Grading President Obama
In terms of President Obama’s ability to articulate and take action on his vision for America in one, year, I would issue a grade of B+. He has motivated millions across the globe to be more charitable, considerate, and reflective on our personal and national interests. Contrastingly, I would personally give him a grade of a C to mark the more free-thinking, activist, and liberal political stance that I thought and hoped he would bring to the White House. Mr. Obama is clearly a centrist and that is a dangerous position to have if his desire is to serve an additional four years. While his pit crew (the people that elected him) are screaming “Open it up! We’ve got your back,” he’s driving his Ferrari 35 mph. Is it a lack of political skill or political will for this seemingly gentle posture? Time will definitely tell. Nonetheless, many Americans remain hopeful for real change with his ideological path of appeasement and consensus-building.
Tiger Acting Like a Black Athlete Now?
Tiger Woods has a problem and now so do I. I was naïve to think that I could survive this holiday season of Tigervision with its seemingly minute-by-minute reports of his self-described transgressions. Every media outlet needs a story to remain viable in this world of at-your-touch news and Tiger’s naughtiness provides the perfect scoop. This tale probably has no beginning and quite possibly no end. However, my nerves became frayed and I saw the immediate end of my sideline observer role when I changed the channel and popped in on the Joy Behar Show. As they discussed the latest Tiger escapade, Ms. Behar cleverly asked for insight on how the African-American community might possibly feel about his sins. Her query was directed to a female African-American guest, Karith Foster, who calmly stated that Tiger was finally acting like a black athlete. Pump your brakes!
Although Ms. Foster’s listed occupation is comedian, she made her bold statement sans smile or giggle. She was very serious and obviously hurt by his choice of women in this scandal. She went on to describe how the black athlete needs a white woman – a trophy wife – to be successful. Ms. Foster’s understanding of the black male athlete is a stereotype and confusion-filled. Shame on her and the media for supporting the racist mindset that promulgates a representation of the black male athlete as a superhuman man that seeks sexual pleasure from every white female that worships his athletic prowess. Surely we in 2009 know better, right? Yes, the ESPNification of our sports world has created larger than life entertainment figures. Money, power and women. That’s the ticket out of a poor situation – mentally and physically. It is no longer satisfactory to score a touchdown and hand the ball to the referee or dunk the basketball and hustle back to play defense. Instead we see many of our athletes (and more likely a black man) showboating, drawing attention to themselves, and discounting the teamwork necessary to achieve such success. We as fans are drawn to the television waiting to see the clownish antics instead of running to the restroom or going back for more chips.
What has happened to sport? Or is that the very issue? It is no longer a game but rather an entertaining sitcom. Has our drive for personalities created this monster that we can no longer applaud? And to fan the flames even more, that black male athlete is then pictured at courtside, leaving the nightclub or the Hollywood awards show with a blonde haired, blue-eyed dame at his side. The racists cry out in disgust as their claims of the animalistic behavior of the black man requires the conquest of the virgin white woman. Thus, they must protect their defenseless and pure woman from the sexually charged black beast. The idealists see no color but only the expression of pure love between consenting adults. The rest of us pause, take note, and move on since there are much more pressing issues in our lives such as our ability to pay our mortgage or change the temperature in our office.
And now we have commentary to suggest that Tiger’s African genes are emerging from dormancy. So, he goes on a rampage to subjugate women. Hog wash! Most black male athletes are not chasing or keeping a harem of white women. They may not be married. They may not live the all-american lifestyle of a wife, house, and two kids either. Black male athletes are human and they are faced with pressures that are unimaginable for most. The exorbitant salaries they earn may appear to be a nice band-aid for all they are subjected to each and everyday, but didn’t we learn a long time ago that money couldn’t buy you happiness or manners?
Yes, I am a biased Tiger fan. I believe that he is not consciously excluding himself from blacks. Oftentimes our environment dictates our circle of friends and associates. Look at the demographics of the golf industry. How many black females attend golf tournaments or get invited to events whereby they could be introduced to Tiger-types? Not that it is required to be defined as a black man, but it is my understanding that he had a black girlfriend while attending Stanford. In addition, he certainly pays homage to the black golf greats through his writings and as a golfer. If one knows anything about the history of the media and its positive portrayal of African-Americans, one cannot expect an accurate picture of Tiger’s outreach to the black caddies and minority youth. It’s just not going to hit the front-page folks. And don’t think for a moment that the red and black outfit he wears on Sundays is not a strategic move either. Tiger is black. Tiger is Thai. Tiger is an athlete who made a mistake. He has a history of comebacks and success. I am confident that he will seek forgiveness from God and his wife. The former will grant that request and I hope that his marriage can survive. The black community also has a history of forgiveness for our lost and wayward members. We all cheered his victories and dominance in the white man’s game and now we should just as eagerly and earnestly pray for him. Certainly the executives of the PGA are praying since Tiger’s appearances and wins pays most of their bills. Tiger’s errant actions are no more typical of a black athlete as is his ability to hit his driver over 350 yards. He has motivated many of us to get fit, try the game of golf for the first time, and a new club or technique to improve our scores. Tiger is a motivator. Now let’s all get off the sidelines again to use this circumstance as inspiration to be critical thinkers in the midst of the media firestorm, to find sanity, and to apply our own personal life lesson.
Presidential Pursuits: Golf – The Great Equalizer
The latest brouhaha over President Obama’s whereabouts now includes his golf endeavors. A seemingly innocent respite away from the White House arrows and darts has turned into a diatribe over women’s equality, inclusion, and diversity. And you thought golf was a boring game for old men! Ha!
