April 15, 2019 • 34 mins
It's the Best of the Odd Couple with Chris Broussard and Rob Parker! Tiger Woods' former swing coach Hank Haney stops by to explain why he's starting to come around on the possibility that Tiger could catch Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 Major championships. Plus, Chris and Rob celebrate Jackie Robinson Day by discussing why more African-American athletes don't play baseball, and the guys debate whether or not Tiger's big win yesterday will change the way sports fans feel about him as a person.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Odd Couple podcast.
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(00:21):
s R. You're listening to the Best of the Odd
Couple with Chris Brush and Rod Harker. You really couldn't
have a better guest on the day other than Tiger
Woods himself to talk about what transpired at the Masters
this weekend. We're just pleased to bring in Tiger Woods,
(00:42):
former swing coach, host of the Hank Haney Golf radio
show on series x MPGA Tour Radio, none other than
Hank Haney. Hank, Welcome to the Odd Day. What's happening? Hey,
thanks for having me on. Guys, I appreciate it now.
It's great to have you on. And look, Hank, so
many people who don't know Tiger Woods were emotional in
(01:04):
seeing him, you know, not only win but the battle
on Sunday and how he had to come from behind
and I myself was on the edge of my seat.
What were you going through. What were your feelings your
emotions watching what transpired on Sunday, Well, I mean I
was happy for Tiger. It's nice to see him with
that biggest smile on his face. I mean, I've seen
(01:25):
him celebrate many times before, but I've never seen him
that emotional. I mean, you could tell this one really
meant a lot to him, and it's just and he
enjoyed it. You know, sometimes he's won in the past
and it's just like, Okay, that's what I'm supposed to do.
I won, But this one he really really enjoyed. It
was obviously really cool for him to have his family there,
as kids there. They really hadn't seen him win before,
(01:48):
and he always jokes about how they look at him
as a YouTube golfer. Well now they saw him went
on the biggest stage, the Masters, for the fifth time.
It's an incredible story and incredible comeback. I mean, forty
three years old, everything he's been through to win, I mean,
it's it's great for Tiger and it's great for the
game of golf. I mean, he elevates the game. And
(02:09):
you know when when when golf is a mainstream sports story, well,
actually it's just a total news story. When he wins,
Oh yeah, it's great for the game. But Hank, did
you at any point, and obviously he was still young,
but he won eleven years without winning a major and
hadn't won I think when he finally even won just
an event, it was like five years he hadn't won
(02:31):
an event. Did you ever lose hope or think that
this ain't happening, He's not going to ever win a
major again? Did you ever lose hope? Nah? When I
went well? When he when he couldn't swing, but as
soon as he could swing and I saw he could swing,
I said, he's gonna win again and win another major.
I mean, he's just too good. I just remember the
greatness that is Tiger Woods, and you know he showed it.
(02:52):
This weekend experience means so much. I mean I heard
people talking about how, you know, he doesn't have it
mentally anymore, and I'm like, are you kidding me? I
mean he's won like eighty tournaments, He's won fourteen major championships.
I mean, you don't forget how to how to do
the things that he knows how to do. As soon
as he started swinging better and he could move with
(03:13):
his body and his golf swing got better. I knew
he was gonna win again. I mean, it's just a
foregone conclusion. But you got to be in the right
place at the right time. I mean, he you know,
he had some good breaks, but you know what, he
was in position to win at the Open Championship and
the PGA last year and he didn't get any good breaks,
so things kind of even out. But he played, He
(03:35):
played great, and he just did what he had to do.
He just hung around, hung in there, hung in there,
and let you know, everybody else around him had a
tough time. Hank, last time we had you and I
don't know if it was a few months ago or
year ago or whatever, but you didn't think it was
possible that Tiger could catch Jack Nicholas. Do you now?
How do you feel about his chance of getting eighteen
(03:56):
or nineteen? I mean, you know, it's changed now because
because the thing is is, I didn't really like Tiger
at Augusta as much as other people did. I thought
he's gonna be great, dish. I thought he's gonna win
a major this year. But I thought it's going to
come at the US Open at Pubble Beach, now that
now that he's wanted Augusta, to be honest with the
golf course is really line up good for him. When
(04:17):
you look at the next eleven majors, ten of them
are on golf courses that are just great for him. So,
I mean he could he could rattle some off right now, Uh,
you know, get one or two. I mean it's tough.
I think it's tougher to I think it's tougher to
catch a record than it is to set a record.
I mean that's my opinion. I don't know what you
guys think, but you know, Jack was winning in a vacuum,
(04:39):
kind of just adding to his total. Tiger's got that
total sitting out there he has to get to. But
I don't think there's any doubt now that you know,
as he you know, moves a little bit closer like
he did yesterday. I mean, you know, he still has time.
He's forty three. I mean, he doesn't have forever. He's
got to get he's got to get going fast. But
the thing that he's gotten his favor Pubble Beach is
(05:00):
the US Open site while they're playing Beth Page for
the PJA. He's won there. He won the US Open
air He's will be won at Pebble Beach in record fashion.
I like him at all the British Opens. They're playing
at Harding Park for the PJA in two thousan twenty
he's won there before. Uh and then two thousand and
twenty one they played Tory Pines for the US Open,
(05:22):
which he won there on a broken leg. And Kiowa
Island a great course for him. And Saint Andrew's a
great I mean, he could he could he could win
win some more majors quick and now you know, he
clearly has shown that that he can do it. He
knew he could do it all long, but but uh,
you know, it just gives him that little extra confidence.
I think one thing that's that was great is is that,
(05:44):
see he hasn't won this year until this tournament, so
now he showed himself that, you know what, I can
just prepare for the majors. That's kind of what Jack
did Nicholas, and he just prepared for the majors and
it worked for Tiger this time. Usually he was always
winning before the Mayor years, but you know, he showed
that he can just just get ready for one tournament.
And I think that's a big feather in his cap.
(06:06):
It's the eye. Couple were joined by Hank Haney, the
former swing coat for Tiger Woods. Hank, does he have
to pass Jack in order to be considered the greatest
golf of all time? Is? Or is he already there?
Did this one right here? Him winning after the eleven
year drought of a major, you know, when all the
other tournament wins that he has which are more than Jack, right,
(06:29):
h Yeah, No, got about it. I mean, is he
already there? Or does he have to pass Jack for
people to consider him the greatest of all time? Great?
He's got he got one more to catch Sam Steed
for all time wins at eighty two, So that's that's
a big mark. I mean, I don't think anybody's ever
played golf better than Tiger. But the greatest of all
time is Jack Nicholas, because in our sport we major
(06:50):
on major championships. But I do think, I do think
that the narrative, you know, no matter what, now, after
winning the Masters, after this comeback, will certainly at the
very least it'll be if he doesn't catch Jack, the
narrative will be, you know, injuries robbed him the opportunity
to catch Jack, right, Um, you know, and and and
I don't. I don't think there's any doubt about about that.
(07:12):
And and that's a you know, a very good argument,
so you could argue either way. I don't think Tiger's
like consumed by catching Jack Nicholas. I think he's very
content with what he's done in his career, and I
think it speaks for itself. But you know, it's out there,
and uh, you know, it would be a nice achievement.
