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Tiger Woods hits an “apology hole-in-one”
By Lauren | January 25, 2008
Tiger Woods was as graceful off the golf course as he is on when he magnanimously accepted Golf Channel anchor Telly Tilghman’s belated apology for an offensive comment she made in early January during the Mercedes-Benz championship. Discussing young players’ frustration with challenging the peerless Woods, Tlighman quipped that they should “lynch him in a back alley.”
Ouch.
Commentators and bloggers have blistered their fingers blasting Tlighman for her appalling remark, as well they should. Lynching is never a laughing matter, especially when referencing golf’s first African-American superstar. Tlighman apparently intended no harm, and probably realized the moment the ill-considered words left her lips that she’d made a serious mistake. Still, an apology was clearly in order from both Tlighman and her employer.
The apologies came, but later than they should have. Tlighman waited two days before apologizing on the air, and the Golf Channel waited another two days before suspending Tlighman for two weeks. A quicker, less cautious response would have been much more effective.
Tlighman returned to the Golf Channel yesterday, just in time for Woods’ season debut at the Buick Invitational. The broadcast began with a recorded apology from Tlighman that was wisely addressed not only to Woods, but to the audience as well. Tlighman appeared to recognize at last that her remark was not just an inadvertent slap at Tiger Woods the individual, but an offense to her viewers.
Woods has been criticized by some for abdicating his social responsibility by refusing to publicly condemn Tlighman for her use of the offensive term. He has chosen instead to accept Tlighman’s apology at face value, treating her statement as an unfortunate accident rather than an intentional insult. Whether Tlighman’s audience will make the same choice remains to be seen.
Topics: Apologies |
January 26th, 2008 at 6:29 am
[...] Lauren added an interesting post today on Tiger Woods hits an â??apology hole-in-oneâ??Here’s a small readingTiger Woods was as graceful off the golf course as he is on when he magnanimously accepted Golf Channel anchor Telly Tilghman’s awkward apology for an offensive comment she made in early January during the Mercedes-Benz championship. … [...]