When Kelly Tilghman said that the only way for other golfers to beat Tiger Woods is to "lynch him in a back alley," it was at first not a story at all, and then it became a story about the way we judge members of the media who make offensive comments -- or approve offensive images.But now the story is starting to turn in another direction. It's becoming a story about Woods, and his nature as a man who rarely takes stands on controversial issues. To the extent that Woods has spoken about the issue at all, it's been to say that he wasn't offended by Tilghman's comments and thinks it's a non-story.
But some people think that just shows that Woods doesn't have the guts to risk the hundreds of millions of dollars he makes in commercial endorsements by getting in the middle of a controversial issue. And one of those people is one of the greatest -- and most outspoken -- athletes in American history.
Jim Brown, widely regarded as the greatest player in NFL history, gave an interview to ESPN First Take today on which he said of Woods, "He waited until it was politically correct to come out and he should have come out right away."
Brown said of Tilghman, "When you say the word 'lynch' you should have to pay the price," and he suggested that Woods hasn't lived up to his responsibility as a famous person to stand up for social issues.
Is Brown right? I don't know. I respect Brown both for his greatness on the field and for his determination to make a difference off the field. But if Woods wasn't offended by Tilghman's comments, isn't he entitled to say so?
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