Julie Inkster blasts Michelle Wie family

Tim, Nah, she's just climbimg that mountain to watch the sunrise. You know, the one that One-Putt learned about from the elderly Korean gentleman? If she has to step on or over people on the way up, so be it.

C'mon now, this theft of caddie from Inkster had to be the brainchild of BJ and Michelle's handlers, not her.

Big deal. Pro golf is a business. People get fired - people cut better deals. If you're a purist, go watch college golf. You could talk "purist golf" with the other spectators... if you could find any.

Even with all the money I feel sorry for Michelle Wie. I think she probably is a good kid. Unfortunately the quest for money by her parents has gotten them in over their heads with the conglomorate that is now Team Wie.

I doubt they have much control anymore on the decision making and they are rookies at the game of pro sports. Once they took the money they became nothing more than employees. They will be living proof of what is wrong with pro sports and will ruin this young girl's future and any chance to achieve a high level of success in golf.

They will regret all the people they disrespected along the way and it will be a very long line of people. They have no regard for the rules of anything and expect special treatment from everyone.

Will they be happy with all the money or will they wonder what might have been?

Joe, They, BJ and Bo Wie, will be happy with all the money. That's why they're working so hard to get it. BJ Wie has said many times that his salary as a Professor of Transportation at the U of Hawaiijust doesn't cut it.

Alex.....

Working so hard ?????? This is child abuse

Joe, I wouldn't play the "child abuse" card. All overbearing stage parents like BJ and Bo work their child prodigy offspring relentlessly. They admit it and they are proud of it. But they will take all the money they can get along with the private jet flights and the rest of the perks because that was and is their stated intention. BJ once said he had no choice but to caddie for Bubbles since he couldn't afford to pay a professional caddie. He doesn't caddie for her anymore. Do you think that the endorsements windfall might have something to do with it?

Ghet

Business is business, but there is a thing called common courtesy.

Big freaking deal. Making a living with juvenile blogs. Happens all the time. Paula "stole" Collin the weasel from Seri, who found out from the newpaper that she was dumped. Did Paula or Collin call, or have anyone call Seri to notify the news? Nope. There is a B-school theory that says a person rises to his/her level of incompetence, and I guess you found yours Tim.

TIM,

Your reporting is misleading at best.

The way you have reported is as if that was a new statement from Juli Inkster. The reality is that she made those comments months ago, right after Johnston left her.

Comment by Alex:
BJ once said he had no choice but to caddie for Bubbles since he couldn't afford to pay a professional caddie. He doesn't caddie for her anymore. Do you think that the endorsements windfall might have something to do with it?
__________________________

Michelle has stated that BJ is a poor caddie and is glad he doesn't work on the bag anymore. That's why he isn't her caddie.

I'm pretty sure I saw an interview where Michelle jokingly said that it was uncomfortable having her dad on the bag because he yelled at her too much. She said it in a charming way, much like a teenager would shoo her "embarrassing" parents away, so I didn't think much of it at the time, but it seems like there may have been more to it than that.

1) I very much doubt that Michelle Wie was responsible for the way in which Johnston was both fired and hired. In fact, I'm curious if she had any say in him being fired at all, or if it was done at Nike's urging. Nike is not known for being people-friendly. Probably we'll never know.

2) The public generally doesn't hear about the caddy intrigues and drama and has nothing to compare it to. This issue has already been blown out of proportion. I had forgotten about the Colin Cann/Se Ri Pak story, but indeed, that didn't seem to harm Paula Creamer's reputation one bit. Maybe because Se Ri Pak wasn't still complaining about it a year later. That issue has more than one parallel to this Wie/Johnston/Inkster story but was treated far differently by the press. Look it up, you probably won't find that much because it was mostly ignored. If you're going to call Michelle Wie vicious over this, then the same goes for Paula Creamer and her team. But no, that's not going to happen.

Johnny N, BJ Wie didn't stop caddying for Bubbles until AFTER he signed the endorsement deals with Nike and Sony. In a few instances, she had other caddies, but BJ was her mainstay until he orchestrated the windfall. And he would still be toting her bag if he didn't have her turn pro in her 16th birthday.

Alex,
He would be still caddying for her if she couldn't afford to get a proper caddie. That is indeed true.

Jen said:
Maybe because Se Ri Pak wasn't still complaining about it a year later.
_______________________

Jen,
Juli isn't complaining about it either. The quotes that Tim misleadingly reported on, were actually made by Juli right after her caddie left her.

Tim has reported it as if she had just recently complained. This is either poor research on Tim's part, or more likely, he thought he would get away with it.

Alex,
Okay they got more money so they were able to afford a proper caddie.
You are right there, but what's your point?
Isn't it a sensible move to get a better caddie, if someone has the finances to do it.

Ronnie: In defense of Tim McDonald (my only defense of him), the quotes were made recently, at the British Open. So Inkster was indeed complaining about the issue a year after the fact.

The headline is misleading though because I don't think Inkster was really blasting anybody. I'm curious if Inkster realized that her quotes would be used to support that, or if she was just giving her thoughts in a casual conversation (she was not saying this at a press conference). It was her responsibility to be aware that the reporter could publish her words, so she probably knew what she was doing, but I am skeptical that she wanted to stir up a controversy over this.

All this over a caddy?

It really is too bad that these petty issues get blown up so much. If you find something wrong with the way that Johnston was hired, then there's something equally wrong with how Paula Creamer hired her caddy. Given the limited availability of facts, it's better to just focus on golf.

Johnny N, Yes,it certainly is a sensible move. My point is they, the Wie's, were and are after the money. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with sqeezing every dime one can get out of one's teenage daughter. However,some would think it a trifle tacky.

It's absolutely disgusting how some of you are excusing dishonorable, underhanded behavior by saying that this is "business" or other people have done it. There are things called ethics and morality -- right and wrong -- perhaps you've heard of them.

You can't compartmentalize and say, well, I'll do the right thing during my recreational activities but not in business. And then you fancy yourself to be a good person? Ha! A hitman could say that , too. If this is the guttersnipe attitude that some of you have embraced, I sincerely hope I never have the misfortune of having business dealings with you.

I'll also say that if this is the kind of "civilization" we're going to create, we deserve to be conquered by the Islamists.

gpro51

One-Putt and others have pointed out that one of the reasons Johnston was fired was his loud and abrasive manner in dealing with Michelle on the course. Johnston got similar courtesy by being dumped by Wie management.

Johnston is a big boy. He didn't have to take the Wie's deal last year. He dumped Inkster with less "courtesy" than the Wie's dumped him. I predicted that Johnston would not be on Wie's bag in '07.

New Prediction - Sunshine will either drasticly revamp their PR effort on behalf of the Wie team, or be replaced soon. They're dropping the ball, period.

Tim,

I guess you remove comments on this blog when you don't like the content. I have 2 times posted a request of the Inkster interview link with EM Swift in reference top your headline. When I came back to see if you had responded I found my request removed. Why is that, you credibility is down the tubes as far as I'm concerned.

If the Wies were going to steal a caddy like Paula Creamer stole Colin Cann from Ser Ri Pak, how should they have done it?

Without the ultimatum, perhaps Greg could have gotten Juli to sweeten her deal with him, and then stayed with Juli. The process could have been repeated with other caddies who could also use the Wie offer to extract better deals from their players.

I believe the Wies did not want any offer of theirs to be used by a caddy to extract a better deal from the caddy's present employer.

One-Putt posted on another blog that Korean people speak conversationally in loud and abrasive tones, but that is just their manner and no one should be offended by it. BJ should have loved Greg if that were the case.

TW
Here's the link, though SI's credibility is questionable at best after last year's Bamberger fiasco-

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/golf/08/09/wie.caddie/index.html

Michelle's William Morris Agent hired Greg and he fired Greg, so where is the issue? It may take about fifty years to get Greg's story on Michelle, for William Morris would have placed a non-disclosure contract on Greg before he started.

At least her Agent waited until after the event so Greg could collect his percentage, unlike Annika who fired one of her caddies mid-round in a event.

BTW Julie is smiling all the way to the bank after she shed herself of Greg. Maybe this is the catalyst Michelle needs right now.

What One-Putt said is that some common Korean speech patterns are MISINTERPRETED by westerners as being gruff.

Johnston was simply loud and abrasive on the course. The Wie's didn't love Greg's act enough to prevent his firing.

Correction-
Should read:
Michael "Book" Bamberger

"Comment from: Ghet Rheel [Visitor]
TW
Here's the link, though SI's credibility is questionable at best after last year's Bamberger fiasco-

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/golf/08/09/wie.caddie/index.html".

The influence of Cnn has rubbed off on SI and tainted their pool. SI is miffed because they don't hear back from William Morris on interview requests.

SI is Persona non gratis by WM. This might not be the situation if Hamburger had come forward before she signed her card at the Samsung instead of bringing it up after she completed her final round, so he could guarantee she was disqualified. It was so transparent even Alex could see what happened.

Thanks Ghet Rheel.

That comment was made before Johnston was fired and I read it as if Juli Inkster was indicating that she thought the hiring of Johnson should have been handled a little differently, not bashing the Wie family. So it is obvious that Tim is using the comment to draw comments to his blog exploting the Michelle for his self interest. Opps, isn't that what the Wie bashers are saying Michelle's parents are doing and is just so greedy. :)

Maybe it was Juli Inkster's complaints during the British Open that cost Greg Johnston his job. Perhaps the Wies felt that if there were complaints over his hiring 10 months later, they would be condemned over the hiring as long as he was Michelle's caddy. If Juli Inkster wasn't going to let the matter driom then they were going to drop Greg.

If I were Juli Inkster's current caddy I would be mad as hell at Juli. I would want Juli to be thankful that the Wies stole Greg so she could get herself a better caddy. If Juli wants Greg back she can now have him--and perhaps the Wies will pick up her current caddy.

Back to the caddie thing...Tiger stole Fluff from Jake, then he stole Stevie from Raymond. Jake and Raymond wimpered, and that is that. If Johnston is a good caddie, he'll be on someone's bag within a month. There are three major tours in the states, plus the geezer brigade. There is enough play for GJ.

Tim you are a very unethical dishonest jerk who would say anything to get an eye catching headline

You're using old news to make it seem as if Julie Inkster just blasted the Wies.

Has Julie made any new statement?

What a pathetic old man you are.

Obviously I meant to say if Juli wasn't going to let the matter DROP.

One Putt

To be honest, the Wies once fired a caddy in mid tournament. He only worked one round of last year's Evian.

Ghet Rheel,

I agree with you as to SI's credibility. I'm even beginning to think that their media staff is looking for ways to create negative publicy about Michelle with the interviews they make. They seem to ask questions that almost can't be answered without being negative toward Michelle. Just like to Inkster interview a year after it happened.

