PGA Tour May Accept Liquor Sponsorships
by Ryan Ballengee on Apr 28, 2009 11:22 AM EDT
28 comments
It did not dawn on me until I saw this link from Sports Business Journal that the PGA Tour has zero liquor-based title sponsors. None. And it is by policy. The thing is, that with these difficult economic times, that policy may have to change.
Jon Show has the details, but here is the gist:
Executives at PGA Tour headquarters are taking their most serious look yet at loosening rules that prevent spirit companies from buying tournament title sponsorships or traditional endorsements with players, said multiple sources familiar with the talks. Industry sources estimated the category could be worth up to $50 million a year in new sponsorship dollars.
Well, why hasn't the PGA Tour made this move in the past? Other than the fact that they haven't had problems getting sponsors in the Tiger Era.
The PGA Tour has considered such a move before but didn’t take action because of the stigma attached to the category, said a tour source.
Stigma? I'm pretty sure that there is no stigma to booze sponsoring golf. Golf was made for booze. I have played with dozens of people who claim to play better intoxicated than sober. (I, for one, do not.) They sell Bloody Marys and airplane bottles of liquor at golf courses. Beer overflows on the links.
And need I not remind anyone that the 16th at TPC Scottsdale would be nothing without college kids drinking way too much cheap beer on a hot afternoon.
Imagine this...
Turning into this...
via assets.mediaspanonline.com
Bring on the booze!
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another example
Yet again, the LPGA Tour is way ahead of the PGA Tour. Examples: Last week’s Corona Championship (since 2005) and next week’s Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill (since 2003).
Some day the men’s tours might even figure out how to administer their HoF fairly.
Truth has a well-known liberal bias.
by dianemarie on Apr 28, 2009 11:48 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
The HOF thing is screwed up regardless of gender. LoCho is already in. She just has to live another like 7 years.
But, the beer thing struck me as very odd until I thought about it. The European Tour has Johnnie Walker sponsoring two events and no one complains there.
Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.
by Ryan Ballengee on Apr 28, 2009 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t know about the LPGA HOF being screwed up. The players like Ochoa and Sorenstam and Webb who qualifiy in what seems like just 2 or 3 years are very rare. It’s just that their rise is so spectacular, they get all the attention. MOST of the women in the HOF take a lot of years getting in.
Personally, I find it interesting that women, who are more emotional and relativistic than men have a points based system to get into the HOF – but the more statistic based minds of the men use opinion and a vote to put people into their HOF.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Apr 29, 2009 9:41 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I do like that the LPGA Tour has a point system. It amazes me that the PGAT doesn’t. They have the FedEx Cup but no point system for the HOF?!
Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.
by Ryan Ballengee on Apr 29, 2009 10:25 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
you would prefer that they vote on the guys who get into the Fed Ex playoffs ? :-D
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Apr 29, 2009 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
LPGA is way ahead of the PGA tour on very few issues
and I could probably count them all on one hand
by AppleCub on Apr 28, 2009 9:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The good ? It does remove a Pollyanna-ish attitude that tries to deny the existence of the fire-water in large group setttings. The extra cash sure wouldn’t hurt. You’re right on Johnnie Walker’s sponsorships, and you don’t see many tournaments outside North America without some sort of alcohol company signage.
The bad ? The flipside of Pollyanna is that some companies are reluctant to have their names publicly connected to public drinking and potential drunk driving. Sooner or later, some ambulance chaser is going to add a beer or liquor company to a law suit blaming them for their client being too stupid to call a taxi or have a designated driver in the group. That’s life in America – it’s never your own fault.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Apr 28, 2009 12:14 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
FBR sponsors the drunk fest that is TPC Scottsdale. I don’t think they’ve been sued for what college kids (and I would) do while there.
Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.
by Ryan Ballengee on Apr 28, 2009 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
huh ??
FBR isn’t a liquor company – they don’t “sponsor” the drunk fest, they sponsor the tournament – putting stands up around the hole doesn’t mean they are saying “come on all you drunks – underaged and all – we built this for you”.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Apr 28, 2009 12:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
since it's FBR
They’re probably too stupid to foresee the consequences of putting stadium type seating around a par-3 hole and allowing vendors to sell beer. Sports that are normally staged within a stadium or arena have procedures in place to control rampant alcohol abuse. I don’t know if golf has figured it out yet.