There's no doubt about that. I mean, it's going to
(07:32):
be incredible achievement. But Hank, the only reason when you
say he's not like caught up on passing Jack or
catching Jack, when you win the fourteen majors that he
won at the speed that he won those early on,
I can't believe now that he wouldn't want to pass him,
considering that he was able to get to fifteen, you
know what I mean, like he because after when he
(07:53):
won the first fourteen, everybody said it was a four
gone conclusion the way he won fast. Yeah, but but
I mean, he missed so many years with injuries and
you know, the scandal, just everything, I mean everything, He's
back he's had, you have five back surgeries, He's had
four knee surgeries. I mean, I don't know. I mean,
I think it's just it's just hard to compare like that.
(08:14):
I mean, if you look at the percentage of tournaments
that Tigers won, Jack Nikolas won twelve percent in his career,
Tiger Tigers won more than thirty percent in his career.
I mean, I mean, really, most people will tell you that,
you know, Tiger is the greatest player ever, but Nicholas
has has that record out there. I think Tiger knows
(08:34):
where he stands. Uh And I don't, you know, I
don't think him trying to convince everybody else where he
is is the biggest thing in his life. But yeah,
I'm sure, I'm sure he'd like to do it. He
knows how hard it is to win majors though, and
you know, he doesn't have forever to do it, but
he does have all these golf courses and Nicholas won
on a lot of the same courses too, see, And
(08:57):
this is the way it goes. So sometimes you just
like the horses don't set up for you, Like last
year wasn't a good year at majors for Tiger, but
he almost won twice. So now the courses are are
in a rotation for the next three years that are
really favorable to Tiger, and he'll he'll he'll get another
major for sure. Now if he gets Jack, I don't know.
So it's a long way, but it's it's it's closer
(09:19):
than it was before yesterday, Hank, everybody's looking at the
come back and what Tiger went through. In your opinion,
what hindered him the most, Like, what kind of derailed
him the most? Was it the marriage scandal and the
coursemond he hit to his image that just kind of
crushed his spirit, or the injuries like which kept him?
(09:39):
Do you think from being the golfer he had been most?
I think I think the injuries. I think a little
bit of just you know, getting tired, to be honest
with you, of the whole thing. I think that played
a factor. And I think, you know, even though this
was a force break, because of injuries, he's clearly a
different person. Now. I don't think you can you know,
(10:01):
nobody wants to talk about it, but I don't think
you can discount you know, the rehab that he went through,
and you know, after his arrest and all that, and
you know, uh, he's getting off the pain pills. I mean,
you get arrested with five drugs in your system, You're
not just having a bad night. I mean you're not
in a good place. And he's a lot different person
(10:22):
now and he and I think, I think the break,
you know, did him good, even though you know it
wasn't something that he planned on. It's cost him some time,
There's no doubt about that. And I think probably that
as much as anything, to be honest with you, I mean,
but it's but it's all played a factor. I mean,
you know you'd have to factor every one of those
things you mentioned it. Hank, Thanks, oh Man, thank you
(10:46):
so much information right now. Appreciate it. And uh, thanks
for coming on The Eye Couple. It's always my pleasure.
Thanks guys. Be sure to catch live editions of The
Odd Couple with Chris Broussard and Rob Parker weekdays at
seven pm East four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
and the iHeartRadio app. It's Jackie Robinson Day. I was
(11:07):
gonna say, we have on in front of us, Chris,
the Mets Phillies game and every play of course they do.
This is one thing baseball gets right. Everybody plays number
where's number forty two on this day? Now, it's tremendous,
it's a tremendous honor, and they got it. They get it.
With Jackie Robinson and what he meant to baseball and
to this country, well because look, and obviously we all
(11:31):
have the utmost respect for doctor Martin, Luther King and
Rosa Parks and the civil rights movement and all that,
but you can make a strong argument that sports, because
sports is so big in this country, and African American
athletes football, basketball, baseball, but at this time, mainly baseball,
(11:55):
our dominance and excellence in sports played a long has
also gone a long way to bring about better race relations.
So obviously there's the ways to go. But I also
think that you can't underestimate how important it was when
a guy like Jackie Robinson becomes the hero of not
(12:18):
only tons of black fans, but white fans as well,
especially young kids who were growing up. And you know,
I'm not saying it did everything, it's solved everything. It
certainly didn't, but it was very important beyond just sports.
Absolutely it was. And remember it was so important to
(12:41):
black fans that a black man was playing in the
major leagues. You know it, it was a big deal.
And from this standpoint, Chris, that it just it changed overnight,
you know, like the and there were situations that to
me where you know, some white owners back in those
(13:02):
days charged black fans double and triple the price to
get into the ballpark to try to keep them out,
and they still paid. Chris. They sat in the section
in the corner of right field which was only designated
for black fans to go, and they still went when Jackie.
That's how important it was to them to see. And
(13:25):
that's why a lot of older black people are Brooklyn
are Dodger fans. That really is well they were. They
were Dodger fans because of it. And if you ever
saw the movie forty two and branch Rickey, it's a
great movie if you've never seen it. And branch Ricky,
he didn't just do this because he wanted to be
I'm gonna be a guy who changes the world. That
was not his plan. His plan was simple, look at
(13:49):
all these black people looking and living in Brooklyn. I
want them at the games business. They don't come to
the games. Yep, that was his that was his point.
Ye and It took a life of its own, but
he did. And it was a great thing for him
to even decide to do it because a lot of
teams said that they wouldn't play the Dodgers if they
(14:11):
signed Jackie. That's what they said, they would not to
your point, ribe about African Americans and all the trials
they went through just to get to a game and
to be able to attend the game. Especially, we are
a lot of millennials listening who look at Major League
Baseball and you really don't see African Americans. You see
(14:32):
people of African descent from the Caribbean and places like that,
but African Americans you don't see many playing. This used
to be the sport of choice for African American people.
It's a part of our history, Soldian football more so
than basketball. Even when I grew up in the seventies. Now,
(14:52):
football was you know, I love football, and we all
played football around my neighborhood back. But when I was
I'm talking about the seventies, not to understand what it was.
Baseball to me was more popular in my neighborhood and
I liked it more as a young age then basketball.
(15:13):
Now I told you this too, in my neighborhood. I
grew up with eleven guys and two years separated the
oldest from the youngest, so it was a group of us.
We lived off of four different streets on Says Offer
Says Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, and we had a neighborhood
team called the Black Cats, so I would go play
(15:33):
like that's how we started a lot. Yeah, and then
it was the same lot and then we got into
the same office little league and started playing. I'm still
friends with all eleven those guys when we were kids
playing at that point. But yes, that's what we played mostly.
And then yes, did we play basketball, Yes, but it
wasn't on our radar like that. Did we throw the
football around, Yes, a couple of the guys wound up
(15:54):
playing of football in high school, but not the majority
did not, Like only like two or three of those
eleven played football. It was definitely a baseball thing. And
this is when we look at it. There's a lot
of things, as economics is a lot of Stufflet let
me get a knouts first. But baseball. Now, on opening
day two nineteen rob only seven point seven percent of
(16:17):
the players in the league were black African American that's sixty.
