Then, there was the moment that every one of his critics is going to remember: This was when Woods was caught cussing up a storm on live national television. Perhaps we can refer to this as the "Tiger Woods Verbal Malfunction," since CBS sports may see FCC fines for the kind of language Tiger used during this short clip.Although the language Tiger used surely didn't earn him any new corporate sponsors, it was clear that the Milk and Cookies version of Tiger Woods died with his sex scandal. Tiger came out in sunglasses, something that I don't recall seeing him wear regularly during PGA tour events, and he didn't seem embarrassed that he was caught cussing on camera. He seemed to be focused on one thing: Finding a way to win. Also, the training he received from his father was especially focused on how to push through the difficult challenges, and he did a very good job at that.
While Tiger certainly had an off day as a golfer, all was not lost. He is still well in the hunt, in third place. But the greatest hurdle for Tiger is that he is four shots behind Phil Mickelson, the only other golfer who can give Tiger a run for his money. While Tiger dwarfs Mickelson in historical legacy, Mickelson has elevated himself to become the closest thing to a rival that Tiger Woods can get. To some extent, he has become the "Great White Hope of the PGA Tour" - anyone who hates Tiger Woods probably loves Phil Mickelson. With the birth of a newly imagined rivalry, the PGA is going to make a killing.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and the author of the new book, "Black American Money." To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. 
Comments: (13)
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By: meanvee on 4/11/2010 11:32AM
He's human, a normal reaction by most folks when they are upset, no big deal.
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By: jamarcus on 4/11/2010 11:58AM
Dr W wants to make everything racial including Phil vs Tiger, to some of us, it is just a good rivalry, only Dr W has a racial view to everything. He is a racial ambulance chaser so what can you expect from an untenured Syracuse professor.
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By: blackbear72 on 4/11/2010 11:32PM
jamarcus, you don't understand the racial implications of the Tiger Phil rivalry? Of course it has all to do with race, if your mind works like the fake PHD. He also said "anyone who hates Tiger Woods probably loves Phil Mickelson." Because you have to be racist to hate Tiger and all racist love Phil, this is common knowledge (in his world). Phil is the "great white hope", just like Gerry Cooney, the only white player that could possibly win a tournament it Phil and all white racist's hopes are on him. I don't know if the white golfing racist should be worried about a black golfer as much as an Asian one. The Asians made a pretty good showing today and I would put Tiger in that category, but of course the Phd wouldn't. How does he still write here or teach at Syracuse?
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By: oooozzzzz on 4/11/2010 1:53PM
Just a typical response from frustration while partciptating in competition, trying to win.
If all college and professional sports were allowed to have consistant, actual miked verbal audio by players and coaches telecasted live on national television, then there would not even be live televised sports on TV. It probably would be banned by the FCC.
And in this case, since Tiger said in his press conference that he was going to respect the game more and clean up his natural physical antics language, now his critics have another issue to talk about when they monday moring quarterback the Masters.
I can hear the debate now: "Tiger lied to us", "Tiger can't control himself", "Tiger can't or won't respect the game", "Tiger is now completely out of control" etc....and they will try to tie this cussing outburst to his now known reckless personal behavior.
And they will also coin a phase something to the effect of the "Tiger Woods verbal malfunction" that Dr. Boyce used.
Anything to start another Tiger controversy.
But it's easier said that done and in Tiger's case and just like any athlete, this is just a part of his routine; his game motivation which is no different that Phil Mickelson's aloof, nervous & sometimes seemingly indecisive manner (when it counts at the end), John Daly, with his non-country club appearance and attitude, and his rough-and-tumble personal life or former Puerto Rican golf pro Chi-Chi" RodrÃguez, who used to put his hat over the hole whenever he made a birdie or eagle. After he heard that other golfers were complaining about his little act, he decided to try something new. Juan developed his signature "toreador dance", where he would make believe that the ball was a "bull" and that his putter was a "sword" and he would terminate the "bull".
So it is what it is but IMO, if the "environment" that surrounds the golf game (the peace, quiet & tranquillity) was miked up by using live feed audio listening in on golfers & cadddies as they played the course would certainly be viewed in a different light.
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By: blackbear72 on 4/11/2010 11:21PM
ooozz, do you play golf? From your posts I cant believe that you do. You say its just typical response to frustration during competition, typical for Tiger maybe, but not the rest of the feild. 50 players played the final 2 rounds of the Masters, almost 14 hours was telecast on CBS, obviously Tiger, Phil and Westwood received the most air time. During the telecast there were 3 incidences of profanity all were from Tiger. He did say he would work on that and due to the scandal, it is in his best interest to stop the profanity. It wasn't just profanity, it was GD twice and JC once, to me that is worse then typical profanity. You almost never hear JC, even in the most profane movies. I like Tiger but that is ridiculous. He said he didn't realize he said it on Sat and said he was sorry, but today his replay was that everyone was just overreacting and didn't apologize (he might have later I don't know)
oooozzz, you made a lot of other misstatements, Tiger was not miked but is well aware everything he says will be heard during the telecast, all the other players are also aware of this. no one will coin a phrase about it and certainly noting as dumb a TW verbal malfunction. This is not a Tiger controversy it is a Tiger problem, it is true it is part of his routine, but a very bad part. the JD comparison does not help Tiger and Chi-Chi was loved for his saber dance and it contained no profanity or the use of the Lord's name in vain.
