More Idle FedEx Cup is Dumb Chatter
by Ryan Ballengee
on Oct 1, 2008 9:29 AM EDT
Lorne Rubenstein is the latest scribe to declare the FedEx Cup boring and useless. He says nothing original in the piece and really makes no point whatsoever. But, he did completely misuse a Kenny Perry quote - at least against the context in which it previously has been reported.
It's this one:
Perry focused his energies on making the U.S. Ryder Cup team. He did, was part of the winning side, and then played the Tour Championship the following week. He did not want to be there.
"This has ruined the greatest week of my life, coming here. It really has," said Perry, who would have preferred to take the week off and enjoy the afterglow of the Ryder Cup.
At the Tour Championship, Perry was also chosen for a random drug test for the second time since the tour's program started in July. He shot 76-75-67-72 to finish 17 shots behind Villegas.
EDIT: Jeff Rude butchered this quote in his reporting about Perry, claiming this was in reference to the drug testing - not the Tour Championship. Apparently Rude was first to market but is misleading. Either way, insert comment about twisting people's words here.
At least Lorne did catch one critical point - real golf fans don't care about big money tournaments. They care about great golf. Still, the FedEx Cup has delivered that over the past two seasons. It is the media's perception, though, that has cast doom on the FEC. We're getting great golf in September - something thought long passed a few years ago. Yeah, the ratings are down, but that's because golf's ratings were never that good. Tiger's ratings were that good.
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hang on hang on hang on
this is what Perry WAS talking about – not the drug test.
The ONLY article that said that it was the drug test was the Jeff Rude piece. Rude got it wrong – not the rest.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Oct 1, 2008 9:39 AM EDT 0 recs
termination
Why aren’t you calling for Rude to be fired?
by dianemarie on
Oct 1, 2008 10:59 AM EDT
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cute
is that supposed to be funny ?
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on
Oct 1, 2008 11:05 AM EDT
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nope
Rude did pretty much what Baldry did on the English requirement story. You didn’t hesitate to call for her dismissal.
by dianemarie on
Oct 1, 2008 11:32 AM EDT
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time for new glasses
if you will read the first sentence of that post – it says “ok – maybe not”. See, D, dear, Baldry was calling for Bivens’ head – I was mocking her tactic…but making it clear that I WASN’T calling for Baldry’s job.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on
Oct 1, 2008 11:46 AM EDT
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What?
What in the world is wrong with people like Rude then?
by Ryan Ballengee on Oct 1, 2008 9:47 AM EDT 0 recs
modern "journalism"
never let the facts get in the way of a story. if the words come out in the same interview, just cut and paste.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on
Oct 1, 2008 9:48 AM EDT
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Consider it edited
Still, I’m sure Lorne has done the same thing – so consider this a preemptive strike. Ha.
by Ryan Ballengee on Oct 1, 2008 9:54 AM EDT 0 recs
lol
the only thing I disagree with Lorne on is that he doesn’t mention that the Fed Ex Cup isn’t useless to the players. The top 4 finishers make more money than the winner of the tournament, and it’s a long way down to get to the second place tournament finisher.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on
Oct 1, 2008 10:24 AM EDT
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Maybe I should.....
Give Rude my Knucklehead award. Then watch Golfweek and Rude try to keep me away from a PGA event one day.
By the way I was never sold on the Fedex cup from the start. Expect Tiger Woods to play 4 weeks in a row? Something he hasn’t done since the beginning of this decade. Expect casual golf fans to be interested in a non-major? The Tour Championship had a great finish, but I find Fedex a gimmick and a snooze.
by Bill Jempty on Oct 1, 2008 10:30 AM EDT 0 recs
well
if Tiger is in the field – the casual fan WILL tune in. He’ll never have to play all four to get to Atlanta – but he can play 2, take a week off, then go collect his $10 mil.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on
Oct 1, 2008 10:35 AM EDT
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But..
Finchem knows that the only way these guys are going to keep playing good golf through September is money. With no majors to motivate them, the next best thing is money. That’s why the FEC happens. If that’s the case, then, why not just have four events with a staggered split of the $63 million given out through the playoffs?
by Ryan Ballengee on
Oct 1, 2008 11:11 AM EDT
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no "suspense" ? :-)
that makes it an exhibition series without the big carrot at the end.
until people stop making money the focus – the situation will never be fixed. Tiger and Phil could retire today and never look back – the money isn’t the biggest reason they play anymore…well…maybe Phil does – but he still likes the competition. Their big money comes from endorsements – not tournaments.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on
Oct 1, 2008 11:17 AM EDT
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What's the carrot then?
