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Would Sex Sell The LPGA?

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As a lifelong sports fan, I can understand what it is about women’s sports that most fans don’t particulary enjoy.  Let’s face it, the speed, power and physicality of women’s sports are simply no match for the men’s games.  I’m not in any way trying to disrespect what these women do.  They are fantastic athletes; are great at the sports they play; and deserve all the credit and any attention they get because if it.  But in comparison to their male counterparts, outside of tennis, it just doesn’t match up.  That being said…I don’t understand why the LPGA doesn’t get the same recognition as the PGA.

A perfect example is probably the WNBA.  Have you ever watched a WNBA game?  These women are great basketball players and great athletes.  But when compared to the speed and physicality of an NBA game, the women’s game seems to look just a bit dull.  But it’s not just basketball.  The same can be said about women’s softball vs. baseball, women’s hockey, boxing and what seems to be the newest fad…women in UFC or MMA fighting.  Again, outside of tennis, no matter the sport, the women’s version just doesn’t seem to match up.

But lets look at golf for a second.  The game is slow.  It doesn’t much require the player to be a superior athlete.  And the only time any real power is demonstrated is off the tee, and that really only matters if you’re a spectator live at the event witnessing it first-hand.  On TV, you can’t tell.  You can’t judge the power of a golf swing via your flat-screen.  The only reason you know how far a ball went on TV is because the announcer told you.  The women of the LPGA are just as skilled as the men.  They are just as accurate.  They have as firm a grasp on the game as the men do.  They just don’t have the power that the men do.  But if that isn’t translated through TV, then what’s the problem?  What does the PGA have that the LPGA doesn’t?  Just the longer drives as far as I can tell.  So what would make the LPGA more attractive?  Or…did I just give away the answer?  Attractiveness.

It seems to me that, especially in recent years, when you want to promote anything related to female athletes, you sell the women…not the athletes.  Is it shallow?  Absolutely.  Do I like the idea of it?  Not even a little bit.  Does it work?  Well…that can be argued, but lets just say it doesn’t not work.  Look at the previously mentioned tennis.  It’s quite possibly the only sport where fans care just as much about the men as the women.  There are some examples to learn from here.  It started long ago with the battle of the sexes between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King.  It continued when, forgive me as I’m not a tennis fan and don’t remember the year, Wimbledon somehow allowed “commoners” into the stands and the men began hootin’ and hollerin’ for, I believe it was Gabriela Sabitini.  Fast forward to an average player on the tour becoming the most popular player in the world (albeit for the wrong reason)…Anna Kournikova.  And next thing you know, every tennis player promoted is either named Williams or is a blonde-haired beauty.  Convenient, right?

So does the LPGA need to take that route?  Should the powers-that-be in the LPGA come to Natalie Gulbis and say “A little less MasterCard, a little more Maxim.”  Now I know that some female golfers are no strangers to a swimsuit, but maybe that’s just not enough.  Sponsor exemptions are there for what reason?  To get their “hot” property out in front of a few cameras.  Again, I don’t like the idea.  I want to see good athletes compete for their athletic ability, not for their looks.  But if it’s their looks that bring attention to the game, then who am I to say what’s right and what’s wrong?

All I’m saying is that it has worked to bring some attention to other sports.  It most definitely is a shallow way to do so.  But in the end, it could possibly bring the viewership for which the sports are looking.  If it brings in new fans, great!  But if it doesn’t, or if those new fans don’t stick around, does it leave a black eye on the sport?  Well, it sure didn’t seem to for tennis…quite the opposite actually.  But that doesn’t automatically equal success for the LPGA.  Maybe they just wait on another phenom.  Maybe a new star will rise and not decide to take on the men of the PGA before she even has any success on the LPGA Tour.  Or, maybe they just start a lingerie golf league.  Want to talk about shallow?

Swing ’til you’re happy!

Chicks? No. Dudes Dig The Long Ball!

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Quick, name five players on the LPGA Tour. Ha! It wasn’t as easy as you thought, was it? Don’t worry, it wasn’t for me either. As a matter of fact, I scrolled down the money leader list and by the time I reached the bottom, a list of about 150 names, I was only familiar with eight or nine of them.

So what’s the problem here? Is it the same as the PGA Tour? Well, yes and no. I guess the actual problem is the same, but how they got there is a bit different.

We all know about the PGA’s player recognition deficiency. And we all know about the lack of player promotion by the PGA, the sponsors and the media. But this problem is compounded for the LPGA by dealing with the problem that any women’s sport deals with. That problem? Simply, it’s not a men’s sport.