I've never met Greg Johnston or even heard him speak in an interview so I can't pass judgment on his work ethic or mannerisms. I assume that the same can be said about Greg's familiarity with other posters on this blog. One thing is apparent and that is that the Wie Warriors have circled the wagons on this issue as never before. I mean, according to the Wie-wee's, Bubbles, her parents, her agents, and their family dog are as pure as the wind-driven snow. And Greg is a malcontent, guilty of the most slipshod caddying imaginable. He deserved to get his walking papers. Why, Greg Johnston shouldn't be allowed to caddie for a Chicago fireman on a golf holiday at Myrtle Beach. Juli will set the golfing world on fire now that Greg is history, and Bubbles will follow suit. This is just the boost she needs to be sent on her way to immortality. Wow! Is it possible for anybody to be as piss poor at his job as Greg is at his? How did he ever survive to this point?

O-P, Im sure you meant "persona non grata." Even Alex can see that gaff.:-)

"Comment from: Judge Smails [Visitor]

I'll also say that if this is the kind of "civilization" we're going to create, we deserve to be conquered by the Islamists."

You already have been Judge and just don't realize it yet.

Put gas in your car lately?
Did you check out recently how much of our National treasure we have spent on fighting Islamists?
Have we made any real progress with Iran to keep them from going nuclear?
Are you planning on flying to Europe soon Judge?
Is our National Will strong enough to continue this war against terror for forty or fifty years?
Which side in this war do the Russians and Chinese really line up with?

Armegeddon began on 9/11/2001 and you nor I will never see the end.

Comment from: Alex [Visitor]
O-P, Im sure you meant "persona non grata." Even Alex can see that gaff.:-)

It was not a gaff Alex. I may use gratia or gratis, but never grata. I can't bring myself to use a word that exists only in the minds of lawyers.

On a cheerier note - Jim C brings up an interesting point - Worth Blackwelder, Juli's current caddie. He worked with Kristi Kerr with phenomenal success for years. If Inkster has already "written off" the Wie's in the open press, then so be it. He should certainly be on the short list.

Should a deal transpire, the Wie's, Blackwelder, Inkster and their advisors should be able to come up with a win-win-win situation with a little PR planning.

Alex I should have stated:

"Persona non Acceptus" to clear up any misunderstanding.

Tim - You should be ashamed of yourself........you jumped to the wrong side of the fence on reporter's ethics by trying to make something sound fresh that was 10 months old......When was the last time a 16-year-old pro golfer fired her caddie?......see, its never happened before.....in fact, when was the last time a 16-year-old pro HAD a caddie?.........you know that Michelle had nothing to do with the firing......it was all handled by Team Wie.......let's just let this Caddie-Sack deal die a peaceful death......and start talking about who we think is going to get VERY LUCKY......and become Michelle's 2nd professional caddie!.....

i didn't realize there were so much swaping, stealing and firing of caddies going on in pga and lpga until this incident involving michelle. so if this isn't an uncommon practise in golf, then what's the big deal? if paula creamer indeed stole seri's caddie and that didn't turn into a big news, then why is firing of johnston such a big issue? i guess it's because she is michelle wie and anything she does is put under a microscope and scrutinized. perhaps michelle's parents should have dealt with johnston directly, but other than that this whole thing has been overblown, especially by the media. we don't even know if this was michelle's idea, or those of her parents, or her managment team, or her sponsors. by the way tim, you also wrote that you have fired some people before and that you "kind of" enjoyed it. i wonder who the readers will think is truely vicious.

Alex has lost any credibility he might have had left. If the Wie supporters have circled the wagons on this like nothing before and see the Wies as pure as drvien so, how does he explain my describing the hiring of Greg as stealing once I understood that Juli did not in fact fire him.

Greg Johnston has become the most famous caddie on the planet after this minor incident. Can you name five caddies on the LPGA tour without Googleing an answer?

I thought not.

TW -- I NEVER remove comments unless they contain really bad curse words or are blatant advertisements.

It's interesting how all the Wie Warriors who said "Michelle is choosing her own path and making her own decisions" are suddenly saying "It must be Team Wie's decision to fire Johnston".

Just an observation...

Tim,

Then you need to check out your soiftware for this site as what I said did happen. I posted twice and they are no longer here and all I asked was provide a link to your comment.

... or are libelous

Todd

Michelle Wie is choosing her own path and making her own decisions. This means she has decided she wants to compete against both men and women. Michelle Wie is the one who is deciding her career path. It does not mean she makes her own hotel reservations.

"Comment from: ToddCommish [Visitor]
It's interesting how all the Wie Warriors who said "Michelle is choosing her own path and making her own decisions" are suddenly saying "It must be Team Wie's decision to fire Johnston".

Just an observation..."

I'm sure Michelle has a voice in what goes on, but she doesn't have the legal authority to run her own life now. That right is reserved by her parents and the people at William Morris.

If you need a scapegoat for a non-event, such as dismissing a caddie, look no futher than William Morris, Todd.

Maybe Greg was hurting the numbers and the demographics were shrinking with him by her side. It might have nothing to do with golf at all. Business is after all, just business.

There are not many caddies who have guaranteed contracts on any tour. Greg jumped at the chance to have a guaranteed payment each event and a contract. It was most likely the first formal contract he ever signed as a caddie.

It would have options for William Morris to terminate him if needed and a standard non-disclosure clause to protect their client's privacy.

This is simply what an Agent/Agency for a Star does. Damage control.

For now I believe caddy decisions are probably being made by BJ--I doubt that Paula Creamer handled all her own caddy decisions when she was a 16 year old high school student. But I really don't know, and neither do all the people who are saying that Michelle Wie fired her caddy.

I find it interesting that the people who are insisting that Michelle Wie is totally controlled and makes none of her own decisions managed to come to the conclusion it was Michelle's decision to fire Greg.

BJ may make the call Jim on a caddie, but William Morris hires whoever stands next to Michelle and has the authority to terminate them when required.

One-Putt, The expression used for a person not acceptable is,and has been since the Magna Carta,"persona non grata." Ive known this expression for over 40 years and I strongly suspect that you've also known it for quite a while. Just because we disagree on the direction of Bubbles' career is no reason to adopt a nihilist attitude to everything I write. If I say that this is Friday evening, I'd expect you to agree, although it would probably be reluctantly.

One-Putt, You asked a question back there about which side the Russians and the Chinese would be on in this war. My guess is that they would side with the US since we are the only ally who they ever had that led them to any sort of victory. Outside of WWII when they were US alies, they were drubbed every time.

One-Putt says: "I'm sure Michelle has a voice in what goes on, but she doesn't have the legal authority to run her own life now. That right is reserved by her parents and the people at William Morris.

If you need a scapegoat for a non-event, such as dismissing a caddie, look no futher than William Morris, Todd."

I've been saying this all along. I think Team Wie is controlling this kid and giving her some really rotten career/golf advice in order to cash in for the short term. I was merely commenting on the doublespeak coming from the Wie Warriors who want it both ways.

Why, even Jim C parroted/plagiarized what I said almost verbatim. [By the way, either someone is using JimC's name or he's legitimately schizo. Check out the emails right before and after One-putt's]

For Alex: I apologize if I offended you Alex, my only excuse is the Sisters at St. Anthony's Academy ruler across my knuckles and my religion studies professors at Notre Dame where Latin was a core requirement.

Russia and China recently put together a Mutual Defense Treaty and are involved in joint training exercises which include operating in a WMD environment. China has undertaken an unprecedented military buildup over the past ten years (paid for by US Dollars). You might ask yourself Alex, who do Russia and China need to defend themselves from...Mongolia?

Unfortunately Todd, a child under the age of eighteen has a limited ability to control their own lives. Alex may be more able to explain the legalities for you.

ToddC

So, the Royal and Ancient rules committee blew the call (or cheated) on the "moss shot"; and now the William Morris agency is giving MW rotten career advice.

Please tell us a more exalted rules committee; and a more experienced and universally respected talent management group.

Todd

I thought it was clear that I was quoting you. I am sorry if that wasn't clear. I tried my best to make it word for word.

MICHELLE HAS THE BODY OF A 22 YEAR OLD AND THE MATURITY OF A 12 YEAR OLD.IT CAN ONLY IMPROVE FROM HERE.

THE BLOGS ABOUT BJ'S QUEST FOR MONEY WAS CERTAINLY EVIDENT WHEN THEY ACCEPTED THE APPEARANCE MONEY AND MICHELLE DID NOT HAVE TO MAKE THE CUT. HER DRAWING POWER WAS AT ITS MAXIMUM AT THE TIME.

IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHO WILL CADDIE FOR HER IN EUROPE COME SEPTEMBER.

One-Putt & Todd, Several child movie stars succeeded in becoming emancipated from domineering parents. The most recent instance that I can recall of emancipation by a high profile teenager was that of Leann Rimes, noted C&W singer. Her overbearing parents were eventually banned from her concerts. They were undoubtedly far more domineering than the Wie's, although BJ is closing fast.

And furthering Alex's line of argument, since Michelle has not filed for, nor been granted the status of "Emancipated Adult" by a court of law, she can not enter into a legally binding contract. Therefore, she could not legally hire a caddy, nor could she legally fire one.

Disrespectful player like Tiger.

Has anyone noticed this? Tiger and Wie Wie both seem to like walking off the green before their playing partner finishes the hole! This is awful ettiquette. I confess to doing this once when I was learning golf. My uncle sent me to the driving range to help pick up golf balls for my rude gesture.

I hate how athletes can earn so much more money from endorsements that from their actual sport. I don't think you have as much respect for your sport when you earn most of your money away from it.

Look at tennis players. Endorsements for most player exceed their prize money these days. Maybe that's why they are a bunch sore loser, spoiled brats! I keep seeing player retire from matches due to supposed "injuries."

The ugly commercialization of sports has gone on for too long. Pro sports are just another reality show, complete with all the foul language and spoiled actors.

"Its an ill wind that blows no good." Michelle has, at a tender age, had the opportunity to observe the vicious nature of a significant sector of so-called "responsible people". With the unrelenting attacks of the Wie-Bashers, I think Michelle has seen enough of the uglier side of human nature so as NOT TO FALL FOR for the "Emancipated Adult" scheme where "loving lawyers" and "fatherly investment advisors" use legal trickery to elbow her family aside, so as to feast on her fortune. I think she is far too bright for that baloney.

Tim-
You are a pathetic old fool trying to scrape off a living blogging hate filled diatribes of a teen golfer. As you mentioned, you don't have kids (lucky for them), unmarried (based on your mug shot, not surprising), probably not much of a love life and I would bet still living at home with your parents. Maybe that movie 40 year old virgin was based on you... but you're much older than that. Did I leave anything out? Oh yeah, your writing sucks!

