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Woods in tune with 'a tradition like no other': THE MASTERS – "A tradition like no other," goes the CBS network slogan. So Charles Barkley agreed back in 2002. "Jack Nicklaus won the Masters six damn times, and he was hitting it past everybody else, and they never made a change," the former NBA star said in an issue of Sports Illustratedeight years ago. "What they're doing to Tiger is blatant racism," added the "Mail Man" after it was announced that 300 yards would be added to the course. That's one yard for every Augusta member.

An “ism” has always been part of Augusta National’s history and in truth Barkley was rarely short of one himself, narcissism springing to mind. Accusations of racism, sexism, elitism – everything it seems but ageism or Fortune 500-ism – has been aimed at the custodians of the former indigo plantation-turned-picture postcard golf course.

That same year as Barkley opined, Martha Burk, chairwoman of the National Council of Women’s Organisation, wrecked the tournament buzz with a staged disagreement with the then chairman, Hootie Johnson. Burk was characterised as a man-hater, anti-family and a lesbian and Hootie was drawn as a crusty old timer with position and wealth but dangerously out of touch.

Pressure on corporate sponsors led the club to call on the deep pockets of their Fortune 500-ers and they broadcast the 2003 and 2004 tournaments without commercials. An outrage they believed as the club had women on its membership waiting list, although they refused to allow them to circumvent the regular membership process – rich, elite and a well connected male – to appease those outside the club.

The controversy was also discussed by that paragon of virtue and equality, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), when they were examining whether golf fitted the goal of a sport practised without discrimination and with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play. The Third World generals, Middle Eastern princes and European aristocrats of the IOC wondered what the fuss was about.

Amid much criticism of exclusive and discriminatory policy, Augusta did accept a mysterious black member 20 years ago, a television network president Ron Townsend. But no woman, or, as far as it is known, no impoverished man has yet walked up Magnolia Lane wearing a Green member’s jacket. For that, it has been established, the Augusta club can only be accused of poor taste and nothing that sits outside the prized American constitution.

This week Tiger, the African-Asian American, who demonstrated a casual disrespect for women, teed off in one of the most controversial courses in the US. As the first black winner of the tournament in 1997, who has been accused of being a serial adulterer, predator, home wrecker and sex addict – a condition that apparently doesn’t exist – it is perversely appropriate Augusta is where he re-boots as it’s the club that did not allow an African American take part until 1975 and did not allow an African American to join the until 1990.

Now, a year after America voted in the first African-American President, you could be confused about what exactly Woods stands for. Over the whimpering course of his most recent image rehabilitation he might have talked, but didn’t, about many issues other than his family and fan-consumer base. A time to pause, a time to reflect? Not quite. But certainly a time to honour the top-liners of Augusta. Tiger Woods – “A tradition like no other.”

Martina can get message across

THE NEWS this week that Martina Navratilova has been diagnosed with breast cancer is a catastrophic revelation for the nine times Wimbledon champion but also news loaded with possibilities for charities focused on raising awareness of the disease. While that view might seem hardened or cynical, Navratilova is one of the most articulate voices in modern sport to deal with it.

There are few who can equal her broad wisdom and her ability to communicate complex issues (John McEnroe is another). Despite being one of the most successful tennis players that ever lived with 18 Grand Slam singles wins (Roger Federer has 16, Steffi Graf 22 and Margaret Court 24) she has spent much of her career defending the position of women and gay rights, not easy work in the 1970s and 1980s.

Jade Goody, who died of cervical cancer last year at the age of 27, made it her business to evangelise the issue of smear tests. Following that three out of four Irish women over the age of 18 who took part in research for the Marie Keating Foundation said that Goody’s media campaign will make a difference in the detection of the disease and 56 per cent of women said the story made them more likely to go for a test.

Goody may have had the attention of followers of soap opera and reality television in Ireland and Britain but Navratilova (pictured left with Justine Henin) has the world. The naturalised American will appreciate more than most the homespun wisdom of out of something bad comes something good.

Tyson shows he is for the birds as Peta protest

TOTAL DISCLOSURE. The big game around the streets of Belfast in the 1970s was the greyhounds and the pigeons.

