Saturday
Mar112006
Finchem Is Talking Bunkum...!?
Alan Campbell in the Sunday Herald may have to pay for a Tour media guide after this little WGC inspired column:
...what is despicable is the conduct of PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem. Not content with ruling the roost over a circuit which is the Premiership to Europe’s Coca-Cola Championship, this myopic golf controller has annexed the so-called world golf championships for the greater good of Uncle Sam. Next year all three WGC events will be staged in the United States, just as they will in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Finchem’s defence? “They’re staged at a level which can pay significant prize money,” said the PGA Tour commissioner. “That costs money.”And...
Pausing only to let this staggering sliver of logic sink in, Finchem continued: “The American marketplace is best suited to generate those kind of resources. I think that’s why, historically, three of the four Major championships are in the United States.”
Finchem is talking bunkum, as the American marketplace wasn’t involved in the evolving of the Majors. He compounds his error by inviting the question: given that the United States already has the cream of world golf’s championships, why does it need to selfishly syphon off the next tier?
The unwillingness of the Phil Mickelsons and Davis Loves to rack up transatlantic air miles is, along with the financial muscle of US corporations and the dictates of the American television networks, the reason why the world golf championships have become almost as big a misnomer as the World Series in baseball.
John Daly and Woods are just about the only two high profile Americans prepared to leave the country for anything other than the Open Championship. While both are paid handsomely in appearance money, they see the bigger picture. “There should be at least one [WGC] every year somewhere other than America,” said Woods. “Obviously the market is huge here, but it is a world game and any opportunity to get the best players to other parts of the world is a great way to grow golf.”
The PGA Tour have cemented the WGC events into their revamped schedules, which start from next year. It stinks, but then money usually does.
Saturday, March 11, 2006 at 07:48 PM 19 Comments | in European Tour, PGA Tour, Tour TV Contract, World Golf
Reader Comments (19)
You seem very well read on sports history. Have you read any world history??? You should check out the lives and history of Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolph Hitler, and Saddam Hussein. They all three became very successful in their "OWN COUNTRIES" but then something happened to them over time. That is what makes reading about these three very fascinating. You will be left knowing what happened to all three of them, but you will never know the "why". "WHY", intrigues everyone about everything.
Golf: US takeover is hurting the game, says Alan Campbell
In the old days--those formative years, growing the Sport was associated with getting people to play. As many people as possible. It was predominant and took the country by storm. As the popularity grew, the ability to sell equipment and the need to build courses grew. Instead it is all now based on television deals revolving around advertisement dollars for people that aren't watching.
As Americans, we base everything on world dominance. We are no different then dogs trying to hump their stuffed toys. If the Winter Olympics isn't a sign to Finchem that he better get smart quick, then the growth of golf will depress further and further into the abyss of boredom.
--It takes too long to play.
--It costs too much to play.
--And it is just simply too boring to watch on TV unless someone of interest is playing.
But more then anything: The endless quest for money, and more money and more money is destroying the Sport, or at the very least, stunting it's growth.
"One of the problems is that the meaning of growing the SPORT of Golf for guys like Finchem equates to one thing--money. (the amount of sponsorship money that they can milk.) That to them is growth. But what kind of new blood are they atracting to the Sport?
In the old days--those formative years, growing the Sport was associated with getting people to play."
Different organizations, different goals. The PGA of America and the USGA are the folks who should be promoting the game of golf.
The PGA TOUR is an organization devoted to providing its members the opportunity to earn as much as possible playing the game.
If the PGA of America and the USGA did their job as well as the PGA TOUR, perhaps we would not see the current stagnation/decline in golf participation.
Thank you for seeing what is so blatantly obvious. Tim's deferred compensation last year alone was 4.2 million. There are members of the PGA Tour Inc corporate umbrella, such as Steve Haskins, who has put in 17 years of service as an independent contractor, and has never been "Allowed" to earn a single retirement credit. How's this for growth!
This example is because Tim has hijacked the PGA Tour for himself and a handful of players. They are operating a "Pyramid Scheme" for themselves.
Aaaahhhh...........4.2 million in one year to a "Person" who has never in his life made a four footer in competition! Then to contrast that to a player such as Steve who has lived out of a suitcase for "17 Years" as an independent contractor supporting the dues paying membership with his participation financed by his own means, where he has no retirement for his family is a "Sin". If "TINY TIM" could explain to me the "Cardnial Virtue" in that I'm listening.
The "Stewardship" of golf (USGA,R&A, PGA of America, PGA Tour, Augusta National, and some manufacturers) has landed in the lap of a bunch of shysters that have taken something built up by players such as Hogan, Nelson, Snead, Palmer, Nicklaus, Watson, Norman, and now Tiger and have grown the game right into their own pockets. These wonderful "Stewards" remind me of the move; The Cinderella Man. Their "Capitalist's" living off the backs of hard working athletes, and then "stealing" something that they haven't sowed themselves. And now they are scratching their heads wondering why golf is in such decline! "Giving Back The Heart of The PGA Tour", what happened to taking care of the principal like "Steve". Tim and company drove a wooden stake through hearts of many players on their way to the "Bank". It was just a matter of "Time", but this "Greed" is overwhelmingly obvious today, and players are starting to recognize it now.