I think you covered all the bases arnold. :-)

As a very close family member of Paula Creamer I want to clear up serious mis-information posted on this site. I can tell you with absolute certainty that Colin Cann personally called Se Ri Pak and informed her of his decision to go to work for Paula. This conversation took place prior to the news release.

Visitor

I'm not sure that really helped Se Ri Pak getting a Dear John phone call from Colin Cann--did Paula Creamer personally call Se Ri Pak and get her permission to hire Colin before talking to him about the job? For all I know, Greg also gave Juli a personal call after he signed with the Wies--but if he did not that says more about Greg and Colin than it does about the Wies and the Creamers.

Could it be that people in this country consider it more acceptable when a white American golfer steals the caddy of a Korean than when a Korean American golfer steals the caddy of a white American?

What are you saying Jim? Discrimination does come in many forms, some less obvious than others.

It seems the LPGA neglects the Asian golfers on tour only to promote less successful blonde and blue eyed players.

Nah, that couldn't be possible in this day and age.

Alex
You complain about the Wie's grabbing the money.
Your profession is probably the worst in the world for doing that.
I suppose you are different from the rest of your money grabbing unethical colleagues. Give it a rest.
Alan m

Comment from: Seve [Visitor]

"The ugly commercialization of sports has gone on for too long. Pro sports are just another reality show, complete with all the foul language and spoiled actors."

I couldn't agree more. Golf is no exception. The PGA Tour hates its heritage as much as any other modern sports organization, and would never dream of fining Tiger to the degree that Tommy Bolt received back in more civilized times.

Comment from: Jim C [Visitor]

"Could it be that people in this country consider it more acceptable when a white American golfer steals the caddy of a Korean than when a Korean American golfer steals the caddy of a white American?"

More communist propaganda from Jim C. What else is new?

Comment from: One-Putt [Visitor]

"It seems the LPGA neglects the Asian golfers on tour only to promote less successful blonde and blue eyed players.

Nah, that couldn't be possible in this day and age."

Another degenerate commie who probably doesn't understand who he is.

alan m, There are no complaints here. If you open your mind, if possible, and read my words, you'll see that I merely said that BJ Wie has said many times that his university salary was insufficient to maintain the lifestyle that he desires for his family. Thus, he has "gone for the gold," so to speak. I also specifically said that there is nothing intrinsically wrong with squeezing every cent possible out of one's teenage daughter's marketability, but that most ordinary folks would think it a little tacky. Got it now, alan? Try improving your reading comprehension, please.

Comment from: Visitor [Visitor]
"I can tell you with absolute certainty that Colin Cann personally called Se Ri Pak and informed her of his decision to go to work for Paula. This conversation took place prior to the news release."

That doesn't address the original point. The point is, Juli Inkster is still complaining that the Wie family never called her to personally tell her about the offer they were making to her caddy. So, the parallel is that Paula Creamer's family never called Se Ri Pak to personally tell her about the deal that they were making with Colin Cann. (I don't necessarily think she should have, by the way, but that was Inkster's complaint.)

It's eerily similar to the Inkster case, especially since Se Ri Pak had been with Colin Cann for some time, and is an elite player that had been going through a slump, and was left for an up-and-coming young player.

I am not condemning Paula Creamer or her family for how they conducted the Colin Cann business. Once someone brought it up, I was reminded of how similar the two incidents were. If Michelle Wie/family is "vicious" for how they hired Johnston, so is Paula Creamer/family. That's not my choice of words, that's the word of choice of this blog post. The only difference is how the press blows up stories for one individual and not the other.

Comment from: Alex [Visitor]

"I also specifically said that there is nothing intrinsically wrong with squeezing every cent possible out of one's teenage daughter's marketability.................."

I hope you are not a parent, and merely a single, parasitic lawyer.

Booger, I am indeed a parent of four grown children and seven grandchildren. (To this point) I was being sarcastic in my remarks. I'm sorry that you took such an obviously duplicitous comment seriously. I look upon BJ and Bo as textbook cases of child exploitation.

Alex,
There are many people who read these blogs for the first time, and don't understand your humour, where you go from serious point to sarcastic, from one sentance to the next.

Perhaps you would be better off just making the points you want to make.

Joe Cool said:
MICHELLE HAS THE BODY OF A 22 YEAR OLD AND THE MATURITY OF A 12 YEAR OLD.IT CAN ONLY IMPROVE FROM HERE.
__________________________

Actually Michelle has a mature body for her age, but at 16 she will get stronger. She is tall, but she is still getting stronger. So it's incorrect to say that her body is like a 22 year old, since a 22 year olds body is usually fully mature, whereas, although Michelle is more mature than others, her body still will get stronger.

As regards mental maturity, she is advanced well beyond her age. She is a very intelligent girl. Sometimes people wrongly use the example of her language expressions as judging her maturity.

Michelle says You Know, quite a bit, but she says it less than Ernie Els does.

Matt Slater, BBC, golf editor:
“Tall, good-looking and articulate, Wie is already fluent in Korean and is studying Japanese and Chinese. It is no scheduling accident that her second pro event will be against men in Japan.”

The BBC's clearly Slater finds MW to be articulate. I understand that Matt has been afforded time with Michelle and her family away from the throngs of press at the press conferences. Most writers have only heard Michelle at these "cattle calls".

When Michelle appears before such throngs of press, she is not free to speak in a "stream of conciousness" mode. If she pauses, or "starts and stops", or says "you know", or "ummm" etc., then that just shows good sense on her part. She is aware that each and every phrase she says will be dissected and served up in the next days media offerings. She is remarkably good at handling the press, always manages to find the humor in things, and will only get better at it as time progresses.

Rest assured, that around family and friends, she is as free-wheeling and talkative as any teenage girl.

Should read:
"The BBC's Slater clearly finds MW to be articulate."

Now Jim C. let me see if I follow your logic. If a person is looking for a new job he/she is to first tell their current employer they're looking, then after securing their next position, they are to request that the new employer please call the previous employer and ask permission to hire the job-seeker?

Do you think that the CEO of CBS called the CEO of NBC and asked permission to hire Katie Couric?

MM: I don't think that was Jim C's ultimate point at all. Going back to the original post, Juli Inkster complained that the Wie family did not give her any advance notice that they were making an offer to her caddy. As pointed out by another poster, Se Ri Pak did not get advance notice from the Creamer family that they were making a deal with HER caddy. Another poster defended Creamer, saying that the caddy had in fact let Se Ri Pak know of the deal "prior to the news release."

Jim C's response was that it wasn't about the caddy contacting Se Ri Pak, it was about Se Ri Pak not being contacted by the Creamers, because that's what Juli Inkster complained about.

You're right in that it's illogical to expect a job seeker's potential employer to contact their current employer and ask permission to hire. Which means Juli Inkster shouldn't really have complained (Se Ri Pak never did), but that's what she did.

I read these blogs and just shake my head in disbelief. Nearly all of the Michelle Wie fans think it's perfectly all right for an impressionable and possibly fragile teenage girl to be part and parcel of all these maneuverings and palace intrigues. Some even say that they would expose their own children to such pressure if it meant fame and especially fortune, i.e., MONEY. People, I have a fair amount of experience in dealing with aspiring teenage athletes(no golfers,though) and I would NEVER think of putting my children or grandchildren or great-grandchildren under such pressure. I have never seen an adolescent girl who could survive the double boiler that Michelle is in with her emotions in tact. That kid never had a childhood or an adolescence. There are literally hundreds of cases where overbearing parents have ruined the potential careers of their kids by demanding too much too soon. Not that BJ and Bo Wie are evil or bad parents. They seem incapable of seeing what damage can be done to their daughter by pushing her so hard. That's not unusual, most parent with precocious kids act the same. That's why, in my opinion anyway, it's better for athletically inclined kids to get out from under the domination of their parents at a fairly early age. Similar to an apprentice tradesman learning the trade from anyone but his father. I retired more than a decade ago as a union ironworker. In my local and also some other locals there was an unwritten rule that no apprentice ever be indentured to his father.

John Z

I guess there are worse things a child can do at 16 than play golf throughout the world. Drinking, drugs, inhaling household products, joining gangs, driving recklessly, or sitting on a couch/chair mesmerized by a glowing tube are a few that come to mind.

MW plays golf primarily in the summer. During the schoolyear she is permitted two weeks in the spring and two weeks in the fall away from school for golf. That seems reasonable to me.

I applaud BJ and his wife for their handling of this unique situation. If the Wie-Bashers would leave them alone, things would be rosy indeed. I hope the family stays close to Michelle until she is well into her twenties. BJ should aggressively ignore the constant chorus of screaming Harpies that want to separate him from his daughter.

I think the Wie family will come through all of their challenges with flying colors. Watching the Wie-Bashers humiliate and debase themselves is a good lesson in human nature for all to observe.

Well done Ghet Rheel.
Perhaps the best post in the blog so far.
Well articulated, particularly about the many worse things than many 16 year olds get up to.

Michelle is a very good role model to youngsters, and more importantly, despite what John Z might pretend, Michelle Wie is happy and that is what is most important.

Thanks Johnny N
And you're right that the most important consideration is that Michelle is doing something she loves to do.

When most golfers will do just about anything to play on the spectacular courses that MW regularly golfs, why do people find it so difficult to understand that she loves what she does. And Michelle plays them at par and better. How would that be?

Jen,

Thanks for your thoughtful reply.

In the end no one really knows what goes on between players and caddies. It's a dynamic relationship. Heck, who can expect them to last forever, most marriages don't! Change is the preogative of all parties involved. Since the LPGA is a fairly small world I suspect they all know the score and how to handle the etiquette of changing partners.

Guys, I am not a Wie basher, so don't refer to me as one. What is telling is that Michelle's parents and agents asked her school for permission for their daughter to blow off school for four weeks per year and got an okay. You fellows think that's just great. I don't. What is really strange is that one of you hopes that Michelle's parents stay close to her until she is well into her twenties. I guess Dan Cupid should stay away then.:-)There may be a young woman in her late teens or twenties with a young man in her life that would like her parents to be closely involved in her life but I've never seen her. Has anybody seen this young woman?

I'm sure the Wie family will welcome appropriate young suitors for Michelle. That's not the problem. BJ needs to watch out for the cheesey hustlers of all ages, that's the problem. They're already lining up with designs on MW, her money, and control of her future.

BJ and family are the best defense she has. BJ stepping up and insisting on the dismissal of Johnston shows he is willing to assert himself with MW's management team. William Morris is a first-rate agency, but BJ needs to oversee them as well - same with investment advisors, etc.

John Z, you're not suggesting that a teenager be set adrift, to deal on her own, with all the lawyers, agents, investment gurus, etc., are you?