Take a look at the WNBA for a second. These women are some of the best female basketball players in the world. The last player on the bench on a WNBA team can destroy me, and most men for that matter, in a game of one-on-one. As a matter of fact, some of the women who have been cut by WNBA teams will destroy most men in a game! But despite the fact that these women can play, the game isn’t as physical (and subsequently isn’t as exciting) as the NBA – and that causes a lack of viewership, a lack of support at the gate and an overall lack of interest.

This same problem transfers over to the LPGA. Forget for a minute the fact that any one of the women on this tour will beat you. But take into account that, again, these are the best female players in the world! But when it comes to viewership, tournament turnout and sponsorships, that’s not what matters. It’s a female sport, so what matters again to viewers (especially male viewers) is the longball.

The old joke was “Chicks dig the longball.” Well, guess what…dudes love the longball as well. This is why guys carry big drivers in their bags. It’s why we watch the long-drive contests when they’re on TV. It’s the reason we watch the Home Run Derby. It’s why we prefer men’s sports over women’s. It’s not right. But that’s the way it is. But what can be done to change this? Actually, is there any way to change it at all? Well, the way I see it there are two. However, one is highly unlikely and the other is just not a good one.

Idea #1 – The media needs to start pushing some women’s sports to the forefront. I understand that this is a long shot, but no one is asking for it to be permanent. It just needs a little more attention. We Americans want to see excitement and physicality. We are not so much interested in the fundamentals, even though they are the foundation of the sports we love. But if ESPN would take the time to make the WNBA Championship games, or women’s golf tournaments a little bit earlier in their broadcasts, it may do something to help attract more attention to sports that deserve it. However, I understand that this is highly unlikely.

Idea #2 – I’ll go on the record as saying that I hate this idea. But it’s an idea nonetheless, and one that has worked in the past. Maybe the LPGA needs to sex it up a bit. Again, I don’t like the idea of using your appearance to somehow boost attention to your sport, but you can’t deny the effect. Looked at women’s tennis. Anna Kournikova became more well known for her looks than her game (or lack thereof). Ever since then, many of the women of tennis are given a fair amount of attention for what they look like. And guess what, it’s been good for viewership and attention to the sport.

Want the perfect example? Think of some of the best women’s soccer players in recent memory – Marta, Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach, Hope Solo. But years from now, just as it is currently, one name will always be remembered right alongside these – Brandi Chastain…and we all know why. That one celebration is now a permanent highlight of any women’s soccer promo. And the stir that moment caused did wonders for the sport. Again, is this the right way to gain attention? Probably not. But will it work?

I guess the bottom line is women’s sports in general, but golf in particular, need a boost and it’s got to come from somewhere. Is the media going to do it? I doubt it. The leagues themselves? I’m sure they’re trying. But if not the media or the leagues, then where? The answer is, it has to come from us, the viewers. But are we going to do it? Well that remains to be seen…

Swing ’til you’re happy!

The Most Versatile Athlete of All Time Was…a Golfer?

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Babe_Didrikson_-_page_323
Babe Didrikson-Zaharias did it all…

A golfer was the most versatile athlete of all time you ask? That’s right…she was a golfer. Wait…what? I know…you’re having a hard enough time getting by the title as it is. And then I go and throw in “she.”

Now you’re completely thrown off! I’m obviously a few fries short of a Happy Meal. I’m sure I’ve even lost some credibility (what little I have) with many sports fans. Well, trust me, I would never have thought I would feel this way before I really looked into it.

But, maybe you’ll even agree with me afterward. Maybe you might even consider dropping “most versatile” from the title and replacing it with, simply, “greatest.” After all, being a great golfer on top of numerous other athletic accomplishments, some at an expert level, deserves a little bit more attention than being a standout at only one sport, no?

If you haven’t already guessed who I’m talking about, it’s a little lady by the name of Babe Didrikson-Zaharias. Most people who know anything about her know the obvious – she was the greatest female golfer of her time (and one of the greatest of all-time). She was a cofounder of the LPGA. She excelled in other sports besides golf and was voted by ESPN’s SportsCentury to be the 10th greatest athlete of the 20th century. While many people are aware she had other athletic achievements, I don’t think most realize exactly how amazing an athlete she was. Quite honestly, she was great at everything she attempted.

Professional golf came relatively late in life for Babe. After high school, she didn’t attempt to play competitively again until she was 24, which makes her golfing achievements all the more impressive. However, seventeen consecutive amateur wins later, a feat still unequaled to this day, she was ready to turn pro. Over the following eight years, Babe went on to win 41 tournaments including ten majors despite playing the final three years of her career while being treated for cancer. Even more amazing was, in 1954, just one month after surgery for colon cancer, she won the US Women’s Open – her final major victory. She was also the first woman to compete on the PGA tour, missing the cut in her first attempt. It would be the last cut she would miss.