"Growing the Game" yeah..........right!
Phil Mickelson cant be bothered to skip trick or treating for the richest payday in golf--why do you think he will lift a finger to go to Europe for the Pizza Express WGC Open?
Steve who? earth to Steve Haskins--get gone. get a job. you have no game. its a sign that there's too much money in the game when guys like haskins can pull off playing developmental golf for 17 years without going broke.
growing the game has more to do with moving the sport back to a game that average players can relate to, and making it affordable (i.e. reduce equipment costs, reduce greeen fees, etc) The WGC is a minor point.
Scott, what game does TIM have?? Show me where he has ever made a four footer on "FRIDAY" let alone "SUNDAY"???
Scott, there is your "GROWING THE GAME" right there!
Last point, the premadonas of the PGA TOUR did not travel out into the GLOBAL MARKET PLACE when the whole WGC was started. Example #84 in the World Steve Stricker won the match play in Australia. These events are reserved for the Top 50. So 34 players did not show up in Australia!!! MY POINT, "HOW" and "WHY" would "INTERNATIONAL" "SPONSORS" shill out large money when "34" of the "BEST" won't "SHOW UP"????
As I have said previously, "GROWING THE GAME".................YEAH RIGHT!
Does Tim Finchem have game? lets see..purse of the memorial tournament in 1994, the year T Finchem started as commissioner=$1.5 million. purse in 2006=5.75 million.
thats a 13% compound growth rate over 11 years for those of you playing the home game. lot more important to the players than whether ol' tim can make a four footer. don't know about you, but i'd rather have that guy negotiating the TV contract than, say, Billy Mayfair, even though i'm sure Billy has made some four footers and i'm equally sure he's a business genius.
second, 8 million is CHEAP for a CEO of a company that runs three tours and pays out purses of over $300 million per year. CEOs of publicly traded companies of this size would get much more than this.
its not finchems job to grow the game-it is to get his employers (players) more cash in the form of prize money. your argument is with the R and A, not the USPGA Tour.
paying the top players is not hoarding, its paying for performance---something i wish we could get more of in other sports where else do the stars get a bagel-zero-if they are injured, get zero if they dont play in the top half of the field each week, and get no guaranteed on course income?
compare Derek Jeter's salaries as a 4th-6th year player with the salaries he recieves after becoming eligible for free agency --how can you say that golf is screwing the little guy compared to this?
besides, admit it, nobody cares whether steve nobody tees it up this week or any week. golf fans want to see the stars--you make this argument yourself--so its only fair that the stars recieve the lions share of the money.
steve nobody also knew the deal when decided to drive around the nationwide tour for 17 years. if he wanted a retirement plan, he should choose a profession that offers one--its not too late, a club job would allow the guy to start saving.
its not tiger woods' responsibility to bring golf to australia or anywhere else, and its childish to believe that top players schedules should be dictated to them by lookie loos like us. tiger has done wonders for the game. he owes it nothing.
jack, gary and arnie didnt play "Big Three Golf" to grow the game--they played it for the cash. if it grew the game, so much the better.
besides, how does playing the pizza express WGC in Johannesburg grow the game, other than give a few thousand a chance to see it? if we're going to truly grow the game, we're going to need to do it in bigger numbers than this, and we're going to need places for these people to play affordably. these are the grow the game issues we face, not how much cash is running after tour players.
No matter how hard "TINY TIM" tries to grow the purses, those purses are dependent on one thing, and "ONE THING" only. "Television Ratings"!!!
To give "TINY" credit in raising purses is equivalant to giving a "Caddy" all the credit for a player winning a tournament.
"TINY'S" only "negotiating leverage" is when ratings are "UP"! With "TINY" paying out players 5 and 6 different ways, so that "TOP PLAYERS" can sit on their couches "more" has led to a decrease in "Television Ratings" but he gets to keep stuffing his pockets with large sums of cash, while patting himself on the back, when in fact he had nothing to negotiate with this last go-around! He made it so "COMFY" for Top Players and Himself that he unknownly "DIMINISHED" the "PRINCIPLE"!
What did "TINY" do this last go-around??????? He's not "TELLING" "ANYBODY" is "HE"????? It must have been one spectacular negotiating "FEAT". Scott do you have a time frame for when "TINY" will be making his spectacular feat "KNOWN" to the "MEMBERSHIP" who has "HIRED" him as the "STEWARD" of this "DUES PAYING MEMBERSHIP"??? A lot of "DUES PAYING MEMBERS" can't "WAIT" to hear "FIRST HAND" from "TINY" "HIMSELF", as to what he just "DID"????
do you have a prob with your caps lock button?
the LPGA will recover from this little hiccup, but does highlight that busineses dont run themselves
When is Tim going to be releasing the rights fees to the membership?
so what
13% growth over 11 years is pretty good, the tour players aren't boycotting the events, near as i can tell, and the growth in money prob got ahead of itself a little
i still think 5.75 million for one week's purse is more money than any of these guys, tiger included, dreamed of when they took up the game. or even when they turned pro.
why are you obsessed with the size of tim finchems paycheck? are you amazed he hangs around for that little cash? why does it matter what he is paid?
