Do Jason, Jordan, Adam et al regret not playing the Olympics?

[George Pazin]

Golf in the Olympics gets a big shoulder shrug from me. I prefer the sports that only really shine once every 4 years.

Like Synchronized Swimming?

  I only recognize the first and third words in your question. And yes, I enjoy watching the swimming races every 4 years.




JK, my pleasure.

[Wayne_Kozun]

Golf in the Olympics gets a big shoulder shrug from me. I prefer the sports that only really shine once every 4 years.

Like Synchronized Swimming?

I am boycotting that as it is the only sport that excludes one gender.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Nice summary:


http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/15/sports/olympics/justin-rose-outduels-henrik-stenson-for-golf-gold-medal.html?ref=sports


Despite not winning a medal, Watson, a two-time Masters champion, said: “This is the greatest sporting event I’ve ever been a part of. I get to go to the Masters for the rest of my life, but it’s just golf.”

Would you really expect him to say otherwise? Especially since he went and played?


I'd guess they'll regret it, like they regret pulling the wrong club on a basic Tour event they just missed out winning on. Life goes on, for these guys and everyone else.


I kinda regret watching Thursday and Friday morning... but not yesterday. More than anything, it just didn't feel remotely like the Olympics to me, and I've been a hardcore Olympics fan my entire life. The golf part just felt like every other non-major golf weekend.

To each his own. Golf in the Olympics gets a big shoulder shrug from me. I prefer the sports that only really shine once every 4 years.

I am also a hardcore Olypmics fan and enjoy watching some of the world's best athletes compete in their respective sports. For most of us we get enough golf watching the players every week. That is not true for everyone, however. I suspect that some folks in countries that have few players golf may have been seen for the first time. [size=78%]So for them it is a sport that shines every four years. [/size]

[Sean_A]

Nice summary:


http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/15/sports/olympics/justin-rose-outduels-henrik-stenson-for-golf-gold-medal.html?ref=sports


Despite not winning a medal, Watson, a two-time Masters champion, said: “This is the greatest sporting event I’ve ever been a part of. I get to go to the Masters for the rest of my life, but it’s just golf.”

Would you really expect him to say otherwise? Especially since he went and played?


I'd guess they'll regret it, like they regret pulling the wrong club on a basic Tour event they just missed out winning on. Life goes on, for these guys and everyone else.


I kinda regret watching Thursday and Friday morning... but not yesterday. More than anything, it just didn't feel remotely like the Olympics to me, and I've been a hardcore Olympics fan my entire life. The golf part just felt like every other non-major golf weekend.

To each his own. Golf in the Olympics gets a big shoulder shrug from me. I prefer the sports that only really shine once every 4 years.

I am also a hardcore Olypmics fan and enjoy watching some of the world's best athletes compete in their respective sports. For most of us we get enough golf watching the players every week. That is not true for everyone, however. I suspect that some folks in countries that have few players golf may have been seen for the first time. [size=78%]So for them it is a sport that shines every four years. [/size]

Tommy


Its a big assumption to think all countries show much O golf.  The ones which would show much golf would already have plenty of access to the major tours. Countries tend to focus on sports where their athletes are competing, especially with a chance to medal.  What I see in the UK is totally different than what you see in the US.  For instance, I haven't seen any basketball showcased..not surprising since basketball is a non-entity in the UK.  Soccer has been very sparsely covered...the Premiership season has started...who cares about 2nd rate O soccer? 


Ciao   

[Tommy Williamsen]

Nice summary:


http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/15/sports/olympics/justin-rose-outduels-henrik-stenson-for-golf-gold-medal.html?ref=sports


Despite not winning a medal, Watson, a two-time Masters champion, said: “This is the greatest sporting event I’ve ever been a part of. I get to go to the Masters for the rest of my life, but it’s just golf.”

Would you really expect him to say otherwise? Especially since he went and played?


I'd guess they'll regret it, like they regret pulling the wrong club on a basic Tour event they just missed out winning on. Life goes on, for these guys and everyone else.


I kinda regret watching Thursday and Friday morning... but not yesterday. More than anything, it just didn't feel remotely like the Olympics to me, and I've been a hardcore Olympics fan my entire life. The golf part just felt like every other non-major golf weekend.

To each his own. Golf in the Olympics gets a big shoulder shrug from me. I prefer the sports that only really shine once every 4 years.

