Sergio Garcia makes racist remark when asked about Tiger

by McLaren Wed 22 May 2013, 12:38 am

First topic message reminder :

Can we all now agree the guy is an arse hole?

From the Guardian;

Sergio García's ongoing spat with Tiger Woods took an unwelcome turn night, when the Spaniard made what could be interpreted as a racist remark about his opponent.

The Spaniard was on stage at the European Tour's gala players' awards dinner, where he was questioned by the Golf Channel's Steve Sands. García, who has been embroiled in verbal battles with Woods since the Players Championship at Sawgrass this month, was asked in jest if he would have the American round for dinner one night during the upcoming US Open. "We will have him round every night," García said. "We will serve fried chicken."

The statement was similar to Fuzzy Zoeller's infamous remark towards Woods in 1997. Then, after Woods won his first major, the Masters, which entitled him to choose the champions' dinner menu for the following year, Zoeller said: "You pat him on the back and say congratulations and enjoy it and tell him not serve fried chicken next year. Got it? Or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve." Zoeller later apologised and said he had been misconstrued.

García left last night before he could be asked to clarify his remarks, but later issued a statment through the European Tour, saying: "I apologise for any offence that may have been caused by my comment on stage during The European Tour Players' Awards dinner. I answered a question that was clearly made towards me as a joke with a silly remark, but in no way was the comment meant in a racist manner."

Earlier in the day he had earlier been pressed on his relationship – or lack of one – with the world No1 when previewing the PGA Championship. "I mean, you can't like everybody," the Spaniard said. "I think that there's people that you connect with and there's people that you don't. You know, it's pretty much as simple as that. I think that he doesn't need me in his life, I don't need him in mine, and let's move on and keep doing what we're doing."

When asked when this problem first came to light, García replied: "A while back. It's never really been like a true connection like I would have maybe with Luke Donald or Lee Westwood or Adam Scott or some of the other guys that I get along with well."

Paul McGinley, who will lead Europe into the 2014 Ryder Cup, used the Surrey course as the venue to announce he is increasing the captain's wildcard picks from two to three. The leading four players from the European Tour's order of merit and five from the world rankings list will gain automatic entry for the event, to be held at Gleneagles. "I feel like by giving myself an extra pick, it's a little bit of wriggle room," McGinley explained.

"Like it or not, we have to acknowledge the fact that most of the players are now based in America, playing on the PGA Tour. I think in the big scheme of things this is actually going to help the European Tour more because I am going to be watching very closely for those three picks.

"Guys who are not in the top 50 in the world, who show a bit of form on the European Tour, they are going to rank very highly with the possible opportunity of a pick.

"Ideally, I would love to be able to say I want 12 players off the European Order of Merit. But I know that's not practical or realistic and I know I wouldn't have a strong enough team to win the Ryder Cup. At the end of the day, my head will fall; it's on me and it is my decision."

by Davie Wed 22 May 2013, 10:19 am

Let's be straight about this. Who would have been offended if this remark had been made about Blubba instead of Tiger?

I suspect no one. So ask yourselves why...

by Diggers Wed 22 May 2013, 10:20 am

I'm not offended by it but if I was Woods I might be getting a bit hacked off as to why two people out of nowhere think he should be eating fried chicken.
If he chose to take it umbridge I could fully understand why. But I bet you Woods wont say a word about it in public, he will act as he has pretty much through this whole process and just carry on as if nothing has happened.
Will he get any credit for that...of course not.
If the boot was on the other foot you can be sure Garcia would be having a big old cry about it.

by Diggers Wed 22 May 2013, 10:21 am

Just to lighten the mood, I've just read that if was actually the Scottish who invented fried chicken.
Now why is that not surprising ?

by super_realist Wed 22 May 2013, 10:23 am

Diggers wrote:Just to lighten the mood, I've just read that if was actually the Scottish who invented fried chicken.
Now why is that not surprising ?

Right, that does it, I am now officially offended by Garcia's "racist" remarks Laugh

by MustPuttBetter Wed 22 May 2013, 10:24 am

super_realist wrote:
Diggers wrote:Just to lighten the mood, I've just read that if was actually the Scottish who invented fried chicken.
Now why is that not surprising ?

