cable television network The Golf Channel has suspended one of its presenters for two weeks for making a racially sensitive comment at the expense of world No.1 Tiger Woods.
Anchor Kelly Tilghman, a former playing professional, joked in a telecast with Nick Faldo that players bidding to challenge Woods might have to "lynch him in a back alley''.
The Golf Channel said it regretted Tilghman's remarks and had decided to suspend her for two weeks.
"There is simply no place on our network for offensive language like this,'' it said in a statement.
"While we believe that Kelly's choice of words were inadvertent and that she did not intend them in an offensive manner, the words were hurtful and grossly inappropriate.''
Tilghman apologised for the remark, which was made after Friday's second round at the PGA Tour's season-opening Mercedes-Benz Championship on the Hawaiian island of Maui.
"On Friday, during our golf broadcast, Nick Faldo and I were discussing Tiger's dominance in the golf world and I used some poorly chosen words,'' she said.
"I have known Tiger for 12 years and I have apologised directly to him. I also apologise to our viewers who may have been offended by my comments.''
Mark Steinberg, Woods's agent, said in a statement that the story was a non-issue.
"This story is a non-issue in our eyes,'' he said in a statement.
"Tiger and Kelly are friends and Tiger has a great deal of respect for Kelly.
"Regardless of the choice of words used we know unequivocally that there was no ill-intent in her comments.''
Tilghman is working as an anchor for a second consecutive season with The Golf Channel, which became the PGA Tour's exclusive cable partner in a 15-year deal starting in 2007.
Reuters
Your Thoughts
I haven't had much time to ponder this news yet, but I would be really interested in what you think about all this! Please leave a comment!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Kelly Tilghman suspended! Your thoughts?
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4 comments:
I T THINK TIGER IS A BIG MAN FOR TAKEING THIS AS A JOKE. I THINK THOSE OTHERS SHOULD ACT AS ADULTS AND DO THE SAME THING. LEAVE KELLY BE. IT WAS ONLY A FUNNY REMARK. PUT HER BACK IN.
People in general should be ashamed for automatically taking the word "lynching" as racial (Rev. Al). I thought it just meant 'hanging without due process', sort of like what we did to rustlers and would like to do to drug dealers.
Quite frankly, I find this whole buisness ridiculous. It really irritates me when one of our country's racial slur police decide when someone says something "racial" or politically incorrect, it's their job to ensure justice is served. I want to know what judge died and put these type of people in charge of our justice system or made them the bearers of change to our constitution. I sure hope that the Golf Channel will acknowledge the fact that the Tiger camp has stated that this is a "non-issue" and put Kelly back on the show where she belongs. Al Sharpton, who is he again? Forget him, he is just full of hot air and is mad because 90% of intelligent human beings don't bother listening to him.
Thanks for all your comments. I am always interested to hear other peoples point of views. I personally wondered what all the fuss was about, but I guess that poor old Kelly is paying for the mistakes of the past. I can't see this as being really bad for her career though - as they say any publicity is good publicity!
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