Adidas Responds To Sergio Garcia’s ‘Fried Chicken’ Comment
Sergio Garcia didn’t chose his words wisely when speaking at a function for the European Tour’s BMW Championship on Wednesday, and he’s now facing pressure from his sponsors. The 33-year-old is in deep water after what looked to be a racist comment towards Tiger Woods, the world’s number one golfer who Garcia is obviously not too fond of.
When asked if he would invite Woods to dinner at the upcoming US Open, Garcia responded with a racist joke that may come back to hurt him.
“We’ll have him ’round every night,” Garcia said at the function, according to various media reports. “We will serve fried chicken.”
Using “fried chicken” as the main course in a jokingly manner doesn’t help solve his issues with Tiger Woods, and it will also cost him the support of many fans and possibly his sponsors.
Adidas criticized Garcia for his remarks towards Woods, and his multiple apologies aren’t going to save him this time.
“Sergio Garcia’s recent comment was offensive and in no way aligns with TaylorMade-adidas Golf’s values and corporate culture,” the company said in a statement.
TaylorMade is a golf equipment company that sponsors Garcia and is owned and operated by Adidas. The company’s statement doesn’t only express their disappointment in the Spanish golfer’s comment, but it also leaves room for further action.
“We discussed with Sergio that his comments are clearly out of bounds and we are continuing to review the matter,” the company added.
It’s obvious Garcia’s apology wasn’t enough, and the racial remark also didn’t sit well with Tiger Woods, who took to Twitter to express how he felt about the situation.
The comment that was made wasn’t silly. It was wrong, hurtful and clearly inappropriate…
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) May 22, 2013
The original dispute all started at The Players Championship when Garcia complained that Woods interrupted him while taking a shot. Woods’ disagreed, and the smack talk took over from there.
Tiger Woods’ didn’t say much, and he really didn’t need to as he went on to win the tournament and is currently off to one of the best starts in his career.
Do you believe Sergio Garcia will lose his sponsors after further review of his “fried chicken” comment?
[Image via Craig ONeal]