So there's sixty eight out of eight hundred and eighty
two players, they're sixty eight black players in Major League Baseball.
They're eleven teams that only have one African American player
on their twenty five man roster. There are three that
don't have any one are the three. I'm just curious,
(16:39):
Rob g you got those three of the three teams.
I'm just curious. There's three that don't have any And
thirty years ago there were twice as many blacks in baseball.
So yeah, the numbers right now are dismal. African Americans
don't really, you know, view themselves as a big part
of the Major League Baseball. I think I think there's
(17:01):
a couple of things go at stake here. First, about
fifteen twenty years ago, Major League Baseball decided that they
would outsource, they would put their recess resources in these
baseball training facilities all over Latin America. Right, They're okay,
see there, they don't have to pay a kid up front,
black or white, like you do in this country. And
(17:22):
I think that that was part of it. The other
part of and I'm gonna say this, Michael Jordan became
the biggest thing going. You know that I want to
be like Mike and that that turns. Look, that turned
a lot of people. You don't sneakers, yes, the whole
nine year baseball. Obviously you're wearing cleats, but you don't
wear King Griff he had his own shoe, but you
(17:43):
know he didn't wear that that on the field. So
Jordan had the sneakers. Jordan was this great player. It
is a general, it's a player of a lifetime. Well,
baseball or basketball also did the best job of any
of the three majors boards of like linking itself to
(18:04):
popular culture, particularly hip hop culture. I don't know if
they did it or just because of the players when
you gotta league that you know what I mean. I
do think the league, You're right, I don't think David
sat there was like oh, but I think they were
more open to it. Yeah, I do think they were
more open to you than baseball. But would you agree
that wasn't like a game play to some degree? Right? Right?
(18:24):
The players, you know, they're they're more accessible. They they
you're closer to them than you are. The baseball game,
and so their personality, the nature the sport too, allows
their personality and charisma to shine even more. For all
of the rules that baseball has and they're trying now
allowing bat flips and things like that, it's still the
(18:46):
nature of basketball just allows itself to show your charisma
more than football or basketball or baseball. And that became
a part of it as well, no doubt. And we've
seen as a kid, I've seen the lower was of
the NBA. I saw when the finals one tape delay
and people really didn't look at pro basketball. It's not
(19:07):
nineteen twenty. This is in the seventies. Lake seven wasn't
that long ago that seventy nine eighty the championship was
gontaining the Philadelphia seventy six is that iconic championship was
on tape. Johnson as a rookie had forty two fifteen
and seven was on tape delay. And if people don't
know what tape delay is, that was the game was
played and they showed her at eleven thirty after the news.
(19:30):
Game was played in prime time and then you tried
to not and it wasn't that hard back then. I
not know what happened. And then an eleven thirty after
the news, the game would be the game right the
year before Seattle and Washington, same tape delay, which was
just crazy. But it's interesting because you mentioned tape delay
to illustrate the point. I was playing little league baseball
(19:52):
and one of my most of our team was black,
and one of our teammates had a sleepover and but
all baseball players, and we watched the NBA finals or
tap delay after that while so and and and here's
the other part I think. Uh also in that the
AA you became very popular and a lot of coaches
(20:16):
decided and we talked about this is why Kyler Murray.
I love Kyler Murray from this stamnpoint that he showed
that you don't have to just play once more or
just so a lot of those coaches did to our
kids black kids. No, no, no basketball twenty four seven, football,
football twenty four to seven. You gotta work out all year.
(20:36):
You can't play any other sport. And if some of
the best baseball right like like the coaches need different sports,
are are demanding that's a strong word, but no, but
strongly encouraging you to play one, to specialize, to specialize.
You know what they talk about this, Chris, same thing
You're kids are having armed problems right as a young age.
(20:58):
Now you know why they have who only pitch, right,
that's not how we even just specializing in your sport
right now, that's as a picture, you're only a picture.
And on my teams, we rotated, we played positions. I
played third base, but I pitched when my turn came
up in the rotation. And and we we didn't play.
You didn't just pitch. There was that was unheard, unheard of.
(21:21):
So they have these kiving In high school, the best
player usually was a shortstop right right, he would play pitch,
were great hitters yea high school. I also think rob
that the I believe the fatherless crisis in the black community,
which is a lot of reasons for that. Um you know,
(21:45):
but yeah, I mean because you think about baseball in
a lot of In many cases, I would say most cases,
it's kind of a father son sport. My father introduced
me to baseball. He loved baseball. He took me out
and worked with me. And you know, look, basketball, I
can go out on the court by myself, anybody work
on my game, or just play with cats in the playground.
(22:07):
Football we can play on the street. We can play
two hand touch tackle whatever baseball you it's hard to
develop skills, no, no, no, And you gotta hand the
groundball hitting, and you would like to have your dad
like teat you how to throw, how to throw a curveball,
how to properly get down the field the ground. But
there's a lot of that you don't just necessarily know
(22:29):
how to do that. No, no, no, in a lot
of cases. Be sure to catch live editions of The
Odd Couple with Chris Broussard and Rob Parker weekdays at
seven pm Eastern, four pm Pacific. Let's get back to
Tiger Woods. Tiger woo uh. We all know it was
a tremendous comeback five this weekend. Can we get to
Tyger feel on the tier? All right? Anyway, I want
(22:54):
to ask you, Roper. Look, everybody, including yourself, including myself,
we were just caught up Colin Cowherd. I heard him
say he was sitting on his couch, couch crying Tiger win.
And I think there were other people probably that did that.
When I heard that, at first I thought it was
April fifteenth that there were people who were crying because
of that, not because of Tiger Today's right, right, But
(23:21):
it was an emotional and inspiration. It was great. It's
an unbelievable story. Yeah, whether you love him, like him,
dislike him, it's a great story and I think it
pulled in everybody's heart strings. But do I want to
hear the story about your your Tiger Woods story, and
and I want to know, does this change how you
(23:43):
feel about mister Woods? Nothing really changed. I could appreciate
what he did, Chris, honestly, that's just no, No, you're not.
But but I could appreciate the athletic to battle back right, uh,
from what he had been through. And it just wasn't uh.
(24:07):
You know that he had a scandal, he had injuries,
he had surgery. It's a tremendous story. And we talked
about this on Undisputed this morning and basically, like, I
have I changed my my thought of Tiger It's just
something different now. And that answer is no, I have.
I still have my issues, and Chris goes back, I'll
(24:31):
give you my little history. So I got married in
nineteen ninety seven and me and my ex wife we
went to Hawaii and Japan. We're in Japan, Tokyo at
our hotel and we're watching Tiger Woods when the Masters.
