Sergio Garcia states racial remark towards Tiger Woods

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by Ping

I'm curious...If there was no racial intent, then why the need for an apology?

Because you don't have to intend to be mean to say something that deserves an apology.  Think about if you are at the grocery store and see a nice lady who appears to be pregnant and try to make small talk by asking her when she's due, only to find out that she is not, in fact, pregnant?

And, I think it's time we give Sergio a break on this.  Dude's had a rough month, sounded pretty sincere to me in his multiple apologies, and is ready to move on (and I think Tiger is too).

[rehmwa]

Yes he shouldn't have said that AND no, I don't think he was being racist.

I'm not even sure what the history of the fried chicken thing is and why it's racist.

Anyway - the reporters should try to report on golf, this is getting really worn out.

Sergio likely tried to answer the question and had this picture in his head of some idealistic picnic (potato salad, chicken, lemonade).

Totally different reception if the picture would have been a bar b que - "yeah, we're grilling burgers and hot dogs"

It's idiotic.  The PC over sensitives are out of control.  And Golf Channel is just impossible to watch until they get off this moronic topic.

that doesn't mean it wasn't a stupid comment in today's hypersensitive world, I'm sure the second it popped out everyone said 'Oh crap, now he did it'

So far, I have no idea why anyone on the tour gives any reporter any comment.

[zipazoid]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Because you don't have to intend to be mean to say something that deserves an apology.  Think about if you are at the grocery store and see a nice lady who appears to be pregnant and try to make small talk by asking her when she's due, only to find out that she is not, in fact, pregnant?

And, I think it's time we give Sergio a break on this.  Dude's had a rough month, sounded pretty sincere to me in his multiple apologies, and is ready to move on (and I think Tiger is too).

Oh, I'm pretty sure in Tiger's case he moved on after he won The Players &, basically, let his clubs do the talking.

But you can best believe he ain't gonna forget it. Sergio's got a huge target on his back now far as Tiger's concerned.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by rehmwa

Yes he shouldn't have said that AND no, I don't think he was being racist.

I'm not even sure what the history of the fried chicken thing is and why it's racist.

It's just part of an undeserved stereotype.  I have never been able to figure out why, nor do I agree with its pertinence.  I love fried chicken, and I like watermelon, and I really don't know anyone who doesn't like them, yet I have a broad spectrum of friends, ethnically speaking.  How it became such a polarized racial stereotype I have no idea.

[topspin4hand]

Fortunately, I found this story after I got sick of hearing of this latest episode of the Tiger/Sergio saga:

http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/okla-tornado-survivors-reunited-dramatic-photo-133355780.html?vp=1

It made my day.

[Fourputt]

I love what Lee Westwood said:  "I've no intention of getting in the middle of that relationship."

[shishyan]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

It's just part of an undeserved stereotype.  I have never been able to figure out why, nor do I agree with its pertinence.  I love fried chicken, and I like watermelon, and I really don't know anyone who doesn't like them, yet I have a broad spectrum of friends, ethnically speaking.  How it became such a polarized racial stereotype I have no idea.

According to Internet, it's offensive because it's referring blacks as poor slaves (during Civil War period) and chicken is the only thing that they could raise on their own and have Fried chicken as their only food that they could afford during that time.

[turtleback]

There is a question in my mind as to the motivation for Sergio's abjectness in his presser.  Was it due to sincere regret, or was it due to the pummeling he was taking from his principal sponsor and the realization that all of his sponsors are going to be similarly displeased?

This is Taylormade's public statement:

“Sergio Garcia’s recent comment was offensive and in no way aligns with TaylorMade-Adidas Golf’s values and corporate culture,” the company said in a statement. “We have spoken with Sergio directly and he clearly has regret for his statement and we believe he is sincere. We discussed with Sergio that his comments are clearly out of bounds and we are continuing to review the matter.”

Continuing to review the matter.  Hmmm, what does this mean?  I think it means watching to see the size of the stink before deciding whether or not to void his contract.

[MacDutch]

I am no Garcia fan and a big Tiger fan but..... You guys are way too sensitive about this. No racial remark at all.

[quote name="Fourputt" url="/t/67167/sergio-garcia-states-racial-remark-towards-tiger-woods/54#post_846515"] It was a racial remark, regardless of intent.  If you can't see that then you'be been hiding in a hole for the last 40 years.  A comment like that is always going to strike a soft spot in someone.  I'm not part of the sensitive political correctness crowd, but I can still tell when I see or hear something which will set them off. [/quote] Correct, the hole is west europe and also a comfortable white hole. Not ment as a racial remark this white hole, but to make sure you see that I was raised in a place where fried chicken is just plain fried chicken. I believe Garcia to have somewhat the same protected comfortable cultural background. I believe he tried to be funny, can't prove it, still believe after reading all the posts here. Why? Cause I could have said the same in a split second trying to be funny while dining and joking. So I give him a break here.

[clarkeycats]

Sergio ain't racist, he's just bad at jokes, and Spanish.....wait, does that make me racist? Lets be honest, because it involves Tig's, it's been blown way out of proportion. If Tiger had said 'He can come round every night and serve tapas', we would have all LOL'd and gotten on with our day as if nothing happened.

[ScouseJohnny]

Looks like his U.S. based sponsor isn't exactly jumping for joy about his comments, either: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/golf/22636894

Nor should they.

