was after he held a five stroke lead.

As I waded through the crowds on the 18th, I noticed an alarming trend. By estimate, one out of every 500 people on the course was African-American. There were even fewer Hispanics. Which leads me to my question: wasn't Tiger supposed to have a greater effect on this?

I'm not ignorant enough to forget where I was. The village of Medinah boasts a census reading of approximately 85% Caucasian people. It is a very wealthy town, and the golf course that bears its name has very few minority members; Michael Jordan being one. It's easy to see that there is a lot of money surrouding the storied fairways of Course #3.

As I listened to Tiger being interviewed on the 18th hole after the victory, Jim Nantz thanked Tiger for all he's done for golf and the excitement it has brought to millions. I agree with Nantz 100%, but the popular thought was that he made the game more enjoyable to watch for minorities.

Tiger himself seems as if he would be the perfect spokesperson. Half African-American and half Thai, he's playing a traditionally white man's sport in the white man's country club. Nowhere was that more evident than Sunday at Medinah... and he's better than everyone else.

I've heard several complaints from the African-American community about Tiger, including:

1. He talks like a white man.

2. He married a white girl.

3. His caddie is white.

4. He doesn't give enough to minority funds and charities.

I know he does a lot of charity work for minorities and tries to touch everyone, but it was noticeable that there were more kids under four years old at Medinah than minorities.

So what is it... the ticket prices? I doubt it -- more free tickets were given away to this tournament than I've ever seen for anything. If people wanted to go, they found a way.

How about the surroundings? Not likely. It's a golf tournament, meaning there are no enclosed stadiums or ballparks. People have freedom to roam wherever.

There must be some reason, but I can't put a finger on it.

We are watching the greatest player in an individual sport in the history of the world. He's racked up 51 victories and 12 majors, all before his 31st birthday. If he stays healthy and focused, he'll beat Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 majors, and could be the first person to 100 PGA Tour wins. He's simply brilliant on the golf course.

And he's black. And Thai.

And nobody else on the course is.

And I want to know why.

Date

Mon 08/21/06, 9:11 pm EST

BigPPupMajor Leaguer

1195 days ago

Score 7

As a black man I can say that Tiger has ton an enourmous amount for the Black community. The fact that the average black person even knows his name is an impressive start. You must remember where golf and the black community started at. For that look no further that the scene of the 97 Masters and all the cooks and waiters gathering to watch Tiger accept his Green Jacket. Outside of a few players such as Calvin Peete, there was no black influence on the game of Golf. Currently blacks pay attention to Tiger, they watch him on SportsCenter, and they care when he wins and loses. In regards to blacks playing golf, its just one of those sports that are not acomindating to the black community in terms of logistics. Thats not due to any lack of Tiger's efforts but its they way that it is.

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Alex HolowczakHall of Famer

1195 days ago

Score 2

Agreed, stereotypically men in the Black community play basketball.

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BigPPupMajor Leaguer

1195 days ago

Score 1

Sadly yes that is true, but blacks and other minorities dont play golf for the many of the same reasons they dont play hockey. First off its just not a traditional sport ingrain into their community. Secondly golf is an expensive sport to get into. Many even middle class families do not have the funds to drop 300 plus dollars on equipment alone yet alone greens fees. Thats a serious investment when the same kid can go and play in the local football, basketball or soccer league for no more than 50 or so dollars a season.

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I am a cpcpMajor Leaguer

1195 days ago

Score 2

Very true on the expense thing. Decent clubs alone keep a large portion Americans - not matter their race - from taking up the sport. My wife and I have often thought about taking up golf but we know we can't do much more than our $10 garage sale club set and the same Par 3 course.

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JoebookRed-Shirting

1195 days ago

Score 2

Good points by all, but I guess I was shocked to see almost nobody of Tiger's background at the course Sunday.

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JustjudithWaterboy

1195 days ago

Score 2

that is an EXCELLENT point and i wonder that every time he plays. eventually i'm gonna pony up some cash so my mom and i can see him in person, but it's expensive. and also, i usually don't rush to do a lot of things where i will be the only person of color within a 20 mile radius. but that's just me.

