Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, September 3, 1994 TAG: 9409070071
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LEONARD SHAPIRO
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
The green jackets, specifically tournament chairman Jack Stephens in a written statement, said they found some of McCord's remarks made during the '94 telecast ``distasteful.''
We disagree. In fact, as a public service, let's provide our own definition of distasteful:
Augusta National, home of the Masters since it began in 1934, did not invite a black golfer to participate in its hallowed event until Washington's Lee Elder had to play his way in to the 1975 tournament by winning the Monsanto Open in '74. That's distasteful.
Augusta National still has only one black member, Washington resident and Gannett executive Ron Townsend, four years after the PGA Tour told clubs around the country to add minority members or lose tournaments on their courses. One black member? That's doubly distasteful.
Augusta National has no women members. And I just love how the green jackets running news conferences at the Masters often call on women reporters asking questions as ``the pretty little lady right over there.''
What's even more distasteful, though, is CBS, the network of Edward R. Murrow, Walter Cronkite and Charles Kuralt, actually going along with the green jackets' outrageous request.
Company officials are rationalizing McCord's removal by describing Augusta National as a ``partner'' in its broadcast. ``Out of respect for the club's philosophy ... and in the spirit of its longstanding relationship with the Masters'' is the way CBS justified its decision in a prepared statement unaccompanied by a signature.
Hogwash. What this is all about is a network terrified of losing one of its last major sports properties now that baseball and pro football (its former ``partners'') have gone elsewhere. This is a network that can hardly afford to go back to its affiliates and say, ``Sorry fellas, we just lost the most watched golf tournament on all of TV to another network.''
So once again, this is a decision not based on principle, but only on the bottom line. And it's not the first time it's happened. In 1966, the green jackets also insisted that CBS announcer Jack Whitaker be removed for describing a crowd around the 18th green as ``a mob.'' CBS acquiesced then, too.
In recent years, longtime CBS golf producer Frank Chirkinian frequently has referred to his CBS bosses back then as ``gutless'' for forcing Whitaker out. This week, Chirkinian, in a no-win situation, has decided to take the ``no comment'' approach.
Nick Price, right now the greatest golfer in the world, has no such qualms.
``I don't think Augusta National made a good decision,'' he said this week. ``Gary has brought so much life to golf commentating. CBS has been fantastic. They're the leaders in golf coverage, and Gary has his niche. I know him very well, and I don't think he'd want to bring any kind of detriment to the Masters. It's just a shame.''
No, it's worse than that. It was gutless to remove Whitaker in '66, and unconscionable 28 years later to do the same to McCord, who will work the rest of the CBS golf schedule.
Leonard Shapiro is sports editor for The Washington Post.
by CNB