Right, that does it, I am now officially offended by Garcia's "racist" remarks

I thought the Scottish invented fried everything??

by mystiroakey Wed 22 May 2013, 11:01 am

Dude fried chicken and black Americans go hand in hand..

sadly some spainsh and racism also goes hand in hand..

But it still not the crime of the century..but something the press is going to jump on

by mystiroakey Wed 22 May 2013, 11:04 am

Davie wrote:Let's be straight about this. Who would have been offended if this remark had been made about Blubba instead of Tiger?

I suspect no one. So ask yourselves why...

It wouldn't have been made towards Bubba.. road kill would be the a more appropriate comment against him

by Davie Wed 22 May 2013, 11:07 am

Mysti you must've missed my earlier post where I reminded everyone that Bubba served fried chicken at the masters dinner - and comments were made about that at the time

by Diggers Wed 22 May 2013, 11:13 am

Davie wrote:Mysti you must've missed my earlier post where I reminded everyone that Bubba served fried chicken at the masters dinner - and comments were made about that at the time

And you didn't respond to mine saying Woods has never served fried chicken but keeps getting labelled as eating it.

by Davie Wed 22 May 2013, 11:14 am

Your point is?

Do you know for certain, for example, that he doesn't in fact eat the stuff?

by mystiroakey Wed 22 May 2013, 11:17 am

Yes Bubba is the type to that.. but he also the type to not care.. its a southern dish

point is there is a modern steriotypical theme that runs through america that black Americans love fried chicken and drink kool aid..

Its an american thing.. I would like to hear kwinis or shotrocks comments to confirm this..

by Diggers Wed 22 May 2013, 11:22 am

Davie wrote:Your point is?

Do you know for certain, for example, that he doesn't in fact eat the stuff?

My point is it's the assumption that he eats the stuff...mentioned for no reason whatsoever. Why ? What's the point of saying it ? Its not like he sponsors KFC is it, though if enough players keep linking him with fried chicken maybe he should consider it.

by super_realist Wed 22 May 2013, 11:22 am

Davie wrote:Mysti you must've missed my earlier post where I reminded everyone that Bubba served fried chicken at the masters dinner - and comments were made about that at the time

I've never eaten haggis, but i wouldn't be crying race hate if someone called me a haggis muncher.

by kwinigolfer Wed 22 May 2013, 11:24 am

mysti,
I've lived here for 35 years and don't associate either fchicken or kool aid with any ethnic or demographic group.

Rightly or wrongly, Americans tend to hate Sergio; the golf media mock his English and from time to time something is lost in the translation.

Personally I would have thought he was making a Woods-insensitive remark, nothing more and nothing less. Why continue to stir the pot?

He can't win a war of words with Woods, American public opinion will see to that. So best advice to Sergio is to stfu, at least until you beat Tiger on the course again.

by Diggers Wed 22 May 2013, 11:25 am

super_realist wrote:
Davie wrote:Mysti you must've missed my earlier post where I reminded everyone that Bubba served fried chicken at the masters dinner - and comments were made about that at the time

I've never eaten haggis, but i wouldn't be crying race hate if someone called me a haggis muncher.

The fact you wouldn't cry racist wouldn't stop the haggis commenting being one referring to a racial stereotype.
So again...why is Garcia making racial stereotypes statements about Woods. Give me a good reason ?

by mystiroakey Wed 22 May 2013, 11:26 am

"35 years and don't associate either fchicken or kool aid with any ethnic or demographic group."

Thats my age kwini!! So that is a loooong time

I understand you may not..

But have you noticed others doing it?

It seems to be a theme on low quality american message boards!

by Davie Wed 22 May 2013, 11:27 am

You make a classic strawman argument diggers

It's a national stereotypical statement, not a racial one

by Diggers Wed 22 May 2013, 11:27 am

Well, not that Wiki is always right but it doesn't take them long to mention the connection -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotypes_of_African_Americans_in_the_United_States

by MustPuttBetter Wed 22 May 2013, 11:28 am

mystiroakey wrote:Yes Bubba is the type to that.. but he also the type to not care.. its a southern dish

point is there is a modern steriotypical theme that runs through america that black Americans love fried chicken and drink kool aid..

