Waggle Room: An SB Nation Community

Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Around SBN: Interview With UMD Athletic Director, Dr. Debbie Yow

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

Wiebook_medium

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.

0 recs  |  Comment 14 comments |

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Display:

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   0 recs

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   0 recs

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   0 recs

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   0 recs

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   0 recs

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   0 recs

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   0 recs

???

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Jun 27, 2009 4:44 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

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   0 recs

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   0 recs

I knew he was making a joke, but I didn’t get it. He usually makes good jokes, so I wondered what I was missing.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Jun 29, 2009 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I just he just wanted to slip in a male enhancement joke. It’s tough to do. I’ve tried!

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

by Ryan Ballengee on Jun 29, 2009 2:51 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

LOL !!!

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Jun 29, 2009 5:55 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

Welcome to Waggle Room! Join our community! Have a golf story tip? Contact editor Ryan Ballengee and he will follow the story.
Start posting on Waggle Room »

Join SB Nation and dive into communities focused on all your favorite teams.

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recent FanPosts

Small
Breaking down the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am celebrities
Small
Tom Watson is a 60 year old stud
Tiger_and_the_magic_club_small
Are you ready for the Mojo 6 ?
Adam2_small
Hyler Instated As USGA's 61st President
Cat_small
Hana Bank Returns as Sponsor on 2010 LPGA Schedule
Small
Golf Styles I'm Still Undecided On
Images_3_small
Some real help for golf blogists with brain damage
Adam2_small
Tiger Out of Rehab; Elin Staying Put
Golfmoolah_app_homepage_small
Who Thinks it's still COOL to yell "it's in the hole" anymore?
Adam2_small
Now This is What I'm Talking About!

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >

Golf News Net Shows

The 19th Hole Golf Show - 1/29 - This week's 19th Hole Golf Show features one of my favorite golf writers, Jason Sobel from ESPN. I recap my visit to the PGA Show in Orlando - the good and the bad.  Also, we touch on the Doug Barron situation and the Desert Swing event in Doha, Qatar this weekend.

Listen NOW on the Golf News Net Media Player!

The 19th Hole Golf Show on iTunes

GNN Newsmakers Feed

The 19th Hole Golf Show






Managers

Ryan2_small Ryan Ballengee