USA TODAY International Edition
Tiger’s comments on Trump aren’t surprising
The other day, Tiger Woods became the latest athlete to be asked about President Donald Trump, a man he has known for years. Of course Tiger was asked about Trump. Everyone talks about Trump. Why should Woods be excluded?
The questions were appropriate and reasonable. Trump called them part of “The Fake News Media,” so that confirms they were really good.
Tiger’s answers were harder to define. Basically, Woods said nothing. Words tumbled out of his mouth, but they were little more than pablum.
“We’ve played golf together … You have to respect the office … (I’m) really hungry.”
The quintessential Tiger Woods, ladies and gentlemen.
Tiger’s answers should surprise absolutely no one who has been paying attention to him for the past two decades. When it comes to controversial topics, Tiger’s default position is to say nothing of consequence. He’s been doing it for years.
It must be said that saying nothing has served Tiger very well, in a Jordanesque, “Republicans buy sneakers, too” kind of way. Even though the age of athletes passing the buck to make a buck has transitioned into an era of historic athlete activism, why would Tiger change now?
But I think even he has outdone himself this time. Of all the topics in the universe, there’s one on which everyone has an opinion: Donald Trump.
Everyone, apparently, except Tiger. Being able to successfully straddle the fence on Trump really is quite an achievement. It’s not exactly a 15th major, but it might be close.
This is how it unfolded. On Sunday following his final round at The Northern Trust tournament in New Jersey, Woods first was asked about his relationship with Trump.
“Well, I’ve known Donald for a number of years,” he said. “We’ve played golf together. We’ve had dinner together. I’ve known him pre-presidency and obviously during his presidency.”
Then came a crucial question for the era in which we are living:
“At a time, especially 2018, I think a lot of people, especially people of color, immigrants, feel threatened by him, by his policies, he’s thrown himself into sports debates in terms of race with LeBron James, with the anthem — what do you say to people who might find it interesting that you, I guess, have a friendly relationship with him?”
LeBron might have talked for a halfhour about that one. Serena Williams, too.
Tiger?
Not a chance. This is the guy who once ducked talking about the ethics of playing in a South Carolina PGA Tour event when the Confederate flag was flying by saying he was going on vacation.
“He’s the president of the United States and you have to respect the office,” Tiger said. “No matter who’s in the office, you may like, dislike the personality or the politics, but we all must respect the office.”
And finally, one more:
“Do you have anything more broadly to say about the state and I guess the discourse of race relations?”
The answer you are about to hear is as vintage Tiger as there is.
“No. I just finished 72 holes and (I’m) really hungry.”
I’m now going to get into my time machine and travel to the year 2048. It’s a far more demographically diverse United States than 30 years earlier. The Parkland, Florida, kids and their peers are nearing 50. As they and their children study the history of this nation during the Trump years, their eyes grow wide when they realize that Tiger Woods — a man of color, obviously, and a truly historic cultural figure from the very end of the 20th century and the first part of the 21st century — answered a question about race relations by saying he was “really hungry.”
Tiger probably doesn’t care. History, however, most likely will.