Otherwise, I see no issue whatsoever with companies who manufacture or distribute adult beverages sponsoring tournaments.
Truth has a well-known liberal bias.
by dianemarie on Apr 28, 2009 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
yes – “stupid” is the first word that comes to mind with a highly successful, multi-billion dollar corporation.
The beer is sold outside the area of the hole. Ever been to a professional baseball game ? There are NO drunks at Reds or Bungles games ? A few hundred drunks in a crowd of 16,000 doesn’t really bother me. saying that EVERYONE there is drunk or out of control (rampant alcohol abuse – pretty funny) is just a bit exaggerated.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Apr 28, 2009 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
They’re not really highly successful – their stock price has dropped more than 90%, which is why they won’t return as sponsor after 2010.
What I’m saying is that FBR sponsors the event, not the golf tournament. There is a key difference there.
Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.
by Ryan Ballengee on Apr 28, 2009 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The FBR Open – FBR is the title sponsor of the tournament – yes – they are the sponsor of the tournament – not the 16th hole. What has grown up around the 16th hole is a phenomenon that just happened – it isn’t artificial – and it wasn’t put there to be a hole for binge drinking.
You’re back to the vaccuum analysis. FBR isn’t where the were a year ago because of the economy – but saying that they aren’t highly successful ? Is there an open bar in your office ? That’s just crazy.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Apr 28, 2009 2:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
if the “few hundred drunks” are all sitting in the same section, it’s a problem. that’s what I meant by “rampant.” I’ve never been to the event in Scottsdale so I don’t know where they sell the alcohol. from what I’ve seen of the patrons on television, it’s readily available at that hole.
Thanks, for clarifying for me, Ryan. That’s exactly what I meant by “stupid.”
Truth has a well-known liberal bias.
by dianemarie on Apr 28, 2009 2:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m not saying that a big crowd of drunken rowdies (and you can’t prove that they are all drunk – that’s just your opinion of the situation) is good for the game or the tournament. I love the uniqueness of a “stadium” hole – but a bunch of drunks doesn’t impress me.
If you’re trying to say that because FBR’s stocks are down they are “stupid” – I’m not sure how to respond to something like that. If FBR was the only company struggling these days, I might agree that they did something stupid to screw it up – but they aren’t. Once again, analysis in a vaccuum does not work.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Apr 28, 2009 2:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
We’ve been interacting here for about a year. In that time you’ve always been an unbending supporter of big business. I figure that within the financial services industry specifically (they’re the guys at the root of the current situation), profit motive begets greed which begets stupidity. That fits FBR as far as I can tell.
I like companies that make tangible things, especially when they do so in the US. I like companies who pay their employees a living wage and reinvest profits back into the company and the community. I like companies whose CEO doesn’t say his primary job is to increase shareholder value because that’s code for “I’m driving the stock price as high as I can, even if I have to cook the books, then I’m selling my options and heading to Costa Rica.”
Truth has a well-known liberal bias.
by dianemarie on Apr 28, 2009 2:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
wrong again – I have been a supporter of GOOD business. Guess what – when someone starts a business – the whole idea is to make money for themselves, their families, and their supporters (stock holders, etc). GASP !!! Yes – those evil evil people who put themselves and the things they own on the line to take a chance in the business world.
YOU, on the other hand – seem to be a huge supporter of a government (and a party) that has, since FDR, systematically worked to put more and more people under the thumb of a bigger and bigger government. You think that businesses are built for the employees to have a job – and you couldn’t be more wrong.
Yes – there are bad businesses. Yes – there are stupid businessmen and corporate leaders. Yes – there are people who take advantage of the public – but those people usually get caught doing something illegal. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always mean that those people end up in jail.
I’m sure you were holding your nose and covering your ears when George Bush – back in 2001 – PUBLICALLY announced that the real estate market was heading for trouble because of government meddling in what is supposed to be a free market. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were out of control and forcing private sector lending institutions to make high risk loans to people who would not or could not repay those loans.