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I am a cpcpMajor Leaguer

1195 days ago

Score 1

"i usually don't rush to do a lot of things where i will be the only person of color within a 20 mile radius" That's an interesting point. I recently moved from a small town with only one black family to the city. I've had a few experiences of being the only white person in a resteraunt. While I of course have no problem with other races and don't consider color an issue, it is an odd feeling to be one or two versus many.

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JoebookRed-Shirting

1195 days ago

Score 3

thanks for that input... this is the problem that golf is facing. The sport is traditionally an elitist white sport, with little color mixed in. The fact that the best player in the world is black/thai should open doors, and it hasn't yet. I don't blame you for not wanting to be in a place without any of your kind. There are too many idiot white people that can ruin someone's day with a garbage comment or look. The few blacks that I saw on Sunday were very polite and well-behaved, and knowledgeable about the sport. This sounds cliche, but more people need to look beyond color, and then we'd see more minorities at these events.

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BigPPupMajor Leaguer

1195 days ago

Score 3

I agree with that, but you must remember a lot of blacks are still hindered by traditional boundries. And while there are individuals who are making strides to break them down and open new doors, many are still cautious and afraid to cross over because they see it as something that is "not typically done by blacks." For a group of black people to venture out to a golf course on a Sunday afternoon would be like turning in your black card for many young men. Rather that is a good or a bad thing, Ill leave for another dicussion.

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JoebookRed-Shirting

1195 days ago

Score 1

Exactly right Pup -- and that's the reason for the opinion. I sometimes feel like Tiger hasn't reached out publicly to black youths and others to say that it's ok to come to the course.

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JustjudithWaterboy

1195 days ago

Score 2

i am black and while i don't play golf many of my black friends do. but let's face it, the costs are prohibitive for a lot of people no matter what their race. but i do wonder what it would be like if tiger had a black wife or a black caddie or someone other than himself in his camp who was of color. i don't know him so i don't know what his charitable contributions have been, but i do wonder where the black or thai people are in his life. but that's just me. my mother is proud of tiger like he is her own son. she only watches because of him. and so do i.

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BigPPupMajor Leaguer

1195 days ago

Score 5

There is only so much that Tiger can do. Especially because of who he is, it is actually more difficult for hom to reach out to black youths. Too often in the black community we are more concerned with keeping it real, and being pro black rather than just being the best he can be. Why doesnt Tiger have a black caddie? cause the best in the arent black. Thats not raciest its just a fact. It is not Tigers fault that blacks dont see him as "black enough" to be acceptable.

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JoebookRed-Shirting

1195 days ago

Score 4

Fantastic post. I would have less respect for Tiger if he hired a black caddie to prove a point. That being said, I think the ignorant people of the world, black or otherwise, would see that as a step toward racial equality in golf, which there will never be. Tiger is the best player in the world, and as long as he "keeps it real" to himself, he will dominate for many years.

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BigPPupMajor Leaguer

1195 days ago

Score 2

Thats exactly right, as a very well educated Black man (though I dont show it all the time) nothing peeves me more than people forcing me to speak, and represent the entire race. That is what many try to do with Tiger because of his stature. Yes he is black and yes he is an amazing golfer, but he cant speak or represent every black person in the U.S. he grew up in a middle of the road family in Cali, not in the cotton fields of Al. He cant be that thugged out guy from the streets, and he cannot assembilate into a black community that he is not from. Look where he grew up at and came from, a white community thats who he knows and what he knows and theres nothing wrong with that.

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Anonymous Fanatic #1

108 days ago

Score -1

BigPup. Now. Listen here. I am a 23 year old black female. I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and just graduated from Princeton University. Yes, people often look at me and expect an answer that is to represent the entire black race but becasue I believe I have a positive voice for black people it is my inherant duty to do just that. Our president is black, but yet 60-year old, tenured, Harvard Professors are still being arrested at their own home for "obstruction of justice". The same negative images of blacks are still very much INGRAINED in peoples minds. A previous comment on this post a man stated that there were a group of black people. His next point was to highlight the fact that these black spectators were "well-behaved"...so...by default he is saying that black people are expected to act like hooligans? The only way to change this perception to whites AND to blacks is to brand yourself as a person of the people and for the people. You can't control who you love...but you can control who you hire. So to couple is white wife with a white caddie in a white community seems, to me, like he'd much rather blend in as much as possible than stand out and uplift the very people who were allowed only in the kitchens and locker rooms.