You could sit on the red-brick wall of Seán Toner’s back yard at the back of Rockville Street and watch Christopher Crossan’s Fantails, Bobbits, Homers, Tumblers and Feather foots roll above McCrory Park.

If you wanted your Homers to come down from the sky after flying around the neighbourhood in great big circles gathering landmarks in their bean-sized brains, you’d throw a fantail up on the roof. She would sit there looking white and gorgeous; a honey trap so to speak. Watching from the wall passed hours.

The birds were useful as well as beautiful.

The outcome of the battle of Waterloo was delivered to England via pigeon and in the early 19th century they flew pigeons across the English Channel to bring stock exchange quotes to Belgium.

In the beginning they travelled no more than 40 miles a day, but breeding has improved them.

On a full belly of corn, the top fliers can now top 500 miles in a day.

If bird breeding was applied to humans and the practice of eugenics was, outside of despots and supremacists, game ball for the sports industry, that might mean a man who could lift 300 kilos around the time Moses came down with the Tablets of Stone, could now lift over 3,000 kilos with a more perceptive line of mating.

Along the way there would be quite a lot of burn-out and frequent loss of life.

Actually, some necks may have to be rung.

As it happens the former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, is currently shooting a reality television show for Planet Earth on racing pigeons.

Tyson keeps several hundred birds himself and will team up with cigar-chomping trainer Vinne Torre for the series to be screened in 2011.

Already Tyson has fallen foul of Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)

“These gentle, loyal birds, who race their hearts out in order to get home to their life mates, often become lost in storms or have their necks wrung for failing to beat their competitors’ time,” complained a Peta spokeswoman.

From the child who spent hours sitting in a loft in Brooklyn, New York, watching the birds circle and the man that, among other things, served time for rape, bit the ear of Evander Holyfield during a heavyweight championship fight and threatened to drive the nose bone of an opponent in to his brain, Peta’s cries for the Tumblers, Bobbits and Homers will fall on at least one deaf ear.

F I N A L S T R A W

Making a pitch for hurling's sake

AS CHILDREN we were thrown off the main GAA pitch in the Falls Park, Belfast, for playing cricket with bricks, a hurley and a bald tennis ball. At the time the lunge of an adult man, who had a can of lager in each pocket, at a crowd of nine-year-old boys seemed unwarranted and pointless. Despite living in an area commonly known as a Republican stronghold, nobody at primary school had ever heard of the GAA’s vested interests, Rule 42 or 44 or regulations governing foreign games.

When it was later explained with reference to the RUC and British army, who were soon to barrack down in the bus depot across the park, we understood it to be close to a mortal sin issue. A year later the stones started to fly and carrying hurleys over shoulders was more dangerous than playing cricket on a GAA ground.

This week at Connacht rugby’s home pitch at the Sportsgrounds, we were sitting in the branch offices as an official looked out the window laughing and declared, “Look someone is playing foreign games on the pitch.” A few of the rugby squad were knocking a sliotar around. The stadium opened in 1927, with the playing of a soccer match, is currently leased to Bord na gCon and sub-let to Connacht Rugby. Why not let the foreign game of hurling in too?

Connacht the losers in Ospreys debacle

WHEN MAGNERS League side Ospreys decided to walk away from a trip to Belfast on March 19th because they couldn’t field a suitable frontrow, they could never have known the decision to be taken by the Celtic League Disciplinary Panel later this month could slap Connacht in the face.

The annual rivalry of the two Irish provinces to clinch the third Heineken Cup position has always been won by Ulster but their standing of third from the bottom on 25 points to Connacht’s bottom place on 21 points means whatever the outcome of the disciplinary panel on Monday week, Connacht are likely to be the adversely affected team.

If Ulster are handed the points – a likely outcome as they were the innocent party – then Connacht with four matches to play including one up in Ravenhill (they will have three matches remaining when the decision is made) are further away from overhauling Ulster. Even allowing for the old adage “there’s many a slip betwixt cup and lip”, Ulster’s poor form suggests a present of a home win and the points from the Osprey we-can’t-field-a-frontrow-so-we’re-not-playing debacle would be received most gratefully.