During today's Masters broadcast, CBS announcer Bobby Clampett referred to Chinese golfer Liang Wen-Chong as "the chinaman." According to CBS spokeswoman LeslieAnne Wade, Clampett later apologized on the Masters webcast.
Clampett has been working Amen Corner the last two days, and his commentary can be heard both online and on DirecTV. He used the "chinaman" slur while describing Liang's round and explaining that he will not make the cut.
There is no word yet on whether Clampett will be disciplined by CBS. Clampett's slur comes three months after Golf Channel announcer Kelly Tilghman was suspended for two weeks for saying that if young players want to beat Tiger Woods, they should "lynch him in a back alley."
There has also so far been no reaction from Augusta National, which is far from the world's most politically correct organization but which is known for its insistence that television announcers not say anything controversial. CBS announcer Jim Nantz frequently talks about how much classier golf in general and Augusta National in particular are than other sports and other venues, and Nantz has even criticized Woods for cursing on the course. How does he feel about one of his colleagues using a slur?
UPDATE: Bobby Clampett on 'Chinaman': If I Offended Anybody Please Accept My Sincere Apologies
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
4-11-2008 @ 7:58PM
Dr Jerry Graham said...
He's from China and he's a man, even though he's a golfer, so he's a Chinaman plain and simple.
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4-11-2008 @ 8:11PM
Scott Carmony said...
I hope he doesn't call Paddrick Harrington an Irishman or Nick Faldo an Englishman, what a slur that would be. Where is this PC stuff going to end?
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4-12-2008 @ 4:09PM
JAMES WATERMAN said...
Okay, I give up---what do you cvall him. I agree with Scott. He's from China and he's a man TYhat equals a Chinaman in my world.
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4-11-2008 @ 8:32PM
Stephanie Davis said...
When will it end? Well, African slave trading lasted for 500 years. So being PC will not be ending in your lifetime.
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4-11-2008 @ 8:47PM
bob said...
Stephanie,
African slave trading has gone on since slaves built the pyramids and goes on today in the Sudan, what's your point?
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4-11-2008 @ 8:38PM
Otto said...
Shows how much you two know... "Englishman" and "Irishman" are not the last words people got to hear before they got lynched or discriminated against. "Chinaman" is such a word; it is used in no other context. Do you hear the news talking about "Chinamen?" No; there is a good reason for it.
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4-11-2008 @ 10:16PM
Stan Minkman said...
HE SHOULD HAVE CALLED HIM GRASSHOPPER
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4-13-2008 @ 6:51AM
cliff said...
devote greater effort in eliminating racial bias, than devoting more effort in reminding us it's alive a doing well
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4-12-2008 @ 9:49AM
bill said...
What's wrong with calling him a Chinaman?
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4-12-2008 @ 12:32AM
Mike Stapleton said...
Bever should have apologized!
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4-12-2008 @ 3:18AM
cjrbans said...
announcers are always calling players by their country's...the Irishmen,the south african, the brit ETC. Dr Bugs
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4-12-2008 @ 6:23AM
tom obrien said...
glad to see many people see how ridiculous this has gotten!
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4-12-2008 @ 7:33AM
Henry Stilson said...
How horrible, I can imagine if someone called me an American man! All the starving kids and murdered women in Darfur and someone has the guts to make a big deal over a rich guy playing in an exlusive golf tournament being called what he is. Wow, has the USA been screwed by minority paranoia. Just like they told my grandparents from Norway: if you don't like it here, go back.
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4-12-2008 @ 8:29AM
Rod Soyka said...
If he had said man from china or china doll it would have been acceptable. I have heard chinaman for 67 years. never heard it spoken as a slur. Amazing how someone has nothing to report so they have to invent fake news... All one has to do is listen to the castors and hear the affection in their statements, and know it was not a slur. the apology was hollow.
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4-12-2008 @ 11:07AM
refriedtoad said...
Do you think Bobby has a Chinaman's chance?!...Did Bobby say that Wen-Chong Liang didn't have a Chinaman's chance ? Now let me see: We have: .. a Frenchman, an Englishman, a Welchman, a Dutchman, a GerMAN [snuck that in :)], etc.....AND !!!! a Chinaman !!...All these monikers have had a certain derision associated with them....BUT..is a Frenchman still a Frenchman ?...Follow the logical conclusion....If it was said to defame ..Yes! Can him!!...If not, Bobby is owed an apology !!!...If the glove don't fit, dont wear it, Bobby...Follow the Heart that made the comment !!! NUFF SAID
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4-12-2008 @ 1:04PM
Ref said...
The only problem with is was that Chinaman was used as an ethnic slur to the early Chinese railroad workers back in the early 1900's. It's the same thing for Japs for the Japanese, it's just a shortened version of Japanese but it was used as a slur / derogatory fashion. Therefore the apology.
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4-12-2008 @ 1:20PM
Cedro said...
As a Black male I can definately relate to hearing comments that even in the slightest suggest an undertone of racism, but I don't believe this announcer was trying to hurt, or project anything insensitive with this comment. I have to say we as a country like to find contreversy were there is none and need to step back and realize that no one is perfect and let this go. Personnally I would rather be called a black guy than an african american. I've never been to africa! I was born in LA! Get over it! Pretty soon you won't be able to say anything about anothers race without being attacked by those with a chip on their shoulder eager to start a fight where there is none.
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4-12-2008 @ 2:10PM
Jamie said...
Is this man from China? If he's not then I could see why that would be offensive. However, if he is from China, then he's a CHINAMAN!! If he had called him a "noodleman" or a "chopstick" then he would need to apologize. First of all, we need to be a lot les sensitive and secondly stop caving into the pressure and apologizing. Sometimes you're not wrong and people just need to chill out. Stop apologizing for stupid stuff. And publicists stop making people apologize for stupid stuff!
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4-12-2008 @ 2:09PM
Mike said...
Now if the guy had called Tiger, Brotherman?
Now what??
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4-12-2008 @ 2:31PM
DubJ said...
Maybe if Clampett called Liang a chink, he should apologize. Or if he's not from China.
I wonder if anyone would get all excited if someone called Clampett "Jed" or "Jethro". Probably not.
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