McGinley On Olympic Golf Criticism: Insular And Arrogant

Paul McGinley, the victorious 2014 Ryder Cup captain, pens an articulate case for golf in the Olympics based on the recent statements of ambivalence.

He writes:

Yes, it can be argued that for many athletes the Olympics is their only major, their pinnacle, while golf has four majors steeped in history and tradition. Quite frankly, that is an insular and arrogant view. The Olympics and its history deserve respect. We have been offered a place at the top table in sport. Let’s embrace it. While always holding golf majors sacrosanct, an Olympic gold medal, and more importantly a player’s participation in the Games, should be viewed as helping to grow our sport for future generations while representing your country and your people.

Comments

[chaz]

Does anyone but family and friends watch Olympic tennis?

[Mike Clayton]

The Olympics deserves respect? Tell that to every athlete who has lost out to the rampant cheating - much of it government sponsored - for decades. The athletes themselves -(and their governments) -by their actions clearly have no respect for either the fairness of the competition or their fellow athletes - the ones who are clean at least.

[Easingwold]

Mike Clayton, +1

[KLG]

Shirley Babashoff, meet Kornelia Ender. Sorry. That has bugged me for almost 40 years. Wrestling deserves a permanent place in the Olympics, given that it is an original Olympic sport. As in Ancient Greece. Golf? Keep trying. You might come up with something. Still the idea of Rickie and Jordan sharing a dorm room all spiffed out with twin beds and the shower down the hall is precious.

[Pro from Dover]

KLG +1 "Keep trying."

Ricky and Jordon sharing a dorm-like room? Right, and they are gonna fly down on the team plane as well.

Yeah, right, just like the NBA-laden Dream Team in '92 stayed in Olympic Village housing. LOL

That ain't gonna happen.

Mike Clayton +1

[Ted B. (Charging Rhino)]

Golf at the Olympics should have been reserved for the true Amateurs, not the international PGA superstars and not the NCAA's international college-machine either. It's not the High School --- College -- Intl. Golf Federation tour talent pipeline that needs the boost. It the true lovers-of-the-game who play for the pleasure of competition. Not for scholarships, endorsement contracts and prize money.

[DTF]

I'd rather softball still be an Olympic sport over golf.

[Greg V]

I'm with Ted B.

[Original AG]

@ Ted B.

Agreed, but the amateur/pro line has evaporated. Pick your villain. TV $$$, NCAA, Red Army hockey, East German swimmers, ad nauseum. Ship has long sailed.

[ol Harv]

" Still the idea of Rickie and Jordan sharing a dorm room all spiffed out with twin beds and the shower down the hall is precious."

Nice one KLG. I've got quite a visual right now.

[BrianS]

"The True Amateurs" - you mean 40 year old country club champs ? Maybe for soccer they can bring in the 50 year olds that play at the indoor bubble each Friday night in my town -usually covered from head to toe in knee and ankle braces. But hey, so what if they are immensely mediocre at the sport, the love the game right ?

[scall1968]

Are there going to be measures to prevent a Jamaican bobsled or Eddie The Eagle type scenarios? Do we really what to watch someone hacking around in Rio and not break 80 for four rounds?

[digsouth]

Mr. McGinley, who scares me, had me interested, had my POV opening up, was showing me more than the usual paradigms, and then he said a variation of those 3 magic words-

his ''grow our sport ''.

Please. Stop. Please.

[PA PLAYA]

Well, what else would you expect someone in his position to say? "Sorry, not in favor of the idea to be honest. Our sport doesn't need to become involved in something as unimportant as the Olympis."????

I don't have an issue with what he said. I don't have much of an issue with golf being in the Olympics. Having said that, I seriously doubt that I'll tune in to watch, but to each their own.

[Bodenheimer's Bidet]

"Insular and arrogant"?

Spare me. It's reality. McGinkey sounds like a PR flak. Go back to being irrelevant already.

[John Matthew IV]

"The Olympics and its history deserve respect."

No, the Olympic history of cheating and corruption and boycotts and dealing reprehensible regimes does not deserve respect.

[Pat(another one)]

Have to admit I get a kick out of these calls for "amateurs" to be the players. "Not playing for prize money or endorsements." So let's go back to rich people only. Ok. Because *that* is why the term "amateur" was coined. Many people have a love of the game. Not so many can afford to actually play only for it. And if others are willing to pay to watch.....

[BDF]

I was hoping they would come out with a US Am format, or some variation, Or a team thing akin to the NCAA. I think another stroke play touney just makes it pedestrian rather than Olympic.

[Keith - NYC]

I love the game of golf but I just don't feel that it needs to be an Olympic event....I also realize that there are strong arguments for the games inclusion....still it just doesn't sit well with me.....we already have many events around the world that display the talents of both professional and amateur players on an annual and biennial basis.....I'm just not interested in seeing Phil or Rory or any Top 125 pro 'piling on' to win a gold medal and 'build their brand'...it is just not attractive to me....let's leave the Olympic Games to the sports that we are more accustomed to viewing every four years and give everyone that is interested a chance to learn about the wrestler from Iowa...or the gymnast from Budapest.... or the swimmer from Melbourne....and all the other athletes who have a great story that we would never hear without the Olympic Games......of course, that view would not sit well with the IOC since it would diminish the size for the pot that they can rake for their own personal gain.

