Fuzzy Zoeller takes a swing at anonymous Wikipedia contributor
By Triston McIntyre
The PGA’s tour player Fuzzy Zoeller is on the hunt yet again; this time his target is not The Master’s Cup or the U.S. Open, it is the anonymous author of a “defamatory” post about the senior golfer on Wikipedia, one of the largest unofficial encyclopedias on the web.
The defamatory article claimed that Zoeller abused drugs, alcohol, and his family. Courts ruled the internet vandal, not Wikipedia, must be the target of the lawsuit; though the individual responsible has yet to surface, the Zoeller family has directed the suit at Josef Silny & Associates, an educational consulting firm in Miami where the post was allegedly created.
Silny, who is not particularly familiar with Zoeller or his wealth of accomplishments, commented, “This is completely out of left field.”
It appears the Zoeller family feels differently; they believe they are to become the spearhead against an army of internet vandals who thrive on encyclopedic defamation.
Interestingly enough, if you search Zoeller on Wikipedia, you will discover a large portion of his biography is focused on a slanderous bunch of comments he directed at Tiger Woods after Zoeller finished 34th in the Masters Tournament of 1997; without going into detail, he condescendingly labeled Tiger a “little boy” and asked that he not serve “fried chicken or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve.”
Tsk, tsk, Fuzzy; wouldn’t this qualify as the pot calling the kettle black?
Fuzzy does have a case; libel is a serious allegation that is generally supported in court. However, the wild card is how the information was published; if Wikipedia independently published the libel, it could be held directly responsible, but as a forum-styled informational site, the responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of the author.
Though Josef Silny & Associates will most probably catch the brunt of their lone employee’s post, perhaps since the post was removed, Fuzzy should take a golf lesson from Tiger and turn the other cheek.
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Entry was posted
on Sunday, February 25th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
under
Read more entries by Triston McIntyre.
Stumble It!
February 25th, 2007
sounds like fuzzy needs a life. he’s obviously got way too much time on his hands.
April 27th, 2007
I am an avid golfer and fan. I have met many pro golfers in the last ten years when they come up to Park City. Every single one that I met was extremely nice and true gentleman. I had the opportunity to meet Fuzzy when he came to Salt Lake City to golf at Thanksgiving Point. He was the biggest JERK I have ever met. What a loud mouth ASS.