Why Jim Brown Shouldn't Care What Tiger Woods Chooses To Do

Sure, Tiger Woods is a polarizing figure. He's one of the best athletes in any sport we've ever seen, changing golf from what it was (old, white, boring, flabby) to what it now is (hip, cool, tailored and fit) in just over a decade. Woods burst on the scene and allowed everyone to know who he was, even admitting in a commercial that he wasn't allowed to play on certain golf courses because of his skin color.

The problem is, that isn't the Business Tiger as we see him today. Woods uses everything he posses, from good looks to brains and personality, and benefits from it. Sure, he isn't leading a march against racism in golf or really going out of his way to talk on social issues, but that just doesn't seem to be Tiger. Do you think he does that in the privacy of his own home? Absolutely. Do you think he, like Andy Roddick or Derek Jeter or Sidney Crosby, feel the need to blurt it out to the mass media, hoping to gain a few supporters while losing a whole slew of fans?

Tiger is black, and that is something he will never be able to change.

Last week, Jim Brown said on the HBO's Real Sports that, "You know what's so interesting about Tiger to me? He is a killer, he will run over you, he will kick your ass. But as an individual for social change? Terrible. Terrible. Because he can get away with teaching kids to play golf, and that's his contribution. In the real world, I can't teach kids to play golf and that's my contribution, if I've got that kind of power."

When did teaching kids about the game of golf, and furthering their education become a bad thing? No, he isn't hitting hot button topics, but he is making a difference, and has done so through his career. Being a public figure means you have to share your wealth (Bill Gates is a perfect example) and I think Tiger does that. His foundation has done so much, yet we can't be happy because he avoids topics that are touchy?

Teaching less fortunate kids a sport they would have otherwise never heard about is a negative? How does that make sense.

Tiger responded on Tuesday to the comments by Brown, saying, simply, "I think I do a pretty good job as it is what we're trying to do with the (Tiger Woods) Foundation. We have this event here (The AT&T National), the Chevron World Challenge, our (Tiger) Jam in Vegas and our Block Party in Orange County. What we're trying to do (is) not just here in United States, but what my mom's doing in Thailand."

I'd have to agree with Tiger. He found a niche, he pursued it and it has blown up into a large center for children. I, for one, will be the last to tell Tiger he is in the wrong for this. Is Brown the only one that disagrees?