Let's Beat This Horse to Death Some More

Kelly Tilghman's comment is now fodder for wider pop culture, but it is still being analyzed in the golf world like a fresh wound - even despite golf writers' ironic trend of writing more and more columns that call for people to stop talking about the comment. That's not the point, though. The point is that I'm going to pose another question on the topic because I'm getting differing views.

Here's the question: is Kelly Tilghman's comment on the same level, higher or lower level, than when Don Imus called the Rutgers women's basketball team a bunch of "nappy headed hos?"

Ed Sherman in the Chicago Tribune (former guest of the show and a guy whose writing I respect) said this:

Sharpton used CNN's platform to blast Tilghman. It didn't matter to him that Woods had exonerated Tilghman. He went on to compare her to Imus.

That's absolutely absurd. Imus has made millions making offensive statements. Tilghman is an anchor for golf tournaments who mostly says, "Now over to Vijay Singh's putt at 13."

Jason Whitlock, who is sometimes spot on and others completely off the mark by epic proportions, writes this of the Imus comparison:

What Tilghman did, despite her 12-year friendship with Woods, was much worse than what Imus did. Imus, a radio shock jock known for crude attempts at humor, cracked a bad joke on a morning radio show. Tilghman is an anchor on the Golf Channel. No one expects her to be racy, controversial or stupid.

It seems like these two guys are trying to say the same thing - that Imus, in essence, made millions because it was basically his job to be sexist, racist, and homophobic. Thus, since it was his job, he is afforded the right to go over the line much more often as opposed to Tilghman, who got one shot.

What do you think?