TravelGolf.com
- Updated Daily |
Golf Search
-
Course ReviewsCourse GuideResort FeaturesTravel FeaturesGolf InstructionGolf PackagersReader Forums
The Daily Blog Archives
Tim McDonald   Tim McDonald
   a TravelGolf.com Blog
-
Blog Home | The Daily Blog | Worldwide Golf Blogs | Free Golf Podcasts

LPGA backs off on English requirement, sort of

Saturday September 6, 2008 | 07:30:10 205 words, 6053 views
Win a free golf book!

LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens isn’t stupid or racist or completely out of touch or jarringly, bone-headedly idiotic like many of you may believe.

Oh, she may be crazy all right. Crazy like a foxhound.

Here’s the model: You do something so stupid and outlandish, so ridiculously out of touch, that it can’t help but create a public firestorm of controversy.

Then, you back off, telling the world you’ve heard their “concerns” (there’s a euphemism for a near-lynching) and what’s left seems reasonable.

In this case, those LPGA players who don’t learn English by next year may face fines, not suspensions.

It’s a modified, but efficient form of the old bait and switch.

If she had come out initially and said those players who don’t learn English will be fined, she would have been hooted down like she was. Now, she gets what she wanted all along and people – at least those not as perceptive as you and I – will see her as a reasonable, compromising person.

I hope this is all true, because if not I fear the LPGA, which is loaded with some great players and personalities, is being run into the ground by a person who shouldn’t even be a secretary over there.


Comments:

Comment from: Ron Mon [Member] Email · http://www.buffalogolfer.com
Yo estoy very muy happy. Girl golf me trata very well.
Permalink 09/06/08 @ 07:39
Comment from: Kevin H. [Visitor]
I guess Bivens seen the right. It'll be a rong rong time before she try something so stupid without rooking into ramifications again. What a rooser!
Permalink 09/06/08 @ 12:12
Comment from: Superbigmac [Visitor]
I can’t believe that in the 21st century that a major sports organization would institute such a backwards, illegal and downright racist policy. The reasoning given for instituting such a policy was that players need to interact with the sponsors. The last time I checked, the LPGA has sponsors from multiple countries and plays in several countries as well. Does that mean all of the English speaking players need to learn how to speak Spanish to be able to schmooze with the Mexican sponsors at the Corona Championship? Do LPGA players need to speak French when they play in France at the Evian Masters? What contrived logic is this? Carolyn Bivens and the LPGA board are obviously racist. This is reminiscent of our shameful past of discrimination against African American baseball players and when we instituted literacy laws to prevent African Americans from voting. Wake up America!! We’re better than this. Just because our American players are not winning this year and keep losing to foreign players doesn’t mean we have to resort to cheating and discrimination to compete. I applaud State Farm in speaking up against this blatantly racist policy.
Permalink 09/06/08 @ 22:08
Comment from: Judge Smails [Visitor] Email
Superbigmac,

I wonder how many times you can work the word "racist" into a blog post. And the policy is obviously racist? You're obviously an idiot and a lowlife.
Permalink 09/06/08 @ 23:30
Comment from: Tom [Visitor] Email · http://TheBenHoganCollection.com
Any publicity is good publicity if you are a movie star. Somehow this policy just plain smells, even with the possible change to just a fine. Give it whatever label your vocabulary can justify but it does not pass the old 'gut check' test. The OUTCOME wanted can certainly be achieved in a more appropriate manner. Isn't there something about the various cultures and languages represented in the LPGA worth while? Why demean it?
Permalink 09/08/08 @ 13:33
Comment from: Kevin D [Visitor] Email · http://www.macalicomm.com
I fear you give the commissioner too much credit. As State Farm showed, she clearly overstepped her mandate, and looked very silly amongst golf and general sports fans. Hard to explain this proposed system to my friends outside golf.
Permalink 09/08/08 @ 13:34
Comment from: Judge Smails [Visitor] Email
The fact that so many of you find this policy unfathomable is a perfect illustration of why our civilization is doomed.
Permalink 09/10/08 @ 10:07
Comment from: Wendy (UK) [Visitor] Email
I can't see anyone saying the policy was unfathomable, Judge Smails, just ill-conceived. A big leap to the doom of civilisation either way?
Permalink 09/10/08 @ 14:54

Leave a comment:

Your email address will not be displayed on this site.
Your URL will be displayed.

Allowed XHTML tags: <p, ul, ol, li, dl, dt, dd, address, blockquote, ins, del, span, bdo, br, em, strong, dfn, code, samp, kdb, var, cite, abbr, acronym, q, sub, sup, tt, i, b, big, small>. Bloggers reserve the right to edit or delete comments. Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management.
(Line breaks become <br />)
(Set cookies for name, email and url)
(Allow users to contact you through a message form (your email will NOT be displayed.))
Grass is green. What color is grass?
-

Misc

The Golf Channel
Add GolfPublisher.com articles/headlines to your web site
Course Reviews | US Golf Guide | Resort Features | Travel Features | Golf Instruction | Golf Schools | Golf Packages | Free Vacation Quote

© Copyright 1997-2009, WorldGolf.com, LLC. For questions, comments or suggestions on any of our network publications, Contact Us!
Privacy Policy