OT: Nats, Wiz, O's, Ravens, Terps, Navy, Gtown, Mystics, Golf, Summer 2024 (Paris Olympics 2024 as well)

[twabby]

I don’t know if I should feel rage or just run of the mill anger and disappointment. I don’t even really get it. The LIV product wasn’t living up to the hype so I’m not sure why PGA leadership capitulated when it didn’t seem there was much leverage for the Saudis. I guess they didn’t have the stomach for the litigation or maybe they just had a price where being the stewards of a historic entity like the PGA no longer outweighed personal gain. Either way, professional golf will never be the same and that sucks.

The momentum of oil money buying up sports teams and now leagues is concerning. They own most of the top clubs in Europe and now they own the PGA Tour. Owning individual teams in foreign leagues isn’t enough though and now they’re throwing absurd money at players to build their domestic league. They tried backing Brian Davis to buy the Commanders and it’s only a matter of time before they buy an NFL franchise or franchises given the astronomical sale prices.

The PGA Tour is now owned by the same country that harbored and enabled the 9/11 terrorists, murdered and dismembered an American journalist, bought favor with the previous presidential administration with multiple investments into privately owned businesses, is an ally to Russia and is improving relations with Iran, and generally treats human rights as an inconvenience, especially if you’re a woman. Selling out to the highest bidder, a tradition unlike any other.

I'm not really a golf guy.

But I am a sports guy. And as a sports guy it's hard to become too upset with Saudi influence in our sports. Is the Saudi royal family evil? Yes. Are they more evil than current sports owners? Yes, probably most of them.

But for me it's hard to draw the line of what's acceptable between "evil billionaires (but I repeat myself) that inflict daily violence on the most vulnerable in the world" and "evil mega-billionaires that inflict daily violence on the most vulnerable in the world, and also they crashed planes into our buildings." We have oil companies sponsoring everything in sports. We have billionaires who built their fortunes on the backs of our poor and now refuse to give anything back. Pretty much every sports owner and league has blood on their hands.

The manner of violence is quite a bit different between the Saudis and our current ruling class, but it's all violence. What's the functional difference between allowing millions of poor people to suffer and starve as opposed to beheading a guy or killing people in an attack?

The line is different for everyone I suppose, but for me I've made the choice that I'll follow mindless sports despite them being run by evil, amoral pieces of garbage.

 

[g00n]

I'm not really a golf guy.

But I am a sports guy. And as a sports guy it's hard to become too upset with Saudi influence in our sports. Is the Saudi royal family evil? Yes. Are they more evil than current sports owners? Yes, probably most of them.

But for me it's hard to draw the line of what's acceptable between "evil billionaires (but I repeat myself) that inflict daily violence on the most vulnerable in the world" and "evil mega-billionaires that inflict daily violence on the most vulnerable in the world, and also they crashed planes into our buildings." We have oil companies sponsoring everything in sports. We have billionaires who built their fortunes on the backs of our poor and now refuse to give anything back. Pretty much every sports owner and league has blood on their hands.

The manner of violence is quite a bit different between the Saudis and our current ruling class, but it's all violence. What's the functional difference between allowing millions of poor people to suffer and starve as opposed to beheading a guy or killing people in an attack?

The line is different for everyone I suppose, but for me I've made the choice that I'll follow mindless sports despite them being run by evil, amoral pieces of garbage.

You are talking economic class division vs actual sponsorship of terrorism and far far more barbaric human and civil rights practices.

One situation is a complex web of economic and infrastructure dependencies we have little choice to deal with, though people are trying to do so, and it takes time. Many of these choices are taken out of our hands by forces larger than the individual or even our system of government. No one billionaire has the power to change it.

The other situation is simply one single family of religious nuts who got lucky and Beverly Hillbillied their way to global domination through oil money.

Don't equate the two. It's stupid.

 

[twabby]

You are talking economic class division vs actual sponsorship of terrorism and far far more barbaric human and civil rights practices.

One situation is a complex web of economic and infrastructure dependencies we have little choice to deal with, though people are trying to do so, and it takes time. Many of these choices are taken out of our hands by forces larger than the individual or even our system of government. No one billionaire has the power to change it.

The other situation is simply one single family of religious nuts who got lucky and Beverly Hillbillied their way to global domination through oil money.

Don't equate the two. It's stupid.

