Syracuse Professor Boyce Watkins argues that Race is Heavily Implied in Media Analysis of Tiger Woods

Syracuse, NY – Syracuse University Professor and social commentator Dr. Boyce Watkins says that the recent public apology by Dr. Woods and subsequent analysis of Tiger’s mental health are all related to race and the way America has historically dealt with African American athletes.

“If you go through history and see how we dealt with Michael Vick, Ron Artest, Barry Bonds, Randy Moss and other black male athletes, you tend to find a consistent theme,” says Dr. Watkins, who does a weekly segment on the Al Sharpton radio show. “There are always value judgments about black male athletes, their character and their choices. When the athletes screw up, the world only allows them to return once they’ve been put in their place and sufficiently humbled.”

Dr. Watkins argues that African American men are perceived to be arrogant, selfish and undisciplined in their decisions, which feeds directly into the media’s interpretation of Tiger Woods and his choices.

“There were segments on major media asking if Tiger’s ego was out of control. Match that with the conversation about mental illness and poor character, and you would almost believe that no one else in America has ever cheated on their spouse,” says Dr. Watkins.

Watkins cites Glenn Beck’s comparison of Tiger Woods to OJ Simpson to be a strong case in point.

“Why would Beck compare Tiger Woods to OJ? Tiger didn’t do anything illegal, and he certainly wasn’t accused of murder. The main similarities between OJ and Tiger are that they are both prominent black male athletes who’d gained favor among whites,” says Watkins. “Oh yeah, they are both accused of hurting a beautiful white woman, which has gotten black men lynched all throughout history.”

Dr. Watkins, who is the resident scholar for AOL Black Voices, also finds it ironic that Elin Nordegren is considered to be a victim in spite of the fact that there is evidence which says she may have tried to hit her husband with a golf club.

“If Tiger had been chasing Elin out of the house with a golf club, I doubt that the media would have any sympathy for him,” says Dr. Watkins. “There is clearly a double standard here.”

Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University and founder of the Your Black World Coalition.
For more information, please visit www.BoyceWatkins.com.