Its an american thing.. I would like to hear kwinis or shotrocks comments to confirm this..

So it's a southern dish, it's a black american dish and it's a plain old american dish.
I can't for the life of me see therefore how Sergio mentioning if he had Tiger over for dinner he'd serve fried chicken is racist.
To use Digs' example, if i'm at a press conference and someone said 'hey are you having Jeev Milka over for dinner' and i said 'yes, i'm cooking curry'. Would that make me racist/xenophobic? What a load of rubbish

by Diggers Wed 22 May 2013, 11:29 am

Davie wrote:You make a classic strawman argument diggers

It's a national stereotypical statement, not a racial one

And you make a classic apologist excuse.

by Shotrock Wed 22 May 2013, 11:29 am

Kwin ... Lived in these United States longer than that and can assure you the Fried Chicken, watermelon indeed a stereotype. Tiger offended by it? I suspect he loves watching that mental midget Sergio act so stupidly. It's like a verbal water ball!

by super_realist Wed 22 May 2013, 11:30 am

Davie wrote:You make a classic strawman argument diggers

It's a national stereotypical statement, not a racial one

Unless you a looking for it to be a racist statement on account of Woods being black.

German-Bratwurst
England- Roast Beef
French -Coq Au Vin
Spain- Paelle
America -Burgers/Fried Chicken.

Don't really see the difference or why you'd be offended. Nine Chins doesn't seem to be, so why is everyone else.

by mystiroakey Wed 22 May 2013, 11:30 am

MustPutt dude-

Myself , diggs, wiki,mac and the press are not making this up. Many biggoted americans use it as a slur against Black americans..

The fact that Sergio lives there means its impossible for him to not understand that this is a slur or could be seen as a racial slur!

by ScottieD18 Wed 22 May 2013, 11:31 am

I'm facinated by these "was it racist" debates we increasingly have with our sportsmen. In many cases it's fueled by too much press and limited education.

In this case I think Sergio did use a stereotypical racist comment but he is not a racist and he has appologised so time to move on. He made a poor attempt at a joke and when he said it he didn't realise he had crossed the racist line.

But more generally. If it had been Sandy Lyle and he said haggis or Tiger had suggested cooking tapas for Sergio then the diferrences between these comments and the original fried chicken comments becomes less clear to me.

Sandy Lyle is Scottish and Scottish people are known for eating haggis. Tiger Woods is black and black people are known for eating fried chicken. Haggis is a very cheap food and fried chicken is a very unhelathy food. Both choices of food in a joke are used to put down the person eating the food, but if the haggis comment had been made then no big fuss.

There are similar arguements for a thin guy getting a salad, a fat guy getting donuts or an alcholic getting cocktails. the common factor is that the person making the joke is putting down or poking fun at the other.

The line should be based on was offence intended and was offence taken. If offence was intended then the person is a racist. If no offence was intended but offence was taken then an applogy is sufficient. If no offence was intended and no offence was taken then there is no story. This rule should apply to all stereotypical references and not just the back issue.

by super_realist Wed 22 May 2013, 11:33 am

Scottie

by mystiroakey Wed 22 May 2013, 11:34 am

Shotrock wrote:Kwin ... Lived in these United States longer than that and can assure you the Fried Chicken, watermelon indeed a stereotype. Tiger offended by it? I suspect he loves watching that mental midget Sergio act so stupidly. It's like a verbal water ball!

Ta i thought so

by MustPuttBetter Wed 22 May 2013, 11:35 am

Making what up Mysti?

Just because the biased US media jump on it trying to make it racist as they obviously are 'siding' with Tiger, and have been since the start of this whole thing, doesn't make it any more or less racist. Saying the US think Sergio has wronged Tiger is hardly game set and match

by Diggers Wed 22 May 2013, 11:39 am

ScottieD18 wrote:I
The line should be based on was offence intended and was offence taken. If offence was intended then the person is a racist. If no offence was intended but offence was taken then an applogy is sufficient. If no offence was intended and no offence was taken then there is no story. This rule should apply to all stereotypical references and not just the back issue.