I don’t think they’re the same, but I don’t think there’s enough distance between them for that to be where I draw the line. I don’t think you’re wrong if that’s where you draw the line. I’ve come to terms with the fact that I am supporting some of the worst people in the world by following professional sports, and I’m comfortable saying that if MBS bought the NHL I’d probably still follow it.

 

[g00n]

I don’t think they’re the same, but I don’t think there’s enough distance between them for that to be where I draw the line. I don’t think you’re wrong if that’s where you draw the line. I’ve come to terms with the fact that I am supporting some of the worst people in the world by following professional sports, and I’m comfortable saying that if MBS bought the NHL I’d probably still follow it.

I wasn't calling for a boycott, I was saying there's a bigger difference between them than you're seeing.

 

[marcel snapshot]

I'm not really a golf guy.

But I am a sports guy. And as a sports guy it's hard to become too upset with Saudi influence in our sports. Is the Saudi royal family evil? Yes. Are they more evil than current sports owners? Yes, probably most of them.

But for me it's hard to draw the line of what's acceptable between "evil billionaires (but I repeat myself) that inflict daily violence on the most vulnerable in the world" and "evil mega-billionaires that inflict daily violence on the most vulnerable in the world, and also they crashed planes into our buildings." We have oil companies sponsoring everything in sports. We have billionaires who built their fortunes on the backs of our poor and now refuse to give anything back. Pretty much every sports owner and league has blood on their hands.

The manner of violence is quite a bit different between the Saudis and our current ruling class, but it's all violence. What's the functional difference between allowing millions of poor people to suffer and starve as opposed to beheading a guy or killing people in an attack?

The line is different for everyone I suppose, but for me I've made the choice that I'll follow mindless sports despite them being run by evil, amoral pieces of garbage.

I agree with much of this.

That said, I think there is a difference. On the one hand, you have "traditional" owner billionaires obligated by our myth systems to assume a posture of beneficent paternalism while vacuuming taxpayer dollars. They at least can be held accountable when they drift too, too far away from some of the fundamental tenets of the myth system that help underwrite the value of their franchise. They get a long leash, sure, but still Marge Schott, Donald Sterling, the Phoenix Suns jamoke, and now (heh heh) Lil Danny.

The Saudis are like, f*** your myth system and the requirement that we pose as beneficent rich guys. Their whole point is that's all BS (when, again, it provides some measure of accountability): you'll take our money and we'll barely pretend that we're doing anything other than showing all of you what grubby little urchins you are for taking our money and consuming our product notwithstanding the fact that in our country your gay brother and your sister protesting lack of equality would be locked up. Somehow, I feel like that's a little dirtier - even though I concur with a lot of your rant.

Would be really interested to know what key PGA Tour sponsors are thinking right now. Do they just sit back and take it too - or does someone try to peel off some key (and highly disgruntled) players and start a new tour?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

If this is truly a “players tour” then the players should rally and try to fight it….if they have the support.

I heard a clip from Rory that said something like “at least we get to control where their money is spent in golf, control golf”…..so it sounds like he’s accepting it already….

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

Would be kind of hilarious to see the whole thing fall apart after all of the mania.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Would be kind of hilarious to see the whole thing fall apart after all of the mania.

it would but I doubt it gets there..

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Rory ”all the guys who had LIV offers and stayed (and I was not one, LIV never made an offer) should get some financial compensation”……..hilarious.


now their hands are coming out….imagine being a guy like Hideki…..turned down $300 million…..and now this!

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Monahan just now on The Golf Channel in response to a question about the DOJ anti-trust investigation “we’re creating more opportunities for players, more growth for the industry, we’re confident in our position”.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Who Is Jimmy Dunne? PGA Tour Board Member Involved In PIF Merger

The PGA Tour board member was pivotal in agreeing the historic merger, but what is his background?

www.golfmonthly.com

This is one of the architects of this….


It was the earlier days of Sandler O’Neill + Partners that helped define Dunne’s life, though. Dunne, who is also a golfer, Augusta Nationalmember and president of Seminole, credits the game with saving his life. On 9/11 Dunne would have typically been in his office in the World Trade Center, but instead, he was trying to qualify for the US Mid-Amateur.

They should make the LIV guys all buy back into the PGA Tour….lol.


Rory saying that the LIV guys are not “just not going bring these guys back and pretend nothing happened”….

