Tiger Woods–Black Man Behaving Badly

In April 2009, after listening to a radio program about Cheyenne Woods that sparked interest in writing about her. I thought her accomplishment a fitting post and a fine human interest story. The conversation surrounded her golf scholarship to Wake Forest College. Big news on two fronts: a budding golf pro and a chip off the greatest golf pro in the world Tiger Woods. 

So, I thought I would do a search on her. What I found was a woman who looked a lot like Tiger although more Caucasian, confused I pressed further. They were not brother and sister.  They were not first cousins. She looked biracial with one parent probably white. I began a search on her parents. That’s when I found a near blackout on photos of the parents of Cheyenne — Tiger’s half brother Earl Woods, Jr. and her mother Susan Woods equally missing persons from the Web. From TV news footage and photos of Cheyenne, and there were many because she is a public figure competing in women’s golf, I deduced definitely that she had a white mother. The Woods family tree was slowly coming to light. Was this family bent on marrying outside their race? It seemed so and I wanted to know more.

Tiger Woods made it plain in 1995 to Jet Magazine that he was not black. He was only 25% black. Okay. His father Earl Woods is black and like all African-Americans has other racial bloodline. At a loss for words to describe his condition, Tiger invented a word, I can still hear him saying something like “cablinasion” to express that he was white, black and Asian. For the record, his mother is Thai and his father African American with all that entails racially. But for this article he is simply a black man behaving badly.

Besides not being black he told the world that he was not a Baptist but a Buddhist. What’s wrong with that? I know from experience that this does not sit well in the Bible belt where the mere mention of the word “karma” on a job can get you fired.

Since Earl Woods, Jr. and Susan Woods have divorced there is no buzz about them or their lives. On the other hand the family picture was starting to come into focus. Black men who prefer very white women. I decided to focus on the racial background of the Woods, hmm, why the mystique? I know that folks with money or influence can suppress and control the photos and news about themselves. They control the image, the brand and the news. But that has all changed with the new Tiger Woods. He unveiled on November 27th, after a mysterious car crash in his own driveway in the middle of the night, on the sidewalk, overrunning a fire hydrant and a tree, and then falling asleep!

Exactly. The world did not know all this when the news broke. We only knew that he had a bad wreck and taken by ambulance to a hospital in serious condition. But those few facts were more than enough to pique the interest of the suspicious Internet crowd. With one wrong turn, in one fell swoop Tiger became an endangered species, a wounded brand, with a mangled image. For Tiger Woods and family everything changed on November 27th.  One lucrative endorsement has already been pulled–Gatorade (months ago they claim). His Buick endorsement ended just before Chrysler went bust. Most experts think he will not lose giants such as Nike because the brand is bigger than Tiger.

Tiger as thought form

When something goes viral it also goes meme at the same time. People begin thinking the same thoughts and writing the same biting lines about the same bloody faces. With a persona of an in-control master of his fate as well as master of the golf game, this was high-octane stuff, with only those closest to Tiger able to predict a downfall long overdue.

At first the speculation was that this was smoke, mere speculation,  grist for an already full grain bin. But as anyone who knows addictions or bad behavior — there is never “just one.” There is never just one drink or one pill or one woman. No, it does not work that way. Patterns are preceded by one of this or two of that.  In this case it led to one smashed marriage.

The latest update on the couple has come in the form of Elin knowing something, nay a lot. She knows her husband. And that Tiger had often behaved badly behind closed doors. Elin, to her credit, had already purchased a 50-acre estate not in L.A., but near Stockholm. She is a foreigner but she is not stupid. She is not standing by her man.  Tiger is the stupid one for marrying not only out of his race, culture but also out of his country. He has a type. And one should always be wary of a man who has a type. 

Tiger has a tale

Where’s there’s lust, drugs often  fuel it. Tiger the legend poster boy swinging the pin-up girl is not a wholesome brand. He is not alone. The world just buried another master of disguise: Michael Jackson who refused to wear the role model mantle. He was hellbent on reinvention. Reinvention that eventually became unrecognizable. Do mega stars believe that they must uphold the standard of Christian/puritan America—quite the opposite. Jackson started life as a Jehovah’s Witness who later professed to hate Jews and then converted to Islam. Tiger professes to believe in  Buddhism, nothing Christian or apple pie about that. One might deduct that outstanding performance and winning are singular American inventions and that is the only credential, the only visa for entry in this gentleman’s only club. In other words–look like a winner! Faking is acceptable.

By any other name

The irony of this black man behaving badly is just that. He is a black man with global appeal. His name recognition is over-the-top and is synonymous with golf greatness. Tiger Woods is a man whom children and adults of all ages and colors idolized. They took no note of his proclamations that he was not black.  The children (and some grownups) were color blinded when a very white woman from a very white country married American’s black golden “boy.” No one seemed to blog. I thought he had lost his mind. Can he save his name and marriage.

Consequently, I think the most surprising discovery about Tiger is not his proclivity for white women but his careless nature. He does not look like a feckless man. However, he illustrates that great men have a strong reckless nature that eventually overtakes their lives and achievements burying them in a midden as deep as it is wide. For this reason I pose the question will Tiger turn to black people just as Michael Jackson did when he was in trouble? We know from press releases that he has met with President Obama in the White House. This explains his politics, at least — a liberal, a very liberal man.

New York Times: Coakley Wins Dem Nomination for Kennedy Seat

Martha M. Coakley, the Massachusetts attorney general, captured the Democratic nomination Tuesday in the race for Edward M. Kennedy’s United States Senate seat, easily defeating three men in a race that was notably bereft of drama