Which is fine...apart from if the person says it states no offence was intended. At what stage do we decide not to accept that argument ?And how do we know if the person it was aimed at was offended ?

by mystiroakey Wed 22 May 2013, 11:39 am

MustPuttBetter wrote:Making what up Mysti?

Just because the biased US media jump on it trying to make it racist as they obviously are 'siding' with Tiger, and have been since the start of this whole thing, doesn't make it any more or less racist. Saying the US think Sergio has wronged Tiger is hardly game set and match

Its a comment and we have all made them..

Like anyone with half a brain is going to care about a mildly biggoted remark based on steriotypes against them!

But the fact is yes it was a biggoted remark and i am 90% sure that it was against him being a black american over just an American!

I am not saying Sergio wronged him in any substantial way. I am not saying he is an evil racist. Just that the comment is infact a racial slur and if you didnt know that then your un informed.

by incontinentia Wed 22 May 2013, 11:40 am

black stereotypes are a touchy subject due to the history of slavery, unlike national sterotypes lile the spud eating Irishman, which tend to be mostly received in good spirits

by Shotrock Wed 22 May 2013, 11:44 am

Mysti ... 100 percent correct from my experience and observation.

by super_realist Wed 22 May 2013, 11:44 am

incontinentia wrote:black stereotypes are a touchy subject due to the history of slavery, unlike national sterotypes lile the spud eating Irishman, which tend to be mostly received in good spirits

and people will never move on unless they start not to be so sensitive on their behalf.

It was a stupid statement to make, but making a story out of it after his apology has been documented is not allowing that to happen.

THere's a fairly ghastly history regarding Irish and Potatoes, just as there is Jews and Holocausts, there is a point where people should move on and stop being so sensitive and quick to point a "racist" agenda when there is no proof that was the intention.

by SmithersJones Wed 22 May 2013, 11:49 am

Here's a thought - an american journalist asks Sergio whether he'd have Tiger over for dinner. Sergio remembers the Fuzzy furore and jokingly makes reference to it, not to echo its sentiments but to say to the journalist 'You're trying to get me into trouble, so I'll give a sarcastic reply.' Sarcasm as usual being lost somewhere in the Bermuda triangle (sorry if you think that's racist, but it's pretty much a fact), this gets misconstrued.

by **navyblueshorts** Wed 22 May 2013, 11:51 am

Am I the only one who thinks this is getting increasing silly? TBH, it's between TW and Garcia if there's a problem and them alone. Why did Garcia, for instance, feel the need to make a public apology if there was offence taken? It's none of our chuffing business! If he wants to apologise/clarify, he should speak to TW directly with the rest of us none the wiser.

by MustPuttBetter Wed 22 May 2013, 11:53 am

Shotrock, no offence but you're a big Tiger fan so obviously aren't going to be 100% impartial

Mysti - is it not the case that it could or could not be racial and you would rather believe it is whilst I would rather not condemn the guy. I always take the view of someone who considers those who disagree with them as 'uninformed' with a massive pinch of self importance salt. Lets face it, your 90% certain figure is just plucked from thin air. You're 50/50, like me. We just have different reactions when an allegation of this kind occurs

by **navyblueshorts** Wed 22 May 2013, 11:53 am

SmithersJones wrote:Here's a thought - an american journalist asks Sergio whether he'd have Tiger over for dinner. Sergio remembers the Fuzzy furore and jokingly makes reference to it, not to echo its sentiments but to say to the journalist 'You're trying to get me into trouble, so I'll give a sarcastic reply.' Sarcasm as usual being lost somewhere in the Bermuda triangle (sorry if you think that's racist, but it's pretty much a fact), this gets misconstrued.

Equally valid I would think given none of us have seen the video/audio of the actual event have we? Still, not to let this sort of idea get in the way of a pathetic non-story that some stupid hack has deemed worthy of airtime.

by mystiroakey Wed 22 May 2013, 11:53 am

Smithers,. Sergio isn't clever enough to do that. Your giving the mad lad to much respect!

