Sergio Garcia states racial remark towards Tiger Woods

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by colin007

yeah, this is pretty much it.  its just something you know.

Yes ... IF you're American.

[lumpuckeroo]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Yes ... IF you're American.

Sergio has spend enough time in the US and was around when Fuzzy made his comment, he knew it was offensive and he knew it would irk Tiger.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by lumpuckeroo

Sergio has spend enough time in the US and was around when Fuzzy made his comment, he knew it was offensive and he knew it would irk Tiger.

That is very possible.  However, be honest, you don't know for sure that he "knew" any of that.  You have a strong opinion in that direction, but unless you are a buddy of his, or a PGA tour player who spends a lot of time with him, you don't know.  You assume.  Bigggggggggggggggggg difference there.

And if by "around" you mean he was alive at the time of the Fuzzy comment, then you are correct.  But to assume (hmm, there's that word again) that a 17 year old kid in Spain would automatically know about this is too big a jump for me to be comfortable with.  Further, he flat out said he didn't know of it, so to say that you "know" he knew of it means you are also calling him a liar.

[dsc123]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

That is very possible.  However, be honest, you don't know for sure that he "knew" any of that.  You have a strong opinion in that direction, but unless you are a buddy of his, or a PGA tour player who spends a lot of time with him, you don't know.  You assume.  Bigggggggggggggggggg difference there.

And if by "around" you mean he was alive at the time of the Fuzzy comment, then you are correct.  But to assume (hmm, there's that word again) that a 17 year old kid in Spain would automatically know about this is too big a jump for me to be comfortable with.  Further, he flat out said he didn't know of it, so to say that you "know" he knew of it means you are also calling him a liar.

Assume that he didn't know that it was offensive.  Then you're left with Sergio at a presser, being asked about a black golfer who he is feuding with, and he jokes that he would invite him over to dinner....and just happens to mention fried chicken out of pure coincidence?

Assume that he didn't know it was offensive, and that to Sergio, the food was not the point of his statement.   The joke was inviting him over to dinner because they obviously don't get a long.  Then Sergio is the least funny guy in the world.  And if the joke was about dinner, not fried chicken, then why would he even say what he would serve?

So to get to the point that we say Sergio didn't know what it meant, you have to assume:

1 - He was oblivious to (or fogotten) the previous Fuzzy/Tiger thing.

2 - He had no other reason to know it was racist.

3 - The intended punchline of his joke was inviting tiger to dinner.

4 - He does not have any sense for humor.

5 - He gratiutitously decided to state what he would serve tiger.

6 - Out of all the food in the world, the first food that popped into the Spaniard's head was fried chicken.

I'll give you 2 and 4, but the odd numbers and 6 are very unlikely.

Obviously, we can't know .  But one is so much more likely than the other that we pretty much do know.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by dsc123

So to get to the point that we say Sergio didn't know what it meant, you have to assume:

1 - He was oblivious to (or fogotten) the previous Fuzzy/Tiger thing.

2 - He had no other reason to know it was racist.

3 - The intended punchline of his joke was inviting tiger to dinner.

4 - He does not have any sense for humor.

5 - He gratiutitously decided to state what he would serve tiger.

6 - Out of all the food in the world, the first food that popped into the Spaniard's head was fried chicken.

I'll give you 2 and 4, but the odd numbers and 6 are very unlikely.

Obviously, we can't know.  But one is so much more likely than the other that we pretty much do know.

Well, not exactly.  In regards to 1, I'm not assuming anything.  I'm taking his word for it because he was asked about the Fuzzy thing and said he wasn't aware of it.  3 seems perfectly plausible as well.  Given that they don't get along, I could easily see him thinking that them hanging out together would be the funny answer to the question.  In fact, if he said "Yeah, I'm going to invite him over to dinner" and stopped there ... I think in the context of a silly staged press conference full of nonsense and cliches, that would be funny.

5 is no biggie either.  You're speaking off the cuff, you're trying to say something funny, who hasn't said something funny and ruined it by continuing on?