But most of us are already aware of her golfing accomplishments. What about the rest? What are the other examples which make her such an amazing athlete? It starts with basketball. Her team won an AAU championship in 1931 and she was an All-American hoops player three times.

You may have also been aware she was an Olympic athlete and participated in the 1932 games. But did you know she actually qualified in five different events? However, due to the rules of the time, being a female she was only allowed to compete in three. And compete she did, taking home two gold medals (hurdles and javelin) and a silver (high-jump). Additionally, she set world records during the Olympics and qualifying tournaments in the 80m hurdles, javelin, high jump and baseball throw (which was an Olympic sport until 1957).

Babe was also a competitive player to a lesser degree in billiards, baseball, softball and bowling. She even won a sewing competition at the Texas State Fair! When not on a competitive playing field, she somehow also found the time to sing and play the harmonica. She did this well enough to record for Mercury Records. Is there anything this woman couldn’t do?

So let’s look at the tally. She’s one of the greatest golfers of all-time. She was an Olympian who took home three medals and set five world records. A three time All-American basketball player. She also competed in baseball, softball, billiards and bowling among other sports. For what reason would she not seriously be considered as the greatest athlete of all-time?

Now, being ranked 10th on the list of greatest athletes of the 20th century does confirm she was at least considered to be listed at number one. But I have to admit, I have a hard time taking the SportsCentury list seriously considering three of the 100 athletes are not even human (they’re horses). I have an even harder time with this list when I see one of the horses (and a jockey for that matter) is ranked 37 places higher than Bo Jackson, an all-star baseball player AND pro-bowl NFL player! Jackson, I might add, could also have been a track & field star, but gave it up to focus on baseball and football. But a guy who rides a horse while beating it with a whip is somehow a better athlete? You get my point.

#1 on the list is Michael Jordan who is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player of all-time. But does that make him the greatest athlete of the 20th century? Is being the best at one sport a greater feat than excelling at almost every sport you take on? Hard to say.

Considering all of the accomplishments and accolades acquired by Zaharias, I wonder the reason why she wouldn’t be ranked higher on the list. I can only come up with one idea. Maybe you can help me out. If all of these achievements were accomplished by a male, would he be ranked higher?

With Sideshow Status Diminished, Wie Begins Career

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Michelle Wie’s career to this point had been basically relegated to a sideshow. “Come see the little girl take on the biggest and baddest male players in the game!”

Her sponsor, Nike, tossed oodles of cash at her family (I say her family because when your 14, signing multimillion-dollar deals and playing an event on the opposite sex’s adult golf tour, you’re most likely not calling the shots) and thrust her upon a national stage far removed from the innocent image of a young athlete with huge potential.

Initially, Nike’s investment in Sideshow Shelly seemed to be working, as 14-year-old Michelle “Shelly” Wie (who also happens to be 6′-1″ and can launch bombs 300+ yards) barely missed the cut at the PGA Tour’s 2004 Sony Open in her home state of Hawaii.

But it was mostly downhill from there. In her mid-teens, Wie was clearly out-of-her-league in male events, and was struggling to hold her own in female events too. To make matters worse, she earned the reputation of a prima donna of sorts, withdrawing from tournaments in which she was playing wretchedly and blaming it on an injured wrist (or sometimes both wrists). Perhaps Ms. Wie suffered from legitimate wrist issues, but to the golf world (especially some LPGA members), it was just an excuse.

Fast-forward to 2009 and Ms. Wie is now old-enough to vote (though not yet to drink) and is making a name for herself on the LPGA tour. While she still doesn’t have a win (2nd is her best finish), she has finally been playing like a consistent golf pro. And this helped her get selected to the Solheim Cup in Chicago this past weekend. For her part, Wie probably played the best golf of her career and was clearly the best golfer on the course, winning three of her four matches and halving the other.

But beyond her play this weekend, she showed team spirit. Her face was painted with an American flag, she used a stars and stripes ribbon to tie her ponytail, and she led the U.S. team around the 18th green for a victory lap after the match. Wie was more than a golfer this weekend; she was a fan. And it seems, for now at least, she’s earned the respect of her fellow tour players.

Ms. Wie still has much to prove on the course, and much to put behind her from her past. But if she can play the way she did this weekend (e.g. to show she really and truly enjoys herself), she may one day drop the sideshow act altogether and take her rightful place as the main attraction. God knows a lack of main attractions has been a problem for golf of late.

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