We're mesmerized. We're sitting on the bed watching mouths open,
(24:52):
you know, like, this is unbelievable. You don't say, why
are you looking at me like that? Chris had a
little more and you know, I probably Tiger probably cost
me my marriage, you know, because if y'all y'all were
watching Tiger, we should have been we should have been
(25:13):
rolling in the hay. But we were watching Tiger. So okay,
I'm like, I can't be happy. I can't believe this
black man has just destroyed the course at Augusta and
at one of the Masters. I'm like, wow, this is
like unbelievable to me. Then, same little time after that,
(25:35):
that same year, he goes on Oprah and basically says,
I don't have verbatim quote, but basically that he was
offended when people called him black, that he made up
a name for himself and he called it uhblas comblination
Caucasian black age and something right or whatever. And I
was like, what, basically saying, you know, don't kind of
(26:00):
look at me as just black? Likely like, and now
are you sure yes? Because I remember it, yes, But
how are you sure? He said, I'm offended? Yes, yes,
will call him yes, Okay, because he would That was
the way reason he made up this whole thing that
he's all these other things and not just black. And
I always say that day I was so kind of
(26:22):
uh rubbed the wrong way. I'm like, Okay, he's got
black skin. I don't know how I can look in
the mirror and come up with something else. And I
would say, if an old Caucasian woman was looking out
the window at three o'clock in the morning and Tiger
Woods was standing out in her flower bed or something,
(26:42):
she would pick up the phone and she wouldn't call
up and say, uh, what did you just say? I
can't say comblination? Would standing she was comblination man who
was standing out outside my window? What would she say?
All black guys outside my window? Right right with? Barack
Obama was elected president. His mother's white. He didn't say,
(27:07):
don't call me the first black president. I'm just a
president or I'm a mixed president. No, he claims that
he's the first black president. Okay, so other people have
been in Tiger Woods's shoes, and if Tiger Woods didn't
have black skin, that might be different. He has black skin.
(27:28):
So here's my other point. So all this stuff is,
I take all the Tiger Woods stuff I have. I
have a beautiful golf shirt cost seventy five dollars, a
Tiger Woods had, you know, with a nice logo on
the front, and a couple other pieces. I put him
in the box and I take him to the Salvation Army.
I'm good, I'm good. And that was it. I admired
(27:51):
his talent as a golfer, but I wasn't all in
on Tiger Woods, on who he was. That's just a
personal thing for me when and that has not deterred
the majority of the black community. You're right, but I
feel you. That's that's all. And it doesn't mean that
I hate him or anything like that. Christ, It's just
a personal thing that I always have felt. I want
(28:14):
other people to have pride, right, I pride in being
black because that's what And when he went the duy,
that was the greatest part. What did the offers to
put down on the ticket when they identified Tiger Woods
on the DUI do you remember, I'm sure it was
put blood? He put blood? Well, look, I'm someone and
(28:34):
obviously I look for those who know what I look like. Um,
I'm much lighter than tiger woods. I could if I
wanted to, I've never wanted to. I could probably pass
for white. Their hair's a little kinky, he's a little kinky.
But if I said I'm white, I think people would
be like a little something. But right, you know, But
I've always been very pro black and not anti white,
(28:57):
but not there's nothing about anti anti pro American is
not being anti brit Writing or you know, Europe or something.
So um So I feel you. I agree. I would
love for him to just be a strong, prideful black man.
Um I will say this, And you brought up good
examples of bi racial people who just claim black, because frankly,
(29:21):
that's what the law has said in America. Rum but
I would say this, and even though I'm very light skinned,
I don't know any white relatives. I don't think I
have any white relatives, like obviously way back years ago,
but all my relatives are black, even if they're light skinned,
dark skin whatever. But if you're if one of your
(29:42):
parents is white or another race, like saying his case,
his mom's Asian, his dad's black, I wonder I just
maybe it's harder to deny if your mom is white.
And your dad's back black. He could be harder to
deny that part from your race. I don't want him.
(30:05):
I don't want I don't want him to deny that.
That's not you know what I'm saying. But it in
like when he says coblin Asian. Obviously that doesn't work
in America, whereas black whites man, you know, we have
our racial categories. But there was truth, that is what
he is. No, he could say I'm part black and
(30:25):
part Asian. But but the part that offended me the
most was he offended when people say he's black. I agree,
that's what they ask you. Yes, that's what that's because
if he was like, hey, as a kid, I came
up with coblin Asian and that's different than I called
myself comblin Asian today as a forty three year old man.
But if he did, indeed, as you said, said, I'm
(30:47):
offended when people call me black because that's what he said.
My thing with Tiger, here's my story about Tiger. Um,
I like you, I'm not a huge fan. I don't
dislike him. Score time. Now it's fine. I'm not a
huge Tiger fan. In Philadelphia, Brooklyn is tied at sixty
(31:07):
four thirty six seconds left in the first acur But
this is why I was pulling for him and happy
for him, or one of the reasons. I feel like,
and every you know, we have worship Wednesday. Everybody knows
I'm a Christian and all that. Obviously I disagree with
adultery strong one, yes. But I even though that's what
started tiger was downfall, was him cheating on his wife.
(31:30):
I felt like there was a ton of hypocrisy going
on in the media criticism of him. One in that
many of the media members who criticized Tiger Woods, I mean,
went off scathing criticism of him. They know of athletes, right,
we all know of professional athletes, you know who are
(31:53):
cheating on their wives or have cheated on their wives
and now they're retired. The only different between them and
Tiger Woods is he got caught. And my thing is,
if you're gonna go off on Tiger Woods like that,
then you need to go off on others like that,
because otherwise it's hypocritically. He just got caught, that was it.
(32:16):
And it also media members who do that themselves, who
were being critical of him, Maybe they don't do it
to that degree because they don't have the opportunity he has.
But no, no, no, But as long as it's fair,
as long as you're critical of other athletes that you know,
we're living like that and that's my only thing. So
(32:38):
if you're not gonna call them out. And then I
heard people say, well, he portrayed this image of family.
That's what adulterers do. They don't portray that I'm out
there philandering and cheating on my wife all the time. No,
you're going to church. They're good family. When our real
Clinton was in the White House, he was portraying the
family image. And I don't think Tiger went over the
(33:02):
top of you know, I don't remember seeing his wife
in commercials with the kids and all that, especially on
his website. Yeah, okay, but you know what I'm saying, like,
I don't think it was over the top. I'm this
great family. Like if a Tim Tebow, you know, was
doing right religion on his sleeve, if you would have
(33:23):
find out it would be like that would then that
would be really worthy. Like, look, this dude was portrayed
about the Mark Jackson criticism, that kind of falls under that, right. Yeah,
when Mark was with the Strip Mark Jackson, right, and
and you know, yeah, I mean that would be the
guy you wear that on your sleeve and then you
get caught out there. So that was my thing. I
(33:43):
I felt again, even though I disagreed strongly what his lifestyle,
I felt he was criticized more. It just was unfair
because there's so many guys out there doing that, but
we praise as athletes and while knowing how they're living.
And Shannon Sharp brought up a great point in your
discussion on Undisputed today, you want to share it with
(34:07):
what he said, Yeah, I can't remember the name. He said.
His wife's name was Ellen, right. He said if his
wife's name had been Ella, which is I guess more right. Otherwise,
in other words, if his wife was black, it wouldn't
have been that. Then it was the part that, yeah,
there's a part of that too, because uh, you know,
(34:29):
he was introduced by I Forgot another golfer and everybody,
you know what I mean, And it was kind of
really like it was so out there and the stories
just kept coming in on how how how big it
was or whatever. And I think that's what kind of
repulsed some people, you know what I mean. It wasn't
like he just had just one little side. I mean
he was out there. He was out there with porn
(34:49):
stars reportedly, and waitresses and the parking lots. I mean
the stories were just off the chain.
