Tiger ‘fried chicken’ taunt brings back Fuzzy memories
theGRIO OPINION - Garcia quickly apologized for the comments and called his remarks 'silly.' Woods isn't laughing. He responded Wednesday morning via Twitter...
Can’t beat ’em? Can’t join ’em? Insult ’em.
Sergio Garcia’s ‘fried chicken’ jab at Tiger Woods is the latest exchange between the two golf pros that began nearly two weeks ago at The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra, Florida.
Garcia quickly apologized for the comments and called his remarks “silly.”
Woods isn’t laughing. He responded Wednesday morning via Twitter:
The comment that was made wasn’t silly. It was wrong, hurtful and clearly inappropriate…
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) May 22, 2013
I’m confident that there is real regret that the remark was made.
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) May 22, 2013
The Players ended nearly two weeks ago and it’s long past time to move on and talk about golf.
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) May 22, 2013
This is not the first time a fellow golf pro has associated Tiger Woods with fried chicken. Following Woods historic Masters victory in 1997, Fuzzy Zoeller joked that reporters should tell the 21-year-old not to serve fried chicken or collard greens at 1998’s Champions Dinner.
The dinner takes place each year during Tuesday night of Masters week and the previous year’s winner chooses the menu.
Zoeller offered a direct apology to the golf star, which Woods later accepted. Garcia’s initial apology was offered via a statement from the European Tour:
“I apologize for any offense that may have been caused by my comment on stage during the European Tour Players’ Awards dinner. I answered a question that was clearly made towards me as a joke with a silly remark, but in no way was the comment meant in a racist manner.”
Garcia later added to Sky Sports  that he regrets his comment and didn’t mean it in a bad way.
“Obviously, everyone knows I’m not racist at all. But I’d like to apologize to everybody that or whoever who felt offended by it. Like I said, I didn’t mean it in a bad way. I guess it just came out wrong.”
No mention of Woods, directly.
Sky Sports then asked Garcia if he was caught off guard by the question. Garcia said he was trying to be “spontaneous.”
“That’s the first thing I kind of thought of American food. That’s the first thing that came to my mind. It’s unfortunate but I understand that I was wrong and I have no problem admitting it.”
It’s important to note that Woods and Garcia are not rivals. Woods has won a staggering 14 majors and 78 PGA Tour events.
Garcia has not won a major and has earned eight PGA Tour wins.
Woods wants to put this spat with Garcia behind him and he will.
The other golfers have Garcia to thank for adding more fuel to Woods’ fire, but the world’s best golfer may not need racial insults to motivate him to win golf tournaments.
He already does.
But betting against Woods now is more foolish than it’s ever been.
Follow theGrio’s Todd Johnson on Twitter @rantoddj