I think you are suggesting that MW should not be a pro golfer at all, or at least not a highly successful one. But that was the Wie's decision, not ours. I think their decision was a good one. You seem to be saying that you "know better" than BJ, what is in Michelle's best interest. I respectfully disagree.

I am not suggesting that I know Michelle's well being better than her parents. However a third party can often look at a child or teenage prodigy objectively while parents of such kids are usually extremely subjective in their view of their child. They are rarely objective about their own kids. Ghet, I can tell by the first sentence of your post that you have never had a young adult daughter. A parent has to welcome ANY guy she chooses or say goodbye to her. I know this by experience. The fact that she might have to fight off hustlers and con men is proof that she shouldn't be in as deep as her parents have put her. Too late to do anything about that now. They have already signed away a lot of their rights to the agency. Sure she should be a pro golfer but it would have been better to wait for her to finish HS. And her trying to compete with the men is nothing more than a sideshow and a money making scheme. It is clear that she won't ever be able to play on a men's tour with any success and that might hurt her self esteem also.

John Z - You're saying you're being objective in your view? You've made many accusations towards Michelle's parents that don't sound very objective to me. You can be objective when you know the true facts, not when you make your own assumptions as to how things have transpired. Is it possible that her parents have her future and financial security foremost in their minds instead of their own? Without knowing them personally, I think you should keep your "objective" opinions to yourself.

John Z is mixing apples and oranges.

Plenty of young men have learned the family business from their fathers. But I would rather hire a plumber who was certified as qualified by someone other than a family member.


In gymnastics I would trust the assessment of Bela Karolyi over that of a young girl's parents as far as her talent and potential is concerned. But I would trust her parents to be more concerned about her welfare than Bela.

Ron, Go back and read a little more carefully. I never said anywhere that I was being objective about the Wie family, nor am I being subjective. No one posting here is close enough to the Wie's to make anything but casual observations. What I wrote was that a third party can often be objective about a child whereas the parents can't help but be subjective. By the way, Ron, "true" facts are the only kind there are. If it's not true it isn't a fact. If everyone who didn't personally know the subjects of these blogs kept his or her opinions to himself, we wouldn't have much on this message board, would we Ron.

Jim C, I think that mixing apples and oranges is better than mixing plumbers and gymnasts.:-)

The main point here is that Michelle's most trusted business allies will always be BJ and Bo. MW's income potential in the net decade alone is likely in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Think the sharks aren't circling?

Ghet Rheel, I think you may have overestimated Miss Wie's earnings in the next decade by a considerable sum. Only time will tell. The amount you quoted was HUNDREDS of millions in the next ten years. At least two hundred million? Maybe. But I doubt it. What is your reasoning for stating such a high number? Remember BJ has said he wants Michelle to graduate from college and go on to a Masters and PHD. Those things alone will require seven or eight years. I can't see Nike and Sony paying out even greater amounts to the Wie machine if she doesn't do a lot of winning. And I don't see how she will find time if she follows BJ's wishes.

Two hundred million was hundreds of millions when I went to school. It is one-hundred-million more than only one-hundred-million.

Better than a poke in the eye with a rusty fork, as the old saying goes.

Tried,

You sound like a jealous parent and I assume from Hawaii.

When it all comes down to it, Michelle does what she does best,and the media is what has put her where she is, no one else. As to your reference to Michelle dropping out of the tournament from heat exhaustion and your reference to Venus Williams, once she became rich, how many times has she or her sister withdrew from tournaments and most peoples eyes rolled as to there really being an injury. So, I'd say how a person is raised has more to do with how they act as an adult and not where they were raised. I think we will still have to wait to see how things turn out with Michelle in all aspects. The last time I checked nobody has yet been able to tell the future, only try and predict it.

As to Michelle's ranking, she has nothing to do with it except play golf. The rest is determined by math. So, I think anyone on the list accepts their place and will respond to the media when asked, because all they are doing is accepting the ranking of how they play golf according to a math formula.

PS As to school, at least she still goes and isn't being tutored just so she can make money as a pro golfer, as many tennis players do.

Kimberly Kim, age 14 won the US Women's Amateur Championship - I don't think Michelle Wie could have putted and held together like this young lady did.

http://msn.foxsports.com/golf/story/5854730

So long Ghet. I wish I could say it's been nice blogging with you.

Tennis is harder than Golf >

As a LPGA caddy for many years, that knows all concerned very well, I would like to point out the real differences between Wie/Johnston and Creamer/Cann.

1. Colin Cann quit Se Ri Pak in the off season allowing Se Ri 2 months to find a replacement. Wies gave Johnston an ultimatum (which he unfortunately now regrets accepting)prior to Samsung that left Inkster without a caddy for the remainder of the season.

2. Colin Cann was going to leave SeRi Pak and wanted badly to caddy for Paula and approached the Creamers. Creamers did not seek out Cann. After agreeing to terms it was the Creamers that decided to confidentially keep it quiet for several weeks allowing SeRi to get a new caddy and be ready to face the media upon her return to the US. A very nice gesture on their part, that any Hall of Famer would appreciate, considering the media interest in who would be caddying for Paula her rookie year. Almost all of us wanted that job (and still do)and Colin was a very good choice by the Creamers.

3. SeRi did not find out via the newspapers or second hand. Colin called her directly and still has a good relationship with SeRi today.
That is not to say it did not hurt to have your caddy leave you for a player that had yet to play an event as a professional.

As you can see the differences are considerable. The fact that Ross Berlin was dispatched to fire Gregg is not very professional on the Wies front. I would assume if my boss were to fire me, she would directly discuss it with me.

As for Inkster, she should not have ever expected a call from the Wies. No player on tour would expect such a call.

John Z,

Thanks for admitting that you weren't referring to yourself, even though the implication was there. Your problem is that you express your opinions about Michelle and her parents like they are facts, when you really don't have a clue. Statements like "that kid never had a childhood or an adolescence." How would you know that? Were you there to witness how miserable she must have been? If you are not a Wie basher as you say, why is it that you have nothing but negative things to say about her and her parents? Yeah, it's easy to say that you wouldn't do the same thing, but I don't think you have a teenage daughter with a talent never before seen at that age, who does great at school, has a good chance to make history, and, gets offered 10 million dollars to represent two of the most well known brand names in the world. Michelle's time is now. They've made the decision to go for it, and the fact that she has a sports psychologist, still attends high school, and appears to be a quite normal teenager, somehow paints a different picture of her and her parents as I and many people see it. Time will tell how all of this will affect Michelle. If you cared about her well being as much as you say, you wouldn't be bashing her parents and criticizing every decision that has been made regarding her career. Michelle can read, you know?

caddy:

During your "many years" of caddying did it ever occur to you that late October, the time of the Samsung tournament, is at the end of the season—thus giving poor Ms. Inkster ample time to replace her.

Your credibility is approaching zero so please save your bull for elsewhere. If you were a real "caddy" you would know that the DQ and recent penalty in less than a dozen events were inexcusable breaches and represents an unforgivable complete failure to communicate between player and caddy at best; more likely its representative of a relationship in serious need of immediate termination.

His pre-termination comments to the British tabloid press that he "warned" her beforehand of the moss were simply the last straw. Caddies are not allowed to make news and certainly not allowed to publicly blame their employer.

As several here attempt to ridicule Michelle and her parents for doing this wrong, acting this way, etc., they are laughing all the way to the bank— and deservedly so. There is no one paradigm for budding superstars and the path they chose has paid off quite handsomely. Wish it was me.

Given that the true measure of success of a professional is money earned, Michelle, Inc. is the number one woman golfer in the world, by far. Get used to it.

Jealousy is a powerful motivator and it manifests its ugly self in all phases of life. Problem is it may lead to fanatic behavior ala the Monica Seles incident. Lets all hope no one here is that disturbed. Some of these comments, by both visitors and "members" raise serious concerns at times.

BTW, based on the amazing sales of Nike golf gear for woman (psst take your head ouot of your ass and look around you), don't be surprised when the next contract is doubled or even tripled. Jeesh, what a miserable failure.

For an earlier "commentator": if Michelle had chosen Rolex instead of Omega do you think the formula wouold have changed? Doubt it.

Stephen

At this year's US Women's Opem Kimberley Kim finished 23 shots behind Michelle Wie. Kim was one of 4 amateurs to make the cut. Even the low amatuers were 7 shots back of Wie. I doubt that there are any amateurs who are even close to Michelle.

******
Comment from: pelesfire [Visitor]
caddy:

During your "many years" of caddying did it ever occur to you that late October, the time of the Samsung tournament, is at the end of the season—thus giving poor Ms. Inkster ample time to replace her.
*****

Umm, wasn't Caddy talking about the timing of the Team Creamer hiring Colin Cann? Regarding the off season, that reference was not to when Juli Inkster's caddy departed.

Plus, the real issue is the discourteous manner in which Team Wie notified Johnston that he had been dumped. Not whether he should have been dumped or not. But how Johnston got dumped by Team Wie.

In contrast, it sounds as if Team Creamer had the courtesy to handle things directly, rather than through a flack.

Comment from: pelesfire [Visitor]
[regarding Johnston's firing]
"His pre-termination comments to the British tabloid press that he "warned" her beforehand of the moss were simply the last straw. Caddies are not allowed to make news and certainly not allowed to publicly blame their employer."

Right on the money, Pelesfire. Going public and going solo is a sure-fire way to get canned in any high-profile setting.

Further, Wm. Morris is essentially a management company. Most talent management contracts contain a clause regarding whose responsiblity the firing of staff falls to. In all liklihood, Wm. Morris has that task by contract. Firings can be volitle. Far better that there is a month of messy press than years of costly litigation over this firing.

Johnston fell off his "high ethical horse" when he said "I warned her" to the press. Michelle, to her great credit, never even hinted at blaming her caddie. He stepped way out of his "job description" when he betrayed his player to the press. He got far better than he deserved in my opinion. He's a second-rate caddie who got a great long ride with Inkster. When he dumped Inkster, he blamed the Wie's "ultimatum". Bullcrap. He wasn't under house arrest. If he didn't like the terms, he should have walked. I am soooooo glad he's gone.

You guys just don't know enough about Korean culture and how Korean children are raised. Surely Michell Wie is born in US and is an American but Korean value system runs deep in her blood. Korean parents are brutal when it comes to success and failure. I am sure money is the last thing in their mind. As a Korean myself, I don't see anything wrong with how Michell's parent was raising, pushing, caring for her. As a student, my parents pushed me real hard to study well. Believe it or not, I studied like 12-16 hours a day when I was in highschool. The only time I didn't study was when I was eating or sleeping like only 6 hours a day. That work ethics made me who I am now and I never regret I was pushed by my parents. My parents wanted me to succeed and I am sure Michell's parents want her to succeed for whatever she is doing, which is golf. I live in US now and when I have my own children, I am sure I will raise them like Michell's parents or my parents so that they can push to their limit and work their ass off.