The organization is called PGA TOUR Inc. isn't it?
That would cover the Champions Tour, PGA Tour, and the Nationwide Tour wouldn't it?
As an organization over seeing three tours, why wouldn't the Nationwide Tour count with regards to retirement and healt care?
We are all independent contractors playing on each one of these three Tours aren't we?
And since we are all under one "corporate umbrella" isn't it Tim's job to see that all of the membership is taken care of?
I know you don't have a place in your heart for Steve Haskins, and probably didn't have one for Michael Christie either, but shouldn't players such as these be covered under the Corporate Umbrella with regard to retirement and healt care just like every other dues paying member is, regardless of what Tour they are currently playing on?
Now "EARTH" to "SCOTT" wake up and look around, quit looking in the mirror. I don't have a problem with foreigners coming to this country and becoming a member of the Corporate Umbrella in the same fashion that everyone else has, excluding "Coach Finchem's" full "Scholarships". I also have a problem with the ones that come here, join the Champions Tour, go through no vesting period what so ever, never forfeiting a retirement credit ever, and are earning retirement credits in their first year.
If Steve needs to go get a job, and he's not eligible for retirement or health benefits, then some of that rift raft out on the Champions Tour, the ones that never played the Nationwide Tour or even the PGA TOUR, and who are on welfare, need to go find a real job too. It's not to late for these guys to go get a club pro job and start saving. Who said they were promised anything for never "vesting" or in fact ever playing on the PGA TOUR? Instead of players like Bob Friend, Bob Wolcott, Jimmy Green, Ben Bates and many other "AMERICANS" that "ACTUALLY" "PLAYED" on the PGA TOUR forfeiting their retirement credits, they should be keeping their credits. Those forfeited credits are going back into the general fund, and then are reallocated back out, so that guys that are from the country where the Pizza Express is played can have a free, guaranteed retirement plan, while never vesting on any Tour under the Corporate Umbrella is a farce!
Tim has done a spectacular job in discriminating against Americans playing on their home tour, in favor of foreigners on the Champions Tour that never have supported the PGA Tour ever. Fantastic example of Stewardship. He should be given a raise. Oh, I forgot he has given himself a raise.
In fact he has given himself quite a few raises since 1995. In 2005 Tim paid himself 8 million dollars. Quite a large leap from 1995 wouldn't you agree. A significant leap for someone who has not taken care of the "ENTIRE" membership during those 10 years, with "EQUITY"? He always seems to deal himself in first, before looking around to make sure everyone is accounted for. So why am I concerned with what Tim makes? Because he is basically stealing money from players and putting it in his own pocket. In 10 years, 2 million to 8 million, "Earth" to "Scott" once again, what are you guys smoking?
Transparancy, Accountability, and Equity, when is the membership going to see it? Scott,"all of the membership"!
So has pro golf progressed any since the days of Hagen making side bets on the course during tournaments to put liquer in his flask,smokes in his pocket and some petro in his loaned Dussie while playing for a pittance of a purse? I think not. Sure, those purses have gotten larger but have the once honored ideals of the game grown larger as well. I think not.
Pros are a very very very minute fraction of the people who play this game. Yes, some of us still consider it a game. But it has ceased being a game to some a long time ago, especially to those who's only aim was to get their card and play for money. And when the money doesn't come their way they bitch, moan and complain about the technology ruining golf. Hell, it was the pros who pushed the technology envelope years ago as they all lined up for the latest advantage just like a crackhead waiting for their next fix. Well, it would be real interesting to know what types of balls and clubs the "purists" on this board are carrying in their bags.
I'm sorry, but professional golf is not the future of golf. It's simply a modern invention that has simply outlived it's welcome. Where that leaves the pros and their PGA I couldn't care less.
So has pro golf progressed any since the days of Hagen making side bets on the course during tournaments to put liquer in his flask,smokes in his pocket and some petro in his loaned Dussie while playing for a pittance of a purse? I think not. Sure, those purses have gotten larger but have the once honored ideals of the game grown larger as well. I think not.
Pros are a very very very minute fraction of the people who play this game. Yes, some of us still consider it a game. But it has ceased being a game to some a long time ago, especially to those who's only aim was to get their card and play for money. And when the money doesn't come their way they bitch, moan and complain about the technology ruining golf. Hell, it was the pros who pushed the technology envelope years ago as they all lined up for the latest advantage just like a crackhead waiting for their next fix. Well, it would be real interesting to know what types of balls and clubs the "purists" on this board are carrying in their bags.
I'm sorry, but professional golf is not the future of golf. It's simply a modern invention that has simply outlived it's welcome. Where that leaves the pros and their PGA I couldn't care less.