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Odd Couple podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday from seven
pm to ten pm Eastern four to seven Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Odd
Couple at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us
live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching f
(00:21):
s R. You're listening to the Best of the Odd
Couple with Chris Brush and Rod Harker. You really couldn't
have a better guest on the day other than Tiger
Woods himself to talk about what transpired at the Masters
this weekend. We're just pleased to bring in Tiger Woods,
(00:42):
former swing coach, host of the Hank Haney Golf radio
show on series x MPGA Tour Radio, none other than
Hank Haney. Hank, Welcome to the Odd Day. What's happening? Hey,
thanks for having me on. Guys, I appreciate it now.
It's great to have you on. And look, Hank, so
many people who don't know Tiger Woods were emotional in
(01:04):
seeing him, you know, not only win but the battle
on Sunday and how he had to come from behind
and I myself was on the edge of my seat.
What were you going through. What were your feelings your
emotions watching what transpired on Sunday, Well, I mean I
was happy for Tiger. It's nice to see him with
that biggest smile on his face. I mean, I've seen
(01:25):
him celebrate many times before, but I've never seen him
that emotional. I mean, you could tell this one really
meant a lot to him, and it's just and he
enjoyed it. You know, sometimes he's won in the past
and it's just like, Okay, that's what I'm supposed to do.
I won, But this one he really really enjoyed. It
was obviously really cool for him to have his family there,
as kids there. They really hadn't seen him win before,
(01:48):
and he always jokes about how they look at him
as a YouTube golfer. Well now they saw him went
on the biggest stage, the Masters, for the fifth time.
It's an incredible story and incredible comeback. I mean, forty
three years old, everything he's been through to win, I mean,
it's it's great for Tiger and it's great for the
game of golf. I mean, he elevates the game. And
(02:09):
you know when when when golf is a mainstream sports story, well,
actually it's just a total news story. When he wins,
Oh yeah, it's great for the game. But Hank, did
you at any point, and obviously he was still young,
but he won eleven years without winning a major and
hadn't won I think when he finally even won just
an event, it was like five years he hadn't won
(02:31):
an event. Did you ever lose hope or think that
this ain't happening, He's not going to ever win a
major again? Did you ever lose hope? Nah? When I
went well? When he when he couldn't swing, but as
soon as he could swing and I saw he could swing,
I said, he's gonna win again and win another major.
I mean, he's just too good. I just remember the
greatness that is Tiger Woods, and you know he showed it.
(02:52):
This weekend experience means so much. I mean I heard
people talking about how, you know, he doesn't have it
mentally anymore, and I'm like, are you kidding me? I
mean he's won like eighty tournaments, He's won fourteen major championships.
I mean, you don't forget how to how to do
the things that he knows how to do. As soon
as he started swinging better and he could move with
(03:13):
his body and his golf swing got better. I knew
he was gonna win again. I mean, it's just a
foregone conclusion. But you got to be in the right
place at the right time. I mean, he you know,
he had some good breaks, but you know what, he
was in position to win at the Open Championship and
the PGA last year and he didn't get any good breaks,
so things kind of even out. But he played, He
(03:35):
played great, and he just did what he had to do.
He just hung around, hung in there, hung in there,
and let you know, everybody else around him had a
tough time. Hank, last time we had you and I
don't know if it was a few months ago or
year ago or whatever, but you didn't think it was
possible that Tiger could catch Jack Nicholas. Do you now?
How do you feel about his chance of getting eighteen
(03:56):
or nineteen? I mean, you know, it's changed now because
because the thing is is, I didn't really like Tiger
at Augusta as much as other people did. I thought
he's gonna be great, dish. I thought he's gonna win
a major this year. But I thought it's going to
come at the US Open at Pubble Beach, now that
now that he's wanted Augusta, to be honest with the
golf course is really line up good for him. When
(04:17):
you look at the next eleven majors, ten of them
are on golf courses that are just great for him. So,
I mean he could he could rattle some off right now, Uh,
you know, get one or two. I mean it's tough.
I think it's tougher to I think it's tougher to
catch a record than it is to set a record.
I mean that's my opinion. I don't know what you
guys think, but you know, Jack was winning in a vacuum,
(04:39):
kind of just adding to his total. Tiger's got that
total sitting out there he has to get to. But
I don't think there's any doubt now that you know,
as he you know, moves a little bit closer like
he did yesterday. I mean, you know, he still has time.
He's forty three. I mean, he doesn't have forever. He's
got to get he's got to get going fast. But
the thing that he's gotten his favor Pubble Beach is
(05:00):
the US Open site while they're playing Beth Page for
the PJA. He's won there. He won the US Open
air He's will be won at Pebble Beach in record fashion.
I like him at all the British Opens. They're playing
at Harding Park for the PJA in two thousan twenty
he's won there before. Uh and then two thousand and
twenty one they played Tory Pines for the US Open,
(05:22):
which he won there on a broken leg. And Kiowa
Island a great course for him. And Saint Andrew's a
great I mean, he could he could he could win
win some more majors quick and now you know, he
clearly has shown that that he can do it. He
knew he could do it all long, but but uh,
you know, it just gives him that little extra confidence.
I think one thing that's that was great is is that,
(05:44):
see he hasn't won this year until this tournament, so
now he showed himself that, you know what, I can
just prepare for the majors. That's kind of what Jack
did Nicholas, and he just prepared for the majors and
it worked for Tiger this time. Usually he was always
winning before the Mayor years, but you know, he showed
that he can just just get ready for one tournament.
And I think that's a big feather in his cap.
(06:06):
It's the eye. Couple were joined by Hank Haney, the
former swing coat for Tiger Woods. Hank, does he have
to pass Jack in order to be considered the greatest
golf of all time? Is? Or is he already there?
Did this one right here? Him winning after the eleven
year drought of a major, you know, when all the
other tournament wins that he has which are more than Jack, right,
(06:29):
h Yeah, No, got about it. I mean, is he
already there? Or does he have to pass Jack for
people to consider him the greatest of all time? Great?
He's got he got one more to catch Sam Steed
for all time wins at eighty two, So that's that's
a big mark. I mean, I don't think anybody's ever
played golf better than Tiger. But the greatest of all
time is Jack Nicholas, because in our sport we major
(06:50):
on major championships. But I do think, I do think
that the narrative, you know, no matter what, now, after
winning the Masters, after this comeback, will certainly at the
very least it'll be if he doesn't catch Jack, the
narrative will be, you know, injuries robbed him the opportunity
to catch Jack, right, Um, you know, and and and
I don't. I don't think there's any doubt about about that.
(07:12):
And and that's a you know, a very good argument,
so you could argue either way. I don't think Tiger's
like consumed by catching Jack Nicholas. I think he's very
content with what he's done in his career, and I
think it speaks for itself. But you know, it's out there,
and uh, you know, it would be a nice achievement.