Yes, Koreans, being pagans, would have very worldly values and would places inordinate emphasis on worldly success. So, I agree with your assessment.

Comment from: pelesfire [Visitor]
[regarding Johnston's firing]
"His pre-termination comments to the British tabloid press that he "warned" her beforehand of the moss were simply the last straw. Caddies are not allowed to make news and certainly not allowed to publicly blame their employer."

Never seen that quote, is there a link somewhere? And if that is the case, seems like the Wies, WM, et al should have came right out as to why the caddie was canned. This is certainly more credible than the "maturation process" bs that they put forth. The timing was bad as well, they could have waited a while. WM doesn't not seem to have good pr sense, maybe they should be fired as well.

This is so amusing. I guess there is just this human nature of envy and jealousy towards other's fortune and fame. I just don't understand why people can't be happy for a 16 year old girl who has great talent. Even if she got 'more endorsement that she deserves', would anyone be so bad mouthing her if she was their, say, sister ? I don't think so.

One should watch Willy Wonka DVD again and learn from the wise Umppa-Lumppas on how being nice to others will give you happiness.

Thank you, Jay. Nice ending to all this redundancy.

titipas, When you were stugying those 16 hours a day, and sleeping those 6, you must not have learned much arithmetic.Those two activities alone took up 22 hours. A day only has 24 hours. Do you want to adjust those figures? I'm glad you gave the option of "believe it or not."

Comment from: titipas [Visitor]
titipas

Thanks for sharing your insights into Korean and Korean-American values. You will always know that you have made a strong point on this site when Alex and his imaginary friends hurl insults at you.

The vast majority of the people who frequent this site are thoughtful and intellegent (with some obvious exceptions). Hope you will continue to post your perspective on things.

pelesfire

Oh righteous one. I never expressed an opinion as to whether I think the Wie's should have fired Johnston. I was merely providing the general differences between the two situations that people are trying to compare. As a matter of fact, Johnston did not stop working for Inkster at Sumsung (which is not the end of the season with 4 events remaining in 2005) as you expressed. He actually stopped working for Juli weeks before Samsung as a result of deciding to caddy for Wie after the ultimatum was given to him by BJ. Wie's should not be held responsible for this decision, he had his choice and picked. 12 years on Juli's bag did not overcome the lure of more money and he departed after Solheim.

You seem to speak of things you have no facts about. Oh to be so smart and righteous. You must be a special person.

As I previously said, Inkster should not have expected such a call, and IMO Ross Berlin should not have been dispatched to do the dirty work. I would have expected and most players on tour would expect for the player or family in the young ones cases, to speak directly with the caddy. However, they are entitled to handle it anyway they see fit. I thought BJ would have had the guts and courtesy to have spoken to Johnston directly.

Obviously your defensiveness made you miss the entire point of my prior post. The two caddy changes were handled differently to put it mildly.

As for your deregatory comments, I will only say, my more than 14 years of caddying gives me much more credibility on the happenings on tour than you will ever have. Good luck and thanks for the compliments.



George

Thanks for pointing out the obvious. Sometimes peoples agendas get in the way of what they read and how they act. pelesfire has no clue of the actual situations.

I always find it amusing reading message posts that make a personal attack towards another poster. This is as anonymous as a message post can be. but for all those who feel the need to insult, why not be absurb... All those who hate Michelle Wie are thoughtless know-it-alls who selfishly fingerpoint a truly amazing young talent for self-gratification. Maybe mommy didn't hug you enough. All those who support Michelle Wie are closet pedophiles who for some odd reason cannot possibly believe that a 16 year old could be immature. Stop staring at those legs you sicko. please stick to the topics.

Caddy

Have you ever carried a bag for a golfer who had a contract with William Morris? Wm. Morris has been in business 100+ years. Their contracts are legendary for detail. While I haven't seen the Wie's contract, I have seen a number of management contracts where firing of staff was strictly specified as being the duty of the mgt. company.

This is not a frivilous consideration. Firings can be volatile situations. The Wie's have substantial financial resposibilities to their backers. If Wm Morris had permitted the Wie's to fire Johnston. Nike may have been looking for a new management group to handle such affairs.

"Team Wie" is not "Team Gove". Team Wie is a well managed group, and individual members have specific duties. If Team Wie weren't a polished marketing effort, grown men and women would not be spending untold hours blogging about them. Enjoy the parade.

Caddy

One more condieration. Wie like Woods is a big league "Rain Maker". Consider the following quote from a Fortune Magazine article:

"Its TV audience was over two million viewers, up 54% from the year before. "That's huge. That's a Tiger rating," says Kevin Landy, a TV producer for USA Network, which broadcast the event."

Event sponsors and TV producers are charged with finding TV fare that viewers will watch, and which will finish "in the black". The average golfing event barely breaks even. When Wie brings a 54% increase in viewership, she turns a "break even" deal into a 5 to 10 million dollar net profit. That kind of revenue means purses can be increased, sponsors get more exposure, endorsements increase. the hot dog lady sells more inventory, etc. and etc.

To Alex:

Open your eyes to what is really going in the world! Sure puts the fluff about Michelle in perspective - One Putt has a point. Syria and Iran signed a Mutual Defense Pact on June 15, 2006.
Russia is moving to protect Syria and its Shehab missile bases. They have also dredged the port of Tartus for a permanent naval (read: Russian) base.
In February this year, the Russian Missile Cruiser, and the AZOV, a landing ship, paid an official call to Latakia.
In March, this year, A Russian Task Force arrived at Tartus. There are missile emplacements, operated by Russian military - missiles which are more effective defensive missiles than the Patriot - can be operational in 5 minutes.
Putin is masterfully concealing what his long-range plans are. Therefore Syria and Iran are not afraid to support Hezobollah, because RUSSIA GUARANTEES THEIR PROTECTION. And one guess as to where nuclear expertize and material is coming from?

WAKE UP WORLD. THIS IS WHAT MATTERS RIGHT NOW.
P.S. Michelle should have known the Rules - she's supposed to be a pro.

This is what DEBKA-News-Weekly reported:
“Our sources have observed the Russians dredging the port of TARTUS, Syria’s second most important Mediterranean port, with a view to expanding their logistical supply point there to a fully-equipped naval base, possibly to serve the Black Sea Fleet warships when they are redeployed from the Ukrainian port of Sevastopol. It is designed to be built up into the permanent base for the fleet led by the RFS Moskva (TG Flag) missile cruiser and the RFS Azov landing ship within the next three years.
“February 27, 2006, DEBKA file’s exclusive sources found the MOSKVA and AZOV heading into the Mediterranean on Feb. 5, escorted by a Russian military tug, to take part in the a NATO marine exercise Operation Active Endeavor, which was to practice counter-measures against nuclear and other WMD smugglers. NATO chiefs and American generals in particular, attached great importance to Russia’s participation in the exercise. NATO secretary Jaap de Hoop Scheffer had intended to make the gesture of being the North Atlantic Organization chief to visit a Russian flagship.
“The visit was cancelled when it was discovered that the three Russian fleet vessels would be paying an official call at the Syrian port of Latakia.”The arrival of the Russian task force in TARTUS in March marked the opening of the Russian base. Our military experts note that the Missile Cruiser MOSKVA is armed with the weapons, radar and electronic gear of an [aircraft] carrier hunter.
“The American intelligence briefing for the US President further disclosed that sophisticated Russian air defense systems are to be installed for the dual purpose of protecting the TARTUS NAVAL BASE and the SHEHAB-3 missile emplacements. DEBKA-Net-Weekly’s military sources identify the system as the S-300PMU-2. It will be operated by Russian military crews and not put in Syrian hands.
“This air defense system is comparable to the American Patriot, but is more effective.”The version to be deployed in Syria is geared to intercept ballistic missiles. It has the great advantage of being ready to fire five minutes after receiving orders …”

Looks like one of Alex's pal's switched the blog topic there for a second, so I'll repeat from above:


One more consideration. Wie like Woods is a big league "Rain Maker". Consider the following quote from a Fortune Magazine article:

"Its TV audience was over two million viewers, up 54% from the year before. "That's huge. That's a Tiger rating," says Kevin Landy, a TV producer for USA Network, which broadcast the event."

Event sponsors and TV producers are charged with finding TV fare that viewers will watch, and which will finish "in the black". The average golfing event barely breaks even. When Wie brings a 54% increase in viewership, she turns a "break even" deal into a 5 to 10 million dollar net profit. That kind of revenue means purses can be increased, sponsors get more exposure, endorsements increase. the hot dog lady sells more inventory, etc. and etc.

PS I think Michelle knows the rule now as does Johnston.

Ghet Real

Wm Morris has never had a contract with a golfer on the LPGA tour (or any tour) in the past for me, you, them, or anyone else for that matter to read as you suggested. This is not Hollywood (which is WM expertise) but Professional Golf. Maybe that is part of the problem in the Wie camp, lack of sports knowledge. They hired Ross Berlin to bring some golf expertise into the company as they have none of those 100 years you spoke of in the golf business.

You want to use your responses on off topics dribble. This conversation is not about ratings, increased anything else either. Simply pointing out the differnces in the two senarios and why the original poster of the topic should not try to compare the Johnston firing with Cann leaving to caddy for Creamer. One was handled with class the other was not IMO.

First, Michelle was disqualified for a bad drop at Samsung. Then she withdrew from the John Deere PGA event due to heat exhaustion. Then she was penalized two strokes at the British Open due to hitting a piece of moss on her backswing in the sandtrap. In each instance, the caddie had some responsibility for her penalty. At Samsung and the British Open, Greg Johnson talked to the press and made it clear he informed Michelle to be careful about the drop and about the moss in the sandtrap. He covered himself and saved his own face. But he left Michelle out to dry. This is one of the basic reasons why he was terminated as her caddie. The caddie is part of the team and should, if anything, cover for his golfer. They should refrain from saying anything that would embarass the golfer. Even when she was struck with heat exhaustion, the caddie should have helped her and warned her about taking liquids, solids, salt tablets, and whatever else is necessary to make sure she is not overtaken by heat. At the Samsung, the reason why Bamburger waited till the end of the tournament to file his complaint about Michelle's bad drop was because once she had finished her third round and signed her card, he missed his chance. If he had reported it then, she would have been disqualified and not be allowed to play on Sunday. Remember, there were many people from the public and press there to see her play. It did make more sense to let her finish her Sunday round before filing his complaint with the officials. This way, at least everybody got to see her play the full tournament.

Caddy

If it had really been important for Greg that he be notified by a member of the Wie family if he were to be dismissed, he could have made that request at the time the contract was written.

Suppose BJ had simply phoned Greg while he was eating with Ross Berlin and told Greg he was dismissed. Then Greg could have complained about the impersonal way in which it was handled--over the phone--instead of being told in person by Ross Berlin, with whom he was eating at the time.

