Discusison Threads:
Tiger Woods


Date: Sept. 3, 1996
From: Tommy L. Faris
Subject: Re: Tiger Woods

A further word of commentary: In a soon to be ubiquitous Tiger Woods/Nike television ad this past weekend one of the graphics mentioned the number of golf courses in the United States where Woods would not be allowed to play because of his skin color.

Tommy Faris
THE POLIS CENTER


Date: Wed, 4 Sep 1996 12:35:38 -0500
From: James V. Fusca

>A further word of commentary:  In a soon to be ubiquitous Tiger Woods/Nike,
>television ad this past weekend one of the graphics mentioned the number of
>golf courses in the United States where Woods would not be allowed to play
>because of his skin color.

When I saw this ad, frankly, I was shocked. Is this true? Is racial discrimination in the U.S. sanctioned by the USPGA?

I thought this was lightyears in the United States's past. Am I poorly informed, naive, or wrong?

James


Date: Thu, 5 Sep 1996 19:10:36 CDT
From: Joe Bargmann

You are poorly informed and, by the tone of your post, probably naive. There are clubs that won't allow a black person (or a woman, for that matter) to set foot on their grounds -- unless said woman or black person is serving the members in some way. The commercial is right. Also, racial discrimination need not be sanctioned by the USGA or PGA (they're separate entities; the USPGA you wrote of doesn't exist) to exist at private golf clubs.

Joe Bargmann


Date: Thu, 5 Sep 1996 10:31:50 -0400
From: Marilyn Yarbrough

> >A further word of commentary:  In a soon to be ubiquitous Tiger Woods/Nike
> >television ad this past weekend one of the graphics mentioned the number of
> >golf courses in the United States where Woods would not be allowed to play
> >because of his skin color.
>
> When I saw this ad, frankly, I was shocked. Is this true? Is racial 
> discrimination in the U.S. sanctioned by the USPGA?
>
> I thought this was lightyears in the United States's past. Am I poorly
> informed, naive, or wrong?

Probably all of the above, add to the list "not alone." Too bad, but I'm afraid that public (political, usually) would have us believe that race discrimination, sanctioned by those who should know better, is a thing of the past. It's not just "them," the misguided few who hurl epithets and burn churches that harbor old attitudes and engage in or sanction discriminatory behavior, it too often is us as well. See all the incidents in higher ed, in corporate America, in media centers, etc. Sports remains a microcosm of the rest of society. (Can you tell I teach Race and Gender as well as Sports Law?

Marilyn V. Yarbrough
UNC-CH School of Law


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