There's no doubt about that. I mean, it's going to
(07:32):
be incredible achievement. But Hank, the only reason when you
say he's not like caught up on passing Jack or
catching Jack, when you win the fourteen majors that he
won at the speed that he won those early on,
I can't believe now that he wouldn't want to pass him,
considering that he was able to get to fifteen, you
know what I mean, like he because after when he
(07:53):
won the first fourteen, everybody said it was a four
gone conclusion the way he won fast. Yeah, but but
I mean, he missed so many years with injuries and
you know, the scandal, just everything, I mean everything, He's
back he's had, you have five back surgeries, He's had
four knee surgeries. I mean, I don't know. I mean,
I think it's just it's just hard to compare like that.
(08:14):
I mean, if you look at the percentage of tournaments
that Tigers won, Jack Nikolas won twelve percent in his career,
Tiger Tigers won more than thirty percent in his career.
I mean, I mean, really, most people will tell you that,
you know, Tiger is the greatest player ever, but Nicholas
has has that record out there. I think Tiger knows
(08:34):
where he stands. Uh And I don't, you know, I
don't think him trying to convince everybody else where he
is is the biggest thing in his life. But yeah,
I'm sure, I'm sure he'd like to do it. He
knows how hard it is to win majors though, and
you know, he doesn't have forever to do it, but
he does have all these golf courses and Nicholas won
on a lot of the same courses too, see, And
(08:57):
this is the way it goes. So sometimes you just
like the horses don't set up for you, Like last
year wasn't a good year at majors for Tiger, but
he almost won twice. So now the courses are are
in a rotation for the next three years that are
really favorable to Tiger, and he'll he'll he'll get another
major for sure. Now if he gets Jack, I don't know.
So it's a long way, but it's it's it's closer
(09:19):
than it was before yesterday, Hank, everybody's looking at the
come back and what Tiger went through. In your opinion,
what hindered him the most, Like, what kind of derailed
him the most? Was it the marriage scandal and the
coursemond he hit to his image that just kind of
crushed his spirit, or the injuries like which kept him?
(09:39):
Do you think from being the golfer he had been most?
I think I think the injuries. I think a little
bit of just you know, getting tired, to be honest
with you, of the whole thing. I think that played
a factor. And I think, you know, even though this
was a force break, because of injuries, he's clearly a
different person. Now. I don't think you can you know,
(10:01):
nobody wants to talk about it, but I don't think
you can discount you know, the rehab that he went through,
and you know, after his arrest and all that, and
you know, uh, he's getting off the pain pills. I mean,
you get arrested with five drugs in your system, You're
not just having a bad night. I mean you're not
in a good place. And he's a lot different person
(10:22):
now and he and I think, I think the break,
you know, did him good, even though you know it
wasn't something that he planned on. It's cost him some time,
There's no doubt about that. And I think probably that
as much as anything, to be honest with you, I mean,
but it's but it's all played a factor. I mean,
you know you'd have to factor every one of those
things you mentioned it. Hank, Thanks, oh Man, thank you
(10:46):
so much information right now. Appreciate it. And uh, thanks
for coming on The Eye Couple. It's always my pleasure.
Thanks guys. Be sure to catch live editions of The
Odd Couple with Chris Broussard and Rob Parker weekdays at
seven pm East four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
and the iHeartRadio app. It's Jackie Robinson Day. I was
(11:07):
gonna say, we have on in front of us, Chris,
the Mets Phillies game and every play of course they do.
This is one thing baseball gets right. Everybody plays number
where's number forty two on this day? Now, it's tremendous,
it's a tremendous honor, and they got it. They get it.
With Jackie Robinson and what he meant to baseball and
to this country, well because look, and obviously we all
(11:31):
have the utmost respect for doctor Martin, Luther King and
Rosa Parks and the civil rights movement and all that,
but you can make a strong argument that sports, because
sports is so big in this country, and African American
athletes football, basketball, baseball, but at this time, mainly baseball,
(11:55):
our dominance and excellence in sports played a long has
also gone a long way to bring about better race relations.
So obviously there's the ways to go. But I also
think that you can't underestimate how important it was when
a guy like Jackie Robinson becomes the hero of not
(12:18):
only tons of black fans, but white fans as well,
especially young kids who were growing up. And you know,
I'm not saying it did everything, it's solved everything. It
certainly didn't, but it was very important beyond just sports.
Absolutely it was. And remember it was so important to
(12:41):
black fans that a black man was playing in the
major leagues. You know it, it was a big deal.
And from this standpoint, Chris, that it just it changed overnight,
you know, like the and there were situations that to
me where you know, some white owners back in those
(13:02):
days charged black fans double and triple the price to
get into the ballpark to try to keep them out,
and they still paid. Chris. They sat in the section
in the corner of right field which was only designated
for black fans to go, and they still went when Jackie.
That's how important it was to them to see. And
(13:25):
that's why a lot of older black people are Brooklyn
are Dodger fans. That really is well they were. They
were Dodger fans because of it. And if you ever
saw the movie forty two and branch Rickey, it's a
great movie if you've never seen it. And branch Ricky,
he didn't just do this because he wanted to be
I'm gonna be a guy who changes the world. That
was not his plan. His plan was simple, look at
(13:49):
all these black people looking and living in Brooklyn. I
want them at the games business. They don't come to
the games. Yep, that was his that was his point.
Ye and It took a life of its own, but
he did. And it was a great thing for him
to even decide to do it because a lot of
teams said that they wouldn't play the Dodgers if they
(14:11):
signed Jackie. That's what they said, they would not to
your point, ribe about African Americans and all the trials
they went through just to get to a game and
to be able to attend the game. Especially, we are
a lot of millennials listening who look at Major League
Baseball and you really don't see African Americans. You see
(14:32):
people of African descent from the Caribbean and places like that,
but African Americans you don't see many playing. This used
to be the sport of choice for African American people.
It's a part of our history, Soldian football more so
than basketball. Even when I grew up in the seventies. Now,
(14:52):
football was you know, I love football, and we all
played football around my neighborhood back. But when I was
I'm talking about the seventies, not to understand what it was.
Baseball to me was more popular in my neighborhood and
I liked it more as a young age then basketball.
(15:13):
Now I told you this too, in my neighborhood. I
grew up with eleven guys and two years separated the
oldest from the youngest, so it was a group of us.
We lived off of four different streets on Says Offer
Says Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, and we had a neighborhood
team called the Black Cats, so I would go play
(15:33):
like that's how we started a lot. Yeah, and then
it was the same lot and then we got into
the same office little league and started playing. I'm still
friends with all eleven those guys when we were kids
playing at that point. But yes, that's what we played mostly.
And then yes, did we play basketball, Yes, but it
wasn't on our radar like that. Did we throw the
football around, Yes, a couple of the guys wound up
(15:54):
playing of football in high school, but not the majority
did not, Like only like two or three of those
eleven played football. It was definitely a baseball thing. And
this is when we look at it. There's a lot
of things, as economics is a lot of Stufflet let
me get a knouts first. But baseball. Now, on opening
day two nineteen rob only seven point seven percent of
(16:17):
the players in the league were black African American that's sixty.
So there's sixty eight out of eight hundred and eighty
two players, they're sixty eight black players in Major League Baseball.
They're eleven teams that only have one African American player
on their twenty five man roster. There are three that
don't have any one are the three. I'm just curious,
(16:39):
Rob g you got those three of the three teams.