I am also a hardcore Olypmics fan and enjoy watching some of the world's best athletes compete in their respective sports. For most of us we get enough golf watching the players every week. That is not true for everyone, however. I suspect that some folks in countries that have few players golf may have been seen for the first time. [size=78%]So for them it is a sport that shines every four years. [/size]

Tommy


Its a big assumption to think all countries show much O golf.  The ones which would show much golf would already have plenty of access to the major tours. Countries tend to focus on sports where their athletes are competing, especially with a chance to medal.  What I see in the UK is totally different than what you see in the US.  For instance, I haven't seen any basketball showcased..not surprising since basketball is a non-entity in the UK.  Soccer has been very sparsely covered...the Premiership season has started...who cares about 2nd rate O soccer? 


Ciao   

Try reading my reply again. I never said "all countries show much golf." What I did say was golf may have been seen for the first time. It is quite possible that folks from countries that have not seen much golf will see golf in the Olympics and wonder what it is like to play.

[Niall C]

Rose looked more emotional as the Gold Medalist than as U.S. Open champion. The pros who couldn't be bothered to turn out are great banner-carriers for all the reasons most of the world thinks golf and golfers are lame. Their prerogative, of course, to be lame.

Rose surely looked emotional, but Stenson won the bigger trophy this year.

In size, yes. In meaning and magnitude, no.

Nonsense

Take the claret jug outside golfing circles around the world and you would get a lot of blank stares.


Take an olympic gold medal, from any sport , around the world, and you will be greeted with big smiles and bigger congratulations.

Tim


An Olympic medal is an Olympic medal. Everyone knows the Olympics as the biggest sporting event there is but golf in the Olympics is a vey very very small deal. Show a non-golfer an Olympic medal and they might be very impressed but whether it is for golf or ping pong would be immaterial.


Now show an Olympic gold medal to a golfer and they will be equally as impressed even if it was for ping pong, but show them the Claret Jug or the US Open trophy and I'll bet the recipient would get a lot more respect and congratulations.


Niall

[Carl Johnson]

I'm on the side of those who look to the Olympics for the "traditional" sports, like track and field, swimming, gymnastics, and so on.  Golf, on the other hand, not now, but who knows?  It has to start (or is it restart?) somewhere.

[George Pazin]

I am also a hardcore Olypmics fan and enjoy watching some of the world's best athletes compete in their respective sports. For most of us we get enough golf watching the players every week. That is not true for everyone, however. I suspect that some folks in countries that have few players golf may have been seen for the first time. [size=78%]So for them it is a sport that shines every four years. [/size]

This is actually a beautiful point that I hadn't really considered, and I pride myself on thinking all sides of an issue through before sharing my opinion. Apparently, I've been deluding myself, at least to some degree.


Thanks, Tommy, I may modify my stance a bit. Gotta think on it a bit more. Sometimes it's easy to forget what an embarrassment of riches we have here.

[David_Tepper]

"To All The No-Shows: You Guys Blew It"

http://www.golfchannel.com/news/joe-posnanski/all-no-shows-you-guys-blew-it

[Jeff Bergeron]

"To All The No-Shows: You Guys Blew It"

http://www.golfchannel.com/news/joe-posnanski/all-no-shows-you-guys-blew-it

Precisely!

[John Kavanaugh]

Nice to see Joe get a little love. http://www.golfchannel.com/about/bio/joe-posnanski/

[Tony_Muldoon]

"To All The No-Shows: You Guys Blew It"

http://www.golfchannel.com/news/joe-posnanski/all-no-shows-you-guys-blew-it

I liked his little rant but if you include "facts" like this...


"This was, literally, a once-in-a-lifetime chance for you. Yes, there will be other Olympics and at least one of them will have golf in it. But it will never again be the FIRST Olympics with golf."

[John Kavanaugh]

It's articles like this that makes me wish the Golf Channel did themed cruises.

[John Kavanaugh]

Lochte admitted to peeing in the pool. Karma...

Maybe he didn't really pee in the pool and I owe him an apology.

[George Pazin]

"To All The No-Shows: You Guys Blew It"

http://www.golfchannel.com/news/joe-posnanski/all-no-shows-you-guys-blew-it

Always entertaining to see how many people aren't judgmental, until they are...