I don't buy this, "He wouldn't have know that comment was racist," argument for several reasons. First off, surely he was aware of what happened the last time a fellow professional discussed Tiger Woods and fried chicken in the same sentence? Secondly, he has travelled in the United States as a professional golfer - he must have acquired some familiarity with that country and its culture? Additionally, I also think that many people in Europe are, in fact, at least dimly aware of the the African-American/fried chicken cultural stereotype. I racked my brains last night thinking about when I first became aware of it (oddly enough, probably watching Full Metal Jacket as a teenager, and hearing the line where the drill sergeant says something about "fried chicken and watermelon" to the African-American recruit). There are other examples, ( To Kill a Mockingbird is a mainstay of reading lists for English Literature in many European schools, and I vaguely recollect that the fried chicken topic arises in that work).  Mind you, on the other hand, I lived in the American south for several years, so perhaps my awareness of this stereotype is strengthened by that experience. Although I still maintain that many people in Europe will be somewhat aware of the stereotype. I suppose it could be argued that Garcia was just thinking of American food generally (given that Tiger is American), but why reach specifically for fried chicken as an example? OK, for those who do not have a very sophisticated understanding of America (which I doubt is the case with Garcia), fried chicken is probably a very commonplace example of American cuisine as they imagine it (given the Colonel has opened a branch on every high street), but why not hamburgers? Why specifically mention fried chicken? Why specifically mention any type of food at all? Why not sarcastically say, "We'll have dinner together every night," and just leave it at that?

In the end though, I don't think any of this analysis really matters. The simple fact is that Garcia is a leading sportsman who competes on the international stage. He also earns a lot of his money in the United States. Even if he is not a racist, he should have watched his mouth, and been conscious of not making comments that might be construed as racist or offensive in the land where he doubtless earns a big part of his pay cheque. Living in Europe should actually make him even more aware of the sensitivities surrounding sportsmen and racism, today. European soccer has been obliged to crack down hard on this problem, for example the lengthy ban given to the Liverpool striker, Luis Suarez, for making comments to a fellow professional which he maintained were not racist in his culture (but definitely seemed racist in ours). If Garcia ever says anything like this again, I couldn't really blame the PGA Tour for asking itself whether it actually wants this guy competing in American tournaments.

[saturday]

Originally Posted by JerryTimes

People are sensitive. In my mind, it's not a racist comment, it's a stereotype.

Agreed.

Although I don't agree with what he said, it isn't racist.

[Wansteadimp]

Originally Posted by ScouseJohnny

European soccer has been obliged to crack down hard on this problem, for example the lengthy ban given to the Liverpool striker, Luis Suarez, for making comments to a fellow professional which he maintained were not racist in his culture (but definitely seemed racist in ours). If Garcia ever says anything like this again, I couldn't really blame the PGA Tour for asking itself whether it actually wants this guy competing in American tournaments.

B0llocks, European soccer has done nothing. The Prem League and English FA have cracked down, UEFA & FIFA have been abject. I know they have brought in new rules but until I see them rigorously apply them I'll be a non-believer.

As far as the Zoeller comments Sergio would have been 17 at the time and living mainly in Spain - I can believe that he didn't hear about it. I certainly didn' t know that stereotype until Zoeller's comments (in fact the Watermelon one was new on me yesterday).

[ScouseJohnny]

Originally Posted by Wansteadimp

B0llocks, European soccer has done nothing. The Prem League and English FA have cracked down, UEFA & FIFA have been abject. I know they have brought in new rules but until I see them rigorously apply them I'll be a non-believer.

Alright, I agree as far as UEFA goes the proof of the pudding is in the eating and all that. The next time there's an incident of racism by a footballer in a Champions' League or UEFA Cup match, they'd better start reaching for their 10 match ban. Personally, I'd have liked to see them get tougher than "partial stadium closures" for racism in the stands, too. The moment a load of your fans start making monkey noises, your team gets booted out of the competition. Hard to police, though, I guess.

[caniac6]

If Tiger thought the comments were racist, then, they were racist. I don't know Sergio, so I can't say if he is racist. I like to think the best of people, so I hope that this was simply another example of Sergio's mouth getting ahead of his brain. I listened to his apology, and he seemed truly sorry. He knew what he said was wrong, and I hope from this point forward Sergio finally grows up.

[Ernest Jones]

For all the posters claiming that the comment isn't racist (which blows me away by the by) lets try a little experiment. Head down to a predominantly black neighborhood and toss around some fried chicken and watermelon comments and report back. Bring a camera, some video will likely clear this up.

[newtogolf]

You can't make a determination on whether Sergio is a racist by one stupid comment.  The statement was ignorant, it exploited a stereotype often used by racists but that in itself does not make Sergio a racist.

If the guy had a history of making racial comments and perpetuating racial stereotypes I'd agree but to my knowledge he hasn't.  He was hanging out, celebrating the Ryder Cup win with a bunch of his buddies, when someone acted as his straight man and set him up to take a cheap shot at Tiger and he blurted something ignorant out.   We've all said stupid things we've regretted the moment the words left our lips.

I wasn't a fan of Sergio after all his whining about Tiger at the Players but to ruin his career and ability to earn an income by labeling him a racist based on this one comment is a complete over reaction in my opinion.

[Ernest Jones]

You can't make a determination on whether Sergio is a racist by one stupid comment.  The statement was ignorant, it exploited a stereotype often used by racists but that in itself does not make Sergio a racist.  If the guy had a history of making racial comments and perpetuating racial stereotypes I'd agree but to my knowledge he hasn't.  He was hanging out, celebrating the Ryder Cup win with a bunch of his buddies, when someone acted as his straight man and set him up to take a cheap shot at Tiger and he blurted something ignorant out.   We've all said stupid things we've regretted the moment the words left our lips.  I wasn't a fan of Sergio after all his whining about Tiger at the Players but to ruin his career and ability to earn an income by labeling him a racist based on this one comment is a complete over reaction in my opinion.

I assume you are not replying to me as I have gone on record earlier in the thread with similar points.