Just read an article at CNN.com where they cite a poll regarding the favourability ratings of Tiger Woods.  

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/12/22/tiger.woods.poll/

The article says that his favourability rating in 2005 was 85% and is now at 34%.

WITHIN this result is the finding that amongst whites, Tiger has a 28% approval rating, while amongst blacks his approval rating is 66%.  Very similar to the opinion polls taken during the "OJ Era".

This result is kinda suprising to me because as far as I have been able to discern, there has not been much in the way of racial overtones to the story so far.

So I thought I would post this to solicit opinions.  Why the big difference?  Possible explanations might be:


Whites disapprove of him simply because he is multiracial
Blacks approve of him simply because he is partly black
Whites strictly disapprove of serial philandering by pro golfers
Blacks have no problem with serial philandering by pro golfers


Thoughts anybody? ???

Interestingly the perception of Tiger between men and women is about the same.  Men approve of him 40% and women 39%.

I'm not one to usually pull the race card, but I think golf is one of those sports that still has a lot of underlying racism to it.  It wasn't that long ago that the PGA essentially had a no non-whites policy.  Some courses had an unspoken attitude like this as well.

I suppose it's only natural that this would become racially divided.  I'd be willing to bet that older whites are the ones with more of a problem with Tiger than younger ones.  Most young people I know, regardless of race, still like Tiger despite being disappointed with his personal decisions.

Another factor to consider is that Tiger married a beautiful white woman.  There might be some envy involved here with some older whites.

I mentioned OJ in a different thread.

Good-looking superstar athletes screw around.  I'm not saying its a good thing at all; it's just the way things are. 

OJ killed people.  Big difference. 

As with Bill Clinton, Americans forgive screwing around.  Most of us have either done it or wanted it to do it.  Tiger is being too contrite.  He's acting like he's OJ when OJ didn't even act like he was OJ!  If I was Tiger's PR guy, I would advise him to deliver a sincere apology and demonstrate good will and charity as acts of penitence.  I would also advise him to stop screwing around.  Remember Rev. Jimmy Swaggart?  He got caught screwing around so he cried and said how sorry he was.  That only works once.  There was a next time and Swaggart got pulled over speeding with a Puerto Rican hooker and a pile of porn mags in the car.  So there really wasn't much Jimmy could say after that!  Thus, Tiger now has to keep the five iron in the bag or he will become a national joke. 

You might say to me I can't prove OJ killed anyone, and I might say to you: Get real.
;)

I'm not one to usually pull the race card, but I think golf is one of those sports that still has a lot of underlying racism to it.  It wasn't that long ago that the PGA essentially had a no non-whites policy.  Some courses had an unspoken attitude like this as well.


I don't buy that.  A lot of it is probably cultural in the black community.  After all, think back 20 years ago.  How many kids in Compton or Harlem went to their friends and said "I want to be a pro golfer when I grow up!"  Not many, they all wanted to be basketball or football players, with a few wanting baseball.

I remember when Arthur Ashe made a splash, being the first really good black tennis player.  And with only a few exceptions, he is still the only one.  And there are even fewer black Hockey players.

And sadly, the marriage rate for blacks in this country is lower then it is for whites.  Compare 29% of white men over 15 never marry, to 43% of black men over 15 never marry.  And for women it just as bad, 21% for white women, 41% for black women.

However, blacks do have a lower divorce rate.  That may be because the marriages last longer, or the lack of marriage in the first place, it can be explained both ways. 

Personally, I do not really care.  And I think better of a person who admits their mistakes and tries to make good on them, then I do somebody that lies and lies about them, and denies any wrong doing.

I don't buy that.  A lot of it is probably cultural in the black community.  After all, think back 20 years ago.  How many kids in Compton or Harlem went to their friends and said "I want to be a pro golfer when I grow up!"  Not many, they all wanted to be basketball or football players, with a few wanting baseball.

I remember when Arthur Ashe made a splash, being the first really good black tennis player.  And with only a few exceptions, he is still the only one.  And there are even fewer black Hockey players.

