Taylor Hicks fan angered by 'sexist' golf blog

(Feb. 1, 2007) - I am writing to complain about Chris Baldwin's blog entry entitled "Taylor Hicks' Soul Patrol of imbeciles no match for us Wie Warriors." I understand the facetious tone Mr. Baldwin was attempting to create with this piece, and I certainly understand it was meant to be humorous, but it was not. It was insulting.

Baldwin wrote, "This week for instance, I discovered that an American Idol hack named Taylor Hicks has a small band of overweight desperate housewives for fans who call themselves with much third-grade pride the Soul Patrol. These are the kind of people whose husbands always play 36 holes and never want to go home." He goes on to call us "nit-wits."

Now, maybe your Web site and affiliated publications condone this sort of sexist treatment of female readers, but I would hope you do not. And I can imagine that for Mr. Baldwin any kind of attention is good attention, but I have to add my voice to the legions who are crying foul over this.

Mr. Baldwin is clearly not that clever, and while trying to make a point about the overzealous media coverage and fan attention for the marginal Michelle Wie he decided to belittle Taylor Hicks, a musician who lent his support to the charitable Bob Hope Classic, and his fans.

Mr. Hicks is a big boy, and a celebrity who will have to deal with the good and the bad of the media. But to insult the women who supported this event and support the talented Mr. Hicks is uncalled-for and reprehensible. I would hope that Mr. Baldwin is chastised for this article, and that female golfers who frequent this site and magazines do not take out their frustration with these sexist comments on your advertisers.

Susan Beaton, a 30-year-old, fit, unmarried golf enthusiast and proud member of the Soul Patrol

Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management.