Golfweek cover worse than what Tilghman said

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As most of you have figured out, I'm all for being edgy when it comes to journalism, which cares too much about political correctness in far too many places.Heck, I spent three years working at the New York Post, the proud publication that in 1983 treated its readers to this catchy, front-page headline: "Headless Body in Topless Bar."So you might think I'd have no problem with this week's issue of Golfweek magazine, which devoted its cover to Golf Channel anchor Kelly Tilghman's innocent-but-controversial remark about Tiger Woods and lynching.But I do.In fact, I have a bigger problem with what the magazine did than I do with what Tilghman said.Because Golfweek went over the edge.Simply put, there was no way to justify the decision to emblazon its cover with the image of a hangman's noose accompanied by the words, "Caught In A Noose" and "Tilghman slips up, and Golf Channel can't wriggle free."It was inflammatory.It was unnecessary.Worse, it was deliberate -- which was not the case with Tilghman, who was guilty of nothing more than a poor choice of words.For those who missed it: During a Jan. 4 telecast of the Mercedes-Benz Championship, in an unscripted exchange with Nick Faldo about Woods' dominance on the PGA Tour, Tilghman quipped that the younger players should "lynch him in a back alley."She meant no harm. She meant it as a compliment to someone she admires and considers a friend. She meant to be funny.And everyone knew it.But her intent was irrelevant to shakedown artists like Al Sharpton, who has made a career of waiting for people to say something that can be construed as offensive or racially insensitive, then pouncing on the opportunity to grab a headline and justify his sad existence.Upon being told of Tilghman's comment, he promptly demanded that she be fired.It didn't matter that Tilghman apologized to everyone, including Woods, whom she knows well enough to have served as the master of ceremonies at his recent Nike marketing stop at the PGA Learning Center in Port St. Lucie, Fla.It didn't matter that Woods accepted her apology and considered this whole thing a non-issue.It didn't matter that the Golf Channel brass, feeling pressure to respond publicly, suspended Tilghman for two weeks and issued a statement saying they regretted her remarks.Not to a one-trick pony like Reverend Al.But the folks at Golfweek should know better.They put out a terrific magazine. They don't need to stoop to race baiting -- and, really, that's the only way to describe their tactics for this week's edition, which features a package of follow-up stories and an editorial on the topic.Yet, Golfweek editor Dave Seanor defended putting a noose on the magazine's cover."Was it an arresting image? Yes, it was," Seanor told USA Today. "We chose it because it was an image we thought would draw attention to an issue we thought deserved some intelligent dialogue."PGA Tour boss Tim Finchem disagreed in a statement that said: "Clearly, what Kelly said was inappropriate and unfortunate and she obviously regrets her choice of words. But we consider Golfweek's imagery of a swinging noose on its cover to be outrageous and irresponsible. It smacks of tabloid journalism. It was a naked attempt to inflame and keep alive an incident that was heading to an appropriate conclusion."And he's right.Tilghman misspoke. She apologized. She was punished.What else is there to say? If this is the biggest story in golf, then the sport has bigger problems than anyone knows. And if that's the case, then there's an edgy story worth Golfweek's cover.(Ray McNulty is sports columnist for Scripps Treasure Coast (Fla.) Newspapers, The Stuart News, Fort Pierce Tribune and Vero Beach Press Journal. Contact him at ray.mcnulty@scripps.com or on the Web at www.tcpalm.com.)