“The answer to all your questions is money.”
Now Ohlmeyer was no saint. He’d been one of the original producers of “Monday Night Football,” which according to all credible reports, was a traveling debauchery show in every town it visited in the early ‘70s. Later, as an NBC executive, he reportedly tried to ban certain comics who made O.J. Simpson the butt of their jokes. He would remain one of Simpson’s biggest defenders for the rest of his life. But his prescient analysis of the sporting landscape is still true today, maybe more so. The recent announcement of the arrangement between the PGA Tour and the Saudi-backed LIV tour left many observers scratching their heads; why would the PGA Tour, which seemed to have the upper hand against its rival, embrace them as a partner just when you had them on the ropes? Every major recent court decision was a win for the PGA; LIV had no major TV contract (and none was on the horizon), and the defection of top players had slowed to a trickle. So why do this now?
“The answer to all your questions is money.”
While it was true the PGA Tour was winning the legal battles, the thing to remember is the important phrase left out of that statement – so far. When you face an opponent with ridiculously deep pockets (meaning unlimited amounts of money to spend to force the issue), the battle becomes exponentially more difficult. In a leaked report to the Wall Street Journal, Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan told staffers that the agreement was necessary in order to stave off financial ruin, which was sure to occur if it chose to continue to fight the immensely wealthy Saudibacked P.I.F. (Public Investment Fund), an entity which made it clear they were in this fight for the long haul. Remember, this was the same Commissioner Monahan who told the players who chose not to leave that they had nothing to be ashamed of, apparently forgetting his earlier pronouncement. While it’s true circumstances can force a change in strategy, there’s no way this is a good look for the Tour.
As for what the average viewer can expect, here’s what this crystal ball says: no appreciable change for the TV viewer. With the infusion of money, tournament sponsors will now stay in place. As for the players who chased the money, they will eventually be welcomed back after serving some type of penance (re-entry fees anyone?) Bottom line:
if you like watching golf, not much will change – but always keep in mind what Mr. Ohlmeyer stated many moons ago.
Local Heroes: Finally, we’d be remiss not to mention the memorable Spring seasons our Winter sports teams have given us. Both the Heat and the Panthers defied the odds and made it to their respective championship finals as 8 th seeds. Both beat higher-ranked teams to get there, and both teams filled our memories with spectacular plays. Unfortunately, as of this writing, both teams look to fall a bit short of winning titles – but that fact does nothing to diminish what’s been a wonderful run. Bravo!
