Dana Jacobson and Kelly Tilgham: Who's Foot is Farther in Their Mouth?

Dana Jacobson and Kelly Tilgham: Who's Foot is Farther in Their Mouth? What is worse in this country? Saying you are going to lynch a celebrity or someone saying "f*** Jesus? Over the past couple of weeks, major controversy has come from 2 major networks: ESPN and the Golf Channel. As most people had heard, Kelly Tilgham of the golf channel talked about how the other tour players should take Tiger out back and "lynch him."

This obviously created an uproar. A little more recently Dana Jacobson, an ESPN on-air personality, had an expletive ridden drunken "roast" of her colleagues of the "Mike and Mike Show." Some of the highlights included "f*** Notre Dame," "f*** touchdown Jesus," and leaving it with "f*** Jesus." She was booed off the stage and later suspended for a week. While neither of these two women will be cracking the favorite on-air personality list, but which one is worse.

The one saving grace for Kelly Tilgham in my mind is that she is friends with Tiger Woods. Often times, you can get away with saying things to and about your friends that you would not ever say about anyone else. She just happened to do it on live TV. It doesn't make it anymore right, but when Tiger Woods comes out and says he forgives you and he knows you didn't mean anything by it. That should give someone a little reprieve. Again I do not condone the words, but when you are attacking a single person, it should be that person's right to determine whether it is offensive. Without knowing their relationship, it is hard for us to say how it should make Tiger Woods feel.

On the other hand, ESPN personality Dana Jacobson was at a work event. Not only was she drunk, which I believe is a no no at most corporate events. If she wants to get drunk on her own time, that's one thing, but I don't know many companies that are willing to pay you for being drunk. If any normal person showed up drunk or got drunk at a work event, they would be fired. On top of that, she insisted to get up on stage and drop the f-bomb several times and purposely degrade a religious figure. Now, why hasn't there been more media coverage of her statements? Probably because so many people are quick to dismiss religion and the majority belief structure. Imagine if she would have instead said "f*** blacks" or "f*** jews." I think there would be a lot more outrage. The media picks and chooses their controversies and I believe they missed the boat on this one. Her comments are outrageous and her actions worse. If ESPN puts her back on the air, I think they are doing an injustice to themselves and the rest of the country. Just because as many people don't hear it, it doesn't make it any better.

Again, Kelly Tilgham made a slip up that effected one person. Dana Jacobson made a comment that effects millions of people's beliefs. I know if any normal American were to act and comment the way Dana Jacobson did, they would be fired. Tilgham on the other hand, merely made one statement that was a poor choice of words. Jacobson's comments were obviously though out and more importantly repeated. That is where the line is crossed.