Now, 6, on the other hand ... that's a tough one. :)  I could try and make an argument that if people around the world were to stereotype Americans on food they'd go with what they know comes from here.  McDonalds is big internationally, as is Subway I believe, and among, probably, several other American fast food places you can find around the world, I think KFC is probably up high on that list.  But I will give you that even if it's in the top 10 or so, it would still be a pretty big coincidence that is the one he chose.

But, again, I'm not trying to "defend" Sergio.  I don't know him or what he's thinking any more than any of you do.  I'm trying to be unbiased here and just state all of the facts and possibilities.  And I say, based on what we know , the idea that he was innocently trying to be funny is one of the possibilities.

Side note:  I don't think that it is a coincidence that both times I've been on jury duty, I've been selected. :)

[dsc123]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Side note:  I don't think that it is a coincidence that both times I've been on jury duty, I've been selected. :)

[Ernest Jones]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Side note:  I don't think that it is a coincidence that both times I've been on jury duty, I've been selected. :)

I always tell them that I can spot guilty people because they smell different. I've never been selected.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Quote:

Originally Posted by lumpuckeroo

Sergio has spend enough time in the US and was around when Fuzzy made his comment, he knew it was offensive and he knew it would irk Tiger.

That is very possible.  However, be honest, you don't know for sure that he "knew" any of that.  You have a strong opinion in that direction, but unless you are a buddy of his, or a PGA tour player who spends a lot of time with him, you don't know.  You assume.  Bigggggggggggggggggg difference there.

And if by "around" you mean he was alive at the time of the Fuzzy comment, then you are correct.  But to assume (hmm, there's that word again) that a 17 year old kid in Spain would automatically know about this is too big a jump for me to be comfortable with.  Further, he flat out said he didn't know of it, so to say that you "know" he knew of it means you are also calling him a liar.

If he didn't know what he was saying, he wouldn't have used it as a reply to what he saw as a joke.  There would have been no possible reason for him to respond that way if he didn't know what it meant.

[boogielicious]

Ignorance of what is derogatory in another culture is no excuse for Sergio or O'Grady.  If you are not sure, don't say it.  It is very simple.  I could never assume to know what would be a slur in England or Spain or South Africa or anywhere I have not lived.  And what may be acceptable in one place may not in another.  But again, if you are not sure, don't say it.  There are many other ways to be funny without treading on slurring someone.

Sergio is either an ignorant buffoon or he wanted to throw a derogatory slur at Tiger.  Either way he has shown zero class.

O'Grady has just proven to be the prior, which in his position should not a acceptable.

[JonMA1]

Sergio screwed up and he'll pay for it. Maybe he'll withdraw from the public and spend more time on the practice range. He's obviously not very skilled at slinging insults through the media. Perhaps with enough work he can improve his game enough to beat Woods where it counts (yeah, right).

As far as hurting Woods, I'm guessing Tiger is thick-skinned enough not to be bothered by such a comment. But I don't think it did too much in the way of helping professional golf's image.

[zipazoid]

Originally Posted by JonMA1

As far as hurting Woods, I'm guessing Tiger is thick-skinned enough not to be bothered by such a comment. But I don't think it did too much in the way of helping professional golf's image.

Hurting Woods? On the contrary. It will motivate him. This kind of stuff is what makes him go out & destroy guys in competition.

[jimmyc]

Monty: Controversy 'mountain out of a molehill'

By BERNIE McGUIRE (Associated Press) | The Associated Press – 8 hours ago

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  Spain's Sergio Garcia during the PRO/AM tournament at the Wentworth Club, Surrey, England, Wednesday May 22, 2013. Tiger Woods says the "fried chicken" …

VIRGINIA WATER, England (AP) -- Colin Montgomerie called the Sergio Garcia ''fried chicken'' controversy a ''mountain out of a molehill.''

The Scottish player spoke Friday about the controversy surrounding Garcia and George O'Grady, the European Tour CEO who used the term ''colored'' during a live television interview in which he was reacting to the spat between Garcia and Tiger Woods .

''It's a mountain out of a molehill, to be honest. Totally,'' Montgomerie said at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. ''I hope it hasn't taken away from the BMW, who have set up a fantastic tournament. Now we've got the chief executive involved in the whole thing having to say 'sorry.' We're all frightened to say anything; we're frightened to open our mouths in case we say something that isn't kosher in 2013. Somebody should tell us what to say because no one is quite sure what is right and wrong.''