 

[Niall C]

Yes, a bit of a rant. Obviously meant to entertain which is fair enough but not sure I follow his logic when he says the stay away guys blew it. In particular he seems to suggest they blew it because it was a chance to showcase golf to those that know nothing of the game. It doesn't seem to register with this guy that a tournament went on anyway and that any non-golfers watching got as much knowledge/entertainment/puzzlement watching one bunch of top ten golfers as they would have the ones who didn't show. Basically the mission to show of golf was accomplished, so no one blew it. They just chose to not take part.


He then goes on to suggest that Rory et al have an obligation to grow the game. Out with the their contractual arrangements to promote certain golf related businesses why should these guys automatically be obliged to help every other golf related business trying to make a buck out of the game ?


Niall

[David_Tepper]

Niall -

1) I would suggest there were many people (around the world) who watched golf on TV because it was in the Olympics who otherwise would never watch golf on TV at all. The viewership data from Sweden would certainly bear that out. The fact is, by participating in the Olympics, golf gets exposed to a far wider global audience than it usually does.

2) Why does "growing the game" only equate to  a "golf related business trying to make a buck out of the game?" If you have a passion and a pastime that you enjoy (whether it is a type of music, an author, a movie, etc.)  don't you want to recommend it to others, so that they have an opportunity to enjoy the same experiences that you do? Giving back to the game involves more than just fulfilling contractual obligations.

DT 

[Tom_Doak]

He then goes on to suggest that Rory et al have an obligation to grow the game. Out with the their contractual arrangements to promote certain golf related businesses why should these guys automatically be obliged to help every other golf related business trying to make a buck out of the game ?

You owe it to the golf writers to give them good stories!


Follow up questions:


1.  Did Joe P. actually GO to Brazil for the Olympics?
2.  Did his employer pay him to do so?

[Jon Wiggett]

Niall,


I think you are way off the mark with your definition of 'growing the game'. The game is golf the sport not the industry. All the top players got to where they are because they enjoyed playing the game. By giving back to the game or helping to grow the game they are just being asked to put something back in. I would say that just about all the professional players do put a lot back into the game as do countless unheralded amateurs.


What I would say is that all the player who skipped the O' Games did so because they did not want to play and not because of Zika. I would hope that they will not be considered for any future games.


Jon

[Niall C]

DT


With regards to point 1, as I pointed out, all those non golfers still had a golf tournament to watch and were none the wiser as to who was playing and who wasn't so how did the guys who didn't show blow it ? Of course, golfers would know who was there and who wasn't but supposedly the idea of having golf in the Olympics wasn't for them. So my question remains, how did these guys blow it when the show still went on ?


Point 2 - growing the game at the very least infers economic growth either directly or as a consequence of more people playing the game, hence my comment. You can give back to the game without necessarily growing it. For me the health of the game is far more important than any growth. Letting the IOC in the door is a dangerous step in that regard, IMO of course.


Niall

[Carl Nichols]

They are probably second-guessing themselves because none of the guys who went to play has gotten sick, got robbed at knifepoint, etc.

Tom, you spoke too soon. Ryan Lochte and several other swimmers were robbed at gun point last night.

Or not

[Niall C]

Jon


There's no doubt that the zika virus was a handy excuse for some and perhaps more of a concern for others but the bottom line is these guys didn't want to be there which doesn't make them bad people.


Niall

[David_Tepper]

Niall -

You are right, "all those non-golfers still had a tournament to watch." And, fortunately, there was an exciting/compelling finish down the back nine of Sunday. But wouldn't having the majority of the top 20 or 30 golfers in the world competing in the event over the 4 days it was broadcast made the display of the game that much more compelling?

If you were going to promote any sport (or any activity for that matter), wouldn't you want to show the best that sport had to offer?

DT

[Sean_A]

I think Tommy missed my point.  I would be very interested to know which countries showed O golf that don't have any other golf to speak of on tv.  I could be well wrong here, but I am going to say very few if any.  Golf is an incredibly high access viewing sport for those willing to pay for it...even though I pay for it via the Beeb and only get a handful of events on tv a year     For those not willing to pay, well, thats becomong the world all over.  Sport is slowly pricing itself to a select market.


Ciao 

[David_Tepper]

Sean -

I disagree. Whether these countries regularly have golf shown on TV is not really the point. If you use the stats from Sweden, far, far more people watched golf than regularly dosolely because it was in the Olympics and because Stenson was in contention. That  audience cared more about watching Stenson in the Olympics than they did about watching him in the Open.

DT