Barkley accuses Augusta of racism for changing golf course

[amnesiac]

Barkley was quoted in Stuff magazine a couple months ago as saying "women shouldn't play sports" or something to that extent.

That's all I have to say.

 

[UltraQuiet]

I have read two post in this thread that have stated that people are racist because they are in Georgia or because it is the south and they are old white men. Here's some clue training-- It is not a prerequisite to be an old white man living in the South to be a racist. Nor are they interlocked. The only prerequisite and common denominator I can find among racists is ignorance. I have traveled around this country and been to many places on this planet and I can tell you that racists come in every shape, size, and color you can imagine. Being an old white man living in the south does not make you a racist anymore than living in some large northeastern city makes you some sort of enlightened social scientist. Get off your high horses and get a clue. Racism is almost everywhere and it's everyones problem.

 

[Pacfanweb]

<<Making the course longer punishes everyone, it just punishes the longer hitters less, and therefore benefits them. Besides, he's an excellent short-game player and putter so having to go in three on par fives still won't hurt him as much as everyone else>>

I don't know about that. Say I'm Cory Pavin, and known short hitter. (I know, he's through competitively, but this is an example)

Tiger and I are playing a 440 yard par 4. We both hit driver off the tee. I hit it 230, Tiger hits it 280. So he's got 160 to the green, a mere 9 iron for Tiger. He may go for the green. I have 210, so I'm probably laying up at Augusta, so I hit a 4 or 5 iron, then chip.
Make that hole 470 yards, and Tiger has 190 to the hole, and he probably lays up, too. You don't go for a lot of the greens at that distance at Augusta from 190.
That change wouldn't make much difference to a shorter player. He'd hit the same 2nd club, then still at most be chipping with a 9 iron, and Tiger's using a wedge.
As opposed to the old distance, where Tiger's on in 2, and I'm on in 3.
My point is, it affects you much more switching from a wedge or 9 iron to a 6 or 7, than from a 4 or 5 to a 2 or 3.

Still, it's not racist, it's common sense. They said the same thing John Daly dominating the course, too....but he's a drunk, so it never came to pass.

 

[pyonir]

<< I have read two post in this thread that have stated that people are racist because they are in Georgia or because it is the south and they are old white men. Here's some clue training-- It is not a prerequisite to be an old white man living in the South to be a racist. Nor are they interlocked. The only prerequisite and common denominator I can find among racists is ignorance. I have traveled around this country and been to many places on this planet and I can tell you that racists come in every shape, size, and color you can imagine. Being an old white man living in the south does not make you a racist anymore than living in some large northeastern city makes you some sort of enlightened social scientist. Get off your high horses and get a clue. Racism is almost everywhere and it's everyones problem. >>


very well said. completely agree.

 

[Fausto]

<< << I have read two post in this thread that have stated that people are racist because they are in Georgia or because it is the south and they are old white men. Here's some clue training-- It is not a prerequisite to be an old white man living in the South to be a racist. Nor are they interlocked. The only prerequisite and common denominator I can find among racists is ignorance. I have traveled around this country and been to many places on this planet and I can tell you that racists come in every shape, size, and color you can imagine. Being an old white man living in the south does not make you a racist anymore than living in some large northeastern city makes you some sort of enlightened social scientist. Get off your high horses and get a clue. Racism is almost everywhere and it's everyones problem. >>


very well said. completely agree. >>



Arrgh, you misunderstood what I was getting at. Everything you said is completely correct: racism is everywhere, not just perpetuated by white southern men, the whole lot. The point I was getting at is that while the south has come a very, very long way in terms of race relations, it is still very much an ingrained thing amongst many of our older residents who grew up steeped in segregation and likely had family members who could recall events of the civil war (which was essentially centered around slavery despite what our many armchair historians down here may say).