Garcia and O'Grady have apologized for the comments.

Woods and Garcia have exchanged barbs over the past two weeks, dating to the third round of The Players Championship when Garcia implied that Woods purposely stirred up the gallery as the Spaniard was playing a shot. But the situation got uglier Tuesday when Garcia and his Ryder Cup teammates were at a dinner at the BMW event. The emcee, Golf Channel's Steve Sands, jokingly asked Garcia if he would have Woods over for dinner during the U.S. Open.

''We'll have him round every night,'' Garcia replied. ''We will serve fried chicken.''

O'Grady said Thursday that ''most of Sergio's friends are colored athletes in the United States.'' The word ''colored'' was once widely used in the United States to refer to African-Americans but it is now considered antiquated and offensive.

''George says colored, somebody says black, but who is to say who is right and wrong, and for the chief executive who is a very educated man to get caught up then we need to decide what we can and can't say and move on quickly,'' Montgomerie said.

Montgomerie said the furor wouldn't affect his relationship with Garcia.

''I feel for Garcia, but then that's me condoning it,'' Montgomerie said. ''I am not allowed to feel sorry for him. But we are a family here on the European Tour, a close family unit and we stand up for each other. I've played a lot of Ryder Cups with Sergio and we are a very close family and we should remain that way. This shouldn't affect us.''

The recent Hall of Fame inductee also talked about speaking publicly.

''If I get asked at the next press conference I'll have to say 'sorry, no comment' and hope that is not offending anybody,'' he said. ''You just can't say a thing, can you? It's a shame, it's a pity. The three 'no-no's' are race, religion and politics and you are going to upset someone along the line if you mention any of them. ''It's time to move on and talk about golf.'

[Ernest Jones]

Originally Posted by zipazoid

Hurting Woods? On the contrary. It will motivate him. This kind of stuff is what makes him go out & destroy guys in competition.

Agreed. Woods will go into his next few comps, and more importantly the US Open with a hard-on. The field best beware.

[JonMA1]

Does Woods need any motivation? He only has one speed. Maybe he'll have a little extra for Garcia if paired up again.

[Ernest Jones]

Two things,

1) I agree with Monty, this has been blown out of proportion, that is what the media does. I think the vast majority of us here on the Trap (microcosm of the real world) initially thought, "oh Sergio , that was a really, really, dumb thing to say." We all knew there would be a public apology and that would be it for most of us. The reason there are 192 (and I'm only counting the ONE thread specific to the episode) is because of all the people claiming that it wasn't even a racist comment in the first place! Or that Sergio has never heard of the Fuzzy controversy . That is what sparked so much debate.

2) Monty said, " Somebody should tell us what to say because no one is quite sure what is right and wrong." I'll make it real easy for ya Colin, NO RACIAL SLURS. That would be a good place to start, we'll fine tune the rest of it as we go along but that would be a real solid starting point.

[Mr. Desmond]

Monty sounds defensive.

1. All he had to say was Sergio is a good guy, he's my friend, he made a mistake, he apologized sincerely ... let's move on.

2. All he had to say about O'Grady is a good guy, he's my friend, he's not around colored people, he made a mistake, he apologized sincerely ... let's move on.

[Ernest Jones]

Originally Posted by JonMA1

Does Woods need any motivation? He only has one speed. Maybe he'll have a little extra for Garcia if paired up again.

I would say he has 3 speeds:

1. Busted swing, can't play for Sh*t = still good enough to be considered in the top portion of any field
2. Naturally Dominant = can beat anyone
3. Super-Naturally Dominant = will beat anyone, even with a broken leg

[Ernest Jones]

Originally Posted by Mr. Desmond

Monty sounds defensive.

1. All he had to say was Sergio is a good guy, he's my friend, he made a mistake, he apologized sincerely ... let's move on.

2. All he had to say about O'Grady is a good guy, he's my friend, he's not around colored people, he made a mistake, he apologized sincerely ... let's move on.

LOL, I see what you did there! You forgot the "u" though, they speak the King's English over there.