I suspect BJ would have had no qualms about telling Greg he was dismissed either in person or over the phone--but the fact that Greg was eating with Ross at the time suggested a way in which Greg could be immediately notified with what seemed to BJ to involve a more personal touch.

Caddy

The operative word here is "Professional" golf. Without money it is "Amateur" golf. Money comes from TV. No ratings = no TV. The LPGA has found it more and more difficult to get any network time and is losing ground on cable networks.

Any caddy on any tour should know this elementary issue, i.e. what side your bread is buttered on. As to Wm. Morris - that was an astute choice on the part of team Wie. They recognize that sports is entertainment (as do most of the top PGA players). Wm Morris is doing fine for the Wie family.

Who fired the stiff? Who cares. They could have tarred and feathered him for all I care.

Once again ou seem to miss the point of my original post. I will say it again. The comparisons in earlier posts between Johnston/Wie and Cann/Creamer are not accurate. They were handled differently which is an understaement.

All the talk about revenue, ratings, etc has absolutely nothing to do with this topic. That is just good old fashion spin control and dribble. Save that rhetoric for someone that wants to discuss that.

If anyone thinks Berlin was eating lunch with Johnston and it was just convenient for him to chat with Johnston about being fired is really out to lunch. Nice spin but I am sure WM can make something up better than that one.

Comment from Alex:
titipas, When you were stugying those 16 hours a day, and sleeping those 6, you must not have learned much arithmetic.
_______________

Perhaps grammer policeman Alex would like to explain what stugying is.

Caddy,

It doesn't make the slightest bit of difference whether Michelle's father or her agent fired the caddie.

Comment from: John Z
There may be a young woman in her late teens or twenties with a young man in her life that would like her parents to be closely involved in her life but I've never seen her. Has anybody seen this young woman?
______________________________

John,
Tiger Woods would have had to deal with those issues also, and he has done okay.

Comment from: John Z [Visitor]
And her trying to compete with the men is nothing more than a sideshow and a money making scheme. It is clear that she won't ever be able to play on a men's tour with any success and that might hurt her self esteem also.
___________________________

Clear to who exactly?
It is merely your opinion.
Many of us think she has a very good chance of competiting well on the pga tour.

Comment from: Stephen [Visitor]
Kimberly Kim, age 14 won the US Women's Amateur Championship - I don't think Michelle Wie could have putted and held together like this young lady did.
_________________________

Kimberly Kim is not in the same league as Michelle Wie, and that was typlified by Kimberly being 23 shots behind Michelle, at the US Womens Open.

By the way, Michelle also putted much better than Kimberly.

Kimberley putting average: 31.75
Michelle putting average: 28.25

Caddy

You haven't answered why notification by the Wies of a dismissal was not put into the contract if that was such an important issue to Greg. Obviously this is not a matter that is usually covered by a contract when there is no contract, but in this case there was a contract.

Did anyone notice the classy way Lance Bennet handled his dismissal by Lorena Ochoa?

1) Greg was notified of his dismissal by Ross Berlin and not one of the Wies.

2) Greg compained to the press that he was not told of his dismissal by someone named Wie.

And the response to 2) has been a feeding frenzy of attacks in the press against Michelle Wie and her family.

Let me see if I can add something.
Greg Johnston: white male
Michelle Wie: Asian female.

Jim C

Thanks for pointing out the differences between methods of the caddies being released by Ochoa and Wie. Ochoa had the guts to tell Bennett directly. She did not have her brother, agent, or anyone else do it. Although Lance does not like the result he was confronted by Ochoa herself.

I could not have said it any better than you did. Thank you for pointing that out to everyone.

The Biggest difference in all of this is that the Wie's had the class to issue a press release that was kind to Johnston:

"Greg Johnston's hard work and dedication made him a great partner for Michelle, as he would be for any other golfer. His departure comes as part of Michelle's maturation as a golfer, part of which is learning from many different bright golf minds. We wish Greg the best, and are sure he will have a long and successful career."

Johnston, on the other hand, carped to the press, and hung his player out to dry, one more time.

Does Johnston think he'll ever get another high profile bag to carry after the way he dumped Inkster and sold out the Wie's?

Oh, and "Caddy" add me to the list of people who don't buy your "professional caddy" BS. Pah-leeeze

"Jealousy is a powerful motivator and it manifests its ugly self in all phases of life. Problem is it may lead to fanatic behavior ala the Monica Seles incident. Lets all hope no one here is that disturbed. Some of these comments, by both visitors and "members" raise serious concerns at times"

The man who stabbed Monica Seles was a Steffi Graff fan who was distraught that Monica and not Steffi was the number 1 player in the world, in essence he did this so that Steffi could win more tournaments. It would seem that Annika, Lorena and Karrie should be wary of the Wie fanatics, not the other way around. Wie never wins so she should be safe. The only people who display disturbing behavior bordering on fanticism with a stalkers twist are her fans. I worry not about those who criticize, but those who are so quick to defend her. I see a lot of "white knight" behavior on this site and that is far more troubling than the random sexist jerk who questions any woman's right to play with men. The "white night" syndrome is common among stalkers, jealous boyfriends and even murderers--they are in love with the person and believe(delusionally) that if they can run to that persons defense that love will be reciprocated. Brush off her detractors, but fear her hardcore fans.

Get Real

Nice try.

Ford

Would it not make more sense (under the premise of your arguement) that individuals who do not support Ms. Wie, yet spend inordiate amounts of time in verbal attacks against, her better fit the "Selas Stalker" profile? I doubt many Wie supporters would "camp out" on a blog that discussed Annika or Se Ri and log a steady stream of negative verbage against them, or against any other golfer male or female.

So, the everlasting Wie Bashers seem like normal folks to you? I think you're full of beans on this one, Ford, old boy.

From "Outside the Beltway" 3-3-06:

Richard Edelman responds:
"We encourage all our clients to reach out to the blogosphere. It should be part of any smart communications program. We also encourage our clients to blog themselves. Blogs are often a more effective way for companies to have a conversation with their audiences that is dynamic, personalized, two way and prominently displayed in search. Of course we give information to bloggers, just as PR people for generations have done with print media, and I’m a little surprised that the print and broadcast media are surprised.

Bloggers can take care of themselves in this evolving world. They should be careful to disclose receipt of product samples, membership on advisory boards or any other financial consideration that might affect their impartiality. They, just like journalists, do not need to disclose their sources, but they should attribute specific content to a company or another blogger if used verbatim."

Somehow seemed appropiate, given the recent string of comments - GR

Get Real: You're exactly the kind of blogger who would be dangerous if you weren't so laughable, and easily recognizable. Thanks for the little journalism lesson, even if it's wrong.

"They, like journalists, do not need to disclose their sources, but they should attribute specific content to a company or another blogger if used verbatim."

First of all -- Jesus, this gets tiring going all over this again -- journalists should always disclose their sources, except in those rare cases when the source MUST remain anonymous.

Secondly, journalists should always attribute information they got from another soruce, not just the "verbatim."

This is what's wrong with bloggers mistakenly calling themselves journalists. About one half of one percent of all the millions of bloggers are journalists. The rest are wannabes, like yourself.

Now, I will agree that your spin about the Wie's "class" in issuing a press release about Johnston's firing is classic. It just isn't journalism. Are you any relation to Karl Rove?

Tim,

I find it somehow endearing (though clearly pathetic) that, in your "profession", you don't know who Richard Edelman is. O.K., I'll do some Googling FOR you...

"Richard Edelman is the president and CEO of the world's largest independent public relations firm with 1900 employees in 43 offices worldwide."

Interviews, and articles about him, can be found in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Esqire Magazine, etc.

The bit on blogging/journalism was written by Edeleman. That's why the little quotation marks were around it.

I find it typical that you're quoting a PR flak on journalism.

I'm sure if you really were a journalist, you would know ALL the PR types. That's probably where you would get all your information from. I know a bunch like you. You'd fit right in.

I know exactly what the quotes imply. Are you saying you quoted this guy and now you're disowning them? You show an amazing lack of integrity, even for a blow-hard blogger/responder.

Hey, by the way, glad to hear you know how to hit the Google button. That makes you a real journalist.

FORD

Steffi Graf had already won the Grand Slam of tennis and spent years as the number one player in ladies tennis before her fan stabbed the much younger Monica Seles who had just overtaken her as number one.

The best recent golf analogy would be an Annika fan who might have attacked a young Karrie Webb when she took over the number one spot a few years ago.

Comment from Caddy:
Ochoa had the guts to tell Bennett directly. She did not have her brother, agent, or anyone else do it. Although Lance does not like the result he was confronted by Ochoa herself.
__________________________

Caddy,
Do you actually believe that a 16 year old child should have sacked a grown man herself? You need help and fast. Good news is their are people who can help you. The first step is to admit you have a problem. Admitting it on a blog would be good.

Jim,

Your comments about racism are a load of baloney and deserve no place on the blog.

People who don't like Michelle Wie are afraid of what a woman can do in what they perceived as a mens tour. They would be against her no matter what race she is.

Tim McDonald

Something about Edelman's statement put you in a tailspin. I doubt it was the standard platitudes about "journalism".

More likely it was this quote from Edelman that has you in a tizzy:
"Bloggers... ...should be careful to disclose receipt of product samples, membership on advisory boards or any other financial consideration that might affect their impartiality."

It is difficult to believe that any grown man would continually heap verbal abuse on an innocent child like Michelle Wie, unless there were "pieces of silver" provided in some unseemly bargain.

I suspect that most Wie supporters, like me, have never written a word on a blog before; but are so shocked and reviled by the treatment MW is receiving that they feel compelled to say something in support of her, and against the petty punks who attack her.

Tim, you and your cronies really should be ashamed of yourselves.

Johnny N

You comments to Caddy: " You need help and fast. Good news is that their are people who can help you. etc." are out of place.

As far as race is concerned, a few years ago Jan Stephenson said she thought the LPGA should have limits on the number of non-Americans on the tour and I don't believe the comment was in response to the number of Europeans or Australians on tour.

Jim,
I like most of your comments in the blogs, but the racism card is one that is overplayed.

Your original comments were to why Wie was attacked in the press and not Ochoa. The simple reason is that the vast majoity of people couldn't care less what Lorena does.

It's just about fame. Lorena Ochoa doesn't have the ability to sell papers the way Michelle Wie does.

Take the example of a blog. If a blog was made about Lorena Ochoa, how many responses would there be?

"So, the everlasting Wie Bashers seem like normal folks to you? I think you're full of beans on this one, Ford, old boy."

When compared to Wie fans threatening lawsuits, calling those who disagree with them pedophiles and child abusers and something called "Operation Astroturf", yes I would say that by and large they seem quite harmless, a bit misguided perhaps, but ultimately harmless.