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Rory “I hate LIV, I hope it goes away, but this is the PGA Tour, DP and PIF not LIV”……I guess that’s going to be their morality line….

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Sounds like Rory (and the PGA Tour) accepted that they were not going to stop coming after golf and instead decided to take control of the tip of the spear rather than try to stop it from coming.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

The Iron Sheik, WWE Hall of Famer, dies at 81

Pro wrestling legend The Iron Sheik, who won the WWF title in the early 1980s and was later inducted into the Hall of Fame, has died at the age of 81.

www.espn.com

RIP HOFer….

 

[g00n]

Monahan just now on The Golf Channel in response to a question about the DOJ anti-trust investigation “we’re creating more opportunities for players, more growth for the industry, we’re confident in our position”.

That was his answer to the 9/11 question. And the transparency question. And every other question. LOL

They should make the LIV guys all buy back into the PGA Tour….lol.

Good idea.

 

[kicksavedave]

I don’t think they’re the same, but I don’t think there’s enough distance between them for that to be where I draw the line. I don’t think you’re wrong if that’s where you draw the line. I’ve come to terms with the fact that I am supporting some of the worst people in the world by following professional sports, and I’m comfortable saying that if MBS bought the NHL I’d probably still follow it.

Not even all billionaire owners in the US leagues are the same. I stopped supporting Dan Snyder a looong time ago, stopped buying anything merchandise related or paying for the games or buying tickets, etc. I would happily continue supporting Ted Leonsis however. I've met him personally and read his books. Ted didn't make his billions exploiting the working class, he developed content at the dawn of the content explosion, did some good deals, and parlayed that into leadership at AOL, which had a mixed bag of culture depending on the time frame, but was hardly exploitative, like say, WalMart or Amazon is.

I would not touch anything owned, even partially, by the Saudis. I guess for me the line is "is this particular owner a complete douche canoe or a half decent human being?"

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Not even all billionaire owners in the US leagues are the same. I stopped supporting Dan Snyder a looong time ago, stopped buying anything merchandise related or paying for the games or buying tickets, etc. I would happily continue supporting Ted Leonsis however. I've met him personally and read his books. Ted didn't make his billions exploiting the working class, he developed content at the dawn of the content explosion, did some good deals, and parlayed that into leadership at AOL, which had a mixed bag of culture depending on the time frame, but was hardly exploitative, like say, WalMart or Amazon is.

I would not touch anything owned, even partially, by the Saudis. I guess for me the line is "is this particular owner a complete douche canoe or a half decent human being?"

So future attendance to any future professional men’s golf, it’s out for you? Watch from TV still I assume?

 

[TRASHCAT]

Yeah there's a difference between being shitty to your workers and chopping off their heads. If you think Steve Balmer is on the same level as captain bonesaw well, OK comrade.

 

[HTFN]

Yeah there's a difference between being shitty to your workers and chopping off their heads. If you think Steve Balmer is on the same level as captain bonesaw well, OK comrade.

I don't know, man. This seems like a pretty toxic workplace:

 

[usiel]

The Iron Sheik, WWE Hall of Famer, dies at 81

Pro wrestling legend The Iron Sheik, who won the WWF title in the early 1980s and was later inducted into the Hall of Fame, has died at the age of 81.

www.espn.com

RIP HOFer….

Even though as I was never into the 'pro' wrestling stuff into a miss the old Deadspin putting together the the fan retrospectives for the old wrestlers as they were often hilarious.

 

[TRASHCAT]

god the jokic 50+ points/reb/assists is free money

also popeye jones on the denver bench

oh the memories

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

6 mins of truth….

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

LIV Golf 'Is Not Going Anywhere' After PGA Tour Merger, Greg Norman Says — Bleacher Report

LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman doesn't expect the invitational series to disappear entirely amid its proposed merger with the PGA Tour. ESPN's Mark Schlabach spoke…

apple.news

 

[kicksavedave]

So future attendance to any future professional men’s golf, it’s out for you? Watch from TV still I assume?

Well, correct, but I had stopped watching golf a while ago anyway due to lack of time/interest. I would occasionally catch the final round of the Masters or US Open but little else. Haven't been in person since the Buick Open in 2002, Tiger demolished everyone.

 

[usiel]

Winger and Co. 'Zards presser.



At the 27 minute mark I though Leonsis comments pretty interesting. Also his shout out to putting the Bears games up on TV.