Eric Adelson Speaks About His New Book on Michelle Wie & Her Career

by Ryan Ballengee on Jun 26, 2009 6:09 PM EDT

A lot has been written - fairly and unfairly - about the child prodigy now looking to establish herself as an LPGA Tour professional. But, a new book will hit bookshelves on Monday about Michelle Wie. Freelance writer Eric Adelson has been covering Michelle Wie for almost an entire decade. Little did he know that nine years of covering Michelle, her family, and the bevy of people that have influenced her career would result in a book.

That book is A Sure Thing: The Making & Unmaking of Golf Phenom Michelle Wie. I spoke with Adelson over the telephone about his book and the career of Michelle Wie. We got into a candid discussion about BJ Wie - Michelle's father and the man that Adelson says "called all of the shots." Adelson opens up about Wie's engaging personality and talks about how her experience on Twitter has revealed a side of Michelle gone largely hidden in recent years. Adelson and I talk about the role that the media had in hyping and bringing down Michelle Wie with the amazement in her talent and the weight of expectations placed upon her. Finally, we talk about the prospects for her career as an LPGA Tour professional.

To listen to the interview, you can download the MP3 here, subscribe to the GNN Newsmakers podcast, or use the media player below.

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Comments

well – that is one book that will never decorate my shelves. cashing in on someone who is famous for being famous – pass.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Jun 26, 2009 6:11 PM EDT reply actions

This isn’t very sound reasoning at all. Wie is famous for being famous? Hardly. She’s famous for her potential. The word that the NBA uses is upside. In fact, entire drafts are based on upside – not proven talent. Tons of people cash in for more money than Wie has displaying much less talent than she has. A lot of those people are in other parts of professional sports.

Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.

by Ryan Ballengee on Jun 27, 2009 8:19 PM EDT up reply actions

the ol' two wrongs make a right defense... :-)

so – you’re saying that because the NBA makes millionaires out of guys who haven’t done anything other than play high school and a year of college basketball – I should read this book about Michelle Wie ? A book that won’t tell me anything that I don’t already know ?

Potential doesn’t mean anything other than unrealized talent – so yes – since she hasn’t done anything with her talent to this point, she is famous for being famous. She has been a tabloid star….nothing of substance. She got snotty with the LPGA Tour, declaring that she was too good for them. She was a circus sideshow playing with the men, getting worse and worse as she got older because the men finally decided to stop being nice to the little girl and played their game – which resulted in a string of DFL’s.

But since you asked so nicely – I’ll add the book to the list – right after the biographies of the Olsen twins, Paris Hilton, and Miley Syrus. :-)

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Jun 27, 2009 9:09 PM EDT up reply actions

It is a good thing public

libraries buy books or some wouldn’t sell the first one…

by One-Eyed Golfer Guy on Jun 27, 2009 4:05 PM EDT reply actions

Interesting that a judgment was levied so quickly on the book. Have you read Eric’s writing before? It’s really good.

I don’t quite understand the backlash against writing a book about Michelle Wie when the book isn’t even intended to be a Selena Roberts-ish slam on Wie.

Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.

by Ryan Ballengee on Jun 27, 2009 8:21 PM EDT up reply actions

did anybody say anything about the quality of the writing ? it’s the quality of the subject that is being objected to in the posts. this is an author writing a book about someone who hasn’t done anything – so what’s the point ?

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Jun 27, 2009 9:11 PM EDT up reply actions

and, court,

keeping with Waggle Room policy, let’s make sure we do not mention male enhancement…

by One-Eyed Golfer Guy on Jun 27, 2009 4:07 PM EDT reply actions

???

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Jun 27, 2009 4:44 PM EDT up reply actions

read the top line of the Waggle Room blog

by One-Eyed Golfer Guy on Jun 29, 2009 8:44 AM EDT reply actions

I see that – but where did male enhancement get mentioned ?

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Jun 29, 2009 12:32 PM EDT up reply actions

I think he was just making a joke :) BTW, I change that pretty regularly, so if you have a funny one liner that you think could be the header, let me know.

Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.

by Ryan Ballengee on Jun 29, 2009 1:21 PM EDT up reply actions