Senate Says 'Sorry' for Slavery: Discuss!

Here ya go, Souljaboi! A sincere, U.S. Senate apology for the way your country literally and figuratively held your ancestors in bondage for centuries. (That fabled "forty acres and and a mule" promised back in 1865 to enlist blacks' assistance in winning the Civil War? STILL not included.)
Now, with an African-American serving as Commander in Chief, our legislative branch has reached tacit agreement that it's about time America admitted "my bad" to all those slavery/Jim Crow atrocities of the past and, for gosh sakes, let bygones be bygones.
The only caveat, as the New York Daily News quipped Thursday to many frothing bloggers' delight: "reparations" ain't coming.
Ponder that while you're waiting for the fairways at Bethpage Black to dry out enough so you can watch Tiger Woods compete for his 15th Major victory and another U.S. Open win. Better yet, talk that over while you're out on the links this weekend, striving to score your personal bests.
According to a UPI report, the resolution to apologize for all that brutally enforced servitude and segregation way back when included a carefully worded caveat. It "did not authorize or support claims against the United States and did not serve as any settlement against the United States."
Speaking for the Congressional Black Caucus, California representative Maxine Waters called the inclusion of a disclaimer against lawsuits, "unnecessary".
Besides: What would you do with a mule?

Photos: flickr,yahoo.com

The OTHER Black Guy at The U.S. Open

I, for one, have slept on the fact that there may actually be another person of the "negro" persuasion besides Tiger Woods who has the glimmer of a chance to win this year's U.S. Open.
Until three days ago when he gave Woods a respectable 9-hole workout at Bethpage Black, who knew anything about James Kamte?



In remote circles, Kamte (26) is known as "The Cobra", and he's reported to be the first true South African to represent at a major in 20 years. (Ernie Els and Gary "The Black Knight" Player don't count.)
Kamte doesn't have a glorious resume: just a handful of wins on the South African and Asian Tours. He qualified to play at Bethpage Black at the Sectionals in Columbus, Ohio.
What a way to encounter the pinnacle of American golf? And what better way for America's golf enthusiasts to discover him?

The "Daly Rules" Don't Apply to Every Golfer

If pro golf's bad boy, John Daly, can thumb his nose at the game's standards of decorum, why, you may ask, can't I?
Because you're not The Big Dog/The Lion or whatever nickname the loveable loser Daly (left, at the St. Jude Classic) answers to these days.
The one-time major tourney champ holds a wide segment of the golf-viewing public's interest in a way few players can, or ever would. All the boozing, Marlboro butts, botched marriages and brushes with the law somehow allow _ if not encourage _ Daly to stay in character.
How else to explain his decision to return from a six-month suspension imposed by the PGA dressed like a super-sized billboard for the most egregious brand of clothes ever seen on tour? Seeing Daly dressed by Loudmouth Golf for the St. Jude Classic in Memphis last week conjured Jack Nicholson spitting, "You want me on that wall! You NEED me on that wall!" at Tom Cruise during the pivotal scene in "A Few Good Men".
Daly dares pro golf to sanction him for his blatantly commercial antics. No dress code for him, no matter how his look may demean the game.
But for us, brethren, dress codes can make or break an outing. So get to know them, where ever you plan to play.
That's a lesson I learned the hard way as my 10 a.m. tee time at Charlie Yates (the revamped step-sister to Atlanta's revered East Lake Country Club) came and went kaplooey today.
My playing partner for this "Customer Appreciation Day" round came dressed appropriately for just about any other recreational event: a silky, "Sunday Red" golf shirt and steam-ironed, knee-length denim shorts.
There laid the rub: there's no denim allowed at Charlie Yates.
No argument my acquaintance hurled at the club's firm-but-fair pro worked to gain an exception. He even insinuated that some sort of racial stereotyping might be in play. I'm told the exchange grew more heated long after I'd stowed my sticks back in the SUV and driven back here to FBG's HQ.
Even if my lower back (achy and breaky lately from too much Wii boxing) hadn't held up for more than nine holes, a free round at Charlie Yates on a gorgeous day like this would have been a treat. But I really can't complain. It's reassuring to know that some places still uphold certain standards, no matter how sorely they need the money.

Photo: Getty/Loudmouth Golf

Caution, Tiger: The British Is Coming!

As much as Fore!BlackGolfers anticipates watching Tiger Woods compete in next week’s U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, we can’t help but relish the drama set to ensue a month later, on the Ailsa Course at Turnberry, England, even more.
Winning a 15th Major tournament (and a fourth U.S. Open) should solidify in any analyst’s mind that Woods is fully “back” from his season-ending knee surgery in 2008.
But , win or lose at the 2009 U.S. Open, Tiger is certain to attract even more attention at the British Open (July 16-19) because its greater potential to sway golf history.
If Tiger wins this year at Bethpage Black, the golf world will hum relentlessly about how much closer he is to snapping Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major victories. And if he loses the U.S. Open, he'll have only two more chances in 2009 to win at least one more Major to his list of accomplishments.
And there’s no guarantee that Woods’ surgically repaired knee will hold up long enough for him to play at full throttle during the August 13-16 PGA Championship (which he’s won twice) at Hazeltine.
So, go ahead and enjoy viewing what unfolds at Bethpage Black as much as we will. Still, give some forethought to how much historical significance this year’s British Open may hold.
COMING NEXT...Reasons why the new British Open course will cause Woods problems
Photo: flickr/richard carter

Tiger At Bethpage Black: A Sucker's Bet?

Five bucks will get you two if you bet on the latest, repeat Memorial Tournament champion, Tiger Woods, to win the 2009 U.S. Open.
Those are the odds in Woods' favor of winning according to VegasInsider.com. If you're a gambler, you can take Tiger or the field at 5-to-2, or take a flying leap on Phil Mickelson, who was a 7-to-1 underdog to win at the storied New York public course, Bethpage Black.

The oddsmakers give Padraig Harrington, Geoff Ogilvy and Jim Furyk equally distant chances (15-1) of winning the U.S. Open. As for the rest of the players? Major longshots.

In your mind, does Mickelson have a chance of giving Woods a run for the money? Who do you suppose will melt down first in this, the second opportunity of the year to snag a Major tournament win?