Johnny N


I rarely disagree with your views, but do in this case. I think if Lorena Ochoa had been attacked in the press and blogs in the way Michelle was, a similar reaction would have been elicited - particularly if Lorena had been 14, 15, or 16 years old at the time.

I also believe there is some racism in play here. Not from you, certainly, but from others on this blog. However, I would suggest to Jim C, that there is enough overt racism on these blogs to deal with, that implied or suspected racism could be put on the back burner.

Get Real, yeah that's it. I'm getting paid to bad-mouth Michelle Wie.

It'sometimes said that people who respond to blogs are a tiny percentage of the general reading population. It makes me wonder how many other real nut cases are out there.

Here's hoping you continue your noble quest to defend the honor of all the "innocent children."

You should go back and read some of the more astute responses from more enlightened people who describe the motivations of people like yourself, i.e. the White Knight syndrome, etc.

Who's your daddy?

Ghet a life?

oops, sorry 'bout that :P

Tim
"Get Real, yeah that's it. I'm getting paid to bad-mouth Michelle Wie."
I'd call that a sarcastic admission - a non-denial

As to Ford and his attempt to cast Wie-Supporters as White Knights... there are worse epithets. As to his tortured extrapolation thereafter, please remember this "White Knight" comment comes from the same character who said the following On 2006-08-02 at 13:17 in Baldwin's blog:

Ford's comment:
"If I were comment on Michelle's gawky appearence, her unusually small mouth, her tendency to dress like a teen hooker or her verbal skills, which make her sound like a stuttering and stammering child giving a book report then you would have a point."

My response:
"Most of the world finds Michelle to be attractive, intelligent, graceful and articulate. She is fluent in English and Korean, and conversant in Japanese and Chinese. If you think you've "covered" yourself by saying "If I were to comment...", then you are only fooling yourself - no one else.

Yes, it is my opinion that you have committed verbal abuse against a child in a public forum. Call it what you like. I think it is child abuse"

Tim
You ended your latest abusive rant with this bit of idiocy:
"Your cute young Michelle is turning out to be quite vicious, isn't she?" What was your high-minded journalistic rationale for that obvious falsehood?

Tim, if you and Ford actually believe such comments are anything but reprehensible, try saying such things, nice and loud, to any 16 yr. old girl in a public gathering where adult men and women can hear you. Let me know how that works out for you.

This may add a bit of badly-needed "journalistc balance' to McDonald's rant-fest:

Golf: US star inspires title win for Wild
David Birtill, Manchester Evening News.

"CHARLOTTE Wild won the Northern Girls' Championship at her home club Mere after being inspired by American teenage sensation Michelle Wie.

The four-handicapper's big day came when she played a couple of holes with the World No 2 at Wentworth last week.

Charlotte… like Michelle, is 16. "I was nervous because there were also a lot of people there but I played well. Michelle was very nice, spoke with a lot of confidence and gave me plenty of encouragement.

"She asked me about school and I told her that I had already left Lymm High and that I was going to the United States in October to work on my game for six weeks, then returning there for the same amount of time after Christmas to work."

Sounds like a couple of exceptional teens enjoying each other's company - kinda like Michelle and Kimberly Kim at the Women's British Open. C'mon Tim, enlighten us with the "Dark Side of This Story"... Something, you know, Real Vicious!!

You're so irrelevant and stupid, it's depressing. In fact, I feel stupid for even interacting with you. I'll try not to let it happen again.

Let me make sure I've got this right. You get to call me a Big Stupidhead or Little Stupidhead (either way, whatever), AND you're stupid (or just feel that way, again, whatever), AND you're going to take your ball and go home...?

Hey, yeah, works for me!

take ball and go home?

**confused**

[Member] [Visitor]

?
(º_º)

Who's blog is this?

Tim, I disagree with a lot of what you say and I'm sure that you don't believe everything that I have posted. But you never have acuused me or anyone else of being racist, child abuser, or any of the other nonsense that Ghet SurRheel regularly spouts. With the sheer number of asinine posts he makes here (and no doubt elsewhere) he probably doesn't have much of a life OR a livelihood. I think he is a misguided, professional student not yet 30 years old, but with a mental and emotional age of about 18. He likes to name-drop and act like he is well-educated but he never states his credentials because he has none. He has made many mistakes as to chronology in his incessant blogs. But since this is a public forum, I'll just sit back and enjoy the humor of his irrelevancy and stupidity.

Credentials?

When has Alex posted any credentials? He's made a claim to being an attorney. I put as much faith in that claim as "Caddy's" claim to professional caddying experience. Alex - what's your name? What law firm are you with? When you're ready to share that info, we'll talk about credentials.

Alex, if you keep denying making racial slurs, I'll keep reminding you of things you said. Stop denying them, or make a sincere apology, and I may stop posting them:
On 08/09/06 at 09:21, regarding BJ Wie, you wrote:
"Does he still work in his field, or does he manage Bubbles' career exclusively? Did he just crawl out of a bomb crater at Inchon? Or does he just refuse to adopt US customs and mores?"

On 08/09/06 at 22:08 you wrote:
"How about the one at the Chinese laundry. You know, "no tickee, no washee."

On 08/10/06 at 15:39 you wrote:
"One-Putt, Did the elderly Korean gentleman who delivered that stirring bit of prose speak in Korean or English? Is it verbatim or a loose translation? If it's the former, he speaks the absolute best English of any Asian person in history. If it's the latter, you have a greater ability in Korean to English translation and interpretation than 99.9% of Asian scholars in this country."

I am not Asian, but some of my family is. They, and I, find the above comments to be racially insensitive at best, and quite possibly overtly and intentionally racist.

Alex, I think your constant carping against MW is abusive, and MW is a child. Do the math.

Mr.(or Ms.) Gheet always sounds so upset.

I think visiting this site is causing him (or her) alot of stress.

Maybe it's time to go outside and get some fresh air.

perhaps a visit to some Michelle Wie positive-reinforcement sites would be good for the ol' blood preasure.

With a few quick keystrokes in Google...

Ah! I would reccomend:

www.missmichellewie.com

www.wieblog.com

here's some good pictures of Michelle:
golf.about.com/cs/michellewie/a/michellewiepics.htm

there, now we can all feel better :)

oops.. i misspelled "pressure"

Still never got a straight answer from McDonald on the "payola" question at issue in the Edelman quote:

"Bloggers... ...should be careful to disclose receipt of product samples, membership on advisory boards or any other financial consideration that might affect their impartiality."

Alex, true we've disagreed in the past, but I agree with you about Get Real.

There are a lot of smart people who respond to these blogs and I enjoy reading their comments, even though they don't always agree with me. Some of them even make me occasionally re-think my positions.

Those are the ones I like to interact with.

When it comes to Michelle Wie, what have Alex and McDonald ever disagreed about - with the exception of racial slurs, I've never seen any racial slurs from McDonald. Otherwise, they are two peas in a pod. Alex supports Tim. Tim supports Alex. What's new.

Ghet Rheel

I too have raised the issue of racism directed at the Wies a couple of times. There were some people who expressed that opinion very strongly last year--but among the regulars here there is little support for that viewpoint even among Wie sipporters it would seem. Just rest assured that there are people who agree with you--but most of them don't want to have anything to do with a site like this.

Johnny N, A while back on this thread, you said that many people, presumably Wie Warriors, were of the opinion that Bubbles could conceivably get on the PGA tour and compete successfully with the world's best male players. I have two questions with regard to that supposition. 1)In light of the fact that she has never made a cut on an American men's tour in several attempts (she did make a cut and finished about 30th in a weather-shortened 54 hole event in Korea), how could she ever get on the PGA circuit and compete successfully against the pro's on the PGA tour? Sponsor's exemptions? "Q" school? How?2)When, in your educated opinion, will this remarkable transformation occur?

Jim C

Thank you for your comment. I wonder if TravelGolf has a written policy on racist comments. I note that many large golf communities pay advertising revenue to Travelgolf. I also know that these golf communities purport to welcome golfing tourism dollars from around the world. There needs to be a heightened awareness from top management.

"Alex, if you keep denying making racial slurs, I'll keep reminding you of things you said. Stop denying them, or make a sincere apology, and I may stop posting them:"

Does this not hold true for me? I have never made any racial slurs, or attacked Michelle on the basis of her age, gender or culture, yet I make one flip comment, which I apologized profusely for and yet you continue to use it as a way to discredit my thoughts and opinions.

Ghet Rheel--I doubt seriously any of us would want to be remembered or judged for our worst moments or in this case comments. Not trying to be mean, but you sound like a lunatic in your blogs. A stark raving mad lunatic who lives in his parents basement, with only the light from a lone bulb dangling overhead to illuminate you're walls covered with Michelle Wie pictures and newspaper clippings. You're combination of pseudo-legal speak and paranoid delusional rantings about covert PR plans to destroy Michelle are truly scary. I know it is easy for you to believe that anybody who does not share your love for all things Michelle is an evil person, but that simply isn't the case. This website sadly has become less about Travel and Golf and has become all about Michelle Wie, more specifically the ongoing war between her fans and her detractors. This is a real shame. I have been coming to this site for a number of years and have gotten help for everything from planning golf excurions to dining options, but because I have the audacity to question the career path and future of a teen golfer I have been branded a pedophile and a child abuser by some serial killer in training, well, enough. Count me as another in the long line of people to sign off from these blogs. Ghet Rheel have a nice life. Do me one favor...When they finally catch you and are carting you away in handcuffs for whatever horrible crimes you have been committing give me a signal of some sort will you. I want to be able to tell people that I knew you when.

Alex,
I have two questions with regard to that supposition. 1)In light of the fact that she has never made a cut on an American men's tour in several attempts (she did make a cut and finished about 30th in a weather-shortened 54 hole event in Korea), how could she ever get on the PGA circuit and compete successfully against the pro's on the PGA tour? Sponsor's exemptions? "Q" school? How?2)When, in your educated opinion, will this remarkable transformation occur?
_________________________

For question 1:
- your stats are correct in that she hasn't made a cut on the pga tour. However she has come very close between the ages of 14 and 16, and that is very impressive.
There are very few golfers of 16 who could break 80 on a pga course setup.

Also, in comparison to Tiger, who had his first attempts on the pga tour, at 16, 17 and 18, when he tried 7 times to make the cut and didn't get close to a cut, she has done much better.

As regards, the question, how can she get on tour,
- sponsors exemptions, yes she will likely continue to take sponsors exemptions, but that's more for experience rather than a qualification method. Tiger Woods qualified through that method, but he is Tiger Woods.
I would expect that she would qualify for the pga tour in the same way as most other pros do it.

That is via q-school. It might take a few tries, and all the while, she should be building pga experience with sponsors exemptions.

