More on LIV (and battle with PGA)

Posted on June 20, 2022 by Jim Tunney Ed.D

On the TunneySide of Sports June 20, 2022 #905 Up next… More on LIV (and battle with PGA)

Sure looks like the PGA Tour and the LIV Golf Tour are in for a long battle. As you know the PGA Tour is not allowing its members to play in the LIV golf events and has already suspended 17  well-known golfers (among them AT&T Pro-Am favorites Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson) from its ranks. Some of those who chose the play in the LIV tour played in the US Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.

How can those PGA suspended players play in the 2022 US Open, you ask? Well, the US Open is run by the USGA (United States Golf Association) which has not suspended those players who played or will play on the LIV Tour.

Speaking of LIV – what do those letters mean? First off, the LIV is a Saudi Arabian-funded golf tour and is an adversary to the PGA Golf Tour. The LIV  (Roman numerals) translates to the number 54 which represents the number of holes golfers will be playing. Before you go to your calculators – 54 equals three times the number of holes played in a normal round of golf (18). We direct you to Google or other means for a complete explanation of what LIV is attempting. Obviously, the money awarded is paramount.

Should the PGA decide to allow those 17 (and perhaps others) to play in their tournaments as well as in the LIV tournaments? There are many concerns. Here are just a few. Surely you will find others.

  • Camaraderie. While the PGA players are highly competitive, they have a gentlemanly manner about them. A manner that would be prudent for all professional players to adopt. The operative word is professional and while there may be an occasional rift, golfers love competing and welcome others who feel the same. Will that “run-for-the-LIV money” change all that?
  • Family. If golfers are allowed to play in all tournaments, what challenges will that present in their home life? How much money do golfers need to maintain a congenial family? Will money become a conflict?
  • Burnout. Golfers practice much more than they play rounds of golf. Golfers love to “hit balls.” Will the challenges of both PGA and LIV burden the family structure?

Will you support golfers playing in both the PGA and LIV tournaments?

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Jim’s Bobblehead is still available for $30. He has added one of his books (your choice – you pick one from his website www.jimtunney.com) at no extra charge. 

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LIV Golf – What is That?

Posted on June 13, 2022 by Jim Tunney Ed.D

On the TunneySide of Sports June 13, 2022 #904 Up next… LIV Golf – What is that?

After further review… If LIV Golf is something you may be unfamiliar with, just hang on as we try to give you our best description of this new enterprise. LIV Golf is financed by the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia which is among the most lucrative sovereign wealth funds in the world. Its value is estimated at $600 billion!

LIV has drawn many of the most famous golfers in the world. Let’s start with LIV’s CEO – Australian entrepreneur Greg Norman who has won 89 professional golf tournaments, 20 PGA tournaments, and 2 Open Championships in 1986 and 1993. Those tournaments alone have made Norman a multimillionaire. The LIV is mostly about money, money, money!

The LIV will be a major challenger to the PGA Tour which has just suspended Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, and 15 other players for joining the LIV. Tiger Woods has reportedly turned down more than $9 million to play on the LIV tour.  Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, and several other major players have also turned down this opportunity. But Bryson DeChambeau, Pat Perez, and Patrick Reed all recently signed to play in LIV Golf.

LIV Golf is controversial because of the source of its funding – the Saudi Arabic Public Investment Fund (PIF).  PIF serves as the financial arm of the Saudi government, which has been accused of several human rights violations — the assassination of Washington Post columnist, Jamal Khashoggi among them. While America has a long way to go in the field of human rights and social justice, are we the only nation that truly cares?

In an attempt to cleanse its reputation, the Saudi government has invested heavily in sports organizations and events, ranging from Premier League soccer to the WWF, a practice known as “sports washing.” Sports washing is commonly utilized as a propaganda technique to distract the public. Perhaps the first distraction took place as the LIV Golf first event was in London last week where Mickelson, Johnson, and others played. Other events scheduled on the tour include Portland, Oregon; Bedminster, New Jersey; Chicago, Boston, Miami, Bangkok, Jeddah, and, of course, Saudi Arabia.

Where does this “battle” go from here? As the TunneySide sees it – lawyers get your briefs ready for court. If either organization bars a golfer from his rightful place to earn his living, the final resting place may have to be in the courts.

On another golf note, the TunneySide congratulates Mina Harigae who recently finished second in the 2022 U.S. Open in North Carolina. Mina first learned golf at AT&T Pebble Beach Junior Golf. She will be playing in the 2023 US Open Women’s Tournament at Pebble Beach Golf Course from July 5-9.

What is your take on the LIV Golf intrusion on the PGA tour?

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Jim’s Bobblehead and books examining the philosophy and value of sports can be found in the many books he has written.

Shop here.

To contact Jim, go to www.jimtunney.com  or email jim@jimtunney.com.

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What are OTA’s In Football

Posted on June 6, 2022 by Jim Tunney Ed.D

On the TunneySide of Sports June 6, 2022 #903 Up next… OTA -What does it mean?

After further review… OTA’s (Offseason Team Activities) are now in session in the National Football League. They have been agreed upon by the NFLPA (National Football League Players’ Association) and league management. Years past, the football clubs just held “camps” as they called them, which started about mid-July to get ready for the upcoming season. Many players took the time after their prior season ended in December or January to relax and go fishing. Then in late spring, some would gather at the team’s headquarters to get ready for those July “two-a-days”.

Now with hefty contracts in hand players, are year-round employees, although some think they are only employed from game to game. The word that jumps out at me in that OTA is the word T-E-A-M. For some 40 years I have used that word in my writings and my speeches as – Together Everyone Accomplishes More! The troublesome part of the OTAs is that they are voluntary, and many players treat these “Offseason Team Activities” as meaning “I don’t have to show up.” Some veterans don’t. Certainly, the rookies and most of the team do.

Most importantly those on the team who are in the role of leadership need to be present. It’s not vital to OTAs that, for example,  Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers attend to learn more about throwing passes. But their leadership role is to be present! Even if they just show up and observe the workouts, their presence demonstrates their interest and will enhance their words of encouragement.

The offensive linemen and the defensive backs who work together as a unit in their games have a leader, usually a veteran, and he must demonstrate his role by attending OTAs. Rookies often look to teammates like that for guidance. Unfortunately, some veterans don’t see the value in their presence. Often, they feel they have other “things” to do.

These voluntary OTAs are followed by mandatory training sessions as the season approaches. If the rookie has had a chance to interact with most of the veterans during their OTA, he will feel more comfortable during their mandatory camp. BTW, some 100 eligible players will be at the mandatory camps, yet the team can suit up only 53. That feeling of comfort is a necessary element in performing one’s job at the professional level.

Will you help make new employees feel they are part of your team?

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Jim’s Bobblehead and books examining the philosophy and value of sports can be found in the many books he has written.

Shop here.

To contact Jim, go to www.jimtunney.com  or email jim@jimtunney.com.

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