Newspapers need a mulligan

When Tiger Woods tied for third in The Masters, he tried to explain his defeat (according to the London Telegraph) like this in a TV interview:

As good as I hit it, that's as bad as I putted. And it's frustrating because I felt so in control of my ball from tee to green, and once I got on the green I was a spaz."

The English media was up in arms; most American media outlets ignored it.

The Online Etymology Dictionary (one of my favorite new online toys) has an entry on spastic:

The noun meaning "a person affected with spastic paralysis" is attested from 1896; derogatory slang shortening spaz first recorded 1965.

So is it an offensive term? I think a good argument can be made against using it. And Woods has apologized. Case closed?

Well, there's a side story here. The spaz part of the quote disappeared in most American publications. What did appear differed from paper to paper. Check out the variety (and let me know if you can find video of the original online so we can compare):

Los Angeles Times: "It was frustrating because I felt so in control of my golf ball from tee to green, then when I got on the green, I was a [wreck]."

Detroit News: "I putted atrociously. As good as I hit it, that's how bad I putted. I felt so in control of my golf ball. Once I got on the green, it was a different story. That's the way it is."

The New York Times: "As good as I hit it today was as bad as I putted. I putted atrociously."

The Washington Post: "I putted atrociously. As good as I hit it was as bad as I putted. It's frustrating."

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "And as good as I hit it, that's how badly I putted. I absolutely putted so bad ... and I couldn't fix it.

Chicago Tribune: "I hit it great today. As good as I hit it, I putted just as bad. It could have been a different story."

Fort Worth Star-Telegram: "As good as I hit it today was about as bad as I putted it."

The Star-Ledger: "As good as I hit it today, I putted just as bad. I felt so much control on my ball from tee to green, but I absolutely putted so bad and couldn't fix it."

AP: "I putted atrociously today. As good as I hit it, that's as bad as I putted."

Here are a few papers that published the spaz part:

The Philadelphia Inquirer: "I felt so in control of my ball from tee to green. On the green, I was a spaz. I lost it on the greens."

The Columbus Ledger-Inquirer: "I putted atrociously today. It was frustrating because I felt so in control of my golf ball from tee to green... . I was a spaz."

The New York Post: "As good as I hit it is as bad as I putted. It was frustrating. I felt so in control of my golf ball tee to green and once I got onto the green I was a spaz."