It was a clear cut case of “Open Mouth, Insert Foot” for Golf Channel anchor Kelly Tilghman when, while covering the opening event of the PGA Tour, she said that today’s young golf players should “lynch Tiger Woods in a back alley.” ESPN reports that Tilghman apologized on the air during Sunday’s telecast and that she reached out to Woods’ representatives to express her regrets about the unfortunate remark.
When sports anchors and commentators try to “wing it” on camera, this can result in a verbal “train wreck” that ends up on nightly news roundups and YouTube, but Tilghman’s use of the word “lynch” brought back some bad memories of last year’s racially charged situation in Jena, Louisiana. It doesn’t appear that Ms. Tilghman meant any real harm when she uttered the statement, but her brain certainly wasn’t in gear when she opened her mouth.
Unfortunately, Kelly Tilghman is not the first broadcaster who found themselves in a “Don Imus-like” situation:
Source: Espn.com, “Report: Golf Channel anchor apologizes for ‘lynch’ remark”
Kelly Tilghman/Tiger Woods Remarks: Dave Lenihan and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
Kelly Tilghman will most likely keep her job, but Dave Lenihan, an on-air personality at KTRS in St. Louis, lost his position for what sounded like an obvious slip of the lip. On March 22, 2006, during an on-air discussion with callers about the rumors that Rice might apply for the job of NFL commissioner, Lenihan said “She’s African-American, which would be kind of a big coon.”
After listening to the comment, which was replayed countless times over the following weeks, it sounds as if Lenihan intended to say “it would be a big coup,” meaning that Rice landing that position would be quite an achievement. Lenihan was immediately dismissed for that remark, however.
Source: Nationalcenter.org, “Hold Your Tongue, Unless You are Criticizing a Conservative,” David Almasi
Kelly Tilghman /Tiger Woods Remarks: Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder
During the 1980’s, Jimmy Snyder, best known by his nickname of “The Greek,” popped up on CBS Sports, offering football commentary and betting advice. The Greek added some spice to otherwise mundane shows, but a little of the Greek tended to a go a long way.
Jimmy Snyder’s tenure on CBS ended on January 15, 1988 when, during an interview taped at Duke Zeibert’s restaurant in Washington, D.C., he dished up the following comment about African-American excellence in sports. “The black is the better athlete,” Snyder said. “And he practices to be the better athlete, and he’s bred to be the better athlete because this goes way back to the slave period. The slave owner would breed this big black with this big black woman so he could have a big black kid. That’s where it all started.”
Snyder’s remarks went far beyond what Kelly Tilghman said, putting him on equal footing with Don Imus’ remarks about the Rutgers University Women’s Basketball Team. The Greek was fired by CBS after those comments were made public.
Source: Newsmax.com, “CBS Fired Jimmy the Greek; Silent on Rather Slur”
Kelly Tilghman/Tiger Woods Remarks: San Francisco Giants’ Manager Felipe Alou and Broadcaster Larry Krueger
KNBR talk-show host Larry Krueger received his walking papers when, while complaining about the San Francisco Giants, he commented on the “brain-dead Caribbean hitters hacking at slop nightly.” Krueger went on to say that “Alou’s mind has turned to Cream of Wheat.