Question 2: When?
I expect her to make her first attempt to qualify through q-school at 20 years of age. I expect her to gain her tour card at about 23-28 years of age for the pga tour.

All that is just an opinion.
I base her ability to improve on what my brother says. He is a golf expert.
I had concerns about whether a woman would be able to compete with men due to the strength factor, but he assured me that the weaker points of her game have nothing to do with physical strength.

Jim commented:
I preferred to hint that maybe Caddy was sexist/racist while you virtually called himn a mental case.
____

Caddy's comments that a 16 year old should fire her 40+ year old caddie suggested that he did need help. That isn't an insult or an attack, it is simply a piece of advice, and pretty good advice at that. Suggesting a racist element is something that is sinister, whereas being nice enough to suggest that someone should seek the help they obviously need is actually a kind gesture.

Sorry if I accused you of overplaying the race card. Others mentioned it before and I was just stating that I don't like it being brought up so much.

Ford, you know, you can feel free to bypass these blogs and go straight to other things. I'm sure many others do.

We still have the same golf and travel content that we've always had, even more. The blogs are just an extra that people can take or leave.

For example, I'm getting ready to embark on a month-long trip to Pinehurst and Myrtle Beach. Then, it's Viet Nam in October and Kenya in November.

Should find some great stories...

Ford
I find some of the comments you make about Michelle to be abusive. That is my opinion. I doubt that there is a Children's Services Division in any state in the union who would disagree. Saying that a young girl "dresses like a teenage hooker" is not harmless language.

People commonly go on blogs to attempt to discredit other people for political or financial gain. This is a form of "astroturf" (phony grassroots opinion mongering). I posted a quote (above) from Richard Edelman (owns the world's largest PR firm) who freely admits that he encourages his Public Relations clients to become active bloggers to promote their PR issue - that is astroturf. Is it your contention that astroturf PR campaigns don't exist? That is delusional, Ford. Not the other way around.

Is Michelle being subjected to an astroturf campaign? Yes, it seems that way to me. You think not? You're entitled to your opinion, and I to mine.

In closing, you love to dish it out, Ford, but you just can't take it. Glad you're gone.

The mini-skirts that Michelle has taken to wearing are entirely innapropriate for a teenage girl who is marketed as a role model for young girls worldwide. You don't like the language I used to convey that point, too bad, facts are facts.

The only person who is engaging in any kind of PR campaign on this site is you Ghet Rheel. Your campaign to rid the world of Wie skeptics and "child abusers" is beyond holier than thou. You reak of hypocrisy and I will not leave until you are knocked off your little soapbox, bitch.

I would be very interested to find out if GetReal has any other pseudonyms on this site. If you recall, some of the Wie Warriors were "outed" last year as being ONE guy (or a bunch of people using the same computer, one after the other).

Ford

Back already? Whatever... kinda ruined your drama queen departure though. I had this vision of you tossing your hair wildly toward the audience and storming off... stage left.

And now you've returned, with renewed resolve... and with s-w-e-a-r w-o-r-d-s. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!!

Tim, This isn't even fun anymore. I think I'll follow Ford's lead and leave these blogs to Ghet Rheel until he doesn't get any more comments and slinks back to his child pronography.

Off to a Klan meetin', are ya Bubula?

P.S. - Pronography - hmmmmm. The scientific study of pronouns?

Ghet Rheemed, I don't have the time or the inclination to document all your misspellings and misusages. Suffice it to say they are numerous. Yes, at last night's Klan meeting we on the Supreme Council discussed the direction of our agenda. We unanimously agreed that instead of persecuting people of different races and religions, we would in the future aggressively pursue and assault demented internet bloggers like you Ghet, with the express purpose of systematic elimination with extreme prejudice. Ghet, since you wear the title of Imperial Wizard Of Aggravated Stupidity, you will be the first to feel our wrath.

Alex is back. And back with a vicious threat. Duly noted. I will contact the appropriate athorities, just to be on record.

I have made CD copies of the various blogs that Alex vents, on and strongly suggest that other Wie supporters do the same.

too funny. alex, i think you and your dimwitted friends have finally met your match.

Paula Creamer could have won the pga championship. It is playing very short, the guys are only hitting irons off the tee and still reaching in short irons.

Paula could drive off the tee, because her driver is as accurate as the pga guys irons, and about the same length and then she could put her short irons in and she is a good putter.

Paula Creamer could have won the pga championship, only they didn't give her an exemption to play because they knew it.

Paula Creamer isn't as "cute" as Michelle Wie.

Paula Creamer isn't as "controversial" as Michelle Wie.

Consequently,

Paula Creamer cannot bring in the viewership nor as much media attention as Michelle Wie.

That means...

Paula Creamer cannot rake in the sponsorship $$$$ nor attract as much ticket sales as Michelle Wie.

So...

Event sponsors want Michelle Wie.

Now if they can only get Michelle Wie to stick it out to the end without bailing out...

Oh well... :)

Going back to the original issue...caddies, Ronnnie, my man, Creamer will never recapture the magic of her previous seasson, unless she gets rid of her tin can, Colin Cann. The man is a weasel, liable to turn on his player without a second thought. Creamer deserves better. Can Cann and Creamer will start contending again.

Creamer is a brilliant young player. Hadn't heard much about Cann. However, when a player with Creamer's talent is in an extended slump, a change of caddy makes a lot of sense. If he can't find another bag to carry quickly, then he's not much of a caddy.

Pelesfire made one of the most salient points that I've seen on these blogs:
"Given that the true measure of success of a professional is money earned, Michelle, Inc. is the number one woman golfer in the world, by far. Get used to it."

I would add that not only has she made more money this year than any woman in the history of the game; but she GENERATES more as well. The millions she brought into the John Deere is unprecedented by any but Tiger Woods. There's not a tourney sponsor in the pro game who isn't thinking warm fuzzy thoughts about MW's drawing power.

BJ may still be learning about pro golf. But so far as his bottom-line results go, they're, "as good as it gets".

BTW - I HEREBY STIPULATE TO THE FACT THAT MW HAS NOT YET WON AS A PRO.

Part of Michelle Wie's drawing power is her ability to draw criticism. The guy who confesed to killing Jon Bonet Ramsey seems to be getting more favorable press than Michelle Wie.

Right on Jim, good point!

Yes, would have to agree with you Jim. It makes you wonder if her team is doing anything to protect her valuable image. Nike, SONY, Wm. Morris, et al should be taking fast action. They may have a billion dollar baby here, and from a PR standpoint, they seem to be leaving her "outside in the rain".

pelesfire made his point that "the true measure of the success of a professional is money earned." Several other Wie fans seem to agree with him. Without arguing the point that it is debatable if the money Michelle received for endorsements from Nike and Sony was actually earned, if we were to take pelesfire's premise to a proper conclusion, then Britney Spears is a greater actress than Katherine Hepburn, Jimmy Swaggart is a greater religious figure than Jesus Christ, and Ice-T is a greater poet than William Shakespeare.

JZ

I think Christ rejected the whole money thing rather famously. But the others you mentioned all accepted payment. Spears is certainly a bigger pop singing star than Hepburn, and Ice-T is a far more accomplished gangsta rapper than the Bard, though something tells me Wm could have mastered the genre, had he tried.

My point is that pro golf is a "business". The LPGA seems to think it has some sort of "sacred endowed legacy". The LPGA is just another promoter vying for national TV time. If you can't generate viewers, you can't get the time - it is a very simple formula.

Until Wie arrived, the LPGA was a sinking ship. How much network time has the LPGA earned this year? MW is a big-time talent and a big-time (read phenomenal) draw. Bivens' and company's failure to embrace "Team Wie" may be the biggest business blunder in the history of professional golf.

BTW, Nike and Sony are thrilled with their association with MW. Nike and SONY are marketing geniuses. The LPGA? - not so much.

Ghet Rheel, According to pelesfire's theory, which you endorsed as salient, Edmond Popiel is a greater inventor than Thomas Edison, Nicola Tesla, Guglielmo Marconi, Igor Sikotsky, Eli Whitney, and the Wright Brothers combined.

Well, planes and eletricity and radio and things have probably generated thousands of times more revenue than kitchen gadgets, so pelesfire's theory holds up pretty well against that test.

Perhaps it is time to have Bo Wie caddy for Michelle. The most important consideration now is to have a caddy who will not attack the Wies when he/she is replaced. If Michelle is uncomfortable with BJ on the bag, perhaps Bo would be better--and I think we can assume that Bo won't attack anyone if she is replaced.

Ghet Rheel, That wasn't a very good or a very SALIENT reply :-) Jim C, I heard that BJ Wie doesn't want Michelle's caddie to read her putts or to chastize her when she makes mistakes. If these are true, it would seem that just about anybody with the strength to carry a bag and the ability to walk 18 holes would do.

John Z

You are right. BJ doesn't want the caddy to chastise Michelle when she makes mistakes.

Definition of chastise. To punish, especially by beating.

Johnston is an "Alpha" male. Michelle is and "Alpha" female. Michelle does not need a "boss man" on her bag. Michelle needs a highly competent assistant on her bag - someone who knows the game, gets the yardages right, knows the rulebook, doesn't create distractions, can read greens IF ASKED, etc. Michelle may have to try a few more caddies before she finds a keeper. It will be worth the time and effort.

Michelle Wie is in for alot of growing... And I'm sure she will do it at her own pace.

I'm sure leaving Mommy and Daddy will be a difficult phase, but it'll be for the better.

:)

(and yes, I'm sure Mommy and Daddy leaving the lime-light will be a difficult transition too)

I doubt Michelle will separate from her mother and father any more than Tiger separated from his. The Wie's, like the Woods', are a tight-knit family and are likely to remain as such.

I think, sooner or later, Michelle will agree with Tiger's comment that he made this weekend, "The older I get, the smarter all those things my father told me while I was growing up, seem to be."

Earl always remained somewhat in the limelight and BJ will probably also (not that the limelight has any allure once the novelty wears off).

just curious?

have you had any first hand experience with the Wie's?

Sorry, don't answer personal questions. BTW, What's your first-hand experience with the Wie family?

sorry to say i haven't had any first hand experience with the Wie's.

But I do have friends that work at Waialae Country Club and they've told me quite a few things.

Since it's hearsay at this point, I wont quote them.

But I didn't just wake up one morning with a dislike for the Wie's (or for anyone for that matter).

i just did a little web searching after they fired their caddy and stumbled on this site. :)

reading all the posts have been fun. :) people sure are opionated.

And this being a "personal" area for you... hmm.... :)

haha

well, I just find it all very interesting :)

And I'm sure there will be endless topics and controversies surrounding Michelle and Team Wie for years to come.

:)

"opinionated"

:P

opie-native

onion-ate'd

open-nated