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GWAA boycott not everything it was made out to be?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!, Feb 21, 2010.

  1. Take it with a grain a salt, as it comes from TBL ... but if true, this sure as heck is interesting ...

    http://thebiglead.com/index.php/2010/02/21/who-deserves-credit-for-the-gwaas-boycott-of-tigers-speech-certainly-not-its-leader/#more-39045

     
  2. clutchcargo

    clutchcargo Active Member

    If you're going to pick three golf writers as pool reporters for anything, I would start with Doug Ferguson, Tim Rosaforteand either Gary Von Sickle or Jeff Rude. They cover tour pretty much fulltime and have been doing so for years. Jaime Diaz maybe.

    Most anyone else is a part-time golf writer at best. About 90% of GWAA membership staffs 6 or fewer events a year in this day of downsizing and busted travel budgets.

    That said, no need for any journalist to be there, with no questions allowed.
     
  3. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    Harig is a full-time golf writer. When I first heard that those were the folks picked to attend, I had no problem with it. That's why you have officers in those organizations. Too much of a slippery slope to pick reporters based on seniority or outlet or whatever.

    I also thought Soltau took his name out of the running because of his ties to Tiger. Could be wrong.
     
  4. hondo

    hondo Well-Known Member

    Soltau did recuse himself. Ferguson was going to be there one way or the other as a wire-sevice reporter, as he should have been. I wouldn't blame Kupelian too much. This is new ground: a golfer trying to limit the number of reporters in the room. Lately, those involved in the sport have had to beg people to show up for anything.
     
  5. Jim_Carty

    Jim_Carty Member

    Hey, in the end they did the right thing. I think folks on this site are way, way too quick to place blame. Tiger's guy calls you up and offers you three spots at the presser, it's understandable to me that the first reaction is, "Um, yeah, sure." Then when it becomes obvious that the ground rules are hurting other writers, and your membership is pissed, you pull out. Ultimately, no harm done.
     
  6. So with the 18-4 vote, can we assume the four were the three selected and someone close to Tiger also. What about the abstentions? The bottom line is that too many golf writers have close ties to Tiger and they don't take him to task for anything, let alone any of this.
     
  7. hondo

    hondo Well-Known Member

    No, you can't assume that. The Reuters guy isn't a member of the GWAA. Don't know how Fergie voted or if he abstained, since he was going to be there no matter what.
     
  8. Mediator

    Mediator Member

    Litmus test for who gets a seat: If you can't talk about the issue without choking back the tears for poor Tiger, like one of the Golf Channel stooges, then you shouldn't get a seat. I imagine that would eliminate a good portion of the GWAA.

    Cheap shot, I know. I was actually surprised the org did the right thing hear by backing out, though I heard Harig on ESPN said he disagreed with the boycott.
     
  9. clutchcargo

    clutchcargo Active Member

    A quick aside here: Evil, can you explain your screen name to me? Just curious---what made Orville Redenbacher an evil guy?
     
  10. The Popcorn Popping Merchant of Death.
    Outside of that ... totally random.
     
  11. hondo

    hondo Well-Known Member

    So there's one of the four anti-boycott votes.
    Harig said in another interview that there were pool reporter situations all the time where no questions were taken -- the President of the U.S., for example.
    Tiger might be big. A golfer does not = President of the U.S.
     
  12. clutchcargo

    clutchcargo Active Member

    If Tiger is going to give a canned speech with no questions allowed, and assuming that no one other than Tiger's mom was in attendance worth speaking to---and knowing she would not talk to the press---yet the whole thing is being televised, what in the world do you need a pool reporter in the room for? What could that possibly accomplish?
     
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