So, why did Fuzzy say what he said? by Bill Kwon

POOR Fuzzy Zoeller. He could sure use some "Urban" development right now. And some emollient for his hoof-in-mouth disease. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't funny, was he?
Why Urban, you say? Well, that is Zoeller's middle name, if you must know. Frank Urban Zoeller. Hence FUZ-zy.
Right now, things aren't going well for Zoeller.
Whether he was joking or not -- if you had a chance to see the taped interview, he clearly wasn't -- Zoeller dissed Tiger Woods by calling him "a little boy." Zoeller compounded his comments by saying that Woods, as the champion, should not request that fried chicken be on the menu at next year's Champions Dinner at the Masters.
People might have cut Zoeller some slack if he had stopped right there. After all, he had just shot a 78 to finish 25 strokes behind Woods. But, no. Zoeller had to add another second-thought zinger, "Or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve." "They," meaning blacks.
For that he got this year's award previously won by Al Campanis and Jimmy The Greek.
There are a few things that cannot be said in the politically correct world these days.
Nobody would have raised a fuss if Zoeller had wondered out loud, after Sandy Lyle had won the Masters in 1988, if the Scot was going to order bangers. Or Nick Faldo fish and chips after one of his three Masters victories.
But, no. Zoeller ventured into that black-and-white world of political correctness and got stung for his racial insensitivity. He might have meant it as a wise-acre joke, and it backfired.
HIS sponsor, Kmart, dropped him. And Zoeller then withdrew from the Greater Greensboro Open, which began today. "I am the one who screwed up and I will pay the price," said Zoeller, who tearfully announced his withdrawal from a tournament he had played in for 21 straight years.
Zoeller said that he would have to make things right with Woods before doing anything else.
Tiger undoubtedly will forgive him. After all, even Roberto Alomar and umpire John Hirschbeck shook hands. Why, even North and South Korea might be chummy one day. And, who knows, maybe one day a Korean will win the Masters and request kalbi on the menu at the Augusta National.
Some of his golfing buddies, including Davis Love III and Fred Couples, came to Zoeller's defense. They know Zoeller and realize that he doesn't have a mean bone in his body.
But it's hard to defend a comment that's not defendable. Even they admitted that Fuzzy shouldn't have said what he did, kiddingly or not.
So all Zoeller can do right now is hope that this blows over and everybody can get back to the business of playing golf tournaments.
He made a mistake, saying something he shouldn't have.
THAT said -- the what of it -- the real question is why Zoeller said what he said.
Was it out of envy that a 21-year-old got a $40-million contract with Nike? Or because Woods is making veteran golfers look silly by winning so young, so often and so easily.
It's obvious that Tigermania hasn't only got the fans excited, it's got the PGA Tour golfers grousing. But why begrudge the young man, who is making golf a cross-over sport for a lot of fans, who think watching it on television is exciting as watching paint dry.
Every sport needs a Tiger Woods. The NBA has one in Michael Jordan. Baseball one in Ken Griffey. And nobody is begrudging their talents and what they've contributed to their respective sports.
Golf now has Tiger Woods and everyone on the PGA Tour should feel all the better for it.
Anyway, a stock tip: Buy Nike and sell Kmart.

Bill Kwon has been writing about sports for the Star-Bulletin since 1959.