There was something bothering me about Sunday’s seemingly epic final day of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and it was very hard for me to identify it.
Kind of interesting how every person you list that you “could have rooted against” and never rooted for while they were on the PGA tour are now on the LIV tour. Is it just a coincidence all of the guys on the LIV tour are guys that you either rooted against, never rooted for, or were villains? Kevin Na is a villain? Come on. It kind of looks like these guys became villains when they went to the LIV tour.
It seems many people enjoy villains in sports - I don't care one iota about villains. Sure, it's nice to have a hated rival or two to spice things up in team sports, but there is drama inherent in any sporting event. We don't need adversarial characters to enhance the drama. Two outs, runners on second and third, batting team trailing by one is dramatic no matter who the pitcher and hitter are.
So much better than those tired baseball stories‼️👍👏‼️Baseball has been a dying sport for some time,kids prefer soccer,basketball,football,even volleyball.Baseball as vibrant as downtown Cleveland after dark.
I watched the tournament and enjoyed it. It was a tough course and the underdog won it by making a clutch birdie put down the stretch, and the best players in the world failed to do it. I was disappointed it didn't go to a playoff.
What's happening in golf is what is happening everywhere else. The world is dividing itself into two different realities. Everyone strives to be right and we all like to win, but some people prioritize the former and the other the latter. Functional societies understand that you need both to be effective (you can't do the right thing if you don't win and vice-versa), but everyday we slide further into dysfunction and conflict between the two realities.
I personally think golf is better now. The designated tournaments are great, and the majors are going to have all sorts of intrigue. It's easier to relate to players because they have had to declare what side they are on. Rory McIlroy has emerged as a leader. It's all good. I wish the LIV guys the best of luck, but good riddance.
I never watched golf much, and pretty much lost all interest when Tiger's career nosedived. Everyone looks like a rich white kid now. How do you choose who to root for when they all look like they shoved nerds in lockers in high school?
I watch the tournament and enjoyed it, but any tournament that is not a major really is not that interesting to casual golf fans. Secondly, the course was hard and there were no birdies so it wasn't as interesting
Interesting that Joe says he needs a villain to root against in golf tournaments. I don’t think he’s ever expressed the same thinking about tennis, the other major non-team professional sport out there. When he writes about tennis it seems to be very much appreciating and rooting for players.
The first game at Fenway I ever went to was in 1972. Reggie was playing CF (It turns out he played a lot of CF that year) and he was already known to be a "Hotdog". My family were sitting in the CF bleachers and the Boston fans were just all over him, including maybe throwing a hot dog on the field. He misplayed a ball hit to him for an error and the place just went nuts. Whenever he came up to bat the boos were incredible. He, of course, had 3 hits, drove in two runs and the A's won. Electric - he was the straw!
Until you finally mentioned the A's, I assumed "Reggie" was Reggie Smith, who in fact played 5 (obviously not "a lot") of CF in 1972 but had played as much as 87 games the year before; the difference was the offseason acquisition of Tommy Harper from the Brewers.
I was thinking the other day about how baseball seems to be short on villains. Gone are Bonds and Clemens and ARod. You can always point to teams like the Yankees or Red Sox or the free spending Dodgers or Mets. Certainly there is still a lot of heat out there for the Astros and as a Braves fan, I realize that stupid chop turns people off. But there just don't seem to be a lot of individuals that rub everyone the wrong way. The closest thing I can think of is Bryce Harper, but other than playing hard, I'm not sure what he's ever done. We need Jeffrey Leonard with flaps down and Whitey Herzog checking for corked bats and Albert Belle being Albert Belle just as much as we need the Dale Murphys and Zack Greinkes of the world. Where have you gone, AJ Pierzynski?
Who out there, individually, is capable of drawing that ire?
I think the real problem is that American sports fans are conditioned to watch 'only the best of the best'. It's why Major League Soccer in the US isn't rivaling the big 4 (MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA) and why watching European Soccer is the bigger draw.
Now that there is a 2nd league, the PGA is by definition watered down. Roughly 1/4 of the Top 100 players are gone now. Sure, most of those won't win again or might only win 1 more time but it still meant events had the top players in the world and name recognition. Now you got guys who are 150th in the fields to make up for the fact that 25 or so players are gone to LIV.
There is also the niggling feeling in the back of your mind that whomever won this week might not have won if the LIV guys were still on tour. Only in the majors will you be confident that the winner was the best player that week.
Golf is poorer for this split in the same way the NHL was poorer in the 70's when the WHA was poaching players or the NFL was for a couple of years when the USFL was signing top prospects.
I don't think it was the personalities, it was the fact that it wasn't a Major. For a casual fan, it is hard to get up for a regular PGA Tour event unless it is local. Same thing with tennis. I'm all in for the Grand Slam, but the other ATP events? Sorry.
I'd rather clean my office than watch golf on tv
But y'all keep on being you
Kind of interesting how every person you list that you “could have rooted against” and never rooted for while they were on the PGA tour are now on the LIV tour. Is it just a coincidence all of the guys on the LIV tour are guys that you either rooted against, never rooted for, or were villains? Kevin Na is a villain? Come on. It kind of looks like these guys became villains when they went to the LIV tour.
