Woods gives us a poignant picture of this country's
changing demographics
By Gregory Clay
Knight-Ridder Tribune News Service
I'm Tiger Woods. He's Tiger Woods. She's Tiger Woods. Tiger
Woods represents a cultural assimilation, a universal prodigy,
a one-man melting pot. The Black/Thai guy also represents the
generational future.
As of Feb. 1, 1997, there were 74,933,000 people of Black or
Indian or Asian/Pacific Islander or Hispanic origin in this country,
according to the population division of statistical information
at the Bureau of the Census. On July 1, 2050, that figure is projected
to be 195,823,000. In other words, the U.S. population of people
in those racial groups is expected to nearly triple, while the
white population is projected to increase from 222,805,000 in
1997 to only 294,615,000. And the census bureau tells me there
have been discussions about adding another category - biracial
or multiracial - for children of white-black or mixed marriages.
With all this, we can see the future, and he is a 21-year-old
Master Blaster from Southern California. Hello, New World.
But the old world was pretty good on that eventful April Sunday
in Augusta, Ga., when Tiger lapped the field by 12 strokes. The
day was ruled by images and omens. The most indelible image was
of Tiger being escorted by Georgia state troopers. Having lived
in the Deep South, seeing someone like Tiger walking the maze
of the gallery at Augusta with those guys evoked a vivid reminder.
From a historical perspective, those white guys in the "round,
flat-brimmed hats and the dark shades," as we used to call
them, represent a stark irony. In the 1960s, those guys were seen
as the enemy to the Southern civil rights movement during the
days of Bull Connor and Lester Maddox. Most recently, they are
most known for escorting the late coach Paul "Bear"
Bryant at the conclusion of Alabama football games. Now, they
are escorting Tiger Woods on the Augusta greens. Bear linked with
Tiger, one nickname to another. That escort seemed almost surreal
- maybe even unreal.
As for omens, the pivotal one, of course, was timing. Tiger
performed the unthinkable two days before Jackie Robinson's 50th
anniversary of breaking major-league baseball's color barrier.
Within 72 hours, history gripped us - twice. As they say, timing
is everything.
Many rank Tiger with Michael Jordan as the top commercial and
pop icons. Endorsements, endorsements, endorsements. But, to me,
a closer parallel is with Grant Hill. They each prove that nice
guys don't have to finish last.
And Tiger turns 22 in December; Grant turns 25 in October.
Tiger went to Stanford; Grant went to Duke. Tiger won by 12 strokes;
Grant had 13 triple-doubles; Tiger is an only child; so is Grant.
Tiger has a father who doubles as a philosophical guidance counselor;
so does Grant. Tiger is the future; so is Grant. Tiger is nice;
Grant is nicer. They conduct themselves with style and sophistication
in public; they represent a kinder, gentler athlete. In other
words, you can't envision either of them hanging with Albert Belle
and/or Anthony Mason.
"I look at Tiger as the next young Arthur Ashe,"
said the Detroit Pistons' Hill during a conference call. "He's
like Arthur because he's in a sport that's predominantly white,
and is doing very well in it. And like Arthur, he handles himself
very well. I've never met Tiger, but he seems to be a very nice
guy."
Tiger's image may have taken a wee bit of a beating, though,
mainly because of an April 1997 cover story in GQ magazine. Tiger
actually uses profanity, talks about sex, even makes sexual jokes
regarding anatomy and physiology. Suddenly, his purity and innocence
have been questioned by some. These are probably the same people
who now believe courses such as the Masters should be altered
in design to give Tiger a tougher challenge - all jealous chatter
that is simply racist in nature. The Black/Thai guy wins on hallowed
ground, so now we have to change the game. Remember, too, that
1996 champion Nick Faldo dragged the venerable green jacket on
the floor before offering it to Tiger in the customary ceremony.
That episode notwithstanding, is there a double standard in
'97? The esteemed Denzel Washington - hottest actor in Hollywood
- was the focus of a GQ cover story in January 1994. Denzel, also
viewed by most as savvy and sophisticated, used similar four-letter
words in his quotes. But he was not sharply criticized. Though
nearly exalted to sainthood, it did not take long for the cynics
and critics to try to knock Tiger off his tee.
"If Denzel swore in my story and nobody reacted to it,
it's because nobody cared," said GQ's Peter Richmond, who
wrote the story on Washington. "Or because no one said that
Denzel was anything but a great actor. People see something in
Tiger Woods that's much larger. He means something to everybody.
Therefore, he's being scrutinized much more carefully. Tiger Woods
is going to be the Michael Jordan of his sport. If Denzel was
considered to be the greatest actor since Laurence Olivier, people
would have scrutinized that story more closely.
"I don't like to read off-color jokes, but in this case
I was more than happy to find out that Tiger Woods is human, is
flawed. It makes me like him even more."
Tiger is the epitome of what's right in America. He is the
product of a solid family background. The biggest flaw with young
people is their judgment regarding time management. Obviously,
Tiger has used his time wisely. Moreover, he overcame racism (there
are still some golf courses that would not allow him in the rough,
much less on the green) without lashing out violently. He ultimately
turned pain into power. The culmination of all those factors was
on display during that Unforgettable April Sunday. Said Hill,
Tiger's most looming peer, "Forget about the color issue
- just someone so young to dominate the field is tremendous. For
someone like myself who is terrible at golf, it's tremendous."
But before we get carried away in exaltation and knighthood
for Tiger, let's not build upon unwarranted and premature hyperbole.
In addition to praising him like a god, make sure that he also
has the wisdom of a god.
Tiger does represent something to everybody, though. For black
people it's one thing; for white people, it's probably something
else. We find what is in our best interests and cradle it like
a 3-month-old baby.
Dr. Alvin Poussaint, professor of psychiatry and associate
dean of student affairs at Harvard Medical School, contrasts what
Tiger's accomplishments mean for both groups.
"We, as blacks, feel reaffirmed in our ability,"
said Poussaint, co-author of the book "Raising Black Children."
"There is that belief that we can't be good at head-game
sports. In golf, you have to know science. You have to know how
hard to hit the ball. You have to do a lot of sizing up in the
head before you make the shot. It's a thinking game in a sport
very heavy on the order of chess. The thinking was we were inferior
to white people, except in brute force and doing hard labor. The
thinking, too, was blacks couldn't make good championship golfers
before Tiger.
"It may make some white people feel they have done something
positive for race relations because they cheered for Tiger Woods.
'I wasn't against him because he was black,' they can say. By
cheering for him, they can feel some redemptive value. They can
say they are not prejudiced; they can feel better even though
many of them don't want their kids to go to school with black
kids or be around black kids. They can feel absolved."
Redemption or absolution. Either way, we are receiving a poignant
view of the future of this country through the Black/Thai guy
- whether we like the changing demographics or not.
I'm Tiger Woods.
X X X
(Gregory Clay is an assistant news editor for Knight-Ridder/Tribune
News Service. Write to him at: Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service,
790 National Press Building, Washington, D.C., 20045.)
(c) 1997, Knight-Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
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