You need a carrot to get these guys to play in September on the PGA Tour because they can’t take appearance fees. Maybe the Euros have the right model…
by Ryan Ballengee on
Oct 1, 2008 11:18 AM EDT
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it's the same carrot
or whatever root vegetable grows in Dubai – but it’s going to be even bigger. The PGA Tour guys are going after the big bucks with the Dubai Challenge like they go after the Fed Ex Cup. They just have to work less for the oil money. No playoffs, just enough points to get into the last tournament.
Fed Ex overwhelms, distracts, and detracts from The Tour Championship because it is a separate prize purse – Dubai IS the focus….but that’s what the Tour Championship was before Fed Ex – a stand alone tournament. so you’re right.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on
Oct 1, 2008 11:51 AM EDT
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Then let's have a $60 million tournament
called the Tour Championship or something like that. That’s hyperbole, but have 3 playoff events that are just normal events that lead to an ultra huge final.
by Ryan Ballengee on
Oct 1, 2008 11:56 AM EDT
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what about the other three ?
what happens to Barclays, Deutche Bank, and BMW ? Major money and tour support.
Fed Ex isn’t running or sponsoring any of the tournaments – they are an advertiser putting money into the Tour throughout the whole season. They just have their name on the biggest checks.
Why $60 million ? $35 million isn’t enough ? :-)
I have no problem dumping the name “Tour Championship” for whatever name Fed Ex wants to put on the final. The Tour Championship really isn’t what the name says it is anyway. Bart Bryant didn’t become the #1 player in the world when he won a few years back.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on
Oct 1, 2008 12:03 PM EDT
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I would be ok
with a playoff of 3 events, with limited fields like we have already. Then, we wipe the slate clean for a ridiculous payoff tournament – either the $35 million bonus pool or the $42 million of the bonus plus the TC purse. $42 million for 30 guys would probably not fly, though. Make it 60 or something.
by Ryan Ballengee on
Oct 1, 2008 12:14 PM EDT
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not enough ???
Geez – can I get adopted into the Ballengee family ? $35 million isn’t enough ? Remember – the $10 million was taken off the top before Atlanta – so 29 guys were playing for the remaining $25 million. Put all 35 million Fed Ex dollars into the pot and they’ll play.
If you make this the Fed Ex Cup tournament, Coca Cola and the other sponsors will pull out. That’s where the other $7 million came from.
Where is the other $25 million coming from ?
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Oct 1, 2008 12:22 PM EDT 0 recs
I think we're losing each other on this one :)
So, let’s say we revamp this that the TC is now the FEC Final. You could have a few different kinds of purses:
1. Just the FEC bonus pool – $35 million – distributed to the 30 guys who made the TC – $10M to the winner
2. The TC bonus pool (if you can make Coke prominent) and the FEC bonus pool – $42M – $12M to the winner (or so)
3. Some other amount TBD
I didn’t meant that this ungodly sum wouldn’t be enough. I should’ve said that people would balk at spreading that kind of sum over just 30 players. There would have to be more players for this kind of money.
by Ryan Ballengee on
Oct 1, 2008 12:29 PM EDT
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#1 - then stop
Ok – I’m just following your idea…
If Fed Ex becomes THE tournament sponsor – Coca Cola and Georgia Pacific WILL go away. As it stands now – you have a bonus pool that is 5 times the size of the tournament purse. That can never work. The tournament has no prestige when the bonus pool has all the attention – and there is no need for the $7 million from Coke and GP if they are not the presenting and major sponsors.
The $35 million is no longer the bonus pool – it is the tournament purse and it is all up for grabs on Thursday morning.
There are three $7 million tournaments leading up to the Tour Championship – all of which stand on their own because the only thing connected to Fed Ex is the points they accrue. They have to play the TC to get the bonus money.
So you’ll have to forget the $7 million from Coke and GP – that’s gone – it’s just the Fed Ex money – and $35 million among 30 guys is more than enough.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Oct 1, 2008 12:42 PM EDT 0 recs
That's exactly what I meant :)
And I think that would work well.
by Ryan Ballengee on
Oct 1, 2008 12:56 PM EDT
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they'll never go for it...
it’s too damn simple. :-D
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on
Oct 1, 2008 12:59 PM EDT
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