Jul 28

LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens should resign -- and fast

Carolyn Bivens may be the worst sports commisioner of all-time. Talk about trying to kill the goose that laid the golden egg.

She took over the LPGA when it was arguably at an all-time high. It’s still there, in spite of the fact she’s doing everything she can to send it back from whence it came – namely, the Stone Age.

She’s managed to offend nearly everyone involved in women’s golf, and many who aren’t. Even mild-mannered Annika Sorenstam and Dottie Pepper.

If she won’t resign, the LPGA needs to fire her and find somebody else.

Look for the full column on this subject coming out next week. It will make for fascinating reading…

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13 comments

§ bill said on : 07/28/06 @ 18:30
Like to be the first and foremost....

Tim, to quit now would just leave the LPGA stagnant... She has the toughest job in the world, not goose killing, but selling an inferior produce because of two issues that won't go away.

First, the lesbian issue. Help!!!Shocker to see someone with the nerve to say that? Next is the Asian Invasion. Help!!!

I am corporate America. I am not dropping the cash in anything that is not marketable. Sexist as it sounds, I am corporate American and I want to spend my money seeing Paula Creamer,
and Natilie Gulbis in my events and on television with my name tied to it, not the likes of Patty Sheehan, Rosie Jones, and Ching Chang Chong...

To say it is at an all time high is a joke. Even the USGA doesn't have equal money for their Champions. Look at #1 right now on the LPGA, where would she fit in on the Men's money list?

Leave her alone, she has her hands full... She can't do any worse than the last couple of Commissioners...
§ John said on : 07/28/06 @ 19:05
I don't know much about the LPGA and I don't golf. The only reason that I could list 20 of the best women golfers in the world is because of a certain 16 year old. I have a 16 year old and it is very inspiring to me and him to see such talent at such a young age. She is doing for women's golf what Tiger has done for men's, Despite Bivens apparent ineptitude.
§ bill said on : 07/29/06 @ 07:08
Unfortunately unless you are inspired by broken English which could be fixed if she were in school and growing up like a normal child, she is purly being exploited... and don't foget the word "like" every third word...

Here in Texas the school districts give 7 days excused or unexcused absences, other wise you repeat the grade...

Tutors don't replace anything...

Let her grow up...
§ LPGA1FAN said on : 07/29/06 @ 16:43
Bill, UNFORTUNATELY, Bivens has already done much WORSE than the last two Commissioners. Bivens has been able to accomplish exactly what should not have happened, she has taken the focus off the LPGA and the great young golfers and placed it squarely on herself. The sooner she is gone, the sooner the LPGA will take off to the upside. JMO
§ bill said on : 07/29/06 @ 18:40
Upside?

Not as long as the Asian Invasion and Lesbian issues are still present...

There is no upside to either subject as far as major sponsors putting up serious cash to match the PGA tour.

Deadsville subject...
§ Joe Cool said on : 07/30/06 @ 02:17
Bivens came from the cutthroat business environment where she was a "hatchet lady." Her "my way or the highway" is not going to last very long. Bye, bye Ms. Bivens...enjoy your new job on the turkey farm.
§ Jay said on : 07/30/06 @ 23:19
I look forward to Timmy's 'full article' that he advertised as coming soon.

My opinion is that Bivens has not made a big enough blunder to be called for resignation. I can think of the media copy right issue, but she has backed off and settled the issue. Even JFK screwed up the Pig of bays at the start, so give her some slack.

Of course, her style of iron fist is not making people comfortable, but style should not be the main criteria for judging one's performance. It will be good if she can tone down to fit the family like LPGA, but it is not an absolute necessity. In fact, I think she is making people to be more serious and that is what might be needed to move the LPGA in the right right direction. (I am not saying it is, but have not seen any obvious negative effect either)
§ JRC said on : 07/31/06 @ 12:35
I’m looking forward to Tim's full article on this one. The arguments above raise a question in my mind that considers both Wie and Biven's approach to the game and it’s impact on golf. Is Golf, The Business (marketing, sex appeal, crisis, controversy, endorsements, ratings. SALES. etc...) greater than Golf, The Game (drama, competition, sportsmanship, tradition, life's lessons, etc...)? I consider this because by many of the comments in the aforementioned arguments, it seems that certain behavior, attitude, or techniques, like Bivens, hard-nosed hatchet lady bullying her way to promised results, or Wie’s precocious disregard for the more traditional approach to reaching professional champion status and bold pronouncement that her game is above that of LPGA field and better suited for the men’s tour, if experienced by any of us, would just out right hack us off big time.

If the actions of either of these two golfing world news-makers directly impacted us personally, would we be as likely to say...oh well, it’s good for the game, after all, everyone benefits form gate sales, she has a tough job, cut her some slack, she deserves to be #2 in the world? I suspect we would not.

Is this all good for the game? Will the ends justify the means? Is the marketing uber-hype surrounding young miss Wie good for her, her sponsors, tournament directors, or the game of golf?

I suspect, the winner is and will always be, Golf, the Business, marketing and dollars trump golf, the game. We should just learn to live with it.
§ JRC said on : 07/31/06 @ 12:37
Oh yeah....Nutz!
§ WieWarrior said on : 08/01/06 @ 12:19
Until I saw Biven's interview on The Golf Channel during the Evian, I too was critical of her performance. Although she has certainly had some missteps, the media flap at Fields for example, what she said during the interview made a great impact on my opinion. She said all the right things and is attempting to do all the right things for the LPGA. So, I think she should be given some slack and time to do her thing.
§ Jim C said on : 08/01/06 @ 12:59
The Evian is basically an LET event cosponsored by the LPGA. Bivens is not going to push her agenda that the LPGA is women's golf at that particular venue. Don't let anything she said there have any great impact on your opinion of her.
§ Military_Golfer said on : 08/02/06 @ 12:26
Bivens is there to make brutal and painful change to the LPGA that was a train rotting on the tracks. With change, heads roll, and people scream. Two years from now, people will love what she has done. As for her opinion on Wie, she knows she is too young to play full time. I am a Wie warrior and I know what child stardom does to kids. Wie does not need to join the LPGA full time. She should finish school first.

What if, she ends up in the rough one day, and trying a Tiger-esque shot she snaps her left wrist . . career over! She can't go back to high school!
§ joe said on : 11/02/06 @ 16:18
I have never known anyone to receive so much bad press, people who are involved in golf know she is screwing up the LPGA.They also know she has a water tight contract. What i want to know is who hired her? and why do americans have this mentality of promote someone to get rid of them so people like her are still around.