I am a longtime resident of Georgia, I spent most of my summers in Savannah before moving here 13 years ago, and am one who takes more than a passing interest in southern culture (it's honestly the reason I still live down here). I try to objectively observe both the "new south" and the enduring "old south". Augusta National is part of the "old south" although they are doing their best to keep pace with the modern world. However, many of its members are very old school southern gentlemen, and they (as a general rule) grew up believing in and living in a segregationist society and it is very difficult for them to change their views having had these ideals drummed into their heads in their formative years. This is particularly true with AN members as many of them come from "old money" southern families who were likely slave owners and who likely had black household servants. Again, many down here have moved beyond our past and see all men and women as created equal, but racism is still a tangible entity in the south. That was really what I was getting at.....not that all old white southern men are racist by definition.

I hope that kinda made sense.

Fausto

 

[bonk102]

so is charles getting dumber as he ages?

 

[classy]

<< aphex

it woud seem that if you want to accuse someone of being retarded you would at least spell the word correctly. >>



LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[glen]

Well, lets see.
Fair market price of tickets (scalped) before Tiger $1,000; after Tiger $10,000
They LOVE Tiger.
The membership is integrated.
The attitudes and membership have changed dramatically in the last 50 years.
I grew up with these folks, and I would know if they were racists.
Its not some group of crazy old white men, they are wealthy, educated, and run international companies.

 

[C'DaleRider]

<< This is particularly true with AN members as many of them come from "old money" southern families who were likely slave owners and who likely had black household servants. >>



Glad you got your facts straight there........or, maybe with all those "Likely" this and "Likely" that, maybe you're just plain speculating, which, undoubtedly, you are. Have you actually met anyone who's a member of the National? Any idea how international the National's membership is and always has been?

A requirement for entryincludes the ability to shell out up to $250,000 whenever the National asks. Senators, US and state, Presidents, industrialists, bank execs, blacks, Jews, Hispanics, and Asians are among the members of the National.....and there aren't many of those "old South racists" on the board any longer. They went goodbye over 30 years ago. And not many of them could afford entry to the most exclusive of golf clubs in the US.......

You'd be very surprised how diverse the membership and board actually is.......but you'd have had to actually grown up in Augusta and lived there for almost 50 years to realize that.

 

[AGodspeed]

Tiger has mentioned before that as late as 1996, he was still prejudiced against by certain golf courses. However, I very much doubt Augusta is in any trying to toughen the greens, fairways, etc. because Tiger is something other than Caucasian. If anything, Tiger's 12 shot victory in '97 was a wake-up call for Augusta to lengthen the course since Tiger was (still is) so ridiculously long off the tee, not because of his race.

It has nothing to do with race, and I'm sorry Sir Charles, you're just clueless.

 

[swayinOtis]

<< I have read two post in this thread that have stated that people are racist because they are in Georgia or because it is the south and they are old white men. Here's some clue training-- It is not a prerequisite to be an old white man living in the South to be a racist. Nor are they interlocked. The only prerequisite and common denominator I can find among racists is ignorance. I have traveled around this country and been to many places on this planet and I can tell you that racists come in every shape, size, and color you can imagine. Being an old white man living in the south does not make you a racist anymore than living in some large northeastern city makes you some sort of enlightened social scientist. Get off your high horses and get a clue. Racism is almost everywhere and it's everyones problem. >>



Thank You Dave Sohmer! When they call southerners "racist" or "redneck" they are stereotyping them, which would make them a hypocrite of sorts.

As for Charles, someone should tell him Tiger has already won Augusta two times.

 

[Kerouactivist]

I heard the audio on sportcenter earlier and Barkley is an idiot!

He just wants a reason to gripe

 

[Bleep]

Well back in the early 50's I played Agusta many times and even then it was tough, this is in regard to the racism statements. When I was there Ragge was very popular and they had a really good band from Jamaca playing in the lounge room, they brought in a ton of money but they could not even stay there, things have changed and so has the club, I was there a couple of years ago and saw NO racism so they have came a long way.

Bleep