This week, Dear Leader Obama started taking steps to villainize the credit card industry – with the eventual goal of turning credit (which he campaigned on as a necessity for life) into EBT so people who think they are entitled to a credit card won’t have to repay their debts. (yes – that’s just a prediction – but I’d bet a lot on it)
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Apr 28, 2009 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Obama wants to cut down on interest rates for CCs. That’s not that big of a deal. Rates are high because people who don’t particularly deserve credit are getting it, default, and then the rate is hiked for everyone. Double problem of people who take the cards with no ability to pay and the credit care companies who make dumb credit decisions.
Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.
by Ryan Ballengee on Apr 28, 2009 4:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
you need to listen a little more closely...
…then follow your own advice. What Obama is doing is relieving people of their responsibility to repay loans and credit debts. People have been conditioned to think that credit cards are the best way to live – not saving.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Apr 28, 2009 4:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree with your last statement, but changing that behavior will take years to fix. Not overnight, particularly considering we’ve had a negative savings rate per capita over the past decade plus.
Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.
by Ryan Ballengee on Apr 28, 2009 5:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I have a friend who works at a PE firm on Wall St. Anecdotes from him suggest that a lot of people who work on Wall St. aren’t necessarily bright. That doesn’t make them stupid either. But, FBR as a firm made some really dumb gambles in wealth management, including getting involved with Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) in a market where a bubble was clear to everyone. And firms still dumped money in it anyway.
Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.
by Ryan Ballengee on Apr 28, 2009 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not entirely sure which comment to reply to
But as a former (this is an important distinction as I am about to defend them) employee of said company (and one who worked very hard to activate the sponsorship of the Open) I can tell you that while there were poor decisions made by people at FBR (no doubt driven by ego and, yes, even a little greed), not a bad person exists among the upper management. The culture is one of great community awareness and few tournaments on the PGA TOUR have given close to what the FBR Open has to charity. Could they do better? I think everyone can agree that yes, yes they can, but I can tell you that they are aware of that and are certainly working on getting better.
"Hope is a good thing, maybe even the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." - At this point it's all we have.
by Paging Victor Page on Apr 29, 2009 9:22 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Well said, PVP
Especially in these days when people have been brainwashed and influenced to believe that just because a business is large, it is based in greed.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Apr 29, 2009 9:37 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
FBR has been a great sponsor of the event at Scottsdale – can’t argue that. The Thunderbirds do an amazing job in organizing and presenting the tournament. I’m sure it was an easy choice for FBR to get on board with them.
As for FBR’s management, I think they made some poor decisions, but I won’t necessarily characterize them as any more greedy than any other person or company. They have to make cash. On the offenders list relative to this current crisis, FBR wouldn’t even appear on it.
Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.
by Ryan Ballengee on Apr 29, 2009 10:24 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
FBR didn’t get on board with The Thunderbirds. The Thunderbirds are a group from a local civic group that got involved with the tournament and have grown as the tournament grew. They do not put money into the tournament purse – they organize the volunteers and started organizing the parties and concerts and a lot of other events to raise money for charities. They are THE best support group in any of the pro tournaments.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Apr 29, 2009 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
FBR wouldn’t sponsor the tournament without the Thunderbirds. I guarantee that.
Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.
by Ryan Ballengee on Apr 29, 2009 12:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That may be true – seeing how much The Thunderbirds add to the tournament – but they did not sponsor the event JUST to be linked with them. They sponsor the tournament to advertise their name and to get involved in charitable activities connected with a PGA Tour event.
It might be better to say that because The Thunderbirds take care of so much of the tournament organization and atmosphere, FBR was more likely to put their dollars behind the tournament. If FBR people had to do the work done by The Thunderbirds, they might not have been as willing to be the title sponsor.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Apr 29, 2009 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
100% Correct
FBR would not have gotten involved with the tournament without the Thunderbirds. The Thunderbirds are without a doubt the best tournament support group around and they were the perfect fit for FBR (which was looking to get involved in a TOUR event for the reasons courtgolf mentions: exposure, charitable connections, etc.).
"Hope is a good thing, maybe even the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." - At this point it's all we have.
by Paging Victor Page on Apr 29, 2009 12:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
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