Your last statement makes no sense, the environment is miked up, that's how we heard Tiger. Maybe you meant regular golfer being miked up, I don't know. But i heard Phil and his caddie talking to each other all day and never heard Phil's caddie say "hit the GD 7 iron, for C's sake".
Also are you going to use the IBM product that was never mentioned or go to the Phil Michelson teachers academy? I dont think so, so not much money was gained during the telecast to split between the Masters, CBS, IBM and EXXON/MOBIL.
They got a lot of exposure that's it. I think UPS might have done pretty good though and it only cost what they pay Westwood to wear the logo.
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By: mike on 4/12/2010 7:57AM
Once again Boyceman is playing the race acting like the whites are all against Woods, even though they cheer at every shot, but thats what Boyce is getting paid to do, and he loves the attention regardless how useless he is to Black Voices. .
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By: Peter Curtis on 4/11/2010 7:36PM
How sad....He can't keep a "marriage contract." What do you expect.................
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By: GERI on 4/11/2010 7:46PM
AWWWW...Everyones up-set because Tiger cheated on Ms.Lily White....good for her ass....She was a nanny for another golfer....She knew how Tiger was BEFORE she married him....Golf has a rumor mill too....
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By: ooozzzzz on 4/12/2010 10:03AM
blackbear72, we just have a difference of opinion but that's good. I like that.
When I say miked up, I mean in the sense that if all professional sports were miked up as a standing rule and all the verbal outbursts and exchanges were a part of the game by the viewing public and that includes the game of golf, and not just for the key players, in all sports, who get all the visual & verbal attention in the game.
Your quote "typical for Tiger maybe, but not the rest of the feild. 50 players played the final 2 rounds of the Masters,....I don't buy the notion that 49 players in the final two rounds did not/would not or have not used profanity throughout their playing careers or not say anything profane during the Masters? As you stated, "almost 14 hours was telecast on CBS, obviously Tiger, Phil and Westwood received the most air time".....but not everyone on the course received equal air time and were miked up or heard.
You're right, the environment is miked up, that's how we heard Tiger but the entire environment is not miked up & TV coverage focused directly on all the players at all times which brings me back to my orignal point of what if all pro sports were miked up as a general rule.
There was cussing & profanity during he Masters from some of the 49 players besides Tiger, We just didn't hear it.
Your quote: "But i heard Phil and his caddie talking to each other all day and never heard Phil's caddie say "hit the GD 7 iron, for C's sake"......were you with Phil & his caddie while they played the Masters at all times? I only saw Phil and his caddie on my TV? Where were you? I did not see you with them? Are you invisible? THAT statement made no sense at all.
I know that you want to defend golf and support the "pristine & tranquil" nature of the Masters and golf in general, as it is packaged and sold to you, golf fans & the viewing public with it's star players who are supposed to be of impeccible character, focused discipline and laden with optimal family values but I don't buy all the All American, light summer breeze, "easy listening fluff" that it presents.
Anything can be marketed, advertised, packaged and sold to represent a certain niche' dynamic and make true believers out of it's customers and golf is no different than any other sport in doing that.
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By: blackbear72 on 4/12/2010 4:56PM
I heard many conversations between Phil and his caddie (on the telecast)during the 4 rounds, the commentators even mentioned how interesting the back and forth was. In the 4 rounds, first two rounds watched on Masters.com and last two on CBS, I heard one other player curse. Michal Campbell on Thurs hit his tee shot over the green on #12, his caddie asked how it could have went so far and in a very Maori accent (New Zealand) he said " I don't Fauuling know". It wasn't very loud and was with a very thick accent, not an excuse for it, but he was also on his way to shooting in the 80's not 2-3 shots off the lead, very few people saw him and even less heard and understood what he said. Everyone heard and understood Tiger when he said GD and JC.
Bottom line is, Tiger knew he was on national TV,that every shot and word from him would be broadcast being viewed by millions of people and he has admitted this is a problem for him, which he was going to try to stop.
I never said none of the other player have ever cursed in their careers, I said no one other then Tiger was heard cursing during the telecast and he did it 3 times!
ooozzz, no one was miked up during the Masters including Tiger. There is a mike on every tee box and everyone knows it. If Tiger was miked up like you say, that makes his language even worse.
We didn't hear profanity from the other players, because they know when and how it could be heard. It is in all the players best interest to not be heard using profanity.
The main point is, Tiger really hurt himself this week. I really like Tiger, in all his press conferences he said everything he needed to say, but all the good he did he lost . His post round interview made him look like a complete Jacka$$, he showed his true (I was about to write colors, but on here that wouldn't be good)self. Before the post round interviews, I never really liked Westwood, he always came off as a prick and always liked Tiger, but afterwards it was the opposite. Westwood was very classy and probably changed alot of peoples minds about him. Tiger lost alot of fans in a quick 2-3 min. In that 2-3 min he could have done more for himself then everything he said previously. He never mentioned Phil or even KJ who played right with him the whole way.
If Tiger waited out side the scorers tent to congratulate Phil and his family, he would have solved 90% of his problems. In the US open that is exactly what Rocco Midiate did after Tiger tied him after 72 holes. There is a big difference between Tigers and Rocco's golf game, but an even bigger difference in terms of their class. Tiger might not ever recover from this, I hope he does but it seems like he doesn't know how to.
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