TBH though as much as I know it was a racial reference.. I don't really care, I just realise others care and it is news worthy!!

I wish everyone felt like SR and we could all just give and take banter based on colour, history and nationality.. But informed and educated people realise this isn't going to happen soon!!

What winds me up about Sergo is his depressed attitude and his suicidal interviews.(the golf version of Ronnie O'Sulivan) TBH this one is one of his better ones!! Kind of ironic really

by Davie Wed 22 May 2013, 11:54 am

navyblueshorts wrote:Why did Garcia, for instance, feel the need to make a public apology if there was offence taken? It's none of our chuffing business! If he wants to apologise/clarify, he should speak to TW directly with the rest of us none the wiser.

I suspect he was apologizing to anyone else he offended - which makes it all the more silly

by super_realist Wed 22 May 2013, 11:58 am

mystiroakey wrote:
I wish everyone felt like SR and we could all just give and take banter based on colour, history and nationality.. But informed and educated people realise this isn't going to happen soon!!

Steady on Oakey, it's not that they're informed or educated, it's oversensitivity and people looking to be offended.

My grandad was imprisoned by the Italians in WW2, do I bear a grudge against them? Course not, people are too quick to be offended at stuff, and trying to make a link to slavery is just pathetic. Move on it was ages ago.

by mystiroakey Wed 22 May 2013, 12:00 pm

Sorry i dodnt mean the over sensitive are informed . Just that Informed people know that others will create an issue over this type of behaviour therefor its best to just not bother making any racial slurs publically!

by mystiroakey Wed 22 May 2013, 12:01 pm

My granddad died due to the atom bombs being dropped on japan. Do I hold any grudges. No off course not. Anyway thats that SR. Not everyone is like us

by Shotrock Wed 22 May 2013, 12:03 pm

MPB - all I can tell you with absolute certainty is that the fried chicken stereotype exists. A major transgression by that pea brained Sergio? Hardly IMO. Want to bet they are paired together at Merion?

by **navyblueshorts** Wed 22 May 2013, 12:11 pm

Meanwhile, in more important news, I just belched....

by MustPuttBetter Wed 22 May 2013, 12:18 pm

Fried chicken will do that to you Navy

by MustPuttBetter Wed 22 May 2013, 12:20 pm

Shotrock, I'd love them to be paired together!! boxing

by incontinentia Wed 22 May 2013, 12:24 pm

Davie wrote:
navyblueshorts wrote:Why did Garcia, for instance, feel the need to make a public apology if there was offence taken? It's none of our chuffing business! If he wants to apologise/clarify, he should speak to TW directly with the rest of us none the wiser.

I suspect he was apologizing to anyone else he offended - which makes it all the more silly

a PR stunt. the done thing in these scenarios is to apologise publicly as soon as possible. he may also have to kiss Jesse Jackson's ass.

by kwinigolfer Wed 22 May 2013, 12:29 pm

Shotrock,
I'm really surprised about that. Watermelon? Good Lord, does that mean that CNY summer picnics have an ethnic overtone.
Had never before heard "fried chicken" as a racial stereotype either, southern perhaps, but stereotypes here, if they're not national, always appear regional in my mind. (No doubt s_r would consider Vermont to be choc-a-bloc with tree-huggers and lentil-knitters for instance.)

One thing is certain and that is that English English is vastly different from American English and one imagines the Spanish interpretation of a hybrid of both will inevitably lead to "lost in translations".
If I want to make absolutely certain what my message is here, I use English English; would strongly recommend Sergio conducts interviews in Spanish.

by MustPuttBetter Wed 22 May 2013, 12:31 pm

Inco - you only mentioned Jesse Jackson because he is black, like Tiger. Racist!!....... Yahoo

by incontinentia Wed 22 May 2013, 12:42 pm

Jesse Jackson is the biggest racist going! but he's racist against whites so its ok...

by Lairdy Wed 22 May 2013, 12:44 pm

In honour of the all German Champions League final I was thinking of having a few friends over and serving up some frankfurters, sauerkraut and Bit Burger. Will that be ok? Should I clear this with somebody German first?

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