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JackdocJV Squad

1195 days ago

Score 1

A lot of great points have been made here. One thing that's important to note is that Tiger's ethnic makeup is so diverse. He's actually 1/4 African-American, 1/4 Thai, 1/4 Chinese, 1/8 Native American, and 1/8 Dutch. He refers to himself as "Cablinasian," a word combining Caucasian, Black, American-Indian, and Asian. So I believe that he truly feels like he belongs "to the world" instead of any group in particular. That said, I think we all expected his presence to inspire more diversity on the golf course than we've seen. He certainly has made golf on TV - the majors at least - more appealing to a wider audience. But as many have noted here, as a participant sport golf is still mostly a pursuit for the wealthy.

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Ray agmJV Squad

1195 days ago

Score 1

First off, the G-GOAT (Greatest of the Greatest of All Time), is 1/4 black, as mentioned above. Secondly, I'm from Cypress, which is Tiger's hometown, and I can tell you from experience that there BARELY any black people there. So I imagine that a kids like Tiger probably associated with lots of caucasians and asians, which is the majority of the makeup in Cypress.

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Mycue23Waterboy

1195 days ago

Score 0

The only effect Tiger has on the black community is that more black people watch golf when he is in contention as is the case with the White, Asian, Hispanic or any community. Tiger gets more people to watch golf. As far as making a difference in the racial makeup of the people who play golf, he really has little to no effect. As stated by many people here, it is fairly cost prohibitive to play golf. Hell, the number of African Americans who play baseball is at an all time low because access to decent ballparks is limited in urban areas. Cost and access are what keep African Americans away from Golf.

Tiger has no responsibility to stand up and make a difference in the African American community. The days of the crusading athlete are long gone. Just for an example, how much differnce has Michael Jordan made? (And I don't mean the number of $150 pairs of sneakers he can sell to poor kids). Has Derek Jeter ever spoken out on any sensitive political issue that affects the black community? No. Athletes are corporations today. The bottom line is money and that's fine, so we should probably stop looking for athletes to make some meaningful contribution to their racial communities.

And by the way, regardless of how many different ethnicities make up Tiger Woods, he is black. People can talk all they want about his mother being asian, or his dad being part Native American or part Dutch. If Tiger Woods wasn't famous, all American would see, or the rest of the world for that matter, is just another black guy. And thats' the truth, Ruth.

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Anonymous Fanatic #2

1161 days ago

Score 0

The best post I have read so far...The smartest one on this thing with the most amount of sense. And also blessed with the knowledge to know that it's all about the cash.

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JoebookRed-Shirting

1158 days ago

Score 0

i agree that this is right on the money

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DRE-LOAAA-er

1194 days ago

Score 3

As a black man, Tiger introduced me to the game of golf with his first Masters victory. Ever since then, Me and my mother only watch golf when Tiger Woods is on. He draws not only black people but people of all races and colors into the game because of his passion for it. As BigPPup said, Golf isn't a traditional sport in the African-American community. It certainly isn't in Brooklyn where I grew up and reside currently. The main beef with the black community may be in the fact that is he married to a white woman. But consider Tiger's background, he was born to a black man and a Thai woman. Thus, Tiger may have been taught early to look beyond the color of a person's skin due to his unique background. I watched his interview on 60 Minutes in which they showed his school that he opened in his hometown and it had kids of all races and creeds. Thus, it may be that Tiger encourages diversity and communal values through all communities. The most important thing for Tiger to do just like everyone in life is to stay true to himself. And he has done that. I feel personally that if we encourage cultural diffusion in every community, it would be an enormous benefit to all.

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BigPPupMajor Leaguer

1194 days ago

Score 3

If blacks are going to hold it against Tiger that he married a white lady then they should hate half the players in the NFL and the NBA. Its shortsitedness (yeah i made that up) that continues to keep us stuck in the past as a community.

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Ray agmJV Squad

1194 days ago

Score 2

Earl Woods has said that Tiger will "do more to change the course of human history than anyone before him." I don't know how or what he means by that statement but...considering Tiger's achievements and ambition up to this point, Earl's track record, Tiger's mixed background, and finally the limitless dollars that will come his way through the years...I have a hard time arguing with him. Tiger will do something great after golf, and by that I mean great as in socially significant.

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