The story began with a news report, which is debatable in its own right of being news, that described Pres. Obama’s recent golf outing with one of his senior leaders, Melody Barnes. Ms. Barnes, the nation’s chief domestic policy adviser to the president, was pictured sharply dressed lugging her golf bag. Golf is generally played in groups of four so the interest increased when it was determined that she was joining or barging in on the president’s regular team of men. Oh my! Katy bar the door!
People play golf for one (or a combination) of three reasons: exercise, sport competition, and business. The days of ill dressed overweight men with tires around their waists, who huff and puff on cigars as they tee off are long gone. In fact, it is now a fashion faux pas to dress less than professional (gym clothes are not welcome) and to smoke during a round. Sir Tiger changed the game in many ways and one of the most important is his devotion to fitness. His workout regiment to be the best golfer in the world motivates all ages to get in shape to improve their game. Avid golfers and wanna-bees are seeking Pilates, yoga, stretching, strength and core training customized golf programs to reduce the number of swings to get that little white ball in the hole. And now walking the golf course is more popular, so a stop at the gym or a jog around the neighborhood is no longer necessary. Exercise by strolling through a meticulously manicured lawn decorated with exotic foliage and 18 tee boxes — Yes!
Regardless of the activity, some people just like to battle and talk smack. Whether it’s a game of spades or tonk, idling at a traffic light as the engine purrs looking for a race or even concocting the best drink at a party, competitors will take any and all moments to make a friendly or not-so friendly wager to test their skill. And often times, they know they won’t win the contest but just enjoy challenging someone’s courage and heart. Golf provides an excellent platform for competitors looking for the faint of heart. Standing over a three foot putt (and the last $10 in your wallet at stake) while your so-called friend makes awkward movements and throat clearing sounds or grunts to distract you is enough to bring out the fiery spirit in the most meek and mild. And how about the pressure of knocking your golf ball over and around a few bunkers (aka the beach that you never want to visit), tall pines, and a gentle stream, all the while those same so-called friends talk smack about their birdie on the previous hole. Yes, golf is a sport for the best trash talking competitors.
Golf is considered the sport of business. Business leaders spend an inordinate number of hours working on their game in comparison to time spent on other methods of fitness and sport competition. Why? People with money or those who want to work with people with money play the game of golf. And you don’t have to be good – just familiar with the game. Usually familiarity will breed addiction. The game is synonymous with prestige and executive culture. If you desire a higher rung on the corporate ladder, don’t think that you can get there without gaining awareness and intimacy with golf. Experience has shown that golf is unsurpassed as a business tool that provides ample opportunity to reveal character, demonstrate skills, and commitment to success. In four to five hours, unlike the power lunch or wine and cheese reception, one can truly learn insightful information about your partner and business deals. Strangely enough, executives are hard to pin down for office appointments yet their golf handicaps manage to stay low. Hmmm…sounds like a timely retreat away from the firm to keep their golf muscle memory acute. So your best bet to spend time with the boss is to learn to play golf – he or she is certainly most likely available then…especially if you are highly-skilled player. So although President Obama may not have the healthcare solution, he certainly has been schooled on what is important in terms of business success – repeated golf play!
What about the female intrusion on this testosterone-driven sport? Well, that omission is strategic as the purpose and play of golf has no gender barrier. It is often joked that golf was originally designed for men – that is, Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden. One can throw that by the wayside along with all the other parties and programs that women have crashed like sales, politics, academia, and heaven forbid – capitalism. Women want to get paid just like men! Women are playing golf in greater numbers. Role models like Nancy Lopez and Annika Sorenstam have helped to inspire and nurture a new class of dedicated young female golfers. And don’t even think about competing against the top NCAA Division I women golfers. They routinely shoot par!
Businesswomen sport attractive outfits designed specifically for office and golf play. These empowered ladies understand the importance of playing golf and don’t take the risk of being perceived as women focused on frivolous shopping or mindless reality shows. In fact, the United States Golf Association has targeted this underserved market (along with youth) to grow the game. Instead of watching men network and close deals on the golf course, women are eagerly learning the game and consequently, jointly making key decisions with men while on the golf course.
Thus, similar to men, women enjoy golf exercise by skipping out from the office to head to the golf course. Women are very competitive and can fire away timely snippets to throw you off your game too. And they do participate in networking to gain business advantage. Golf offers all of these rewards and more to men and women.
So does it really matter that our president included Ms. Barnes in his foursome? Absolutely not. In fact, in the very near future he may be the only man in his group. Athletes don’t care about gender; athletes care about one’s ability to compete. He may equally seek out men or women to join him on the links to discuss challenges, resources and pressing issues. However, it’s more likely that he just wants to spend time away enjoying the game’s many benefits. Let’s just be happy that our president chooses to play a game with friends in which he shoots for low scores and not moving targets — whereby his buckshot could accidently hit Ms. Barnes! Egad!
Welcome
Thanks for taking the time to visit dstroman.com. Prayerfully, we’ve met and you felt inspired to come check out my musings, observations, and links to leaders, organizations, and possibility. Yes, I am an eternal optimist, a believer in the best in people, and so very committed to living well on this good Earth. I love adventure and that spirit has guided and provided me with the opportunity to meet super people, do incredible things, and partner with fascinating organizations. This site will give you almost all of the tools and resources I utilize and recommend to family and friends. So take your time cruising through and do come back often!
As for my background, I am currently a visiting professor at UNC and serial entrepreneur. I love innovation and am a change agent for the empowerment of mind, body and soul. I believe we all have greatness within us and encourage everyone to live well. My foundation comes from my faith, loveable and loved parents, rich institutions (UVA, UNC, and Capella), and inspirational friends. You can read more of my life journey in the About link. So enjoy and do let me know your thoughts.
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