[mark]

Lets get golf as a team event, heck follow the PGA Junior League. Would be fun to have the team Co Ed. We have two big events that grow our game every year, the Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup. If we can just figure out a way to get the presidents cup international team to play the Europe team, than we are set, no need for a boring 72 individual stroke play.

[otey]

There are good reasons why golf has not been in the Olympics since 1904. Most ofthose reasons are noted above and still apply.

[Peter Norrie]

Are all the posters here "insular & arrogant" or would that description apply to Mr. McGinley?

[DTF]

Good posts Bodenheimer and John. I'm inclined to like McGinley but he's not doing himself any favors with that type of comment. Quotes sounds like they are straight out of the playbook of a liberal DC political operative.

[gov. lepetomane]

@ Keith -NYC +1 Couldn't agree more.

[Brad Ford]

If the Olympic movement was "pure," I might agree with him. Unfortunately, the IOC may be the only sports organization in the world more corrupt/inept than FIFA. Every four years, a city/nation (often a poor one) is forced to spend billions of dollars to build white elephants that will never/rarely be used again.

When Brazil is not capable of providing basic necessities to its people, it should not be spending money to build a golf course and other Olympic venues.

[DTF]

Brad nails it.

Brad, speaking of buildings....what's going on with the Back-9 Network offices/studios?

[Dave Bedie]

There is only one reason for a young male golfer to play in the Olympics, and that is to enjoy the party. Not for no reason are tens of thousands of condoms given away in Olympic Villages.

Other than that, you could spend all day playing 'spot the doper' followed by 'spot the freeloader'.

A pessimist is never disappointed, as theaudience sang.

[ForeRight!]

@ Ted B +1
@ Brad Ford +1

We bought our first color TV to watch the 80 Winter Games. Church was dismissed early that night to see the US Hockey team. Finally - only dictators have any interest in hosting the games so they can line their pockets. Everyone else has figured out that it is a giant sucking pit of public capital waste that could have been used for its highest and best use. - for WHAT? To watch the Gulfstream convention? To have the only ski jump in your town?
Only bureaucrats and dictators use capital for less than it's highest and best use.

Good luck Rio. I hope the favelas are excited about seeing their favorite *fill-in-the-blank* pro.

[Carl Peterson]

Those pesky Olympic athletes and their fornicating -- for shame.

[KLG]

This undreamt of dream come true just came too late for some...

[Jds]

I'm inclined to like DTF, but he's not doing himself any favors with that type of comment. It sounds like something straight out of the playbook of a closeted patron of a same sex bordello. Not that there's anything wrong with that.....

[thebigdad]

I've said on every forum including this one, Golf doesn't need the Olympics and the Olympics, sure as hell, don't need golf". Boondoggled, white-elephant, unwanted, golf course imposed on a city whose residents don't want it. How's that for the Olympic credo? I will not watch it nor comment again about it while there is a Trump bloviating his noxious spew to laugh about.

[Troglodyte]

As someone who once did some work for an Olympic committee, I can tell you their arrogance trumps any so-called arrogance from critics of Olympic golf. As others have pointed out here, the rampant cheating, government-inspired nationalism and the move to professionalism long ago tarnished any value to the games in my eyes. All that really is left is commercialism and money grabbing by those that hold, sponsor and take part in the games. It's fine theater to watch, but that's about it. I for one think golf would be more than fine without it.

[DTF]

"It sounds like something straight out of the playbook of a closeted patron of a same sex bordello."

Jds, aren't those a haven for the liberal DC political operatives? Oh wait, that's where the senators and congressmen hang out!! LOL.. ;0)

Great posts ForeRight & Trogs... I got a huge kick out of it when the mayor of Boston told the Olympics to take a hike!

[Brad Forc]

@DTF - someone left a ladder on top of the BackNine Network studios. Others, ion thing interesting.

[DTF]

"@DTF - someone left a ladder on top of the BackNine Network studios."

Possibly ADG?

[Jds]

DTF, if I have to explain I've already missed with my point. But I was trying to evoke the other side of the aisle. You know, the fire breathing conservative who is actually the patron of said bordello, even as a congressman or senator. And the real point, of course, was to jab you for doing the same thing you acuse McGinley of, being so blindered that you don't see the effect of the political language in your post.

[DTF]

Jds...I hve no doubts that the bordellos you reference are frequented on an equal basis from both sides of the aisle.

You are correct that the "political language" in my post was there for effect, and it was also intentional.

[Jds]

Well, let me put it this way then, DTF. Rays of intelligence occasionally come out of your postings. So why in this instance would you write like a member of a cult, where only the people who accept and grok the sacred conservative message would bother to consider what you've said? Particularly when that's what you criticize McGinley for, only substitute liberal for conservative.
You know, the vast majority (probably even of readers here) don't want the instruction on how they should think. Or maybe I'm wrong about that.

[DTF]

You know Jds I assiduously avoid any and all political dustups because I'm just not knowledgeable in that area but McGinley's rant was so similar to the rhetoric I hear/see from a few close acquaintances who are (liberal) political animals that I co-opted their shtick for a brief moment ;) Don't sweat it, no big deal. I continue to be a fan of McGinley and was just poking the monkey a little bit there....