I'm just curious. There's three that don't have any And
thirty years ago there were twice as many blacks in baseball.
So yeah, the numbers right now are dismal. African Americans
don't really, you know, view themselves as a big part
of the Major League Baseball. I think I think there's
(17:01):
a couple of things go at stake here. First, about
fifteen twenty years ago, Major League Baseball decided that they
would outsource, they would put their recess resources in these
baseball training facilities all over Latin America. Right, They're okay,
see there, they don't have to pay a kid up front,
black or white, like you do in this country. And
(17:22):
I think that that was part of it. The other
part of and I'm gonna say this, Michael Jordan became
the biggest thing going. You know that I want to
be like Mike and that that turns. Look, that turned
a lot of people. You don't sneakers, yes, the whole
nine year baseball. Obviously you're wearing cleats, but you don't
wear King Griff he had his own shoe, but you
(17:43):
know he didn't wear that that on the field. So
Jordan had the sneakers. Jordan was this great player. It
is a general, it's a player of a lifetime. Well,
baseball or basketball also did the best job of any
of the three majors boards of like linking itself to
(18:04):
popular culture, particularly hip hop culture. I don't know if
they did it or just because of the players when
you gotta league that you know what I mean. I
do think the league, You're right, I don't think David
sat there was like oh, but I think they were
more open to it. Yeah, I do think they were
more open to you than baseball. But would you agree
that wasn't like a game play to some degree? Right? Right?
(18:24):
The players, you know, they're they're more accessible. They they
you're closer to them than you are. The baseball game,
and so their personality, the nature the sport too, allows
their personality and charisma to shine even more. For all
of the rules that baseball has and they're trying now
allowing bat flips and things like that, it's still the
(18:46):
nature of basketball just allows itself to show your charisma
more than football or basketball or baseball. And that became
a part of it as well, no doubt. And we've
seen as a kid, I've seen the lower was of
the NBA. I saw when the finals one tape delay
and people really didn't look at pro basketball. It's not
(19:07):
nineteen twenty. This is in the seventies. Lake seven wasn't
that long ago that seventy nine eighty the championship was
gontaining the Philadelphia seventy six is that iconic championship was
on tape. Johnson as a rookie had forty two fifteen
and seven was on tape delay. And if people don't
know what tape delay is, that was the game was
played and they showed her at eleven thirty after the news.
(19:30):
Game was played in prime time and then you tried
to not and it wasn't that hard back then. I
not know what happened. And then an eleven thirty after
the news, the game would be the game right the
year before Seattle and Washington, same tape delay, which was
just crazy. But it's interesting because you mentioned tape delay
to illustrate the point. I was playing little league baseball
(19:52):
and one of my most of our team was black,
and one of our teammates had a sleepover and but
all baseball players, and we watched the NBA finals or
tap delay after that while so and and and here's
the other part I think. Uh also in that the
AA you became very popular and a lot of coaches
(20:16):
decided and we talked about this is why Kyler Murray.
I love Kyler Murray from this stamnpoint that he showed
that you don't have to just play once more or
just so a lot of those coaches did to our
kids black kids. No, no, no basketball twenty four seven, football,
football twenty four to seven. You gotta work out all year.
(20:36):
You can't play any other sport. And if some of
the best baseball right like like the coaches need different sports,
are are demanding that's a strong word, but no, but
strongly encouraging you to play one, to specialize, to specialize.
You know what they talk about this, Chris, same thing
You're kids are having armed problems right as a young age.
(20:58):
Now you know why they have who only pitch, right,
that's not how we even just specializing in your sport
right now, that's as a picture, you're only a picture.
And on my teams, we rotated, we played positions. I
played third base, but I pitched when my turn came
up in the rotation. And and we we didn't play.
You didn't just pitch. There was that was unheard, unheard of.
(21:21):
So they have these kiving In high school, the best
player usually was a shortstop right right, he would play pitch,
were great hitters yea high school. I also think rob
that the I believe the fatherless crisis in the black community,
which is a lot of reasons for that. Um you know,
(21:45):
but yeah, I mean because you think about baseball in
a lot of In many cases, I would say most cases,
it's kind of a father son sport. My father introduced
me to baseball. He loved baseball. He took me out
and worked with me. And you know, look, basketball, I
can go out on the court by myself, anybody work
on my game, or just play with cats in the playground.
(22:07):
Football we can play on the street. We can play
two hand touch tackle whatever baseball you it's hard to
develop skills, no, no, no, And you gotta hand the
groundball hitting, and you would like to have your dad
like teat you how to throw, how to throw a curveball,
how to properly get down the field the ground. But
there's a lot of that you don't just necessarily know
(22:29):
how to do that. No, no, no, in a lot
of cases. Be sure to catch live editions of The
Odd Couple with Chris Broussard and Rob Parker weekdays at
seven pm Eastern, four pm Pacific. Let's get back to
Tiger Woods. Tiger woo uh. We all know it was
a tremendous comeback five this weekend. Can we get to
Tyger feel on the tier? All right? Anyway, I want
(22:54):
to ask you, Roper. Look, everybody, including yourself, including myself,
we were just caught up Colin Cowherd. I heard him
say he was sitting on his couch, couch crying Tiger win.
And I think there were other people probably that did that.
When I heard that, at first I thought it was
April fifteenth that there were people who were crying because
of that, not because of Tiger Today's right, right, But
(23:21):
it was an emotional and inspiration. It was great. It's
an unbelievable story. Yeah, whether you love him, like him,
dislike him, it's a great story and I think it
pulled in everybody's heart strings. But do I want to
hear the story about your your Tiger Woods story, and
and I want to know, does this change how you
(23:43):
feel about mister Woods? Nothing really changed. I could appreciate
what he did, Chris, honestly, that's just no, No, you're not.
But but I could appreciate the athletic to battle back right, uh,
from what he had been through. And it just wasn't uh.
(24:07):
You know that he had a scandal, he had injuries,
he had surgery. It's a tremendous story. And we talked
about this on Undisputed this morning and basically, like, I
have I changed my my thought of Tiger It's just
something different now. And that answer is no, I have.
I still have my issues, and Chris goes back, I'll
(24:31):
give you my little history. So I got married in
nineteen ninety seven and me and my ex wife we
went to Hawaii and Japan. We're in Japan, Tokyo at
our hotel and we're watching Tiger Woods when the Masters.