It seems many people enjoy villains in sports - I don't care one iota about villains. Sure, it's nice to have a hated rival or two to spice things up in team sports, but there is drama inherent in any sporting event. We don't need adversarial characters to enhance the drama. Two outs, runners on second and third, batting team trailing by one is dramatic no matter who the pitcher and hitter are.
So much better than those tired baseball stories‼️👍👏‼️Baseball has been a dying sport for some time,kids prefer soccer,basketball,football,even volleyball.Baseball as vibrant as downtown Cleveland after dark.
I watched the tournament and enjoyed it. It was a tough course and the underdog won it by making a clutch birdie put down the stretch, and the best players in the world failed to do it. I was disappointed it didn't go to a playoff.
What's happening in golf is what is happening everywhere else. The world is dividing itself into two different realities. Everyone strives to be right and we all like to win, but some people prioritize the former and the other the latter. Functional societies understand that you need both to be effective (you can't do the right thing if you don't win and vice-versa), but everyday we slide further into dysfunction and conflict between the two realities.
I personally think golf is better now. The designated tournaments are great, and the majors are going to have all sorts of intrigue. It's easier to relate to players because they have had to declare what side they are on. Rory McIlroy has emerged as a leader. It's all good. I wish the LIV guys the best of luck, but good riddance.
Maybe they can institute a pitch clock so you can like it again or something
I never watched golf much, and pretty much lost all interest when Tiger's career nosedived. Everyone looks like a rich white kid now. How do you choose who to root for when they all look like they shoved nerds in lockers in high school?
Golf has become like baseball to me: unwatchable.
I just came here to say I do not care about golf.
thank you for Informative explanation regarding Joe's golf background. I appreciate the time.
I watch the tournament and enjoyed it, but any tournament that is not a major really is not that interesting to casual golf fans. Secondly, the course was hard and there were no birdies so it wasn't as interesting
Interesting that Joe says he needs a villain to root against in golf tournaments. I don’t think he’s ever expressed the same thinking about tennis, the other major non-team professional sport out there. When he writes about tennis it seems to be very much appreciating and rooting for players.
The first game at Fenway I ever went to was in 1972. Reggie was playing CF (It turns out he played a lot of CF that year) and he was already known to be a "Hotdog". My family were sitting in the CF bleachers and the Boston fans were just all over him, including maybe throwing a hot dog on the field. He misplayed a ball hit to him for an error and the place just went nuts. Whenever he came up to bat the boos were incredible. He, of course, had 3 hits, drove in two runs and the A's won. Electric - he was the straw!
Until you finally mentioned the A's, I assumed "Reggie" was Reggie Smith, who in fact played 5 (obviously not "a lot") of CF in 1972 but had played as much as 87 games the year before; the difference was the offseason acquisition of Tommy Harper from the Brewers.
I believe this was the game.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS197207230.shtml
I was thinking the other day about how baseball seems to be short on villains. Gone are Bonds and Clemens and ARod. You can always point to teams like the Yankees or Red Sox or the free spending Dodgers or Mets. Certainly there is still a lot of heat out there for the Astros and as a Braves fan, I realize that stupid chop turns people off. But there just don't seem to be a lot of individuals that rub everyone the wrong way. The closest thing I can think of is Bryce Harper, but other than playing hard, I'm not sure what he's ever done. We need Jeffrey Leonard with flaps down and Whitey Herzog checking for corked bats and Albert Belle being Albert Belle just as much as we need the Dale Murphys and Zack Greinkes of the world. Where have you gone, AJ Pierzynski?
Who out there, individually, is capable of drawing that ire?
Basketball is pretty much the same. No real personal rivalries, hey you never know if that guy's gonna be your teammate next year.
I remember there was some controversy about Patrick Reed although I don't remember what, but what was/is so bad about Bryson DeChambeau?
I don't really follow golf and only watch occasionally.
I think the real problem is that American sports fans are conditioned to watch 'only the best of the best'. It's why Major League Soccer in the US isn't rivaling the big 4 (MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA) and why watching European Soccer is the bigger draw.
Now that there is a 2nd league, the PGA is by definition watered down. Roughly 1/4 of the Top 100 players are gone now. Sure, most of those won't win again or might only win 1 more time but it still meant events had the top players in the world and name recognition. Now you got guys who are 150th in the fields to make up for the fact that 25 or so players are gone to LIV.
There is also the niggling feeling in the back of your mind that whomever won this week might not have won if the LIV guys were still on tour. Only in the majors will you be confident that the winner was the best player that week.
Golf is poorer for this split in the same way the NHL was poorer in the 70's when the WHA was poaching players or the NFL was for a couple of years when the USFL was signing top prospects.
I don't think it was the personalities, it was the fact that it wasn't a Major. For a casual fan, it is hard to get up for a regular PGA Tour event unless it is local. Same thing with tennis. I'm all in for the Grand Slam, but the other ATP events? Sorry.