And sadly, the marriage rate for blacks in this country is lower then it is for whites.  Compare 29% of white men over 15 never marry, to 43% of black men over 15 never marry.  And for women it just as bad, 21% for white women, 41% for black women.

However, blacks do have a lower divorce rate.  That may be because the marriages last longer, or the lack of marriage in the first place, it can be explained both ways. 

Personally, I do not really care.  And I think better of a person who admits their mistakes and tries to make good on them, then I do somebody that lies and lies about them, and denies any wrong doing.


How many tennis courts or ice skating rinks do you find in black neighborhoods, as compared to basketball courts?

I don't buy that.  A lot of it is probably cultural in the black community.  After all, think back 20 years ago.  How many kids in Compton or Harlem went to their friends and said "I want to be a pro golfer when I grow up!"  Not many, they all wanted to be basketball or football players, with a few wanting baseball.

I remember when Arthur Ashe made a splash, being the first really good black tennis player.  And with only a few exceptions, he is still the only one.  And there are even fewer black Hockey players.

And sadly, the marriage rate for blacks in this country is lower then it is for whites.  Compare 29% of white men over 15 never marry, to 43% of black men over 15 never marry.  And for women it just as bad, 21% for white women, 41% for black women.

However, blacks do have a lower divorce rate.  That may be because the marriages last longer, or the lack of marriage in the first place, it can be explained both ways.  

Personally, I do not really care.  And I think better of a person who admits their mistakes and tries to make good on them, then I do somebody that lies and lies about them, and denies any wrong doing.


Mushroom, I think you're addressing something different from what I did.  While I agree that there are some serious problems with the black community concerning divorce rates and I can see how maybe screwing around might be seen as more commonplace as a result, I think there really is a racial factor involved as far as perceptions go.

Again, I'm not one to normally attribute things to racism, but it really does seem like it this time.

Again, I'm not one to normally attribute things to racism, but it really does seem like it this time.


Of course the disparity is due to racism, albeit perhaps subliminally instead of outright.

The issue, of course, is from which viewpoint the racism is driving the figures...

How many tennis courts or ice skating rinks do you find in black neighborhoods, as compared to basketball courts?


Pretty much a misnomer.  I know that in LA, just about every city park has both basketball courts and tennis courts.  And there are multiple Public Golf Courses available as well (which OJ frequently used).

As for ice rink, the Los Angeles Forum (where the Kings played before the Staples Center opened) is right smack dab in the middle of Inglewood.  Then there is the LA Sports Complex, smack dab in the center of South-Central.

I am not sure what the reasons are, but a lot of it is probably cultural.  3 of the sports I participated in growing up were skiing, bowling, and sailing.  And while I knew blacks that did each of these sports, it was a very small minority.


Mushroom, I think you're addressing something different from what I did.  While I agree that there are some serious problems with the black community concerning divorce rates and I can see how maybe screwing around might be seen as more commonplace as a result, I think there really is a racial factor involved as far as perceptions go.

Again, I'm not one to normally attribute things to racism, but it really does seem like it this time.


Actually, blacks have a lower divorce rate then whites.  However, they also have a lower marriage rate.

And there is a big difference between elite Country Clubs, and the PGA.  After all, Charlie Sifford broke into the PGA back in 1952.  And from 1967-1980 Renee Powell was the only African-American on the LPGA.  However, neither of these players was anywhere near as good as Tiger was.

But advertisors pulling their endorsements is nothing new.  It was not all that long ago that several (including Kelloggs) pulled their endorsement of Michael Phelps after photos came out of him useing drugs.  Kate Moss also lost millions in 2005 when photos of her snorting coke came out.  Ben Curtis ("The Dell Dude") got Delled after his 2003 pot arrest.

This is not race, it is simply good business.  After all, who wants their product associated with somebody that has mud all over them?  And just think about these products, once hot that are no longer available:

Pete Rose Pennant Fever
Mike Tyson Super Knock-Out
Ben Johnson Running Shoes