We're mesmerized. We're sitting on the bed watching mouths open,
(24:52):
you know, like, this is unbelievable. You don't say, why
are you looking at me like that? Chris had a
little more and you know, I probably Tiger probably cost
me my marriage, you know, because if y'all y'all were
watching Tiger, we should have been we should have been
(25:13):
rolling in the hay. But we were watching Tiger. So okay,
I'm like, I can't be happy. I can't believe this
black man has just destroyed the course at Augusta and
at one of the Masters. I'm like, wow, this is
like unbelievable to me. Then, same little time after that,
(25:35):
that same year, he goes on Oprah and basically says,
I don't have verbatim quote, but basically that he was
offended when people called him black, that he made up
a name for himself and he called it uhblas comblination
Caucasian black age and something right or whatever. And I
was like, what, basically saying, you know, don't kind of
(26:00):
look at me as just black? Likely like, and now
are you sure yes? Because I remember it, yes, But
how are you sure? He said, I'm offended? Yes, yes,
will call him yes, Okay, because he would That was
the way reason he made up this whole thing that
he's all these other things and not just black. And
I always say that day I was so kind of
(26:22):
uh rubbed the wrong way. I'm like, Okay, he's got
black skin. I don't know how I can look in
the mirror and come up with something else. And I
would say, if an old Caucasian woman was looking out
the window at three o'clock in the morning and Tiger
Woods was standing out in her flower bed or something,
(26:42):
she would pick up the phone and she wouldn't call
up and say, uh, what did you just say? I
can't say comblination? Would standing she was comblination man who
was standing out outside my window? What would she say?
All black guys outside my window? Right right with? Barack
Obama was elected president. His mother's white. He didn't say,
(27:07):
don't call me the first black president. I'm just a
president or I'm a mixed president. No, he claims that
he's the first black president. Okay, so other people have
been in Tiger Woods's shoes, and if Tiger Woods didn't
have black skin, that might be different. He has black skin.
(27:28):
So here's my other point. So all this stuff is,
I take all the Tiger Woods stuff I have. I
have a beautiful golf shirt cost seventy five dollars, a
Tiger Woods had, you know, with a nice logo on
the front, and a couple other pieces. I put him
in the box and I take him to the Salvation Army.
I'm good, I'm good. And that was it. I admired
(27:51):
his talent as a golfer, but I wasn't all in
on Tiger Woods, on who he was. That's just a
personal thing for me when and that has not deterred
the majority of the black community. You're right, but I
feel you. That's that's all. And it doesn't mean that
I hate him or anything like that. Christ, It's just
a personal thing that I always have felt. I want
(28:14):
other people to have pride, right, I pride in being
black because that's what And when he went the duy,
that was the greatest part. What did the offers to
put down on the ticket when they identified Tiger Woods
on the DUI do you remember, I'm sure it was
put blood? He put blood? Well, look, I'm someone and
(28:34):
obviously I look for those who know what I look like. Um,
I'm much lighter than tiger woods. I could if I
wanted to, I've never wanted to. I could probably pass
for white. Their hair's a little kinky, he's a little kinky.
But if I said I'm white, I think people would
be like a little something. But right, you know, But
I've always been very pro black and not anti white,
(28:57):
but not there's nothing about anti anti pro American is
not being anti brit Writing or you know, Europe or something.
So um So I feel you. I agree. I would
love for him to just be a strong, prideful black man.
Um I will say this, And you brought up good
examples of bi racial people who just claim black, because frankly,
(29:21):
that's what the law has said in America. Rum but
I would say this, and even though I'm very light skinned,
I don't know any white relatives. I don't think I
have any white relatives, like obviously way back years ago,
but all my relatives are black, even if they're light skinned,
dark skin whatever. But if you're if one of your
(29:42):
parents is white or another race, like saying his case,
his mom's Asian, his dad's black, I wonder I just
maybe it's harder to deny if your mom is white.
And your dad's back black. He could be harder to
deny that part from your race. I don't want him.
(30:05):
I don't want I don't want him to deny that.
That's not you know what I'm saying. But it in
like when he says coblin Asian. Obviously that doesn't work
in America, whereas black whites man, you know, we have
our racial categories. But there was truth, that is what
he is. No, he could say I'm part black and
(30:25):
part Asian. But but the part that offended me the
most was he offended when people say he's black. I agree,
that's what they ask you. Yes, that's what that's because
if he was like, hey, as a kid, I came
up with coblin Asian and that's different than I called
myself comblin Asian today as a forty three year old man.
But if he did, indeed, as you said, said, I'm
(30:47):
offended when people call me black because that's what he said.
My thing with Tiger, here's my story about Tiger. Um,
I like you, I'm not a huge fan. I don't
dislike him. Score time. Now it's fine. I'm not a
huge Tiger fan. In Philadelphia, Brooklyn is tied at sixty
(31:07):
four thirty six seconds left in the first acur But
this is why I was pulling for him and happy
for him, or one of the reasons. I feel like,
and every you know, we have worship Wednesday. Everybody knows
I'm a Christian and all that. Obviously I disagree with
adultery strong one, yes. But I even though that's what
started tiger was downfall, was him cheating on his wife.
(31:30):
I felt like there was a ton of hypocrisy going
on in the media criticism of him. One in that
many of the media members who criticized Tiger Woods, I mean,
went off scathing criticism of him. They know of athletes, right,
we all know of professional athletes, you know who are
(31:53):
cheating on their wives or have cheated on their wives
and now they're retired. The only different between them and
Tiger Woods is he got caught. And my thing is,
if you're gonna go off on Tiger Woods like that,
then you need to go off on others like that,
because otherwise it's hypocritically. He just got caught, that was it.
(32:16):
And it also media members who do that themselves, who
were being critical of him, Maybe they don't do it
to that degree because they don't have the opportunity he has.
But no, no, no, But as long as it's fair,
as long as you're critical of other athletes that you know,
we're living like that and that's my only thing. So
(32:38):
if you're not gonna call them out. And then I
heard people say, well, he portrayed this image of family.
That's what adulterers do. They don't portray that I'm out
there philandering and cheating on my wife all the time. No,
you're going to church. They're good family. When our real
Clinton was in the White House, he was portraying the
family image. And I don't think Tiger went over the
(33:02):
top of you know, I don't remember seeing his wife
in commercials with the kids and all that, especially on
his website. Yeah, okay, but you know what I'm saying, like,
I don't think it was over the top. I'm this
great family. Like if a Tim Tebow, you know, was
doing right religion on his sleeve, if you would have
(33:23):
find out it would be like that would then that
would be really worthy. Like, look, this dude was portrayed
about the Mark Jackson criticism, that kind of falls under that, right. Yeah,
when Mark was with the Strip Mark Jackson, right, and
and you know, yeah, I mean that would be the
guy you wear that on your sleeve and then you
get caught out there. So that was my thing. I
(33:43):
I felt again, even though I disagreed strongly what his lifestyle,
I felt he was criticized more. It just was unfair
because there's so many guys out there doing that, but
we praise as athletes and while knowing how they're living.
And Shannon Sharp brought up a great point in your
discussion on Undisputed today, you want to share it with
(34:07):
what he said, Yeah, I can't remember the name. He said.
His wife's name was Ellen, right. He said if his
wife's name had been Ella, which is I guess more right. Otherwise,
in other words, if his wife was black, it wouldn't
have been that. Then it was the part that, yeah,
there's a part of that too, because uh, you know,
(34:29):
he was introduced by I Forgot another golfer and everybody,
you know what I mean, And it was kind of
really like it was so out there and the stories
just kept coming in on how how how big it
was or whatever. And I think that's what kind of
repulsed some people, you know what I mean. It wasn't
like he just had just one little side. I mean
he was out there. He was out there with porn
(34:49):
stars reportedly, and waitresses and the parking lots. I mean
the stories were just off the chain.
Hosts And Creators
kelvin washington
Rob Parker
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